The Government is desperate to make cuts in primary education, closing down special and residential schools and placing high needs children back into their local schools is the next initiative. These children will be supported by “wrap-around services”, but the question is, who will provide them? http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wrap-around-services-unraveling.html
Poll out in the Herald on Sunday, the vast majority want to retain assets, so no surprise there. Apparently 60% of us want to buy shares, but there is no indication of how many can actually afford to buy the shares (5%?).
On preferred party polling, more trouble for Johnny Sparkles. The Herald is really, really reluctant to say it, but the tide is turning. Bear in mind, Key Research/HOS is the most optimistically blue tinged of the polling companies.
National: 47.9
Labour: 30.4
Greens: 14.8
No result recorded for NZF, but the commentary suggests their vote was below 5%. Peter Dunne is rightly hammered for his sin of ommision:
” … NZ First, Mana and Act have all taken a big hit. Peter Dunne’s United Future didn’t even register.”
National 47.9% (-8.5%)
Labour 30.4% (+6.2%)
Green 14.8% (+2.2%)
ACT 0.5% (nc)
Maori 1.7% (+1.1%)
United Future 0.0% (-0.3%)
Mana 0.2% (-0.1%)
NZ First 3.2% (-0.4%)
Conservative 0.8% (-0.6%)
National’s result is actually above it’s election % (same for Labour and Greens). Small party poll support tends to drop off between elections and doesn’t firm up until within a week or two of an election, as demonstrated by NZF. Can’t read much into that.
[nothing for His Hairness? A typo, surely. Because that last poll was just before the election and significantly out of line with it, the indication is that the Herald poll significantly over polls National and under polls Labour. So, it’s stupid to compare this result against the election result. With any single poll, you want to look at the trend in that poll, not the absolute numbers vs other measures of support. Eddie]
Trends are semi important for the large parties but there’s a lot of other factors – like how often the polls are taken, and when the last one was.
I doubt Winston Peters will give a hoot about the NZF trend. He targets one month prior to an election, the trend through that period is what’s criticval, the rest don’t matter.
UF have barely registered in most polls for yonks. That means little this far out. As does this:
Projected Seats
– United Future 1
A trend means more if the polls are close together, if they are a long time apart they mean much less.
From what I can see the previous HoS poll was 20.11.11, just prior to the election, where it had National on 56.4 and Labour on 24.2, Greens on 12.6 and NZF on 3.6 – that is nothing like the election result the following week.
Being seven months ago surely it’s hard to deduce any trend. And they only have one other poll listed, 14.10.11 – how reliable is a trend from three unevenly spaced polls where the first two were in totally different circumstances, in the lead up to an election?
100% correct Pete, the trend means more when they are close together. So what do 5 Roy Morgans, two or 3 from the telly and now the HoS all confirming National’s slide and UF’s demise coming together in just 3 months tell you?
“A trend means more if the polls are close together, if they are a long time apart they mean much less.”
Ok, you didn’t get it. The timing of the results is not some “other factor” apart from the trend, it’s part of what makes up the trend. Jeez, learn some fucking english, would you?
“From what I can see the previous HoS poll was 20.11.11, just prior to the election, where it had National on 56.4 and Labour on 24.2, Greens on 12.6 and NZF on 3.6 – that is nothing like the election result the following week. “
Which is exactly why you’re an idiot if you compare the recent poll with the election result and conclude that National’s support has risen. The HoS poll consistently overestimates National’s support.
It’s reasonable to assume, based on all available information over many polls, that National’s support is considerably lower than this poll indicates. Your own observation above supports this view, which is also consistent with the reasonable conclusions drawn from the trends of all other recent polls.
Spot on, eddie. If I recall correctly, one of the HoS polls before the election had National on 65% support, so their record is patchy at best. However, this one is in line with the last 5 Roy Morgans and the 2 or 3 tv polls over the last 3 months. UF’s dismal result in this poll is not a reflection of a mid term drop, it’s actually only 0.6% away from the actual vote cast in November and again, in line with what the other polls are saying about UF. And what they are saying is “oblivion”.
The real question for the next election is how well the maori party go. If they lose even one seat to Labour, it’s all over for Team Key.
I don’t like to sound overly optimistic but from my own crude rithmatic National are at present polling on the 43% mark,
That gambling site run by the Tories themselves has taken an even more pessimistic view of National as a betting option figuring them now at a miserable 41%, (to all extents and purposes gone-burger in 2014),
NZFirst below the 5%, thats got to be included this day for the humor content, even in its darkest days leading up to and at the 2008 election NZFirst held 4% of the vote,
Having said all that I see no need for any of us to become complacent and such figures should just give us all the impetus to provide even more vocal opposition to the Tories and the Slippery shyster from New York we have as Prime Minister,
What an incoming Government will face after the 2014 election is a Government debt stretched out to the point where further large scale borrowing by that Government becomes extremely problematic,
The view from here is that all opposition party’s should be looking further than simply a capital gains tax as an effort to stifle the speculation in housing,
The state of our economy in 2014/2015 is going to be such that a properly targeted Financial Transactions Tax is seen as the best means of producing surplus in the Government books as well as enabling the Government debt to be paid down,
I suggest that for capital expenditure on infrastructure and social housing Government need resort to creating such monies as needed…
On The Nation yesterday Winston Peters said that the Cullen Fund should be used to buy back the assets (when he’s in Government). That’s nonsense from WP.
The fact is the Cullen Fund is likely to buy as many shares as it can get (up to 10%) as soon as they go on the market.
Just another indication from WP of having the pension fund raided for other purposes then what it is meant for (I bet he is not the only one). In 20-30 years time there will be no money and people have to work til they are 70, perhaps even for all their lives (Dickensian). My god this is so mean and in the disguise of a “good cause”. Meanwhile NZ is becoming more and more an underdeveloped nation and all this with the nodding of the population. Pathetic really, but today’s comments on education are very revealing and do point in the direction NZ is moving.
Going back to Dave Kennedy’s comment, any more cuts and the illiteracy of the kids will even more increase. It would be nothing short of catastrophic for NZ. These comments below from an article this morning. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/7159927/Writing-on-the-wall-for-illiterate-Kiwis
A 2006 survey found 43 per cent of adults with some sort of literacy issue, and half the population with numeracy difficulties.
The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training says the number of low-skilled jobs will fall by 51 per cent this decade, while highly skilled jobs will increase only 21 per cent.
Last year 31 per cent of students left school without level 2 NCEA, the equivalent of Sixth Form Certificate.
This is the real issue because people who fall behind will not be able to build a future for their community. Looking at other comments on this site, they will not be able to research issues like Asset Sales, they will be easier manipulated by social media and advertising. This is also a reason why the “rich” or whoever can afford it (be it with 3 jobs going) send their kids to private schools.
The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training says the number of low-skilled jobs will fall by 51 per cent this decade, while highly skilled jobs will increase only 21 per cent.
Uh, highly skilled jobs are going to China and India. Highly skilled does not have to mean here and highly paid.
This report was about NZ and its education outcome. Sorry, but the number of people not able to string a sentence or able to calculate without any aid (provided the can read!) is rising. To get skilled means literate and able to be trained. How do you propose to change the future if the kids are not held on to the learn the basics? There is a worldwide shift from low or no skill where one can get by illiterate. This will and has changed to demands of better educational outcomes to operate the equipment that is provided and more and more hi tech. Read the article and you will understand what I try to say.
Basic literacy and numeracy are key, yes. But in the context that the future is going back to the past, FW. We will need fitter turners more than we will need semiconductor engineers.
And we need an education which arms children with social and communication skills primarily, not “high tech” skills.
BTW ever see a 50 year old use an iPhone or a Windows PC?
That 50 year old was in primary school in 1970. No computers, no internet. No problem.
Argh yes the “knowledge economy”, going along well isn’t it…NZ is forging ahead, along with the rest of the western nations. We can tell from the swaths of out of work young/graduates, as the economies of the world in real terms, have failed, on the back end of the money men cartels!!
FW – Don’t be fooled into thinking that the “tech” is the saviour os us, it simply is not, and will not be.
In fact the more the tech advances, the more stripped down the hunan being becomes, far from the direction most believe that all the “tech’ is taking us…
I was out of cash and needed some money to get by, so I thought I’d sell my car.
A mate of mine said he’d buy it.
It had a full tank of gas, new tyres and the engine ran ok.
I sold it to him for $100.
He used it as a taxi and made heaps of money.
After a while- having to pay my mate to get around, I realised that I needed a car of my own after all.
My mate said I could have my old car back.
The gas tank was empty, the tyres were worn out and the engine was stuffed.
He said I could buy it back for $200.
So far it’s cost me a lot for repairs and still doesn’t run very well,
but at least I’ve got my car back again.
Pretty good value, eh?!
My Asset Sales Story
I sold a car once, and some other assets, to raise a deposit to buy a house. After a while, as I paid off some of the mortgage and inflation and promotion raised my earning, I was able to buy a better car again.
So explain to me how selling what produces our earnings will give us a promotion and a pay increase.
The car you sold was a cost and the other assets were non income producing.
A more accurate analogy would be to have sold your body to a pimp who then used it to generate their own income. After several years your body was worn out and no use to the pimp and you had to pay lots of money to put it right again. The pimp meanwhile kept his money.
PG if your story bore any resemblance to government policy I don’t see it. National (+ klingon parties) won’t use the proceeds to improve NZ’s asset portfolio, they are just going to juice the budget for a few years and then there will be nothing to show for it.
So, Pete, do you think this government is planning to sell the shares in the power companies and in AirNZ, use the funds to reduce debt, and then buy those shares back when things are considered to be looking a bit better?
Rather than going into government coffers, most of the profits head directly overseas. The government woud have made much more money keeping the asset rather than selling it for a one-off payment. And it’s pretty much the most expensive power company in the consumer electricity market.
Thanks for pointing out what a stupid idea selling any other assets would be, pete. Care to share it with the hair-do?
It’s a perfectly valid analogy, Pete. It points out that Dunne and Key want to sell income generating assets and spend the money on non-income generating assets, or worse still on the general running costs of the country.
I know you’re not very good at analogies though. From the way I’ve seen you try to interpret them before, you’re probably thinking ‘what an idiot, the govt hasn’t said anything about buying petrol…’
As for PG What a limp apology for a comment with an underlying theme that goes like this. “I am so clever that I can manage my affairs so well that I don’t feel hardship because I am so clever and hard working, which is all that is needed in this life to succeed. Every clever boy knows that.”
Why is my comment that I put on at 11.15 a.m. after ropata not up there at 9.1.2 where it has some relevance? Instead I have gone down to 9.2 below felix’s at 6.18p.m. It’s makes the comment irrelevant to be so distant from the origin.
Would someone have time to explain how I can avoid this. You might note that I headed my original comment with ropata’s name so tied it, I thought, to the one I was replying to.
Probably other people have had this same thing occurring. It is annoying and makes commenting on comments a waste of time and discouraging. Is that the intention?
ropata
So this means that I should have replied to PG and then added comment to you at the end of one to PG so I could get in cooee of your comment. This is strategic – I’ll have to make plans for my future forays into the blogosphere.
A report on Radionz yesterday on the state of the Spanish oil industry. It is being ruined by the buying power of supermarkets who use this popular and needed item as a loss leader thus forcing down profits for the growers. Also the fudging of labelling to give the idea of higher quality.
Pure virgin labelling should show Acidity 0.3% but the marketing companies extend this classification by adding more processed oil giving 0.3 to 1% acidity, not virgin oil at all. The price being paid in general isn’t enough to fund the already low-paid work force using traditional gathering by shaking the olive branches to drop the fruit on mats underneath. This method allows the good ripening and flavour of good oil.
Australian supermarkets have used milk as a loss leader and had a price war between them for which apparently they didn’t bear the cost. They recouped losses by reducing the prices that farmers thought they were to receive under contract.
This is not new, the Spanish olive oil industry has been monitored for this reason for quite a while now. Don’t forget, Spaniards or for that matter Mediterranean Countries use Olive oil like we do canola and butter. But now that the new owners, the ones who bailed the country out, are in charge this kind of thing will surface. But don’t get fooled, the practice of “loss leader” marketing is well established and works in NZ too – look at the alcohol sales. All it means is that there is a war of shareholding in the food market on and we are the pawns on both side of the equation. We pay less and have no job, no income. So the price has to be cut to “loss leader” level, etc.
Foreign waka
Mmmm too true. Another thing that happens when these food price wars continue is that quality and good nutrition can be lost in favour of cheaper manufacturing procedures, longer shelf life, and poorer quality ingredients.
Already done, look at the “pink slime” mince issue in the US, just the tip of the iceberg. All these long name ingredients which – I would not be surprised to find this with 90% – are industrial waste. Toothpaste – fluoride is one of them.
Shame on the Corrections Department for the conditions they are imposing on prisoners. The prisoners are held at great expense to the taxpayers. They are usually not held for life, but let out eventually back into society – where many continue the schemes their twisted minds obssess about on one part of society, females but not forgetting children animals and old people or foreigners with perceived assets. The so-called Corrections Department doesn’t match its name. It doesn’t attempt to correct just to punish with prisoners locked in for 23 hours a day, with nothing to do. Let’s get it straight, that the Department is the Punishment Department and is an expensive, inefficient and dangerous method of dealing with criminals, dangerous to society. And they should now be allowing Peter Williams Lawyer and rep for the Howard League to talk to the stressed prisoners in the tower.
This is an inhuman, backward way to treat these people. The serially bad should be kept under life control on prison farms where they can work to grow prison food. All should be enabled to learn some skill or project interesting to them (not involving the making of weapons or studying warfare – they already know violence and callousness intimately). The others should go straight into a series of projects with limited time frames, which are not hard to accomplish. These would be chosen to suit their needs and they would pick from such a group.
Learning is hard work and would be a shock to the system for many. By doing something, first based on theoretical or philosophical teaching, then followed by a practical, hands-on thing they would pass the time productively for all, and eventually it would entertain them. Also, the sentence would be suspended when they had achieved a certain number, some being basic school programs they had missed.
Simple sayings, trite or cliche often say it all. The devil makes work for idle hands. Add to that my observation that people are like lettuces, once cut off from good nurturing, they wither. We are just as perishable as lettuces and need care to grow well.
I said that Correction Department doesn’t try to help prisoners, but that is not so, now I think about it. Someone will defend them saying that they do run projects to guide some of their prisoners to better thinking and behaviour. However they then spoil this positive by reducing the remaining humanity in their prisoners until they are full of anger or despair, and then more likely to erupt and strike, injure, kill in prison and out.
This 23 hour lock-up, multiple bunking attitude comes from High Society who wouldn’t demean themselves to commit such coarse criminality, aiming for a higher more complex type. These people are the product of their environment with some nature in the mix. Three ways to improve – one get beside parents with help and respect for the task, two limit addiction suppliers, legalise and tax and control and monitor their businesses, three to encourage prisoners to envisage a different path which would be better for them and society and then give them the help to achieve it.
This 23 hour lock-up, multiple bunking attitude comes from High Society who wouldn’t demean themselves to commit such coarse criminality,
Exactly, and that fits with the way the whole thing was being reported on Radio NZ… ‘They’ll come down when they get sick of it’ as if prisoners are naughty children! ‘They want to see Peter Williams, but we won’t let them’ (because Corrections has its own trained negotiators there… and that seems to be working so well!)
Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research founder Maria Bradshaw […]says the ministry does not disclose the questionnaire’s real purpose to parents, and discourages those conducting the test to tell parents if their child’s scores are borderline or abnormal.
Since 2008 Pharmac figures show a 140 per cent increase in antidepressant prescriptions for 0 to 4-year-olds between 2009 and 2010, and an average 10 per cent increase in mood-stabilising drug prescriptions in the last five years for children aged five and over.
Giving anti-depressants to toddlers is totally wrong IMO – the drugs can be toxic, create dependence and too little is know about the effects on developing brains.
Big pharma may be looking for another market for its wares but that is not a good reason for letting them experiment on NZ’s kids.
The deliberate deception from the ministry and the instruction to those conducting tests to with-hold information from parents is totally unacceptable.
CL – Indeed this issue in fact goes back furher with CASPER playing a key role in keeping it in the public eye.
The use of psychotropic drugs, as it relates to the suicides of young Kiwis is a key issue. Now it looks like they are trying to get the kids hooked up even sooner, and who does this benefit overall – Big Pharma!
Bradshaw, the founder of Casper – Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research – calls the associate minister of health, “Peter Dunne Nothing”, because she says that in the four years he has been responsible for suicide prevention in government “he has done absolutely nothing”.
Giving anti-depressants to toddlers is totally wrong IMO – the drugs can be toxic, create dependence and too little is know about the effects on developing brains.
Drugs should be the last resort IMO. Change of diet is probably the first one and then looking to care, involvement and environment.
Every individual needs a chance to become a person without medical intervention in the form of a psychotropic drug, especially at such young ages. Tests that normalise such interventions are not solving any problems, they are creating them.
I was talking about toddlers, and the “children aged five and over” referred to in the article who are a bit too young to be on the booze – but you have kindly illustrated my point – which was that if your kid ‘fails’ one of these ‘tests’ then next thing you know someone like BernyD is labelling them a future street corner dweller or alcoholic.
The use of psychotropic drugs, as it relates to the suicides of young Kiwis is a key issue. Now it looks like they are trying to get the kids hooked up even sooner, and who does this benefit overall – Big Pharma!</
This is what I mean by applying science.
The Devil is a known commodity, it can be observed, recorded, analysed.
The street corner or bar tender are not.
If everyone in NZ was happy to talk to a professional personality observer, they would find their lives a lot easier to understand.
It may scare them, but at least they’d know why.
And trust me when I say the Devil drug dealer is no psychiatrist all he wants is money.
Furthermore most kids from troubled backgrounds start drinking very young as well.
I include myself in that category, and would’ve appreciated qualified help.
Andrew Little is making a mistake is proposing that the ACC funding model be changed. The ACC has an investment portfolio of about $20b. DO NOT give the Nats a chance to liquidate that: it will only result in tax reduction for the top earners and cost reduction for employers. Andrew Little is taking a short term view, and Shearer will sit on the fence.
The ACC funded model is a Labour Party inter-generational treasure for our children. Like the Hydro Dams, it is wrong cash them in. Pull your head in Andrew Little, show some leadership Shearer.
“But the party’s ACC spokesman, Andrew Little, said it was time for a public debate about funding options, with recent controversy highlighting ACC’s overemphasis on lowering costs rather than meeting claimants’ needs. Under full funding the corporation builds up reserves to cover the current and future costs of existing claims, and is aiming to reach that goal by 2019.” http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7125792/Premiums-may-drop-in-ACC-rethink
I agree KM that ACC’s reserves should be maintained. Otherwise our young will not only be paying for our future superannuation but also paying for our accidents and our hospital bills …
No matter what the actual costs will have to be met from available resources. What this means in practical terms is an effective slack in the economy that can meet emergency situations. No amount of saving money will change that and, in fact, saving money makes it look like things can be done without diverting from other economic activity. I,e, Christchurch isn’t being rebuilt partially because the saved money isn’t generating a diversion from other economic activity.
Saving money is delusional but, then, our entire financial/economic system is delusional.
It’s not delusional. Each ACC account has its own investment fund and our levies have been topping them up so the income from investments can pay the future cost of existing claims.
To give you an idea what it’s worth; in 2011 investments returned very high sums because of recovering markets but if we discount it back to the risk-free rate of around 5% ACC investment accounts in 2011 would have paid 34% of the work account costs, 24% of the earners account and 49% of the motor vehicle account. That’s total cash outgoings too, including claims and all expenses. The percentages will get higher each year as surpluses are reinvested. That’s what we stand to lose if they nobble our ACC assets and change to pay as you go.
KM
Perhaps there could be an amendment from full to a part-funding model so that we don’t have to carry all tomorrow’s inflated costs on our shoulders today. Even small annual inflation, which is going to happen in a thriving economy, does mount up and we meet its cost as we go along.
Prism, there might be a valid case to move the target date out a few more years. But to remove that strategic target for short term reasons is as much intergenerational theft as selling the Hydro Dams.
Totally with your point KhandallahMan. I was equally pretty shocked to hear Kevin Hague of the Greens suggest that the Greens would simply liquidate the ACC fund, in order to stop a National government from using the fund to privatize ACC. Pretty odd kind of “salt the wells and burn the villages” kind of logic there.
If ACC’s goal really is to be self-funding, I presume that to mean that they generate a fund large enough that the levies will decrease. That’s a cost off business, and a cost of the injured, and a massive cost off the health system. That’s worth keeping a massive fund for.
Little is also spectacularly dumb if he wants to tamper with it. What Labour should avoid is moving from a simple political target (getting a few politicians fired), to a policy one in which they have no clue what success would look like (let’s reinvent ACC).
Labour have no clear policy on this, and you should not re-write an intergenerational contract on the fly.
It’s pretty obvious what it’s about. If they make ACC pay as you go then they can make the outstanding claims liability (OCL) disappear at the stroke of a pen. Presently it’s protected because of accounting rules, if they nobble any of our ACC cash it goes on the books as a deficit. Change the rules and they can grab the cash, book it as a surplus, and leave us paying extortionate levies for an ACC we’ve already paid for.
Neither the left nor the right political parties can be trusted on this IMO. The right want to sell off ACC so they can loot the kitty & enrich themselves, the left want to loot the kitty so they can spend more. It’s the best scheme of its type in the world and they’re all hell-bent on wrecking it for their own selfish ends.
The ACC is a Treasure! A Taonga. Some idiots from National are dicking around with it. The Nats want to sell it or wreck it. Labour should be very very carful not to undermine the unique value proposition of a properly funded ACC. Other countries are copying the historic Labour model.
Hague and the Greens have no maturity of policy development in this space. Andrew Little needs to engage with more experienced MPs and Party policy makers before shooting from the hip in public.
He deserves a good bollicking at the next caucus meeting.
Just imagine if we had a sovereign investment fund that included the ACC fund, the EQC fund, a public Kiwisaver option, and the NZSuperFund, and the (remaining) state companies. Perhaps in part managed by Kiwibank.
Something even bigger than Temasek or Harvard Pension, roaming the earth owning chunks of massive companies, investing with ethical and long term purpose.
Not just producing milk and cheese, but owning supermarket chains.
Not just converting to wind farms, but buying out the turbine manufacturer.
At every point, aggregating the public resources we have into single common purpose.
And imagine that fund being used to enable policy outcomes; a free health system, a fully resilient set of cities, a more confident NZSuperannuation.
The Greens(!) are the only party that have proposed such a fund, well they at least they promised to look into whether one would be worth investigating 🙂 While National just want to use our mineral wealth to subsidize tax cuts for the rich. Kinda what Thatcher did with North Sea gas…
Epic, and surprisingly uplifting. A great topic for defeatists and catastrophists in that he reaffirms individual human agency and choice, both through his own story and through railing against immoral kinds of government. Loved it.
I’d say that’s a serious concern. Was the release of cyanide gas from the grass an effect of the genetic modification or just a random mutation due to local drought conditions?
And sorghum is a popular feed and could have been GMO. The item about the dead cows said that others have had this trouble from the same Tifton85 type. However it shows up on google as a hybrid grass which happens more through breeding and crossing strains than adding and subtracting genetic material of various sorts.
In my humble opinion, today concludes the end of the first chapter of the Egyptian revolution. I know that other people have it divided into sections in regards to original 18 days, elections, parliament and presidential elections, but I don’t subscribe to that. We went into the revolution with the same thinking that people like me had back in 2005: we must remove Mubarak, stop his son from inheriting us, and get democratic elections. All of us had those goals and not a single vision on what to do afterwards, because the removal of Mubarak was such a pipedream. So, you successfully dethrone a tyrant, and you have neither plan nor vision on what to do afterwards, and no real understanding of the regime itself, then, quite naturally, you fall flat on your face, and we have been doing that for the past 18 months. This has been our story: the removal of a dictator and the repercussions that follow. That’s what’s been happening. This ends today, and the new chapter starts, for better or worse
At one point today when I tried to link to a specific commenter, it kept coming up with a post way back in 2008. Can’t remember the title but someone was… wondering why the Leader of the Opposition, John Key always had a cheesy grin on his face.
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, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
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 ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
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. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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 ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
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. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. 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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Morning. Is this meant to be a politics free Sunday?
didn’t you get the memo?
This is the second ‘weekend social’ this weekend. I got a bit confused for a minute there.
Looks like our open mike and weekend social wires got crossed. Fixed now.
but isn’t today the 24th?
someone should put the cap back on the bottle before things get any worse 🙂
Give that man a 10% pay cut!
My mistake. Too tired last night, brain on autopilot, wires crossed everywhere. All sorted now (I think)…
The Government is desperate to make cuts in primary education, closing down special and residential schools and placing high needs children back into their local schools is the next initiative. These children will be supported by “wrap-around services”, but the question is, who will provide them?
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wrap-around-services-unraveling.html
This is going to end up just like our mental health services.
And ACC, Millsy, this government is actively avoiding their responsibility to support our most vulnerable.
Poll out in the Herald on Sunday, the vast majority want to retain assets, so no surprise there. Apparently 60% of us want to buy shares, but there is no indication of how many can actually afford to buy the shares (5%?).
On preferred party polling, more trouble for Johnny Sparkles. The Herald is really, really reluctant to say it, but the tide is turning. Bear in mind, Key Research/HOS is the most optimistically blue tinged of the polling companies.
National: 47.9
Labour: 30.4
Greens: 14.8
No result recorded for NZF, but the commentary suggests their vote was below 5%. Peter Dunne is rightly hammered for his sin of ommision:
” … NZ First, Mana and Act have all taken a big hit. Peter Dunne’s United Future didn’t even register.”
National 47.9% (-8.5%)
Labour 30.4% (+6.2%)
Green 14.8% (+2.2%)
ACT 0.5% (nc)
Maori 1.7% (+1.1%)
United Future 0.0% (-0.3%)
Mana 0.2% (-0.1%)
NZ First 3.2% (-0.4%)
Conservative 0.8% (-0.6%)
http://curiablog.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/herald-on-sunday-key-research-poll-june-2012/
National’s result is actually above it’s election % (same for Labour and Greens). Small party poll support tends to drop off between elections and doesn’t firm up until within a week or two of an election, as demonstrated by NZF. Can’t read much into that.
[nothing for His Hairness? A typo, surely. Because that last poll was just before the election and significantly out of line with it, the indication is that the Herald poll significantly over polls National and under polls Labour. So, it’s stupid to compare this result against the election result. With any single poll, you want to look at the trend in that poll, not the absolute numbers vs other measures of support. Eddie]
Trends are semi important for the large parties but there’s a lot of other factors – like how often the polls are taken, and when the last one was.
I doubt Winston Peters will give a hoot about the NZF trend. He targets one month prior to an election, the trend through that period is what’s criticval, the rest don’t matter.
UF have barely registered in most polls for yonks. That means little this far out. As does this:
Projected Seats
– United Future 1
That trend is stable, but meaningless.
Politicly Gelded looks like Dunne is going to have to change his blue rinse to red green rinse!
“UF have barely registered in most polls for yonks. That means little this far out.”
Quite right, Pete. If UF made you leader just before the election then put you on TV with that worm going again I reckon you’d end up our next PM.
Thanks for that decisive analysis, Pete.
UF are a rubbish party with no credibility. PD gets elected in Ohariu largely because of his personal popularity in the electorate.
“Trends are semi important for the large parties but there’s a lot of other factors – like how often the polls are taken, and when the last one was.”
Jeez Pete, what do you think “trend” means in this context if not movement over time?
You’re getting worse and worse at these “waffle over the gaping hole” comments you know.
A trend means more if the polls are close together, if they are a long time apart they mean much less.
From what I can see the previous HoS poll was 20.11.11, just prior to the election, where it had National on 56.4 and Labour on 24.2, Greens on 12.6 and NZF on 3.6 – that is nothing like the election result the following week.
Being seven months ago surely it’s hard to deduce any trend. And they only have one other poll listed, 14.10.11 – how reliable is a trend from three unevenly spaced polls where the first two were in totally different circumstances, in the lead up to an election?
The trend for UF is spectacularly stable though – no matter what the poll, UF is always on fuck-all. And that includes elections.
Sigh. There is so much wrong with this statement, stochastically, but I’m not even going to bother.
100% correct Pete, the trend means more when they are close together. So what do 5 Roy Morgans, two or 3 from the telly and now the HoS all confirming National’s slide and UF’s demise coming together in just 3 months tell you?
“A trend means more if the polls are close together, if they are a long time apart they mean much less.”
Ok, you didn’t get it. The timing of the results is not some “other factor” apart from the trend, it’s part of what makes up the trend. Jeez, learn some fucking english, would you?
“From what I can see the previous HoS poll was 20.11.11, just prior to the election, where it had National on 56.4 and Labour on 24.2, Greens on 12.6 and NZF on 3.6 – that is nothing like the election result the following week. “
Which is exactly why you’re an idiot if you compare the recent poll with the election result and conclude that National’s support has risen. The HoS poll consistently overestimates National’s support.
It’s reasonable to assume, based on all available information over many polls, that National’s support is considerably lower than this poll indicates. Your own observation above supports this view, which is also consistent with the reasonable conclusions drawn from the trends of all other recent polls.
Spot on, eddie. If I recall correctly, one of the HoS polls before the election had National on 65% support, so their record is patchy at best. However, this one is in line with the last 5 Roy Morgans and the 2 or 3 tv polls over the last 3 months. UF’s dismal result in this poll is not a reflection of a mid term drop, it’s actually only 0.6% away from the actual vote cast in November and again, in line with what the other polls are saying about UF. And what they are saying is “oblivion”.
The real question for the next election is how well the maori party go. If they lose even one seat to Labour, it’s all over for Team Key.
I don’t like to sound overly optimistic but from my own crude rithmatic National are at present polling on the 43% mark,
That gambling site run by the Tories themselves has taken an even more pessimistic view of National as a betting option figuring them now at a miserable 41%, (to all extents and purposes gone-burger in 2014),
NZFirst below the 5%, thats got to be included this day for the humor content, even in its darkest days leading up to and at the 2008 election NZFirst held 4% of the vote,
Having said all that I see no need for any of us to become complacent and such figures should just give us all the impetus to provide even more vocal opposition to the Tories and the Slippery shyster from New York we have as Prime Minister,
What an incoming Government will face after the 2014 election is a Government debt stretched out to the point where further large scale borrowing by that Government becomes extremely problematic,
The view from here is that all opposition party’s should be looking further than simply a capital gains tax as an effort to stifle the speculation in housing,
The state of our economy in 2014/2015 is going to be such that a properly targeted Financial Transactions Tax is seen as the best means of producing surplus in the Government books as well as enabling the Government debt to be paid down,
I suggest that for capital expenditure on infrastructure and social housing Government need resort to creating such monies as needed…
“no indication of how many can actually afford to buy the shares ”
Anyone with KiwiSaver can invest
On The Nation yesterday Winston Peters said that the Cullen Fund should be used to buy back the assets (when he’s in Government). That’s nonsense from WP.
The fact is the Cullen Fund is likely to buy as many shares as it can get (up to 10%) as soon as they go on the market.
Just another indication from WP of having the pension fund raided for other purposes then what it is meant for (I bet he is not the only one). In 20-30 years time there will be no money and people have to work til they are 70, perhaps even for all their lives (Dickensian). My god this is so mean and in the disguise of a “good cause”. Meanwhile NZ is becoming more and more an underdeveloped nation and all this with the nodding of the population. Pathetic really, but today’s comments on education are very revealing and do point in the direction NZ is moving.
Not the same thing. The clue was the word ‘buy’, which was in the question KR/HoS asked.
How does that work in practice?
http://newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/292669198-Greens-to-meet-with-ACC-minister-over-12-point-plan
It pains me to say it but those looney greenies arn’t doing a bad job at the moment
Going back to Dave Kennedy’s comment, any more cuts and the illiteracy of the kids will even more increase. It would be nothing short of catastrophic for NZ. These comments below from an article this morning.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/7159927/Writing-on-the-wall-for-illiterate-Kiwis
A 2006 survey found 43 per cent of adults with some sort of literacy issue, and half the population with numeracy difficulties.
The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training says the number of low-skilled jobs will fall by 51 per cent this decade, while highly skilled jobs will increase only 21 per cent.
Last year 31 per cent of students left school without level 2 NCEA, the equivalent of Sixth Form Certificate.
This is the real issue because people who fall behind will not be able to build a future for their community. Looking at other comments on this site, they will not be able to research issues like Asset Sales, they will be easier manipulated by social media and advertising. This is also a reason why the “rich” or whoever can afford it (be it with 3 jobs going) send their kids to private schools.
Uh, highly skilled jobs are going to China and India. Highly skilled does not have to mean here and highly paid.
This report was about NZ and its education outcome. Sorry, but the number of people not able to string a sentence or able to calculate without any aid (provided the can read!) is rising. To get skilled means literate and able to be trained. How do you propose to change the future if the kids are not held on to the learn the basics? There is a worldwide shift from low or no skill where one can get by illiterate. This will and has changed to demands of better educational outcomes to operate the equipment that is provided and more and more hi tech. Read the article and you will understand what I try to say.
Basic literacy and numeracy are key, yes. But in the context that the future is going back to the past, FW. We will need fitter turners more than we will need semiconductor engineers.
And we need an education which arms children with social and communication skills primarily, not “high tech” skills.
BTW ever see a 50 year old use an iPhone or a Windows PC?
That 50 year old was in primary school in 1970. No computers, no internet. No problem.
Argh yes the “knowledge economy”, going along well isn’t it…NZ is forging ahead, along with the rest of the western nations. We can tell from the swaths of out of work young/graduates, as the economies of the world in real terms, have failed, on the back end of the money men cartels!!
FW – Don’t be fooled into thinking that the “tech” is the saviour os us, it simply is not, and will not be.
In fact the more the tech advances, the more stripped down the hunan being becomes, far from the direction most believe that all the “tech’ is taking us…
Back to the future it will have to be!
My Asset Sales Story
My Asset Sales Story
I sold a car once, and some other assets, to raise a deposit to buy a house. After a while, as I paid off some of the mortgage and inflation and promotion raised my earning, I was able to buy a better car again.
True.
So explain to me how selling what produces our earnings will give us a promotion and a pay increase.
The car you sold was a cost and the other assets were non income producing.
A more accurate analogy would be to have sold your body to a pimp who then used it to generate their own income. After several years your body was worn out and no use to the pimp and you had to pay lots of money to put it right again. The pimp meanwhile kept his money.
PG if your story bore any resemblance to government policy I don’t see it. National (+ klingon parties) won’t use the proceeds to improve NZ’s asset portfolio, they are just going to juice the budget for a few years and then there will be nothing to show for it.
Well do the sums Peteg and tell us how this scenario is actually going to happen.
We are not selling the car to buy a house, we are selling the business so we can pay off the credit card and give some money to the farmers.
So, Pete, do you think this government is planning to sell the shares in the power companies and in AirNZ, use the funds to reduce debt, and then buy those shares back when things are considered to be looking a bit better?
Cool story bro. Unfortunately what National and Peter Dunne are about to do is more akin to selling the house to put petrol in the car.
That’s another of many ridiculous comparisons. The best/worst I’ve seen is it’s like selling a kidney to buy a dialysis machine.
Here’s a relevant analogy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_Energy
Very apt indeed.
Rather than going into government coffers, most of the profits head directly overseas. The government woud have made much more money keeping the asset rather than selling it for a one-off payment. And it’s pretty much the most expensive power company in the consumer electricity market.
Thanks for pointing out what a stupid idea selling any other assets would be, pete. Care to share it with the hair-do?
It’s a perfectly valid analogy, Pete. It points out that Dunne and Key want to sell income generating assets and spend the money on non-income generating assets, or worse still on the general running costs of the country.
I know you’re not very good at analogies though. From the way I’ve seen you try to interpret them before, you’re probably thinking ‘what an idiot, the govt hasn’t said anything about buying petrol…’
ropata
A good story – very good analogy.
As for PG What a limp apology for a comment with an underlying theme that goes like this. “I am so clever that I can manage my affairs so well that I don’t feel hardship because I am so clever and hard working, which is all that is needed in this life to succeed. Every clever boy knows that.”
Why is my comment that I put on at 11.15 a.m. after ropata not up there at 9.1.2 where it has some relevance? Instead I have gone down to 9.2 below felix’s at 6.18p.m. It’s makes the comment irrelevant to be so distant from the origin.
Would someone have time to explain how I can avoid this. You might note that I headed my original comment with ropata’s name so tied it, I thought, to the one I was replying to.
Probably other people have had this same thing occurring. It is annoying and makes commenting on comments a waste of time and discouraging. Is that the intention?
Hey I saw your comment (9.2) and appreciated it, but PG got in first (9.1) and everyone replied to him (9.1.x) which shifted yours down lower.
ropata
So this means that I should have replied to PG and then added comment to you at the end of one to PG so I could get in cooee of your comment. This is strategic – I’ll have to make plans for my future forays into the blogosphere.
A report on Radionz yesterday on the state of the Spanish oil industry. It is being ruined by the buying power of supermarkets who use this popular and needed item as a loss leader thus forcing down profits for the growers. Also the fudging of labelling to give the idea of higher quality.
Pure virgin labelling should show Acidity 0.3% but the marketing companies extend this classification by adding more processed oil giving 0.3 to 1% acidity, not virgin oil at all. The price being paid in general isn’t enough to fund the already low-paid work force using traditional gathering by shaking the olive branches to drop the fruit on mats underneath. This method allows the good ripening and flavour of good oil.
Australian supermarkets have used milk as a loss leader and had a price war between them for which apparently they didn’t bear the cost. They recouped losses by reducing the prices that farmers thought they were to receive under contract.
This is not new, the Spanish olive oil industry has been monitored for this reason for quite a while now. Don’t forget, Spaniards or for that matter Mediterranean Countries use Olive oil like we do canola and butter. But now that the new owners, the ones who bailed the country out, are in charge this kind of thing will surface. But don’t get fooled, the practice of “loss leader” marketing is well established and works in NZ too – look at the alcohol sales. All it means is that there is a war of shareholding in the food market on and we are the pawns on both side of the equation. We pay less and have no job, no income. So the price has to be cut to “loss leader” level, etc.
Foreign waka
Mmmm too true. Another thing that happens when these food price wars continue is that quality and good nutrition can be lost in favour of cheaper manufacturing procedures, longer shelf life, and poorer quality ingredients.
Already done, look at the “pink slime” mince issue in the US, just the tip of the iceberg. All these long name ingredients which – I would not be surprised to find this with 90% – are industrial waste. Toothpaste – fluoride is one of them.
Shame on the Corrections Department for the conditions they are imposing on prisoners. The prisoners are held at great expense to the taxpayers. They are usually not held for life, but let out eventually back into society – where many continue the schemes their twisted minds obssess about on one part of society, females but not forgetting children animals and old people or foreigners with perceived assets. The so-called Corrections Department doesn’t match its name. It doesn’t attempt to correct just to punish with prisoners locked in for 23 hours a day, with nothing to do. Let’s get it straight, that the Department is the Punishment Department and is an expensive, inefficient and dangerous method of dealing with criminals, dangerous to society. And they should now be allowing Peter Williams Lawyer and rep for the Howard League to talk to the stressed prisoners in the tower.
This is an inhuman, backward way to treat these people. The serially bad should be kept under life control on prison farms where they can work to grow prison food. All should be enabled to learn some skill or project interesting to them (not involving the making of weapons or studying warfare – they already know violence and callousness intimately). The others should go straight into a series of projects with limited time frames, which are not hard to accomplish. These would be chosen to suit their needs and they would pick from such a group.
Learning is hard work and would be a shock to the system for many. By doing something, first based on theoretical or philosophical teaching, then followed by a practical, hands-on thing they would pass the time productively for all, and eventually it would entertain them. Also, the sentence would be suspended when they had achieved a certain number, some being basic school programs they had missed.
Simple sayings, trite or cliche often say it all. The devil makes work for idle hands. Add to that my observation that people are like lettuces, once cut off from good nurturing, they wither. We are just as perishable as lettuces and need care to grow well.
I said that Correction Department doesn’t try to help prisoners, but that is not so, now I think about it. Someone will defend them saying that they do run projects to guide some of their prisoners to better thinking and behaviour. However they then spoil this positive by reducing the remaining humanity in their prisoners until they are full of anger or despair, and then more likely to erupt and strike, injure, kill in prison and out.
This 23 hour lock-up, multiple bunking attitude comes from High Society who wouldn’t demean themselves to commit such coarse criminality, aiming for a higher more complex type. These people are the product of their environment with some nature in the mix. Three ways to improve – one get beside parents with help and respect for the task, two limit addiction suppliers, legalise and tax and control and monitor their businesses, three to encourage prisoners to envisage a different path which would be better for them and society and then give them the help to achieve it.
Yes that’s how I felt Vicky32.
Ministry ‘hides test’s real purpose’
Giving anti-depressants to toddlers is totally wrong IMO – the drugs can be toxic, create dependence and too little is know about the effects on developing brains.
Big pharma may be looking for another market for its wares but that is not a good reason for letting them experiment on NZ’s kids.
The deliberate deception from the ministry and the instruction to those conducting tests to with-hold information from parents is totally unacceptable.
CL – Indeed this issue in fact goes back furher with CASPER playing a key role in keeping it in the public eye.
The use of psychotropic drugs, as it relates to the suicides of young Kiwis is a key issue. Now it looks like they are trying to get the kids hooked up even sooner, and who does this benefit overall – Big Pharma!
Maria Bradshaw has a nickname for Peter Dunne.
Bradshaw, the founder of Casper – Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research – calls the associate minister of health, “Peter Dunne Nothing”, because she says that in the four years he has been responsible for suicide prevention in government “he has done absolutely nothing”.
Many links to articles below
http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/index.html?t=Mental%20Health
Better than the street corner
Drugs should be the last resort IMO. Change of diet is probably the first one and then looking to care, involvement and environment.
Well said, but a “Professional” to help would be required.
Individual needs vary
Every individual needs a chance to become a person without medical intervention in the form of a psychotropic drug, especially at such young ages. Tests that normalise such interventions are not solving any problems, they are creating them.
I have too agree with you, self medication is the current result, starting with alcohol
I was talking about toddlers, and the “children aged five and over” referred to in the article who are a bit too young to be on the booze – but you have kindly illustrated my point – which was that if your kid ‘fails’ one of these ‘tests’ then next thing you know someone like BernyD is labelling them a future street corner dweller or alcoholic.
It relates to the original post by muzza …
Not sure where you got five year olds from, Just saying we need to make Psycho analysis less of a social evil and more of a science.
Even the ‘professionals’ admit they are supping with the devil
This is what I mean by applying science.
The Devil is a known commodity, it can be observed, recorded, analysed.
The street corner or bar tender are not.
If everyone in NZ was happy to talk to a professional personality observer, they would find their lives a lot easier to understand.
It may scare them, but at least they’d know why.
And trust me when I say the Devil drug dealer is no psychiatrist all he wants is money.
Furthermore most kids from troubled backgrounds start drinking very young as well.
I include myself in that category, and would’ve appreciated qualified help.
Andrew Little is making a mistake is proposing that the ACC funding model be changed. The ACC has an investment portfolio of about $20b. DO NOT give the Nats a chance to liquidate that: it will only result in tax reduction for the top earners and cost reduction for employers. Andrew Little is taking a short term view, and Shearer will sit on the fence.
The ACC funded model is a Labour Party inter-generational treasure for our children. Like the Hydro Dams, it is wrong cash them in. Pull your head in Andrew Little, show some leadership Shearer.
“But the party’s ACC spokesman, Andrew Little, said it was time for a public debate about funding options, with recent controversy highlighting ACC’s overemphasis on lowering costs rather than meeting claimants’ needs.
Under full funding the corporation builds up reserves to cover the current and future costs of existing claims, and is aiming to reach that goal by 2019.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7125792/Premiums-may-drop-in-ACC-rethink
I agree KM that ACC’s reserves should be maintained. Otherwise our young will not only be paying for our future superannuation but also paying for our accidents and our hospital bills …
No matter what the actual costs will have to be met from available resources. What this means in practical terms is an effective slack in the economy that can meet emergency situations. No amount of saving money will change that and, in fact, saving money makes it look like things can be done without diverting from other economic activity. I,e, Christchurch isn’t being rebuilt partially because the saved money isn’t generating a diversion from other economic activity.
Saving money is delusional but, then, our entire financial/economic system is delusional.
It’s not delusional. Each ACC account has its own investment fund and our levies have been topping them up so the income from investments can pay the future cost of existing claims.
To give you an idea what it’s worth; in 2011 investments returned very high sums because of recovering markets but if we discount it back to the risk-free rate of around 5% ACC investment accounts in 2011 would have paid 34% of the work account costs, 24% of the earners account and 49% of the motor vehicle account. That’s total cash outgoings too, including claims and all expenses. The percentages will get higher each year as surpluses are reinvested. That’s what we stand to lose if they nobble our ACC assets and change to pay as you go.
And you missed the point.
KM
Perhaps there could be an amendment from full to a part-funding model so that we don’t have to carry all tomorrow’s inflated costs on our shoulders today. Even small annual inflation, which is going to happen in a thriving economy, does mount up and we meet its cost as we go along.
Prism, there might be a valid case to move the target date out a few more years. But to remove that strategic target for short term reasons is as much intergenerational theft as selling the Hydro Dams.
Totally with your point KhandallahMan. I was equally pretty shocked to hear Kevin Hague of the Greens suggest that the Greens would simply liquidate the ACC fund, in order to stop a National government from using the fund to privatize ACC. Pretty odd kind of “salt the wells and burn the villages” kind of logic there.
If ACC’s goal really is to be self-funding, I presume that to mean that they generate a fund large enough that the levies will decrease. That’s a cost off business, and a cost of the injured, and a massive cost off the health system. That’s worth keeping a massive fund for.
Little is also spectacularly dumb if he wants to tamper with it. What Labour should avoid is moving from a simple political target (getting a few politicians fired), to a policy one in which they have no clue what success would look like (let’s reinvent ACC).
Labour have no clear policy on this, and you should not re-write an intergenerational contract on the fly.
It’s pretty obvious what it’s about. If they make ACC pay as you go then they can make the outstanding claims liability (OCL) disappear at the stroke of a pen. Presently it’s protected because of accounting rules, if they nobble any of our ACC cash it goes on the books as a deficit. Change the rules and they can grab the cash, book it as a surplus, and leave us paying extortionate levies for an ACC we’ve already paid for.
Neither the left nor the right political parties can be trusted on this IMO. The right want to sell off ACC so they can loot the kitty & enrich themselves, the left want to loot the kitty so they can spend more. It’s the best scheme of its type in the world and they’re all hell-bent on wrecking it for their own selfish ends.
Noisy scandals, Pullar, Privacy, who said what when, etc and blah blah are distractions. The ACC became under attach when Nick Smith appointed the new Board after National won the 2008 election.
http://www.acc.co.nz/about-acc/overview-of-acc/key-people/ABA00006
The ACC is a Treasure! A Taonga. Some idiots from National are dicking around with it. The Nats want to sell it or wreck it. Labour should be very very carful not to undermine the unique value proposition of a properly funded ACC. Other countries are copying the historic Labour model.
Hague and the Greens have no maturity of policy development in this space. Andrew Little needs to engage with more experienced MPs and Party policy makers before shooting from the hip in public.
He deserves a good bollicking at the next caucus meeting.
Just imagine if we had a sovereign investment fund that included the ACC fund, the EQC fund, a public Kiwisaver option, and the NZSuperFund, and the (remaining) state companies. Perhaps in part managed by Kiwibank.
Something even bigger than Temasek or Harvard Pension, roaming the earth owning chunks of massive companies, investing with ethical and long term purpose.
Not just producing milk and cheese, but owning supermarket chains.
Not just converting to wind farms, but buying out the turbine manufacturer.
At every point, aggregating the public resources we have into single common purpose.
And imagine that fund being used to enable policy outcomes; a free health system, a fully resilient set of cities, a more confident NZSuperannuation.
Call it Kiwifund.
Khandalla, that’s where Labour should be headed.
Now that is something I would support.
The Greens(!) are the only party that have proposed such a fund, well they at least they promised to look into whether one would be worth investigating 🙂 While National just want to use our mineral wealth to subsidize tax cuts for the rich. Kinda what Thatcher did with North Sea gas…
Or in any other as far as I can see!
Dr Michael Burry UCLA Commencement Speech
An outstanding critique of the political, economic and financial situation the world finds itself in.
From one of the world’s top 0.1%.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1CLhqjOzoyE
Epic, and surprisingly uplifting. A great topic for defeatists and catastrophists in that he reaffirms individual human agency and choice, both through his own story and through railing against immoral kinds of government. Loved it.
What to make of this?.
http://www.foodrenegade.com/mutated-gmo-grass-makes-cyanide-kills-cattle-2/
I’d say that’s a serious concern. Was the release of cyanide gas from the grass an effect of the genetic modification or just a random mutation due to local drought conditions?
Came across this and it seems that cyanide poisoning is a drought related feeding problem.
Prussic acid or cyanide poisoning can also be a problem when grazing drought-stunted plants such as sorghum, sorghum hybrids and sudan grass.
And sorghum is a popular feed and could have been GMO. The item about the dead cows said that others have had this trouble from the same Tifton85 type. However it shows up on google as a hybrid grass which happens more through breeding and crossing strains than adding and subtracting genetic material of various sorts.
Sandmonkey (Mahmoud Salem) on the Egyptian elections.
In my humble opinion, today concludes the end of the first chapter of the Egyptian revolution. I know that other people have it divided into sections in regards to original 18 days, elections, parliament and presidential elections, but I don’t subscribe to that. We went into the revolution with the same thinking that people like me had back in 2005: we must remove Mubarak, stop his son from inheriting us, and get democratic elections. All of us had those goals and not a single vision on what to do afterwards, because the removal of Mubarak was such a pipedream. So, you successfully dethrone a tyrant, and you have neither plan nor vision on what to do afterwards, and no real understanding of the regime itself, then, quite naturally, you fall flat on your face, and we have been doing that for the past 18 months. This has been our story: the removal of a dictator and the repercussions that follow. That’s what’s been happening. This ends today, and the new chapter starts, for better or worse
Some choice that was..
A member of the establishment, or some crackpot mullah.
Anyone else having trouble loading thestandard today?
At one point today when I tried to link to a specific commenter, it kept coming up with a post way back in 2008. Can’t remember the title but someone was… wondering why the Leader of the Opposition, John Key always had a cheesy grin on his face.