Hillary Clinton should have asked for approval to use a private email address and server for official business. Had she done so, the State Department would have said no.
She should have surrendered all of her emails before leaving the administration.
Not doing so violated department policies that comply with the Federal Records Act.
When her deputy suggested putting her on a State Department account, she expressed concern about her personal emails being exposed.
In January 2011, the Clintons’ IT consultant temporarily shut down its private server because, he wrote, he believed “someone was trying to hack us.”
The State Department began disciplinary proceedings against Scott Gration, then the American ambassador to Kenya, for refusing to stop using his personal email for official business.
…”
Charm is something magical, appearance massaging, and Donald Trump’s is only popular because there is known lack of charm in other contenders. And choosing charm over principled substance is the act of confused and deluded people. Money dulls peoples’ sensitivities about everything; a powerful drug becoming exponentially stronger as the amount taken rises.
The world needs stalwart principled Penny Brights, not charm or symbolic wealth, real wealth is in sustainable, fertile land, clean accessible water etc.
Just thought I’d explain that for people who haven’t realised that for themselves already.
Clinton maybe on the left of American politics but is hardly a true socialist and I would hate to see her running the world’s powerhouse. Democrats largely equate to NZ’s National Party.
Nope. National’s about the same in economics, to the right in social policy. The Democrats have at least begun to address disadvantage and have tried to improve lives for the American poor (thanks mainly to Hillary Clinton’s health measures), whereas it’s easily argued that the Nats have made life worse for the disadvantaged here in NZ. As someone who is not left wing yourself, you might want to consider which of those parties line up more with your own values, CV. I suspect the actual answer is ACT.
That’s true. Democrats would be horrified at our left leading activities like free health care for all. Republicans are way out further to the Right. Terrifying for a the Land of the Free!
(and Andrew Little supports Hillary Clinton for President?…this is one reason why Winston Peters should be next PM and the leader of a Left coalition….Peters is at least an experienced and savvy politician, who is to the Left of Labour )
Of course. Jobs for the boys. “You did what we asked of you, Stephen. Here’s a pat on the head and a slice of cake. It’s made from the tears of poor people, and everyone else whose life you ruined while you were in power. Enjoy.”
WikiLeaks releases Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) documents
Today, Wednesday, 25 May 2016, 11:30am CEST, WikiLeaks releases new secret documents from the huge Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) which is being negotiated by the US, EU and 22 other countries that account for 2/3rds of global GDP.
This release includes a previously unknown annex to the TiSA core chapter on “State Owned Enterprises” (SOEs), which imposes unprecedented restrictions on SOEs and will force majority owned SOEs to operate like private sector businesses. This corporatisation of public services – to nearly the same extent as demanded by the recently signed TPP – is a next step to privatisation of SOEs on the neoliberal agenda behind the “Big Three” (TTIP,TiSA,TPP).
I have been given a sneak peak at Bill English’s budget. One stand out item is a new $5000 incentive for Paula Bennett to go away. Minister English describes it as a pragmatic response to having a not particularly sharp tool in his toolbox.
“An extra $175,000 was paid for the relatively plain house at 26 Sea Vista Ave on the North Shore and Jonny Gu, the Barfoot & Thompson agent who sold it, said it went over the phone last Thursday to a person in China.
“I’m not sure if he’s Chinese or is immigrating,” Gu said of the buyer. “The house is empty. It was telephone bidding. There’s been nothing done to it between the sales. Similar things happen all the time. The buyer is Chinese because the seller is Chinese,” Gu said.”
and…………
“Property records showed the house was owned by Xiaohong Wang who is also listed as owning a number of Auckland properties spread throughout Henderson, Blockhouse Bay, Unsworth Heights, Whakatane, West Harbour, Orewa and Torbay. The owner is also listed as having houses in Dunedin and Hamilton East.”
If a family moves into an empty house and they’re not moved on in a year then they get to keep it freehold. They can only be moved on if the owner is moving in or they have a signed lease agreement showing someone else is moving in. If either of these two things are proved to be a lie then the family that was moved on gets the house freehold.
I suspect that there won’t be empty houses for long.
From memory, 12 years was the period under pre-existing squatting legislation (not NZ) after which ownership defaulted. There was also stuff around breaking and entering (easily circumvented) and the need to have it occupied 24/7 for some fairly short period of time to secure it and bring it under squatting legislation. There was also the matter of changing the locks without damaging shit so that the owner couldn’t just walk in and repossess or claim that entry had been forced. (Original locks were passed back to the owners).
Anyway, whether or not previously existing (but now largely trashed) squatting laws from overseas are looked at as templates, there is the other issue of tenancy’s. Make them for life and embed circumstances that make the lease transferable to the next generation of a family.
And scrap any and all ‘right to buy’ schemes that currently apply to HNZ stock or regional council stock.
It’s really easy stuff and there’s absolutely no excuse for it not having been done before now.
And hence the problem with the housing crisis. It will only take Xiaohong Wang and the new Chinese buyer a bit of paperwork and they can become an NZ citizen too! So those that advocate Resident/Non resident status as a way to stop the problem, need to find out that National have opened up citizenship to anybody and also our social welfare system is now on it’s last legs. The new residents have not even hit 65 years yet – if people think that housing is the main issue, think again, there is a major time bomb and how do you discriminate??? You can’t. Rich and poor migrants can take as much as they like from NZ, our government and opposition does not seem to think that it is a problem….
Would you like a political party to “jump on this” with a bunch of measures to prevent property sales to foreign nationals, and to prevent speculative flipping of houses?
Cool.
Any political party willing to actually announce actual regulatory measures, instead of raising a fuss about Chinese last names?
There is a speculation tax under National – does any one know if anyone has been caught or declared anything? Or is it just usual smoke and mirrors.
In addition there is a capital gains tax on property and has been for years, if you buy with the purpose of on selling you pay the capital gain. Not sure why The block, my first home and so forth are openly profiting from property without paying the tax, let alone all these overseas examples – but if there was a an easy case to prove for IRD….. the evidence is there. And the examples like the above herald link regularly appearing in the news, should be easy for IRD to do a case.
I agree Chinese are bearing the most scrutiny which may not be fair, but it is also not fair for ethnic groups who have lived in NZ for years and paid taxes, being tarred with the same brush too and not fair for current Kiwis without the 2nd passport to be priced out of their own cities by non residents or new residents who have never paid a day of tax in NZ (and often have more money that Kiwis could ever hope to achieve on local wages), who leave their properties empty and are just used as an asset storage for money out of their home countries.
But why the opposition parties are reluctant to do anything about it, who knows. They don’t even mention it as a factor or deny it is a factor, like many commentators who have forecasted a plummet in property for years and been completely wrong because immigration is most certainly keeping the housing bubble going and other factors like the cost of building here and building monopolies are ignored in favour of anti democratic measures on zoning. (Threat if you don’t vote right in the unitary plan, the government will do it for you. It is not democracy more like dictatorship and Labour are as pro this non democratic approach as National from what I can see).
Someone do puppet theatre and show politicians that land being freed up, is not a house to live in, just a further way for the rich to profit.
But why the opposition parties are reluctant to do anything about it, who knows.
If an Opposition party were serious about the damage caused by foreign based property investors, they would require such people to divest their NZ property portfolios within say 5 years.
Instead, they appear busy attempting to appear like they are concerned about the issue.
So how does one comment on this without being labelled racist or xenophobic?
Easily. Does it matter whether the buyer is Chinese, German, Italian, British or Kiwi? If, in your mind it matters, then you’re being either xenophobic or racist, so don’t bother with any “but I’m not really racist” tripe.
If, on the other hand, you realise that the problem exists because of massive mal-distribution of wealth that allows some small percentage of people to build up huge portfolios to the detriment of a large percentage of people, then simply comment from that perspective.
“So how does one comment on this without being labelled racist or xenophobic?”
Put it in context. People overseas with an advantageous exchange rate and better lending rates and ability to generate wealth have been buying propertly like this in NZ for a long time. Down south it’s not the Chinese so much, which is why you hear people down here talking about the bloody English and Americans.
And let’s not forget that NZers have been doing this to NZers for an even longer time. It’s called gentrification. The reason we have babies living in cars is because NZ wanted to be neoliberal and some of us wanted to make wealth at the direct expense of other people.
And then let’s not forget that Māori still haven’t recovered from the last time this all happened in the 1800s.
That’s how to not make it racist. It’s an issue of class not race. Talk about the wealthy Chinese not the Chinese. Talk about the wealthy NZers who support this government that thinks it’s ok for people to live in cars, or object to a CGT. Talk about the middle classes who have turned a blind eye while all this was developping because they could still afford to buy houses and make wealth from that. Talk about the salaried Gen Ys who are complaining about not being able to buy a house but are silent on tenancy rights.
No better example of how we’ve been captured by ‘user pays’ free market ideology over the past 30 years than with Allison ??’s (CEO of Transpower) interview with Rinny Ryan on Nine to Noon.
….. “It’s only fair” etc., i.e. only if you’re not a dirty filthy bennie do you have a right to uninterrupted electricity supply – it’s the obvious basis of their planning (“going forward” – as a matter of fek, ekshully, so to speak, to coin a phrase).
Long gone, the idea of gummint soshul responsibility in favour of a corporatised commercial, purchase agreement-driven bizzniss.
To my mind, it was also a indicator of how our 4th Estate has been captured. Not once did the lady with the fair and balanced portfolio ask, or question how the most vulnerable in our sussoity will be protected.
Yea Nah – there’ll always be winners and losers eh?
Oh, Tim. Poor people aren’t supposed to be able to take advantage of modern conveniences like electricity. They’re supposed to huddle around a rusty iron barrel full of burning refuse, holding their shaking hands over the flames in a desperate attempt to avoid dying from hypothermia. It’s the will of the market, don’t you know.
That’s true Wensleydale. But come the crunch, I’d put money on those with an ability to huddle round the rusty iron barrel being in a better position to survive than those with their balanced portfolios, or those that want to provide all those ‘wrap around’ services to (going forward), or those that see their bullshit is failing and try to ‘re-image’.
Yea Nah, there are good signs their bullshit and spin time is up, but I think not quite yet. I hope I’m still around to witness it all
No better example of how we’ve been captured by ‘user pays’ free market ideology over the past 30 years than with Allison ??’s (CEO of Transpower) interview with Rinny Ryan on Nine to Noon.
It is awesome to see another woman in charge of one of NZ’s largest, most important strategic organisations and us reaping all the benefits that entails.
And ain’t she just a ‘glass half full’, good time think poztiv kinda gal (going forward).
I mean to say – if she could pull hersef up by her bootstreps, why can’t othas?
(perhaps because the means that enabled her to trensushun from her past, and which she took advantage of, have all but been removed.)
What a very UGLY woman – in every sense. Christ! to think in a previous loif we once crossed paths. Hers will be a very interesting case study for some enterprising member of a resurrected 4th Estate some time in the future.
Queenstown’s sister city relationship with Aspen has been controversial all along. When it started in the 80s it was an aspirational thing with the town wanting to be like Aspen and to learn about how Aspen had dealt wiht some of the issues Queenstown was facing. These were the same as now, affordability and economic and social stratification.
Recently the appropriateness relationship has been questioned because of the huge differences between the two towns, Aspen being essentially a “one company” town, like most North American resorts, where as Queenstown is much more diverse development community.
One thing that has come out is that not many here want to the town to become like Aspen, and it is unlikely to for the reasons above. This is leading to many and varied shades of angst depending on the position and aspirations of the angstee.
Our council has been very successful at processing planning consents, the number of consented but undeveloped sections is huge, http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/80132940/almost-10000-vacant-properties-in-queenstown But they have been totally unable to shape the outcomes in any way. We get competing and fragmented developments and infrastructure lagging behind, and holding back some needed projects.
My one hope from the budget that, in my mind, could solve the most issues in one hit:
Raise the minimum wage significantly (say $17 – $18 / hour)
This would have an immediate effect on the working poor, it would have an inflationary effect on the economy which would allow the reserve bank to look and increasing mortgage rates and help slow house price growth and it would help to noticeably increase the current tax take without raising taxes (through both GST and PAYE).
The negative is that it may cost jobs in small businesses in the short term, but in the medium term any truly viable business will pick those staff back up once that extra money starts to flow back into the economy.
I have no idea if this will work, but note to Andrew Little, the above is how you sell an idea, not:
Since National came into power blah blah blah, John Key, blah blah blah, my idea will work (no explanation as to how or why people should embrace it).
it would have an inflationary effect on the economy which would allow the reserve bank to look and increasing mortgage rates and help slow house price growth
LOL
Interest rates don’t affect House price growth. When a house sells a few days later with 20k plus profit the interest is meaningless. Besides, the speculators are probably using revolving credit with interest rates far above the OCR and mortgage rates.
and it would help to noticeably increase the current tax take without raising taxes (through both GST and PAYE).
This is catering to the delusion that the government actually needs an income.
I have no idea if this will work, but note to Andrew Little, the above is how you sell an idea, not:
Since National came into power blah blah blah, John Key, blah blah blah, my idea will work (no explanation as to how or why people should embrace it).
To address a problem you do need to identify it else you’re just talking shite.
….”The weapons were to be used by the FARC to kill Americans.
However, those FARC buyers “were, in fact, confidential sources… working for the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and acting at the direction of DEA agents,” the indictment said…
I’d advise those responsible to give up on any notions they may have had about getting into advertising – that’s one incredibly mangled and imprecise slogan.
A little book with snippets of news from Britain in 1932:
From a list of promises that a William Cobbett et al of Oldham were asked:
10. Will you endeavour to procure an Act of Parliament which shall enable those who elect representatives in Parliament to vote by ballot, and also to shorten Parliaments to one or two years?
11. Will you endeavour to procure an Act of Parliament which shall effectually shorten the hours of labour in all mills and factories, so as not to exceed ten hours on any day, and only eight hours on Saturdays?
And from a letter from Francis Place (a tailor whose campaigning had made trade unions legal):
“…We must have petitions in hundreds for short Parliaments and voting by ballot as means of procuring reforms in every possible way, and to the greatest possible extent.
It is very difficult, and requires much time to move a nation like this, even when it has been demonstrated that very small exertions will produce the greatest good. Even those who are disposed to move are seldom agreed to work together. If some fundamental points were selected, and all agreed to push for them, success would be certain.
Francis really understood the issues. He would feel right at home with us now.
edited.
It all comes down to a simple point. You may not like Gawker. They’ve published stories I would have been ashamed to publish. But if the extremely wealthy, under a veil secrecy, can destroy publications they want to silence, that’s a far bigger threat to freedom of the press than most of the things we commonly worry about on that front. If this is the new weapon in the arsenal of the super rich, few publications will have the resources or the death wish to scrutinize them closely.
The rich have found another way to silence critics – sue them into oblivion.
A practise run while he waits for his candidate to make it near impossible to crtitise anyone with money.
“You see, with me, they’re not protected, because I’m not like other people but I’m not taking money. I’m not taking their money,” Trump said on Friday. “We’re going to open up libel laws, and we’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before.”
There’s an increasing number of powerful public figures with similarly near-unlimited wealth. Whether or not they win, cases like this can bleed news companies dry — which might make them less likely to publish news and criticism in the first place.
Thiel is a pledged Trump delegate, which is an unusual move for a Silicon Valley tycoon. However, in backing Hogan’s lawsuit Thiel shows one place he and his fellow bombastic billionaire agree — an antagonistic relationship with the media, and an attempt to suppress critical coverage.
Trump has a history of suing over coverage he doesn’t like. He has also said he’s in favor of “closing up the internet” — a nonsensical statement that is nonetheless troubling for everyone from tech billionaires to free speech advocates — both of which Thiel purports to be. Thiel is, ironically, a “primary supporter” of the Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization dedicated to protecting press freedom around the world.
If the Budget was boring, Slavoj Zizek is not. Here is 10 minutes of his volcanic output.
He says that for the last few decades the Left didn’t really want change. They are settled into Comfortable Capitalism he claims. He is always interesting.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0PH_EIBnyo
Zizek is far too obsessed with symbolic exchanges. Including his own.
His view that the left hasn’t really changed is such horseshit. It’s held its own against massive direct assaults.
It’s far more accurate to say that the far monetarist right won, allied with religious rightists and others.
Also that monetarist-dominated states have generated far greater capacity to absorb crisis since the late 1970s. Our own current government is one of the best examples in the world of this.
He needs challenging, and is not really applicable here.
I signed a petition to ask gummint to be more helpful about state housing.
This resulted in an agreement to allow one week’s emergency housing from the state. Something along emergency lines. But actually there is a full time emergency going on, but it’s a start. This from Kyle MacDonald thru Action Station. (The flagman was Kyle Lockwood.)
Thank you for helping to make a difference,
Yesterday I flew down to Wellington to deliver our petition to the Minister. It was because of your support, and the support of more than 9000 others, that Minister Anne Tolley agreed to meet with me. Together we showed her this issue cannot be ignored.
When I asked her what could be done to help people and families facing the impossible choice between homelessness or unmanageable debt over the coming winter months, the Minister acknowledged the urgency of the situation and told us she would look into possible solutions.
Just a few hours after our meeting, the Minister’s office called to tell us that changes to the policy will be brought forward from September to 1 July. These changes will mean that the first week of emergency housing would be covered by a special needs grant rather than a loan. A week is not going to be long enough if there is nowhere to go once that week is up, so the Government still has a lot of work to be done to make sure there are enough houses for people to move into.
Good discussion – in fact excellent on tonight’s Checkpoint, as it ended – links not up yet.
But I’d suggest that if there’s one thing the indigent are fekkn sick of herring (goan ford) is the paternalistic kaka from the comfortable: a la “we need to provide repa ren serves”.
There’s STILL this fucking condescending attitude (or framing – if you prefer) that the poorer in our community are in some way ‘faulty’
It’s a fucking structural issue that begun some time in the early 80’s – possibly before.
@ Draco – I know you perceive a solution – but it ain’t gonna happen until the inevitable happens (and even then only as an option) – when it all disappears up its own arse. My hope is that it is peaceful
So you’ve got nothing? I meet people like you most days, CV. Blowhards with no clues, nothing positive to say, and focussed only on the deep and abiding love they have for the sound of their own voices. Luckily for the rest of us, the Onanists are never going get beyond perfecting the art of the hand shandy. It’d just be nicer if they did it behind closed doors and didn’t want the rest of us to pay for their tissues.
On second thoughts, in spite of my earlier request, I’ve removed the entire sub-thread to Open Mike because there wasn’t a skerrik of anything to do with the post from either of you. Ever thought of becoming facebook friends so the two of you can have at one another at your mutual leisure? – Bill
I’m not your friend, CV. You’re part of the problem, not part of the solution. Time for you to start reading Ayn Rand, pal. You’ll feel right at home. She was a self obsessed bigot, too.
[trp, I’m pretty sure that neither I nor anyone else really cares what you and CV think of one another. I’ve asked you both to pack it in. If you really find the urge t have a go insatiable, take it to Open Mike or whatever, but don’t carry on with your carry ono under this post. thanks.] – Bill
Fair enough, Bill. However, I think it’s still relevant to the post that commenters moaning about climate change, but having no clue what to do about it and at the same time whining about those who do have sensible suggestions is worth my writing about. CV is most definitely part of the reason there is largely a collective ignoring of the problem. His attitude, which mirrors most of the right, is that there is no answer, so meh. Your post is great, but it is meaningless unless we can look to find the solutions to the real and present danger we face.
Yeah, and if you look back over in that part of the thread you’ll see that a couple of suggestions were being made by both you and CV. Seems neither of you can read what the other is writing without having a go though. And it’s damned boring.
Serious anger issues and preoccupation there Trp with cv I don’t necessary agree with all what cv says but he articulates it well and does it without a lot of personal abuse, something in that you may want to explore
Oh, bollocks. No anger there, but a deep disliking of wankers who are all mouth and trousers. CV adds nothing to the debate but negativity and frankly, climate change needs solutions fast. I’m happy to acknowledge that I find it weird that TS has a right wing bigot as an author. But perhaps it’s some sort of charity thing and I missed the email.
I need to remind you TRP that attacking Standard authors is strictly against the rules of the site.
Please restrain your anger and observe some proper decorum.
BTW if Climate Change needs fast, urgent answers, why did Andrew Little gloss over the whole topic in his recent speech? And did you support him doing that?
Diddums. You weren’t the author of the post. And being an author is not a get out of jail card when you’re being a wanker. Check my own output; I get straightened up from time to time and I generally cop it sweet. To quote the well known English philosopher Jamie Vardy, chat shit, get banged.
You’re the one dodging the issue, pal. Snap out of your funk and start contributing some answers. You’re a bright guy, put some effort into finding solutions and stop whingeing. Or, as I suggested, bugger off to ACT, where they like people with your kind of attitudes. And no, I’m not kidding. I went through this kind of crap a long, long time ago with Douglas and Prebble. You sound exactly like they did thirty years ago. Full of everything that was wrong, but no solutions beyond making themselves feel better by belittling those who are trying to make a difference. Life is really simple; if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. And like it or not, you’re definitely not a solutions based guy. So, read some Rand, see if misanthrope floats your boat. I reckon you and ACT are made for each other. That doesn’t make you a bad person, IMHO, but it might make you an honest one.
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
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The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
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Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Is this going to add pressure for the FBI to indict Hillary Clinton?
What are the consequences for failing to comply with the Federal Records Act?
“Hillary Clinton Is Criticized for Private Emails in State Dept. Review – NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/us/politics/state-department-hillary-clinton-emails.html?referer=https://www.google.co.nz/
5 Key Points From the Report
Hillary Clinton should have asked for approval to use a private email address and server for official business. Had she done so, the State Department would have said no.
She should have surrendered all of her emails before leaving the administration.
Not doing so violated department policies that comply with the Federal Records Act.
When her deputy suggested putting her on a State Department account, she expressed concern about her personal emails being exposed.
In January 2011, the Clintons’ IT consultant temporarily shut down its private server because, he wrote, he believed “someone was trying to hack us.”
The State Department began disciplinary proceedings against Scott Gration, then the American ambassador to Kenya, for refusing to stop using his personal email for official business.
…”
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Penny Bright is Donald Trump minus the money and charm.
Penny Bright is an angel who treads where the weak fear to tread. Go Penny.
Charm is something magical, appearance massaging, and Donald Trump’s is only popular because there is known lack of charm in other contenders. And choosing charm over principled substance is the act of confused and deluded people. Money dulls peoples’ sensitivities about everything; a powerful drug becoming exponentially stronger as the amount taken rises.
The world needs stalwart principled Penny Brights, not charm or symbolic wealth, real wealth is in sustainable, fertile land, clean accessible water etc.
Just thought I’d explain that for people who haven’t realised that for themselves already.
Clinton maybe on the left of American politics but is hardly a true socialist and I would hate to see her running the world’s powerhouse. Democrats largely equate to NZ’s National Party.
Our National Party is way to the left of the US Democratic establishment.
Nope. National’s about the same in economics, to the right in social policy. The Democrats have at least begun to address disadvantage and have tried to improve lives for the American poor (thanks mainly to Hillary Clinton’s health measures), whereas it’s easily argued that the Nats have made life worse for the disadvantaged here in NZ. As someone who is not left wing yourself, you might want to consider which of those parties line up more with your own values, CV. I suspect the actual answer is ACT.
That’s true. Democrats would be horrified at our left leading activities like free health care for all. Republicans are way out further to the Right. Terrifying for a the Land of the Free!
the content of the Hillary Clinton emails is even more damning and disturbing !!!! ( war crimes?)
‘Hillary Emails Reveal True Motive for Libya Intervention’
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/01/06/new-hillary-emails-reveal-true-motive-for-libya-intervention/
https://news.vice.com/article/libyan-oil-gold-and-qaddafi-the-strange-email-sidney-blumenthal-sent-hillary-clinton-in-2011
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/clinton-emails-on-libya-e_b_9054182.html
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/how-hillary-clinton-lied-her-way-war-libya
http://www.globalresearch.ca/hillarys-dirty-war-in-libya-new-emails-reveal-propaganda-executions-coveting-libyan-oil-and-gold/5499358
(and Andrew Little supports Hillary Clinton for President?…this is one reason why Winston Peters should be next PM and the leader of a Left coalition….Peters is at least an experienced and savvy politician, who is to the Left of Labour )
After pushing Canada into the TPP, Stephen Harper follows the money.
“Harper has offers from multiple U.S. companies, including private equity giant KKR, sources tell CBC News”.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-to-bow-out-from-federal-politics-1.3598913
Of course. Jobs for the boys. “You did what we asked of you, Stephen. Here’s a pat on the head and a slice of cake. It’s made from the tears of poor people, and everyone else whose life you ruined while you were in power. Enjoy.”
Very good episode about NZ Fishing… looks like a TPPA model already operating for the .1% aka Talleys etc….
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/05/25/waatea-5th-estate-fishing-double-standards/
WikiLeaks releases Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) documents
http://www.bilaterals.org/?wikileaks-releases-trade-in-30405
link to leaked documents below:
http://www.bilaterals.org/?tisa-draft-annexes-2015
I have been given a sneak peak at Bill English’s budget. One stand out item is a new $5000 incentive for Paula Bennett to go away. Minister English describes it as a pragmatic response to having a not particularly sharp tool in his toolbox.
And blunting “the rest of the tools” trp
The Nats are all tools
So how does one comment on this without being labelled racist or xenophobic?
“House flip: Beach Haven home jumps $175,000 in price to $1.08m in just two months”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11644044
Excerpts….
“An extra $175,000 was paid for the relatively plain house at 26 Sea Vista Ave on the North Shore and Jonny Gu, the Barfoot & Thompson agent who sold it, said it went over the phone last Thursday to a person in China.
“I’m not sure if he’s Chinese or is immigrating,” Gu said of the buyer. “The house is empty. It was telephone bidding. There’s been nothing done to it between the sales. Similar things happen all the time. The buyer is Chinese because the seller is Chinese,” Gu said.”
and…………
“Property records showed the house was owned by Xiaohong Wang who is also listed as owning a number of Auckland properties spread throughout Henderson, Blockhouse Bay, Unsworth Heights, Whakatane, West Harbour, Orewa and Torbay. The owner is also listed as having houses in Dunedin and Hamilton East.”
You don’t. Just sigh wearily and shake your head. It’s the safest option.
It’s vacant? Should probably put people needing a state house in there, and send Gu’s client an e-mail to say thanks for leaving it vacant for them.
Indeed. And the same for any other property vacant for the purposes of speculation.
More realistically and much, much easier, just pass legislation on squatters rights.
If a family moves into an empty house and they’re not moved on in a year then they get to keep it freehold. They can only be moved on if the owner is moving in or they have a signed lease agreement showing someone else is moving in. If either of these two things are proved to be a lie then the family that was moved on gets the house freehold.
I suspect that there won’t be empty houses for long.
From memory, 12 years was the period under pre-existing squatting legislation (not NZ) after which ownership defaulted. There was also stuff around breaking and entering (easily circumvented) and the need to have it occupied 24/7 for some fairly short period of time to secure it and bring it under squatting legislation. There was also the matter of changing the locks without damaging shit so that the owner couldn’t just walk in and repossess or claim that entry had been forced. (Original locks were passed back to the owners).
Anyway, whether or not previously existing (but now largely trashed) squatting laws from overseas are looked at as templates, there is the other issue of tenancy’s. Make them for life and embed circumstances that make the lease transferable to the next generation of a family.
And scrap any and all ‘right to buy’ schemes that currently apply to HNZ stock or regional council stock.
It’s really easy stuff and there’s absolutely no excuse for it not having been done before now.
And hence the problem with the housing crisis. It will only take Xiaohong Wang and the new Chinese buyer a bit of paperwork and they can become an NZ citizen too! So those that advocate Resident/Non resident status as a way to stop the problem, need to find out that National have opened up citizenship to anybody and also our social welfare system is now on it’s last legs. The new residents have not even hit 65 years yet – if people think that housing is the main issue, think again, there is a major time bomb and how do you discriminate??? You can’t. Rich and poor migrants can take as much as they like from NZ, our government and opposition does not seem to think that it is a problem….
+100 save nz
Our national bird, developed without predators, their adaptions are pretty useless when opened up to globalism and competition.
21st century predators are more like corporate raiders, kleptocrats and tax haven refugees…
Would you like a political party to “jump on this” with a bunch of measures to prevent property sales to foreign nationals, and to prevent speculative flipping of houses?
Cool.
Any political party willing to actually announce actual regulatory measures, instead of raising a fuss about Chinese last names?
There is a speculation tax under National – does any one know if anyone has been caught or declared anything? Or is it just usual smoke and mirrors.
In addition there is a capital gains tax on property and has been for years, if you buy with the purpose of on selling you pay the capital gain. Not sure why The block, my first home and so forth are openly profiting from property without paying the tax, let alone all these overseas examples – but if there was a an easy case to prove for IRD….. the evidence is there. And the examples like the above herald link regularly appearing in the news, should be easy for IRD to do a case.
I agree Chinese are bearing the most scrutiny which may not be fair, but it is also not fair for ethnic groups who have lived in NZ for years and paid taxes, being tarred with the same brush too and not fair for current Kiwis without the 2nd passport to be priced out of their own cities by non residents or new residents who have never paid a day of tax in NZ (and often have more money that Kiwis could ever hope to achieve on local wages), who leave their properties empty and are just used as an asset storage for money out of their home countries.
But why the opposition parties are reluctant to do anything about it, who knows. They don’t even mention it as a factor or deny it is a factor, like many commentators who have forecasted a plummet in property for years and been completely wrong because immigration is most certainly keeping the housing bubble going and other factors like the cost of building here and building monopolies are ignored in favour of anti democratic measures on zoning. (Threat if you don’t vote right in the unitary plan, the government will do it for you. It is not democracy more like dictatorship and Labour are as pro this non democratic approach as National from what I can see).
Someone do puppet theatre and show politicians that land being freed up, is not a house to live in, just a further way for the rich to profit.
If an Opposition party were serious about the damage caused by foreign based property investors, they would require such people to divest their NZ property portfolios within say 5 years.
Instead, they appear busy attempting to appear like they are concerned about the issue.
So how does one comment on this without being labelled racist or xenophobic?
Easily. Does it matter whether the buyer is Chinese, German, Italian, British or Kiwi? If, in your mind it matters, then you’re being either xenophobic or racist, so don’t bother with any “but I’m not really racist” tripe.
If, on the other hand, you realise that the problem exists because of massive mal-distribution of wealth that allows some small percentage of people to build up huge portfolios to the detriment of a large percentage of people, then simply comment from that perspective.
“So how does one comment on this without being labelled racist or xenophobic?”
Put it in context. People overseas with an advantageous exchange rate and better lending rates and ability to generate wealth have been buying propertly like this in NZ for a long time. Down south it’s not the Chinese so much, which is why you hear people down here talking about the bloody English and Americans.
And let’s not forget that NZers have been doing this to NZers for an even longer time. It’s called gentrification. The reason we have babies living in cars is because NZ wanted to be neoliberal and some of us wanted to make wealth at the direct expense of other people.
And then let’s not forget that Māori still haven’t recovered from the last time this all happened in the 1800s.
That’s how to not make it racist. It’s an issue of class not race. Talk about the wealthy Chinese not the Chinese. Talk about the wealthy NZers who support this government that thinks it’s ok for people to live in cars, or object to a CGT. Talk about the middle classes who have turned a blind eye while all this was developping because they could still afford to buy houses and make wealth from that. Talk about the salaried Gen Ys who are complaining about not being able to buy a house but are silent on tenancy rights.
btw, there are NZers sitting on empty houses too.
No better example of how we’ve been captured by ‘user pays’ free market ideology over the past 30 years than with Allison ??’s (CEO of Transpower) interview with Rinny Ryan on Nine to Noon.
….. “It’s only fair” etc., i.e. only if you’re not a dirty filthy bennie do you have a right to uninterrupted electricity supply – it’s the obvious basis of their planning (“going forward” – as a matter of fek, ekshully, so to speak, to coin a phrase).
Long gone, the idea of gummint soshul responsibility in favour of a corporatised commercial, purchase agreement-driven bizzniss.
To my mind, it was also a indicator of how our 4th Estate has been captured. Not once did the lady with the fair and balanced portfolio ask, or question how the most vulnerable in our sussoity will be protected.
Yea Nah – there’ll always be winners and losers eh?
Oh, Tim. Poor people aren’t supposed to be able to take advantage of modern conveniences like electricity. They’re supposed to huddle around a rusty iron barrel full of burning refuse, holding their shaking hands over the flames in a desperate attempt to avoid dying from hypothermia. It’s the will of the market, don’t you know.
That’s true Wensleydale. But come the crunch, I’d put money on those with an ability to huddle round the rusty iron barrel being in a better position to survive than those with their balanced portfolios, or those that want to provide all those ‘wrap around’ services to (going forward), or those that see their bullshit is failing and try to ‘re-image’.
Yea Nah, there are good signs their bullshit and spin time is up, but I think not quite yet. I hope I’m still around to witness it all
It is awesome to see another woman in charge of one of NZ’s largest, most important strategic organisations and us reaping all the benefits that entails.
We dont have a 4th estate in so far as outlets which adhere to the principles that definition stands for.
They have become enablers of current ideology due to them being owned/controlled by big business interests.
Its an old paradigm no longet valid
IMO.
Can this be deleted please as my device has no delete option being shown!
We dont have a 4th estate in so far as outlets which adhere to the principles that definition stands for.
They have become enablers of current ideology due to them being owned/controlled by big business interests.
Its an old paradigm no longer valid
IMO.
I listened to that Tim, and could not penetrate the CEO jargon peppered with double speak. In fairness to Katherine, I think she was also unable to penetrate. Apart from saying long term changes will be necessary and some Providers will collapse, and more remote users will be in difficulty, I don’t know anything more than that which was already known
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201802144/transpower-predicts-massive-shakeup-in-power-sector.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80404662/social-housing-minister-paula-bennett-hits-back-at-media-over-the-word-crisis
And ain’t she just a ‘glass half full’, good time think poztiv kinda gal (going forward).
I mean to say – if she could pull hersef up by her bootstreps, why can’t othas?
(perhaps because the means that enabled her to trensushun from her past, and which she took advantage of, have all but been removed.)
What a very UGLY woman – in every sense. Christ! to think in a previous loif we once crossed paths. Hers will be a very interesting case study for some enterprising member of a resurrected 4th Estate some time in the future.
“Forbes says a national response is required or “all the beautiful spots in New Zealand” will eventually become like Aspen.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/80292197/call-for-national-response-to-wanaka-queenstown-housing-issues
Queenstown’s sister city relationship with Aspen has been controversial all along. When it started in the 80s it was an aspirational thing with the town wanting to be like Aspen and to learn about how Aspen had dealt wiht some of the issues Queenstown was facing. These were the same as now, affordability and economic and social stratification.
Recently the appropriateness relationship has been questioned because of the huge differences between the two towns, Aspen being essentially a “one company” town, like most North American resorts, where as Queenstown is much more diverse development community.
One thing that has come out is that not many here want to the town to become like Aspen, and it is unlikely to for the reasons above. This is leading to many and varied shades of angst depending on the position and aspirations of the angstee.
Our council has been very successful at processing planning consents, the number of consented but undeveloped sections is huge, http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/80132940/almost-10000-vacant-properties-in-queenstown But they have been totally unable to shape the outcomes in any way. We get competing and fragmented developments and infrastructure lagging behind, and holding back some needed projects.
Then you get developers squabbling amongst themselves holding things back even more than council or govt could even dream of http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/79975711/more-than-2000-potential-queenstown-homes-caught-in-environment-court-appeal The bun fight over development on Frankton Flats (still ongoing) has been going on for 20 years, and the resulting delayed projects are causing most of our traffic congestion now.
My one hope from the budget that, in my mind, could solve the most issues in one hit:
Raise the minimum wage significantly (say $17 – $18 / hour)
This would have an immediate effect on the working poor, it would have an inflationary effect on the economy which would allow the reserve bank to look and increasing mortgage rates and help slow house price growth and it would help to noticeably increase the current tax take without raising taxes (through both GST and PAYE).
The negative is that it may cost jobs in small businesses in the short term, but in the medium term any truly viable business will pick those staff back up once that extra money starts to flow back into the economy.
I have no idea if this will work, but note to Andrew Little, the above is how you sell an idea, not:
Since National came into power blah blah blah, John Key, blah blah blah, my idea will work (no explanation as to how or why people should embrace it).
Well you talked about raising mortgage interest rates which means that you’ve lost 250,000 votes to start with. What next?
🙂
LOL
Interest rates don’t affect House price growth. When a house sells a few days later with 20k plus profit the interest is meaningless. Besides, the speculators are probably using revolving credit with interest rates far above the OCR and mortgage rates.
This is catering to the delusion that the government actually needs an income.
To address a problem you do need to identify it else you’re just talking shite.
(What is all this about ?!)
‘Romanian man claims to be CIA asset to beat arms trafficking charge’
https://www.rt.com/usa/344379-cia-farc-arms-trafficking-alibi/
….”The weapons were to be used by the FARC to kill Americans.
However, those FARC buyers “were, in fact, confidential sources… working for the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and acting at the direction of DEA agents,” the indictment said…
Some number crunching:
NZ adult minimum hourly wage: $15.25
Talley’s minimum hourly wage: $14.32
Talley’s donations to National $42.5k
Come on money in politics means nothing, just ask Hillary…
Budget day….. Did we look at the Price Tag??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWc6knXULsw
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11645350
Drama at the bee hive
What does the sign say?
John Key!
Move the Gatekeepers.
They’re [something] corruption.
Blocking access to the ANZ bank.
(so is that re the CC protest?)
Would have been nice if the Herald had said.
John Key! Move the gatekeepers.
They’re harbouring corruption.
Blocking access to the ANZ Bank.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/304847/man-arrested,-parliament-in-lock-down
I’d advise those responsible to give up on any notions they may have had about getting into advertising – that’s one incredibly mangled and imprecise slogan.
Ta. Another shot shows this on the other side,
FIND OUT WHO IS STOPPING
NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST BANK
BEING INVESTIGATED VISIT
passion0.wix.com/nourijture
That’s almost a haiku!!
(pretty sure I didn’t get the link right).
Not only shouldn’t they go into adverstising, they shouldn’t go into protesting either.
Good luck with moving the gatekeepers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l08wo9KorCU
A little book with snippets of news from Britain in 1932:
From a list of promises that a William Cobbett et al of Oldham were asked:
10. Will you endeavour to procure an Act of Parliament which shall enable those who elect representatives in Parliament to vote by ballot, and also to shorten Parliaments to one or two years?
11. Will you endeavour to procure an Act of Parliament which shall effectually shorten the hours of labour in all mills and factories, so as not to exceed ten hours on any day, and only eight hours on Saturdays?
And from a letter from Francis Place (a tailor whose campaigning had made trade unions legal):
“…We must have petitions in hundreds for short Parliaments and voting by ballot as means of procuring reforms in every possible way, and to the greatest possible extent.
It is very difficult, and requires much time to move a nation like this, even when it has been demonstrated that very small exertions will produce the greatest good. Even those who are disposed to move are seldom agreed to work together. If some fundamental points were selected, and all agreed to push for them, success would be certain.
Francis really understood the issues. He would feel right at home with us now.
edited.
The book was dated 1832. Only 100 years difference! And sounded so current.
A Huge, Huge Deal
The rich have found another way to silence critics – sue them into oblivion.
A practise run while he waits for his candidate to make it near impossible to crtitise anyone with money.
“You see, with me, they’re not protected, because I’m not like other people but I’m not taking money. I’m not taking their money,” Trump said on Friday. “We’re going to open up libel laws, and we’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before.”
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/02/donald-trump-libel-laws-219866
edit:
Press in the age of billionaires
There’s an increasing number of powerful public figures with similarly near-unlimited wealth. Whether or not they win, cases like this can bleed news companies dry — which might make them less likely to publish news and criticism in the first place.
Thiel is a pledged Trump delegate, which is an unusual move for a Silicon Valley tycoon. However, in backing Hogan’s lawsuit Thiel shows one place he and his fellow bombastic billionaire agree — an antagonistic relationship with the media, and an attempt to suppress critical coverage.
Trump has a history of suing over coverage he doesn’t like. He has also said he’s in favor of “closing up the internet” — a nonsensical statement that is nonetheless troubling for everyone from tech billionaires to free speech advocates — both of which Thiel purports to be. Thiel is, ironically, a “primary supporter” of the Committee to Protect Journalists, an organization dedicated to protecting press freedom around the world.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/25/3781705/thiel-gawker-trump/
Ah well you can’t predict them all, better a boring a budget then a “mother of all budgets” I guess
That’s my thinking.
So now I’m guessing the opposition will attack this budget as not doing enough and the government will say its a firm hand on the till
Good shot Winston
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/31697564/peters-corners-key-over-auckland-housing-crisis-quote/
Nice to see the old tusker land one.
Its a good shot
Unfortunately the camera, or editing of the clip, didn’t show the reaction.
Will await return serve.
And stock up on popcorn
John Key is very good at quips so this’ll be an interesting match, one-love to Winston
“Is the prime minister able to remember any promise he has made an hour after making it?”
Excellent.
If the Budget was boring, Slavoj Zizek is not. Here is 10 minutes of his volcanic output.
He says that for the last few decades the Left didn’t really want change. They are settled into Comfortable Capitalism he claims. He is always interesting.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0PH_EIBnyo
Zizek is far too obsessed with symbolic exchanges. Including his own.
His view that the left hasn’t really changed is such horseshit. It’s held its own against massive direct assaults.
It’s far more accurate to say that the far monetarist right won, allied with religious rightists and others.
Also that monetarist-dominated states have generated far greater capacity to absorb crisis since the late 1970s. Our own current government is one of the best examples in the world of this.
He needs challenging, and is not really applicable here.
I signed a petition to ask gummint to be more helpful about state housing.
This resulted in an agreement to allow one week’s emergency housing from the state. Something along emergency lines. But actually there is a full time emergency going on, but it’s a start. This from Kyle MacDonald thru Action Station. (The flagman was Kyle Lockwood.)
Thank you for helping to make a difference,
Yesterday I flew down to Wellington to deliver our petition to the Minister. It was because of your support, and the support of more than 9000 others, that Minister Anne Tolley agreed to meet with me. Together we showed her this issue cannot be ignored.
When I asked her what could be done to help people and families facing the impossible choice between homelessness or unmanageable debt over the coming winter months, the Minister acknowledged the urgency of the situation and told us she would look into possible solutions.
Just a few hours after our meeting, the Minister’s office called to tell us that changes to the policy will be brought forward from September to 1 July. These changes will mean that the first week of emergency housing would be covered by a special needs grant rather than a loan. A week is not going to be long enough if there is nowhere to go once that week is up, so the Government still has a lot of work to be done to make sure there are enough houses for people to move into.
Good discussion – in fact excellent on tonight’s Checkpoint, as it ended – links not up yet.
But I’d suggest that if there’s one thing the indigent are fekkn sick of herring (goan ford) is the paternalistic kaka from the comfortable: a la “we need to provide repa ren serves”.
There’s STILL this fucking condescending attitude (or framing – if you prefer) that the poorer in our community are in some way ‘faulty’
It’s a fucking structural issue that begun some time in the early 80’s – possibly before.
@ Draco – I know you perceive a solution – but it ain’t gonna happen until the inevitable happens (and even then only as an option) – when it all disappears up its own arse. My hope is that it is peaceful
Just watching fuckwit Key on Parliament TV. What a bitch monologue from that illiterate ! Doesn’t have to be quality it’s just a game.
So you’ve got nothing? I meet people like you most days, CV. Blowhards with no clues, nothing positive to say, and focussed only on the deep and abiding love they have for the sound of their own voices. Luckily for the rest of us, the Onanists are never going get beyond perfecting the art of the hand shandy. It’d just be nicer if they did it behind closed doors and didn’t want the rest of us to pay for their tissues.
On second thoughts, in spite of my earlier request, I’ve removed the entire sub-thread to Open Mike because there wasn’t a skerrik of anything to do with the post from either of you. Ever thought of becoming facebook friends so the two of you can have at one another at your mutual leisure? – Bill
My friend, seems like you’re the one who has nothing.
BTW who are the socialist MPs in Labour?
I’m not your friend, CV. You’re part of the problem, not part of the solution. Time for you to start reading Ayn Rand, pal. You’ll feel right at home. She was a self obsessed bigot, too.
[trp, I’m pretty sure that neither I nor anyone else really cares what you and CV think of one another. I’ve asked you both to pack it in. If you really find the urge t have a go insatiable, take it to Open Mike or whatever, but don’t carry on with your carry ono under this post. thanks.] – Bill
Fair enough, Bill. However, I think it’s still relevant to the post that commenters moaning about climate change, but having no clue what to do about it and at the same time whining about those who do have sensible suggestions is worth my writing about. CV is most definitely part of the reason there is largely a collective ignoring of the problem. His attitude, which mirrors most of the right, is that there is no answer, so meh. Your post is great, but it is meaningless unless we can look to find the solutions to the real and present danger we face.
Yeah, and if you look back over in that part of the thread you’ll see that a couple of suggestions were being made by both you and CV. Seems neither of you can read what the other is writing without having a go though. And it’s damned boring.
Ok, no worries. Peace and out as I’m told the young folk say.
So, I’m asking the pair of you nicely to cut it out. Cheers.
Serious anger issues and preoccupation there Trp with cv I don’t necessary agree with all what cv says but he articulates it well and does it without a lot of personal abuse, something in that you may want to explore
Oh, bollocks. No anger there, but a deep disliking of wankers who are all mouth and trousers. CV adds nothing to the debate but negativity and frankly, climate change needs solutions fast. I’m happy to acknowledge that I find it weird that TS has a right wing bigot as an author. But perhaps it’s some sort of charity thing and I missed the email.
I need to remind you TRP that attacking Standard authors is strictly against the rules of the site.
Please restrain your anger and observe some proper decorum.
BTW if Climate Change needs fast, urgent answers, why did Andrew Little gloss over the whole topic in his recent speech? And did you support him doing that?
Diddums. You weren’t the author of the post. And being an author is not a get out of jail card when you’re being a wanker. Check my own output; I get straightened up from time to time and I generally cop it sweet. To quote the well known English philosopher Jamie Vardy, chat shit, get banged.
OK cool. So, did you approve of Andrew Little completely dodging climate change as a crisis issue that we need to face up to?
You’re the one dodging the issue, pal. Snap out of your funk and start contributing some answers. You’re a bright guy, put some effort into finding solutions and stop whingeing. Or, as I suggested, bugger off to ACT, where they like people with your kind of attitudes. And no, I’m not kidding. I went through this kind of crap a long, long time ago with Douglas and Prebble. You sound exactly like they did thirty years ago. Full of everything that was wrong, but no solutions beyond making themselves feel better by belittling those who are trying to make a difference. Life is really simple; if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. And like it or not, you’re definitely not a solutions based guy. So, read some Rand, see if misanthrope floats your boat. I reckon you and ACT are made for each other. That doesn’t make you a bad person, IMHO, but it might make you an honest one.
OK so you got nothing then. Thanks for clearing that up.
Jaysus, what a wanker.