Is this a break with the policy of censoring any mention of Climate Change from the Green Party’s official home page?
The blog post by Gareth Hughes relates to Solid Energy’s recent decision to drop their plan to mine lignite in Southland, which Gareth describes as “a win for the climate”.
Can we expect to see other mentions of climate change on the Green Party home page?
Or, will this link only stay up for the length of the current news cycle?
Actually the higher profiled speech by Russel Norman on smart green agriculture, linked on the home page, says a lot more about climate change. It’s also mentioned as a crucial issue in Turei’s 2013 State of the Planet Speech that’s been featured on the GP home page for a while.
I think their way of embedding climate change in wider issues will result in more people paying attention to it than hitting people between the eyes with it at every opportunity – shows how it’s embedded in everything we do.
Greens never stopped talking about climate change.
Actually the higher profiled speech by Russel Norman on smart green agriculture, linked on the home page, says a lot more about climate change. It’s also mentioned as a crucial issue in Turei’s 2013 State of the Planet Speech that’s been featured on the GP home page for a while.
karol
A crucial issue?
Meteiria Turei’s State of the Planet Speech only mentioned climate change briefly in passing, and only mentioned it at all, because it couldn’t be avoided. She also didn’t call for comprehensive measures to cut CO2 emissions.
Russel Norman’s speech on agriculture is good. But I expect that it won’t stay up long. It also didn’t address the issue of coal. The dairy industry as a whole is the number one user of coal in this country. Remember that coal is the number 1 single greatest cause of global warming. Russel Norman makes no demands on the dairy industry to switch from coal to less polluting alternatives. His talk was generally short on advocating any comprehensive action against climate change, concentrating more on economic issues.
The trajectory of the Green Party is quite clear, and points to a monumental sell out on the question of climate change which is the issue of our generation.
As we approach closer to the elections, I imagine that if the Green Party stick to the same trajectory, mentions of climate change will get less and less.
Mark my words Karol, you will be kicking yourself when in the final analyse the Greens run an election campaign which avoids debating the necessary actions over climate change needed to be taken to avoid catastrophe. And then signs up to a government that approves deep sea oil drilling, fracking and the rape of the Denniston Plateau for the coal export market.
Middle class support which is currently flowing from Labour to the Greens, will then collapse back into the Labour Party. And parliamentary business as usual will be resumed.
But no matter, like Joska Fischer of the German Greens, for their treachery, Norman, or Turei, possibly both, will be rewarded with permanent places on the Labour Party list.
However in the real world the climate will not be denied. In the real world the climate will smash into this country as it will all others.
The Green Party if they are remembered at all, will be remembered as a failed experiment in parliament democracy, that strived for little and achieved less.
“Russel Norman makes no demands on the dairy industry to switch from coal to less polluting alternatives.”
Maybe, but the GP policy on farming supports what you want. Go read it.
“And then signs up to a government that approves deep sea oil drilling, fracking and the rape of the Denniston Plateau for the coal export market.”
I actually agree with you that this is a risk. I think it’s a much smaller risk than you do, but it’s there nevertheless. But I don’t see *you* doing anything useful to try and change that. Slagging off the GP every chance you get just makes the situation worse. I’d like to know what you think will happen if people pay attention to you. Do you think they will do anything?
“The Green Party if they are remembered at all, will be remembered as a failed experiment in parliament democracy, that strived for little and achieved less”
If you agree with me. Then I have achieved something already.
To answer your question:
I’d like to know what you think will happen if people pay attention to you. Do you think they will do anything?
I would like to think, that people like yourself would do something.
The first thing of course, would be to convince the Green Party to agree to make Climate Change an electoral issue in 2014.
This is important. If climate change issues are not raised and debated in the elections then the Greens will have no mandate to raise climate change issues in government and will be in a very weak position to oppose government policies that increase the risk.
It probably wouldn’t hurt if people like yourself within the Green Party started agitating to make climate change a Green Party “Priority” rather than just one of the Green Party’s 59 “Other issues”.
Personally I would like to see the Green Party to start agitating within parliament to halt all coal exports and imports. This could be done with a private members bill that would put pressure on the Labour Party to declare where they stand on this issue.
Here is a good backgrounder on the danger of coal exports from Greenpeace, though written by Australia Greenpeace. It could equally apply here.
RNZ- Prof Ewan Mason, Forestry Studies U.C, on the ETS (and related plantings);
NZ now a dumping ground for worthless credits
-unrestricted imports of credits from overseas
-e.g, ex USSR
-exclusion of agriculture a “driver down”
Forestry concerns when harvests mature in 2020 (placed 1990’s on)
-since 2000 decline in plantings (more attractive investment options)
-wood commodities prices have declined over 15-20 years
If the dairy producers came on board emissions regulation it may only affect gross margins 5-6%
Citation needed. Yet again. And no, Jenny, “but they don’t mention climate change as often as I like” is not the same as alleging a specific, deliberate, active policy of censorship.
This is why people don’t rally to your cause. Because you make shit up and can’t even back it up convincingly.
The Government can afford $3.1 million a year to save Wanganui Collegiate against advice and even though there was an abundance of capacity in the Wanganui area yet cannot afford $5 million a year to save our Kauri.
“It seems backwards to close a consistently high performing school that has a new million dollar learning studio, is fully networked and has, up until now, had a stable roll despite the exodus of families in the red zone.
Freeville already educates for the future, and has for years been a model school, showcasing the future of education for other teachers, schools and education professionals. I fail to see how taking us out of our purpose-designed and operated school, and merging us with another school with completely different teaching practices and old classrooms will be better for my children’s education.”
The Alfred E Nuemann of New Zealand television Patrick Gower fronting a poll from Reid Research on behalf of MediaWorks which owns TV3, and that’s in any way believable???,
Considering that that particular poll has for at least the past 2 years polled the National Party as having the % numbers to ‘govern alone’ i would suggest that there is something very wrong with their methodology,
This perceived inaccuracy of course has nothing to do with the fact that the company which pays for this poll, TV3 is owned by MediaWorks which was given a $42 million loan guarantee by Slippery’s National Government,
Neither does the fact that Steven Joyce, the Minister of Fuxit was at one time a highly visible shareholder in MediaWorks effect the poll, how could it, after-all ‘there is no corruption in New Zealand’
i cannot tell at this stage whether Joyce still has a substantial share-holding in MediaWorks or it’s Australian parent company Ironbridge Capital, if He does it is well hidden inside the ‘declared’ blind trust Joyce is a beneficiary of…
and the spin continues, they smothered the electorate in 2011 with the mantra that it’s national again so lots stayed away from the polls thinking their vote was not going to do much….wrong but well done MSM monkeys and mates.
So this is the new mantra now is it, Muppet boy toothing the Gnats can govern alone.
As there will not be any MP/ACT/UF stooges along for the ride they pretty much appear to have set the stall up for this new line, fair enough when you’ve got docile yes men to peddle it why not, goes along nicely with the brighter future, lovin wages dropping, roaring out of recession via a cycleway, let’s be like ireland etc etc
Freeville already educates for the future, and has for years been a model school, showcasing the future of education for other teachers, schools and education professionals. I fail to see how taking us out of our purpose-designed and operated school, and merging us with another school with completely different teaching practices and old classrooms will be better for my children’s education.
It won’t be but it’ll be great for the new private charter school that will get it cheap from the government.
One argument against a negative income tax is that voters will keep voting to raise it,
since 50% of people will be below average income. Of course, this ignores the reality
of our present situation where most people kept voting for more profits from banks
printing private money. Which shows why a negative income tax could not get
out of control since the rich would use their immense power to stop it, but who
stops the richest gaming the system as they have?
We will look back at the last thirty years and wonder why we spent the oil windfall
on yachts and booze rather than securing environmental stability and finding its
replacement. Thatcher will be up there with Hitler for cannibalizing the economy
for narrow short term power grab.
One argument against a negative income tax is that voters will keep voting to raise it…
IMO, only if the capitalists, economists and politicians keep telling them that there’s no limit to the economy. If they’re told what resources we have and where they’re going then I’m sure that those limits will be adhered to.
Less direct benefit to the rch will insure tht any negative income tax would never threaten the public backed slush fund that the rich seem increasingly able to raid. Isn’t that how many get
rich, those who don’t innovate, those who aren’t born rich, or find a new niche, they gets someone elses money and risk that, taxpayers, pensions, or people’s nestegg (or in a ponsi scheme no risk at all to the ponsi fraudster).
The government is still rewarding the Wanganui patriots for saving our civilisation from Te Whiti and his violent terrorist insurgents at Parihaka, and the Royal Navy no longer needs kauri spars. It is even possible that the few remaining kauri are growing on land that could be profitably mined, giving us all a more aspirational future.
So, the reshuffle is apparently out today. Will be a big test of whether David Shearer is going to be a puppet of the status quo or whether he will actually bring some unity to the party. I hope the latter and he uses this as an opportunity to bring the factions together. We need a merit-based senior leadership team in Parliament and our best and our brightest on the front bench. We are missing too many opportunities. Cunliffe has to get some meaty porfolios and a higher ranking. It is pettiness to leave him on the backbench as the NZHerald is predicting. He’s one of the top performers in the House (I see his speech responding to the PMs Speech is only second to Shearer in the number of views and his IMF one is also doing the rounds). Ironically, the NZH is calling King one of our most effective MPs in the House – interestingly her speeches don’t even rate. This is such an opportunity. Let’s hope Shearer doesn’t blow it by being petty and unstrategic.
Frank asks, “How could Solid Energy’s financial position go from a pre-tax profit of $127.5 million (see: Solid Energy shines despite earthquakes) in August 2011 – to a massive $389 million debt this year? Did National gouge one of our cash-state-cows?”
Yes they did, and Labour were just as bad if not worse. The SOEs have been used to hide real Govt debt, borrowing by SOEs doesn’t show as debt in the Crown accounts. The adoption of IFRS by the Govt permitted the beancounters to constantly revalue assets of the SOEs to ‘fair market value’. Those revaluations were mostly upwards which brought paper profits, the SOEs then borrowed against the assets to pay the Govt a dividend.
One of the reasons SolidEnergy are in trouble is because they paid dividends when they were making considerable capital investments, the dividends should have been kept as retained earnings to fund the capital projects. But Bill English wanted cash for his books so he, or his minions, milked the SOEs.
Yep. Was a time when accounting was a proud profession, ‘true and fair view’ meant what it said. Now it’s just a shameful parody that creates facades for crumbling edifices.
One of the ironies about the asset sales business is that both Labour & National have been selling off our assets for decades. They just did it the sly & deceitful way – sold them to bankers & their ilk.
2012 accounts reported interest rate swap contracts of some $200 million. They don’t appear to be contributing to the problem though, from what I can make of the accounts they posted a gain on those in 2012.
The first problem is cashflow, from June accounts;
“Cashflows from operations were $142 million compared to $129 million in 2011, with increased cash receipts from higher prices. Capital investment totalled $162 million”
They invested more than they made in nett earnings yet still paid the Govt a $30million dividend which can only have come from borrowing. Kinda mind boggling really.
Problem today is the debt has gone from $295million in June 2012 to $385million now which is a very big jump. But we don’t know yet what the extra borrowing was for – to cover trading losses or for more investment. Needs to be a bit more clarity on it.
Solid Energy’s 2012 annual report shows total debt of NZ$295 million comprising NZ$225 million of bank debt and NZ$70 million of bonds. It says all bond and loan facilities are unsecured and all the debt was marked as non-current, meaning none of it was due for repayment for at least 12 months. Solid Energy last year made a net loss after tax of NZ$40.2 million and paid the government a NZ$30 million dividend.
To be fair to them they haven’t yet demanded any money. They have warned investors that although they have a profit there will be additional costs next period and they are looking at alternative approaches to keep a lid on the costs.
They certainly may try and demand more money but is pretty unfair to criticize them for it before they have done it.
So, they will have a lower profit next period. This means that there will be less investors and thus they will need more money from the government to do what needs to be done (and what they should have done with the ~$17b in profit that they’ve pulled out over the last 20 years).
I said in my comment that they may go to government. However,there are also other options for funding if they believe it is unlikely the government will give them more money. All I am trying to point out is it is pretty harsh to criticize someone for something they actually haven’t done.
“Education Minister Hekia Parata recommended that Wanganui Collegiate should not be integrated into the state system, but she was rolled by her Cabinet colleagues. ….”
Well, it’s hearsay but apparently Brownlee and Joyce were de facto running the Christchurch School ‘reforms’ and making the decisions.
For example, moving the schools’ merger/closure deadlines forward by one or two years (so that it’s all done by 2014) explicitly reversed one of Parata’s public commitments after the September announcements. I imagine she was over-ruled and that commitment was dumped once the electoral calculations (or some other priorities concerning the ‘rebuild’ process) were put into the mix. The collateral damage was to her reputation.
I get the strong impression that Parata has been repeatedly set up to be the fall ‘guy’ – she does not appear to be taken seriously within Cabinet except as someone to take the flak. But then, if I am correct, she has let this happen and must take some responsibility for that.
Hearing about the Pistorius killing, and then that a brother is charged with a road killing brought Colin Bouwer to mind. He cam to NZ as a psychiatrist, once head of Psychiatry at U.of Otago, and then decided he didn’t want his wife any more and the best and most efficient way to get rid of her was to kill her by extremely devious and cunning means. Then his son (who had been given the same name!) was charged and convicted with murder of his wife, in South Africa.
This thinkpiece by The Guardian talks about the disgraceful way that South Africa is developing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/22/oscar-pistorius-south-africa-war-women
The sick, wrong-thinking attitudes that grew under aparthheid live on. Notable comments –
* …the patriarchal nature of apartheid ideology created hierarchies based on gender as well as race.
* While the country’s gun culture is by no means comparable to that of the US, paranoia about violent crime in a post-apartheid era has extended the laager mentality that emerged during the rule of the National party.
* …the black South Africans’ experience of violent crime in the township, where the “corrective rape” of lesbians gives new meaning to the cynical term “paper rights” – constitutional rights that mean nothing in practice.
paranoia about violent crime in a post-apartheid era has extended the laager mentality that emerged during the rule of the National party. (The term refers to the defensive circle created by the wagons of colonial-era settlers, effectively creating a mobile fort against attacks by indigenous Africans. Settlers would hide inside these wagon forts with their guns on the ready in the event of an attack.)
Under apartheid, white paranoia about being murdered by vengeful “natives” helped the National party to consolidate its political power, as well as to justify the conscription of white males to defend South Africa’s borders against “communists” – shorthand for the African National Congress’s military wing. Many white South African males were compulsorily drafted, and a large number of young soldiers fought in border wars with Angola and Mozambique. In addition, the patriarchal nature of apartheid ideology created hierarchies based on gender as well as race.
Black citizens on the other hand experienced the structural violence of apartheid policies, and faced brutal repression in their struggle for civil rights. The landmark murders in Sharpeville and Soweto were the tip of the iceberg – the disappearance of activists and the torture of detainees became a feature of everyday life.…
“The massive problem we need to understand in South Africa is the level of men’s violence against women and against each other,” said Lisa Vetten, a researcher who specialises in domestic abuse. Police statistics on domestic violence are limited. But 15,609 murders and 64,500 reported rapes in 2011-12 suggest massive levels of violence in South African homes.
Household surveys by the MRC have found that 40% of men have hit their partner and one in four men have raped a woman. Three-quarters of men who admit to having raped women say they did so first as teenagers. The MRC found that, while a quarter of women had been raped, just 2% of those raped by a partner reported the incident to police.
Great informative talk on emissions trading in NZ and how it is being rorted – with government assisting all the way – so units are selling now for about $2.40 when they should be $24. At the low price, because of unfettered imports that this mendacious government is encouraging, it is destroying the economy of forest planting that the scheme as originally envisaged would have fostered.
Associate professor at the NZ School of Forestry at Canterbury University Euan Mason on the Emissions Trading Scheme
09:29
Is the Emissions Trading Scheme dead?
With Associate Professor Euan Mason – Professor Mason says NZ is failing to respond to climate change and it’s an international embarassment. (21′52″)
And the value of pinus radiata just left in place fostering native birds who would seed the ground with native plants and trees is one advantage from pinus. Another is to assist sheep farmers to have a better return from their high country and so be less close to non-profit. And he mentioned the big floods in the North Island some time ago with rain and silt washing down from bare hills that should be covered and protected by a mantle of trees.
And which took I think he said, $200 million of mostly taxpayer’s money to clear and restore for farming use. (I may have inadvertently added in some 0’s but that’s what it’s like with government money allocations isn’t it, they wax and wane depending on the recipient and outcome’s value to the particular party.)
It’s a pity that we are reverting in NZ to the more primitive kind of political man. All the way up from slimy centipedes to apes and hominoids and now, not too slowly back.
The fact that UAVs can provide insight into private properties from a perspective that is not readily accessible to ordinary members of the public, and into areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy is recognised in Seattle – but not in New Zealand.
But if you think the Seattle police manual provides an adequate level of protections for citizen’s civil rights and reasonable expectations of privacy, the citizens of Seattle do not. This month, Seattle’s mayor Mike McGinn and his police chief John Diaz agreed that it was time to end the city’s UAV programme ”so that SPD can focus its resources on public safety and the community building work that is the department’s priority.”
Seattle’s decision to ground its drones comes as lawmakers in at least 11 other states of the United States are considering plans to restrict the use of UAVS in their skies in response to mounting concern that drone surveillance technology can be exploited to spy and pry into law abiding citizen’s private lives.
Matthew Hooton talking this morning on Radionz in his usual disparaging way about anything leftish. Says Labour encouraged Solid Energy into – trendy and liberal ideas – to expand into.
Sounds as if it’s all Labour’s fault that Solid Energy is in the poo. How much is Labour responsible for in this debacle?
I think that the main problem with Labour is that they were constraining themselves to the “Third Way” approach and concentrating on getting an efficient welfare system and encouraging business to go forth and flourish. And businessmen thought that meant that meant that they could all talk their wages up at the same time as they made big ground-breaking decisions. Unfortunately then they were trumped in ground-breaking by the earthquake, and both brought similar long-term destruction that’s hard to recover from.
It’s what we get for attempting to usurp the role of the big oil companies, the coal to diesel plant in Southland was set to provide some 90 million liters of diesel a year for use within New Zealand,
The tech associated with this coal to diesel plant also included research,(along with the Australians), into carbon sequesture where the ‘plan’ appears to have been to ‘stash’ enough carbon underground so as to negate the amount of carbon produced from the manufacture process involved in coal to diesel,(exactly how close this research was to actually providing a workable means of taking industrial amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere i am as yet not sure about),
Big oil through it’s political functionaries allowed the trashing of a large part of ‘think big’, (specially the bits around using the resource to in part escape our imported oil dependency), and, there was a certain Government subsidy which the Slippery lead National Government scrapped,(sorry i forgot the name of this subsidy), which made the Solid Energy coal to diesel plan uneconomic,
Having scrapped the subsidy National have made the whole coal to diesel scenario uneconomic as the work was completed on the specific understanding of the subsidy being factored into the economics, leaving Solid Energy with the debt of all the research so far undertaken wasted,
A fire-sale of all the 1000’s of Hectares of land in Southland bought by Solid energy so as to give it access to the billions of tonnes of lignite underneath it will now occur…
And I think sale for dairy farms has been mentioned. Of course TINA. And some of those super rich Chinese that I saw on the link from Saturday from Colonial Viper 12.24pm could take it all in one big gulp if they so decided.
lean’d over to ol’ Matthew Henry the other day behind the armchair Viper;
16: a, luxury. b,covetousness. c,ambition.
-Nativity In Vitae (not the created world or that of people)
luxury doesn’t “pay too well” (too much chocolate, or…steroids…caffeine…maybe Greece)
watched parts of Bad Lieutenant (with a stiff Cage); not a patch on Keitel, yet when the script is seen through a different lense…it ain’t no Piano sonata.
Kaiser Chiefs: Angry Mob http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z5kEqRFPwo
“Be careful how you treat children for their “angel” looks upon the face of God.”
the other day, a Welcome Swallow whirled round and round
next day hand-fed two white baby doves on the ground
today a blackbird pecked around the plantings, very little thrush
ahhh The Shifting Shadows of Supernatural Power (Johnson-“When Heaven Invades Earth”, Mahesh Chavda, John Sandford et al;)
or
for that voodoo you do document patron; “Glimpses of the Devil” : A Psychiatrists’ Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism and Redemption.-M. Scott Peck
BUCK-TOOTH PADDY FALLS HEAD-OVER-HEELS FOR TELETUBBY GARNER.
In tonite’s tree-newz [sic] Paddy Gower, whilst rambling on matters political, made ALL the moves of his predecessor (“Dunk” – otherwise known as the political sage, former closet mentor, lover and leader of a Mihi, and thunderdog, cock-sucker, and persuader of the Houghton Bay harrier, amongst others.) Holding his hands in cupped fashion (desperate to show wedding ring), Paddy delivered his report with the intonation, framing and commitment to journalistic integrity his predecessor and trainer ‘Dunk’ had ingrained.
A replay of Paddy’s delivery in tonight’s ‘Tree Newz’ report that was fed through the latest comparator technology with Duncan Garner’s last 3 News reports showed insignificant differences.
‘Sources’ are understood to be in negotiations with Radio New Zealand’s Nine-to-Noon producer for a spot on Monday’s political commentary, and with with THE ‘every-person’s nicest man on Earth’ Jim Mora to determine whether a 4pm-5pm ‘slot’ might not be appropriate now that Paddy has been able to demonstrate a media profile that equals those of Mike Williams, Jose Pagani and Mathew Hooten in the delivery of ‘expert opinion to the masses’. We were able to catch up with the nicest man on Earth (‘Good-guy Jum’) during a brief lay-by on his next mission to Mars whilst speaking with producers who were anxious to maintain their ‘aura’ of political neutrality.
Buck-Tooth Paddy was unavailable for comment, but [media sauces] said it is unlikely he would be interested in extending his radio commitments since he’d recently purchased a new wardrobe based primarily on a ‘baby-blue’ hue. He was also anxious to display his persona at every opportunity in a bid to convince the wider public that he isn’t the desperate, egotistical little wanker with bleached teeth that audience polling amongst ‘other sauces’ have determined – particularly with the younger demographic.
Vanity Fear: Seen on TV1 tonight Slippery the Prime Minister with a fresh dye job on the hair, (including the new bits plucked from between the anal crevice of a blind donkey called Brucie)…
Interesting interview with Jeremy Grantham tonight. Radionz on Nights – Window on the World
Monday 25 February: Jeremy Grantham
Peter Day hears from an investment expert called Jeremy Grantham who has spent decades thinking about some of the big issues that influence our existence and the global economy. He thinks that the assumptions which have powered the industrial revolution for two centuries are looking pretty threadbare. So, how do we manage technological progress in a world of finite resources?
Yep Nose…. sanity and interest prevails on RNZ between 5pm and 9am when the cult of personality takes over briefly with a couple of hosts trying to show just how clever they are
(i.e. the cult of personality reigns between 9am and 5pm). Its a shame that more people haven’t discovered “Nights”. It’s a great alternative to T dot V
Don’t be too tough Tim. Radionz has got to appeal to the greater NZ public if they are to hold their attention for a while from going to the big tongue-flappers, the witty fast boys and girls diverting the pundits with trivia. Then there are the nostalgic music stations, that play plaintive love songs from last century.
The Radionz crowd usually have a good mix of fact, informed opinion, and you can keep up to date with perhaps tv showing the sites and faces, and newspapers physical or internet giving the more detailed stories of the day, and the good ones also useful fact and background.
Grantham speaking on the limitations of capitalism under conditions of resource and environmental constraints. Bear in mind that this man is in charge of roughly US$100B in investment funds.
I know someone who is turning 65 and is blessing reaching this age so she doesn’t have to deal with the WINZ demands and unpleasant people any more. It’s hard when you need an invalid’s benefit. Everything is to be questioned these days.
When Labour talks blithely about the old age pension going up to 70, they are just doing another ideological move away from really useful and pragmatic social policy in a way to equal Roger Douglas.
The Government apparently knew that Solid Energy had ‘diversification plans’ in 2009; refused to provide $1bn in funding for them; learned in 2011 of Solid Energy’s problems in a scoping study for the introduction of the mixed ownership model and yet …
… went to the electorate claiming that it could reap billions from the sales of shares in State owned enterprises (and promised to spend those billions in multiple ways).
In retrospect, it’s a pity someone didn’t ask John Key to ‘Show me the money!’, or at least make an OIA request about any scoping studies of the worth of the SOEs that were on the block.
For some reason, the link I embedded in the words “knew that Solid Energy had ‘diversification’ plans” is there but is in black type on my screen rather than the usual blue.
by the way, your link certainly makes it look like there was ministerial idiocracy involved, as the board seemed to tell them what was going on every step of the way, and it only got picked when another department/minister did the firesale stocktake
High dollar / exchange rate.
Who benefits from it? Apparently the NZ Dlr is viewed as the new gold by the foreign dealers. They have been quoted as saying “Let’s have some fun with it…” Leaving aside the obscenity of that, now, just saying, someone in NZ had a packet of spare foreign currency five to 10 years ago and had bought up large on the Kiwi at its low, they’d now be in a position to see it climbing to an all time high and could at some stage, make a further killing if they were to sell it for a “now lower valued” foreign currency… apart from the banks, who else in NZ might be in a position to take advantage of it? Makes you wonder.
Is the government able to act to change the exchange rate? Just wondering, ’cause someone must be able to influence the exchange rate and lower it if they had the will, or the inclination, to do so.
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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 ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
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 English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. 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 ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
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. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
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, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
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Som good news from the Green Party website.
A link to a blogpost by Gareth Hughes that mentions the climate has appeared on the Green Party home page.
http://www.greens.org.nz/
Is this a break with the policy of censoring any mention of Climate Change from the Green Party’s official home page?
The blog post by Gareth Hughes relates to Solid Energy’s recent decision to drop their plan to mine lignite in Southland, which Gareth describes as “a win for the climate”.
Can we expect to see other mentions of climate change on the Green Party home page?
Or, will this link only stay up for the length of the current news cycle?
Actually the higher profiled speech by Russel Norman on smart green agriculture, linked on the home page, says a lot more about climate change. It’s also mentioned as a crucial issue in Turei’s 2013 State of the Planet Speech that’s been featured on the GP home page for a while.
I think their way of embedding climate change in wider issues will result in more people paying attention to it than hitting people between the eyes with it at every opportunity – shows how it’s embedded in everything we do.
Greens never stopped talking about climate change.
Yes Karol, I reckon Norman’s speech on Agriculture is spot on the mark, exactly what Farming needs in New Zealand.
Agreed Karol, and it will reach the people who won’t follow an obvious CC link.
A crucial issue?
Meteiria Turei’s State of the Planet Speech only mentioned climate change briefly in passing, and only mentioned it at all, because it couldn’t be avoided. She also didn’t call for comprehensive measures to cut CO2 emissions.
Russel Norman’s speech on agriculture is good. But I expect that it won’t stay up long. It also didn’t address the issue of coal. The dairy industry as a whole is the number one user of coal in this country. Remember that coal is the number 1 single greatest cause of global warming. Russel Norman makes no demands on the dairy industry to switch from coal to less polluting alternatives. His talk was generally short on advocating any comprehensive action against climate change, concentrating more on economic issues.
The trajectory of the Green Party is quite clear, and points to a monumental sell out on the question of climate change which is the issue of our generation.
As we approach closer to the elections, I imagine that if the Green Party stick to the same trajectory, mentions of climate change will get less and less.
Mark my words Karol, you will be kicking yourself when in the final analyse the Greens run an election campaign which avoids debating the necessary actions over climate change needed to be taken to avoid catastrophe. And then signs up to a government that approves deep sea oil drilling, fracking and the rape of the Denniston Plateau for the coal export market.
Middle class support which is currently flowing from Labour to the Greens, will then collapse back into the Labour Party. And parliamentary business as usual will be resumed.
But no matter, like Joska Fischer of the German Greens, for their treachery, Norman, or Turei, possibly both, will be rewarded with permanent places on the Labour Party list.
However in the real world the climate will not be denied. In the real world the climate will smash into this country as it will all others.
The Green Party if they are remembered at all, will be remembered as a failed experiment in parliament democracy, that strived for little and achieved less.
“Russel Norman makes no demands on the dairy industry to switch from coal to less polluting alternatives.”
Maybe, but the GP policy on farming supports what you want. Go read it.
“And then signs up to a government that approves deep sea oil drilling, fracking and the rape of the Denniston Plateau for the coal export market.”
I actually agree with you that this is a risk. I think it’s a much smaller risk than you do, but it’s there nevertheless. But I don’t see *you* doing anything useful to try and change that. Slagging off the GP every chance you get just makes the situation worse. I’d like to know what you think will happen if people pay attention to you. Do you think they will do anything?
“The Green Party if they are remembered at all, will be remembered as a failed experiment in parliament democracy, that strived for little and achieved less”
You don’t have to sound so hopeful Jenny.
If you agree with me. Then I have achieved something already.
To answer your question:
I’d like to know what you think will happen if people pay attention to you. Do you think they will do anything?
I would like to think, that people like yourself would do something.
The first thing of course, would be to convince the Green Party to agree to make Climate Change an electoral issue in 2014.
This is important. If climate change issues are not raised and debated in the elections then the Greens will have no mandate to raise climate change issues in government and will be in a very weak position to oppose government policies that increase the risk.
It probably wouldn’t hurt if people like yourself within the Green Party started agitating to make climate change a Green Party “Priority” rather than just one of the Green Party’s 59 “Other issues”.
Personally I would like to see the Green Party to start agitating within parliament to halt all coal exports and imports. This could be done with a private members bill that would put pressure on the Labour Party to declare where they stand on this issue.
Here is a good backgrounder on the danger of coal exports from Greenpeace, though written by Australia Greenpeace. It could equally apply here.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/greenpeace-nz-news/~3/wbzjrOuoM68/
It also wouldn’t hurt if the Green Party would give climate change a mention on their home page.
Maybe the Green Party might like to link to Naomi Klein’s “Fight like hell” interview.
Government declares drought in Northland
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1302/S00431/government-declares-drought-in-northland.htm
Should the Green Party call for a high profile parliamentary inquiry into the crisis in the climate. Just as they did for the crisis in manufacturing?
For an environmental party they seem to have very odd priorities.
Maybe a parliamentary enquiry is something else they could do, if the GP began to take climate change seriously?
Will they do it?
Or will they keep ignoring climate change on their way to political oblivion.
RNZ- Prof Ewan Mason, Forestry Studies U.C, on the ETS (and related plantings);
NZ now a dumping ground for worthless credits
-unrestricted imports of credits from overseas
-e.g, ex USSR
-exclusion of agriculture a “driver down”
Forestry concerns when harvests mature in 2020 (placed 1990’s on)
-since 2000 decline in plantings (more attractive investment options)
-wood commodities prices have declined over 15-20 years
If the dairy producers came on board emissions regulation it may only affect gross margins 5-6%
Eats, shoots and leaves,
http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Growing-Gardens-for-Free-Geoff-Bryant/9781869534929
the policy of censoring any mention
Citation needed. Yet again. And no, Jenny, “but they don’t mention climate change as often as I like” is not the same as alleging a specific, deliberate, active policy of censorship.
This is why people don’t rally to your cause. Because you make shit up and can’t even back it up convincingly.
The Government can afford $3.1 million a year to save Wanganui Collegiate against advice and even though there was an abundance of capacity in the Wanganui area yet cannot afford $5 million a year to save our Kauri.
It has a strange sense of priorities.
And here’s more stupid from stupid … and all this on a day when Herald announces Gnats have enough votes in a poll to govern alone … oh, my !!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/8328016/Chch-Govt-destroying-our-communities
“It seems backwards to close a consistently high performing school that has a new million dollar learning studio, is fully networked and has, up until now, had a stable roll despite the exodus of families in the red zone.
Freeville already educates for the future, and has for years been a model school, showcasing the future of education for other teachers, schools and education professionals. I fail to see how taking us out of our purpose-designed and operated school, and merging us with another school with completely different teaching practices and old classrooms will be better for my children’s education.”
Pfffft…poll dancing!!!
*yawn* zzzzzzzzzzz….Nexxxt
an empty fridge from the ‘Comment Crew”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/25/world/asia/us-confronts-cyber-cold-war-with-china.html?_r=0
Game On!
The Alfred E Nuemann of New Zealand television Patrick Gower fronting a poll from Reid Research on behalf of MediaWorks which owns TV3, and that’s in any way believable???,
Considering that that particular poll has for at least the past 2 years polled the National Party as having the % numbers to ‘govern alone’ i would suggest that there is something very wrong with their methodology,
This perceived inaccuracy of course has nothing to do with the fact that the company which pays for this poll, TV3 is owned by MediaWorks which was given a $42 million loan guarantee by Slippery’s National Government,
Neither does the fact that Steven Joyce, the Minister of Fuxit was at one time a highly visible shareholder in MediaWorks effect the poll, how could it, after-all ‘there is no corruption in New Zealand’
i cannot tell at this stage whether Joyce still has a substantial share-holding in MediaWorks or it’s Australian parent company Ironbridge Capital, if He does it is well hidden inside the ‘declared’ blind trust Joyce is a beneficiary of…
and the spin continues, they smothered the electorate in 2011 with the mantra that it’s national again so lots stayed away from the polls thinking their vote was not going to do much….wrong but well done MSM monkeys and mates.
So this is the new mantra now is it, Muppet boy toothing the Gnats can govern alone.
As there will not be any MP/ACT/UF stooges along for the ride they pretty much appear to have set the stall up for this new line, fair enough when you’ve got docile yes men to peddle it why not, goes along nicely with the brighter future, lovin wages dropping, roaring out of recession via a cycleway, let’s be like ireland etc etc
It won’t be but it’ll be great for the new private charter school that will get it cheap from the government.
.
money for rich schools
money for rich taxpayers
money for rich farmers
money for rich finance company investors
money for the rich! that is this government’s record
+1
One argument against a negative income tax is that voters will keep voting to raise it,
since 50% of people will be below average income. Of course, this ignores the reality
of our present situation where most people kept voting for more profits from banks
printing private money. Which shows why a negative income tax could not get
out of control since the rich would use their immense power to stop it, but who
stops the richest gaming the system as they have?
We will look back at the last thirty years and wonder why we spent the oil windfall
on yachts and booze rather than securing environmental stability and finding its
replacement. Thatcher will be up there with Hitler for cannibalizing the economy
for narrow short term power grab.
Fair Warning
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/23/korea-us-pyongyang-military/1940801/
Drill On
IMO, only if the capitalists, economists and politicians keep telling them that there’s no limit to the economy. If they’re told what resources we have and where they’re going then I’m sure that those limits will be adhered to.
Less direct benefit to the rch will insure tht any negative income tax would never threaten the public backed slush fund that the rich seem increasingly able to raid. Isn’t that how many get
rich, those who don’t innovate, those who aren’t born rich, or find a new niche, they gets someone elses money and risk that, taxpayers, pensions, or people’s nestegg (or in a ponsi scheme no risk at all to the ponsi fraudster).
National fund failed private schools as they close CHCH schools…Homebrew called this out a few years ago – “socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor” …”what they know about missing the bus, they keep the bread and they give us the crust”
NACTs – strange full stop.
against treasury, ministry and ministerial advice (why bother asking)
The government is still rewarding the Wanganui patriots for saving our civilisation from Te Whiti and his violent terrorist insurgents at Parihaka, and the Royal Navy no longer needs kauri spars. It is even possible that the few remaining kauri are growing on land that could be profitably mined, giving us all a more aspirational future.
Someone please send this to Gareth Morgan …
Lolz and adorbz yeshe. Love the commentary.
Hoots. Ha yeshe! Either a cat or a pigeon has their own identity crisis. 🙂
So, the reshuffle is apparently out today. Will be a big test of whether David Shearer is going to be a puppet of the status quo or whether he will actually bring some unity to the party. I hope the latter and he uses this as an opportunity to bring the factions together. We need a merit-based senior leadership team in Parliament and our best and our brightest on the front bench. We are missing too many opportunities. Cunliffe has to get some meaty porfolios and a higher ranking. It is pettiness to leave him on the backbench as the NZHerald is predicting. He’s one of the top performers in the House (I see his speech responding to the PMs Speech is only second to Shearer in the number of views and his IMF one is also doing the rounds). Ironically, the NZH is calling King one of our most effective MPs in the House – interestingly her speeches don’t even rate. This is such an opportunity. Let’s hope Shearer doesn’t blow it by being petty and unstrategic.
Frank asks, “How could Solid Energy’s financial position go from a pre-tax profit of $127.5 million (see: Solid Energy shines despite earthquakes) in August 2011 – to a massive $389 million debt this year? Did National gouge one of our cash-state-cows?”
http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/that-was-then-this-is-now-18-solid-energy/
“Did National gouge one of our cash-state-cows?:
Yes they did, and Labour were just as bad if not worse. The SOEs have been used to hide real Govt debt, borrowing by SOEs doesn’t show as debt in the Crown accounts. The adoption of IFRS by the Govt permitted the beancounters to constantly revalue assets of the SOEs to ‘fair market value’. Those revaluations were mostly upwards which brought paper profits, the SOEs then borrowed against the assets to pay the Govt a dividend.
One of the reasons SolidEnergy are in trouble is because they paid dividends when they were making considerable capital investments, the dividends should have been kept as retained earnings to fund the capital projects. But Bill English wanted cash for his books so he, or his minions, milked the SOEs.
Add the milking of the power sector to this and consider what happens after floating of the generators and your power bill.
Yep. Was a time when accounting was a proud profession, ‘true and fair view’ meant what it said. Now it’s just a shameful parody that creates facades for crumbling edifices.
One of the ironies about the asset sales business is that both Labour & National have been selling off our assets for decades. They just did it the sly & deceitful way – sold them to bankers & their ilk.
Anyone find a trace of derivatives in the accounts?
They haven’t released the accounts yet as far as I know but there were $30m or so in 2011.
Also in reponse to the original post comparing profit in 2011 to debt in 2012 is ridiculous. The opposite of profit is not debt.
Far more useful to compare debt in 2011 with debt in 2012 (gone from $220m to $386m) still shows a bad picture but actually makes sense.
2012 accounts reported interest rate swap contracts of some $200 million. They don’t appear to be contributing to the problem though, from what I can make of the accounts they posted a gain on those in 2012.
The first problem is cashflow, from June accounts;
“Cashflows from operations were $142 million compared to $129 million in 2011, with increased cash receipts from higher prices. Capital investment totalled $162 million”
They invested more than they made in nett earnings yet still paid the Govt a $30million dividend which can only have come from borrowing. Kinda mind boggling really.
Problem today is the debt has gone from $295million in June 2012 to $385million now which is a very big jump. But we don’t know yet what the extra borrowing was for – to cover trading losses or for more investment. Needs to be a bit more clarity on it.
http://www.interest.co.nz/bonds/63240/solid-energy-nz389-mln-debt-and-poor-financial-results-coming-talks-banks-over-restructu
Does this mean Chorus is changing the goalposts after getting the contract?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/financial-results/8347193/Chorus-warns-of-UFB-network-cost-blowout
Yep. Typical of private businesses who get government contracts – under quote and then, because it can’t be allowed to fail, demand more money.
To be fair to them they haven’t yet demanded any money. They have warned investors that although they have a profit there will be additional costs next period and they are looking at alternative approaches to keep a lid on the costs.
They certainly may try and demand more money but is pretty unfair to criticize them for it before they have done it.
So, they will have a lower profit next period. This means that there will be less investors and thus they will need more money from the government to do what needs to be done (and what they should have done with the ~$17b in profit that they’ve pulled out over the last 20 years).
I said in my comment that they may go to government. However,there are also other options for funding if they believe it is unlikely the government will give them more money. All I am trying to point out is it is pretty harsh to criticize someone for something they actually haven’t done.
And I’m just pointing out history and that it’s likely to repeat.
“Education Minister Hekia Parata recommended that Wanganui Collegiate should not be integrated into the state system, but she was rolled by her Cabinet colleagues. ….”
Well who is running the Ministry of Ed? The Minister is supposed to have sole decision…. unless it is the National Government.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/8345722/Parata-overruled-on-Collegiate-integration
Well, it’s hearsay but apparently Brownlee and Joyce were de facto running the Christchurch School ‘reforms’ and making the decisions.
For example, moving the schools’ merger/closure deadlines forward by one or two years (so that it’s all done by 2014) explicitly reversed one of Parata’s public commitments after the September announcements. I imagine she was over-ruled and that commitment was dumped once the electoral calculations (or some other priorities concerning the ‘rebuild’ process) were put into the mix. The collateral damage was to her reputation.
I get the strong impression that Parata has been repeatedly set up to be the fall ‘guy’ – she does not appear to be taken seriously within Cabinet except as someone to take the flak. But then, if I am correct, she has let this happen and must take some responsibility for that.
Hearing about the Pistorius killing, and then that a brother is charged with a road killing brought Colin Bouwer to mind. He cam to NZ as a psychiatrist, once head of Psychiatry at U.of Otago, and then decided he didn’t want his wife any more and the best and most efficient way to get rid of her was to kill her by extremely devious and cunning means. Then his son (who had been given the same name!) was charged and convicted with murder of his wife, in South Africa.
This thinkpiece by The Guardian talks about the disgraceful way that South Africa is developing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/22/oscar-pistorius-south-africa-war-women
The sick, wrong-thinking attitudes that grew under aparthheid live on. Notable comments –
* …the patriarchal nature of apartheid ideology created hierarchies based on gender as well as race.
* While the country’s gun culture is by no means comparable to that of the US, paranoia about violent crime in a post-apartheid era has extended the laager mentality that emerged during the rule of the National party.
* …the black South Africans’ experience of violent crime in the township, where the “corrective rape” of lesbians gives new meaning to the cynical term “paper rights” – constitutional rights that mean nothing in practice.
paranoia about violent crime in a post-apartheid era has extended the laager mentality that emerged during the rule of the National party. (The term refers to the defensive circle created by the wagons of colonial-era settlers, effectively creating a mobile fort against attacks by indigenous Africans. Settlers would hide inside these wagon forts with their guns on the ready in the event of an attack.)
Under apartheid, white paranoia about being murdered by vengeful “natives” helped the National party to consolidate its political power, as well as to justify the conscription of white males to defend South Africa’s borders against “communists” – shorthand for the African National Congress’s military wing. Many white South African males were compulsorily drafted, and a large number of young soldiers fought in border wars with Angola and Mozambique. In addition, the patriarchal nature of apartheid ideology created hierarchies based on gender as well as race.
Black citizens on the other hand experienced the structural violence of apartheid policies, and faced brutal repression in their struggle for civil rights. The landmark murders in Sharpeville and Soweto were the tip of the iceberg – the disappearance of activists and the torture of detainees became a feature of everyday life.…
In 2002 the SAPS recorded 21,738 murders compared to 299,411 attempted murders and serious assaults in the country.
http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/CrimeQ/No.7/Thomson.htm
More from the Guardian – http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/south-africa-macho-society-oscar-pistorious
the Black Friday Campaign for Rape Awareness in honour of Anene Booysen. The 17-year-old died after her ex-boyfriend and others allegedly gang raped and disembowelled her on 2 February 2013.
(Note – very soon after the New Delhi woman Jyoti Singh Pandey.was also raped, killed and dealt with in the same way. – http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-15-00-will-anene-booysens-brutal-rape-and-murder-shake-the-nation-into-action)
“The massive problem we need to understand in South Africa is the level of men’s violence against women and against each other,” said Lisa Vetten, a researcher who specialises in domestic abuse. Police statistics on domestic violence are limited. But 15,609 murders and 64,500 reported rapes in 2011-12 suggest massive levels of violence in South African homes.
Household surveys by the MRC have found that 40% of men have hit their partner and one in four men have raped a woman. Three-quarters of men who admit to having raped women say they did so first as teenagers. The MRC found that, while a quarter of women had been raped, just 2% of those raped by a partner reported the incident to police.
South Africa certainly has a checkered history (the boer’s) and the many challenges it faces today.
Sitting on the problem…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10867445
as long as your bum points to the ground!
Great informative talk on emissions trading in NZ and how it is being rorted – with government assisting all the way – so units are selling now for about $2.40 when they should be $24. At the low price, because of unfettered imports that this mendacious government is encouraging, it is destroying the economy of forest planting that the scheme as originally envisaged would have fostered.
Associate professor at the NZ School of Forestry at Canterbury University Euan Mason on the Emissions Trading Scheme
09:29
Is the Emissions Trading Scheme dead?
With Associate Professor Euan Mason – Professor Mason says NZ is failing to respond to climate change and it’s an international embarassment. (21′52″)
And the value of pinus radiata just left in place fostering native birds who would seed the ground with native plants and trees is one advantage from pinus. Another is to assist sheep farmers to have a better return from their high country and so be less close to non-profit. And he mentioned the big floods in the North Island some time ago with rain and silt washing down from bare hills that should be covered and protected by a mantle of trees.
And which took I think he said, $200 million of mostly taxpayer’s money to clear and restore for farming use. (I may have inadvertently added in some 0’s but that’s what it’s like with government money allocations isn’t it, they wax and wane depending on the recipient and outcome’s value to the particular party.)
It’s a pity that we are reverting in NZ to the more primitive kind of political man. All the way up from slimy centipedes to apes and hominoids and now, not too slowly back.
snap
http://pundit.co.nz/content/no-rules-for-nz-police-surveillance-drones
gracias amigo (persistence with moderate amounts of salsa)
hahahaha
Matthew Hooton thinks backroom corruption deals a la skycity convention centre is ‘hands-on’ government….what a dropkick.
And Mike Williams didn’t say ‘I agree with Matthew’ even once!
Yeah the ‘i agree show’ has turned into something else , the usual sounds of ‘sucking’ have stopped emanating from my radio…
Matthew Hooton talking this morning on Radionz in his usual disparaging way about anything leftish. Says Labour encouraged Solid Energy into – trendy and liberal ideas – to expand into.
Sounds as if it’s all Labour’s fault that Solid Energy is in the poo. How much is Labour responsible for in this debacle?
I think that the main problem with Labour is that they were constraining themselves to the “Third Way” approach and concentrating on getting an efficient welfare system and encouraging business to go forth and flourish. And businessmen thought that meant that meant that they could all talk their wages up at the same time as they made big ground-breaking decisions. Unfortunately then they were trumped in ground-breaking by the earthquake, and both brought similar long-term destruction that’s hard to recover from.
It’s what we get for attempting to usurp the role of the big oil companies, the coal to diesel plant in Southland was set to provide some 90 million liters of diesel a year for use within New Zealand,
The tech associated with this coal to diesel plant also included research,(along with the Australians), into carbon sequesture where the ‘plan’ appears to have been to ‘stash’ enough carbon underground so as to negate the amount of carbon produced from the manufacture process involved in coal to diesel,(exactly how close this research was to actually providing a workable means of taking industrial amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere i am as yet not sure about),
Big oil through it’s political functionaries allowed the trashing of a large part of ‘think big’, (specially the bits around using the resource to in part escape our imported oil dependency), and, there was a certain Government subsidy which the Slippery lead National Government scrapped,(sorry i forgot the name of this subsidy), which made the Solid Energy coal to diesel plan uneconomic,
Having scrapped the subsidy National have made the whole coal to diesel scenario uneconomic as the work was completed on the specific understanding of the subsidy being factored into the economics, leaving Solid Energy with the debt of all the research so far undertaken wasted,
A fire-sale of all the 1000’s of Hectares of land in Southland bought by Solid energy so as to give it access to the billions of tonnes of lignite underneath it will now occur…
And I think sale for dairy farms has been mentioned. Of course TINA. And some of those super rich Chinese that I saw on the link from Saturday from Colonial Viper 12.24pm could take it all in one big gulp if they so decided.
…let it burn, it will anyway before too long,
Time’s a Revelator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4LdjEObjGo
lean’d over to ol’ Matthew Henry the other day behind the armchair Viper;
16: a, luxury. b,covetousness. c,ambition.
-Nativity In Vitae (not the created world or that of people)
luxury doesn’t “pay too well” (too much chocolate, or…steroids…caffeine…maybe Greece)
watched parts of Bad Lieutenant (with a stiff Cage); not a patch on Keitel, yet when the script is seen through a different lense…it ain’t no Piano sonata.
Kaiser Chiefs: Angry Mob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z5kEqRFPwo
“Be careful how you treat children for their “angel” looks upon the face of God.”
the other day, a Welcome Swallow whirled round and round
next day hand-fed two white baby doves on the ground
today a blackbird pecked around the plantings, very little thrush
ahhh The Shifting Shadows of Supernatural Power (Johnson-“When Heaven Invades Earth”, Mahesh Chavda, John Sandford et al;)
or
for that voodoo you do document patron; “Glimpses of the Devil” : A Psychiatrists’ Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism and Redemption.-M. Scott Peck
Zebedee do dah, Zebedee Day.
ready for a Round Table progressive dinner…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/international-politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503226&objectid=10867490
apparently not (patient may be a little feverish)
don’t forget the “leftovers”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2013/feb/24/leftovers-unmarried-chinese-women-25
(cold sweet and sour, yummy)
Leftovers always tastier the next day
BREAKING NEWS!
BUCK-TOOTH PADDY FALLS HEAD-OVER-HEELS FOR TELETUBBY GARNER.
In tonite’s tree-newz [sic] Paddy Gower, whilst rambling on matters political, made ALL the moves of his predecessor (“Dunk” – otherwise known as the political sage, former closet mentor, lover and leader of a Mihi, and thunderdog, cock-sucker, and persuader of the Houghton Bay harrier, amongst others.) Holding his hands in cupped fashion (desperate to show wedding ring), Paddy delivered his report with the intonation, framing and commitment to journalistic integrity his predecessor and trainer ‘Dunk’ had ingrained.
A replay of Paddy’s delivery in tonight’s ‘Tree Newz’ report that was fed through the latest comparator technology with Duncan Garner’s last 3 News reports showed insignificant differences.
‘Sources’ are understood to be in negotiations with Radio New Zealand’s Nine-to-Noon producer for a spot on Monday’s political commentary, and with with THE ‘every-person’s nicest man on Earth’ Jim Mora to determine whether a 4pm-5pm ‘slot’ might not be appropriate now that Paddy has been able to demonstrate a media profile that equals those of Mike Williams, Jose Pagani and Mathew Hooten in the delivery of ‘expert opinion to the masses’. We were able to catch up with the nicest man on Earth (‘Good-guy Jum’) during a brief lay-by on his next mission to Mars whilst speaking with producers who were anxious to maintain their ‘aura’ of political neutrality.
Buck-Tooth Paddy was unavailable for comment, but [media sauces] said it is unlikely he would be interested in extending his radio commitments since he’d recently purchased a new wardrobe based primarily on a ‘baby-blue’ hue. He was also anxious to display his persona at every opportunity in a bid to convince the wider public that he isn’t the desperate, egotistical little wanker with bleached teeth that audience polling amongst ‘other sauces’ have determined – particularly with the younger demographic.
Vanity Fear: Seen on TV1 tonight Slippery the Prime Minister with a fresh dye job on the hair, (including the new bits plucked from between the anal crevice of a blind donkey called Brucie)…
Interesting interview with Jeremy Grantham tonight. Radionz on Nights – Window on the World
Monday 25 February: Jeremy Grantham
Peter Day hears from an investment expert called Jeremy Grantham who has spent decades thinking about some of the big issues that influence our existence and the global economy. He thinks that the assumptions which have powered the industrial revolution for two centuries are looking pretty threadbare. So, how do we manage technological progress in a world of finite resources?
Yep Nose…. sanity and interest prevails on RNZ between 5pm and 9am when the cult of personality takes over briefly with a couple of hosts trying to show just how clever they are
(i.e. the cult of personality reigns between 9am and 5pm). Its a shame that more people haven’t discovered “Nights”. It’s a great alternative to T dot V
Don’t be too tough Tim. Radionz has got to appeal to the greater NZ public if they are to hold their attention for a while from going to the big tongue-flappers, the witty fast boys and girls diverting the pundits with trivia. Then there are the nostalgic music stations, that play plaintive love songs from last century.
The Radionz crowd usually have a good mix of fact, informed opinion, and you can keep up to date with perhaps tv showing the sites and faces, and newspapers physical or internet giving the more detailed stories of the day, and the good ones also useful fact and background.
Jeremy Grantham July 2012 investment news letter
http://iroquoisvalleyfarms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Jeremy-Grantham-GMO-Qtrly-July-2012.pdf
and
Grantham speaking on the limitations of capitalism under conditions of resource and environmental constraints. Bear in mind that this man is in charge of roughly US$100B in investment funds.
I know someone who is turning 65 and is blessing reaching this age so she doesn’t have to deal with the WINZ demands and unpleasant people any more. It’s hard when you need an invalid’s benefit. Everything is to be questioned these days.
When Labour talks blithely about the old age pension going up to 70, they are just doing another ideological move away from really useful and pragmatic social policy in a way to equal Roger Douglas.
The Government apparently knew that Solid Energy had ‘diversification plans’ in 2009; refused to provide $1bn in funding for them; learned in 2011 of Solid Energy’s problems in a scoping study for the introduction of the mixed ownership model and yet …
… went to the electorate claiming that it could reap billions from the sales of shares in State owned enterprises (and promised to spend those billions in multiple ways).
In retrospect, it’s a pity someone didn’t ask John Key to ‘Show me the money!’, or at least make an OIA request about any scoping studies of the worth of the SOEs that were on the block.
For some reason, the link I embedded in the words “knew that Solid Energy had ‘diversification’ plans” is there but is in black type on my screen rather than the usual blue.
But the link doesn’t work.
Here it is: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/8349261/Govt-knew-of-Solid-Energy-plans-PM
I give up. Still doesn’t work.
Govt knew of Solid Energy plans – PM
test 1
test 2
test 3
test 1
test 2
test 3
okay, puddleglum, one the rough assumption that what comes out is related to what comes in, it might be syntax of your anchor tags.
Should look somethin like (with the “anglebracket” stannding in for the tag containers): ><
openanglebracket a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/8349261/Govt-knew-of-Solid-Energy-plans-PM" closeanglebracket test 3 openanglebracket /a closeanglebracket
note the lowercase href and the double quotes around the web address you want to link to, front and back.
Hope this helps
by the way, your link certainly makes it look like there was ministerial idiocracy involved, as the board seemed to tell them what was going on every step of the way, and it only got picked when another department/minister did the firesale stocktake
Plans developed during the last part of the Labour government?
High dollar / exchange rate.
Who benefits from it? Apparently the NZ Dlr is viewed as the new gold by the foreign dealers. They have been quoted as saying “Let’s have some fun with it…” Leaving aside the obscenity of that, now, just saying, someone in NZ had a packet of spare foreign currency five to 10 years ago and had bought up large on the Kiwi at its low, they’d now be in a position to see it climbing to an all time high and could at some stage, make a further killing if they were to sell it for a “now lower valued” foreign currency… apart from the banks, who else in NZ might be in a position to take advantage of it? Makes you wonder.
Is the government able to act to change the exchange rate? Just wondering, ’cause someone must be able to influence the exchange rate and lower it if they had the will, or the inclination, to do so.
Exactly logie. It’s very lazy of our media to refer to the PM as a former currency trader when none of them have asked when he quit.
logie 97
See piece I copied from JB Were report in ‘Key shoots backwards’ today about 11am.