That would agree with one of the watch services. It shows the site going offline at 1706 last night. It reads the desktop front page. Problem is that I don’t have an alarm on that (I’d better pay for that I think).
The one I have an alarm on a different service didn’t go off. My internal check was also ok. Both of those look if the server is functioning properly and serving up a test page. So it must have been. I’ll add the front page and a selection of recent pages to the check.
The mobile version was working fine for me. I changed the top post at 0630 and was reading comments last night on it.
Quite weird. It is a pity that I didn’t restart the memcache service to isolate it as the issue before rebooting. I’d already restarted apache2 and php-fpm.
It could be a trifle difficult. I live in an apartment block with 60 other one bedroom apartments in three story building, with very limited land areas and shared roofs. It makes our rates look ridiculously small because the land area per apartment is so small.
I’ve been thinking about solar for the roof, which would have to be a communal resource like our water system, comms systems, power core, building insurance, walls and roof. There is a lot of roof and a lot of sunlight in central Auckland, so the power generation would probably be pretty good. However it’d requiring wiring down to the switchboard and putting in something like a lithium battery farm to be useful. The capital cost would be high and the returns not so high. Worth waiting a few more years.
But it is in the periphery of the CBD and our power grid was heavily upgraded after the blackouts of 1998/9 so the power is pretty damn reliable. And I have about 4-5 hours of stored power in UPS.
Because National lost remakably litlle support over 9 years in office and still commands high level support for a party no longer in power in the first part of a new government. The only people wanting them to apologies and repent of supposed bad policies are those that would never support them in the first place. Given these facts there is simply no need for a mea culpa to win back support.
The only people wanting them to apologies and repent of supposed bad policies are those that would never support them in the first place. Given these facts…
Facts? When did you conduct this voter intention survey? Do you have your margin of error at hand? What was your method?
Or are you couching YOUR opinion as a FACT?
So now they get to have the fun argument of whether they move towards the government side in order to get votes (which is what they did in 2008), or whether they bet that there’s a “missing million” of voters for whom National are too left wing and ACT are too… nothing.
Does FPP when applied to the Opposition refer to some kind of munted political party? Our Simon is determined to establish his brand. It seems like it is heavily law’n’order based with his attacks on people wrongfully turfed out of state housing, and now wanting to crank up the war on drugs.
Typical right wing memes and in contrast to the liberal and compassionate approach which says that addiction and drug taking is a social and medical problem.
The war on drugs was well critiqued by Michael Moore in his recent film where he contrasted the Portuguese approach to the American war on drugs. Moore made the point that the American war on drugs was actually a war on blacks which was used to oppress and jail black males especially when the civil rights movement was gaining momentum in the 60’s. The war on drugs disenfranchised black voters by removing voting rights from convicted drug users to the extent that Presidential election outcomes were influenced as in Florida.
Authoritarian politicians need enemies abroad and at home in order to frighten the voters and influence events. You can hear the beating of that drum in Bridges’ rhetoric. After the drumbeat comes the battle smoke. The naming of the ‘war on drugs’ is deliberate use of language.
Much more likely that he was focusing on the fact that over 120 nations have agreed with the Trump statement on drugs. New Zealand not being part of that rather large group is a little unusual.
The PM has chosen to use the drugs issue to put distance between herself and Trump. It is quite pointed toward Trump, and therefore reinforces New Zealand’s independent foreign policy.
It is probably a cost free position, but it may not be. Given Trump’s enthusiasm for trade sanctions, he could easily do that here. For instance a tariff on lamb or diary products, kiwifruit or something. Who knows. For instance if he has widespread sanctions on something such as steel, there won’t be an exemption for NZ.
For instance a tariff on lamb or diary products, kiwifruit or something.
From memory, there are already low tariffs on lamb and dairy to the US that are under a very low quota. And then excessive ones because they tariff everything at high rates above the quota. We mostly get the latter.
For a country that was supposably a free-trade supporter, they have always look to me like one of the worlds most over-regulated barrier and tariff economies. I suspect that their commitment to free trade was always more aspirational for them and nearly compulsory for others like us.
And wasn’t Zespri saying that the TPP would drop tariffs on exports of kiwifruit to the US if they’d stayed in it?
Possibly 2.8c/kg on special tariff 1. However I also see that zespri was only just starting to market there in the last couple of years because of the issues of travel time.
Certainly the US was one of the most expensive export markets that I have ever had to deal with. Just jumping through and paying for the legal hoops of setting a business there was an awesome Kafka quest, and only matched by the similar bureaucracy in India. The only reason for doing it was the relative wealth and size of the market. Different now – there is more available wealth in more countries with less stupid legal systems.
And we didn’t have any duties or tariffs on tech goods. Perhaps we should just concentrate on those kinds of goods rather than low profit margin fodder like no processed or minimal processed commodity items from our rural producers who do have tariff barriers.
After for a brief period listening to ZB Smith show, there are a select few who live in the 70’s and have a larger than appropriate profile !
Like Labour 07 there is a time for the ex govt to review and reevaluate themselves.
(Labour 99 were fortunate that they and we had a leader that stuck it out post suffering an election lose)
We have had sufficient MMP elections for all parties to have some understanding of what to and not to do post a loss. National obviously have poor consultants who never studied history (I know of a good book or 2 😉 )
The leadership of the Nats IMO has gifted 2020. Friends of mine who Side with the blue team have commented that they have not time for its 4 (un)notables. So the current govt has 2+ terms to establish foundations for NZ going forward. The same opportunity that Helen and John had, but did not take the opportunity. And look at the problems that have resulted :-(. Hopefully the 3rd term will not be as barren and bereft as 05-07 or 14-17 was)
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has challenged other leaders to ensure they had clear goals and actions ready for the upcoming Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December.
Ardern set out New Zealand’s climate change credentials at a Climate Week summit in New York, announcing the Government was topping up a fund for climate change in the Pacific by a further $100 million, taking it to $300 million over the next four years.
She also had a message for other leaders about upcoming climate change talks.
“The rules that are agreed must be robust and credible so that the Paris Agreement is effective and enduring. The world can only reach the Paris goals if we have clarity and confidence about each other’s commitments and action.”
When asked how the Government is going to help the poor (who are expected to be hit the hardest) overcome the cost of new climate related charges and taxes, Grant Robertson pointed to the families package.
Once again, nothing for those who are struggling but don’t have young dependent children.
Moreover, it was my understanding the families package was introduced to help struggling families deal with past and current shortfalls and not new climate related charges.
Working for Families was the biggest component of the Families Package, but accommodation supplement increases, retaining the Independent Earners Tax Credit and, for beneficiaries/superannuitants, the Winter Energy Payment, should have helped the worst off.
Agree that we could have done better, mind, but let’s not pretend Labour did nothing.
Talk about blinking labour – weak – poor wee oil industry – need more time – yeah nah!
“Just hours before announcing a law change to give effect to the new offshore oil exploration ban on Monday, Woods met with oil industry figures to discuss their request for more leniency on the conditions of existing exploration permits.
Woods said she agreed that on a case-by-case basis, she will consider giving the oil companies more time to fulfil their commitments on the permits, describing it as “a little bit of a pause”. ”
Simon Bridges and Mike Sabin
I agree with John Minto whom I am quoting below.
“Instead of denigrating state house tenants Simon Bridges should be calling for an independent inquiry into the meth-testing industry which drove the hysteria about meth contamination.
… How much of the $100 million wasted went through MethCon?
… There must be an inquiry into this unregulated, cowboy industry. We need to know how the National government came to waste over $100 million in taxpayer money.”
Was listening to a political panel via radiolive on Sunday, it was the wonderful Laila and one man band seymour.
They were discussing the bogus meth testing and she mentioned sabines name as someone who might have had a hand in it all. Wonder if I can find the link.
$100 million – what good things good people could do with that? Split it up into $20,000 lots to get some pilot policies going and if they could match their projections follow it up with $50,000 over two years, subject to a review after one year to check outcomes.
Sound realistic and practical for matching money with good outcomes?
Why,why, can’t we, can’t we………………………./ Oh stop this wailing! We know why – certain people in government don’t give a fuck about the damage they have done and continue to do to people’s lives by shutting down the economy so readily, denying fair countervailing measures like affordable housing.
Theme for today – Common people
Paul Young – Love of the Common People
Maybe Trump’s message about looking to home industry and enterprise (even if not completely sincere from him) will get through the skulls and into the brains of our USer-centric decision makers and money-fevered mini-moguls.
The Meth scandal helped the Natz to evict state house tenants and sell off land state assets cheaply to their mates and get millions in consultancy fees. It was engineered by the Natz in the first place, also to take the heat of the immigration which was driving up house prices and rents.
This transferred the housing debate solely on rental property “investors” not owner occupied housing, foreign ownership, immigration, land sell offs or developer quality.
The Meth scandal was pure psychological warfare and dirty politics. No question about it.
Thats right. The expelling of the tenants and the clean up meant in a few months the house was empty and renovated, which is exactly what the landlords want for well placed investment properties.
Yep, but they didn’t sell them to landlords they sold them to developers at the end. They system was redesigned so that only large corporations could buy them because they were sold off as big lots… I seem to remember on one sale the only buyers were between an Chinese company and a Australian one.
They did not want Kiwis to buy the state houses for whatever reason… people can speculate on that. Also many Kiwis even National supporters did not believe in the assets sales, they had to make the state houses, seem problematic, when in fact housing NZ returned a profit!
To reply to Gosman 2.1.1.1 question ; -“what sort of policies would you want to see from a right of center opposition party?”
I want these national Party members that have demonsrated corruption (that was so indemic to their nine years) fully investigated in a Royal commission, and the guilty parties all charged and jailed begiinning with this.
Great link Fireblade, I hope that Jacinda who comes across so well internationally can actually make NZ a better place, because at present (like US) the biggest problems we face are at home not abroad.
From transport to scams to low wages, inability to retain our own best and brightest, growing poor quality in everything from food to housing construction, growing pollution and inability to understand the issues while continuing the Rogernomics lite from the last 30 years is gonna work if you value the above.
Refreshing to have a politician not only talk about paid parental leave policy… but to then go out and give birth on the 9th floor and essentially live out the policy is brilliant.
Makes a change from another one who was fed his paid parental leave lines and basically any human related policies by PR companies.
Unbelievable bureaucracy for the government CTO process, nobody in their right mind would go through that process for the measly salary … seriously it sounds more like government abuse and incompetence than modern recruitment.
Worth reading to find out why IT is so bad in NZ and in government and why they struggle to retain talented people in NZ.
Word to government – sort the shit out before inflicting a long, bizarre and stupid process onto candidates. At lease Handley got a bit of compensation for his troubles (which after seeing what the poor guy went through does not seem enough) but seriously what about the other candidates that wasted hours of their time and the length of time for a crapy role that the government does not even understand what the role is about or what they required in the first place.
Slightly weird too, that it sounded like Handley was the one driving it by texting Clare Curren and sending txts to Jacinda when he put his CV in. (But maybe he was desperate to help, who knows or he really wanted that citizenship back (well that worked, hooray)).
We’ve gone from crony recruitment John Key style over a coffee with no process, to Labour style recruitment of a longwinded process taking over 6 months… that results in nothing but humiliation for the candidates, a pay off from taxpayers for the ministry incompetence and no role at the end of it.
If any senior IT person is waiting 6+ months to be recruited in a warped process of humiliation, multiple meetings, poor communication and time wasting then they probably are not at the top of their game or maybe have a different agenda?
Apparently the recruitment process at Google is even worse- takes months and that too involves ‘change their mind’ situations. That is of course only for ‘permanent’ employees , heaps are just contractors.
Radionz was unable to find a NZ radio journalist to replace John Campbell so had to use an Australian one. Is he cheaper than our own? Or just sounds cheaper? What process didd they go through in making the choice? Has it been documented – it would be good to be a fly on the wall (Harry Potter type perhaps.)
This appointment shows that the present managers ane directors of RNZ have quickly lost touch with what those letters stand for – providing Radio for New Zealanders.
RadioNZ elite are too busy being sophisticated and internationally focussed but with a laser beam focus – on the USA, and trailing behind like the tail on a comet are the other English speakers, mostly white (Indians speak very good English and are a large bloc once British but we don’t hear much information about that large country.) The rest of the world get fitted in if they have interesting money maneuvres? or interesting tragedies or disasters.
You can’t read the content of this entity but the heading is interesting: https://mediaweek.com.au/rnz-alex-perrottet-profile-nz-aussie/
Jun 29, 2018 – Aussie Alex Perrottet is new to New Zealand – and to journalism – but is establishing a profile regularly filling in on two Radio New Zealand …
Missing: bio | Must include: bio
Sorry Grey, but your comments – and the little bit from Mediaweek.com.au – are well off beam.
Alex Perottet has been based in Auckland for over eight years – and with RNZ for over six years and before that he worked at AUT for some years.
He is currently Producer of Morning Report in Auckland and is just filling in presenting Checkpoint since John Campbell left 10 days ago, until Lisa Owen takes over in a few weeks’ time.
Here is the blurb on RNZ’s website on Perrottet. Note that he also did three weeks of Summer Report in January 2018. I am pretty sure he has also replaced Guyon Espiner and/or Suzi Ferguson in presenting Morning Report on a number of occasions over the last couple of years.
Ok VV
I am not liking his style – reminds me of Jim Mora, and when I saw that heading from a supposedly informed media comment source it just got me. So he has been with RNZ for six years, and producer for Morning Report.
I wonder if he fits in with the attitude of RNZ that all shootings from USA are to be reported in full, and given probably an accumulated two hours of news, detailed comment, background, report on condition of victims etc. over two days, which we have been receiving.
The mere fact that he has been with Radionz for quite a while doesn’t get him a thumbs up from me. I used to think that Maggie Barry was great and had integrity but since she left and became a National MP on the strength of her image and notoriety, I have found just how loose the nuts can be in some of their sterling employees.
Pacific issues were his big thing for years, and still are; and he has done some excellent reporting from there. Also note the last line in that link. “In his spare time he coordinates volunteer projects in the Pacific as well as far off places like Kenya and Indonesia.”
But each to their own. I have always been impressed with his reporting and understated style of reporting and interviewing. He is not a prima donna. Quite the opposite.
I find your comments above re the amount of time you think RNZ spends on reporting on USA shootings a bit inconsistent, considering the number of comments you make here on TS about RNZ programmes with links etc, covering a wide range of subjects unrelated to shootings in the USA – for example your detailed comments at 8, 9 and 10 below.
I don’t understand why you should be surprised at my comments vv.
I see things and I comment on them. There are very good things on Radionz and I acknowledge that and enable other people to see them and respect the quality of their service, thinking that we need to use it or lose it.
But are you afraid to call attention to things that need improving; that show trends that are alarming. If more people had kept an eye on how NZ was deteriorating after 1984 and not just accepted it, instead looking at what suited themselves and ignoring the rest, then we would not have the extent of almost irreversible downgrading of our society.
Tane Mahuta the tree may be ailing – the Reserve Bank has written a document comparing the strength of the Bank and its systems to that of the tree. https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018664002/what-does-the-reserve-bank-do The Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr is on a mission to explain the role of the central bank to New Zealanders.What does it do? why? And why does it matter? Mr Orr became Governor in March this year.
The Reserve Bank’s legislation is currently under review and a period of consultation is about to being.Mr Orr has just published an article in which seeks to explain the role of Te Putea Matua – the Reserve Bank’s Maori name – in a rapidly changing environment.
Business reporting New research from the University of Otago throws doubt on information investors are getting about company earnings and growth. The joint study with the University of California, Davis investigated company reporting results in the US over the last 17 years and revealed a marked increase in “positive earnings surprises”. https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018663830/are-companies-overblowing-their-results
A BRANZ scoping study finds a “macho” and “bullying” culture, intolerant of diversity, significantly contributes to the poor mental health of construction industry workers.
Kathryn Ryan speaks with BRANZ General Manager Industry Research Dr Chris Litten, CEO of construction company Naylor Love Rick Herd and WorkSafe NZ CEO Nicole Rosie.
Could this be a prototype for studying the state of NZ culture and business (lack of) principles, and I consider, a toxic culture of competition and money making that is separated from being a sharing citizen caring about others, and not even themselves, in the madness of it all.
Something to chew on perhaps. https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367040/potato-virus-found-in-new-zealand-for-first-time The potato mop-top virus, known as PMTV, has been found in tubers from two properties in the Canterbury region.
David Yard of Biosecurity New Zealand, said PMTV was not a food safety issue but, if it became widespread, could cause productivity issues for growers.
PMTV is common in other countries, he said.
Affected potatoes can display symptoms including distortions to the skin, deep cracking, and rust coloured arcs, streaks or flecks in the tuber flesh.
Biosecurity New Zealand is investigating how the virus entered the country.
Noooo. Not my chips! Interesting how our island advantage from the world’s nasties is further eroded under our present political systems, we don’t have enough surveillance on dodgy importers, but as citizens we are being watched at every point it seems, lots of CCTV following UKs policy.
(Who were the lawyers who drew up a contract where a CEO can sell their shares almost immediately, should be 5 years at least to encourage a longer term approach!)
Her experience, not much NZ culture, not much milk maybe more ‘milking it’…
During Jayne Hrdlicka’s reign as CEO – looks like Jetstar fined for misleading prices (price dripping)
Jetstar has been ordered by the Federal Court to pay fines totaling $545,000 for misleading it’s online customers with it’s ‘price dripping’ tactic when purchasing online.
The federal Court deemed the Jetstar tactic of ‘price dripping’, which is were extra unavoidable fees are added to the total price of a fare as you progress through the checkout process, as being in breach of Australian Consumer Law. Basically, Jetstar advertised a price for a fare, but when buying online, the fare could never be that low as compulsory extras were added on. This case was specifically in relation to the credit card and payment fees.
Jetstar was found guilty back in November of 2015 and relates to misrepresentations in advertisements back in 2013 on their website and in 2014 on their mobile website.
Insider trading is generally considered illegal… also massive breach of trust to sell shares after 2 months. Either she let A2 know before taking the role she was going to cash up early in which case they are idiots for allowing her to do it, or they didn’t know and it’s a terrible look…
I know its mere coincidence but what the frick is happening in NZ universities at the moment, seems like its a race to see who can be the most embarrassing
Don’t forget shutting down the specialist libraries at Auckland University, on going screw ups at Unitec and of course the rise in fake universities and polytechs in the private sector…
Thats what happens when tertiary education becomes about faux profiteering instead of education.
As a quote I remember from when they bought in student fees…
“Who are they going to attract, the rich and the thick?”
Much more plausible that it’s a false flag attack by the Globalists and the Clinton Foundation machine to distract the sheeple, while the Illuminati, Vince Foster’s Ghost and the Anunnaki take control of these universities and start dumping floride into waterways to make the gay frogs become postmodernist social Marxists. I’m pretty sure I saw Paul Joseph Watson cover it on infowars, right Chris?
Who do think appointed these neoliberals and thought that business types were best to run universities rather than academics? The government.
It started with government in the 1980’s… we are just seeing more of the side effects to what user pays for education creates and it’s not necessarily a good education or having skills within a country to operate productively.
The woke left work for the rights interests by being so small minded in their thinking that it puts normal people off… Then they get heaps of attention on themselves and an extreme position, which is often so judgemental….
I’m no fan of Brash, but not letting him speak???? He’s an ex political party leader for goodness sake!
Meanwhile the minor things the woke left are fighting for, takeover allowing much worst scenarios to occur later on. It’s like the boy cried wolf, fable for the left.
Think the US Democrats telling everyone how amazing globalism is or Wellington Council telling everyone how great the new bus service is. Shutting down people from having their say and disagreement and faux listening always leads to trouble.
Teachers, judges, journalists, scientists sacked, jailed, sexually assaulted, and tortured…These are the faces of the greatest human purge of the 21st century…from Erdogan’s Turkey #ErdoganOutpic.twitter.com/RRupZj8yNO— HRF (@HRF) September 24, 2018
Everyone can see by this video that who really planned and made the 15th July coupERDOGAN'S REICHSTAG FIRE ||Things in Turkey are really messed up by Erdogan and his ambitions for the last decade. Check this out 👇pic.twitter.com/pklUHKgq5B— 🇹🇷Enes Yasin🇨🇦 (@enesyasingoksu) September 24, 2018
Gonna see so much of this ‘heading to higher/safer ground. It’s gonna be very hard for people.
“Millions of Americans will confront similarly hard choices as climate change conjures up brutal storms, flooding rains, receding coastlines and punishing heat. Many are already opting to shift to less perilous areas of the same city, or to havens in other states. Whole towns from Alaska to Louisiana are looking to relocate, in their entirety, to safer ground.”
Fuckers are wallowing in a sea of pig shit, toxic sludge and dead animals, too.
They are among the 3.4 million chickens confirmed killed in the floods that followed Hurricane Florence. In addition, about 5,500 hogs died, according to the Department of Agriculture, and some of the massive lagoons that hold their excrement are damaged and discharging a fecal soup.
No Paula Bennett for the third day in a row – as she was not there last Weds or Thurs either. And Amy Adams was keeping the Deputy Leader seat warm for the third day. But PB has been doing a few local events etc in Auckland last Friday and over the weekend.
Winston wore a nice tie today – or is that not allowed? I don’t recall having seen that one before.
Oh and the rant that Pete at 20 mentioned presumably was AA’s lead speech in the urgent debate on Meka’s demotion. Seemed more like an audition speech to me – but for Leader or Deputy?
Ha, you’re in the habit of spelling it that way Mickey. Assid Corban….every true Westie has a half bottle of something ancient and fortified in the back of their liquor cabinet with Corban on the label.
Got home, turned the tv on just in time to see Amy Adams ranting about standards.
She went on about Ministers being held to account. Yes, Amy Adams who was Minister of Justice when confidential, sensitive stuff was leaked from her office.
“We will not accept,” she said, then listed the list of characteristics she and her mob showed.
‘There must be an element of schadenfreude for the Opposition. Key was similarly questioned over the extent of his relationship with former GCSB boss Ian Fletcher, after it was claimed he was a childhood friend and had been shoulder-tapped by Key for the role.
That their relationship was one step removed – Key was mates with his older brother – didn’t stop Labour dragging the story out to try to prove that they discussed the job in private.
So don’t expect National to drop this issue any time soon.’
Be interesting to see what else is in those emails
Interesting to know if they shortlisted other candidates too… or was it just cronyism and the belief their friends and acquaintances are the best applicants so no need to run a proper recruitment process…
I thought it was fake news, but the whole things just keeps getting weirder and stranger from the idea that his citizenship issues were sorted out to the fact he it looks like he solicited the job…and sent txts to Jacinda as well as Clare Curren.
Then finding out they ran the poor guy through the mill for months…
Everyone looks bad but sadly although an extreme case, this fuck up is modern recruitment in NZ, totally unprofessional, crony appointments, lengths of times so great that any normal candidate bails out, and the eventual screw ups and pay offs.
Natz can’t crow because they did it too. But of course most Labour voters expect zero cronyism from Labour…
The thing is I don’t have a major problem with what John Key or Jacinda for that matter either. I mean if they know someone and they think they’d be a good fit well why not trust their judgement
As long the applicants get vetted and checked out properly its all good in my book, I mean we trust our leaders with so much, theres so many law changes they can make etc etc yet somehow recommending someone they know for a job is bad?
Nope cronyism is cronyism. Whether it’s in Indonesia, Russia or NZ.
Government appointments should be completely independent and nobody should be aware if they know the PM or not, let alone creating a role that seems not well thought out at all or full of scandal, and for a role that in both cases (Key and Curren interference in the roles) neither of the government preferred candidates had done before. Does not exactly seem to be well considered or fair or creating the best candidate for the role and actually diminishes the role which both areas are increasingly important to get right.
I sort of agree, businesses have headhunted forever. It’s logical… ‘Lets talk to the best person for the job.’
The problem arises for all ministers when ‘Lets get the best’ is tainted with the mere scent of nepotism.
Dumb to get involved with anything that resembles it. A mistake that doesn’t need to be made. The Handley text release egg on Jacinda’s face will wash off. I suspect she has learned a big lesson from the whole sloppy Curran fiasco and hopefully we won’t see anything like it again.
Why did Fletcher last such a short time? Key was mates with his older brother. What were the dealings between the two before and after Fletcher got the job?
Kia ora The Am Show high fuel price’s =less driving I’m walking more now less carbon out put from Aotearoa .
The big picture is this is a WORLD CHANGING moment and movement EQUALITY happening at the minute in New York at the UN.
Why do you think trump is scrapping the Iran deal he want;s to push up OIL price’s Obama new trump is a carbon boy I.E all his move’s are all about pushing up carbon prices and use.
Duncan there is only so much one can do in a day. The electric cars China makes there own cars and has more money than Aotearoa so you can not compare the 2 country’s
on this subject .
Come on any idiot can figure out that if you have a mine full of explosive gas that if you turn on any mechanical equipment I.E the convener belt you will get sparks = big explosion enough said .
We don;t sell fables we have a beautiful country Mark blue eye Penguin’s our unique wild life and environment & cultures are what makes NZ The best country for a holiday In the world + we have no life threatening wild animals.
The America Cup event will be a really big event show the world NZ best .
Ka pai Sir Graham Lowe for selling your jersey on Trade Me ka pai
Ka kite ano
trump wants to scrap our international institution’s the United Nation’s so him and his m8 can carry on sucking the money out of the world .In the process there action’s cause million’s to starve and million’s to die all for his greed and his m8 greed that should not be happening in the year 2018
Kia Kaha to the French President for voicing his concerns about the path that trump is trying to lead the world down .
trump is trying to lead the world down a stupid path of isolation and protecting a country’s own self interest .Weather it cause million’s to starve to death or die in a War that is secretly backed by arm’s manufacturing company’s .
All the 3 world nations are in the situation’s they find them self’s in because of the wealthy exploiting them and there natural resources while mokopunas die in refugee camp’s. This HAS TO BE STOPPED.
Link is below Ka kite ano
trump is trying to suppress China he is playing a game that he won’t WIN .
The reason China is the manufacturing Hub of the world is because the wealthy greedy
Multi national company’s are chasing profit’s instead of looking after there country of origin future they are taking there manufacturing to any country that is cheap to make its products .The company’s charter need’s to be changed to include humane environmentally friendly socially responsibility’s before profit Ka kite ano link below
Kia ora Newshub Many thanks to Phil for taking a lot of stress off % 80 of housing corp tenants by stopping the review to qualify for having a house.
The Koala bear is a cute looking creature ka pai .
Those Auckland gas stations prices are high ????????
.The cost of living going up is a fact of life .
I remember when gas was real expense in the late1980 and early1990 even the Skippers were moaning about the price
Ka kite ano.
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls No comment on Billy well one I need a lawyer like his lol.
Yes the Ausses like the hype we need to take a leaf out of there book with event names like State of Origin and Grand Final just the word’s get people hyped up.
The AllBlacks will be getting heaps of protein in Argentina.
More test for the Rugby national team’s is a good thing but it won’t take the shine off the golden cup.
Rock climbing is a cool sport I mite have to practices that sport YEA RIGHT LOL.
Ka kite ano
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
Double votes, missing ballot boxes, tired tech and stressed staff: how tick-tallying went astray at last year’s election. Cast your mind back to November 2023, that bleary-eyed post-election period duringwhichwewaited, andwaited, for a coalition deal to be hammered out. A distraction from the hotel-hopping of our ...
International audiences are starting to discover what New Zealand already knew about After the Party.When After the Party aired in New Zealand last year, the response was fast and furious. In his preview for Rec Room, Duncan Greive said it was a “gritty, wrenching and highly confronting” series. By ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires ...
Claire Mabey reviews the haunting and sexy debut novel from Sinéad Gleeson, who is about to touch down in Aotearoa for a string of live events.When Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson was in Aotearoa in 2018 with her spectacular collection of essays, Constellations, she told me she was working on ...
PNG Post-Courier Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue ...
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game.Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.”Some think that’s ...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Throsby, Distinguished Professor of Economics, Macquarie University Arts companies and individual artists in Australia are supported by government arts agencies, philanthropists, industry bodies, private donors and patrons. However, it is frequently overlooked that a major source of support for the arts ...
Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa, a new incorporated society dedicated to ending harmful drug policies, officially launched today, seeks a new fit-for-purpose drug law for Aotearoa New Zealand, rooted in science, experience and evidence. ...
The Corrections Minister admits he "muddied the water" after he and the Prime Minister repeatedly provided incorrect information about a $1.9 billion prison spend-up. ...
It took a post-post-cabinet statement to confirm that 810 new beds will be built at Waikeria, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Lili Tokaduadua was only 15 when she left her family in Fiji to pursue her netball dream in New Zealand. She’d been playing the sport for 10 years and was offered a netball scholarship at Auckland’s Howick College. Now, in her first year out of high school, the 19-year-old defender ...
The beloved local grocers lost a legal challenge to stop a new cycleway outside their store. Joel MacManus reports. In the annals of New Zealand legal history, there are a few brave people who have dared to stand up to the powers that be, no matter how bleak the odds ...
How what we produce and what we eat connects us to the world beyond our shores, visualised. Walking around a supermarket or vege shop, it might be obvious that everything on the shelves came from somewhere. But you might ...
Professor Jemma Geoghegan, of the University of Otago, Otakou Whakaihu Waka, co-leads a Te Niwha project aimed at understanding how and where avian influenza could affect Aotearoa New Zealand, as the highly infectious H5N1 virus spreads globally. The virus has now spread to all continents except Oceania and was recently ...
Thirty years on from Rwanda’s genocide, is guilt over the atrocities is blinding the world to the true nature of its current leadership? The post The repressive underside of Rwanda’s regime appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: Last week, important recommendations for our criminal justice system were made by the international community. Every five years, each member of the United Nations has its human rights practices reviewed. This rolling event – the Universal Periodic Review – is the culmination of a government reporting on its human ...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza – H5N1, or bird flu – has been flying around the world since the late 1990s. New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands are so far free of it, but now it’s been discovered in mainland Antarctica and scientists say it’s only a matter of time ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The following interview with auto electrician and former caver Stu Berendt, 68, of Charleston on the West Coast, came about because he was part of the caving team that found the rare and amazing fossil remains of the giant Haast eagle, the subject of one of the year’s best books, ...
A $1.8b funding boost for Pharmac still won’t enable it to buy more drugs, raising questions about the Government’s approach to the agency The post Can Pharmac do more with the same pot of money? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Stokan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore County If you live in one of the most economically deprived neighborhoods in your city, you might think the government is directing a smaller share of public funds to your community. ...
Wansolwara The news media’s crucial role in climate change and environment journalism was the focus of The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrations. The European Union Ambassador to the Pacific, Barbara Plinkert, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna were the chief ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Adams, Professor of Corporate Law & Academic Director of UNE Sydney campus, University of New England Last August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched legal proceedings against Qantas. The consumer watchdog accused the airline of selling thousands of tickets ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.(Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
Odd. I had to restart the server this morning. The php pages were serving up garbage fastcgi headers.
Looking at the logs it looks like bug in memcached – running before the php
Don’t know what that all means but I couldn’t access the site from about 6.00 PM yesterday.
Good to have it back though 🙂
That would agree with one of the watch services. It shows the site going offline at 1706 last night. It reads the desktop front page. Problem is that I don’t have an alarm on that (I’d better pay for that I think).
The one I have an alarm on a different service didn’t go off. My internal check was also ok. Both of those look if the server is functioning properly and serving up a test page. So it must have been. I’ll add the front page and a selection of recent pages to the check.
The mobile version was working fine for me. I changed the top post at 0630 and was reading comments last night on it.
Quite weird. It is a pity that I didn’t restart the memcache service to isolate it as the issue before rebooting. I’d already restarted apache2 and php-fpm.
lprent
Do you need or would appreciate, some more monetary input to assist with machinery? Your input is I assume, priceless.
It shows the site going offline at 1706 last night
I was getting a five zero summit maintenance message all day yesterday – from say mid-morning?
That was desktop and didn’t check any mobile access.
Quite possible. It looks to me like something progressively failing.
I only have limited alarms for the most common issues. And I tend to only look at mobile versions during the day these days.
I didn’t even notice this one until MS texted me.
K. In future, I won’t assume you know when the sites down and will text or message you each and every time it’s down from this end. 😉
phew you had me panicking there Iprent.
We should start a ‘give a little’ to get a complete ‘solar backup power supply ‘ on your property so we always have an active site.
My son is now putting these ‘stand alone’ backup battery powered solar panel power supplies on many properties here.
It could be a trifle difficult. I live in an apartment block with 60 other one bedroom apartments in three story building, with very limited land areas and shared roofs. It makes our rates look ridiculously small because the land area per apartment is so small.
I’ve been thinking about solar for the roof, which would have to be a communal resource like our water system, comms systems, power core, building insurance, walls and roof. There is a lot of roof and a lot of sunlight in central Auckland, so the power generation would probably be pretty good. However it’d requiring wiring down to the switchboard and putting in something like a lithium battery farm to be useful. The capital cost would be high and the returns not so high. Worth waiting a few more years.
But it is in the periphery of the CBD and our power grid was heavily upgraded after the blackouts of 1998/9 so the power is pretty damn reliable. And I have about 4-5 hours of stored power in UPS.
Crunch time coming up to Nov…
Posting Hudes links etc might…
USA Watch dog dot com has plenty to say.
Best wishes to the TS team.
We have an MMP Government but an FPP Opposition. Not good for NZ politics. Not good for the country.
I don’t know, it could be good for the country if National can’t get their shit together.
I do beliieve that national has lost it’s way now.
National is still clutching onto a bankrupt policy platform, that is just out of date with reality.
Ummm… what sort of policies would you want to see from a right of center opposition party?
Pleading for forgiveness and self-immolation?
I suspect so. That is hardly going to make them electable though.
It might make them more electable than they currently are.
Apologetic pile of ashes 2020!
No it won’t. The people who want them to do this are not likely to vote for them regardless of whether they do it or not.
Why do you think that?
Because National lost remakably litlle support over 9 years in office and still commands high level support for a party no longer in power in the first part of a new government. The only people wanting them to apologies and repent of supposed bad policies are those that would never support them in the first place. Given these facts there is simply no need for a mea culpa to win back support.
Facts? When did you conduct this voter intention survey? Do you have your margin of error at hand? What was your method?
Or are you couching YOUR opinion as a FACT?
Thing is, gos, national have no friends.
So now they get to have the fun argument of whether they move towards the government side in order to get votes (which is what they did in 2008), or whether they bet that there’s a “missing million” of voters for whom National are too left wing and ACT are too… nothing.
A new generation will rise phoenix-like from the ashes once the current crop of ne’er-do-wells, stooges, and space holders depart.
Does FPP when applied to the Opposition refer to some kind of munted political party? Our Simon is determined to establish his brand. It seems like it is heavily law’n’order based with his attacks on people wrongfully turfed out of state housing, and now wanting to crank up the war on drugs.
Typical right wing memes and in contrast to the liberal and compassionate approach which says that addiction and drug taking is a social and medical problem.
The war on drugs was well critiqued by Michael Moore in his recent film where he contrasted the Portuguese approach to the American war on drugs. Moore made the point that the American war on drugs was actually a war on blacks which was used to oppress and jail black males especially when the civil rights movement was gaining momentum in the 60’s. The war on drugs disenfranchised black voters by removing voting rights from convicted drug users to the extent that Presidential election outcomes were influenced as in Florida.
Authoritarian politicians need enemies abroad and at home in order to frighten the voters and influence events. You can hear the beating of that drum in Bridges’ rhetoric. After the drumbeat comes the battle smoke. The naming of the ‘war on drugs’ is deliberate use of language.
Bridge is allying himself with Trump about war on drugs. A great way of advancing the oppressive police state.
Much more likely that he was focusing on the fact that over 120 nations have agreed with the Trump statement on drugs. New Zealand not being part of that rather large group is a little unusual.
The PM has chosen to use the drugs issue to put distance between herself and Trump. It is quite pointed toward Trump, and therefore reinforces New Zealand’s independent foreign policy.
It is probably a cost free position, but it may not be. Given Trump’s enthusiasm for trade sanctions, he could easily do that here. For instance a tariff on lamb or diary products, kiwifruit or something. Who knows. For instance if he has widespread sanctions on something such as steel, there won’t be an exemption for NZ.
From memory, there are already low tariffs on lamb and dairy to the US that are under a very low quota. And then excessive ones because they tariff everything at high rates above the quota. We mostly get the latter.
For a country that was supposably a free-trade supporter, they have always look to me like one of the worlds most over-regulated barrier and tariff economies. I suspect that their commitment to free trade was always more aspirational for them and nearly compulsory for others like us.
And wasn’t Zespri saying that the TPP would drop tariffs on exports of kiwifruit to the US if they’d stayed in it?
Possibly 2.8c/kg on special tariff 1. However I also see that zespri was only just starting to market there in the last couple of years because of the issues of travel time.
Certainly the US was one of the most expensive export markets that I have ever had to deal with. Just jumping through and paying for the legal hoops of setting a business there was an awesome Kafka quest, and only matched by the similar bureaucracy in India. The only reason for doing it was the relative wealth and size of the market. Different now – there is more available wealth in more countries with less stupid legal systems.
And we didn’t have any duties or tariffs on tech goods. Perhaps we should just concentrate on those kinds of goods rather than low profit margin fodder like no processed or minimal processed commodity items from our rural producers who do have tariff barriers.
National are currently re branding under Bridges ????
More flailing about desperately hoping to find something that sticks. If they did, that’d be the brand.
I did say ‘establishing’ the brand. I like what you said about ‘under Bridges” because we all know what live under there.
Branding under bridges is also known as graffiti. 😉
Haha brilliant mac1.
National is like a mudguard!!!!!!
” all shinny on top and shit underneath”
After for a brief period listening to ZB Smith show, there are a select few who live in the 70’s and have a larger than appropriate profile !
Like Labour 07 there is a time for the ex govt to review and reevaluate themselves.
(Labour 99 were fortunate that they and we had a leader that stuck it out post suffering an election lose)
We have had sufficient MMP elections for all parties to have some understanding of what to and not to do post a loss. National obviously have poor consultants who never studied history (I know of a good book or 2 😉 )
The leadership of the Nats IMO has gifted 2020. Friends of mine who Side with the blue team have commented that they have not time for its 4 (un)notables. So the current govt has 2+ terms to establish foundations for NZ going forward. The same opportunity that Helen and John had, but did not take the opportunity. And look at the problems that have resulted :-(. Hopefully the 3rd term will not be as barren and bereft as 05-07 or 14-17 was)
Jacinda is shining overseas, this is great for our country no matter what side of the fence one sits on.
Meanwhile mark richardson appears to be very grumpy about all the attention she is getting.
Good for Jacinda now shinning the light on a new climate change policy she must be admired for her vision that national have totally lost now.
Labour and her coalition will last three terms at least now.
“Lets do this”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12131105&ref=rss
quote;
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has challenged other leaders to ensure they had clear goals and actions ready for the upcoming Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December.
Ardern set out New Zealand’s climate change credentials at a Climate Week summit in New York, announcing the Government was topping up a fund for climate change in the Pacific by a further $100 million, taking it to $300 million over the next four years.
She also had a message for other leaders about upcoming climate change talks.
“The rules that are agreed must be robust and credible so that the Paris Agreement is effective and enduring. The world can only reach the Paris goals if we have clarity and confidence about each other’s commitments and action.”
When asked how the Government is going to help the poor (who are expected to be hit the hardest) overcome the cost of new climate related charges and taxes, Grant Robertson pointed to the families package.
Once again, nothing for those who are struggling but don’t have young dependent children.
Moreover, it was my understanding the families package was introduced to help struggling families deal with past and current shortfalls and not new climate related charges.
As usual, Labour need to do better.
Working for Families was the biggest component of the Families Package, but accommodation supplement increases, retaining the Independent Earners Tax Credit and, for beneficiaries/superannuitants, the Winter Energy Payment, should have helped the worst off.
Agree that we could have done better, mind, but let’s not pretend Labour did nothing.
Talk about blinking labour – weak – poor wee oil industry – need more time – yeah nah!
“Just hours before announcing a law change to give effect to the new offshore oil exploration ban on Monday, Woods met with oil industry figures to discuss their request for more leniency on the conditions of existing exploration permits.
Woods said she agreed that on a case-by-case basis, she will consider giving the oil companies more time to fulfil their commitments on the permits, describing it as “a little bit of a pause”. ”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/107341590/government-set-to-give-oil-industry-breathing-space-over-permits-potentially-boosting-exploration
Simon Bridges and Mike Sabin
I agree with John Minto whom I am quoting below.
“Instead of denigrating state house tenants Simon Bridges should be calling for an independent inquiry into the meth-testing industry which drove the hysteria about meth contamination.
… How much of the $100 million wasted went through MethCon?
… There must be an inquiry into this unregulated, cowboy industry. We need to know how the National government came to waste over $100 million in taxpayer money.”
Well said Marty, well said.
Was listening to a political panel via radiolive on Sunday, it was the wonderful Laila and one man band seymour.
They were discussing the bogus meth testing and she mentioned sabines name as someone who might have had a hand in it all. Wonder if I can find the link.
Here’s the link… scroll down till you see a pic of Aunty Helen and Jacinda, just underneath it is a little media player.
Fast forward to around 19.30 to hear the meth testing discussion between Laila and seymour. Well worth a listen.
https://www.radiolive.co.nz/home/on-demand/weekend-life/2018/09/weekend-life–in-case-you-missed-sunday-23rd-september.html
$100 million – what good things good people could do with that? Split it up into $20,000 lots to get some pilot policies going and if they could match their projections follow it up with $50,000 over two years, subject to a review after one year to check outcomes.
Sound realistic and practical for matching money with good outcomes?
Why,why, can’t we, can’t we………………………./ Oh stop this wailing! We know why – certain people in government don’t give a fuck about the damage they have done and continue to do to people’s lives by shutting down the economy so readily, denying fair countervailing measures like affordable housing.
Theme for today – Common people
Paul Young – Love of the Common People
What do the Simple Folk Do? Ever seen Richard Burton with Julie Andrews?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjIVSVGMWEk
William Shatner’s take on it
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ainyK6fXku0mon peoples’ scanty job hours, seeing the were not protecting jobs.
Maybe Trump’s message about looking to home industry and enterprise (even if not completely sincere from him) will get through the skulls and into the brains of our USer-centric decision makers and money-fevered mini-moguls.
The Meth scandal helped the Natz to evict state house tenants and sell off land state assets cheaply to their mates and get millions in consultancy fees. It was engineered by the Natz in the first place, also to take the heat of the immigration which was driving up house prices and rents.
This transferred the housing debate solely on rental property “investors” not owner occupied housing, foreign ownership, immigration, land sell offs or developer quality.
The Meth scandal was pure psychological warfare and dirty politics. No question about it.
And it worked.
Thats right. The expelling of the tenants and the clean up meant in a few months the house was empty and renovated, which is exactly what the landlords want for well placed investment properties.
Yep, but they didn’t sell them to landlords they sold them to developers at the end. They system was redesigned so that only large corporations could buy them because they were sold off as big lots… I seem to remember on one sale the only buyers were between an Chinese company and a Australian one.
They did not want Kiwis to buy the state houses for whatever reason… people can speculate on that. Also many Kiwis even National supporters did not believe in the assets sales, they had to make the state houses, seem problematic, when in fact housing NZ returned a profit!
Here is the link to Minto’s article on the Daily Blog.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/09/25/simon-bridges-mike-sabin-and-the-national-governments-120-million-taxpayer-rort/
I won’t be surprised if we hear more about this connection …
Well now Mr Sabin eh my my the lad can’t help himself can he. Surely he’s fair game now and a juicy tidbit for our lazy media to pickup and run with.
He’s unlikely to be shrouded in the legal protective measures he’s possibly enjoyed before.
Mike Sabin ceased to have anything to do with the Methcon business when he sold it outright in October of 2010.
He was instrumental in ramping up Meth contamination fear but I’m not sure he’s holding the evicted tenants smoking gun.
Likewise, I don’t believe he was associated with the giant rort that house testing and decontamination became.
You won’t from the media
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/09/23/john-pilger-hold-the-front-page-the-reporters-are-missing/
To reply to Gosman 2.1.1.1 question ; -“what sort of policies would you want to see from a right of center opposition party?”
I want these national Party members that have demonsrated corruption (that was so indemic to their nine years) fully investigated in a Royal commission, and the guilty parties all charged and jailed begiinning with this.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/09/25/simon-bridges-mike-sabin-and-the-national-governments-120-million-taxpayer-rort/
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on the NBC TODAY show.
Great link Fireblade, I hope that Jacinda who comes across so well internationally can actually make NZ a better place, because at present (like US) the biggest problems we face are at home not abroad.
From transport to scams to low wages, inability to retain our own best and brightest, growing poor quality in everything from food to housing construction, growing pollution and inability to understand the issues while continuing the Rogernomics lite from the last 30 years is gonna work if you value the above.
Great interview. Thanks for the link.
She makes you feel proud. So different. The more the world sees and hears her the better for everyone.
Refreshing to have a politician not only talk about paid parental leave policy… but to then go out and give birth on the 9th floor and essentially live out the policy is brilliant.
Makes a change from another one who was fed his paid parental leave lines and basically any human related policies by PR companies.
Unbelievable bureaucracy for the government CTO process, nobody in their right mind would go through that process for the measly salary … seriously it sounds more like government abuse and incompetence than modern recruitment.
Worth reading to find out why IT is so bad in NZ and in government and why they struggle to retain talented people in NZ.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/107341529/jilted-cto-candidate-derek-handley-disappointed-by-lack-of-explanation-from-government
Word to government – sort the shit out before inflicting a long, bizarre and stupid process onto candidates. At lease Handley got a bit of compensation for his troubles (which after seeing what the poor guy went through does not seem enough) but seriously what about the other candidates that wasted hours of their time and the length of time for a crapy role that the government does not even understand what the role is about or what they required in the first place.
Slightly weird too, that it sounded like Handley was the one driving it by texting Clare Curren and sending txts to Jacinda when he put his CV in. (But maybe he was desperate to help, who knows or he really wanted that citizenship back (well that worked, hooray)).
We’ve gone from crony recruitment John Key style over a coffee with no process, to Labour style recruitment of a longwinded process taking over 6 months… that results in nothing but humiliation for the candidates, a pay off from taxpayers for the ministry incompetence and no role at the end of it.
If any senior IT person is waiting 6+ months to be recruited in a warped process of humiliation, multiple meetings, poor communication and time wasting then they probably are not at the top of their game or maybe have a different agenda?
Apparently the recruitment process at Google is even worse- takes months and that too involves ‘change their mind’ situations. That is of course only for ‘permanent’ employees , heaps are just contractors.
@Dukeofurl – maybe end of an empire type of carry on when a company loses the plot and gets too big.
Radionz was unable to find a NZ radio journalist to replace John Campbell so had to use an Australian one. Is he cheaper than our own? Or just sounds cheaper? What process didd they go through in making the choice? Has it been documented – it would be good to be a fly on the wall (Harry Potter type perhaps.)
This appointment shows that the present managers ane directors of RNZ have quickly lost touch with what those letters stand for – providing Radio for New Zealanders.
RadioNZ elite are too busy being sophisticated and internationally focussed but with a laser beam focus – on the USA, and trailing behind like the tail on a comet are the other English speakers, mostly white (Indians speak very good English and are a large bloc once British but we don’t hear much information about that large country.) The rest of the world get fitted in if they have interesting money maneuvres? or interesting tragedies or disasters.
You can’t read the content of this entity but the heading is interesting:
https://mediaweek.com.au/rnz-alex-perrottet-profile-nz-aussie/
Jun 29, 2018 – Aussie Alex Perrottet is new to New Zealand – and to journalism – but is establishing a profile regularly filling in on two Radio New Zealand …
Missing: bio | Must include: bio
Sorry Grey, but your comments – and the little bit from Mediaweek.com.au – are well off beam.
Alex Perottet has been based in Auckland for over eight years – and with RNZ for over six years and before that he worked at AUT for some years.
He is currently Producer of Morning Report in Auckland and is just filling in presenting Checkpoint since John Campbell left 10 days ago, until Lisa Owen takes over in a few weeks’ time.
Here is the blurb on RNZ’s website on Perrottet. Note that he also did three weeks of Summer Report in January 2018. I am pretty sure he has also replaced Guyon Espiner and/or Suzi Ferguson in presenting Morning Report on a number of occasions over the last couple of years.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/presenters/alex-perrotet
And here is his Linked In profile with more detail.
https://nz.linkedin.com/in/alex-perrottet-1640222b
Ok VV
I am not liking his style – reminds me of Jim Mora, and when I saw that heading from a supposedly informed media comment source it just got me. So he has been with RNZ for six years, and producer for Morning Report.
I wonder if he fits in with the attitude of RNZ that all shootings from USA are to be reported in full, and given probably an accumulated two hours of news, detailed comment, background, report on condition of victims etc. over two days, which we have been receiving.
The mere fact that he has been with Radionz for quite a while doesn’t get him a thumbs up from me. I used to think that Maggie Barry was great and had integrity but since she left and became a National MP on the strength of her image and notoriety, I have found just how loose the nuts can be in some of their sterling employees.
Read his background, grey, in that first link.
Pacific issues were his big thing for years, and still are; and he has done some excellent reporting from there. Also note the last line in that link. “In his spare time he coordinates volunteer projects in the Pacific as well as far off places like Kenya and Indonesia.”
But each to their own. I have always been impressed with his reporting and understated style of reporting and interviewing. He is not a prima donna. Quite the opposite.
I find your comments above re the amount of time you think RNZ spends on reporting on USA shootings a bit inconsistent, considering the number of comments you make here on TS about RNZ programmes with links etc, covering a wide range of subjects unrelated to shootings in the USA – for example your detailed comments at 8, 9 and 10 below.
I don’t understand why you should be surprised at my comments vv.
I see things and I comment on them. There are very good things on Radionz and I acknowledge that and enable other people to see them and respect the quality of their service, thinking that we need to use it or lose it.
But are you afraid to call attention to things that need improving; that show trends that are alarming. If more people had kept an eye on how NZ was deteriorating after 1984 and not just accepted it, instead looking at what suited themselves and ignoring the rest, then we would not have the extent of almost irreversible downgrading of our society.
veutoviper
I am probably being too quick to judge Perrottet. I will give him more attention before I make up my mind. Thanks for the links.
Good listening and informative on Radionz.
Tane Mahuta the tree may be ailing – the Reserve Bank has written a document comparing the strength of the Bank and its systems to that of the tree.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018664002/what-does-the-reserve-bank-do
The Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr is on a mission to explain the role of the central bank to New Zealanders.What does it do? why? And why does it matter? Mr Orr became Governor in March this year.
The Reserve Bank’s legislation is currently under review and a period of consultation is about to being.Mr Orr has just published an article in which seeks to explain the role of Te Putea Matua – the Reserve Bank’s Maori name – in a rapidly changing environment.
Business reporting
New research from the University of Otago throws doubt on information investors are getting about company earnings and growth. The joint study with the University of California, Davis investigated company reporting results in the US over the last 17 years and revealed a marked increase in “positive earnings surprises”.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018663830/are-companies-overblowing-their-results
This RadioNZ item says that our builders have the highest suicide rates in NZ. Are builders in this rock star economy proving to be the canaries in the mine.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018663999/builders-suicide-rate-highest-in-nz
A new study finds a boom or bust cycle, and a culture of toxic masculinity is putting the rate of builders’ suicide the highest among all industries.
A BRANZ scoping study finds a “macho” and “bullying” culture, intolerant of diversity, significantly contributes to the poor mental health of construction industry workers.
Kathryn Ryan speaks with BRANZ General Manager Industry Research Dr Chris Litten, CEO of construction company Naylor Love Rick Herd and WorkSafe NZ CEO Nicole Rosie.
Could this be a prototype for studying the state of NZ culture and business (lack of) principles, and I consider, a toxic culture of competition and money making that is separated from being a sharing citizen caring about others, and not even themselves, in the madness of it all.
Something to chew on perhaps.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367040/potato-virus-found-in-new-zealand-for-first-time
The potato mop-top virus, known as PMTV, has been found in tubers from two properties in the Canterbury region.
David Yard of Biosecurity New Zealand, said PMTV was not a food safety issue but, if it became widespread, could cause productivity issues for growers.
PMTV is common in other countries, he said.
Affected potatoes can display symptoms including distortions to the skin, deep cracking, and rust coloured arcs, streaks or flecks in the tuber flesh.
Biosecurity New Zealand is investigating how the virus entered the country.
Noooo. Not my chips! Interesting how our island advantage from the world’s nasties is further eroded under our present political systems, we don’t have enough surveillance on dodgy importers, but as citizens we are being watched at every point it seems, lots of CCTV following UKs policy.
@greywarshark, look at this pearler from an “international’ new hire for one of our companies…
a2 Milk boss Jayne Hrdlicka sells company shares only two months into job
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12130288
(Who were the lawyers who drew up a contract where a CEO can sell their shares almost immediately, should be 5 years at least to encourage a longer term approach!)
Her experience, not much NZ culture, not much milk maybe more ‘milking it’…
Sharp operator, bite them before they bite you says this rat. Take the cheese while its ripe. Who says women can’t be as good as men.
She is ex Jetstar the airline that has such appalling customer experience they have a website about it.
http://www.dontflyjetstar.com/complaints
It’s starting to look like a Theo Spierings moment when the CEO specialised in mergers, oh and losses at the end.
During Jayne Hrdlicka’s reign as CEO – looks like Jetstar fined for misleading prices (price dripping)
Jetstar has been ordered by the Federal Court to pay fines totaling $545,000 for misleading it’s online customers with it’s ‘price dripping’ tactic when purchasing online.
The federal Court deemed the Jetstar tactic of ‘price dripping’, which is were extra unavoidable fees are added to the total price of a fare as you progress through the checkout process, as being in breach of Australian Consumer Law. Basically, Jetstar advertised a price for a fare, but when buying online, the fare could never be that low as compulsory extras were added on. This case was specifically in relation to the credit card and payment fees.
Jetstar was found guilty back in November of 2015 and relates to misrepresentations in advertisements back in 2013 on their website and in 2014 on their mobile website.
She has obviously got some inside knowledge of the company and the market place.
Smart lady & smart thinking, and the market has followed her lead ?
Insider trading is generally considered illegal… also massive breach of trust to sell shares after 2 months. Either she let A2 know before taking the role she was going to cash up early in which case they are idiots for allowing her to do it, or they didn’t know and it’s a terrible look…
I wonder how she was recruited.
Bit of biff and bang with great style.
https://www.themixonline.co.nz/video/watch-the-trailer-for-bludgeon/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/78192530/taranaki-man-to-star-in-documentary-about-full-contact-medieval-combat
Seems appropriate
Bludgeon looks interesting… thanks for the heads up
Some good news!
Pay equity: Oranga Tamariki social workers offered 30 percent pay rise
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/09/pay-equity-oranga-tamariki-social-workers-to-get-30-percent-pay-rise.html
This dick should resign – stretching the law to breaking point and beyond.
“Thousands of dollars have been pledged to mount a private prosecution against the bong-taking University of Otago proctor…
Hundreds have signed a petition calling for Scott’s immediate resignation though, and a private prosecution against him is pending.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/107343663/private-prosecution-pending-against-university-of-otagos-bongtaking-proctor
See we can reach agreement on certain issues. He needs to go and explain his actions in front of a judge.
… caught in a landslide, no escape from reality…
That sounds like a good poem, whats the rest of it?
I know its mere coincidence but what the frick is happening in NZ universities at the moment, seems like its a race to see who can be the most embarrassing
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/107316664/cannabis-bongs-removed-from-student-flat-by-university-of-otago-proctor
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/107262536/wellingtons-victoria-university-will-change-its-name-to-university-of-wellington
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12130319
Just waiting for Lincoln or Canterbury to decide that they need some headlines
What is Waikato up to at the moment?
They used to lead in this ridiculous behaviour as I remember it.
I know right and since Canterbury ditched the undie 500 they’ve been pretty quiet as well
Strange times indeed
Don’t forget shutting down the specialist libraries at Auckland University, on going screw ups at Unitec and of course the rise in fake universities and polytechs in the private sector…
Thats what happens when tertiary education becomes about faux profiteering instead of education.
As a quote I remember from when they bought in student fees…
“Who are they going to attract, the rich and the thick?”
Well it all starts at the top they say.
Bit of a stretch to be blaming this on National or even Labour
Much more plausible that it’s a false flag attack by the Globalists and the Clinton Foundation machine to distract the sheeple, while the Illuminati, Vince Foster’s Ghost and the Anunnaki take control of these universities and start dumping floride into waterways to make the gay frogs become postmodernist social Marxists. I’m pretty sure I saw Paul Joseph Watson cover it on infowars, right Chris?
arkie
Very good you’ve got something going there
Could be onto something…
It’s a bit rich of ol’ PJW to be impugning the intelligence of protesters, but I guess if he’s had his BrainForce™ Plus (contains Soy) this morning…
The hardest thing about using dumb anti-Trumpers is that its hard to decide which ones to choose
Yeah it’s definitely harder to find dumb anti-trumpers than it is to find dumb pro-trumpers.
Its on 🙂
He really does just whinge doesn’t he.
Old but Gold:
Who do think appointed these neoliberals and thought that business types were best to run universities rather than academics? The government.
It started with government in the 1980’s… we are just seeing more of the side effects to what user pays for education creates and it’s not necessarily a good education or having skills within a country to operate productively.
So how does that explain whats happening in Massey?
The woke left work for the rights interests by being so small minded in their thinking that it puts normal people off… Then they get heaps of attention on themselves and an extreme position, which is often so judgemental….
I’m no fan of Brash, but not letting him speak???? He’s an ex political party leader for goodness sake!
Meanwhile the minor things the woke left are fighting for, takeover allowing much worst scenarios to occur later on. It’s like the boy cried wolf, fable for the left.
Think the US Democrats telling everyone how amazing globalism is or Wellington Council telling everyone how great the new bus service is. Shutting down people from having their say and disagreement and faux listening always leads to trouble.
Meanwhile, in Erdogan’s Turkey…
https://twitter.com/enesyasingoksu/status/1044194398114910208
@Joe 90, Horrible!
I love John Pilger.
But then again I have this thing for good journalism.
http://medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2018/881-guest-media-alert-by-john-pilger-hold-the-front-page-the-reporters-are-missing.html
According to Jenny, he’s lazy.
But not as bad as Cockburn, who is racist and Islamophobic.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15-09-2018/#comment-1527604
Gonna see so much of this ‘heading to higher/safer ground. It’s gonna be very hard for people.
“Millions of Americans will confront similarly hard choices as climate change conjures up brutal storms, flooding rains, receding coastlines and punishing heat. Many are already opting to shift to less perilous areas of the same city, or to havens in other states. Whole towns from Alaska to Louisiana are looking to relocate, in their entirety, to safer ground.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/24/americas-era-of-climate-mass-migration-is-here
What really boggles my mind is that Florida’s rulers still are in denial.
Junior senator for Florida: a favourite ‘sea level rise denial’ cartoon.
http://www.trbimg.com/img-53720876/turbine/sfl-marco-rubio-and-climate-change-20140513-001/555/555×386
Fuckers are wallowing in a sea of pig shit, toxic sludge and dead animals, too.
They are among the 3.4 million chickens confirmed killed in the floods that followed Hurricane Florence. In addition, about 5,500 hogs died, according to the Department of Agriculture, and some of the massive lagoons that hold their excrement are damaged and discharging a fecal soup.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/21/hurricane-florence-flooding-north-carolina?CMP=twt_gu
https://qz.com/1386629/hurricane-florence-threatens-north-carolinas-pig-manure-lagoons/
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sc-coal-ash-pit-with-tons-of-waste-could-start/article_04122d98-c015-11e8-b854-7767bdb87ec0.html
Okay, I admit to a predilection for the Coalition government, but, after watching Question Time today, it seems to me that
a) Soimon just doesn’t get any cut through with his questions and
b) Amy was made to look a fool by Grant Robertson.
Heh heh, long may this continue.
Hehehe re Grant/amy 🙂 good stuff.
Coalition is rocking this week. Once again Winny is doing great job while Jacinda is away. They make an impressive team, feeling proud 🙂
Thoroughly enjoyed the photo our Acting PM produced of simons ‘cue cards’.
Anyone seen paula?
No Paula Bennett for the third day in a row – as she was not there last Weds or Thurs either. And Amy Adams was keeping the Deputy Leader seat warm for the third day. But PB has been doing a few local events etc in Auckland last Friday and over the weekend.
Winston wore a nice tie today – or is that not allowed? I don’t recall having seen that one before.
Oh and the rant that Pete at 20 mentioned presumably was AA’s lead speech in the urgent debate on Meka’s demotion. Seemed more like an audition speech to me – but for Leader or Deputy?
In defence of Paula (did I say that!) she was at Assid Corbyn’s funeral today in West Auckland.
Ha, you’re in the habit of spelling it that way Mickey. Assid Corban….every true Westie has a half bottle of something ancient and fortified in the back of their liquor cabinet with Corban on the label.
Thanks, ms. I was going to check her movements because she obviously was doing Auckland events etc over the last few days or so.
Got home, turned the tv on just in time to see Amy Adams ranting about standards.
She went on about Ministers being held to account. Yes, Amy Adams who was Minister of Justice when confidential, sensitive stuff was leaked from her office.
“We will not accept,” she said, then listed the list of characteristics she and her mob showed.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/107355722/back-to-earth-with-a-bump-for-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern
‘There must be an element of schadenfreude for the Opposition. Key was similarly questioned over the extent of his relationship with former GCSB boss Ian Fletcher, after it was claimed he was a childhood friend and had been shoulder-tapped by Key for the role.
That their relationship was one step removed – Key was mates with his older brother – didn’t stop Labour dragging the story out to try to prove that they discussed the job in private.
So don’t expect National to drop this issue any time soon.’
Be interesting to see what else is in those emails
Interesting to know if they shortlisted other candidates too… or was it just cronyism and the belief their friends and acquaintances are the best applicants so no need to run a proper recruitment process…
I thought it was fake news, but the whole things just keeps getting weirder and stranger from the idea that his citizenship issues were sorted out to the fact he it looks like he solicited the job…and sent txts to Jacinda as well as Clare Curren.
Then finding out they ran the poor guy through the mill for months…
Everyone looks bad but sadly although an extreme case, this fuck up is modern recruitment in NZ, totally unprofessional, crony appointments, lengths of times so great that any normal candidate bails out, and the eventual screw ups and pay offs.
Natz can’t crow because they did it too. But of course most Labour voters expect zero cronyism from Labour…
The thing is I don’t have a major problem with what John Key or Jacinda for that matter either. I mean if they know someone and they think they’d be a good fit well why not trust their judgement
As long the applicants get vetted and checked out properly its all good in my book, I mean we trust our leaders with so much, theres so many law changes they can make etc etc yet somehow recommending someone they know for a job is bad?
Depending on the job of course
Nope cronyism is cronyism. Whether it’s in Indonesia, Russia or NZ.
Government appointments should be completely independent and nobody should be aware if they know the PM or not, let alone creating a role that seems not well thought out at all or full of scandal, and for a role that in both cases (Key and Curren interference in the roles) neither of the government preferred candidates had done before. Does not exactly seem to be well considered or fair or creating the best candidate for the role and actually diminishes the role which both areas are increasingly important to get right.
I sort of agree, businesses have headhunted forever. It’s logical… ‘Lets talk to the best person for the job.’
The problem arises for all ministers when ‘Lets get the best’ is tainted with the mere scent of nepotism.
Dumb to get involved with anything that resembles it. A mistake that doesn’t need to be made. The Handley text release egg on Jacinda’s face will wash off. I suspect she has learned a big lesson from the whole sloppy Curran fiasco and hopefully we won’t see anything like it again.
Why did Fletcher last such a short time? Key was mates with his older brother. What were the dealings between the two before and after Fletcher got the job?
Tonight, 6pm, Newshub,
Paddy Gower…. exclusive re info about the 2nd explosion at Pike River.
This may be of interest, shown by The New Zealand Public Trust Television.
https://www.nzptv.org.nz/videos/the-spiders-web-1
Kia ora The Am Show high fuel price’s =less driving I’m walking more now less carbon out put from Aotearoa .
The big picture is this is a WORLD CHANGING moment and movement EQUALITY happening at the minute in New York at the UN.
Why do you think trump is scrapping the Iran deal he want;s to push up OIL price’s Obama new trump is a carbon boy I.E all his move’s are all about pushing up carbon prices and use.
Duncan there is only so much one can do in a day. The electric cars China makes there own cars and has more money than Aotearoa so you can not compare the 2 country’s
on this subject .
Come on any idiot can figure out that if you have a mine full of explosive gas that if you turn on any mechanical equipment I.E the convener belt you will get sparks = big explosion enough said .
We don;t sell fables we have a beautiful country Mark blue eye Penguin’s our unique wild life and environment & cultures are what makes NZ The best country for a holiday In the world + we have no life threatening wild animals.
The America Cup event will be a really big event show the world NZ best .
Ka pai Sir Graham Lowe for selling your jersey on Trade Me ka pai
Ka kite ano
trump wants to scrap our international institution’s the United Nation’s so him and his m8 can carry on sucking the money out of the world .In the process there action’s cause million’s to starve and million’s to die all for his greed and his m8 greed that should not be happening in the year 2018
Kia Kaha to the French President for voicing his concerns about the path that trump is trying to lead the world down .
trump is trying to lead the world down a stupid path of isolation and protecting a country’s own self interest .Weather it cause million’s to starve to death or die in a War that is secretly backed by arm’s manufacturing company’s .
All the 3 world nations are in the situation’s they find them self’s in because of the wealthy exploiting them and there natural resources while mokopunas die in refugee camp’s. This HAS TO BE STOPPED.
Link is below Ka kite ano
https://www.euronews.com/2018/09/25/macron-vs-trump-at-the-un-general-assembly
trump is trying to suppress China he is playing a game that he won’t WIN .
The reason China is the manufacturing Hub of the world is because the wealthy greedy
Multi national company’s are chasing profit’s instead of looking after there country of origin future they are taking there manufacturing to any country that is cheap to make its products .The company’s charter need’s to be changed to include humane environmentally friendly socially responsibility’s before profit Ka kite ano link below
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/25/asia/trade-war-china-us-knife-intl/index.html
Some Eco Maori Music.
Kia ora Newshub Many thanks to Phil for taking a lot of stress off % 80 of housing corp tenants by stopping the review to qualify for having a house.
The Koala bear is a cute looking creature ka pai .
Those Auckland gas stations prices are high ????????
.The cost of living going up is a fact of life .
I remember when gas was real expense in the late1980 and early1990 even the Skippers were moaning about the price
Ka kite ano.
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls No comment on Billy well one I need a lawyer like his lol.
Yes the Ausses like the hype we need to take a leaf out of there book with event names like State of Origin and Grand Final just the word’s get people hyped up.
The AllBlacks will be getting heaps of protein in Argentina.
More test for the Rugby national team’s is a good thing but it won’t take the shine off the golden cup.
Rock climbing is a cool sport I mite have to practices that sport YEA RIGHT LOL.
Ka kite ano