Jager said the track record of companies around New Zealand had been solid, but drilling would never be risk-free.
“Regrettably there’s nothing in life that is risk-free, it’s how we manage it,” he said.
Now, he says, changes being made are going in the right direction, and in the oil and gas industry fitted the environmental aims.
“Health and safety and the environment go hand and hand,” he said. “Keeping the gas in the pipe and stopping people from getting injured – it’s all part of the same approach for us.”
You would hear his colleague in Russia saying the same nonsense about their care for the environment about the Arctic…and his competitor at BP saying the same about the Gulf of Mexico before 2010.
Further evidence that the Herald has sold its soul to corporates.
You hear that sort of BS from all the companies and businesses. We still see deaths, waste and environmental damage that could easily have been avoided if they actually did what they say.
“To much advertising to lose I imagine”
You have a very fertile imagination then. Shell no longer have any retail interests in New Zealand, and do no advertising.
Can you remember the last time you saw a Shell advertisement in The Herald apart from, possibly, the legally required notices they might have to publish for their oil and gas production operations?
Why do you attribute to me things that I have never said?
“So you don’t think etc” and “Roughan and Murphy write independently”. I have never claimed that and if you had said that as the reason for the type of interview the Herald had done I wouldn’t have bothered to comment.
However you put the tenor of the interview down to something it is clearly not. You proposed that it was because of losing Shell’s advertising and I was pointing out that that was extremely unlikely as there isn’t any to lose.
Actually on rereading this I see when you say “don’t think the Herald doesn’t have” it is a double negative and means that “you think the Herald has vested interests”. I guess I would have to answer yes to what you said, even if I don’t think that was what you meant.
A report on RNZ broadcast that, after protracted, tortuous negotiations at some climate change forum, that agreement was finally reached with the change of ‘one word’ ! That was the end of the report! What was the ‘one’ word? Suggestions, guesses, or does anyone actually know. This is so ridiculous.
The 19th conference of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ended in Warsaw on Saturday. Last-minute concessions produced a limp agreement. A Copenhagen-style train-wreck has been avoided.
It is 21 years since the Framework Convention undertook to stabilise global emissions to save the planet from dangerous climate change. Emissions have increased since then from 38 billion tonnes to 50 b. Warsaw continues on that same path..
The main outlines of the COP 19 conference are:
– An undertaking to prepare for ‘contributions’ for the post-’20 global agreement to be agreed by 2015; India and China refused to accept the word ‘commitment’;
– A mechanism for loss-and-damage that would assist vulnerable countries to protect against extreme impacts;
– A breakthrough on forestry with ‘results-based payments’ system to encourage developing countries halt deforestation and increase afforestation (REDD+).
Is this enough to call Warsaw a success? If ‘success’ is defined as the short-term avoidance of failure, then perhaps. If it is defined as achieving what is required for the long-term goal, the answer is no.
Yep, the rest of the world’s putting in wind and solar generation but we have difficulty due to at least one major party not wanting to move on from the use of fossil fuels.
Proper investment in transport and renewable energy and, IMO, we could completely dump the use of fossil fuels in 10 or so years.
And some of the companies are now being taken to court for killing birds.
That is probably not a problem in China but it appears the US are now taking it seriously.
I wonder how many birds are being killed in New Zealand? I haven’t found any definitive numbers and I can’t imagine either the power companies nor the wind power enthusiasts want it known http://news.yahoo.com/guilty-plea-bird-deaths-wind-farns-first-081651963-finance.html
clearly I’m not the only one ‘on drugs’ 😉 around here. Is that an argument for limiting wind-power generation development alwyn? There’s a bit of wildlife collateral damage associated with the fossil fuels industries too, we understand.
I’m not particularly keen on windpower generation but it is more on efficiency grounds, as well as the CO2 produced in making them, rather than a some birds being killed. As you say fossil fuels kill birds such as the 2,000 or so in the Rena shipwreck. On the other hand I would have expected the Green Party, and Greenpeace to be screaming about the wind turbines after their hysterical outbursts about the Rena.
Why do we not have Russel calling for an enquiry into turbine bird kills and calling for them all to be closed down until the enquiry is complete?
As an aside I would pick the following order for electricity generation in New Zealand. Geothermal, Hydro, Gas fired, Nuclear and then Wind. Solar and Tidal might work if you were a long way from the grid but I don’t think they make sense otherwise. No Oil fired and no Coal fired though.
Incidentally what is the reference to ‘on drugs’? I don’t get it.
Yep, I saw that and wondered WTF. The actual number of eagles killed is minuscule (~10 per year across 20 states) and so normal population increase would probably take care of it. Of course, there’s not a hell of a lot left that normal about the Bald and Golden eagles as they’ve been driven to the brink of extinction.
The center started breeding with one pair and began studying their behavior, functioning, and other areas to make this a successful rehabilitation program. In 1988, the program was stopped due to their success in increasing the number of eagles in the environment. At this time the bald eagles had started breeding naturally.
I haven’t found any definitive numbers and I can’t imagine either the power companies nor the wind power enthusiasts want it known
Eventually the evolutionary pressure on birds would increase their ability to hear the specific noise related to wind farms. Just as the wings of birds that dodge cars shortened a little. But as to oil spills, its much harder for birds to adapt to oil since they is no clear ‘killing’ selector.
About the only thing I could find was a DOC paper published in January 2009 which said, in great detail and going on for about 50 pages. “We don’t know because we have never looked”.
I’m sorry but I didn’t record the reference. It wasn’t very informative though.
The numbers are pretty miniscule. Strangely enough, it’s only when wind power gets involved that RWNJs and fuel companies worry about bird deaths. I remember reading something a while ago and thinking, if the figures were right, I would have seen clouds of feathers and piles of rotting flesh around all the wind turbines in Germany. In actual fact, windows kill a hell of a lot more birds.
I would agree that anyone who objects to bird deaths from wind farms, but not deaths from oil spills would fit the definition of a RWNJ. Equally of course someone who objects to any deaths from oil spills but ignores the ones from a wind farm fits the definition for a LWNJ.
I don’t actually know anyone whose sole objection to wind farms is one of bird deaths. Most of the ones opposing them are of course NIMBYs. Wind power to them is great, as long as they can’t see it. A few, generally engineering types, oppose them on the grounds of inefficiency or CO2 production in making them.
Most people take a fairly pragmatic approach of course. They don’t want to see species, usually the cuddly looking ones, becoming extinct but regard a few bird deaths as worth it to them for getting the benefits of modern technology.
Of course, if you really hold that we must do anything to prevent a living species becoming extinct you would have to argue that we must not try and get rid of the smallpox, or the HIV viruses. Anyone willing to argue that we must leave them alone?
If you’re serious about birds you’d be much better off joining Gareth Morgan in his anti-cat crusade rather than worrying about wind farms. I’d be just about certain that the number of kiwi, takahe or kakapo inconvenienced in any way by wind farms is, and will remain, a big fat zero.
Government officials in charge of collecting royalties from oil companies accepted ski holidays and other gifts from the firms they were meant to be regulating, as well as using cocaine and having sex with industry executives, according to an official report released yesterday.
The inspector general’s investigation found a “culture of substance abuse and promiscuity” operating at the mineral management service (MMS), the government agency charged with regulating oil companies.
Coriolanus on The Hunger Games (and tweeny political reality). Still, as the good Doctor says, “you wouldn’t want the Americans to be able to alter time, have you seen their movies?” 😀
oops, you are correct, I plead relaxation at that time of the evening: The anniversary was the best Dr I have seen, and I have just been reading that it was the world’s largest dramatic presentation in broadcast history. http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/11/25/doctor-who-broadcast-becomes-worlds-largest-tv-drama-event?
Great script; he’s a clever fellow that Dr, and I saw Capaldi’s eyes; Did you? 😀
(“Great men are forged in fire…it is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame”).
Worse, I heard the deeper the depth of the ocean the more accidents, and they are prospecting in even deeper water than usual. Also, we’re on the ring of fire, the Mexico gulf is not.
Thanks OAK. That is so funny. Sounds like leaving it out of your marriage vows. A Claytons ‘agreement’ when you don’t have one at all. Or, you have one but it’s meaningless! Face it, we’re stuffed.
JOHN BANKS JUDICIAL REVIEW (heading; not shouting)
For those interested in this, the High Court hearing is in two days’ time on Wednesday, 27 November.
Graeme Edgeler has written up a well-worth reading and comprehensive Q & A post on Public Address on the legal aspects of the review following the issue of a minute by Judge Heath (who is hearing the HC judicial review) to the parties to the case.
NZ Serious Fraud Office confirms they have received ”request for NZ Serious Fraud Office to conduct an urgent inquiry into alleged bribery and corruption, involving Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Sky City Auckland’.
“I can confirm I have received your letter. We will evaluate it and respond as soon as possible.”
I will be fascinated to hear what anti-corruption experts think about the lack of transparency at Auckland Council, and how CEO Doug Mckay – who is supposed to be an ‘apolitical public servant’ is a member of the very influential private lobby group – the Committee for Auckland, and how Auckland Council ‘books’ are NOT ‘open’ and we don’t know how many Auckland Council (or Auckland Council CCO) contracts are going to member companies?
This Government has brought in sanctions for beneficiaries. Here is the UK perspective as its their system Paula Bennett is copying.
“Benefit Sanctions Must Be Stopped Without Exceptions in UK”
“Stop the benefits cuts and sanctions
“Why is this important?
Absolute poverty, as in having no money at all, is all-encompassing, meaning it is almost impossible to think about anything else and it impacts on every area of life. Relationships with family and friends fracture, self-esteem is demolished, emotions range from stark terror to utter despair. Poverty removes the freedom to act rationally and assess situations in the long term and so creates its own vicious trap.
Such is the psychological anguish of long term poverty that some people will spend money on drugs or alcohol rather than food just to block out a few hours of their life. Poverty therefore leads to more poverty, ill health and increasing isolation. Poverty leads to family breakdown, which leads to homelessness, to addiction, depression, self-harm, poor health, mental illness and so on until the individual is shattered beyond repair.
In a society where there is no common land, it is a form of torture to deliberately inflict this state of being on anyone. Even the most ardent supporter of cut throat capitalism must, if they have any humanity at all, accept that to consciously reduce people to begging, sleeping in the streets or attempting suicide is a cruel and degrading punishment. We do not treat the vilest of child killers like this in prisons, yet to be poor, and unable to find a job, is now to face the full force of state inflicted economic terrorism.”
I case in point:
“I was made unemployed 8 weeks ago and have just had my benefit cut because I wasn’t on the online jobseekingsite for 5 days as I had no access to the laptop which they said is not an excuse I should have went looking for a computer and even though I told them I was at a second interview for a job for which I was told I would receive a phone call with a start date they said I wasn t doing enough and cut my benefit and made me feel like a scrounger. It is’nt my fault I am unemployed.”
johnm
That’s really bad. Good luck with opportunities to get out of it. We must have a change here.
We must get a Labour/Green government that will change this attitude to welfare!
And though individuals like Paula B get named, the NACTS are behind it. behind her. They have engineered a jobless society to advance themselves, and in their economic model unemployment is an externality that is somebody else’s problem. Sorry that you are getting such shit from this rent-seeking government.
(investopedia on line – Rent-seeking – When a company, organization or individual uses their resources to obtain an economic gain from others without reciprocating any benefits back to society )
Apart from being inhumane, benefit cuts, and in fact cuts to any spending into the grass roots community, are major brakes on economic activity. You’d think that after 5 years of austerity those in charge would have figured out it doesn’t work.
(To be realistic, austerity is extremely good at upward wealth redistribution).
CV
True, upward is the way. Why waste it on the poor who will only spend it on drink, drugs, trinkets and beads instead of keeping fit and ready so that they can be available when it is deigned to allow them to do some work. Remember Danilo Dolci in Southern Italy upsetting the controllers there by organising the unemployed to take their own shovels and work on the roads without pay. An unemployment strike in reverse, a gesture against being cheated out of a useful productive life as wage earners.
The wealthy however are content to sit back, complain about having to pay anything for others without their wealth and enjoy perhaps fine malt whisky, pleasures in the box at the sports, fine meals with exquisite taste, blah blah. A Listener advert from 2005 exemplifies this. Chartered Accountants with slogan Count on Growth Ad No.ICA122205 CAPICHE uses Ferran Adria a restaurant owner and chef near Barcelona as an exemplar of success. His technique in the chemistry of food is a business lesson – ‘It’s not until you know all the rules that you’ll start to make exciting discoveries.’ The Golden Rule especially.
So many people who are working and earning are ashperashunal to end up mixing with those who spend lots of dosh and the rest of the world is just a backdrop. The restaurant owner they patronise might have thought and generosity extending to allowing a certain group or person to dive in their kitchen waste dump, but that might pose problems to the security of the area and the tone of the business, so maybe not.
We need to raise ordinary people to a status of art forms, so that when the rich see other humans, they see something special and wonderful worth paying for. That’s a way to extract some financial flow from superior persons perhaps. Bene mother with blue headscarf and baby in the theme of Madonna and child etc.
We need to raise ordinary people to a status of art forms, so that when the rich see other humans, they see something special and wonderful worth paying for.
Actually, we need to do the exact opposite. We need to get people to see the rich as the bludgers that they are and that we can’t afford them.
DTB
Yeah, yeah you always have such high-flown ideas, sheesh. /sarc
and RT
Well I’ll just keep muttering on and some kind person may take some notice and give me the sort of NZ I would like to see before I die, probably in a decade or so.
You’d think that after 5 years of austerity those in charge would have figured out it doesn’t work.
That depends upon what you’re trying to do. If you’re trying toget the economy going again then, sure, it doesn’t work. If, on the other hand, you’re just trying to make the rich richer then it works fine as the desperation brought on the poor by austerity will help lower wages.
A case in point this sanction is in the form of harassment: happening here in NZ. The excuse is a mistake was made. Mistakes are a common way to harass bennies in the UK system. The hope is you’ll just give up and not make the effort to get your benefit reinstated. It’s all about making being on a benefit hard going as they see you having an easy time as if living on a pittance is an easy time!
“Winz forces Hamilton family to prove sons still disabled
‘To have to prove this is silly’ ”
” Attention, Work and Income managers and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett: Muscular dystrophy is not a condition that somehow goes away.
A Hamilton family are frustrated by Work and Income bureaucracy after the government department threatened to put a stop to disability payments for their two teenaged boys unless they can prove they still have their condition.
Hamish Taylor, 17, and his 15-year-old brother Austin have duchenne muscular dystrophy. Its symptoms including muscle weakness and wasting.They will have to live with it for the rest of their lives.
And that’s the message the boys’ exasperated father Steve has been struggling to get through to staff at Work and Income, after the organisation’s Hamilton Community Link service contacted them to say support for Austin had been stopped because they had not received confirmation from a medical specialist that he still had muscular dystrophy.
“I just don’t understand why they want us to keep proving they have a disability,” he said. ”
The harassing condition is as follows one which is patently ludicrous: “Winz threatened to put a stop to disability payments for their two teenaged boys unless they could prove they still have their condition.”
@johnm
I’m afraid if and when we do get a coalition government that starts to remedy some of the atrocities inflicted on beneficiaries, they may also have to enforce cultural change within WINZ – even if it’s by way of redundancies amongst managerial staff. May even have to restructure.
At least it’d be some sort of atonement by the Labour Party for the do nothing stance taken in the 3rd term last time they held the reins.
After their emabracing the neo-lib religion in the 80’s, followed by Ruthenasia, it was always going to take a while to reverse much of the damage. It’s going to take a while, and a demonstration by Labour that they intend returning to their social well-being roots before I can forgive them for taking my 2005 vote for granted. They should really be starting NOW by announcing policy.
Tim
As I understood it the line that post neo lib Labour was to take, was encourage business and not fetter with regulations, and to look after social security so that it aided while any changeover in business practice was happening, and maintained a healthy population with opportunities for enterprise and a good life. An efficiently running country with good welfare assistance and happy, busy people. So what happened? Decreased dosage of Ruthanasia really.
I don’t believe we actually got to a ‘post neo-liberalism’ – it’s alive and well amongst careerist Labour politicians, and most National politicians (most of whom haven’t got two original ideas to rub together between any pair of them).
Neo-liberalism hasn’t just infected the economy – it’s affected the culture – including the vehicles by which a society interacts (such as language and media).
Thankfully people are waking up (I think its Chris Trotter on TDB that outlines some of the growing resistance to it – in the UK and elsewhere).
You’ll know the drill – trickle down that didn’t;
privatisation of anything not tied down on the basis that it was more efficient and effective when it wasn’t (20 years of bailouts and rescues of natural monoplies – mainly due to profit taking/clipping the ticket/lack of re-investment/maintenance);
invention of new language to describe the same old shit when the current buzz becomes embarrassing: Trickle down/’job creators-[private business ONLY]’
…..’learnings'[when LESSONS didn’t get learned, we needed a new word] …… the list is endless……
deregulation/self-regulation/right-sizing/
(more recently): ….. “mis-selling” for fcuks sake!!!
All code for fraud; maintenance of a status quo amongst a comfortably off – no matter the cost; greed; avarice; sustained RATHER THAN sustainABLE growth given Earth’s finite resources in a world of increasing population; a terrorist label applied to anything that attempts to resist;
the easing of consciences from a generation that professed socially liberal values, peace, love and goodwill to all mankind but delivered slavery to their offspring in order to maintain their comfort; A US of A: freedom! for fucks sake!
…. politicians (and MSM) so fundamentally dishonest that they’ve caused their electorates and audiences to completely disengage
the commodification of EVERYTHING in the name of a valueless $, including the spiritual, the cultural – indeed humanity itself (e.g. symbols such as tattoos with specific meanings really only understood by minorities sold and applied to others on the basis that they ‘look mean man’; etc, etc, etc.)
It’d be understandable if people got depressed by it all (Oh, btw – there’s a synthetic solution for that as well – at a cost).
Better to just be amused by it all and realise that its all self-defeating. The sooner the better because what freaks me is that the longer it goes on and the more pervasive it is, the more violent its end will be.
There were signs Cunliffe recognised the effects early on after his rise to power.
I wonder lately whether he’s meeting resistance from the old guard, or whether he’s simply being very clever – I hope its the latter.
Christ Almightly! I was thinking – we wonder WHY the rise in religious fundamentalsim – now THERE’S something a neo-lib agenda never anticipated or had a solution to other than that ‘land of the free’s’ policy of nuke em – the 21st century’s KKK option – peanut buttered by Uncle Thom and Michele (with two delightful daughters who are unfortunately learning the mantra in a very WASP White House bubble.)
Labor also put a lot of effort into outflanking Abbott on the right, particularly with refugees. The loss of a philosophical basis for their policies and the internal sabotage by Krudd and Latham pretty much gifted the country to Abbott and his knuckle draggers.
You mean that heading to the right at flank speed didn’t successfully enchant the ‘swinging’ centre? What a surprise. all this shows is that Labour Parties all over the world need to ditch whoever they’ve been using as advisors.
He is a bloody embarrassment here, turning the distinguished office of Australian PM into “contempt” and “ridicule”.
The Indonesians in Rakyat Merdeka have caricatured him as Peeping Tom and wanking:
“The appearance of the image on the front page suggests that, in the eyes of the newspaper’s editors, the spying scandal and breakdown of relations between the countries has made Australia in general, and Mr Abbott in particular, into objects of contempt and ridicule.”
That is one hilarious ’toon, so wickedly childish and Abbott certainly deserves it, but, the Indonesians are serious offenders in the ‘dish it out but can’t take it” stakes.
Ironically, the spying the Indonesians found out about happened under Krudd. If Abbott was any different, he would have had a party at Krudd’s expense. The fact that he didn’t shows that you couldn’t slide a cigarette paper between the positions the two parties take when it comes to bending their people over for the seppos.
Tony and Malcolm were both unelectable until Gillard/Rudd took it upon themselves to have a civil war and implode Labor federally and the fallout will continue.
Oz electorate banks on senate protecting them from serious damage emerging from the lower house, this may or may not prove to be the case this time with the Palmer cabal holding sway.
Phil Goff a bit too happy about TPPP. He’s certain that our negotiators will be protecting our pharmaceutical screen and buying methods.
What about all the other ways the USA can gain advantage with TPPP. They can take over our consciousness, our ability to understand and comprehend what is happening to us – they already dominate our radio news. We know more about every gun mishap and storm damage in the USA than the total remainder of the world. Their news is likely to appear before ours on our own radio news.
With TPPP their ways and businesses will infiltrate our systems, including education, and of course what was started in 1984 originated from the USA with help from disturbed people fleeing from change and oppression of one sort like Hayek and Rand to creating another sort with the illusion of freedom. (I see that Pres George Bush gave Sam Walton an award for Freedom for being such a clever businessman and making lots of money. That’s what ‘freedom’ is about in the USA.)
The USA would deny us any self-direction that is left, if not our country. They came (already) they saw (Timaru and the attractive scenery) they con…..
Sports commentators have language choices that are special to them. I noticed the use of ‘transpired’ instead of ‘happened’ like – What transpired was amazing.
Andrea Vance interviews Colin Craig. He is clearly after NZ First voters:
The other – less palatable – coalition option for Key is NZ First. And Craig, at 45, sees himself as a fresh-faced alternative to political warhorse Winston Peters, 68.
He claims to be eating solidly into Peters’ core constituency of the older, socially conservative voter.
Members have switched allegiance, particularly after NZ First’s annual conference in October, he says. “We are enjoying seeing Grey Power no longer invite Winston, but invite me instead . . . there is a sort of transition. We are slowly taking over that space.”
Craig says one of the reasons Peters is in decline is that “he’s lost the mojo”.
“He’s not the Winston he was . . . and I know he thinks he is going to be here till whenever, but there is a point at which you start to lose credibility . . . my impression is that he was, last time, the protest vote. Now we have offered that opportunity in a similar policy space.”
Senior citizens appear to like Craig’s morally conservative views combined with an anti-asset sales stance.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Don’t get sucked in folks!
Sorry – but I for one DO NOT TRUST Colin Craig’s purported opposition to asset sales.
Why?
In 2010, both Colin Craig and I were Auckland Mayoral candidates.
At an Auckland Mayoral meeting, I asked Colin Craig to his face where did he stand on 35 year privatised contracts for water services.
Colin Craig told me he was opposed to 35 year privatised contracts of water services, but supported shorter privatised contracts for water services, say for 5 years.
Supporting privatised contracts for water services is supporting PRIVATISATION – end of story.
(The contracting-out of water services is internationally the most common form of water privatisation).
Can Colin Craig be trusted in his purported opposition to asset sales?
In my considered opinion, as a PROVEN anti-privatisation campaigner – I say NO.
NZ First voters – (and others) BEWARE prospective politicians, especially those with no proven track record, telling you what you want to hear….
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
(Currently in Sydney, getting ready to attend the 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference)
It’s interesting that people including Colon Craig Himself continue to perpetrate the myth that Craig’s Conservatives will ‘eat into’ the NZFirst vote,
The election results from 2008(when Craig didn’t stand), and 2011 from the Rodney electorate tell a completely different tale,
Craig when comparing results between the two elections managed to hoover up 2000 votes from both Labour and National while only taking a couple of hundred off of NZFirst,
My view is that NZFirst have a extremely committed ‘core vote’ of around 4.7% as evidenced by their vote in 2008 against the backdrop of the National/ACT attack against Peters,
What added the other nearly 2% in 2011 i believe is in part some of the ‘flock’ returning to the Party and many who (a) voted NZFirst in an effort to destroy any chance of there being a ‘Govern alone National Government, and (b),some who saw the slim opportunity of ‘stealing’ the election out from under Slippery the PM’s nose,(and quite frankly came within a whisker of doing so)…
from beneath the lid of The Herald look into the elderly-farming industry in New Zealand:
-old people are more likely to end up in rest-homes in New Zealand than in any other country;
38% aged 65 and over die in residential aged-care compared to 32% in Aus. and under 20% in most developed European and Asian nations.
-Almost half ( 48%) of us can expect to spend time in an aged-care home or hospital before we die.
-Aged-care prescription rates for medications are 42% above international benchmarks: Grant Thornton Consultants, 2010.
Not a well country right now, after placing 2 parents in aged care the choices were poor the availability was worse and what we went through once there was very depressing for all of us.
Unlike other cultures we don’t look after our folks at home when they age we look to outsource it and the hospital system here didn’t give an F. Just wanted them gone but they weren’t allowed to go home.
Killing night ed classes robbed the elderly of a valuable outlet for the still sharp minds and able bodies with time and resources at their disposal.
cynically, for a change, 😉 joining the stitches that comprise the throw-over this sector is revealed as, suggests it is very unlikely there will be improvements in this sector for all but the well-off, particularly in view of the economic rationales being further advanced for prioritizing care for infants and children. My personal story is that, even after all that washed under the bridge between my folks and I, the offer has still been made to care for them if they called; it is what I’m competent at after all; Time will tell.
Furthermore, costs- rates, insurances, power, food,- just seem to continue to increase for the retired on fixed, modest incomes.
If only, representatives with real political clout and respect could plaster these realities before the eyes of the population simultaneously and wake them the f#*k up!
Still, none so blind, hold on, we’re in for an ambulatory ride.
btw, There is the ‘University of the Third Age’ interest group for mature and retired folk to be involved in.
ps, tc, I have trained, and worked in aged-care; had to leave, found it too depressing and upsetting personally, clients in tears, neglected etc.
Yes and this was an expensive aged facility in central auckland which simply hoovered up their money as we couldn’t convince them the merits of putting their house etc in a family trust decades ago.
So they pay a lifetime of taxes, rates etc (both always under wages) and then pay it out to be looked after in their dottage. Looking around the facility and dealing with it’s so called ‘care managers’ just made your blood boil
Other aged relatives are now really struggling with rising rates, power, insurances and water as that used to be free till now. The world also doesn’t like them using cheques or paying in person anymore so charges them for that privilege now also.
yes, when I have to negotiate the maze of paying online etc, I often think of how difficult this must be for the generations that have lived without IT for almost all their lives until recently; I find it frustrating at times. I still go and pay accounts in hard-copy, get a receipt, at Post-shop; have discussed with their staff the implications of NZPost rationalizations for older people.
The biggest taker of lives- Stress.
After The Thrill is Gone , and I’m outta hair, I’m outta here! 😀
It is appropriate to “distrust” the web; scams abound across a multitude of forums- banking, finance, ransom access, relationships, charity, Trade Me; I only ever enter on here what I’d be prepared to defend in a public RL forum now. Begin as one intends to go on.
Yes and this was an expensive aged facility in central auckland which simply hoovered up their money as we couldn’t convince them the merits of putting their house etc in a family trust decades ago.
Having endured my own personal hell dealing with elderly parents I feel an enormous amount of sympathy for you and your family but the notion that people squirrel away their loot with an expectation that the taxpayer will pick up the tab makes me very fucking angry.
The requirement that individuals use their own resources to pay for their residential care until they reach the mandated threshold is reasonable enough and those who game the system do so at the expense of ordinary working people.
Both RT, mum lived on her own up until the last week of her life but I had to quit work to look after dad in our own home for two years until he required ever increasing levels of care and he spent another six years in assisted then residential and finally secure care.
The child becomes the parent thing, financial stress and relationship stresses were tough enough but the real nightmare was jumping through the hoops to obtain rest home care.
yes, the child frequently becomes the parent, yet It is certain your parents were in your good hands.
Being the way-in-the-world that we are, my best (female) mate and I are committed to avoiding burdening folk with these issues if possible, yet, even that choice can be difficult if circumstances remove personal volition. Alzheimers and dementia, hard for the emotionally proximate to witness when socialization rarely prepares us in the first-world for such losses of dignity and function.
Alzheimers and dementia, hard for the emotionally proximate to witness when socialization rarely prepares us in the first-world for such losses of dignity and function.
Re: dementia, living in the first world appears to be one of the problems in of itself.
Same way the banking lobby groups wrote the recent US legislation that releases their ‘controls’ so they can go off the range and derivative themselves up all over again because the last time went sooo well.
“I’m not going to go through all the details of what I might or might not know. But I’m comfortable with the way our agencies operate and I’m comfortable they’re not breaking the law.”
Of course Key’s comfortable. They WERE breaking the law but he’s changed it now so they’re NOT breaking the law.
I was amused by Patrick Gower’s comment to the effect that what was happening under John Key was also happening under Helen Clark. One difference I suspect Patrick. John Key knew about it. It’s unlikely Helen Clark knew about it.
Thx for the link Anne. So Key is “comfortable” that our agencies are not breaking the (shitty invasive) laws that he had passed under urgency and against massive public outcry? Oh yay for him.
“Have you ever wondered about how John Key ended up with a Security Intelligence Service Amendment Bill that he didn’t understand?’
Actually NO, I didn’t wonder why – I took it for granted.
That noice Mr Key knows what’s best for us.
I’ve got noting to hide anyway, and I’m sure nobody else I come across day to day has either.
I’m Muddle Class after all …. I’m esprayshnul …… I’ve got a vusion and Oim on a Mussion to sikcede – js like JK.
I’m confident that sooner or later those assholes holding me back will be branded for life with the terrorist label they deserve.
If John can do it – why so can I!
God, Allah! he’s the Messiah ain’t he?
Bow down! What a bloody silly question anyway Huginn! Have I EVER wondered about John Key indeed!
Why NEVER, not EVER
Wow i got a letter today from the Green Party’s new National Campaign Director, being a member of the party that ain’t exactly unusual, what is tho, unusual that is, is the mouthful i would like to spit Ben’s way for the ‘thinking’ surrounding the elongated ask for a donation,
What chance i would like to ask Ben,(the new National Campaign Director), has the Green Party got of ‘winning’ the electorate seat of Christchurch East in the upcoming by-election, the question of course is entirely rhetorical as i plan myself to provide ‘Ben’ with the only logical answer,
NONE, not a f**king snowballs chance in hell have the Green Party got of ‘winning’ the Christchurch East by-election and there is the same chance that ‘Ben’ is going to get me to part with any dollars He kindly informs me will in part be used to contest this by-election,
There could only be one result of a highly successful Green Party campaign in the Christchurch East by-election and that would be a win, as the left vote split, for the National Party candidate,
Contesting electorate seats for smaller parties in an MMP enviroment is in my opinion the politics of the Neanderthal and in Christchurch East electorate it is my view that if anything the Green Party should be campaigning FOR the election of the Labour candidate while giving a BIG reminder to voters to Party vote Green in November 2014,
Seriously which??? electorate seat do the Green Party have any chance of winning any time soon, again an entirely rhetorical question as anyone of us with the smallest inkling knows that there are none and if the Green Party want to give it’s candidates a taste of coal face politics and electioneering they should confine their electorate efforts to ‘safe’ National held seats as any votes they manage to chisel from within such electorates would be a real bonus and boost to ‘the left’,
Russell Norman in the Rongotai electorate is currently what i see as the only seat in the forseeable future that the Green Party could hope to win in and that will be entirely at the whim of when the encumbant Labour’s Annette King decides to retire…
Bad, they’re not doing it to win the seat, they’re doing it to raise the GP profile for the next general election (they’re also building profile for candidates who may be an MP in the future). It is a smart move, unless, as you say, they split the vote and let National take the seat (haven’t looked at the numbers). But even then, it might still be worth it to them, as that extra seat doesn’t give National any more voting advantage, but still allows the GP to increases its party vote next time round.
I don’t think the GP considers itself a ‘smaller’ party any more. And I doubt that there is any advantage to actively helping the Labour candidate win, unless Labour are willing to offer concessions as well next year.
BAKER, Leighton CNSP 522
BRITNELL, Michael ALCP 254
DALZIEL, Lianne LAB 15,559
GILMORE, Aaron NAT 10,225
MATHERS, Mojo GP 1,347
MILLER, Johnny UFNZ 108
Labour Party 9,100
National Party 13,252
Green Party 3,359
United Future 160
ACT New Zealand 101
Alliance 28
Democrats for Social Credit 22
Libertarianz 17
Mana 63
Māori Party 84
New Zealand First Party 1,801
My view is as i say above, if the Green Party want to ‘blood’ candidates with electioneering experience they would better serve themselves and the ‘left’ in general by doing this electioneering in safe National seats, any votes the Green Party could chisel from such electorates are in reality worth 2 votes…
In 2008 John Key made two promises regarding wages. One was quietly to businesses to lower wages and the other was loudly to the people of NZ to raise wages. Considering what has actually happened it’s fairly obvious which one he kept.
The wage gap is now the highest on record and has increased by $90 since John Key took office, promising to close the gap.
If you really want a brighter future, kick National out of power and keep them out.
Stand downs and 50% benefit limits… …but when a employee dies on the job, why no 10 day standdown of all work (full pay). That’ll kick bosses to raise standards, oops… ….or is it just for the untouchables?
Kennedy cult “would impress Kim Il-Sung”
by NOAM CHOMSKY, 23 November 2013
Daniel Falcone: Do you find it odd that the country is focusing on a 50th anniversary remembrance of the Kennedy assassination?
Noam Chomsky: Worship of leaders is a technique of indoctrination that goes back to the crazed George Washington cult of the eighteenth century and on to the truly lunatic Reagan cult of today, both of which would impress Kim Il-sung. The JFK cult is similar.
Daniel Falcone: What does it mean that popular media treat such a date with such unusual honor?
Noam Chomsky: Simply that we live in a deeply indoctrinated society.
Daniel Falcone: Do other countries find it odd that we commemorate such a day?
Noam Chomsky: Others are not all that different, though American patriotic displays do amuse (or surprise, or frighten) the world. In part, it’s just confusion. He’s very popular among African-Americans; some are unaware of his actual role in the civil rights struggles – which was not pretty. But in part, it’s among intellectuals – and JFK understood very well that if you pat them on the head and pretend you love them, you’ll get a good image. It worked like a charm.
Daniel Falcone: There are over 40,000 books on Kennedy in print and more than ten titles out currently. They are either about his legacy or his death, or they counter factual history. Is this because the real history of Kennedy would be too hideous to recall?
Noam Chomsky: The true history has been so effectively suppressed that it’s not a reason for the counterfactual history.
Daniel Falcone: One author, Jeff Greenfield, writes about how Kennedy would have been different in his second term. This is repeated in media and movies over and over again. Why?
Noam Chomsky: Probably because the actual record is so awful.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if the NZDF decided that their best course legal of action was to sail out in a flotilla of sailing ships in order to do a passive-aggressive “you’ve gotta give way!” “No YOU’VE gotta give way” contest.
I suggest using the Spirit of NZ, or maybe an Endeavour replica.
nice of the drillers to say that the protest isn’t interfering with the operation, though. Could help the protestors if they eventually face a court case
According to the news, from tomorrow people will be able to access audit reports by the M O H of Residential Care Homes.
btw, The Aged Care Association are concerned that family will find it hard to understand the 90 page reports, and recommendations, that will be available on each of them. Touching.
Lifting heavy weights is good for bone density build up, prevents osteoporosis. Probably that’s at the nub of the report. Where is the nub then so you can go straight to it? Easy, a child of five could find it. Hey, send for a child of five.
Thanks for the link, amirite. A mother, on benefits, has $8 to feed her family after losing her job. (And then there was the stand down period.)
Craig Foss: showing he is really in touch with the realities of poverty and the availability of relevant government (and other?) services.
Living in poverty was not an isolated issue. Last week a Wairarapa woman was caught “dumpster diving” in a supermarket skip to feed her children.
Tukituki MP Craig Foss said situations such as Kelly’s were extremely difficult, but there were plenty of organisations offering services to lessen the blow.
“It’s pretty challenging, but there are a raft of assistant options, and Government agencies … all of those are about helping people during those tough periods and getting them up out of those circumstances.”
PS: for the righties who mention her mortgage and her car: for the weekly amount she pays on her mortgage, I doubt a mother with children would find rental accommodation in Auckland anywhere near as low as that. It’s tough out there.
Foss might one day discover – everything costs money. If you can get something free it’s rare. And that raft – they often fall apart, rafts.
And how does one approach these agencies. Do you ring up and listen to all the options and then hope you chose the right one and then get a minute of pop music and then a person and you go to say all the things you have written down but they don’t want to know and tell you you don’t qualify and to phone someone else and you ask if they have the number and…. And all that and you have only rung one number.
Is there an office you can go and visit. Yes and they can give you an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. But the power might be cut off by then, and you only have some money for some milk and the bus, and the bus back the next day. Where can you get some food for the kids, you have bread and cheese but you hoped you could do better for the main meal.
It’s painful working through all these things, knowing that some people always have sufficient in the bank to buy the luxury things they want. You know they can’t understand your life. And the family won’t overlook that you didn’t go home for the family funeral, they know you are a beneficiary but they still expected you to get there, and who would look after the children left at home as it would be too far for them to travel?
Multiple anxieties at any given time, in the here and now, and no way can you think of the future or you would give up completely. (This is an amalgam of just one parent’s possible problems.)
The Abbott government has swung its support further behind Israel at the expense of Palestine, giving tacit approval to controversial activities including the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
Acting on instructions from Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, government representatives at the United Nations have withdrawn Australia’s support for an order to stop ”all Israeli settlement activities in all of the occupied territories”.
Such a moral government decision.
Many within the international community regard the expansion of Israeli settlements as an act of hostility towards Palestinians, hampering the likelihood of peace.
No place at the table for half-arsed feminists, thanks
After talking to these young women, we wrote a column criticising academic feminists’ use of alienating terms such as “intersectionality” on the basis that most people don’t understand them. “Intersectionality” basically means taking into account the way different systems of oppression – race, class, disability, sexual orientation – relate to one another. The article raised issue with the language, not the concept, but because we deigned to criticise the method of communication, we were deemed racist. It was very difficult, because I fundamentally believe that we have a problem with representation that needs to be tackled and feminism needs to be for everyone, but having a platform means that people without one direct their anger at you, at your face and at your writing, and, as a half-arsed feminist, I’m still learning how to cope with the pressure to represent everyone, all the time.
Would the person who comments here, please stop spamming my blog, if not at least have enough courage to leave your crap under a name and not anonymously.
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
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. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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of course the (local) fascinating aspects of the international climatechange deal struck over the weekend..
..are that the imperative for each country to front up with their detailed/specific cutting-plans by early 2015..
..means no political party will be able to ignore this issue during a late 2014 election campaign..
..next years election just got a whole lot more interesting..
..i wonder how outright deniers/outliers/table-leg-chewers like colon craig will handle it..?
..but not only him..
..how will ‘growth’-parties ..like labour..how will they manage that balancing act..?
..and surely the greens’ arm has been strengthened..?
..phillip ure..
The most important piece of news this morning is apparently the All Blacks’ success. Go figure?
Radio New Zealand should not sound like Radio Sport.
Makes me turn off my beloved.
Golf. Soccer. Football. Aaaagh
Patsy interview by the Herald of Shell New Zealand. No difficult questions asked. Too much advertising to lose, I imagine.
Oil man: I understand the protests
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11162191
Jager said the track record of companies around New Zealand had been solid, but drilling would never be risk-free.
“Regrettably there’s nothing in life that is risk-free, it’s how we manage it,” he said.
Now, he says, changes being made are going in the right direction, and in the oil and gas industry fitted the environmental aims.
“Health and safety and the environment go hand and hand,” he said. “Keeping the gas in the pipe and stopping people from getting injured – it’s all part of the same approach for us.”
You would hear his colleague in Russia saying the same nonsense about their care for the environment about the Arctic…and his competitor at BP saying the same about the Gulf of Mexico before 2010.
Further evidence that the Herald has sold its soul to corporates.
You hear that sort of BS from all the companies and businesses. We still see deaths, waste and environmental damage that could easily have been avoided if they actually did what they say.
Remember there are supermarkets onshore that can supply Anardarko with many rolls of absorbent handytowels in case of a spill
How about Kiwis register their sentiments by wrapping up a roll of toilet paper and posting that to John Key?
“No postage stamp is needed when you are writing as an individual to a member of Parliament or a Minister.”
John Key
Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
People can thank him with a roll of toilet paper for this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9437337/Government-can-handle-oil-protesters-Key
That should also keep NZ Post’s delivery busy. Your public service: use it or lose it.
Should add that:
” Postage is required if you are writing on behalf of an organisation.”
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/about-parliament/get-involved/contact/00PlibHvYrSayContact1/contact-an-mp
“To much advertising to lose I imagine”
You have a very fertile imagination then. Shell no longer have any retail interests in New Zealand, and do no advertising.
Can you remember the last time you saw a Shell advertisement in The Herald apart from, possibly, the legally required notices they might have to publish for their oil and gas production operations?
So you don’t think the Herald doesn’t have vested interests that dictate its editorial stances?
Roughan and Murphy write independently. Yeah right!
Why do you attribute to me things that I have never said?
“So you don’t think etc” and “Roughan and Murphy write independently”. I have never claimed that and if you had said that as the reason for the type of interview the Herald had done I wouldn’t have bothered to comment.
However you put the tenor of the interview down to something it is clearly not. You proposed that it was because of losing Shell’s advertising and I was pointing out that that was extremely unlikely as there isn’t any to lose.
Actually on rereading this I see when you say “don’t think the Herald doesn’t have” it is a double negative and means that “you think the Herald has vested interests”. I guess I would have to answer yes to what you said, even if I don’t think that was what you meant.
“..One public policy with profound impacts on business and the economy is rarely evaluated:
– drug prohibition policy..”
http://www.alternet.org/economy/11-ways-drug-war-raises-your-taxes-and-shrinks-your-profits
phillip ure..
Alexander Gillespie, professor of law, Waikato:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11162160
“Drug Liberalization worth a” Toke in New Zealand.
A report on RNZ broadcast that, after protracted, tortuous negotiations at some climate change forum, that agreement was finally reached with the change of ‘one word’ ! That was the end of the report! What was the ‘one’ word? Suggestions, guesses, or does anyone actually know. This is so ridiculous.
“Commitment”. No, seriously.
The 19th conference of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ended in Warsaw on Saturday. Last-minute concessions produced a limp agreement. A Copenhagen-style train-wreck has been avoided.
It is 21 years since the Framework Convention undertook to stabilise global emissions to save the planet from dangerous climate change. Emissions have increased since then from 38 billion tonnes to 50 b. Warsaw continues on that same path..
The main outlines of the COP 19 conference are:
– An undertaking to prepare for ‘contributions’ for the post-’20 global agreement to be agreed by 2015; India and China refused to accept the word ‘commitment’;
– A mechanism for loss-and-damage that would assist vulnerable countries to protect against extreme impacts;
– A breakthrough on forestry with ‘results-based payments’ system to encourage developing countries halt deforestation and increase afforestation (REDD+).
Is this enough to call Warsaw a success? If ‘success’ is defined as the short-term avoidance of failure, then perhaps. If it is defined as achieving what is required for the long-term goal, the answer is no.
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2013/11/25/fiddling-with-the-firewall-while-earth-burns-making-sense-of-cop19/
yet, Wind Farming NZ drops off
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11162178
planning buffeted by “political and regulatory” uncertainty
(couldn’t organize a shearing run in wool-shed)
while, worldwide there was an increase in installed wind-generator capacity of 19% last year;
Fastest growth in – China.
Yep, the rest of the world’s putting in wind and solar generation but we have difficulty due to at least one major party not wanting to move on from the use of fossil fuels.
Proper investment in transport and renewable energy and, IMO, we could completely dump the use of fossil fuels in 10 or so years.
for you Draco, our friend The Wind , well, maybe not hot nor’westers…
And some of the companies are now being taken to court for killing birds.
That is probably not a problem in China but it appears the US are now taking it seriously.
I wonder how many birds are being killed in New Zealand? I haven’t found any definitive numbers and I can’t imagine either the power companies nor the wind power enthusiasts want it known
http://news.yahoo.com/guilty-plea-bird-deaths-wind-farns-first-081651963-finance.html
clearly I’m not the only one ‘on drugs’ 😉 around here. Is that an argument for limiting wind-power generation development alwyn? There’s a bit of wildlife collateral damage associated with the fossil fuels industries too, we understand.
I’m not particularly keen on windpower generation but it is more on efficiency grounds, as well as the CO2 produced in making them, rather than a some birds being killed. As you say fossil fuels kill birds such as the 2,000 or so in the Rena shipwreck. On the other hand I would have expected the Green Party, and Greenpeace to be screaming about the wind turbines after their hysterical outbursts about the Rena.
Why do we not have Russel calling for an enquiry into turbine bird kills and calling for them all to be closed down until the enquiry is complete?
As an aside I would pick the following order for electricity generation in New Zealand. Geothermal, Hydro, Gas fired, Nuclear and then Wind. Solar and Tidal might work if you were a long way from the grid but I don’t think they make sense otherwise. No Oil fired and no Coal fired though.
Incidentally what is the reference to ‘on drugs’? I don’t get it.
oh, just a popular culture reference of incredulity eg “Are you on drugs or summint’ ” As Mork would say, “just a little humor arh arh”. 😀
😀
nanoo nanoo
a Colossal Insight 😎
Yep, I saw that and wondered WTF. The actual number of eagles killed is minuscule (~10 per year across 20 states) and so normal population increase would probably take care of it. Of course, there’s not a hell of a lot left that normal about the Bald and Golden eagles as they’ve been driven to the brink of extinction.
Still, you’d have thought that they would have continued on with the successful breeding program that they had going:
I do want to know actually.
Eventually the evolutionary pressure on birds would increase their ability to hear the specific noise related to wind farms. Just as the wings of birds that dodge cars shortened a little. But as to oil spills, its much harder for birds to adapt to oil since they is no clear ‘killing’ selector.
About the only thing I could find was a DOC paper published in January 2009 which said, in great detail and going on for about 50 pages. “We don’t know because we have never looked”.
I’m sorry but I didn’t record the reference. It wasn’t very informative though.
The numbers are pretty miniscule. Strangely enough, it’s only when wind power gets involved that RWNJs and fuel companies worry about bird deaths. I remember reading something a while ago and thinking, if the figures were right, I would have seen clouds of feathers and piles of rotting flesh around all the wind turbines in Germany. In actual fact, windows kill a hell of a lot more birds.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/wind-turbine-kill-birds.htm
I would agree that anyone who objects to bird deaths from wind farms, but not deaths from oil spills would fit the definition of a RWNJ. Equally of course someone who objects to any deaths from oil spills but ignores the ones from a wind farm fits the definition for a LWNJ.
I don’t actually know anyone whose sole objection to wind farms is one of bird deaths. Most of the ones opposing them are of course NIMBYs. Wind power to them is great, as long as they can’t see it. A few, generally engineering types, oppose them on the grounds of inefficiency or CO2 production in making them.
Most people take a fairly pragmatic approach of course. They don’t want to see species, usually the cuddly looking ones, becoming extinct but regard a few bird deaths as worth it to them for getting the benefits of modern technology.
Of course, if you really hold that we must do anything to prevent a living species becoming extinct you would have to argue that we must not try and get rid of the smallpox, or the HIV viruses. Anyone willing to argue that we must leave them alone?
If you’re serious about birds you’d be much better off joining Gareth Morgan in his anti-cat crusade rather than worrying about wind farms. I’d be just about certain that the number of kiwi, takahe or kakapo inconvenienced in any way by wind farms is, and will remain, a big fat zero.
hee hee
5% of deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico have suffered oil spills.
1 in every 20.
That is the statistic of an industry out of control
Actually this is:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/sep/11/usa.oil
Now There’s a job!
with fringe benefits!
Sounds like the Mayor’s office !
Coriolanus on The Hunger Games (and tweeny political reality). Still, as the good Doctor says, “you wouldn’t want the Americans to be able to alter time, have you seen their movies?” 😀
Quote is from Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
Just sayin’
oops, you are correct, I plead relaxation at that time of the evening: The anniversary was the best Dr I have seen, and I have just been reading that it was the world’s largest dramatic presentation in broadcast history.
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/11/25/doctor-who-broadcast-becomes-worlds-largest-tv-drama-event?
Great script; he’s a clever fellow that Dr, and I saw Capaldi’s eyes; Did you? 😀
(“Great men are forged in fire…it is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame”).
from The Age , of thirteen.
Worse, I heard the deeper the depth of the ocean the more accidents, and they are prospecting in even deeper water than usual. Also, we’re on the ring of fire, the Mexico gulf is not.
Thanks OAK. That is so funny. Sounds like leaving it out of your marriage vows. A Claytons ‘agreement’ when you don’t have one at all. Or, you have one but it’s meaningless! Face it, we’re stuffed.
JOHN BANKS JUDICIAL REVIEW (heading; not shouting)
For those interested in this, the High Court hearing is in two days’ time on Wednesday, 27 November.
Graeme Edgeler has written up a well-worth reading and comprehensive Q & A post on Public Address on the legal aspects of the review following the issue of a minute by Judge Heath (who is hearing the HC judicial review) to the parties to the case.
http://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/qa-john-banks-judicial-review/
Penny Bright provided a link to Judge Heath’s minute in OM on 10 November
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Minute-Judge-Heath-27-Nov-Hearing-1.pdf
FYI
NZ Serious Fraud Office confirms they have received ”request for NZ Serious Fraud Office to conduct an urgent inquiry into alleged bribery and corruption, involving Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Sky City Auckland’.
“I can confirm I have received your letter. We will evaluate it and respond as soon as possible.”
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/nz-serious-fraud-office-confirms-they-have-received-request-for-nz-serious-fraud-office-to-conduct-an-urgent-inquiry-into-alleged-bribery-and-corruption-involving-auckland-mayor-len-brown-and-sky/
I will be fascinated to hear what anti-corruption experts think about the lack of transparency at Auckland Council, and how CEO Doug Mckay – who is supposed to be an ‘apolitical public servant’ is a member of the very influential private lobby group – the Committee for Auckland, and how Auckland Council ‘books’ are NOT ‘open’ and we don’t know how many Auckland Council (or Auckland Council CCO) contracts are going to member companies?
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz membership
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
This Government has brought in sanctions for beneficiaries. Here is the UK perspective as its their system Paula Bennett is copying.
“Benefit Sanctions Must Be Stopped Without Exceptions in UK”
“Stop the benefits cuts and sanctions
“Why is this important?
Absolute poverty, as in having no money at all, is all-encompassing, meaning it is almost impossible to think about anything else and it impacts on every area of life. Relationships with family and friends fracture, self-esteem is demolished, emotions range from stark terror to utter despair. Poverty removes the freedom to act rationally and assess situations in the long term and so creates its own vicious trap.
Such is the psychological anguish of long term poverty that some people will spend money on drugs or alcohol rather than food just to block out a few hours of their life. Poverty therefore leads to more poverty, ill health and increasing isolation. Poverty leads to family breakdown, which leads to homelessness, to addiction, depression, self-harm, poor health, mental illness and so on until the individual is shattered beyond repair.
In a society where there is no common land, it is a form of torture to deliberately inflict this state of being on anyone. Even the most ardent supporter of cut throat capitalism must, if they have any humanity at all, accept that to consciously reduce people to begging, sleeping in the streets or attempting suicide is a cruel and degrading punishment. We do not treat the vilest of child killers like this in prisons, yet to be poor, and unable to find a job, is now to face the full force of state inflicted economic terrorism.”
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/benefit-sanctions-must-be-stopped-without-exceptions-in-uk
I case in point:
“I was made unemployed 8 weeks ago and have just had my benefit cut because I wasn’t on the online jobseekingsite for 5 days as I had no access to the laptop which they said is not an excuse I should have went looking for a computer and even though I told them I was at a second interview for a job for which I was told I would receive a phone call with a start date they said I wasn t doing enough and cut my benefit and made me feel like a scrounger. It is’nt my fault I am unemployed.”
johnm
That’s really bad. Good luck with opportunities to get out of it. We must have a change here.
We must get a Labour/Green government that will change this attitude to welfare!
And though individuals like Paula B get named, the NACTS are behind it. behind her. They have engineered a jobless society to advance themselves, and in their economic model unemployment is an externality that is somebody else’s problem. Sorry that you are getting such shit from this rent-seeking government.
(investopedia on line – Rent-seeking – When a company, organization or individual uses their resources to obtain an economic gain from others without reciprocating any benefits back to society )
Just a clarification the 1 case in point is a person in the UK not me, fortunately! 🙂
Apart from being inhumane, benefit cuts, and in fact cuts to any spending into the grass roots community, are major brakes on economic activity. You’d think that after 5 years of austerity those in charge would have figured out it doesn’t work.
(To be realistic, austerity is extremely good at upward wealth redistribution).
CV
True, upward is the way. Why waste it on the poor who will only spend it on drink, drugs, trinkets and beads instead of keeping fit and ready so that they can be available when it is deigned to allow them to do some work. Remember Danilo Dolci in Southern Italy upsetting the controllers there by organising the unemployed to take their own shovels and work on the roads without pay. An unemployment strike in reverse, a gesture against being cheated out of a useful productive life as wage earners.
The wealthy however are content to sit back, complain about having to pay anything for others without their wealth and enjoy perhaps fine malt whisky, pleasures in the box at the sports, fine meals with exquisite taste, blah blah. A Listener advert from 2005 exemplifies this. Chartered Accountants with slogan Count on Growth Ad No.ICA122205 CAPICHE uses Ferran Adria a restaurant owner and chef near Barcelona as an exemplar of success. His technique in the chemistry of food is a business lesson – ‘It’s not until you know all the rules that you’ll start to make exciting discoveries.’ The Golden Rule especially.
So many people who are working and earning are ashperashunal to end up mixing with those who spend lots of dosh and the rest of the world is just a backdrop. The restaurant owner they patronise might have thought and generosity extending to allowing a certain group or person to dive in their kitchen waste dump, but that might pose problems to the security of the area and the tone of the business, so maybe not.
We need to raise ordinary people to a status of art forms, so that when the rich see other humans, they see something special and wonderful worth paying for. That’s a way to extract some financial flow from superior persons perhaps. Bene mother with blue headscarf and baby in the theme of Madonna and child etc.
Actually, we need to do the exact opposite. We need to get people to see the rich as the bludgers that they are and that we can’t afford them.
DTB
Yeah, yeah you always have such high-flown ideas, sheesh. /sarc
and RT
Well I’ll just keep muttering on and some kind person may take some notice and give me the sort of NZ I would like to see before I die, probably in a decade or so.
grains and chaff, gw, grains and chaff
have you been peeking in my window gw?
That depends upon what you’re trying to do. If you’re trying toget the economy going again then, sure, it doesn’t work. If, on the other hand, you’re just trying to make the rich richer then it works fine as the desperation brought on the poor by austerity will help lower wages.
+1
nevermind, see it’s about the uk
A case in point this sanction is in the form of harassment: happening here in NZ. The excuse is a mistake was made. Mistakes are a common way to harass bennies in the UK system. The hope is you’ll just give up and not make the effort to get your benefit reinstated. It’s all about making being on a benefit hard going as they see you having an easy time as if living on a pittance is an easy time!
“Winz forces Hamilton family to prove sons still disabled
‘To have to prove this is silly’ ”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9437301/Winz-forces-Hamilton-family-to-prove-sons-still-disabled
” Attention, Work and Income managers and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett: Muscular dystrophy is not a condition that somehow goes away.
A Hamilton family are frustrated by Work and Income bureaucracy after the government department threatened to put a stop to disability payments for their two teenaged boys unless they can prove they still have their condition.
Hamish Taylor, 17, and his 15-year-old brother Austin have duchenne muscular dystrophy. Its symptoms including muscle weakness and wasting.They will have to live with it for the rest of their lives.
And that’s the message the boys’ exasperated father Steve has been struggling to get through to staff at Work and Income, after the organisation’s Hamilton Community Link service contacted them to say support for Austin had been stopped because they had not received confirmation from a medical specialist that he still had muscular dystrophy.
“I just don’t understand why they want us to keep proving they have a disability,” he said. ”
The harassing condition is as follows one which is patently ludicrous: “Winz threatened to put a stop to disability payments for their two teenaged boys unless they could prove they still have their condition.”
@johnm
I’m afraid if and when we do get a coalition government that starts to remedy some of the atrocities inflicted on beneficiaries, they may also have to enforce cultural change within WINZ – even if it’s by way of redundancies amongst managerial staff. May even have to restructure.
At least it’d be some sort of atonement by the Labour Party for the do nothing stance taken in the 3rd term last time they held the reins.
After their emabracing the neo-lib religion in the 80’s, followed by Ruthenasia, it was always going to take a while to reverse much of the damage. It’s going to take a while, and a demonstration by Labour that they intend returning to their social well-being roots before I can forgive them for taking my 2005 vote for granted. They should really be starting NOW by announcing policy.
Tim
As I understood it the line that post neo lib Labour was to take, was encourage business and not fetter with regulations, and to look after social security so that it aided while any changeover in business practice was happening, and maintained a healthy population with opportunities for enterprise and a good life. An efficiently running country with good welfare assistance and happy, busy people. So what happened? Decreased dosage of Ruthanasia really.
….. which is nothing like what we actually got.
I don’t believe we actually got to a ‘post neo-liberalism’ – it’s alive and well amongst careerist Labour politicians, and most National politicians (most of whom haven’t got two original ideas to rub together between any pair of them).
Neo-liberalism hasn’t just infected the economy – it’s affected the culture – including the vehicles by which a society interacts (such as language and media).
Thankfully people are waking up (I think its Chris Trotter on TDB that outlines some of the growing resistance to it – in the UK and elsewhere).
You’ll know the drill – trickle down that didn’t;
privatisation of anything not tied down on the basis that it was more efficient and effective when it wasn’t (20 years of bailouts and rescues of natural monoplies – mainly due to profit taking/clipping the ticket/lack of re-investment/maintenance);
invention of new language to describe the same old shit when the current buzz becomes embarrassing: Trickle down/’job creators-[private business ONLY]’
…..’learnings'[when LESSONS didn’t get learned, we needed a new word] …… the list is endless……
deregulation/self-regulation/right-sizing/
(more recently): ….. “mis-selling” for fcuks sake!!!
All code for fraud; maintenance of a status quo amongst a comfortably off – no matter the cost; greed; avarice; sustained RATHER THAN sustainABLE growth given Earth’s finite resources in a world of increasing population; a terrorist label applied to anything that attempts to resist;
the easing of consciences from a generation that professed socially liberal values, peace, love and goodwill to all mankind but delivered slavery to their offspring in order to maintain their comfort; A US of A: freedom! for fucks sake!
…. politicians (and MSM) so fundamentally dishonest that they’ve caused their electorates and audiences to completely disengage
the commodification of EVERYTHING in the name of a valueless $, including the spiritual, the cultural – indeed humanity itself (e.g. symbols such as tattoos with specific meanings really only understood by minorities sold and applied to others on the basis that they ‘look mean man’; etc, etc, etc.)
It’d be understandable if people got depressed by it all (Oh, btw – there’s a synthetic solution for that as well – at a cost).
Better to just be amused by it all and realise that its all self-defeating. The sooner the better because what freaks me is that the longer it goes on and the more pervasive it is, the more violent its end will be.
There were signs Cunliffe recognised the effects early on after his rise to power.
I wonder lately whether he’s meeting resistance from the old guard, or whether he’s simply being very clever – I hope its the latter.
Christ Almightly! I was thinking – we wonder WHY the rise in religious fundamentalsim – now THERE’S something a neo-lib agenda never anticipated or had a solution to other than that ‘land of the free’s’ policy of nuke em – the 21st century’s KKK option – peanut buttered by Uncle Thom and Michele (with two delightful daughters who are unfortunately learning the mantra in a very WASP White House bubble.)
…next
UK: Cost of Living Crisis
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/523694/20131120/uk-personal-debt-centre-social-justice.htm?
– Another Financial Crisis (for the many) Around The Corner?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2510376/Soaring-debt-close-time-high-cost-living-falling-wages.html
this cat came back, too
Didn’t take long for the gloss to wear off old Tony.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/labor-storms-ahead-20131124-2y43r.html
Very disappointing that Labor in-fighting as well as big stumbles around their Climate Change promises gifted the election to the right wing.
Labor also put a lot of effort into outflanking Abbott on the right, particularly with refugees. The loss of a philosophical basis for their policies and the internal sabotage by Krudd and Latham pretty much gifted the country to Abbott and his knuckle draggers.
You mean that heading to the right at flank speed didn’t successfully enchant the ‘swinging’ centre? What a surprise. all this shows is that Labour Parties all over the world need to ditch whoever they’ve been using as advisors.
He is a bloody embarrassment here, turning the distinguished office of Australian PM into “contempt” and “ridicule”.
The Indonesians in Rakyat Merdeka have caricatured him as Peeping Tom and wanking:
“The appearance of the image on the front page suggests that, in the eyes of the newspaper’s editors, the spying scandal and breakdown of relations between the countries has made Australia in general, and Mr Abbott in particular, into objects of contempt and ridicule.”
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australias-reputation-in-indonesia-hits-new-low-20131123-2y2k2.html
And Tony can look forward to picking up his million when he is soon booted out office …
(Btw, how much do NZ ex-PMs cost?)
Million Dollar PMs
KEVIN RUDD $200,000 pension plus estimated $300,000-a-year office and travel costs
JULIA GILLARD $200,000 pension plus estimated $300,000-a-year office and travel costs
JOHN HOWARD $250,000 pension plus $300,000 a year in office and travel costs.
PAUL KEATING $140,000-a-year office, travel, phone costs + pension
BOB HAWKE $130,000-a-year in office, travel, phone costs + pension
MALCOLM FRASER $220,000-a-year office, travel, phone + pension
GOUGH WHITLAM $125,000-a-year office, travel, phone + pension*
Source: Department of Finance documents.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/julia-gillard-and-kevin-rudd-demand-bigger-perks-for-former-prime-ministers/story-fni0cx12-1226766891140
That is one hilarious ’toon, so wickedly childish and Abbott certainly deserves it, but, the Indonesians are serious offenders in the ‘dish it out but can’t take it” stakes.
Ironically, the spying the Indonesians found out about happened under Krudd. If Abbott was any different, he would have had a party at Krudd’s expense. The fact that he didn’t shows that you couldn’t slide a cigarette paper between the positions the two parties take when it comes to bending their people over for the seppos.
Tony and Malcolm were both unelectable until Gillard/Rudd took it upon themselves to have a civil war and implode Labor federally and the fallout will continue.
Oz electorate banks on senate protecting them from serious damage emerging from the lower house, this may or may not prove to be the case this time with the Palmer cabal holding sway.
Phil Goff a bit too happy about TPPP. He’s certain that our negotiators will be protecting our pharmaceutical screen and buying methods.
What about all the other ways the USA can gain advantage with TPPP. They can take over our consciousness, our ability to understand and comprehend what is happening to us – they already dominate our radio news. We know more about every gun mishap and storm damage in the USA than the total remainder of the world. Their news is likely to appear before ours on our own radio news.
With TPPP their ways and businesses will infiltrate our systems, including education, and of course what was started in 1984 originated from the USA with help from disturbed people fleeing from change and oppression of one sort like Hayek and Rand to creating another sort with the illusion of freedom. (I see that Pres George Bush gave Sam Walton an award for Freedom for being such a clever businessman and making lots of money. That’s what ‘freedom’ is about in the USA.)
The USA would deny us any self-direction that is left, if not our country. They came (already) they saw (Timaru and the attractive scenery) they con…..
Sports commentators have language choices that are special to them. I noticed the use of ‘transpired’ instead of ‘happened’ like – What transpired was amazing.
What is Colin Craig’s PROVEN track record on opposing privatisation and asset sales?
Can Colin Craig be trusted in his purported opposition to asset sales?
I say NO.
_______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/colin-craig-clearly-after-nz-first-voters-ck-149084
Andrea Vance interviews Colin Craig. He is clearly after NZ First voters:
The other – less palatable – coalition option for Key is NZ First. And Craig, at 45, sees himself as a fresh-faced alternative to political warhorse Winston Peters, 68.
He claims to be eating solidly into Peters’ core constituency of the older, socially conservative voter.
Members have switched allegiance, particularly after NZ First’s annual conference in October, he says. “We are enjoying seeing Grey Power no longer invite Winston, but invite me instead . . . there is a sort of transition. We are slowly taking over that space.”
Craig says one of the reasons Peters is in decline is that “he’s lost the mojo”.
“He’s not the Winston he was . . . and I know he thinks he is going to be here till whenever, but there is a point at which you start to lose credibility . . . my impression is that he was, last time, the protest vote. Now we have offered that opportunity in a similar policy space.”
Senior citizens appear to like Craig’s morally conservative views combined with an anti-asset sales stance.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Don’t get sucked in folks!
Sorry – but I for one DO NOT TRUST Colin Craig’s purported opposition to asset sales.
Why?
In 2010, both Colin Craig and I were Auckland Mayoral candidates.
At an Auckland Mayoral meeting, I asked Colin Craig to his face where did he stand on 35 year privatised contracts for water services.
Colin Craig told me he was opposed to 35 year privatised contracts of water services, but supported shorter privatised contracts for water services, say for 5 years.
Supporting privatised contracts for water services is supporting PRIVATISATION – end of story.
(The contracting-out of water services is internationally the most common form of water privatisation).
Can Colin Craig be trusted in his purported opposition to asset sales?
In my considered opinion, as a PROVEN anti-privatisation campaigner – I say NO.
NZ First voters – (and others) BEWARE prospective politicians, especially those with no proven track record, telling you what you want to hear….
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
(Currently in Sydney, getting ready to attend the 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference)
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
It’s interesting that people including Colon Craig Himself continue to perpetrate the myth that Craig’s Conservatives will ‘eat into’ the NZFirst vote,
The election results from 2008(when Craig didn’t stand), and 2011 from the Rodney electorate tell a completely different tale,
Craig when comparing results between the two elections managed to hoover up 2000 votes from both Labour and National while only taking a couple of hundred off of NZFirst,
My view is that NZFirst have a extremely committed ‘core vote’ of around 4.7% as evidenced by their vote in 2008 against the backdrop of the National/ACT attack against Peters,
What added the other nearly 2% in 2011 i believe is in part some of the ‘flock’ returning to the Party and many who (a) voted NZFirst in an effort to destroy any chance of there being a ‘Govern alone National Government, and (b),some who saw the slim opportunity of ‘stealing’ the election out from under Slippery the PM’s nose,(and quite frankly came within a whisker of doing so)…
from beneath the lid of The Herald look into the elderly-farming industry in New Zealand:
-old people are more likely to end up in rest-homes in New Zealand than in any other country;
38% aged 65 and over die in residential aged-care compared to 32% in Aus. and under 20% in most developed European and Asian nations.
-Almost half ( 48%) of us can expect to spend time in an aged-care home or hospital before we die.
-Aged-care prescription rates for medications are 42% above international benchmarks: Grant Thornton Consultants, 2010.
possibly not a well Country For Old Men
Not a well country right now, after placing 2 parents in aged care the choices were poor the availability was worse and what we went through once there was very depressing for all of us.
Unlike other cultures we don’t look after our folks at home when they age we look to outsource it and the hospital system here didn’t give an F. Just wanted them gone but they weren’t allowed to go home.
Killing night ed classes robbed the elderly of a valuable outlet for the still sharp minds and able bodies with time and resources at their disposal.
cynically, for a change, 😉 joining the stitches that comprise the throw-over this sector is revealed as, suggests it is very unlikely there will be improvements in this sector for all but the well-off, particularly in view of the economic rationales being further advanced for prioritizing care for infants and children. My personal story is that, even after all that washed under the bridge between my folks and I, the offer has still been made to care for them if they called; it is what I’m competent at after all; Time will tell.
Furthermore, costs- rates, insurances, power, food,- just seem to continue to increase for the retired on fixed, modest incomes.
If only, representatives with real political clout and respect could plaster these realities before the eyes of the population simultaneously and wake them the f#*k up!
Still, none so blind, hold on, we’re in for an ambulatory ride.
btw, There is the ‘University of the Third Age’ interest group for mature and retired folk to be involved in.
ps, tc, I have trained, and worked in aged-care; had to leave, found it too depressing and upsetting personally, clients in tears, neglected etc.
Yes and this was an expensive aged facility in central auckland which simply hoovered up their money as we couldn’t convince them the merits of putting their house etc in a family trust decades ago.
So they pay a lifetime of taxes, rates etc (both always under wages) and then pay it out to be looked after in their dottage. Looking around the facility and dealing with it’s so called ‘care managers’ just made your blood boil
Other aged relatives are now really struggling with rising rates, power, insurances and water as that used to be free till now. The world also doesn’t like them using cheques or paying in person anymore so charges them for that privilege now also.
yes, when I have to negotiate the maze of paying online etc, I often think of how difficult this must be for the generations that have lived without IT for almost all their lives until recently; I find it frustrating at times. I still go and pay accounts in hard-copy, get a receipt, at Post-shop; have discussed with their staff the implications of NZPost rationalizations for older people.
The biggest taker of lives- Stress.
After The Thrill is Gone , and I’m outta hair, I’m outta here! 😀
and BB with it.
Yeah bb! (netspeak). 😀
‘…how difficult this must be for the generations that have lived without IT for almost all their lives until recently…’
Impossible for most who distrust the web and come from a world of documentation not PDF’s and hosted data. GCSB hasn’t helped.
It is appropriate to “distrust” the web; scams abound across a multitude of forums- banking, finance, ransom access, relationships, charity, Trade Me; I only ever enter on here what I’d be prepared to defend in a public RL forum now. Begin as one intends to go on.
Record interim profit for Ryman Healthcare
Apparently the system works very well for some.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9426056/Record-interim-profit-for-Ryman-Healthcare
And we’re the ones paying for it.
Having endured my own personal hell dealing with elderly parents I feel an enormous amount of sympathy for you and your family but the notion that people squirrel away their loot with an expectation that the taxpayer will pick up the tab makes me very fucking angry.
The requirement that individuals use their own resources to pay for their residential care until they reach the mandated threshold is reasonable enough and those who game the system do so at the expense of ordinary working people.
caring for them at home joe, or finding a facility that you had confidence in?
Both RT, mum lived on her own up until the last week of her life but I had to quit work to look after dad in our own home for two years until he required ever increasing levels of care and he spent another six years in assisted then residential and finally secure care.
The child becomes the parent thing, financial stress and relationship stresses were tough enough but the real nightmare was jumping through the hoops to obtain rest home care.
yes, the child frequently becomes the parent, yet It is certain your parents were in your good hands.
Being the way-in-the-world that we are, my best (female) mate and I are committed to avoiding burdening folk with these issues if possible, yet, even that choice can be difficult if circumstances remove personal volition. Alzheimers and dementia, hard for the emotionally proximate to witness when socialization rarely prepares us in the first-world for such losses of dignity and function.
Re: dementia, living in the first world appears to be one of the problems in of itself.
well, that looks profound yet says nothing.
McFlock 🙂
As a political candidate, I really appreciate such sincere praise 😀
get used to it.
well, it was sincere, anyway
Have you ever wondered about how John Key ended up with a Security Intelligence Service Amendment Bill that he didn’t understand?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/23/us/politics/nsa-report-outlined-goals-for-more-power.html?hp
Same way the banking lobby groups wrote the recent US legislation that releases their ‘controls’ so they can go off the range and derivative themselves up all over again because the last time went sooo well.
Interesting TV3 news item:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Snowden-highly-likely-to-have-spy-info/tabid/1607/articleID/322789/Default.aspx#.UpLyfCehsiI
Of course Key’s comfortable. They WERE breaking the law but he’s changed it now so they’re NOT breaking the law.
I was amused by Patrick Gower’s comment to the effect that what was happening under John Key was also happening under Helen Clark. One difference I suspect Patrick. John Key knew about it. It’s unlikely Helen Clark knew about it.
Thx for the link Anne. So Key is “comfortable” that our agencies are not breaking the (shitty invasive) laws that he had passed under urgency and against massive public outcry? Oh yay for him.
“Have you ever wondered about how John Key ended up with a Security Intelligence Service Amendment Bill that he didn’t understand?’
Actually NO, I didn’t wonder why – I took it for granted.
That noice Mr Key knows what’s best for us.
I’ve got noting to hide anyway, and I’m sure nobody else I come across day to day has either.
I’m Muddle Class after all …. I’m esprayshnul …… I’ve got a vusion and Oim on a Mussion to sikcede – js like JK.
I’m confident that sooner or later those assholes holding me back will be branded for life with the terrorist label they deserve.
If John can do it – why so can I!
God, Allah! he’s the Messiah ain’t he?
Bow down! What a bloody silly question anyway Huginn! Have I EVER wondered about John Key indeed!
Why NEVER, not EVER
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[lprent: Stupid troll resumes trolling after ban. Now banned permanently. ]
seems that way…..
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[lprent: Troll resuming after last ban. Now banned permanently as being a complete fool. ]
Do you not understand satire? I am assuming you saw the tag…
Wow i got a letter today from the Green Party’s new National Campaign Director, being a member of the party that ain’t exactly unusual, what is tho, unusual that is, is the mouthful i would like to spit Ben’s way for the ‘thinking’ surrounding the elongated ask for a donation,
What chance i would like to ask Ben,(the new National Campaign Director), has the Green Party got of ‘winning’ the electorate seat of Christchurch East in the upcoming by-election, the question of course is entirely rhetorical as i plan myself to provide ‘Ben’ with the only logical answer,
NONE, not a f**king snowballs chance in hell have the Green Party got of ‘winning’ the Christchurch East by-election and there is the same chance that ‘Ben’ is going to get me to part with any dollars He kindly informs me will in part be used to contest this by-election,
There could only be one result of a highly successful Green Party campaign in the Christchurch East by-election and that would be a win, as the left vote split, for the National Party candidate,
Contesting electorate seats for smaller parties in an MMP enviroment is in my opinion the politics of the Neanderthal and in Christchurch East electorate it is my view that if anything the Green Party should be campaigning FOR the election of the Labour candidate while giving a BIG reminder to voters to Party vote Green in November 2014,
Seriously which??? electorate seat do the Green Party have any chance of winning any time soon, again an entirely rhetorical question as anyone of us with the smallest inkling knows that there are none and if the Green Party want to give it’s candidates a taste of coal face politics and electioneering they should confine their electorate efforts to ‘safe’ National held seats as any votes they manage to chisel from within such electorates would be a real bonus and boost to ‘the left’,
Russell Norman in the Rongotai electorate is currently what i see as the only seat in the forseeable future that the Green Party could hope to win in and that will be entirely at the whim of when the encumbant Labour’s Annette King decides to retire…
King’s remounted, and ready to ride into campaign.
Bad, they’re not doing it to win the seat, they’re doing it to raise the GP profile for the next general election (they’re also building profile for candidates who may be an MP in the future). It is a smart move, unless, as you say, they split the vote and let National take the seat (haven’t looked at the numbers). But even then, it might still be worth it to them, as that extra seat doesn’t give National any more voting advantage, but still allows the GP to increases its party vote next time round.
I don’t think the GP considers itself a ‘smaller’ party any more. And I doubt that there is any advantage to actively helping the Labour candidate win, unless Labour are willing to offer concessions as well next year.
BAKER, Leighton CNSP 522
BRITNELL, Michael ALCP 254
DALZIEL, Lianne LAB 15,559
GILMORE, Aaron NAT 10,225
MATHERS, Mojo GP 1,347
MILLER, Johnny UFNZ 108
Labour Party 9,100
National Party 13,252
Green Party 3,359
United Future 160
ACT New Zealand 101
Alliance 28
Democrats for Social Credit 22
Libertarianz 17
Mana 63
Māori Party 84
New Zealand First Party 1,801
http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2011/electorate-5.html
My view is as i say above, if the Green Party want to ‘blood’ candidates with electioneering experience they would better serve themselves and the ‘left’ in general by doing this electioneering in safe National seats, any votes the Green Party could chisel from such electorates are in reality worth 2 votes…
Is there a hoover craft service from wellington to the south island?
a sea going vacum cleaner? 🙂
sorry – it just made a funny pic in my mind
not a Dyson then…
Lost your paddle? Dropped your propeller? Sea Hoover required
In 2008 John Key made two promises regarding wages. One was quietly to businesses to lower wages and the other was loudly to the people of NZ to raise wages. Considering what has actually happened it’s fairly obvious which one he kept.
If you really want a brighter future, kick National out of power and keep them out.
Stand downs and 50% benefit limits… …but when a employee dies on the job, why no 10 day standdown of all work (full pay). That’ll kick bosses to raise standards, oops… ….or is it just for the untouchables?
Kennedy cult “would impress Kim Il-Sung”
by NOAM CHOMSKY, 23 November 2013
Daniel Falcone: Do you find it odd that the country is focusing on a 50th anniversary remembrance of the Kennedy assassination?
Noam Chomsky: Worship of leaders is a technique of indoctrination that goes back to the crazed George Washington cult of the eighteenth century and on to the truly lunatic Reagan cult of today, both of which would impress Kim Il-sung. The JFK cult is similar.
Daniel Falcone: What does it mean that popular media treat such a date with such unusual honor?
Noam Chomsky: Simply that we live in a deeply indoctrinated society.
Daniel Falcone: Do other countries find it odd that we commemorate such a day?
Noam Chomsky: Others are not all that different, though American patriotic displays do amuse (or surprise, or frighten) the world. In part, it’s just confusion. He’s very popular among African-Americans; some are unaware of his actual role in the civil rights struggles – which was not pretty. But in part, it’s among intellectuals – and JFK understood very well that if you pat them on the head and pretend you love them, you’ll get a good image. It worked like a charm.
Daniel Falcone: There are over 40,000 books on Kennedy in print and more than ten titles out currently. They are either about his legacy or his death, or they counter factual history. Is this because the real history of Kennedy would be too hideous to recall?
Noam Chomsky: The true history has been so effectively suppressed that it’s not a reason for the counterfactual history.
Daniel Falcone: One author, Jeff Greenfield, writes about how Kennedy would have been different in his second term. This is repeated in media and movies over and over again. Why?
Noam Chomsky: Probably because the actual record is so awful.
Read more….
http://www.zcommunications.org/chomsky-weighs-in-on-kennedy-assassination-anniversary-it-would-impress-kim-il-sung-by-noam-chomsky.html
a virtual transcript Mossy…
Anadarko protest: Technical issues delay deep sea drilling
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11162576
Deep sea exploration oil drilling off the Waikato coast has been delayed by “technical issues”, Texas-based oil company Anadarko says.
Interesting….
Waiting for OPVs to arrive is “technical.”
Would OPVs have to give way to sail, too? 🙂
Wouldn’t it be awesome if the NZDF decided that their best course legal of action was to sail out in a flotilla of sailing ships in order to do a passive-aggressive “you’ve gotta give way!” “No YOU’VE gotta give way” contest.
I suggest using the Spirit of NZ, or maybe an Endeavour replica.
nice of the drillers to say that the protest isn’t interfering with the operation, though. Could help the protestors if they eventually face a court case
IIRC a sailing vessel has to give way to a vessel engaged in fishing.
Seems the easiest thing would be to have a couple of fishing boats sheppard the Noble Bob Douglas into position..
According to the news, from tomorrow people will be able to access audit reports by the M O H of Residential Care Homes.
btw, The Aged Care Association are concerned that family will find it hard to understand the 90 page reports, and recommendations, that will be available on each of them. Touching.
Lifting heavy weights is good for bone density build up, prevents osteoporosis. Probably that’s at the nub of the report. Where is the nub then so you can go straight to it? Easy, a child of five could find it. Hey, send for a child of five.
The wonderful lifestyle of a beneficiary (being sarcastic):
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11162371
Thanks for the link, amirite. A mother, on benefits, has $8 to feed her family after losing her job. (And then there was the stand down period.)
Craig Foss: showing he is really in touch with the realities of poverty and the availability of relevant government (and other?) services.
PS: for the righties who mention her mortgage and her car: for the weekly amount she pays on her mortgage, I doubt a mother with children would find rental accommodation in Auckland anywhere near as low as that. It’s tough out there.
Foss might one day discover – everything costs money. If you can get something free it’s rare. And that raft – they often fall apart, rafts.
And how does one approach these agencies. Do you ring up and listen to all the options and then hope you chose the right one and then get a minute of pop music and then a person and you go to say all the things you have written down but they don’t want to know and tell you you don’t qualify and to phone someone else and you ask if they have the number and…. And all that and you have only rung one number.
Is there an office you can go and visit. Yes and they can give you an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. But the power might be cut off by then, and you only have some money for some milk and the bus, and the bus back the next day. Where can you get some food for the kids, you have bread and cheese but you hoped you could do better for the main meal.
It’s painful working through all these things, knowing that some people always have sufficient in the bank to buy the luxury things they want. You know they can’t understand your life. And the family won’t overlook that you didn’t go home for the family funeral, they know you are a beneficiary but they still expected you to get there, and who would look after the children left at home as it would be too far for them to travel?
Multiple anxieties at any given time, in the here and now, and no way can you think of the future or you would give up completely. (This is an amalgam of just one parent’s possible problems.)
Along with the CO2 widget on the the page I wonder if it is possible to display the “Additional Heat added since 1998” widget – described and available here:
http://skepticalscience.com/4-Hiroshima-bombs-per-second-widget-raise-awareness-global-warming.html
Tony Abbott quietly shifts UN position to support Israeli settlements, upsetting Palestinians
Such a moral government decision.
It’s an outright act of war.
The Coalition is getting smashed in the polls for good reason. Labor frakked up the lead up to the election big time.
No place at the table for half-arsed feminists, thanks
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/25/feminism-make-space-for-half-arsed
Would the person who comments here, please stop spamming my blog, if not at least have enough courage to leave your crap under a name and not anonymously.
Apart from that, “GO the KIWIS”
The kangaroos are in for a world of hurt.
You do realise that, it being your blog, you don’t have to accept anonymous replies just like this site doesn’t don’t you?
What are they leaving?
Intelligent comments?
What are they leaving?
Loss of traction skid marks in their rush to leave?
Intelligent comments?
How would he know?
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It’s a ploy to get someone to visit?
Save the Kiwis! Please don’t make them go, they are lovely birds.
Stop violence towards kangaroos, they don’t deserve to be hurt.