Granny Herald’s poacher turned gamekeeper ShonKey Python is to be permitted LEGALLY to enlist all the other poachers……..Granny incredulously paints her darling as gamekeeper redoubled.
Ah yes another of those unsigned editorials, probably authored by the pm’s office or CT etc
This whole GSCB farce shows how pissweak our media is, that Dunne is keys lackey and what contempt shonkey and crew have for democracy and yet anotger pack of lies he will skate away from . So nothing new really.
Isnt it great when you can just change the laws to suit your own agenda what a banana republic weve become.
My God! David Shearer and Peter Dunne are in agreement.
From the Herald:
The changes go much further than the “cosmetic” tag attached by the Greens. Two stand out. The first dictates that the country’s foreign intelligence agency will be the subject of an independent review in 2015 and an automatic review every five to seven years after that. A five-year review echoes the situation in Australia.
What wasn’t captured on the audio of the live footage, is that after David Cunliffe says; “And based upon what we have heard here tonight. I personally, and I am sure my caucus colleagues would be of the view that this legislation, must not, will not, and cannot stand.”
David Shearer corrects Cunliffe, (and others). Angrilly shouting out, “We will be having a review.”
(Maybe someone could enhance the audio to catch this exchange?)
What wasn’t captured on the audio of the live footage, is that after David Cunliffe says; “And based upon what we have heard here tonight. I personally, and I am sure my caucus colleagues would be of the view that this legislation, must not, will not, and cannot stand.”
That is in the live stream. Starts at 1:15:52.
At 1:16:50 someone does shout out from the side of the hall that Shearer is on, but it’s inaudible because the GP guy has started speaking. And someone was shouting during Cunliffe’s statement (the judge had to ask them to shut up). Were you there Jenny? Are sure it was Shearer? It seems unlikely.
(Now check tonight’s TV3 news update … “Doubts cast over Royal Baby”, a solid story based on exactly the same reliable source)
But it’s beyond parody now, the “news” is in the hands of a lazy hack saying “Friday, let’s knock off work early”. I’d be ashamed if I was working there.
“a story about one person getting something wrong on the internet”
No, it was a story about a fucking idiot who should know better shit stirring and yet again undermining the left for her own perverse reasons.
Jenny, front up with some evidence that Shearer said what you said he did, or apologise to everyone who made that meeting so awesome and didn’t deserve to have it pissed on by the likes of you.
Jebus! Jenny owes David Shearer an apology, big time. No doubt she’ll be contacting 3News ASAP to put them right. But, lordie, how lazy is Jono Hutchison? What a doofus.
3 News should apologise for cherry picking Jenny’s comment and ignoring all the subsequent comments saying Shearer can’t be heard yelling anything out.
Shouldn’t you be asking TV3 that? I’d like to see it too when you get it. Seems like one of those situations where some people see chemtrails where we see contrails.
TV3 video on demand for the evening news on 26 July 2013 does not work. All I get is that damn Dilmah advert.
Anyway I KNOW what I saw – Shearer being angry.
Last night at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall we saw something I have long prayed for……….public figures of impeccable provenance like retired Supreme Court judge Sir Ted Thomas QC and Dame Anne Salmond – going public in the face of the chicanery of “Bananas” ShonKey Python.
With every such instance ShonKey Python’s facile “I disagree” becomes more and more risible.
Which leads us to the live “Loyalty” question New Zealanders must address.
North
I don’t believe key is a New Zealander at all. He was only born here. His family have no Kiwi history at all. His parents weren’t born here. I have no idea why he wanted to be pm of NZ but it certainly doesn’t appear to be for the good of the country. Can’t wait to see him go.
I agree.
He’s so adept at concealing and lying that it is impossible to tell what his true motivations are.
He’s the ultimate hollow man.
It will be interesting to watch what he does after he leaves politics (hopefully soon!).
“Last night at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall we saw something I have long prayed for……….public figures of impeccable provenance like retired Supreme Court judge Sir Ted Thomas QC and Dame Anne Salmond – going public in the face of the chicanery of “Bananas” ShonKey Python.”
It was a joy to behold. Why is this not happening more?
“What evidence is there that secondhand smoking does any harm? Where is the evidence? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? The science is flimsy.”
—Jeremy (Newsboy) Wells, “The Week in Review”, NewstalkZB, Friday 26 July 2013, 8:25 a.m.
Mediocrity Watch aims to keep you informed of—or, to quote the epically mediocre Simon Dallow, to be “right across”—the shoddiest, least professional, most insulting journalism from all over the world, but especially New Zealand. It is produced by DeakerWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
Check out these other third-raters….
No. 2 Gavin Gray: “…never been any problems associated with the name King George.”
No. 1 Susie Ferguson: “If, as you say, this has all been done before, why do it all again?”
Morrissey, I look forward to a future note of yours dedicated to the epically moaning, whinging, and mediocre Kim Hill.
I have strongly criticized Kim Hill in the past. I thought she was foolish and unprepared when she interviewed John Pilger on television a decade ago; he memorably castigated her for reflexively and thoughtlessly rehashing the most extreme government propaganda…. http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/face-to-face-with-kim-hill-john-pilger-2003
She is also given to occasionally making glib and foolish statements. “Just read one Chomsky book and you don’t have to read any others. They’re all the same,” she joked one day on her radio programme. Now I know, and you know, that is not true, and she is not that stupid or lazy; that’s the sort of thing that “Sir” Paul Holmes (RIP) or Graeme Hunt (RIP) or Mike Hosking or “Populuxe1” would have said. But she said it, and even as a joke it is a foolish and ridiculous thing to say.
But, on the other hand, you have to recognize that, since the retirement of Ian Fraser, Kim Hill is by far this country’s best interviewer. For sheer breadth of knowledge, and persistence, and verbal ability, she is in a class of her own. She has memorably exposed villains such as Jeffrey Archer, William Shawcross, and John Howard. Perhaps the best thing she ever did was when she subjected Dr. Brian Edwards to a dose of his own medicine and made him squirm uncomfortably for half an hour in an interview that might have qualified as a war crime if poor old Edwards had recovered from the shock and humiliation in time to file a charge at The Hague.
She can be annoying, I grant you, Santi—but if you’re looking for the fourth rate, the mediocre, the substandard, the useless, then you look at people like Jeremy Wells and his interlocutors on “The Week In Review” this morning—Wendyl Nissen and Susan Wood. And practically everyone else on that appalling station.
Even if you, like me, can’t stand her at times, you have to admit that Kim Hill is far, far superior to most others on radio. Hell, she even reads my emails out occasionally!
Keep up the good work.
Thank you, my friend! I always enjoy your contributions.
He probably was. But I am sick of so-called “ironists” trying to be funny. The guy should be stating his opinions frankly and honestly. I realize that that programme—that station—-is not serious, and is trying to “entertain” at all times, but whether or not Jeremy Wells was serious, he did say those words in an ostensibly (if not actually) serious discussion.
Oh santi what a load of rubbish – sure they are a big family but they have a lot of brains as well as brawn as shown by Hone leading the poised Mana Party – poised to make a real difference after the next election. On the other hand you are a proven liar and idiot and you display a distinct lack of brains, almost zombie like in your repetition of rubbish – that shows what a sad piece of shit you are.
No I don’t think that. More chance of the gnats and labour forming that – The Greens and NZFirst won’t work imo at least not in the way your comment implies.
What difference???, fools like you never see it coming until it’s far to late, there is no guarantee that NZFirst will gain the 5% needed to get back into the next Parliament,
Winston is way past His best and the years of fine living are starting to take their toll,
The Mana Party based upon the 2011 election result need a mere 1894 votes to take the Waiariki electorate and based upon Mana’s polling in the recent by-election will romp home in that seat with ease,
Roy Morgan is now polling the Mana Party at 1% of the party vote and a mere 1.2%,(a few thousand votes),and Mana will have another MP in the next Parliament off of it’s list,
Hone Harawira on His own in the 2015 Parliament might not make much difference, 3 Mana Party MP’s in that Parliament will make all the difference…
Civil disobedience, as displayed by Hone Harawira in support of the Glen Innes HousingNZ tenants being evicted by the state to make way for the grandiose palaces of the middle class has long been a feature of political movements everywhere,
Without civil disobedience we would have neither ‘women voting’, ‘nuke free NZ’ or ‘non-racist rugby tours’, to name 3 issues that spring to mind,
Big Ups to Hone for supporting those who have no other voice, i hope to see 2 more Mana Party MP’s in the 2014 Parliament and with Mana polling 1% of the party vote a list MP is only a few thousand party votes for Mana away,
Point 2 percent is all it will take and this far out from November 2014 it’s looking more certain that Mana will get my party vote…
Yes, when it came to South Africa. We also allowed them to limit our selections for tours to RSA to white only players, with one or two ‘honorary whites’ to fill out the squad. English cricket took a principled stand against this in 1968 over Basil D’Oliveira being refused entry to apartheid South Africa, but the All Black squad that toured the following year was selected on racial lines to keep the hosts happy.
During that period it was also the policy of the South African rugby union to select players to tour New Zealand on the basis that those selected were white…
I know that I was being slightly facetious in that it seems strange to take credit for it to be the only reason we have non-racist tours of Australia and the home nations.
Do you have anything to add apart from just one line? Political integrity in NZ has slipped by a huge degree, across the board. The fact he was there standing up for someone else’s constituents, who needed that support speaks to me that his integrity is far superior to a lot of other pollies. Whether you agree with his stand or not, you must admire the fact he made a stand! But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of your prejudice. Numpty.
Sorry, heading out the door when I wrote it and left it brief. Obviously too much so – was admiring his stand for the people of Glen Innes – not being facetious.
The thing that caught my attention was Key’s comment that
“we can afford another earthquake”. Run that past us again, John ?
According to current knowledge an earthquake “is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake
I don’t see that we have much choice in the matter. According to a recent Australian PM, “s**t happens”. The ancients used to call it fate. However you frame it, you pick up the pieces and carry on.
Key’s implication that we have some choice in earthquake affordability is either a symptom of grandiosity or a non-scientific belief system. It may be a poor choice of words, but it does not engender confidence in his crisis management skills.
I’m guessing he means if another major earthquake it NZ will be able to handle it but hey if you want to link it to something else entirely go right ahead
Alcibiades, without seeing the comment in context (got a link?), it’s hard to say what he meant (and he’s probably being slippery anyway). But I’m guessing he means we can afford to rebuild. Which we can’t if it’s a big quake in somewhere like Welly.
It was a press conference I saw on TV1 before he left for another trip abroad. I would not describe it as ‘slippery’, but certainly an unfortunate choice of words. It implies that there has been serious consideration of abandoning Wellington in a worst case scenario .. as though Aotearoa / New Zealand starts somewhere north of the Bombay hills.
Oh Slippery will just ‘write a cheque’, which is what He told the news-media when they asked our Prime Minister how the 2nd crossing of the Auckland harbor would be paid for,
The fact that none of the media pilloried the Slippery little liar over such glib bull-s**t has become par for the course and hardly reflects the fourth estate in any shade of ‘a good light,
Might as well rename the whole pack as the Fifth Column…
It’s a long held objective by the so called ruling elite, that every action/interaction will be monitored and controlled, this is not conspiracy, it is already happening.
The technology has existed long enough, and the legislative clamp down currently making the public view, is the only insight the plebs will get to see. The back end is not going to be exposed to the plebs!
Once the plug is pulled on cash money, and every transaction handled virtually, then the loop is closed, and the final remnants of what people believed, were freedoms, will be lost and gone, forever!
Until people realize the danger their lives are in, there is almost 0% chance to prevent it, that time was past last century.
So while many of those who have been ignorantly fighting to label such happenings, as conspiracy, they have been missing opportunity to engage, and aim their energy at the appropriate location.
It’s why quite simply, so called conspiracy theorists, are not a danger, they are in fact an early warning system, in many cases, a desperate call to action.
The best places to be in years to come, are 3rd world and developing countries, with nations such as NZ, finished. It is my supposition, that NZ will be the first nation, to fall!
One could argue, the fall, has already happened, without a fight!
That’s dismal muzza. I think you will find that many in NZ have been thinking about this, including how to communicate without using electronics. The best hope for NZ in the face of PO/AGW/GFC is to relocalise. This applies in the face of the surveillance society too.
If cash gets done away with, people will set up alternate economic systems. Already happening, alongside barter and trade. It won’t take so much to get those things scaled up to the community level.
Only if you are trading in something that would otherwise bring you your main income. Someone who is a mechanic should technically declare alternate income if they trade their mechanical skills, but not if they’re baby sitting. Haven’t seen an analysis of how many people do actually declare though.
People don’t have to pay tax on swapping veges across the back fence.
Sooner or later IRD and the government will come down hard on the bartering system because people are using it to avoid taxes and there won’t any bartering left. I read an article last year about IRD looking at it.
Also, if your income disappears and it turns out that you’re doing odd jobs for barter it’s going to look like that is your main income at which point IRD will give you a tax bill.
AFAIK they’re after people that are avoiding paying tax on what would otherwise be main income (and fair enough too). They don’t care about vege swaps and such. If someone is self-employed and their income drops suddenly for no obvious reason, then it makes sense of IRD to have a look. I doubt that they will be going after teens mowing lawns for their grandparents though. Where the line in between is, I’m not sure but I think the govt will have its hands full going after the main income tax avoiders.
As for coming down hard on barter and trade, the vast majority happens outside of spheres that the govt can see. That will never change, I expect it to increase.
And what you and muzza were talking about was getting completely out of the monetary system which would bring the government down on you. As I say, the lack of paying taxes would raise flags.
Sorry Draco, what do you think the IRD is going to do? Come down on you or your neighbour when you volunteer to look after the neighbours kids one day a week?
But what are they going to do, take 20% of my potatoes and 20% of my neighbour’s grapefruit?
For the sake of argument, let’s try applying the “assume market rates” model.
My neighbour and I aren’t paying each other a vege salary or fruit wages, so paye doesn’t apply. If anything the relationship is between two food-producing businesses, neither of which make any profit.
x kg potatoes =$y. That’s income and can be taxed (theoretically). I’m guessing at the self-employed rate.
There are two things in this discussion. One is that IRD (and WINZ incidentally) do consider barter/trade form one’s main job to be income. However, there are obviously many people in NZ who earn some or a lot of cash income under the table, and IRD is largely powerless against that, so it’s hard to see IRD going after the people trading unless they are being very obvious about it.
The second thing is low level barter/trade eg veges over the back fence, or trading services for goods etc. Can’t see IRD caring about that.
I think that green dollar systems etc got targeted by IRD when professionals and tradies started doing business and not declaring it. AFAIK timebanks are still exempt, but not sure how long that will last (the loophole is that all time trades are equal, rather than being assigned a money equivalent value. So a lawyer’s hour is worth the same as a cleaner’s hour. Not sure that IRD could argue income as dollar value there).
Neither my neighbour nor I are left with any profit after the transaction. There are no potatoes to tax as they’ve been used to buy grapefruit and vise-versa.
If cash gets done away with, people will set up alternate economic systems. Already happening, alongside barter and trade. It won’t take so much to get those things scaled up to the community level.
Amongst the most trusted networks, the gift economy is going to take off. Barter is boring, slow and inflexible in comparison.
I’m also on the look out for the appearance of community currencies and time banks.
CV
Thoughts –
What’s the gift society actually? Have you a link that talks about this and time banks and runs through community currency methods.
We do need taxes to provide public services. Including police and army.
Many people don’t understand exactly how community systems work. Let people who haven’t clear rules and explanations get control and they serve up a mash of things they have learned in the mainstream currency and ideas where some system worked in some location at some time, and you have unproved theories running a system that will eventually become unhinged.
Only a thought out system with rules that cover everything will work. And not be run by committees otherwise you just get new people with scrambled ideas that will unravel the working system, or fiddle with it till its so weak it will fall over.
I have to apologise in advance, these don’t all answer your questions that directly amd the videos are long but will be helpful overall.
There is a very deep understanding of why and how community currency systems work and don’t work. In modern monetary theory the joke is – it’s not difficult to issue a new kind of money – the difficulty is in getting people to accept it.
We do need taxes to provide public services. Including police and army.
This is only true in the current monetary system where governments have given up their long standing rights to issue money themselves, instead handing that right to the banks.
This entire talk by Orlov is very good, he does spend a few minutes in the middle of it talking about the gift economy.
CV
Much appreciated. You bring good stuff, joe90 etc too. I do like to do more than just make rude remarks about politicians and RWNJs and discuss who will be in next to continue or slow our slide downwards. Too much time spent on negativity probably gives one cancer, or the flu! So stay healthy by thinking positively and learning is what I’m clinging to!
One way or another we need to account for the resources we use against the resources we have. Both muzza, Weka and now you are suggesting that we don’t and that path must result in the collapse of society because we will run out of resources.
“One way or another we need to account for the resources we use against the resources we have. Both muzza, Weka and now you are suggesting that we don’t”
I’m not suggesting that. I think much should be devolved to the local level, because in a post-carbon world it’s the resources in your landbase that matter. Locals should be ‘accounting’ for what happens in their rohe. But not entirely, I still see a role for govt in that too.
“and that path must result in the collapse of society because we will run out of resources.”
If you think that’s what I’ve been suggesting all this time then you’ve misunderstood. My argument is actually the opposite. But I don’t believe that governments will make the changes necessary to work within our natural limits until something forces them to do so (eg collapse).
“The best places to be in years to come, are 3rd world and developing countries, with nations such as NZ, finished.”
Your logic is flawed mate – remember you said that rudd was correct and that Australia should look after aussies and that some people will die and that is just too bad – under your scenario YOU will die and are you telling me (if you actually believe what you write) that you won’t seek out a 3rd world country to try to live in? Why should they let you in when you wouldn’t let them in? It seems to me that you have given up, well some of us haven’t given up and we will fight to retain the values we believe in.
Rudds decision was the right one for mine, but that does not imply that those inside Australian boarders are going to have an easy time, or gain anything from the decision, far from it I suspect.
You managed to conflate a couple of points, but thats more down to me not expressing myself fully on this digital medium.
I think its a different view here in AKL, Marty. While no doubt there is great things happening up and around here, I would think that its the smaller centers, and rural NZ, where the action is happening, such as doen your way.
I’ve not given up, but I am growing tired of waiting for the penny to drop far enough, with some more of the folk up here, such that they visibly express their distaste at whats going on in NZ, and get on with claiming back, what is being taken away!
There are some encouraging signs like the meeting last night, and some activities tomorrow, from all accounts.
Because Colin Craig takes her votes; she wants national to be the sort of party that would be supported by the people who would vote for the Conservatives. If the Conservatives survive, National will become less like Collins and more like Joyce.
Collins thinks that she needs to do this now, in case national get kicked out next term? Butbutbut I thought the nats were going to be a four-term government…
I was and still am a Cuniliffe supporter but if Shearer is the Leader I believe that we have to get in behind him, but I must admit it is bloody frustrating. This morning on Natrad Shearer said about GCS Bill.
” We do not think that this is good policy.”
Oh for fucks sake, while Shearer has to take responsibility for what he says it must be fucking useless advisors that are not doing the job. It should have been “We in the Labour party think that this is really BAD policy” . Never, never use positive language about policy that you are opposing. If he is resisting training he needs a kick up the arse like Helen got before she was turned into a winner. The only thing in his defence is that the platitudinous language is what you use when dealing with heavily armed arseholes that he used to talk to. But it’s time to drop it and time to start verbally tearing our homegrown arseholes new ones.
However, he said the law would not be rolled back until an independent inquiry into New Zealand’s intelligence services was carried out.
What he should be saying is that, upon immediate swearing in to government, they will be repealing the law and going to the status quo ante and initiating a full review.
If it’s bad law you get rid of it ASAP. If you don’t you’re saying that it’s not actually bad law.
Did Sheepy Shearer say this about the GCSB proposed ‘laws’? ‘we do not think that this is a good policy.’
Translation – I’ll hit you with a piece of cooked spaghetti if you bring it in even though that is messy and extreme. And if we get in after the election, my Party will always advise the citizens with no criminal records or who have had no welfare assistance before we listen in to them.
No, but when some mujahaddin had a gun to his and his wife’s heads in his office in Baghdad ( I think ) and he talked them down and got their particular problem sorted. That was one of the reasons that The Herald called him NZer of the Year. Now they think that NZ’s Bullshitter of the Year is their main man.
1400 tremors, quakes in Cook Strait. It is good news that we still have communications going okay isn’t it? The cables seem to have coped with the movement.
It’d most likely be the termination points that would be damaged in an earthquake. The cables rest on the seafloor, but they’re basically like a big long rope: put a rope in a bucket and shake the bucket around and the rope will be tossed about but will land on the ground eventually.
In another lively public meeting last night the SMBA (St Mary’s Bay Association) voted to support in principle a pedestrian and bicycle over the harbour bridge!
Still a large amout of Nimbyism amongst some of the older members of the SMBA, but great to finally see a change. The leading cycle crossing advocate, Brendan Doherty, was elected to the council.
An amusing part was when the chair asked members not to discuss the meeting on social media! (Found this out on twitter, the moment he said it!)
If anyone who lives in St Mary’s Bay or Northcote Point or elsewhere wants to get involved a facebook page has been set up.
I think we have to watch that most of the comments aren’t just refuting these RWNJs that come here. They take up valuable space with under 10% of their opinions being anything other than what a toddler could repeat from listening to a parent, just parroting stuff. There seems to be a crowd of little biting flies at the moment taking pleasure from not adding anything useful but deflecting thought from the important topics.
From Rollingstone
“Without Toshi’s counsel and support, and always outspoken and direct opinions, it’s clear to anyone who ever met these two remarkable people that, without Toshi, Pete would never have had the foundation and freedom to do the work that made him so legendary,” said Sing Out, a magazine she and Seeger helped cofound in 1950.
She was born in Munich to an American mother and Japanese father, and the family relocated to the U.S. before her first birthday. She grew up in New York, where she met Seeger, and the couple married in 1943 when she was 21.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/toshi-seeger-wife-of-pete-seeger-dead-at-91-20130711#ixzz2aE97hden
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
I recently put up information about McCarthy and his tirade about communism and what a snake he was. Pete Seeger stood up to the bullying anti-democratic tactics then which are not too different in kind than what we face now. They both seem to have been very principled.
Wikipedia –
Jim Musselman (founder of Appleseed Recordings), longtime friend and record producer for Pete Seeger:
He was one of the few people who invoked the First Amendment in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA). Everyone else had said the Fifth Amendment, the right against self-incrimination, and then they were dismissed. What Pete did, and what some other very powerful people who had the guts and the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the committee and say, “I’m gonna invoke the First Amendment, the right of freedom of association….”
…I was actually in law school when I read the case of United States v. Seeger, and it really changed my life, because I saw the courage of what he had done and what some other people had done by invoking the First Amendment, saying, “We’re all Americans. We can associate with whoever we want to, and it doesn’t matter who we associate with.” That’s what the founding fathers set up democracy to be. So I just really feel it’s an important part of history that people need to remember.
“No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world!”
“I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!”
“You are often disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of people who put their own interests before the common good,” Francis told the crowd. “To you and all, I repeat: Never yield to discouragement, do not lose trust, do not allow your hope to be extinguished.”
Francis blasted what he said was a “culture of selfishness and individualism” that permeates society today, demanding that those with money and power share their wealth and resources to fight hunger and poverty.
You heard him brothers and sisters. Even God wants a mess. Are you going to march and yell in defiance tomorrow? – or hobble supine to your graves under the corrupting tory yoke and take your children and their children with you. Be able to face that mirror: experience the strength of unity and righteous anger – act!
Some people wonder what the end game is for arseholes like our prime minister key – this video put up by Greenpeace shows just where his head is at – all of the bits of legislation from the GCSB downward, all of the agreements from TPPA downward, all of the asset selling, the demonisation of beneficiaries, all of the bullshit and lies are not random or accidental. This video outlines one of the major reasons for it all – money. Exploiting everything, especially the land, to make some money.
Societies don’t run on money, they run on hard work and resources and digging the resources up and selling them leaves us with no wealth. John Key’s plan to dig up sell our resources will destroy our society.
you saying it’s not a national party video, spylands? That it’s not John Key speaking to the camera? Or did you just decide it was bunk without looking at it?
“The overarching goal of the Government is to grow the New Zealand
economy to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunities for
all New Zealanders.”
We’ve been growing the economy and over the time that we have, especially over the last 3 decades, poverty has increased and the majority of people are actually worse off. We don’t need to grow the economy to improve the conditions for most people, we need to distribute our resources better. Also, selling off all our resources as Key says we should do in the video will leave us destitute. Without those resources we don’t have an economy.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATION 2013 – SUBMIT, SUBMIT
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1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
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:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
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 ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
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. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
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Weasel words from Granny Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10903287
Extraordinary is it not ?
Granny Herald’s poacher turned gamekeeper ShonKey Python is to be permitted LEGALLY to enlist all the other poachers……..Granny incredulously paints her darling as gamekeeper redoubled.
Ah yes another of those unsigned editorials, probably authored by the pm’s office or CT etc
This whole GSCB farce shows how pissweak our media is, that Dunne is keys lackey and what contempt shonkey and crew have for democracy and yet anotger pack of lies he will skate away from . So nothing new really.
Isnt it great when you can just change the laws to suit your own agenda what a banana republic weve become.
Written by Roughan I reckon
He’s deputy editor isn’t he?
My God! David Shearer and Peter Dunne are in agreement.
From the Herald:
What wasn’t captured on the audio of the live footage, is that after David Cunliffe says; “And based upon what we have heard here tonight. I personally, and I am sure my caucus colleagues would be of the view that this legislation, must not, will not, and cannot stand.”
David Shearer corrects Cunliffe, (and others). Angrilly shouting out, “We will be having a review.”
(Maybe someone could enhance the audio to catch this exchange?)
http://thestandard.org.nz/gcsb-protests/#comment-668394
David S. is the voice of reason. The Leader is right in saying “we will be having a review”.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24072013/#comment-667621
Can’t wait.
“David Shearer corrects Cunliffe, (and others). Angrilly shouting out, “We will be having a review.” ”
How do you know it was Shearer, Jenny? How do you know he was angry? Why is repeating Cunliffe’s words a correction?
Nah, I call bullshit.
I’ve listened to that part of the audio a couple of times and I didn’t pick Shearer as shouting anything. Will have another listen.
Jenny, can you please link to the Herald article.
What wasn’t captured on the audio of the live footage, is that after David Cunliffe says; “And based upon what we have heard here tonight. I personally, and I am sure my caucus colleagues would be of the view that this legislation, must not, will not, and cannot stand.”
That is in the live stream. Starts at 1:15:52.
At 1:16:50 someone does shout out from the side of the hall that Shearer is on, but it’s inaudible because the GP guy has started speaking. And someone was shouting during Cunliffe’s statement (the judge had to ask them to shut up). Were you there Jenny? Are sure it was Shearer? It seems unlikely.
Sheaerer denies it – tonight on 3 news where your comment here was quoted – how to spread false rumours…..?
And Jenny’s comment was called a “post”. Pathetic.
So in its entirety, this was … (drum roll) … a story about one person getting something wrong on the internet. And – that’s it.
Journalism’s a cushy job these days, isn’t? Who needs facts?
Yep. They just like conflict over depth and context. Here is the print version also calling it a post.
I HAD SEX WITH KATE MIDDLETON … 9 months ago!
(Now check tonight’s TV3 news update … “Doubts cast over Royal Baby”, a solid story based on exactly the same reliable source)
But it’s beyond parody now, the “news” is in the hands of a lazy hack saying “Friday, let’s knock off work early”. I’d be ashamed if I was working there.
Worth a complaint to the company?
Or John Key had Judith Collins baby, before their gender reassignment surgery!
Would make a great headline.
That one has the ring of truth to it, karol.
“a story about one person getting something wrong on the internet”
No, it was a story about a fucking idiot who should know better shit stirring and yet again undermining the left for her own perverse reasons.
Jenny, front up with some evidence that Shearer said what you said he did, or apologise to everyone who made that meeting so awesome and didn’t deserve to have it pissed on by the likes of you.
yep
Jebus! Jenny owes David Shearer an apology, big time. No doubt she’ll be contacting 3News ASAP to put them right. But, lordie, how lazy is Jono Hutchison? What a doofus.
3 News should apologise for cherry picking Jenny’s comment and ignoring all the subsequent comments saying Shearer can’t be heard yelling anything out.
Broadcasting Standards Authority complaint?
Go for it!
You are all talk.
He could have chosen some really insane stuff from the comments here and spun a story about how Labour was basically a bunch of tin foil hat wearers!
Obviously TV3 needs to be taught the difference between a post and a comment.
fleg messamand !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tr0ll
The video of the ‘story’. What a crock.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Cunliffe-takes-mic-at-anti-GCSB-meeting/tabid/370/articleID/306521/Default.aspx?ref=video_2012-11-22
That video is NOT what I saw on TV3. I vividly remember Shearer saying angrily “There will be a review”. Where’s the video of that?
Shouldn’t you be asking TV3 that? I’d like to see it too when you get it. Seems like one of those situations where some people see chemtrails where we see contrails.
TV3 video on demand for the evening news on 26 July 2013 does not work. All I get is that damn Dilmah advert.
Anyway I KNOW what I saw – Shearer being angry.
There are people who KNOW they saw the twin towers blown up by explosive demolitions, too. It doesn’t mean they were right.
arrrg, no, don’t mention that!!!
Yes, a deliberate attempt to derail the thread that is getting a bit past its used by date.
editorials have long since lost their credibility
Ah, the NZHerald doing it’s best to tell us that this National Party dictatorship is good for us.
Last night at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall we saw something I have long prayed for……….public figures of impeccable provenance like retired Supreme Court judge Sir Ted Thomas QC and Dame Anne Salmond – going public in the face of the chicanery of “Bananas” ShonKey Python.
With every such instance ShonKey Python’s facile “I disagree” becomes more and more risible.
Which leads us to the live “Loyalty” question New Zealanders must address.
Is ShonKey Python truly a “Loyal” New Zealander ?
We know he’s “Royal” but is he “Loyal” ?
It’s long past time, these “high level NZ’ers”, begin to maike themselves highly visible, so it’s great to see it seems to be happening.
Key is not the NZ’er, he is a globalist!
North
I don’t believe key is a New Zealander at all. He was only born here. His family have no Kiwi history at all. His parents weren’t born here. I have no idea why he wanted to be pm of NZ but it certainly doesn’t appear to be for the good of the country. Can’t wait to see him go.
I agree.
He’s so adept at concealing and lying that it is impossible to tell what his true motivations are.
He’s the ultimate hollow man.
It will be interesting to watch what he does after he leaves politics (hopefully soon!).
So you think any child born of immigrants aren’t NZers, well you can fuck right off with your bullshit and go join NZfirst
Yeah Shonkey is Loyal.
He’s Loyal to the Almighty Dollar.
He’s Loyal to the USA.
He’s Loyal to his Hollywood mates.
He’s Loyal to the rich listers.
And he is DISLOYAL to the hard working Kiwi who’s just trying to get ahead!
“Last night at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall we saw something I have long prayed for……….public figures of impeccable provenance like retired Supreme Court judge Sir Ted Thomas QC and Dame Anne Salmond – going public in the face of the chicanery of “Bananas” ShonKey Python.”
It was a joy to behold. Why is this not happening more?
Because we have second rate parachutists posing as politicians keeping the talented and principled out.
Mediocrity Watch
No. 3: JEREMY WELLS
“What evidence is there that secondhand smoking does any harm? Where is the evidence? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? The science is flimsy.”
—Jeremy (Newsboy) Wells, “The Week in Review”, NewstalkZB, Friday 26 July 2013, 8:25 a.m.
Mediocrity Watch aims to keep you informed of—or, to quote the epically mediocre Simon Dallow, to be “right across”—the shoddiest, least professional, most insulting journalism from all over the world, but especially New Zealand. It is produced by DeakerWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
Check out these other third-raters….
No. 2 Gavin Gray: “…never been any problems associated with the name King George.”
No. 1 Susie Ferguson: “If, as you say, this has all been done before, why do it all again?”
Morrissey, I look forward to a future note of yours dedicated to the epically moaning, whinging, and mediocre Kim Hill. Keep up the good work.
Morrissey, I look forward to a future note of yours dedicated to the epically moaning, whinging, and mediocre Kim Hill.
I have strongly criticized Kim Hill in the past. I thought she was foolish and unprepared when she interviewed John Pilger on television a decade ago; he memorably castigated her for reflexively and thoughtlessly rehashing the most extreme government propaganda….
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/face-to-face-with-kim-hill-john-pilger-2003
She is also given to occasionally making glib and foolish statements. “Just read one Chomsky book and you don’t have to read any others. They’re all the same,” she joked one day on her radio programme. Now I know, and you know, that is not true, and she is not that stupid or lazy; that’s the sort of thing that “Sir” Paul Holmes (RIP) or Graeme Hunt (RIP) or Mike Hosking or “Populuxe1” would have said. But she said it, and even as a joke it is a foolish and ridiculous thing to say.
But, on the other hand, you have to recognize that, since the retirement of Ian Fraser, Kim Hill is by far this country’s best interviewer. For sheer breadth of knowledge, and persistence, and verbal ability, she is in a class of her own. She has memorably exposed villains such as Jeffrey Archer, William Shawcross, and John Howard. Perhaps the best thing she ever did was when she subjected Dr. Brian Edwards to a dose of his own medicine and made him squirm uncomfortably for half an hour in an interview that might have qualified as a war crime if poor old Edwards had recovered from the shock and humiliation in time to file a charge at The Hague.
She can be annoying, I grant you, Santi—but if you’re looking for the fourth rate, the mediocre, the substandard, the useless, then you look at people like Jeremy Wells and his interlocutors on “The Week In Review” this morning—Wendyl Nissen and Susan Wood. And practically everyone else on that appalling station.
Even if you, like me, can’t stand her at times, you have to admit that Kim Hill is far, far superior to most others on radio. Hell, she even reads my emails out occasionally!
Keep up the good work.
Thank you, my friend! I always enjoy your contributions.
Possible that Wells was taking the piss?
Possible that Wells was taking the piss?
He probably was. But I am sick of so-called “ironists” trying to be funny. The guy should be stating his opinions frankly and honestly. I realize that that programme—that station—-is not serious, and is trying to “entertain” at all times, but whether or not Jeremy Wells was serious, he did say those words in an ostensibly (if not actually) serious discussion.
whoooooosh
whoooooosh
?????
So, this is what political integrity looks like…?
Gee another Harawira in court, theres a big surprise…integrity nope just more posturing and grandstanding
The lack of integrity lies behind you WS, trying looking around fool.
The Harawhiras are a big family of crooks and thugs. No brains, just brawn. Nothing else.
Oh santi what a load of rubbish – sure they are a big family but they have a lot of brains as well as brawn as shown by Hone leading the poised Mana Party – poised to make a real difference after the next election. On the other hand you are a proven liar and idiot and you display a distinct lack of brains, almost zombie like in your repetition of rubbish – that shows what a sad piece of shit you are.
what difference is Hone going to make after the next election? Oh right you think Labour, Greens, NZfirst and Mana will form a grand coilition
Good luck with that
No I don’t think that. More chance of the gnats and labour forming that – The Greens and NZFirst won’t work imo at least not in the way your comment implies.
What difference???, fools like you never see it coming until it’s far to late, there is no guarantee that NZFirst will gain the 5% needed to get back into the next Parliament,
Winston is way past His best and the years of fine living are starting to take their toll,
The Mana Party based upon the 2011 election result need a mere 1894 votes to take the Waiariki electorate and based upon Mana’s polling in the recent by-election will romp home in that seat with ease,
Roy Morgan is now polling the Mana Party at 1% of the party vote and a mere 1.2%,(a few thousand votes),and Mana will have another MP in the next Parliament off of it’s list,
Hone Harawira on His own in the 2015 Parliament might not make much difference, 3 Mana Party MP’s in that Parliament will make all the difference…
Civil disobedience, as displayed by Hone Harawira in support of the Glen Innes HousingNZ tenants being evicted by the state to make way for the grandiose palaces of the middle class has long been a feature of political movements everywhere,
Without civil disobedience we would have neither ‘women voting’, ‘nuke free NZ’ or ‘non-racist rugby tours’, to name 3 issues that spring to mind,
Big Ups to Hone for supporting those who have no other voice, i hope to see 2 more Mana Party MP’s in the 2014 Parliament and with Mana polling 1% of the party vote a list MP is only a few thousand party votes for Mana away,
Point 2 percent is all it will take and this far out from November 2014 it’s looking more certain that Mana will get my party vote…
+1
I agree with you, but we wouldn’t have non-racist rugby tours without civil disobedience? Was it NZRFU policy to only have racist tours before then?
Yes, when it came to South Africa. We also allowed them to limit our selections for tours to RSA to white only players, with one or two ‘honorary whites’ to fill out the squad. English cricket took a principled stand against this in 1968 over Basil D’Oliveira being refused entry to apartheid South Africa, but the All Black squad that toured the following year was selected on racial lines to keep the hosts happy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Oliveira_affair
During that period it was also the policy of the South African rugby union to select players to tour New Zealand on the basis that those selected were white…
I know that I was being slightly facetious in that it seems strange to take credit for it to be the only reason we have non-racist tours of Australia and the home nations.
That isn’t what the credit is being claimed for. It was specific to RSA rugby tours.
Do you have anything to add apart from just one line? Political integrity in NZ has slipped by a huge degree, across the board. The fact he was there standing up for someone else’s constituents, who needed that support speaks to me that his integrity is far superior to a lot of other pollies. Whether you agree with his stand or not, you must admire the fact he made a stand! But hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of your prejudice. Numpty.
Sorry, heading out the door when I wrote it and left it brief. Obviously too much so – was admiring his stand for the people of Glen Innes – not being facetious.
Lake North Pole.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/07/north-pole-has-melted-lake/67577/
The thing that caught my attention was Key’s comment that
“we can afford another earthquake”. Run that past us again, John ?
According to current knowledge an earthquake “is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake
I don’t see that we have much choice in the matter. According to a recent Australian PM, “s**t happens”. The ancients used to call it fate. However you frame it, you pick up the pieces and carry on.
Key’s implication that we have some choice in earthquake affordability is either a symptom of grandiosity or a non-scientific belief system. It may be a poor choice of words, but it does not engender confidence in his crisis management skills.
I’m guessing he means if another major earthquake it NZ will be able to handle it but hey if you want to link it to something else entirely go right ahead
Such as ..
Alcibiades, without seeing the comment in context (got a link?), it’s hard to say what he meant (and he’s probably being slippery anyway). But I’m guessing he means we can afford to rebuild. Which we can’t if it’s a big quake in somewhere like Welly.
It was a press conference I saw on TV1 before he left for another trip abroad. I would not describe it as ‘slippery’, but certainly an unfortunate choice of words. It implies that there has been serious consideration of abandoning Wellington in a worst case scenario .. as though Aotearoa / New Zealand starts somewhere north of the Bombay hills.
Oh Slippery will just ‘write a cheque’, which is what He told the news-media when they asked our Prime Minister how the 2nd crossing of the Auckland harbor would be paid for,
The fact that none of the media pilloried the Slippery little liar over such glib bull-s**t has become par for the course and hardly reflects the fourth estate in any shade of ‘a good light,
Might as well rename the whole pack as the Fifth Column…
It’s the delusional belief, held by politicians, economists and rich people, that money is a resource.
Abbott has never been Australian PM, recently or otherwise. If he does get elected, it will be real proof that shit happens.
Well if this is true. then 1984 and Minority Report is on it’s way, and this time it’s for real.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Predicting-crime-before-it-happens/tabid/1771/articleID/306188/Default.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_Report_%28film%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
Seems the GCSB is not well written because new software like this has major repercussions for ordinary New Zealanders.
It’s a long held objective by the so called ruling elite, that every action/interaction will be monitored and controlled, this is not conspiracy, it is already happening.
The technology has existed long enough, and the legislative clamp down currently making the public view, is the only insight the plebs will get to see. The back end is not going to be exposed to the plebs!
Once the plug is pulled on cash money, and every transaction handled virtually, then the loop is closed, and the final remnants of what people believed, were freedoms, will be lost and gone, forever!
Until people realize the danger their lives are in, there is almost 0% chance to prevent it, that time was past last century.
So while many of those who have been ignorantly fighting to label such happenings, as conspiracy, they have been missing opportunity to engage, and aim their energy at the appropriate location.
It’s why quite simply, so called conspiracy theorists, are not a danger, they are in fact an early warning system, in many cases, a desperate call to action.
The best places to be in years to come, are 3rd world and developing countries, with nations such as NZ, finished. It is my supposition, that NZ will be the first nation, to fall!
One could argue, the fall, has already happened, without a fight!
That’s dismal muzza. I think you will find that many in NZ have been thinking about this, including how to communicate without using electronics. The best hope for NZ in the face of PO/AGW/GFC is to relocalise. This applies in the face of the surveillance society too.
If cash gets done away with, people will set up alternate economic systems. Already happening, alongside barter and trade. It won’t take so much to get those things scaled up to the community level.
And you still have to pay tax on them.
Only if you are trading in something that would otherwise bring you your main income. Someone who is a mechanic should technically declare alternate income if they trade their mechanical skills, but not if they’re baby sitting. Haven’t seen an analysis of how many people do actually declare though.
People don’t have to pay tax on swapping veges across the back fence.
Sooner or later IRD and the government will come down hard on the bartering system because people are using it to avoid taxes and there won’t any bartering left. I read an article last year about IRD looking at it.
Also, if your income disappears and it turns out that you’re doing odd jobs for barter it’s going to look like that is your main income at which point IRD will give you a tax bill.
Interesting. So does the IRD have the legal capacity to collect vegetables?
/shrug
I do believe that they can ascertain market value and tax you on that though.
AFAIK they’re after people that are avoiding paying tax on what would otherwise be main income (and fair enough too). They don’t care about vege swaps and such. If someone is self-employed and their income drops suddenly for no obvious reason, then it makes sense of IRD to have a look. I doubt that they will be going after teens mowing lawns for their grandparents though. Where the line in between is, I’m not sure but I think the govt will have its hands full going after the main income tax avoiders.
As for coming down hard on barter and trade, the vast majority happens outside of spheres that the govt can see. That will never change, I expect it to increase.
And what you and muzza were talking about was getting completely out of the monetary system which would bring the government down on you. As I say, the lack of paying taxes would raise flags.
Sorry Draco, what do you think the IRD is going to do? Come down on you or your neighbour when you volunteer to look after the neighbours kids one day a week?
Let’s see how long that government lasts.
Raise flags, sure.
But what are they going to do, take 20% of my potatoes and 20% of my neighbour’s grapefruit?
For the sake of argument, let’s try applying the “assume market rates” model.
My neighbour and I aren’t paying each other a vege salary or fruit wages, so paye doesn’t apply. If anything the relationship is between two food-producing businesses, neither of which make any profit.
So what “income” would they be taxing, exactly?
x kg potatoes =$y. That’s income and can be taxed (theoretically). I’m guessing at the self-employed rate.
There are two things in this discussion. One is that IRD (and WINZ incidentally) do consider barter/trade form one’s main job to be income. However, there are obviously many people in NZ who earn some or a lot of cash income under the table, and IRD is largely powerless against that, so it’s hard to see IRD going after the people trading unless they are being very obvious about it.
The second thing is low level barter/trade eg veges over the back fence, or trading services for goods etc. Can’t see IRD caring about that.
I think that green dollar systems etc got targeted by IRD when professionals and tradies started doing business and not declaring it. AFAIK timebanks are still exempt, but not sure how long that will last (the loophole is that all time trades are equal, rather than being assigned a money equivalent value. So a lawyer’s hour is worth the same as a cleaner’s hour. Not sure that IRD could argue income as dollar value there).
You’ve missed my point, weka.
Business income is taxed on profit, not turnover.
Neither my neighbour nor I are left with any profit after the transaction. There are no potatoes to tax as they’ve been used to buy grapefruit and vise-versa.
Hi Weka,
I know from past comment that you’re actively involved in the initiatives at a local level, which is definately the way to go.
Should have added, local/rural NZ, its the cities which are going to take the hardest hit.
Keep updates coming as to the systems that you’re involved with, its always nice to hear, what will unlikely be ready in the MSM.
Have a good weekend.
Amongst the most trusted networks, the gift economy is going to take off. Barter is boring, slow and inflexible in comparison.
I’m also on the look out for the appearance of community currencies and time banks.
CV
Thoughts –
What’s the gift society actually? Have you a link that talks about this and time banks and runs through community currency methods.
We do need taxes to provide public services. Including police and army.
Many people don’t understand exactly how community systems work. Let people who haven’t clear rules and explanations get control and they serve up a mash of things they have learned in the mainstream currency and ideas where some system worked in some location at some time, and you have unproved theories running a system that will eventually become unhinged.
Only a thought out system with rules that cover everything will work. And not be run by committees otherwise you just get new people with scrambled ideas that will unravel the working system, or fiddle with it till its so weak it will fall over.
I have to apologise in advance, these don’t all answer your questions that directly amd the videos are long but will be helpful overall.
There is a very deep understanding of why and how community currency systems work and don’t work. In modern monetary theory the joke is – it’s not difficult to issue a new kind of money – the difficulty is in getting people to accept it.
This is only true in the current monetary system where governments have given up their long standing rights to issue money themselves, instead handing that right to the banks.
This entire talk by Orlov is very good, he does spend a few minutes in the middle of it talking about the gift economy.
http://fora.tv/2009/02/13/Dmitry_Orlov_Social_Collapse_Best_Practices
L Randall Wray on full employment and the government issue of currency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXY8mZKfXUY
Worgl community currency experiment
http://alt-money.tribe.net/thread/70e5eb29-853d-44ca-9faa-b789d1757037
http://www.lietaer.com/2010/03/the-worgl-experiment/
http://www.timebank.org.nz/
http://www.lyttelton.net.nz/timebank
CV
Much appreciated. You bring good stuff, joe90 etc too. I do like to do more than just make rude remarks about politicians and RWNJs and discuss who will be in next to continue or slow our slide downwards. Too much time spent on negativity probably gives one cancer, or the flu! So stay healthy by thinking positively and learning is what I’m clinging to!
Nothing wrong with a cashless society – just so long as the banking system has been pulled out of the banks control.
You love making systems more fragile don’t you. What is up with that?
One way or another we need to account for the resources we use against the resources we have. Both muzza, Weka and now you are suggesting that we don’t and that path must result in the collapse of society because we will run out of resources.
“One way or another we need to account for the resources we use against the resources we have. Both muzza, Weka and now you are suggesting that we don’t”
I’m not suggesting that. I think much should be devolved to the local level, because in a post-carbon world it’s the resources in your landbase that matter. Locals should be ‘accounting’ for what happens in their rohe. But not entirely, I still see a role for govt in that too.
“and that path must result in the collapse of society because we will run out of resources.”
If you think that’s what I’ve been suggesting all this time then you’ve misunderstood. My argument is actually the opposite. But I don’t believe that governments will make the changes necessary to work within our natural limits until something forces them to do so (eg collapse).
“The best places to be in years to come, are 3rd world and developing countries, with nations such as NZ, finished.”
Your logic is flawed mate – remember you said that rudd was correct and that Australia should look after aussies and that some people will die and that is just too bad – under your scenario YOU will die and are you telling me (if you actually believe what you write) that you won’t seek out a 3rd world country to try to live in? Why should they let you in when you wouldn’t let them in? It seems to me that you have given up, well some of us haven’t given up and we will fight to retain the values we believe in.
Hey Marty,
Rudds decision was the right one for mine, but that does not imply that those inside Australian boarders are going to have an easy time, or gain anything from the decision, far from it I suspect.
You managed to conflate a couple of points, but thats more down to me not expressing myself fully on this digital medium.
I think its a different view here in AKL, Marty. While no doubt there is great things happening up and around here, I would think that its the smaller centers, and rural NZ, where the action is happening, such as doen your way.
I’ve not given up, but I am growing tired of waiting for the penny to drop far enough, with some more of the folk up here, such that they visibly express their distaste at whats going on in NZ, and get on with claiming back, what is being taken away!
There are some encouraging signs like the meeting last night, and some activities tomorrow, from all accounts.
Have a good weekend, Marty.
Thanks for not giving up muzza we need all the good people we can get. (we as in the collective us) You have a good weekend too.
Copy that Marty, and agree with you 100%!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10903324
More bad news for the left
Seems to me it’s bad news for your Conservative mates.
Well no because its the left that break the electoral laws more than the left
I’m with Bearded Git on this, law changes like Collins is talking about will hurt the right more.
You are quite short sighted, why do you think Collins is doing this?
Because Colin Craig takes her votes; she wants national to be the sort of party that would be supported by the people who would vote for the Conservatives. If the Conservatives survive, National will become less like Collins and more like Joyce.
Also, she’s an idiot who lives in a bubble.
Collins thinks that she needs to do this now, in case national get kicked out next term? Butbutbut I thought the nats were going to be a four-term government…
I was and still am a Cuniliffe supporter but if Shearer is the Leader I believe that we have to get in behind him, but I must admit it is bloody frustrating. This morning on Natrad Shearer said about GCS Bill.
” We do not think that this is good policy.”
Oh for fucks sake, while Shearer has to take responsibility for what he says it must be fucking useless advisors that are not doing the job. It should have been “We in the Labour party think that this is really BAD policy” . Never, never use positive language about policy that you are opposing. If he is resisting training he needs a kick up the arse like Helen got before she was turned into a winner. The only thing in his defence is that the platitudinous language is what you use when dealing with heavily armed arseholes that he used to talk to. But it’s time to drop it and time to start verbally tearing our homegrown arseholes new ones.
This is better
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10903651
Better but this is bad:
What he should be saying is that, upon immediate swearing in to government, they will be repealing the law and going to the status quo ante and initiating a full review.
If it’s bad law you get rid of it ASAP. If you don’t you’re saying that it’s not actually bad law.
And this is also bad
Stuff has now put up an article on Labour’s latest position http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8968737/Labour-We-ll-dump-GCSB-bill
BUT – not one mention of Shearer in the entire article. Merely “a Labour spokeman” .
Did Sheepy Shearer say this about the GCSB proposed ‘laws’? ‘we do not think that this is a good policy.’
Translation – I’ll hit you with a piece of cooked spaghetti if you bring it in even though that is messy and extreme. And if we get in after the election, my Party will always advise the citizens with no criminal records or who have had no welfare assistance before we listen in to them.
Good one, Brian !
and for a bit of humour…
http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/study-finds-that-every-prime-minister-was-worst-prime-minister/
“when dealing with heavily armed arseholes that he used to talk to”
– You mean when he had the backing of the UN military behind him?
Who are you talking to?
When did it become so hard for people to use the reply button?
I did but for some reason it didn’t work
No, but when some mujahaddin had a gun to his and his wife’s heads in his office in Baghdad ( I think ) and he talked them down and got their particular problem sorted. That was one of the reasons that The Herald called him NZer of the Year. Now they think that NZ’s Bullshitter of the Year is their main man.
1400 tremors, quakes in Cook Strait. It is good news that we still have communications going okay isn’t it? The cables seem to have coped with the movement.
It’d most likely be the termination points that would be damaged in an earthquake. The cables rest on the seafloor, but they’re basically like a big long rope: put a rope in a bucket and shake the bucket around and the rope will be tossed about but will land on the ground eventually.
In another lively public meeting last night the SMBA (St Mary’s Bay Association) voted to support in principle a pedestrian and bicycle over the harbour bridge!
Still a large amout of Nimbyism amongst some of the older members of the SMBA, but great to finally see a change. The leading cycle crossing advocate, Brendan Doherty, was elected to the council.
An amusing part was when the chair asked members not to discuss the meeting on social media! (Found this out on twitter, the moment he said it!)
If anyone who lives in St Mary’s Bay or Northcote Point or elsewhere wants to get involved a facebook page has been set up.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/274733862663691/
This matter is also freqently discussed on the Auckland Transport blog.
I think we have to watch that most of the comments aren’t just refuting these RWNJs that come here. They take up valuable space with under 10% of their opinions being anything other than what a toddler could repeat from listening to a parent, just parroting stuff. There seems to be a crowd of little biting flies at the moment taking pleasure from not adding anything useful but deflecting thought from the important topics.
The death has been announced of Toshi Seeger 70 years married to the great Peter.
Socialists and Pacifists /both.
Here is a very nice photo of Toshi and Pete Seeger. http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/07/11/toshi-seeger-dead-pete-seeger/
From Rollingstone
“Without Toshi’s counsel and support, and always outspoken and direct opinions, it’s clear to anyone who ever met these two remarkable people that, without Toshi, Pete would never have had the foundation and freedom to do the work that made him so legendary,” said Sing Out, a magazine she and Seeger helped cofound in 1950.
She was born in Munich to an American mother and Japanese father, and the family relocated to the U.S. before her first birthday. She grew up in New York, where she met Seeger, and the couple married in 1943 when she was 21.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/toshi-seeger-wife-of-pete-seeger-dead-at-91-20130711#ixzz2aE97hden
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
I recently put up information about McCarthy and his tirade about communism and what a snake he was. Pete Seeger stood up to the bullying anti-democratic tactics then which are not too different in kind than what we face now. They both seem to have been very principled.
Wikipedia –
Jim Musselman (founder of Appleseed Recordings), longtime friend and record producer for Pete Seeger:
He was one of the few people who invoked the First Amendment in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA). Everyone else had said the Fifth Amendment, the right against self-incrimination, and then they were dismissed. What Pete did, and what some other very powerful people who had the guts and the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the committee and say, “I’m gonna invoke the First Amendment, the right of freedom of association….”
…I was actually in law school when I read the case of United States v. Seeger, and it really changed my life, because I saw the courage of what he had done and what some other people had done by invoking the First Amendment, saying, “We’re all Americans. We can associate with whoever we want to, and it doesn’t matter who we associate with.” That’s what the founding fathers set up democracy to be. So I just really feel it’s an important part of history that people need to remember.
Here’s a clip of Pete Seeger singing and playing guitar – The big muddy with Pete Seeger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXnJVkEX8O4
This is why we have to take with a grain of salt anything from the oil industry and their veiled lobbyists
http://i.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/8969170/Oil-giant-destroyed-spill-evidence
$200,000 fine, a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
That’s what all the fines levied against business are.
“No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world!”
“I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!”
“You are often disappointed by facts that speak of corruption on the part of people who put their own interests before the common good,” Francis told the crowd. “To you and all, I repeat: Never yield to discouragement, do not lose trust, do not allow your hope to be extinguished.”
Francis blasted what he said was a “culture of selfishness and individualism” that permeates society today, demanding that those with money and power share their wealth and resources to fight hunger and poverty.
You heard him brothers and sisters. Even God wants a mess. Are you going to march and yell in defiance tomorrow? – or hobble supine to your graves under the corrupting tory yoke and take your children and their children with you. Be able to face that mirror: experience the strength of unity and righteous anger – act!
Some people wonder what the end game is for arseholes like our prime minister key – this video put up by Greenpeace shows just where his head is at – all of the bits of legislation from the GCSB downward, all of the agreements from TPPA downward, all of the asset selling, the demonisation of beneficiaries, all of the bullshit and lies are not random or accidental. This video outlines one of the major reasons for it all – money. Exploiting everything, especially the land, to make some money.
http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/blog/this-really-is-the-prime-minister-of-new-zeal/blog/46070/
Societies don’t run on money, they run on hard work and resources and digging the resources up and selling them leaves us with no wealth. John Key’s plan to dig up sell our resources will destroy our society.
Oh yay because Greenpeace is so credible.
you saying it’s not a national party video, spylands? That it’s not John Key speaking to the camera? Or did you just decide it was bunk without looking at it?
Yes I watched the video. It looked like a NZ Inc PR video for potential investors. Can’t see what the issue is.
Thankfully, it’s clear that you’re not much of a judge of these things.
“Yes I watched the video. It looked like a NZ Inc PR video for potential investors.”
Next time try it with the sound on, dickhead.
It’s PR alright, not aimed at investors but at us, the current owners.
So what is your issue with the video? And it IS aimed at investors.
It is also very similar to the promotional material that other OECD countries produce.
http://www.austrade.gov.au/Invest/Opportunities-by-Sector/Resources
It is simply a core function of government. The role of the Government is to promote higher living standards. Trade and investment are key.\
To see anything wrong with this video is anti growth and a bit paranoid.
You’re the only paranoid growth commenting here.
“The role of the Government is to promote higher living standards”
Whatever makes you think that? A citation would be good.
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/media-speeches/speeches/livingstandards/sp-livingstandards-paper.pdf
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/abouttreasury/higherlivingstandards
“The overarching goal of the Government is to grow the New Zealand
economy to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunities for
all New Zealanders.”
http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/pdf-docs-library/energy-strategies/nz-energy-strategy-lr.pdf
I could keep going but I think there is ample evidence that the Government is not actually trying to make people worse off.
just lucky then, I guess.
We’ve been growing the economy and over the time that we have, especially over the last 3 decades, poverty has increased and the majority of people are actually worse off. We don’t need to grow the economy to improve the conditions for most people, we need to distribute our resources better. Also, selling off all our resources as Key says we should do in the video will leave us destitute. Without those resources we don’t have an economy.
“And it IS aimed at investors”
Then you still haven’t watched it, moran.
No it is a Government video. Big difference.
Umm, yep.
Unless you have some evidence that suggests they aren’t, of course.
It’s a hell of a lot more credible than you as all your rantings have proved. Absolutely nothing you’ve said relates to reality at all.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATION 2013 – SUBMIT, SUBMIT
See Constitutional Conversation advertisement above and check out all you need to know.
Please send your submission by 5pm 31 July 2013.
Get thinking with a quiz on each of five Topics.
1 The Constitution http://www.ourconstitution.org.nz/store/doc/NZC_QuizSheet.doc
2 The Bill of Rights http://www.ourconstitution.org.nz/store/doc/BOR_QuizSheet.doc
3 The Treaty of Waitangi http://www.ourconstitution.org.nz/store/doc/TOW_QuizSheet.doc
4 Maori Representation http://www.ourconstitution.org.nz/store/doc/MOR_QuizSheet.doc
5 Electoral Matters http://www.ourconstitution.org.nz/store/doc/ELM_QuizSheet.doc
Thanks for those, RT. Will be making a submission over the weekend.