Open Mike 25/03/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 25th, 2018 - 141 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

141 comments on “Open Mike 25/03/2018 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Ad 1
    25 March 2018 at 7:19 am

    Great to see the new German Minister for the Environment banning Glyphosphate:

    http://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-revive-climate-change-phase-out-glyphosate/a-43110900

    It would be awesome to see our government clean out the Board and management of our Environmental Protection Agency and start banning this kind of chemical.

    • Graeme 1.1
      25 March 2018 at 8:01 am

      “It would be awesome to see our government clean out the Board and management of our Environmental Protection Agency and start banning this kind of chemical.”

      And you thought the reaction to a resource charge on water was extreme, banning glyphosphate would be seen as a ban on farming. It’s that ubiquitous and central to New Zealand agricultural systems they wouldn’t know how to farm without it.

      • AsleepWhileWalking 1.1.1
        25 March 2018 at 8:18 am

        FYI there was a study done with cows.

        Turns out that glycophospate levels in the cow blood reduce with protocol of betonite clay and sauerkraut juice. Some other stuff too but those are the main things.

      • weka 1.1.2
        25 March 2018 at 8:23 am

        DOC and groups like Forest and Bird and people who maintain school grounds would find it a challenge too. Still should happen though, they just lack imagination.

        • Pingao 1.1.2.1
          25 March 2018 at 10:39 am

          Maybe it is lack of money?? The alternative herbicides are often more expensive and may also have health risks. Most of them have issues with being ecotoxic to soil and/or waterways.

          • weka 1.1.2.1.1
            25 March 2018 at 10:48 am

            that is an issue too, but in my experience of lots of conversations on this, many people in DOC, Councils, orgs like F and B etc are ideologically committed to glyphosate. Many think it is benign. Monstanto did an amazing PR job on this a few decades ago. Remember Round Up 2 and the adds of the swan on the pond and the dude spraying around the edges? Bought hook line and sinker.

            • solkta 1.1.2.1.1.1
              25 March 2018 at 11:03 am

              Many believe that it is the lesser of the evils available based on the science with probably carcinogenic being better than immediately toxic.

              • weka …
                25 March 2018 at 11:16 am

                maybe. Most people I talk to honestly think it’s benign. It just breaks down right?

                • gsays …
                  25 March 2018 at 12:00 pm

                  My retired horticultural father in law, stills maintains round-up is inert 15 minutes after application.

                  At the risk of sounding like a scratched record, the only way this behaviour (spray and walk away ground-keeping, 1080ing the Bush pest control), can be justified is in economic terms.

                  • joe90 …
                    25 March 2018 at 12:10 pm

                    can be justified is in economic terms.

                    Indeed, because in a world where folk are squeezed by food prices, today’s price of organics will be the price of everything, post glyphosate.

                    • weka …
                      25 March 2018 at 3:58 pm

                      there are some issues there in terms of economies of scale, supermarket subsidies etc. Also, the people I know on low incomes that have the capacity grow food to varying degrees to make it affordable, and they’re growing organic. Potential there.

            • Pingao 1.1.2.1.1.2
              25 March 2018 at 11:07 am

              True – I use it myself on a block of land on the access road and think of it as less harmful than other herbicides that target both grass & broadleaf species.

              Over my working life I have had to use hazardous substances in small quantities and see it as a kind of necessary evil I suppose. I am more cautious these days than many (especially the blokes) and wear a respirator. I have heard older guys say you can drink it!!

              Long term plan is to shade out the access road with kanuka etc to eliminate spraying and mowing. That will work for me but I don’t know what the alternatives might be for farming.

              • weka …
                25 March 2018 at 11:20 am

                I think in NZ we use it in so may situations where it is just unnecessary. I hang out in organic circles so it’s pretty obvious.

                Lol, those dudes should try drinking some roundup (maybe have them google it first).

                (given climate change and drought, might want to consider planting less flammable trees).

                • Pingao …
                  25 March 2018 at 11:47 am

                  Yes kanuka are very flammable but are fast growing so can swap them out once they have killed the gorse and grass.

              • mauī …
                25 March 2018 at 2:29 pm

                Especially around urban areas you could replace Roundup with petrol or electric weed eaters quite easily. It would probably require slightly more frequent maintenance but not significantly so. I think Councils go for spraying because its marginally more convenient.

                Not sure what farmers could replace it with because I don’t have experience in that area. No-till farming would help though as weed seeds wouldn’t have the bare earth and sunlight to get established.

                Weedeating wouldn’t work on a paddock of old gorse, but a chainsaw would. And then there probably is something organic out there that you could paste onto the stumps to kill off the root system.

                • weka …
                  25 March 2018 at 3:59 pm

                  We have been farming for 10,000 years without round up. Just saying.

                  There are plenty of sustainable ways to manage gorse. Depends on what you want to do with the land instead.

      • Ad 1.1.3
        25 March 2018 at 8:48 am

        Agree.

        Well time the farming lobby was met head on.

        Europe buys our farming produce. And still you can see in NZ whole hillsides dead brown with it, to re-sow pasture.

        Clean out the EPA.

      • RedBaronCV 1.1.4
        25 March 2018 at 9:40 am

        And get us sued under TPPA?? By a corporate incorporating in a country that can

    • AsleepWhileWalking 1.2
      25 March 2018 at 8:23 am

      Yes, absolutely essential to ban this crap.

      And we should sue Monsanto (or whatever they call themselves today) for the costs incurred treating cancer resulting from widespread use.

      Oh..wait… Tppa

    • Pat 1.3
      25 March 2018 at 8:31 am

      what did we do do before 1974?

      Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate. It is used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops. It was discovered to be an herbicide by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970.[3] Monsanto brought it to market in 1974 under the trade name Roundup, and Monsanto’s last commercially relevant United States patent expired in 2000.

      • Pat 1.3.1
        25 March 2018 at 8:43 am

        A quick search suggests it was a replacement for DDT

        • Graeme 1.3.1.1
          25 March 2018 at 9:43 am

          DDT was an insecticide, and evil shit

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT

          You may mean Paraquat, that was a herbicide, and also evil shit

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraquat

          Glyphosate has the advantage of not being immediately fatal to humans or stock

          • Foreign waka 1.3.1.1.1
            25 March 2018 at 9:59 am

            Fatal non the less. Just a slow death, like the frog sitting in a pot …

          • Pat 1.3.1.1.2
            25 March 2018 at 10:02 am

            so it was…..the replacement seems to be in terms of widespread adoption and the timing.

            A search for ‘glyphosphate replaced’ brings up some interesting articles.

            So the question is what did we do pre 74 to achieve what glyphosphate does now?…obviously something relatively effective (whether effective enough with double the population and climbing may be a different story however) as we managed to farm successfully pre 74

            • Graeme 1.3.1.1.2.1
              25 March 2018 at 10:19 am

              The advent of Roundup allowed a totally new farming system to emerge. Now pasture is renewed every 3-5 years, as that process is much easier with a cheaper and safer herbicide. (than paraquat) Our intensive farming practices depend on the flush of new grass, there’s fertilisers in the equation too.

              Previously pastures had to be ploughed to kill the old growth, now it’s spray and drill, or pray on steep country.

              The target here shouldn’t just be glyphosphate, but the whole farming system with it’s downstream effects. Replacing glyphosphate with something else won’t stop the environmental disaster that is New Zealand intensive agriculture

              • Pat …
                25 March 2018 at 11:01 am

                k…so if in the past we controlled weed growth and pasture renewal via tillage to a greater extent…and I suspect considerably more physical removal,i.e. grubbing or weeding….then one consequence of a ban on roundup could be increased fossil fuel use in agriculture.

                Additionally it appears glyphosphate has enabled additional crop plantings per season according to an article I skimmed earlier, so potentially a reduced yield.

                • Graeme …
                  25 March 2018 at 12:31 pm

                  Another benefit of the Roundup / drill model is much reduced soil loss, most of which used to end up as sediment in rivers. Direct drilling is marvellous in this regard.

                  Yes, it also allowed extra rotations, any yield issues are dealt with by another round with the bulky (fertiliser spreader), so potentially more NPK run off into the river. The gps controls on bulk spreaders are pretty good now too, so application is very accurate hopefully reducing over application like what went on in the past.

                  Done properly the Roundup model should be lighter on the land, but, human nature / greed intervenes and it becomes a means to produce more to the same effects. So you still have the same effects.

                  The Roundup tolerant crop thing sort of died, along with the cows. Seed companies are having trouble selling it, and got in even more trouble when they “accidentally” shipped the GE seed rather than what the farmer ordered. Much dancing on the head of the pin over that.

                  • Pat …
                    25 March 2018 at 12:54 pm

                    so assuming all the previous it would be fair to observe that a ban on glyphosphate will result in increased carbon emissions (arguably)…a reduced yield (or additional fert or both)…higher labour inputs.

                    Adding that up equals higher food prices ….and reduced export competitiveness.

                    That may or may not be a price the wider public is prepared to accept, let alone the ag sector…or it may be acceptable until the effects felt.

                    • Macro …
                      25 March 2018 at 2:24 pm

                      Actually a ban on roundup and other forms of industrial farming would result in a massive reduction in atmospheric carbon as pasture that is undisturbed sequesters large amounts of carbon. Killing pasture, and replanting might reduce the amount of soil erosion, but it increases substantially the amount of Carbon that was being stored in the plant and in the soil back into the atmosphere in the form of Methane and CO2. Most of that carbon is actually stored in the micro-organisms in the soil. When you kill the plant you kill the micro-organisms that are dependent upon the plants roots. It is pretty much a symbiotic arrangement. By allowing the plants to grow they establish greater root systems and thereby increase the micro-organisms (fungi and bacteria) that ultimately sequester the atmospheric carbon fed to them by the plant into the soil, increasing the soil carbon.
                      If we are to really get to grips with mitigating Climate Change and tackling the already massive loading of atmospheric Carbon that is causing the rapidly increasing global temperatures. We need to think quickly how we manage our agriculture and our environment.
                      You can read all about it in this massive pdf:
                      http://www.fao.org/3/a-i1880e.pdf

                    • Pat …
                      25 March 2018 at 8:27 pm

                      @ Macro…thanks for link..am slowly working through it.

                      I note you state…..”Actually a ban on roundup and other forms of industrial farming would result in a massive reduction in atmospheric carbon”….without the ‘and other forms of industrial farming’ I see no evidence for that….and we are not going to stop farming on an industrial scale for we cannot…but we can perhaps change the intensity and land uses.

                      The increased CO2 (arguably) I was referring to was the average approx 100kg CO2 p/ hectare a typical tractor will emit when working up ground….an action that may increase without the availability of glyphosphate.

                      CO2 aside theres still the reduced yields and increased labour inputs and the flow ons to consider.

              • Brigid …
                25 March 2018 at 12:33 pm

                “Now pasture is renewed every 3-5 year”
                Are you sure that’s correct? Pasture that’s managed correctly doesn’t grow broad leafed weeds. Grasses are perennials, they are long lived plants. I just don’t see the point in killing the whole pasture and re sowing. Besides it takes 3 or 4 months for pasture to be properly established. Thats quite a while for land to be not productive.
                Considering clover is a important component of pasture, and glyphosphate doesn’t kill clover, there’s no point in applying this weedkiller.
                I do know it’s used extensively in horticulture though – vineyards, orchards, etc

                • joe90 …
                  25 March 2018 at 1:07 pm

                  They renew pasture at a rate of 5-15% of farm area each year.

                  At 5% it takes 20 years to renew the entire farm, 15% – around every 7 years.

                  • Brigid …
                    25 March 2018 at 1:34 pm

                    Could you supply a link?

                    In my experience prior to 1974 reseeding was only done when new and better grasses had been developed, or pasture had been managed so poorly, reseeding was the only option. The dairy and sheep and cattle farms I lived on never destroyed whole pastures, ploughed and reseeded. It just wasn’t necessary.
                    On Lands and Survey blocks young men and women were employed on some sort of scheme to walk the whole farm grubbing out thistles and ragwort.

                  • Brigid …
                    25 March 2018 at 2:21 pm

                    “Pasture renewal programmes vary widely across NZ, typically ranging from 0%-15% of farm area each year. The average on dairy farms is 5-10% compared to 2-5% on sheep farms. ”

                    I think Google intends that information it offers is meant to be read.
                    And understood. Guess it’s just beyond some though.

                  • Graeme …
                    25 March 2018 at 4:03 pm

                    Assumption there that what the supplier sells the farmer works, or the farmer uses it correctly. Lots can go wrong. Most of what got sown around here will have to be redone next year because climate.

                    My 3-5 year figure is an observation of reasonably intensive properties around here (Whakatipu) 5-15% gets thrown out if there’s an ag or fodder crop (sometimes both) in the rotation, effectively doubling it or more.

          • solkta 1.3.1.1.3
            25 March 2018 at 11:13 am

            I used to spray a mix of Paraquat and Simozine when i worked in a plant nursery in the mid-1980s. The rules were full wet weather gear and respirator and if you got any on your skin to shower immediately (which i did one day). I thought “fuck this” and found a new job within a few months.

            • Macro 1.3.1.1.3.1
              25 March 2018 at 5:05 pm

              You were lucky! I was using the stuff in the 1960’s working in summer hols while at Uni. The local parks sent me off with a open 44 gal drum on the back of the tractor to spray the gorse at the back of the local grass tennis courts. So off I went – not one item of protective clothing on – because – well what was that?? Anyway unbeknown to us the drum actually had a slight leak. For weeks after you could see where I had been 😈. The tennis club were not pleased!
              Fortunately I seem to have avoided getting any of the stuff on me and haven’t had any after affects (that I am aware off 😉 ).

        • Graeme 1.3.2.1
          25 March 2018 at 4:06 pm

          And more than a few New Zealand farmers, factory workers and nearby residents too

    • veutoviper 1.4
      25 March 2018 at 10:25 am

      This is a liitle off topic but related –
      On 18 February 2018, some of us were involved in a discussion under 5 in Open Mike* where Carolyn Nth posted a call from an organisation called Avaaz for donations to fight a 168 page US court subpoena from Monsanto requiring Avaaz to disclose “every private email, note, or record we have regarding Monsanto, including the names and email addresses of Avaazers who have signed Monsanto campaigns!!”
      * link https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18-02-2018/#comment-1450415

      None of us really understood what this was all about so Carolyn and I did some research and posted our results back at 5.2.1 and 5.2.1.1. Lots of links there with background to Avaaz; but in brief, this subpoena is in relation to Avaaz’s campaign against the renewal application by Monsanto and Bayer to the EU and its agencies for Glyphosphate (eg Round-up).

      The short story to this is that Avaaz fought a major campaign against the renewal over a year – but in November 2017 the EU renewed the approval of Glyphosphate but only for five years as opposed to the 15 years sought. Monsanto then filed the above mentioned subpoena.

      I had been meaning to keep an eye on this and was prompted to do so by your post today. Nothing further on the Avaaz situation since a Feb 23 Guardian article which was still about the subpoena. Avaaz’s website does not provide any obvious update but is still calling for donations ($136K raised so far).

      Back on topic –
      As part of my research into the above I discovered this link to RNZ’s website, which provides a good source to keep up-to-date on what is happening on Glyphosphate in NZ. There are some good summaries on there on what is currently (eg 23 March) going on with the EPA, for anyone interested.

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/search/results?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=glyphosate&commit=Search

      • veutoviper 1.4.1
        25 March 2018 at 11:32 am

        Note – In the above, I changed glyphosate to glyphosphate in my paras 2 and 3 because I thought I had spelt it wrong. I was right the first time but cannot now change these back. Sorry.

      • tracey 1.4.2
        25 March 2018 at 7:20 pm

        Thanks for this update

    • cleangreen 1.5
      25 March 2018 at 5:15 pm

      here here. I agree.

  2. Ad 2
    25 March 2018 at 7:31 am

    We want change or we will vote you out.

    That’s a gutsy response from the many thousands of young people who marched on Washington towards greater gun control and against gun violence yesterday:

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/delaney-tarr-march-for-our-lives_us_5ab678d8e4b0decad04a5df7

    There’s always hope in the US of A.

    I want to see this movement survive beyond the mid-terms.

    • Jenny 2.1
      25 March 2018 at 7:48 am

      “Hundreds of thousands march for gun control in the US”

      NRA goes silent in midst of protest.

      The National Rifle Association (NRA) went silent on Twitter on Saturday morning, in contrast to its reaction to the nationwide school walkouts against gun violence on March 14, when it tweeted a photo of an assault rifle and the message “I’ll control my own guns, thank you.”

      Unusually, President Trump keeps away from making a tweet.

      As of early afternoon, Trump himself had yet to weigh in on Twitter about the protests.

      Politics is all about pressure

      “It’s pretty simple for me,” said Zoe Tate, 11, from Gaithersburg Middle School in Maryland, explaining why she marched in Washington. “I think guns are dumb. It’s scary enough with the security guards we have in school. We don’t need teachers carrying guns now. I find it amazing that I have to explain that idea to adults.”

      Said her mother, Maria Blaeuer: “For our kids, feeling safe is fundamental, and they don’t feel safe.”

      Large rallies also unfolded in such cities as Boston; New York; Chicago; Houston; Fort Worth, Texas; Minneapolis; and Parkland, Florida, the site of the February 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/102566171/hundreds-of-thousands-march-for-gun-control-in-the-us

      • joe90 2.1.1
        25 March 2018 at 10:55 am

        NRA goes silent in midst of protest.

        They’re rattled.

        .

        In what can only be described as a desperate plea for attention, the NRA has released a new video that takes aim at survivors of the Parkland shooting, telling them that if their friends hadn’t died, “no one would know your names.”

        The video, titled “A March for Their Lies,” was posted to NRA-TV’s YouTube channel just ahead of the student-led March for Our Lives event scheduled for Saturday in Washington, D.C.

        In the clip, NRA-TV host Colion Noir lashed out at the teens who survived last month’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, mocking them for their youth and even taunting them about the deaths of their classmates.

        Noir brought up the recent school shooting at Great Mills High School in Maryland, telling the Parkland survivors he wished an armed resource officer had been at their school “because your classmates would still be alive, and no one would know your names.”

        “The media would have completely and utterly ignored your story,” Noir said, before falsely claiming that the media had not covered the school shooting in Maryland.

        https://shareblue.com/nra-taunts-parkland-survivors-march-for-our-lives/

    • Macro 2.2
      25 March 2018 at 8:03 am

      The Guardian has given over its editorial this weekend to the student journalists and they are giving great reads. Very inspirational.

    • joe90 2.3
      25 March 2018 at 1:03 pm

      They say they’re going to call AR 15’s Rubios, and now this….

      Parkland students are wearing a $1.05 "price tag" which represents the total NRA money that went to Marco Rubio divided by the number of Florida students.— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) March 24, 2018

      …and this is just sad.

      A six-year-old just handed this to me. pic.twitter.com/9osX7LNpFj— Laura Koenig (@2nickels) March 24, 2018

    • tracey 2.4
      25 March 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Compare with Black Lives Matter. Reminds me of this line in the Columbine movie

      “Middle Amercia, now it’s a tragedy, now it’s so sad to see, in upper-classity”

  3. Jenny 3
    25 March 2018 at 8:18 am

    Politics is all about pressure. II

    Generation Zero

    Kia Ora Jenny

    You may have seen in the media that on Monday a petition was handed to the Government which had over 45,000 signatures calling for an end to oil and gas exploration in Aotearoa.

    Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, along with Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw and Minister for Energy and Resources, Megan Woods were there to accept the petition in person, signalling that the Government is listening and considering this strong call to End Oil.

    We need New Zealanders all around the country to keep raising your voices, so that our Government hears loud and clear that ending the block offer process for new oil and gas exploration is the right decision.

    Our Prime Minister promised several times during the election campaign that climate change would be a priority for her government. Let’s hold them to that promise!

    Will you help us End Oil in Aotearoa?

    You can do this by:

    Writing a personal letter from you or an organisation you are affiliated with to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Energy Minister Megan Woods calling for an end to oil exploration
    Writing a letter to the Editor of your local newspaper
    Make an appointment with the Labour/NZ First MP that represents your constituency about this
    Join the Rally for Climate Justice if you’re in Wellington next week, or help amplify it on social media!

    With hope for a better future climate,

    Your friends at Generation Zero

    http://www.generationzero.org/

    • Jenny 3.1
      25 March 2018 at 10:45 am

      Politics is all about pressure III

      “The time has come for politicians to become activists, and for activists to become politicians.”

      J.

      In Canada yesterday, federal politicians from three different political parties joined together in an act of civil disobedience.

      Former Liberal candidate Briony Penn, Green Party leader Elizabeth May and NDP MP Kennedy Stewart were all arrested at Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby tank farm.

      Here in New Zealand, civil disobedience from sitting MPs has not been witnessed since the days of the highly successful anti-nuclear ship protests.

      It was this sort of powerful direct action leadership, that shifted the whole of parliament in this counttry, including two National Government MPs Marilyn Waring and Michael Minogue to vote for the opposition party’s private members bill to ban nuclear ship visits. To prevent the vote being taken, the National Government Prime Minister Robert Muldoon was forced to call a snap election. The rest is history.

      I’m a Grandmother, and anyone who is looking at the climate crisis on this planet, who doesn’t recognise that it’s an emergency, is sleepwalking towards a precipice.

      We need to wake up..,
      Take responsibility..,
      As parents…,
      And as grandparents.

      Because, I will not slip off this mortal coil thinking there is something more I should have done. And maybe, that I should have gone up Burnaby Mountain on March 23rd.

      Elizabeth May
      (As she is being arrested on Burnaby Mountain for joining with protesters blockading the Kinder Morgan oil sands pipeline.)

      https://www.facebook.com/CoastProtectors/videos/10156160208158416/?hc_ref=ARTTjiMXKyEBERPH3C7fIKzsbtzPExbFSq0PWpCoTcrCYzGLRuBosLf58S1Fj83vddg

      Kia kaha Elizabeth May, Kennedy Stewart and Briony Penn. May your brave stand shift public opinion and the Canadian Government to act against oil sands.

      • Jenny 3.1.1
        25 March 2018 at 1:53 pm

        Politics is all about pressure IV

        “Bernie Sanders to Parkland Students: You Have the Power to Change America”

        I know in the last couple of years you have seen a lot of grass roots movements come out of, you know, people who aren’t necessarily elected leaders……

        https://www.facebook.com/ijrresponse/videos/2010321442557744/

        (In this country in my generation; John Minto, Joe Hawk, Whina Cooper, Eva Rickard, to name just a few.)

        What do you feel is the importance of these grass roots movements in changing policy?

        Extraordinarily important. I’ve said it a million times in every speech that I give. Change never takes from the top — never takes place from the top. It always come from the bottom on up and you can see it right now……

        https://www.facebook.com/ijrresponse/videos/2010321442557744/

  4. Jenny 4
    25 March 2018 at 8:55 am

    The lesson for Auckland if the city continues to spend public money expanding the motorway system, over investing in public transport, is that Auckland will become a poorer more crime ridden and polluted place.

    “By Focusing on Cars Over Public Transportation, Cities Continue to Foster Inequality”

    Policies and projects that broaden transportation options beyond driving a car significantly reduce income inequality between urban white and black households and between men and women in cities, according to a recent study published in the journal Local Environment. In cities with this “multimodal” infrastructure, white men see no loss of income even as other demographic groups tend to earn more income, the researchers found. White men are more likely than white women, black men, and black women to own cars.

    “Increasing rail capacity means more opportunities for people who do not have cars,” says study co-author Chad Frederick, an assistant professor of sustainability studies and urban planning at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. “Multimodal infrastructure enables more people to participate in a wider labor market.”

    https://undark.org/2018/03/22/cities-commitments-cars-foster-inequality/

    “Medellin’s Amazing Metro System: Colombia Uses Public Transport To Drive Societal Change”

    “The city [of Medillin] transformed violence and despair into hope and opportunity, using sustainable transport as one of the key levers to drive change,” said ITDP board member Holger Dalkmann.

    https://thinkprogress.org/medellins-amazing-metro-system-colombia-uses-public-transport-to-drive-societal-change-1a4186f6c3c6/

    • Ad 4.1
      25 March 2018 at 9:20 am

      This governments’ transport Government Policy Statement comes out this week.

      It’s going to be a goody.

      • Jenny 4.1.1
        25 March 2018 at 10:03 am

        Let us hope that it includes deeply burying this particular piece of motorway madness from the Nats. beyond all hope of it ever being exhumed to see the light of day.

        http://www.times.co.nz/news/petition-save-mill-road-corridor-project-launched/

        Nutters

        https://www.facebook.com/judithcollinsmp/videos/1556452037765877/

        • cleangreen 4.1.1.1
          25 March 2018 at 5:25 pm

          1000% Jenny.

          Our NGO just wrote to Transport Minister of regional development Shane jones and Transport Minister Phil Twyford three days ago on this; here it is.
          We want less trucks more rail.

          CEAC.
          Protecting our environment & health.
          In association with other Community Groups, NHTCF and all Government Agencies since 2001.
          Public COMMUNITY letter;
          22nd March 2018.

          Hon’ Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Development & other Ministers.
          Dear Ministers,

          This is a letter of support for and a challenge to Shane jones as our “champion of all our provinces” We agree Government is to be held accountable and we encourage anyone who wants to hold all authorities accountable for environmental issues should be supported also.

          Thank you for your hard work and diligence to keep authorities accountable Shane & Winston.

          Our SOE Kiwi rail is now in need of serious investigation as it has also a bad CEO in need of being replaced by a real rail engineer and not just a patsy for the previous National Government policies who hated using rail to lower the climate change emissions, which will become the “nuclear moment our children’s future.”

          National encouraged closing regional rail freight in favour of using road freight which is seriously degrading our air and water quality and causing catastrophic weather events and floods, public health injuries, and declining health and this current Labour Government are not yet radically increasing any regional rail freight use to meet their future climate change emissions target that government have signed up to by 2035-50 as a carbon neutral policy.

          Save the Gisborne rail service as it is not being considered for inclusion by Labour yet.

          Kiwi rail CEO Peter Reidy must go as he is not supporting labour coalition plans to use rail freight policy in line with the Labour party’s 2005-15 “National rail strategy” to connect all ports to rail services to lower climate change emissions.

          http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Import/Documents/nationalrailstrategy.pdf

          QUOTE from ISBN 0-478-10005-1 Forward from Pete Hodgson 2005 as Minister of Transport.

          “Now we have brought New Zealand’s rail infrastructure back into public ownership, and the vision and objectives of the New Zealand Transport Strategy will be applied to New Zealand’s railway network.

          Through the National Rail Strategy, the Government is demonstrating its commitment to retaining the existing network; to investigating the development of a number of new railway lines; and to maximising the use of rail transport. The aim is to move people out of cars for urban journeys, and freight off roads, wherever possible. For freight this means a focus on bulk or containerised loads, including traffic such as milk or logs. For passengers it means a focus on busy urban corridors in the larger centres, and using smart thinking to manage congestion.

          This is an exciting time in New Zealand transport, with a dynamic vision beginning to achieve real results, working towards an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable transport system. The Labour Progressive government acknowledges the contribution of the Green Party to the development of this Strategy, and both the Green Party and the United Party’s support of the government’s transport policy.
          Hon Pete Hodgson” Minister of Transport 2005

          Warmest regards,
          CEAC Secretary.

    • Ed 4.2
      25 March 2018 at 10:19 am

      [deleted]

      [Ed, you were banned until the 31st. Pulling shit like this is asking for a very long ban to be handed down. Don’t comment until such times as your regular details have been cleared from the blacklist]

  5. weka 5
    25 March 2018 at 8:58 am

    Maybe someone could have a crack at explaining just how those Aussie cricket players could be so stupid? Even if they did gain an advantage in the moment how could they possibly think it wouldn’t be caught on camera and expose them for cheats?

    http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/43526870

    • gsays 5.1
      25 March 2018 at 11:00 am

      Like our white collar criminals here in Aotearoa,
      (MOH coleman and Manukau mould, CCTV building engineers, ex PM and ex MOD regards Afghanistan murders and subsequent cover-up), they are above the law and consequences don’t apply to them.

      Our ocker cousins have form for this sort of thing.
      Shane Warne and his ‘diet pills’ (speed to you and me) and the Chappell brothers disgrace come to mind.

    • millsy 5.2
      25 March 2018 at 11:47 am

      The probably thought a test win would outweight the negative press and ICC penalties, which are essentially a slap on the wrist.

      • tracey 5.2.1
        25 March 2018 at 7:26 pm

        I reckon they are so pissed off at the wife cracks they wanted revenge. Anger clouds the thinking. Especially when you have gone all holier than thou in selfcrighteous indignation.

        GlennTurner has very sad stories of the comments made to him by Aussies about his Indian born wife. They have always been able to dish it out but never been great at taking it

    • Macro 5.3
      25 March 2018 at 1:47 pm

      Well the got away with this in 1981 – so why not now?

      • tracey 5.3.1
        25 March 2018 at 7:26 pm

        Except underarm was still in the rules at that time. Tampering is, mindlessly on a Level 2 offence

        • Macro 5.3.1.1
          25 March 2018 at 9:50 pm

          Well that is true – except that it was clearly not in the spirit of the game – ie it wasn’t cricket. That’s how the rules develop. Eg the body line series when the Aussies were subjected to a series of fast deliveries directed at the body and a stacked leg side field. That cheating by the English on that occasion led to the rule restricting of the number of fields men behind square leg to two.
          Ball tampering has been around for as long as there has been cricket. Some of it more obvious than others. This occasion happens to be a rather obvious and rather more serious example.

  6. Ffloyd 6
    25 March 2018 at 9:16 am

    Two words. Aussie. Stupid.

    • Stunned Mullet 6.1
      25 March 2018 at 9:41 am

      Pity Ritchie Benaud’s no longer with us – he would have some choice words for them – class act was Ritchie.

  8. Muttonbird 8
    25 March 2018 at 9:39 am

    Great news – 4000 homes to be built on Unitec land.

    Whenever I go there for work which is once or twice a year I alway think what a great development it would be. There are acres and acres (literally 53 hectares) of space right next to a new motorway interchange. For one thing this means the traffic increase will have short runs to the motorway system rather than through streets.

    Mount Albert train station just metres from the south eastern corner of this site.

    Properly planned a lot of services could be within the new development reducing the need for residents to go elsewhere for daily stuff.

    Unitec have wanted to downsize that 53 hectares into 9 for some time now.

    You got to wonder why the Nats didn’t think of this – oh that’s right, when they’re not denying the existence of a housing crisis, they are ideologically opposed to fixing it.

    • Graeme 8.1
      25 March 2018 at 9:47 am

      And they weren’t going to get a contribution to the party coffers out of UNITEC like they could with the SHA malarky.

    • Herodotus 8.2
      25 March 2018 at 10:16 am

      I hope that the infrastructure is capable of handling the additional stormwater, gas, fibre, water and roading. And this is to service 10,000 people a development housing the pop. of Queenstown or Gore
      http://www.tageo.com/index-e-nz-cities-NZ.htm
      Imagine 4000 homes in 44 ha. a density of 99/ha.
      https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2012/02/10/what-does-density-look-like/
      Developments like this may be appropriate for a hectare or 2 BUT 44 ha of this ???
      And I note for those not experienced within the development industry, that the example on Symonds Street is bordered by public roads, for a development of 44 ha such roading infrastructure would be internal and using some of the 44 h.a, increasing the densities to well beyond 100/ha

      • alwyn 8.2.1
        25 March 2018 at 2:03 pm

        It isn’t even 44 ha apparently.
        According to the link about the story it is only 29 ha.
        Still, Phil sys it will be wonderful and will have parks and shops and all those good things.
        What is there that won’t be heaven on earth?
        I’ll bet he wouldn’t buy there.

    • alwyn 8.3
      25 March 2018 at 10:35 am

      Are you sure about your numbers? In fact do you have a link for this story?

      If they are reducing 53 ha to 9 ha that will leave 44 ha for the development.
      I would assume that one third of that would be required for roads, services and of course I am sure there will be cycle ways everywhere. No doubt someone who knows more about this than I do will be able to correct this assumption if it is way out. You do say that these services could be within the development.
      That leaves about 30 ha or 300,000 square metres.

      If there are 4000 homes as you claim that will mean an average land area of, at most, 75 square metres per home.
      How many stories is each block going to be? They clearly won’t be single story will they?
      How big are the homes going to be?
      Are there going to be any parks. Or shops? Or anything else?

      This sounds like one of those dreadful high rise developments of pokey little flats that were built after the second world war and that every sensible country is demolishing because they were places that no sensible person wanted to live in.
      And this meant to be progress? Is this the best that is being offered?
      And when will the places be built?

      • Muttonbird 8.3.1
        25 March 2018 at 10:50 am

        Here you go.

        http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/03/first-kiwibuild-houses-announced.html

        Although being in a constant state of misery might preclude you from being forward-looking and positive about this.

        • alwyn 8.3.1.1
          25 March 2018 at 12:16 pm

          Good God, it’s even worse than you said.
          They are going to buy only 29 hectares. I suggest that you will only get 20 ha to put the houses on.
          At 4000 houses that is going to give you a figure of 50 square metres of land per house.
          Out of curiosity I had a look at what are the typical minimums for residential properties in New Zealand.
          Hamilton will do as an example. For a single dwelling the lowest amount you are allowed is 350 sqm. For an Apartment block it is 150sqm/apartment. That is the absolute minimum.
          http://www.hamilton.govt.nz/our-council/council-publications/districtplans/ODP/chapter4/Pages/4-4-Rules-General-Standards.aspx
          Twyford thinks that only one third of that will be sufficient? Then he has the gall to claim that this is going to get rid of overcrowding?
          You accuse me of being in a continual state of misery. If I had to live in the sort of place that idiot is proposing I certainly would be miserable. So I imagine would anyone else living in this country.
          Would you think it was acceptable. Would you choose to live in such conditions?
          Twyford really is a twat, isn’t he?

          • Muttonbird 8.3.1.1.1
            25 March 2018 at 12:43 pm

            You do know they can build buildings of more than one story these days, don’t you?

            • alwyn 8.3.1.1.1.1
              25 March 2018 at 1:30 pm

              You have discovered that have you?
              I gave the figures for Hamilton, as a representative New Zealand city.
              Those numbers of minimum land size have absolutely nothing to do with how many stories there are in the building.
              If they are single dwellings the minimum size of the block of land is, in high density areas, 350 square metres. To have 4000 of them you would have to have a minimum land area of 140 ha for the houses, plus whatever you needed for the streets, parks, footpaths and so on.
              Much, much more than at Unitec, isn’t it.

              As far as multi-story blocks go that is what is normally referred to as an Apartment Block. Ever heard of them? They are normally multi-story. The minimum is 150 square metres of land per apartment, regardless of the height of the building. That is why I put Apartment Building numbers in. The density Phil Twyford seems to see as entirely reasonable is about three times the maximum allowed in Hamilton. The minimum there is 150 square meters of land per apartment. Kiwibuild is certainly going to provide miserable conditions for anyone who is going to live in them isn’t it if there are only going to be an allocation of 50 square metres?
              And they would all be in high rise buildings. Hell on earth in the UK cities which have bowled them.

          • Ad 8.3.1.1.2
            25 March 2018 at 1:19 pm

            Last suburban housing development I did was in New Lynn.

            On about one acre of land, we put:
            – 120 apartments
            – 70 car parks
            – 30 retail stores and restaurants
            – 1 major medical centre with 12 specialities

            You just need good design.

            • alwyn 8.3.1.1.2.1
              25 March 2018 at 1:55 pm

              You put all that on a piece of land with dimensions like 50 metres wide and 80 metres deep? That is about half the land required for a Rugby Field.
              What are the numbers in the Auckland District Plan for building density?
              How many stories does it have? How big is a typical apartment or a shop?

              When you finished did it match the beautiful picture Phil puts forward?
              “This is a beautiful and historic piece of land with natural features such as the Oakley Stream running through it. It’s close to education, employment and public transport. This new community will have open spaces, new parks and shops.”

              And would you really as described the apartments as being houses, or even homes suitable for a typical family?

              • Ad …
                25 March 2018 at 2:55 pm

                The height limits were good.

                12 stories for one building, three for the other.

                It was better than Phil’s – after all it was my show 🙂

                The apartments were both integrated beautifully into the town centre with the library and community hall right next door, they were also fully integrated into a brand new underground rail station, plus a really large shopping mall.

                95% sold off plans, and they hardly ever come up for sale.

                I can see you are going through a grieving cycle for a quarter acre block, with a lawnmower, a great sward of parkland, a church spire ringing bells, mum at home putting out great white sheets on a line, she greets him every evening with scones and a pinafore apron, and every night your dad tucks you – but he leaves the door ajar so you still get a bit of light to keep those bad suburban monsters at bay.

            • Herodotus 8.3.1.1.2.2
              25 March 2018 at 2:26 pm

              Ad , It would be of interest the family makeup of such developments, from what I have seen, families in such developments are as rare as the Northern White Rhino !!

              • Ad …
                25 March 2018 at 2:57 pm

                Oh please.

                They have all kinds of families.
                New, old, young, small, big.
                Even just couples!
                Even single people!
                Even cats!

                It’s just amazing the diversity of reality up in the Big Smoke.

            • patricia bremner 8.3.1.1.2.3
              25 March 2018 at 9:10 pm

              Yes Ad, like they do in Australia. Some homes are rented, some purchased and as you say, well designed with all amenities. This is 9 km to city centre, has a golf course nearby, parks and open spaces and roading established.

          • cleangreen 8.3.1.1.3
            25 March 2018 at 5:33 pm

            Alwyn,
            Would all your negativity at labours home building plan mean that you were also suitably pissed off at national’s nine years of sitting on their butts doing nothing, but selling state house for peanuts, and buying expensive motels to rent to poor homeless families at high prices?

            • alwyn 8.3.1.1.3.1
              25 March 2018 at 7:13 pm

              I was pissed off with the way National largely ignored the problem for the first EIGHT years. then in the last year they started doing something, On the other hand it got even worse even faster under the 1999-2008 lot. I wonder who they were?
              National sold some state houses. They were either ones where there was no demand, or some that were sitting on enormously valuable blocks where you could get enough for a single old house to build 4 or 5 others. I see no need for the State to continue to retain State Houses worth more than a million dollars.
              The current lot also are being quite stupid retaining old 2 bedroom places when the demand is for larger properties.
              I am unaware of National buying motels.
              I realise that it is against your religion to answer questions but if you really want an opinion on that you are going to have to provide evidence of it happening. Otherwise I am going to suspect that you have just made it up.

      • patricia bremner 8.3.2
        25 March 2018 at 9:04 pm

        The Nats wanted private enterprise to put up the money. That amount 29 hectares would require Government investment. Well done Phil.

    • Roflcopter 8.4
      25 March 2018 at 10:37 am

      “You got to wonder why the Nats didn’t think of this”

      ummm…. this block of land has been going through the process of being freed up for housing, since 2016… by National.

    • Herodotus 8.5
      25 March 2018 at 2:24 pm

      I also notice the extensive area currently planted in trees.
      Will these be removed and we are left with a sterile high density development.
      And as I commented earlier that this proposed development will cater for a pop. of Queenstown or Gore – what support will there be for exisiting schools e.g. Gladstone, Mags etc as Queenstown and Gore have a couple of Primary, an Intermediate and High School
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/102567247/4000-homes-to-be-built-in-mt-albert
      And a final observation – I do not believe that 4,000 dwellings are able to be built under the current council zoning, and if I am correct the time it will take time to progress a private plan change, that will involve traffic management, stormwater etc.
      I cannot see any physical work well after the 2020 election, let alone occupants- which could beyond 2022.

      • Ad 8.5.1
        25 March 2018 at 2:58 pm

        They already did the plan change.

        There’s tonnes of trees in the masterplan.

        If you are in Auckland you should pop up and take a look at the site for yourself – it will put your mind at rest.

        • Herodotus 8.5.1.1
          25 March 2018 at 4:09 pm

          There still is required resource consents, and there are still years of process from this link ….
          http://www.mtalbertinc.co.nz/unitec/
          When will the first homes start rising? Probably not any time soon – at least on the bulk of the land, because Unitec first needs to sort out its own precinct, and that will take years from start to finish.

          While the precinct has been enabled for development; public opening of the roads to the south (Renton, Rhodes and Laurel) needs resource consent and the council will have to assess who would be affected.

          Before this, however, Unitec may choose to create a private road which can also be opened to the roads to the south, but the consent process for that would not involve the adjacent community.

          Any development on the precinct (buildings, subdivision) will require an ITA, which includes the provision of walking, cycling, vehicle and public transport modes. Additionally, after two years, any resource consent applications for further development will need an updated ITA.

          And I note that the fact sheet that accompanies today release is for “• Unitec has already conducted comprehensive due diligence on the site’s housing potential, which suggests it is suitable for a large scale residential development approaching 3,000 houses. ” NOT 3,000-4,000,

          • Ad 8.5.1.1.1
            25 March 2018 at 5:02 pm

            Very little of that will be a problem for this development.

            There won’t be any appeals because UNITEC is an exceedingly motivated vendor, and they surround the site. The development – as National noted today – has been around for a while and will take none of the regulators or politicians by any surprise. This one will have a very smooth passage.

            Re cycleways, there was a major cycleway construction right through the UNITEC site as part of the Waterview Tunnel development. This cycleway in turn links to the SH16 cycleway that goes all the way in to downtown, and all the way up the Northwestern Motorway to Te Atatu. It will be interesting, though, to see how they are going to make sufficient PT service to truly make it a car-free development. Usually parking-absent developments are closer in to town than this.

            The big constraint will be an actual developer to take on the job. Things are pretty tight out there.

            I suspect however that the Minister’s HLC Company is waiting in the wings, together with Te Whanau O Waipereira and Ngati Whatua property arm.

            • tracey 8.5.1.1.1.1
              25 March 2018 at 7:32 pm

              And the Nats attitude to tertiaries essentially forced Unitec to sell to keep itself open and relevant. The difference will be that Nats would have had some Developer mates lined up with token affordable homes thrown in to appease the peasantry

          • tracey 8.5.1.1.2
            25 March 2018 at 7:30 pm

            Remembef there are existing buildings with connected services and the Hospital laundry was a huge operation there too. It woukd have had water and wastewater equivalent of many homes?

        • cleangreen 8.5.1.2
          25 March 2018 at 5:43 pm

          Yes Ad good advice for the negative to see it first.

          “If you are in Auckland you should pop up and take a look at the site for yourself – it will put your mind at rest.”

          On Radio NZ ‘bulldog Collins’ said Labour just borrowed the plan National already had ticked off by them, but the only change was that labour made was it was switched to using Government money where National of course always want to use private financers and their money rather than have a “NZ owned housing development.”

          Funny that when you look up the real meaning of “National” it reads essentially (my words) “for the people of the country”‘

          National seem to want all overseas investors to own NZ now.

    • tracey 8.6
      25 March 2018 at 7:28 pm

      The land has been earmarked for housing for some time. As a former employee there I can tell you we knew it was being sold off for homes and to pay for Unitec’s trade building and hub upgrades, a few years ago.

    • patricia bremner 8.7
      25 March 2018 at 9:01 pm

      The Nats wanted private enterprise to put up the money. That amount 29 hectares would require Government investment. Well done Phil.

      • Muttonbird 8.7.1
        25 March 2018 at 9:15 pm

        I remember it was one of John Key’s first proclamations that Hobsonville shouldn’t be forced to have a mixed strata of housing and community because it would ‘sabotage people’s house prices’. That was back in 2007 or something.

        If that Nats were allowed to do the same thing at Carrington there’d be 10 mansions each with 12 acres of manicured grounds, tennis courts, and olympic sized swimming pools.

  9. Muttonbird 9
    25 March 2018 at 9:55 am

    Good win for a families here against spiteful landlords. The low penalty and that these landlords don’t have to give a reason for eviction is two of many, many issues this government badly needs to address in the Tenancy Act.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12018256

    NZ Invest are the ones who pretend they’re working for both property investors and first time buyers. Guess they’re not working for renters though.

    NZ Invest can rot and die as far as I’m concerned.

  10. Morrissey 10
    25 March 2018 at 10:18 am

    That shithead Prince Harry dressed as a Nazi, but nothing happened to him.

  11. RedBaronCV 11
    25 March 2018 at 10:20 am

    Just looking at a stuff story on the Plunket society. (moving community funds to head office).
    Yes it has a specific role and it is being funded to around $1700 per birth .
    Not easy to tell from the website what “actual another pair helping hand services ” they provide but the usual stacks of (lecture style) written advice plus a Thursday podcast for those who have the time (LOL).

    But maybe time there was a look at all the funding going into the 0-2 years and the 3-5 years. There seem to be lots of programmes in this area but is all this money actually creating services that are being accessed by those in need.

  12. AsleepWhileWalking 12
    25 March 2018 at 10:46 am

    Kelvin Cruickshank helped find a body.

    Only found out today when I had a chance to flick through one of those weekly mags.

  13. Draco T Bastard 13
    25 March 2018 at 5:55 pm

    Some more selected quotes fro Why we can’t afford the Rich

    Those who lend at interest certainly don’t want borrowers to default on repayments, but if borrowers clear their debts and fail to borrow anew, that’s bad news for lenders, as it stops their unearned income; if borrowers can be kept in a state of indebtedness, needy yet just solvent, able to pay off compound interest, then that’s ideal for lenders. And of course, with compound interest, when the borrower gets into difficulties, short of defaulting altogether, the lender benefits even more. In the sober language of political economy, it is an extremely ‘regressive’ form of redistribution of income. This means there’s a strong whiff of hypocrisy and deceit about the portrayal of debtors as morally deficient – whether it’s indebted individuals, companies or whole nations – for the creditors’ continued unearned income depends on these debts being renewed!

    In other words, it’s the lenders that are morally deficient.

    Whatever we think about the ‘justifications’, they are beside the point when it comes to explaining what happens here: lenders charge interest because they can, not because they can show that they deserve it or because it’s good for the economy as a whole. And of course the lenders usually charge as much as the market will bear. Whatever the ‘justifications’, it fits our definition of unearned income.

    There’s that moral deficiency again – pure bludging.

    Credit is useful, indeed essential for an efficient modern economy, but interest is unearned income and a deadweight cost on economies; it redistributes wealth upwards and it places huge burdens on future generations. It’s therefore ethically questionable and dysfunctional, so rates of interest are best minimised.

    Actually, interest needs to be eliminated. It does nothing beneficial for society while becoming a drain on it so as to allow the rich to bludge off of everyone else.

    Whoever controls the allocation of credit, whether through using savings deposits or by creating credit money, has considerable power, for they control ‘the commanding heights of the economy’ and can shape its development. But where private banks are allowed to do this, the only responsibility that goes with this power is to their depositors (creditors) and shareholders. As far as they are concerned it doesn’t matter what the loans are for and what their wider economic impact might be, so long as they stay in profit and keep share values rising. This ensures that financial ‘investment’ has little relation to real investment. Today’s financial elite has come to imagine – extraordinarily – that extracting interest payments from people, businesses and governments is a form of wealth creation. For them, money is money, so who cares where it comes from?

    My bold.

    It’s obviously not wealth creation – it’s wealth extraction from those who actually produce it. The financial sector is a parasite – and that’s putting it nicely.

  14. Zorb6 14
    25 March 2018 at 6:42 pm

    ‘Inhuman ‘ to expect council staff to be denied business class travel!
    https://youtu.be/YjQuy0MesMU

    • joe90 14.1
      25 March 2018 at 7:14 pm

      It fucking is inhumane to deny any worker comfortable travel!

    • tracey 14.2
      25 March 2018 at 7:35 pm

      Hmmm how is it inhumane when hundreds of humans, including me, fly economy.

      • joe90 14.2.1
        25 March 2018 at 8:02 pm

        It’s a job. And It’s no less acceptable to ask them to fly long distance in cattle class than it was to ask me, a large human, to travel long distances in the backseat of a TK crew cab.

    • Draco T Bastard 14.3
      25 March 2018 at 7:39 pm

      Well, if it’s inhumane to have people travelling in cramped quarters with dirty toilets then perhaps we need to regulate the airlines more to ensure that they’re not profiting from such inhumane practices.

  15. Sanctuary 15
    25 March 2018 at 7:44 pm

    Emma Gonzalez is simply amazing.

  17. Jenny 17
    26 March 2018 at 4:57 am

    ‘

    This is not what democracy looks like.

    Greenpeace New Zealand Director in court for protesting.

    “Greenpeace protest: Russel Norman committed for trial”

    Russel Norman and Sara Howell refused diversion despite considerable pressure from the Crown to do so. If Norman and Howell had accepted diversion, which meant them pleading guilty. A guilty plea by especially by Russel Norman. Greenpeace’s director would have implicated Greenpeace the organisation, which is facing the same charges as the director. The Crown offer of diversion was not made to the organisation.

    If you want to destroy Greenpeace. You have to come through us first. Is the Greenpeace Director’s message to the Government and the Crown.

    “Judge-alone Trial”

    Norman and Howell appeared before Judge Nevin Dawson on Thursday morning where a judge-alone trial date was set for April 30, 2018.

    Mansfield noted it was expected the trial would take one to two weeks and there would be considerable defence evidence, including expert witnesses.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11929761

    The significance of a judge-alone trial, is that this is a political decision, making this a political trial. The Crown backed by the departing National Government did not want a repeat of the Jury trial that acquitted the Waihopai Three.

  18. Jenny 18
    26 March 2018 at 5:12 am

    This is not what democracy looks like. II

    Greenpeace New Zealand Director in court for protesting.

    Political trials need to be heard by the “Little Parliament”.

    It is a disgrace and a perversion of democracy that it is not.

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08042011/#comment-317412

    It is a disgrace and a perversion of democracy that the Greenpeace director is being tried for protesting, in the first place.

    If the Andarko Amendment, or something like it, had been in place during the anti-nuclear ship protests New Zealand’s nuclear weapon free status, of which we are rightly proud of, could not have been achieved.

  19. eco maori 19
    26 March 2018 at 7:27 am

    The AM Show I agree with Mark lets not bag our Australian cousins Cricket test team to much after all everyone makes mistakes and I’m sure there are others who have dune a similar offense chin up guys.

    The big anti gun protests in America by the mokopunas is a great thing . I have other words on this subject but I don’t want others using them to attack these other helping the mokopunas you see the mokopunas have impunity Kia Kaha people enough said.

    Face book is a good tool for family’s to keep up with each other my children all have a page it is a good tool for business I would have had a page my self but the Gisborne man has been harassing me for longer than face book has been around and that is the reason why I chose not to have a Face Book page .

    When I go to Waiapu to a whano function I stay with whano our wharenui fulls up quite fast and there are no hotels up there m8 P.S The new carving to my Marae are going up soon . When my children were younger we use to stay with whano on all our trips but my family is to big now so we stay at hotels now .Ka kite ano

    • eco maori 19.1
      26 March 2018 at 8:52 am

      AM Show I’m studying OUR Maori culture at the minute I don’t have a lecturer or mentor this is a good thing as I will come to my own conclusions on this subject.
      Nurses should be payed more 10% up at least they treated me humanly and with respect when I need there services . Ka kite ano

      • eco maori 19.1.1
        26 March 2018 at 11:38 am

        I have a Maori cultured relative he has being in the same job for years he is a good leader he told me that he was offered a higher position and declined this was about ten years ago his words were I can’t be bothered with the hassle .
        I am going to tell my relative that he has to take the position with more mana my reason is that when Maori take on higher positions with mana they will be helping lift all Maori with them. So this is ECO MAORI challange to all Maori cultured people If you are offered a higher position take it or strive for a higher position in work or life and you will be lifting Maori mana as well you will most likely employ maori and so on enough said . Ka kite ano P.S be nice in the way you go about achieving these challenges I have set for you.

          • eco maori 19.1.1.1.1
            26 March 2018 at 5:31 pm

            Mana Wahine

            http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12017134

            P.S Te kumara never tells how sweet it is Ana to kai

            • eco maori 19.1.1.1.1.1
              26 March 2018 at 5:48 pm

              One of my extended whano who is a great orator in Te REO was taken down by lies and decidet. He is a great Ngati-porou leader the gossip was that he was guilty but ECO MAORI found out through other sources that he was framed can’t have them Ngati-porou haveing another great leader.
              Kia kaha Ka kite ano P.S his wife gets a lot of air time now Ka pai

          • eco maori 19.1.1.1.2
            26 March 2018 at 6:29 pm

            Newshub Mike it is a good thing that these sand flies are testing Eco Maori Mana because I won’t trust anyone till they have been tested now .
            Te Ihorangi and Whaitiri papa are strong no Ingrid . Te kumrua never tells how sweet it is Ana to kai Ka kite ano

            • eco maori 19.1.1.1.2.1
              26 March 2018 at 6:45 pm

              Newshub the Top twins deserve all the fame they have for the wonderful shows they have gifted to us over the years they are the way Kiwi use to be like David Clark Fred Dag an Murry Ball Tui Teka and Billy T James Ka kite ano

              • eco maori …
                26 March 2018 at 7:21 pm

                The Project Jeremy shonky is getting what he is owed . Yes our Ossie cousins strive to win and yes I watch that game of Cricket all those years ago Eco Maori can’t help but feel sorry for them they have stopped the sheep jokes .My condolences go out to Stan Walker and his Whano and yes whano go to the Doctor and get a check up enough said .Kia kaha Stan Ka kite ano P.S I see

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • My Lovely Man.
    Last night began earlier than usual. In bed by 6:30pm, asleep an hour later. Sometimes I do sleep odd hours, writing late and/or getting up very early - complemented with the occasional siesta, but I’m usually up a bit later than that on a Saturday night. Last night I was ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 hours ago

  • Pressing the Big Red Button
    Early in the COVID-19 days, the Boris Johnson government pressed a Big Red Button marked: act immediately, never mind about the paperwork.Their problem was: not having enough PPE gear for all the hospital and emergency staff. Their solution was to expedite things and get them the gear ASAP.This, along with ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    10 hours ago

  • Of Pensioners and Student Loans: An Indictment on New Zealand
    Up until 1989, you could attend a New Zealand University, and never need to pay a cent for your education. That then changed, of course. The sadists of the Fourth Labour Government introduced substantial fees for study, never having had to pay a cent for their own education. The even ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    12 hours ago

  • Putting children first
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Minister for Children Karen Chhour is putting children first: Hon KAREN CHHOUR: I move, That the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the bill. It’s a privilege ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Te Pati Maori go personal
    David Farrar writes –  Newshub reports:    Applause and cheers erupted in the House on Wednesday afternoon as Children’s Minister Karen Chhour condemned Te Pāti Māori’s insults about her upbringing. Chhour, who grew up in state care, is repealing section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act – sparking uproar from ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Threads of Corruption
    I could corrupt youIt would be uglyThey could sedate youBut what good would drugs be?Good Morning all,Today there’s a guest newsletter from Gerard Otto (G). By which I mean I read his post this morning and he has kindly allowed me to share it with you.If you don’t already I ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • The days fly by
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Aotearoa, you’re being dismantled… so take the blinkers off and start talking honestly about it.
    Is the solution to any of the serious, long term issues we all have to face as a nation, because many governments of all stripes we can probably all admit if we’re deeply truthful with ourselves haven’t done near enough work at the very times they should have, to basically ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Has Labour Abandoned the Welfare State They Created in 1938?
    The 2018 Social Security Act suggests that Labour may have retreated to the minimalist (neo-liberal) welfare state which has developed out of the Richardson-Shipley ‘redesign’. One wonders what Michael Joseph Savage, Peter Fraser and Walter Nash would have thought of the Social Security Act passed by the Ardern Labour Government ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: MPs’ financial interests under scrutiny
    MPs are supposed to serve the public interest, not their own self-interest. And according to the New Zealand Parliament’s website, democracy and integrity are tarnished whenever politicians seek to enrich themselves or the people they are connected with. For this reason, the Parliament has a “Register of Pecuniary Interests” in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Mastering FLICC – A Cranky Uncle themed quiz
    By now, most of you will have heard about the FLICC taxonomy of science denial techniques and how you can train your skills in detecting them with the Cranky Uncle game. If you like to quickly check how good you are at this already, answer the 12 quiz questions in the ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Shane Jones has the zeal, sure enough, but is too busy with his mining duties (we suspect) to be ava...
    Buzz from the Beehive The hacks of the Parliamentary Press Gallery have been able to chip into a rich vein of material on the government’s official website over the past 24 hours. Among the nuggets is the speech by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and a press statement to announce ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Cut the parliamentary term
    When Labour was in power, they wasted time, political capital, and scarce policy resources on trying to extend the parliamentary term to four years, in an effort to make themselves less accountable to us. It was unlikely to fly, the idea having previously lost two referendums by huge margins - ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • More terrible media ethics
    David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: When Whanau Ora chief executive John Tamihere was asked what his expectations for the Budget next Thursday were, he said: “All hope is lost.” Last year Whānau Ora was allocated $163.1 million in the Budget to last for the next four years ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bringing our democracy into disrepute
    On Monday the government introduced its racist bill to eliminate Māori represntation in local government to the House. They rammed it through its first reading yesterday, and sent it to select committee. And the select committee has just opened submissions, giving us until Wednesday to comment on it. Such a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • The censors who’ll save us from ourselves… yeah right!
    Nick Hanne writes – There’s a common malady suffered by bureaucracies the world over. They wish to save us from ourselves. Sadly, NZ officials are no less prone to exhibiting symptoms of this occupational condition. Observe, for instance, the reaction from certain public figures to the news ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • The case for commissioners to govern the capital city
    Peter Dunne writes – As the city of Tauranga prepares to elect a new Mayor and Council after three and a half years being run by government-appointed Commissioners, the case for replacing the Wellington City Council with Commissioners strengthens. The Wellington City Council has been dysfunctional for years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Thoughts about contemporary troubles.
    This will be s short post. It stems from observations I made elsewhere about what might be characterised as some macro and micro aspects of contemporary collective violence events. Here goes. The conflicts between Israel and Palestine and France and … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On Blurring The Lines Around Political Corruption
    It may be a relic of a previous era of egalitarianism, but many of us like to think that, in general, most New Zealanders are as honest as the day is long. We’re good like that, and smart as. If we’re not punching above our weight on the world stage, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • MPs own 2.2 houses on average
    Bryce Edwards writes – Why aren’t politicians taking more action on the housing affordability crisis? The answer might lie in the latest “Register of Pecuniary Interests.” This register contains details of the various financial interests of parliamentarians. It shows that politicians own real estate in significant numbers. The ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • King Mike & Mike King.
    I built a time machine to see you againTo hear your phone callYour voice down the hallThe way we were back thenWe were dancing in the rainOur feet on the pavementYou said I was your second headI knew exactly what you meantIn the country of the blind, or so they ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: MPs own 2.2 houses on average
    Why aren’t politicians taking more action on the housing affordability crisis? The answer might lie in the latest “Register of Pecuniary Interests.” This register contains details of the various financial interests of parliamentarians. It shows that politicians own real estate in significant numbers. The register published on Tuesday contains a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • How much climate reality can the global financial system take without collapsing?
    Microsoft’s transparency about its failure to meet its own net-zero goals is creditable, but the response to that failure is worrying. It is offering up a set of false solutions, heavily buttressed by baseless optimism. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 24-May-2024
    Another Friday, another Rāmere Roundup! Here are a few things that caught our eye this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday, our new writer Connor Sharp roared into print with a future-focused take on the proposed Auckland Future Fund, and what it could invest in. On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago

  • Earning The Huia Feather.
    Still Waiting: Māori land remains in the hands of Non-Māori. The broken promises of the Treaty remain broken. The mana of the tangata whenua languishes under racist neglect. The right to wear the huia feather remains as elusive as ever. Perhaps these three transformations are beyond the power of a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Friday, May 24
    Posters opposing the proposed Fast-Track Approvals legislation were pasted around Wellington last week. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: One of the architects of the RMA and a former National Cabinet Minister, Simon Upton, has criticised the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals bill as potentially disastrous for the environment, arguing just 1% ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to May 24
    There was less sharing of the joy this week than at the Chinese New Year celebrations in February. China’s ambassador to NZ (2nd from right above) has told Luxon that relations between China and New Zealand are now at a ‘critical juncture’ Photo: Getty / Xinhua News AgencyTL;DR: The podcast ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Beijing troubleshooter’s surprise visit
    The importance of New Zealand’s relationship with China was surely demonstrated yesterday with the surprise arrival in the capital of top Chinese foreign policy official Liu Jianchao. The trip was apparently organized a week ago but kept secret. Liu is the Minister of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) International Liaison ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • UK election a foregone conclusion?  That’s why it’s interesting
    With a crushing 20-plus point lead in the opinion polls, all the signs are that Labour leader Keir Starmer will be the PM after the general election on 4 July, called by Conservative incumbent Rishi Sunak yesterday. The stars are aligned for Starmer.  Rival progressives are in abeyance: the Liberal-Democrat ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    3 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #21 2021
    Open access notables How much storage do we need in a fully electrified future? A critical review of the assumptions on which this question depends, Marsden et al., Energy Research & Social Science: Our analysis advances the argument that current approaches reproduce interpretations of normality that are, ironically, rooted in ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Days in the life
    We returned last week from England to London. Two different worlds. A quarter of an hour before dropping off our car, we came to a complete stop on the M25. Just moments before, there had been six lanes of hurtling cars and lorries. Now, everything was at a standstill as ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Forget about its name and focus on its objective – this RMA reform bill aims to cut red tape (and ...
    Buzz from the Beehive A triumvirate of ministers – holding the Agriculture, Environment and RMA Reform portfolios – has announced the introduction of legislation “to slash the tangle of red and green tape throttling development in key sectors”, such as farming, mining and other primary industries. The exact name of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • More National corruption
    In their coalition agreement with NZ First, the National Party agreed to provide $24 million in funding to the charity "I Am Hope / Gumboot Friday". Why were they so eager to do so? Because their chair was a National donor, their CEO was the son of a National MP ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Submit!
    The Social Services and Community Committee has called for submissions on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. Submissions are due by Wednesday, 3 July 2024, and can be made at the link above. And if you're wondering what to say: section 7AA was enacted because Oranga Tamariki ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Reading the MPS numbers thinking about the fiscal situation
    Michael Reddell writes –  The Reserve Bank doesn’t do independent fiscal forecasts so there is no news in the fiscal numbers in today’s Monetary Policy Statement themselves. The last official Treasury forecasts don’t take account of whatever the government is planning in next week’s Budget, and as the Bank notes ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Charter Schools are a worthwhile addition to our school system – but ACT is mis-selling why they a...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – We know the old saying, “Never trust a politician”, and the Charter School debate is a good example of it. Charter Schools receive public funding, yet “are exempt from most statutory requirements of traditional public schools, including mandates around .. human capital management .. curriculum ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Paranoia On The Left.
    How Do We Silence Them? The ruling obsession of the contemporary Left is that political action undertaken by individuals or groups further to the right than the liberal wings of mainstream conservative parties should not only be condemned, but suppressed.WEB OF CHAOS, a “deep dive into the world of disinformation”, ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • Budget challenges
    Muriel Newman writes –  As the new Government puts the finishing touches to this month’s Budget, they will undoubtedly have had their hands full dealing with the economic mess that Labour created. Not only was Labour a grossly incompetent manager of the economy, but they also set out ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Rishi calls an Election.
    Today the British PM, Rishi Sunak, called a general election for the 4th of July. He spoke of the challenging times and of strong leadership and achievements. It was as if he was talking about someone else, a real leader, rather than he himself or the woeful list of Tory ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Photo of the Day: GNR
    This post marks the return of an old format: Photo of the Day. Recently I was in an apartment in one of those new buildings on Great North Road Grey Lynn at rush hour, perfect day, the view was stunning, so naturally I whipped out my phone: GNR 5pm Turns ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago

  • Choosing landlords and the homeless over first home buyers
    The Government may struggle with the political optics of scrapping assistance for first home buyers while also cutting the tax burden on landlords, increasing concerns over the growing generational divide. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government confirmed it will dump first home buyer grants in the Budget next ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Orr’s warning; three years of austerity
    Yesterday, the Reserve Bank confirmed there will be no free card for the economy to get out of jail during the current term of the Government. Regardless of what the Budget next week says, we are in for three years of austerity. Over those three years, we will have to ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • An admirable U-turn
    It doesn’t inspire confidence when politicians change their minds.  But you must give credit when a bad idea is dropped. Last year, we reported on the determination of British PM Rishi Sunak to lead the world in regulating the dangers of Artificial Intelligence. Perhaps he changed his mind after meeting ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    4 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Can we really suck up Carbon Dioxide?
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Is carbon dioxide removal - aka "negative emissions" - going to save us from climate change? Or is it just a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Public funding for private operators in mental health and housing – and a Bill to erase a bit of t...
    Headed for the legislative wastepaper basket…    Buzz from the Beehive It looks like this government is just as ready as its predecessor to dip into the public funds it is managing to dispense millions of dollars to finance – and favour – the parties it fancies. Or ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Why has Einstein Medalist Roy Kerr never been Knighted?
    Rob MacCulloch writes – National and Labour and ACT have at various times waxed on about their “vision” of NZ as a high value-added world tech center What subject is tech based upon? Mathematics. A Chicago mathematician just told me that whereas last decade ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Contestable advice
    Eric Crampton writes –  Danyl McLauchlan over at The Listener on the recent shift toward more contestability in public policy advice in education: Education Minister Erica Stanford, one of National’s highest-ranked MPs, is trying to circumvent the establishment, taking advice from a smaller pool of experts – ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • How did it get so bad?
    Ele Ludemann writes – That Kāinga Ora is a mess is no surprise, but the size of the mess is. There have been many reports of unruly tenants given licence to terrorise neighbours, properties bought and left vacant, and the state agency paying above market rates in competition ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • How serious is an MP’s failure to declare $178k in donations?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s being explained as an “inadvertent error”. However, National MP David MacLeod’s excuse for failing to disclose $178,000 in donations for his election campaign last year is not necessarily enough to prevent some serious consequences. A Police investigation is now likely, and the result ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the privatising of state housing provision, by stealth
    The scathing “independent” review of Kāinga Ora barely hit the table before the coalition government had acted on it. The entire Kāinga Ora board will be replaced, and a new chair (Simon Moutter) has been announced. Hmm. No aspersions on Bill English, but the public would have had more confidence ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Our House.
    I'll light the fireYou place the flowers in the vaseThat you bought todayA warm dry home, you’d think that would be bread and butter to politicians. Home ownership and making sure people aren’t left living on the street, that’s as Kiwi as Feijoa and Apple Crumble. Isn’t it?The coalition are ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Getting to No
    Politics is about compromise, right?  And framing it so the voters see your compromise as the better one.  John Key was a skilful exponent of this approach (as was Keith Holyoake in an earlier age), and Chris Luxon isn’t too bad either. But in politics, the process whereby an old ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    5 days ago

  • At a glance – How does the Medieval Warm Period compare to current global temperatures?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: How serious is an MP’s failure to declare $178k in donations?
    It’s being explained as an “inadvertent error”. However, National MP David MacLeod’s excuse for failing to disclose $178,000 in donations for his election campaign last year is not necessarily enough to prevent some serious consequences. A Police investigation is now likely, and the result of his non-disclosure could even see ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Get your story straight, buddy
    The relentless drone coming out of the Prime Minister and his deputy for a million days now has been that the last government was just hosing  money all over the show and now at last the grownups are in charge and shutting that drunken sailor stuff down. There is a word ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • A govt plane is headed for New Caledonia – here’s hoping the Kiwis stranded there get better ser...
    Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to riot-torn New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. Today’s flight will carry around 50 passengers with the most ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Who is David MacLeod?
    Precious declaration saysYours is yours and mine you leave alone nowPrecious declaration saysI believe all hope is dead no longerTick tick tick Boom!Unexploded ordnance. A veritable minefield. A National caucus with a large number of unknowns, candidates who perhaps received little in the way of vetting as the party jumped ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • The Four Knights
    Rex Ahdar writes –  The Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, likes to trace his political lineage back to the pioneers of parliamentary Maoridom.   I will refer to these as the ‘big four’ or better still, the Four Knights. Just as ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Could Willie Jackson be the populist leader that Labour need?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Willie Jackson will participate in the prestigious Oxford Union debate on Thursday, following in David Lange’s footsteps. Coincidentally, Jackson has also followed Lange’s footsteps by living in his old home in South Auckland. And like Lange, Jackson might be the sort of loud-mouth scrapper ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Unacceptable
    That is the only way to describe an MP "forgetting" to declare $178,000 in donations. The amount of money involved - more than five times the candidate spending cap, and two and a half times the median income - is boggling. How do you just "forget" that amount of money? ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza!
    It finally happened: the International Criminal Court prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza: The chief prosecutor of the international criminal court has said he is seeking arrest warrants for senior Hamas and Israeli officials for war crimes and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Media Link: AVFA on the implications of US elections.
    In this week’s “A View from Afar” podcast Selwyn Manning and spoke about the upcoming US elections and what the possibility of another Trump presidency means for the US role in world affairs. We also spoke about the problems Joe … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Web of Chaos, Secret Dolphins & Monster Truck Madness
    Hi,Two years ago I briefly featured in Justin Pemberton’s Web of Chaos documentary, which touched on things like QAnon during the pandemic.I mostly prattled on about how intertwined conspiracy narratives are with Evangelical Christian thinking, something Webworm’s explored in the past.(The doc is available on TVNZ+, if you’re not in ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • How Government’s road obsession is ruining Auckland’s transport plans
    “TL;DR: The reality is that Central Government’s transport policy and direction makes zero sense for Auckland, and if the draft GPS doesn’t change from its original form, then Auckland will be on a collision course with Wellington.” Auckland’s draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024 is now out for consultation, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    5 days ago

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Tuesday, May 21
    The Government is leaving the entire construction sector and the community housing sector in limbo. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government released the long-awaited Bill English-led review of Kāinga Ora yesterday, but delayed key decisions on its build plan and how to help community housing providers (CHPs) build ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Climate change is affecting mental health literally everywhere
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Farmers who can’t sleep, worrying they’ll lose everything amid increasing drought. Youth struggling with depression over a future that feels hopeless. Indigenous people grief-stricken over devastated ecosystems. For all these people and more, climate change is taking a clear toll ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The Ambassador and Luxon – eye to eye
    New Zealand’s relationship with China is becoming harder to define, and with that comes a worry that a deteriorating political relationship could spill over into the economic relationship. It is about more than whether New Zealand will join Pillar Two of Aukus, though the Chinese Ambassador, more or less, suggested ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Fast track to environmental degradation
    Been hoping we would see something like this from Sir Geoffrey Palmer. This is excellent.The present Bill goes further than the National Development Act 1979  in stripping away procedures designed to ensure that environmental issues are properly considered. The 1979 approach was not acceptable then and this present approach is ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Leading Labour Off The Big Rock Candy Mountain.
    He’s Got The Moxie: Only Willie Jackson possesses the credentials to meld together a new Labour message that is, at one and the same moment, staunchly working-class, union-friendly, and which speaks to the hundreds-of-thousands of urban Māori untethered to the neo-tribal capitalist elites of the Iwi Leaders Forum.IT’S ONE OF THE ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Priority is given to powerlines – govt strikes another blow for the economy while Jones fends off ...
    Tree-huggers may well accuse the Government of giving them the fingers, after Energy Minister Simeon Brown announced new measures to protect powerlines from trees, rather than measures to protect trees from powerlines. It can be no coincidence, surely, that this has been announced at the same as Fisheries Minister Shane Jones ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Climate Change: The question we need to be asking
    One of National's first actions in government was to dismantle climate change policy, scrapping the clean car discount and overturning the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry, which had given us Aotearoa's biggest-ever emissions reduction. But there's an obvious problem: we needed those emissions reductions to meet our carbon budgets: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Could Willie Jackson be the populist leader that Labour need?
    Willie Jackson will participate in the prestigious Oxford Union debate on Thursday, following in David Lange’s footsteps. Coincidentally, Jackson has also followed Lange’s footsteps by living in his old home in South Auckland. And like Lange, Jackson might be the sort of loud-mouth scrapper who could take over the Labour ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • The Tikanga challenge for law schools, the rule of law – and Parliament
    Barrister Gary Judd KC’s complaint to the Regulatory Review Committee has sparked a fierce debate about the place of tikanga Māori – or Māori customs, values and spiritual beliefs – in the law.Judd opposes the New Zealand Council of Legal Education’s plans to make teaching tikanga compulsory in the legal curriculum.AUT ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  •  The Huge Potential Benefits of Charter Schools
    Alwyn Poole writes –  In New Zealand we have approximately 460 high schools. The gaps between the schools that produce the best results for students and those at the other end of the spectrum are enormous.In terms of the data for their leavers, the top 30 schools have ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Can Shane Jones be trusted in making Fast-track decisions?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  New Zealand First Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has become the best advertisement against the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill. In selling the radical new resource consenting processes, in which ministers can green light any mine, dam, or other major development, Jones seems to be ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Major investment in teacher supply through Budget 24
    Over the next four years, Budget 24 will support the training and recruitment of 1,500 teachers into the workforce, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced today. “To raise achievement and develop a world leading education system we’re investing nearly $53 million over four years to attract, train and retain our valued ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Joint statement on the New Zealand – Cook Islands Joint Ministerial Forum – 2024
    1.  New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters; Minister of Health and Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Dr Shane Reti; and Minister for Climate Change Hon Simon Watts hosted Cook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Hon Tingika Elikana and Minister of Health Hon Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown on 24 May ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Middle East, Africa deployments extended
    The Government has approved two-year extensions for four New Zealand Defence Force deployments to the Middle East and Africa, Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today. “These deployments are long-standing New Zealand commitments, which reflect our ongoing interest in promoting peace and stability, and making active ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change Commission Chair to retire
    The Climate Change Commission Chair, Dr Rod Carr, has confirmed his plans to retire at the end of his term later this year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Prior to the election, Dr Carr advised me he would be retiring when his term concluded. Dr Rod Carr has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inaugural Board of Integrity Sport & Recreation Commission announced
    Nine highly respected experts have been appointed to the inaugural board of the new Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission is a new independent Crown entity which was established under the Integrity Sport and Recreation Act last year, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • A balanced Foreign Affairs budget
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed today that Vote Foreign Affairs in Budget 2024 will balance two crucial priorities of the Coalition Government.    While Budget 2024 reflects the constrained fiscal environment, the Government also recognises the critical role MFAT plays in keeping New Zealanders safe and prosperous.    “Consistent with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New social housing places to support families into homes
    New social housing funding in Budget 2024 will ensure the Government can continue supporting more families into warm, dry homes from July 2025, Housing Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka say. “Earlier this week I was proud to announce that Budget 2024 allocates $140 million to fund 1,500 new social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand’s minerals future
    Introduction Today, we are sharing a red-letter occasion. A Blackball event on hallowed ground. Today  we underscore the importance of our mineral estate. A reminder that our natural resource sector has much to offer.  Such a contribution will not come to pass without investment.  However, more than money is needed. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government sets out vision for minerals future
    Increasing national and regional prosperity, providing the minerals needed for new technology and the clean energy transition, and doubling the value of minerals exports are the bold aims of the Government’s vision for the minerals sector. Resources Minister Shane Jones today launched a draft strategy for the minerals sector in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government progresses Māori wards legislation
    The coalition Government’s legislation to restore the rights of communities to determine whether to introduce Māori wards has passed its first reading in Parliament, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says. “Divisive changes introduced by the previous government denied local communities the ability to determine whether to establish Māori wards.” The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • First RMA amendment Bill introduced to Parliament
    The coalition Government has today introduced legislation to slash the tangle of red and green tape throttling some of New Zealand’s key sectors, including farming, mining and other primary industries. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says the Government is committed to  unlocking development and investment while ensuring the environment is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government welcomes EPA decision
    The decision by Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to approve the continued use of hydrogen cyanamide, known as Hi-Cane, has been welcomed by Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.  “The EPA decision introduces appropriate environmental safeguards which will allow kiwifruit and other growers to use Hi-Cane responsibly,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to Employers and Manufacturers Association: Relief for today, hope for tomorrow
    Kia ora, Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou kātoa Tāmaki Herenga Waka, Tāmaki Herenga tangata Ngā mihi ki ngā mana whenua o tēnei rohe Ngāti Whātua ō Ōrākei me nga iwi kātoa kua tae mai. Mauriora. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the EMA for hosting this event. Let me acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government invests in 1,500 more social homes
    The coalition Government is investing in social housing for New Zealanders who are most in need of a warm dry home, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. Budget 2024 will allocate $140 million in new funding for 1,500 new social housing places to be provided by Community Housing Providers (CHPs), not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $24 million boost for Gumboot Friday
    Thousands more young New Zealanders will have better access to mental health services as the Government delivers on its commitment to fund the Gumboot Friday initiative, says Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.  “Budget 2024 will provide $24 million over four years to contract the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill passes first reading
    The Coalition Government’s Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, which will improve tenancy laws and help increase the supply of rental properties, has passed its first reading in Parliament says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The Bill proposes much-needed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 that will remove barriers to increasing private ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Montecassino Commemorative Address, Cassino War Cemetery
    Standing here in Cassino War Cemetery, among the graves looking up at the beautiful Abbey of Montecassino, it is hard to imagine the utter devastation left behind by the battles which ended here in May 1944. Hundreds of thousands of shells and bombs of every description left nothing but piled ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • First Reading – Repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989
    I present a legislative statement on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill Mr. Speaker, I move that the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the Bill. Thank you, Mr. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • First reading of 7AA’s repeal: progress for children
    The Bill to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has had its first reading in Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the care and safety of children in care, says Minister for Children Karen Chhour.  “When I became the Minister for Children, I made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • China Business Summit 2024
    Kia ora koutou, good morning, and zao shang hao. Thank you Fran for the opportunity to speak at the 2024 China Business Summit – it’s great to be here today. I’d also like to acknowledge: Simon Bridges - CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. His Excellency Ambassador - Wang ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Assisted depatures from New Caledonia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home.    “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Assisted departures from New Caledonia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home.  “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing them ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government to rollout roadside drug testing
    The Coalition Government will introduce legislation this year that will enable roadside drug testing as part of our commitment to improve road safety and restore law and order, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Alcohol and drugs are the number one contributing factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand. In ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister responds to review of Kāinga Ora
    The Government has announced a series of immediate actions in response to the independent review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “Kāinga Ora is a large and important Crown entity, with assets of $45 billion and over $2.5 billion of expenditure each year. It ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour is pleased that Pseudoephedrine can now be purchased by the general public to protect them from winter illness, after the coalition government worked swiftly to change the law and oversaw a fast approval process by Medsafe. “Pharmacies are now putting the medicines back on their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • New Zealand-China Business Summit
    Tēnā koutou katoa. Da jia hao.  Good morning everyone.   Prime Minister Luxon, your excellency, a great friend of New Zealand and my friend Ambassador Wang, Mayor of what he tells me is the best city in New Zealand, Wayne Brown, the highly respected Fran O’Sullivan, Champion of the Auckland business ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • New measures to protect powerlines from trees
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events.  “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani win top Māori dairy farming award
    Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received
    "On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.  “I raised my concerns after being ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unions should put learning ahead of ideology
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools.     “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMA
    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguard
    Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationship
    New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.  “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019.  “It is my pleasure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New Caledonia
    New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.  “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of State
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card funding
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Further sanctions against Russia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • One year on from Loafers Lodge
    A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-05-26T04:09:12+00:00