Occasional Standard comment leaver Matthew Hooton has written a very interesting article on how implausible it is that National did not know about Sabin’s difficulties and the incompetence involved if this is true is just too outlandish to be believed.
His conclusion is that if and when the true story emerges there will be significant damage to National and brand Key.
In its attempt to win the Northland buy election, which is looking unlikely National may cause itself significant damage in the near future. That feeling of third termitis is getting very strong …
Keys comments about not being arrogant after blagging a narrow recapture of treasury benches at the GE look more like self appraisal than directed towards his sock puppet ministers.
It’s an epic piece of arrogance and stupidity to not dump Sabin for the likes of anyone, even osborne, in northland for the GE and all this would have been avoided.
Methinks Matty and others would be more incensed about the unnecessary nature of this by election and the risks to further sellouts however he does have kids so maybe it’s a bob each way.
Makes very interesting reading. When (and I notice Hooton uses the word WHEN) this issue is exposed, it will surely be the death knell for Key and his government.
Another point is this. Is Mike Sabin able to cast a vote this weekend? Or is he residing in a place where such an option is no longer available to him?
Thanks for the link MS. Matthew has become more explicit and more credible as a Commentator and less apparent partisan. I wonder whose strategy it was to throw a blanket over Sabin?
Can I respectfully ask your opinion, if on the chance, [deleted]
[lprent: What part of the rules about suppression orders don’t you understand? We can’t publish this comment nor anything like it.
I’m going to assume that you put this site at risk inadvertently. So you’ll just get auto-moderated for a while until we’re sure you won’t do it again. ]
The origins are well known and published here months ago, Bradbury has become quite the charicature and lost perspective along with plenty of credibility IMO.
the oday saga didn’t help – the shrapnel flung pretty wide and Mana supporters have been pulling bits out for a while now – used to that though – scars – bit like that bit in Jaws.
Lynn makes a single comment correcting what he perceives as an inaccuracy in Bradbury’s post. Is this a bitch fest? (but yeah, Bradbury responds with an ad-hom and heavy comment completely devoid of meaningful response to the point that Lynn raised).
The man who’s just back from a ban (what was it for this time?) decides to call the main admin/moderator on ts a censor, despite the fact that Lynn rarely censors anyone apart from for reasons of potential defamation.
It isn’t hard to find. Just type Bomber into the search, set to posts and freshness.
We republished some well-warranted criticism of Bomber from Rob Salmond in June last year where Bomber was being a bit of a political fool in his pursuit of self-promotion, and was busy claiming credit for everything that was being done on the left except for what he was actually doing.
All this, you understand, comes from the excellent starting point of wanting to replace the current government with a united, powerful left-bloc of Labour, the Greens, and Internat MANA. Yet the analysis is designed to split the left, not unify it; and the recommendations would help the left lose, not win. Top work.
Later that same month, after Bomber attacked The Standard and me in a post, I responded and had the comment ‘moderated’. So I republished it here.
The content of it will be familiar because it is exactly the same subjects I’m pulling him over the coals for now. Bomber has neither dealt with them nor presumably thought about them.
I’m not particularly well known for being kind when I think someone is being a fool. Which is exactly what you are doing with this recent ABC bullshit.
Or the strange way that you think a relatively conservative electorate will warm to the IMP this election (I think that they will be lucky to get 3%. I will be amazed if they got 4%).
Or the idea that Labour would not stand a candidate up North when Labour always stands candidates in all electorates and has done so for nearly a hundred years. If I were the IMP, I’d be running a strong campaign in both north and the equally winnable rotorua area where Annette Sykes has a damn good chance.
In the end IMP got 1.6%, lost Te Tai Tokerau, and didn’t win Wairakei. As far as I can see, mainly because they didn’t focus on doing the legwork in winning the election and instead wandered off into the types of politically irrelevant ranting that Bomber prefers. It may work in the media, but it is hell on political relationships.
In TTT that attitude from IMP activists attacking Labour activists, Labour, and Kelvin Davis resulted in pissing off grassroots Labour activists enough that they did do the work and booted Hone out of the seat. I haven’t seen Labour activists quite that vindictive about the results of their efforts for quite some time. I am sure that Bomber and those who read him had quite a lot to do with that.
For some reason people don’t like being attacked and they react against it. This appears to be a lesson that the profoundly self-centred arseholes like Bomber, Pat O’Dea, and apparently the Mana party don’t appear to have learnt well enough yet. I suspect that if they persist in their irritating attacks on people and parties on the left for much longer then many on the left are going to wind up irritated like me and those volunteers in TTT.
But I guess that is what has been happening as the readership over at TDB steadily drops compared to 2013 and 2014. It appears that Bomber is now trying for a very select micro-market in the left rather than across the broader left. Somehow I don’t think that is a winning political or media strategy….
But anyway, what has been happening is that Bomber or his sockpuppets attack TS, authors here, me, or says some complete crap about something on the left. We respond in kind pointing out why he is talking complete crap. Rather than deal with the issues or informing himself to deal with them, Bomber starts sulks and throwing out more stupid fantasies. It is a pain in the arse to waste time like this. But false meme development like this is something that needs to be dealt with early rather than later.
sorry I can’t let some of what you have written stand without a slight rebuttal – because as you say, “false meme development like this is something that needs to be dealt with early rather than later.”
labour won TTT – good on them, the PUBLIC help from the other parties was important – Maori Party, National, NZ First. Labour activists didn’t do it all on their own, not even slightly. Mana dropped the ball, IMP failed, Hone didn’t fire for many reasons, fuck even the right blogshere got in behind davis when he tried to set up the attack site. Perhaps these labour activists are going hard up north now – or maybe they are running courses around the country to get the rest of labour fired up after the dismal and shocking drop in their support at the last election – let’s hope so. I’ll say again good on labour for winning, they really socked it to the left wing Mana leader big time.
Spokespeople for a political party are NOT the party – the party is made up of many people who support the ideals and kaupapa. Slamming (rightfully) spokespeople that get up your nose and then extrapolating that to a party doesn’t make sense.
The family feud going on is just meat for the opponents – reminds me of a family feud a while ago down my neck of the woods, it was called Eat Relation Feud and it devastated communities just before the real enemies turned up.
The problem is that once you start to unfairly annoy and irritate people, they will tend to seek retribution. Others will jump on board.
In the case of Pat, that he prominently diversion trolled on this site and wrote disparaging inaccurate posts about this site at TDB with the “climate change spokesperson for Mana” tage everywhere. That means that it it is rather hard to not transfer the dislike to the party. If the party was concerned about it, then they should have damn well educated him about what he could do with their name. In the meantime I will assume it was done with their implicit support. That is what being a spokesperson is for.
Yep well we actually agree and I think you know that. No one likes something they believe in and are giving their energy to to be disparaged – no one – not Labour activists nor Mana activists and I think you understand that too because you’ve mentioned it a few times in the old bold. Anyway good to hear you’re getting some quieter time for reading and relaxing – hope you stay well. Kia kaha
I think its a perfect example of why the left fails so often….and im a leftie!!!….everyone wants to score but no one wants to play as a team………epic fail
Agreed. You are left with a problem though. If crazed people like Bomber start attacking other people and parties on the left, what do you do? You either stay silent as they steadily wind up their strategic insanity, or you respond.
Labour basically chose the first strategy and simply didn’t respond to the politically incompetent attacks by the likes of Bomber and some of the more idiotic Mana supporters.
However I’m not a person who ever allows people to inaccurately attack whatever I am guarding. So when someone like Bomber attacks TS with complete bullshit and lies like a right wing blogger, then I respond with some acerbic accuracy. If he repeats then I will keep escalating with increasing damage until I either get a desist or what I consider to be a reasonable operating meme.
It looks to me like Kelvin Davis and his team of volunteers operated on the ground in exactly the same way. Mana has effectively been politically destroyed for the moment because of some of their foolish supporters.
further to that ‘nipping memes in the bud’ practice extolled/advised above..
1)….i wd just like to note that the most vicious/virulent attacks on mana were in this forum…
..and by more than one –
– and claiming that ganging-up in ttt against harawira as a victory of sorts confirming the content of that slagging is beyond a bit rich..eh..?
..and still extolled as something that was good to do..?..(!)
2)..weka – above – (who positively gloated in delight when i was banned)..refers to the second meme i wd like to nip..
the reason for my/that banning..
..i was accused of making things up..
..i was accused of being deliberately ‘malicious’ in my making up ..
..i was accused of deliberately bringing the standard into legal/financial peril – on defamation grounds..
..now had what i said been untrue/made-up – those accusations (tho’ over-stated) – could have had some credibility..
.but the fact of the matter is that what i said..-that nash had been given a monthly-salary in the yr before the election by his rightwinger-supporters –
– was completely true and accurate..
..and in fact was just a repitition of a comment i heard made by trotter on the panel on rnz – (to a huge audience..)
..which brings up the question:..why the fuck was i banned..?..i am/was entirely innocent of everything i was accused of..
..and yet a person who posted the rnz link confirming the accuracy of what i said was called ‘retarded’ by prentice..(!)
..and a two week ban stood – because he said that the charges of maliciousness/and trying to bring the standard into legal/financial peril still stood..
..how the fuck cd those accusations have any grounds at all – when what i said was provably true..?
..and for me – those unfair/unjust/inaccurate accusations/banning rankled all the more –
– when post my banning – people who actually did what i was accused of -and continue to do – by naming s…. – were just given a tsk tsk..!..(!)..(see weka @ 16.1 in this thread..(!)
..given all these facts/this comparison – how the fuck in any way was that banning of me not a screaming injustice..?
..and is it just a coincidence that that banning came at the beginning of an election-campaign..?
…as was the last time i was banned on what i also thought were specious/trumped-up charges –
– as in the election ’14 campaign..
..(hope that answers yr ‘why were u banned?-question – there – weka..)
As far as I could see the “attacks” on Mana were responses to brainless mana supporters attacking people who were making perfectly reasonable comments like “Internet Mana are only likely to 2-3% countrywide party vote”, “Hone needs to concentrate on winning Te Tai Tokerau”, “Labour ALWAYS puts up candidates in every seat” and “Bad idea for Internet Mana to attack Labour supporters”. I know that I said all of those things and was attacked by various fools for bursting their bubble with reality warnings.
Perhaps if the lunatic fringe of the politically naive had listened rather going completely ballistic in response to realistic advice, then the Labour Maori activists in TTT wouldn’t have made it their mission to kick Hone out of his seat.
I know that my view on Mana has shifted from amused toleration eighteen months ago. It now pretty much consists of how soon will it die (and can I help in the process). The way that their supporters whine and attack everyone else on the left is pretty intolerable. It appears to be a party that has been killed by their nutty and completely erratic supporters… Like you, bomber, Pat O’Dea, and some others.
It is a pity because there are a whole lot of people inside and supporting Mana who are effective proponents for the left. But they are being drowned out by the fools.
I agree tc. Gave up reading Martyn Bradbury some months ago for exactly the reasons you outline. His long standing championing of Stuart Nash is just one example of questionable political judgement.
There are still some good posts on the Daily Blog by a few of the other contributors, but they have become so few and far between I seldom check the site now.
The trick with reading TDB these days is that the; “Deconstructing Headlines” section is Bradbury’s personal playground (I personally quite like some of his turns of phrase, but wouldn’t usually quote him as a information source). If you can’t be bothered with his stuff, then you’re best to stick with the; “Setting the Agenda” & “Guest Blogs” sections; which are mostly Bomber free zones. Frank Macskasy, Selwyn Manning, Latifa Daud, Diane Khan, Keith Locke, Jessie Hume & Chris Trotter are usually worth reading. Even Curwen Rolinson is interesting for a NZF insider viewpoint. The Daily Gallery is mostly a collection of Malcolm Evans cartoons these days which, with only occasional meme images. I tend to avoid Nash and O’Dea posts though.
After the election and over the holidays there was a distinct drop off in quality with Bradbury seeming to be doing everything by himself for a while. ScarletMod is doing a better job of moderation, usually stating the reason for a comment deletion or redaction rather than just disappearing them (the only one I’ve had vanish of late was one that commented a bit too much about a “Prominent New Zealander”, I’ve taken to copying them to my wordprocessor as a precaution though). But TRP is correct that the moderation has been much better than on TS than TDB.
However, I have noticed of late that there is a lag between making a comment and having it appear on a thread. This makes it impossible to edit out flawed phrasing which wasn’t evident before seeing it in the finished format (eg I should have shortened some sentences in the above comment). So I’ve had to take to copying comments to my computer when posting here too.
Yes, I agree there are a few of the other contributors worth reading. I’d add Susan St John, Mike Treen and Kate Davis to your list. I seldom read Chris Trotter these days.
However, the reason I have gone off reading the Daily Blog isn’t just about Bradbury, it is also the design of the blog. I much prefer the layout of The Standard. I find it very easy to quickly check out what new posts have been added and run my eye down the comments roll at the side to see who is talking about what. The selection of feeds is also useful.
TDB and TS do have quite different layouts, and it is a lot harder to find old comments on TDB. But I do like the star-rating and up/down voting comments system there, for when I am too tired to be able to form coherent sentences or do the requisite research to back up my views.
Karol is doing good work over on her own blog (though I do miss her contributions to the hurly burly of TS). For example, the most recent post:
Last September the Law Society of New Zealand reported on various forms of human trafficking of men and women to New Zealand who worked in conditions of slavery. This includes exploited Filipino workers in Christchurch,, women forced to be se workers in exploitative conditions and
foreign men – largely from Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand – [who] are subjected to forced labour conditions aboard our foreign charter vessels in New Zealand waters. Alleged conditions include confiscation of passports, imposition of significant debts, physical violence, mental abuse, excessive hours of work and sexual abuse.4
There is less publicly available information about domestic slavery in New Zealand. It is something that slips far more easily under the radar than many of the above reported types of cases in NZ. However, there have been a handful of publicly reported cases.
Which I was re-reading in light of this article in the ODT:
The Associated Press this week published the results of a year-long investigation into the fishing industry in Indonesia and Thailand, which found slaves – mostly from Burma – were being forced to fish for little or no pay and even imprisoned in cages while on land…
Journalists followed the catch as it was distributed in trucks to a number of buyers including a supplier to Thai Union Manufacturing.
According to the AP, Thai Union exports thousands of cans of cat food products including Fancy Feast, Meow Mix and Iams.
Your headline includes a false equivalence, Phil. LPrent is not a censor. He’s remarkably tolerant of dissenting views and usually responds with words rather than bans. Ok, often abusive words, but you get my point. Bradbury, on the other hand, actively removes entire comments that conflict with whatever bollocks he publishes. Perhaps you haven’t experienced it personally, but if you disagree with him and post a comment saying so, even in the most reasonable language, there’s a high likelihood it will simply disappear.
As to the reason for the spat, I think there’s a huge clue in the blog site rankings. The pressure of having to pretty much write the whole blog himself and watching it lose readership month after month appears to be doing Bomber’s head in.
“does anyone else wonder what the origins of this ongoing bitch-fest are..?”
No, not me phillip, not really that interested.
I have little respect for Martyn Bradbury and only lasted about 6 months as a reader and commenter on his site before he got all personally petulant and pouty towards me and I got sick of his hyper sensitive moderating style. I can’t be bothered with his unappealing personality traits, such as his fragile ego. (I won’t go into all the others)
If Lynn wants to call Bradbury out on his BS (and I believe Lynn does have a finely tuned BS detector and has way more sharps than Bradbury) that’s fine, it’s his business and he’s entitled to respond.
Besides there’s far bigger buckets of popcorn going around this weekend!
The origins? Bradbury talking crap as usual. He’s really quite a nasty little man. Others on his blog are far better, but he’s so far up his own bum I usually don’t bother.
Sadly no one has akshully had the strength to force the moment to a crisis though, so National continue to believe they have no accountability, and integrity is such an old fashioned word these days
Transparency, or should I say the lack of surrounding Mike Sabin’s resignation looks likely to cost National the Northland seat. Should this occur then its the start of a political death spiral of firstly John Key and the National led Government. I’m going to call it, a loss on Saturday and then the wider New Zealand public learning of the nature of Sabin’s issue’s will force John Key to bow out of politics.
It appears election night 2014, and a further 3 years was Key’s political zenith, and now less than 6 months later brand Nationals share price has peaked, the market has realised the stocks were overvalued, with the Sabin coverup some speculators are smelling a ponzi scheme, the whiff of which signals a National share price collapse. In order to stabilise the National brand and share price. A board meeting will be called which usually results in the CEO’s resignation, think Bernie Madoff.
Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of Key. I say yes.
@ Skinny – yes. I think the King John reign is coming to an end. A controversial end to boot. And an end which will also see the end of the long anticipated knighthood for Key. Oh dear, what a shame, never mind!
agree totally…. how ever the rub is that Key wont give a shit anyway,,,,hes got millions and cares even less about the billions he will leave us in debt…..it would be most excellent to be able to pin his arse to wall in all sorts of ways……having a sullied reputation will not faze him either.
“Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of Key. I say yes.”
One can only hope so.
I won’t start celebrating until all the votes are counted though and we know for sure what the path ahead looks like.
Steven Joyce said (RNZ) that the Nat’s internal polling has Osbourne higher that the 3News and Colmar Brunton polls but still less than Peters. That polling bloody better reflect the actual outcome tomorrow. If it does, then yes, it may well be the beginning of the end.
PS: Edit: The Hooton article micky posted suggests it’s just a matter of time:
“The risk for Mr Key is that if the full Sabin story becomes known in a week, a month, six months or a year, it will look as if his government covered it up not just through a general election campaign but then again through the by-election as well. The clock keeps ticking.”
Yes in desperation Joyce called up Ryan trying to peddle the same old snake oil recipe, just using a different label. “Our internal polls say we are close a lot closer”. Deifying the stats of 4 other independent polls, knowing in elections a certain number of voters like too back the winning candidate, no science just that simple fact. Then when Ryan asks what’s the figure? he goes all silly and says ” I can’t possibly revel the figure.” His high pitched screeching was worst than our lunatic budgies, who incidentally started screaming their little heads off when they heard his voice chance to a shrill lol.
A High Court judge has now allowed suppression of the man’s name until the trial starts.
Allegations are of physical conduct of a sexual nature – of the touching and rubbing type.
He had been remanded on bail until April 20…
Both the NZ Police, represented by Brian Dickey, and the media organisations, represented by Tania Goatley, opposed the suppression.
I am surprised that the Police opposed the suppression, you would usually expect them to protect one of their own. Perhaps it is true that the alleged victims of this PromNZr also oppose name suppression. Peters’ proposal of a bill to prevent abuse of name supression seems very timely (with the Northland byelection in its final week).
As far as I know, if the victims of such acts want suppression, it happens automatically. Therefore the victims want this public. I can imagine on what grounds, apart from future knighthoods, that suppression has been ordered.
Last year a friend and her close relative went to the Police about an attempted rape. It was a sickening situation and the lives of some of those family members have changed forever.
The Police have been very supportive of the victims and been absolutely thorough in their investigation. It doesn’t sound like there is anything at fault with their processes. I’ve heard every twist and turn of it from my friend.
When the alleged offender’s name suppression was due to expire (expire? you know what I mean) and his lawyer wanted it extended, the Police opposed it. They wanted the name suppression lifted, and it was, a few months ago. No one in the press picked up on it.
The alleged offender is an ex cop, and had worked previously for many years in the region that the offending took place. That’s all that I will say about this case.
It’s not appropriate for me to convey to my friend my surprise and relief that the handling of their case has been nothing but professional and they did not seek to protect one of their own, but that’s something that has been privately reassuring at least.
Hearing her story has restored a small amount of faith I have in the Police (and then the Roastbusters report crapped all over that feeling). Perhaps it is possible that they won’t always tolerate criminal activity amongst their own.
Of course we don’t know if this is “one of their own” at all, it could be anybody but as TC says, maybe a real “bad egg” they feel the public has a right to know the identity of.
The fact that the police supported the lifting of the suppression order suggests to me that the alleged offences – whatever exactly they were – are regarded as within the upper levels of seriousness. It would also suggest to me that the victims – and/or their care givers – did not request continued suppression. This is just speculation of course but if true, then it brings into question… why did the judge choose to continue the suppression order?
All good points thanks Anne. And, yes, it would be interesting to know what reasoning the judge had to continue with name suppression, given the points of speculation.
@ Kaplan – can’t open page. Message says ” Page not found. Page does not exist” I have found similar situations trying to open links over the past few days of this week, all referring to the same issue!
Coincidence? The time worn old cynic in me thinks something sinister afoot!
The owner felt that it was in the public interest for a number of them to be free to all today – including my column on Mike Sabin and John Key, and this one about the Prominent New Zealander.
Hooton I wouldn’t pay to read Coleman’s ( if he still owns it) rag, especially after reading your attack National lite dross. Manning smoked your arse in his column. Speaking of smoking, Barry must have been smoking dope with you to allow such say nothing news, Christ stay off the pot before the next edition please.
@ ScottGN – The Natsies botched the byelection, long before now.
Such as the last quarter of last year, when Key decided to indulge himself in his usual deception and cover ups of the Mike Sabin issue, hoping it would go away and never see the light of day! How wrong he was, because the longer it remains hovering in the air, the more difficult the situation is going to get for Key & Co! So difficult in fact, I
doubt he will be able to slide his slimy way out of it! Watch him squirm then! Bring it on!
The Guardian wins the right to publish what should not have been secret. The monarch-in-waiting’s letters to ministers. It only took 10 years and still the powers that be insist these letters should be private.
Okay – random post time (that’s allowed at Open Mike right?).
* Shuffles onto stage*,
* Clears throat*
Ahem, can you hear me at the back?
So – last night I had the weirdest dream (promising start already) . . . I dreamt that I left work midway through the day, to go to a speech, held in a barn across the road . . a speech made and attended by all the posters and collaborators here at The Standard.
I have no recollection of what the speech was about.
I do remember Winstons ‘Force for the North’ bus parking behind us to hide us from public view so we could continue our discussions in relative privacy.
And I remember being singled out by the speaker as she recognised me from a community blog I was part of 14 year ago.
Then – realising it was 5:15pm and I had been away from work all afternoon, rushed back, only to find my office set up for a dinner party with members of the community and select V8 Supercar drivers in attendance.
Apparently Jamie Whincup was in danger of being disqualified from this weekends race due to a fuel disparity and I was distraught.
The End.
*shuffles back off stage*
You may all continue with your much more meaningful than mine posts now 🙂
This Saturday people in Christchurch get witness Cameron Slater getting knocked about for charity with proceeds going to Kids Can charity
So for those one or two people on here who don’t like Cameron Slater heres your chance to watch a fitter, taller, more experienced professional sportsman punch him in the face and a kids charity benefits!
Exactly, hes not popular in Christchurch yet hes going up against the “peoples champion” thats had fight experience, has incredible hand-eye coordination and is both younger and taller
Never get a better chance then this to see Slater get punched in the face
Politics based on integrity, transparency, honesty, being real, telling the fucking truth, instead of a staged macho shithead fight based on PR, dishonesty and power grabbing (the charity do or DP).
First will would gain an extra MP off the party list and National will would lose one vote in Parliament though it will would still have enough support to win a confidence vote.
Unless National’s support parties decide that they can’t support National. This years budget is going to be especially interesting.
I can get my head round this issue.
Just read Jane Kelsey’s take on the TPPA. This phrase bothered me: “Bilcon complained local officials had encouraged the project and called the review panel a “rare, cumbersome and costly obstacle” to its investment.”
USA Bilcon are seeking 300million compensation because the Canadian environmental committee turned down the American Bilcon application re mining.
So that is what our Government is signing up the TPPA for NZ.
No wonder they want to water down the RMA. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11423728
terrifying stuff. and absolute proof of Key and Groser lying to NZ on their way through the whole negotiation stages of it. It’s treason, but what can we do about it ?
Actually i’m serious, when [careful – MS] there’ll be a backlash against National, National will be punished and Labour will be returned in a land slide
perhaps not…..I reckon Labour voters are quite clever…..they didn’t like Labours policies so just didn’t vote…..yeah I know some went blue and green but personally they had better come up with some better ideas than last time or the same will happen again.
Written before Capaldi took over the role and resurrected the more edgy character traits as played by Troughton, Hartnell and latterly, Eccleston. Wish people would remember that it’s ‘just’ a kids programme btw…
Hmm. Certainly not as childish as TVNZ and TV3 news programmes…or the so-called documentaries that are foisted on us….or most of the rest of what is on TV.
But then, kids programme that it is, neither, arguably, is Dr Who 😉
One important thing about Doctor Who is that from the start, it has always shown that empires and civilisations, no matter how powerful and all encompassing, will arise and fall in their own time.
CR
True – I think that there are messages in Dr Who for us to take on board. And further everything we watch and do has reference to us and our society.
A lot of the stories are analogies for us, and allow our minds to encompass unthought of possibilites, at the conscious level. Anything that can be thought of, will be likely to have been done by someone, is possibly being done, or may be carried out in the future. So take care to critique what you think and see! I think we would have been happier if we had stayed just a little more intelligent than a dog.
Wayne Wright said although the operation would have been valuable to outside investors, “we wanted to protect the quality features and community-centric approach we’ve built up over the years.
“We’ve accepted the reality that commercially driven owners would be focused on returns to shareholders and likely compromise what Best Start stands for – improving children’s lives across New Zealand.”
A pretty special thing to do Wayne and Chloe Wright.
I’m a bit more cynical about this move by Kidicorp, Miravox.
You do know that charitable status allows them tax exemption, plus they’ll be able to ask for grants from philanthropic funding organisations. Which means that a former commercial outfit now has a “competitive” advantage over its still-commercial rivals.
It was more that they recognised that quality early childhood education does not mix with a shares, dividends and other commercial imperatives rather than the charitable trust per se. A light bulb moment for them, I was thinking 😉
Not many who capitalists/business people seem to understand that public goods and profit motives may be at odds.
Friends near Kerikeri know the full Sabin story, but won’t risk discussing it with their friends on email, only face to face. We do live in a five eyes state.
Does anyone know people who feel the same way?
People are modifying their behaviour (what they say, how they say it, who they say it to) as Snowden’s revelations become more widely known. In East Germany the secret police state there ended up created an environment stifling personal creativity, innovation and expression, leading to a stagnation of the country and its people.
Melanie
The 1080 thinker who I think years ago wrote a letter about it to Fonterra, has had every google visit observed apparently. Or perhaps anything with the right keywords. So until they can read our minds (think John Chrisopher’s The Tripods) it would be best not to open oneself to the suspicion of the fuzz.
Yeah – I’d be careful about putting it into actual words, even on email. Where I’ve done this, I’ve hedged it around with words like “speculation”, “rumoured”, “alleged” etc.
hi melanie, in contrast , i had a telephone (landline) conversation with a chum from nthland.
he was fairly up front, clear and concise with his understanding of what the former mp for northland is accused of. his source is very well placed.
he is by nature a cautious and careful person.
i will mention to him what you have expressed re 5eyes, when i see him in person in the near future.
Just a philosophical thought. A Scottish writer interviewed this morning about his book Maggie and Me is gay and has an extraordinary tale of his route out of small-town working class bigotry. A thoughtful chap with ideas that are empowring and interesting.
He talks about the stresses on young people who are trying to get on in the world and how there is an idea that there is a list of things they should have done by age 30. And it reminded me of a feeling I had that we are living in a parallel with the zeitgeist of the 1930’s – the period between WW1 and WW2 – when young people wanted to enoy themselves and cretivity seemed to blossom, and older people fstruggled to find stability and happiness and wanted to ignore signs that this could not be achieved.
Today a giant NASA balloon has been released from Wanaka and is to go high in the sky and above I think.
I suggest that people who are trying to get funds to provide compassionate help for those who are poor and disadvantaged should join up into an extended organisation just for similar groups, or somehow support one that is completely unaffiliated and does not receive any government money or contracts. Then that separate group will mock and parallel any expensive event of this balloon type in a demonstration. This would make a dramatic point about the way that money can be made available for curiosity science and other wonders for the wealthy, but not available to help the citizens of the world with necessities for living.
This group would now have mass balloon releases in this country and round the world from places where it would not interfere with aircraft flight paths, radar or bird migration. In the media attention they would be outlining ten things that need doing in their area that are well within our present scientific capabilities and needed for the human wellbeing, just requiring a small proportion of the funds spent on the latest Wonder of the World. When the now ubiquitious fireworks displays are put on for the momentary excitement of the blase’, the group would mass with displays of lighted sparklers and publicise a named needy cause at the same time, and this would be a structural need, not be for an individual charity supporting a group or individual with
needs. It wouldn’t be just another way of publicising fundraising for the blind, or MS, or Kayleene to advance her sporting skills overseas or to raise money for a child with rare medical problems needing overseas or groundbreaking surgery or treatment.
(This action could not be carried out against every expenditure, as some of the large amounts going on infrastructure result in permanent structures that aid tourism, cultural centres and so on which if they are available for the use and enjoyment by the poor as well as the wealthy, bring positive outcomes for years.)
The needs for funding extend from daily food and clothing, land with supply of water for food growing, controls on chemicals destructive to fertility of the soil and health of living beings from small to large, good, free seed and plant nurseries for cropping, action to slow global warming and find more sustainable living systems.
I like this idea GWS. Hopefully it should be clear to all that the mean spirited excuse that we “can’t afford” good things for Kiwis is just that – a mean spirited excuse.
I have to disagree with you on this one. Sure, you can publicity-jack any event you want, but this launch is simply not an example of an; “expensive event”:
The science and engineering communities have previously identified long-duration balloon flights at stable altitudes as playing an important role in providing inexpensive access to the near-space environment for science and technology…
NASA’s scientific balloons offer low-cost, near-space access for scientific payloads weighing up to 8,000 pounds for conducting scientific investigations in fields such as astrophysics, heliophysics and atmospheric research.
You may dismiss this as; “curiosity science”, and certainly curiosity is at the heart of all science worth the name. However, note the potential for; “atmospheric research”. Such balloons can provide essential data on the upper atmosphere while producing far less carbon emissions than conventional flight. They will be an important tool in combating the worst effects of climate change.
I assume that everyone has read this but just in case…
“Werewolf: The Myth Of Steven Joyce
Gordon Campbell: The myth of competence that’s been woven around Steven Joyce – the Key government’s “Minister of Everything” and “Mr Fixit” – has been disseminated from high-rises to hamlets, across the country…” http://werewolf.co.nz/2015/03/the-myth-of-steven-joyce/
If its a private email between you and the person receiving it then its got to be alright. There’s no difference between an email conversation and talking face to face. We can say what we damm well like when its out of public earshot.
Putting something on the internet is regarded as publication. A Tory judge could possibly stretch the definition of internet to include emails, but my lay opinion is that this would be pretty weak and likely to be overturned. If you wrote an email as an open letter and published it on a blog or on a local Facebook account, that might be different.
The doctor said he was too ill to send to hsopital. And he must have been out of his brain. Why isn’t there a special tranquiliser dart that a doctor can use to immobilise a highly excited person? Then he could have been cared for. It was obviously not just a case of letting him sleep off too much alcohol.
You can tell the quality of a police force by the methods they use with vulnerable criminals and others. You can tell the quality of a country and government by the way they treat vulnerable people while under government control.
(I heard this morning about the 1080 raid on a historical 1080 protester – ten or more policemen, 3 warrants, away from home for questioning from 7am to 6 pm, separated husband and wife I think at different establishments, and returned to a mess rubbish emptied over their kitchen bench, things all over the floor and the house left unlocked. No attempt at quality policing and responsible careful behaviour there.)
(I heard this morning about the 1080 raid on a historical 1080 protester – ten or more policemen, 3 warrants, away from home for questioning from 7am to 6 pm, separated husband and wife I think at different establishments, and returned to a mess rubbish emptied over their kitchen bench, things all over the floor and the house left unlocked. No attempt at quality policing and responsible careful behaviour there.)
The usual with no chance of any sort of apology or reparations.
I’m guessing that without knowing a persons medical history or what drugs the person had taken prior to the episode a doctor would loathe to sedate anyone in case of an accidental overdose
Why isn’t there a special tranquiliser dart that a doctor can use to immobilise a highly excited person?
– I’m guessing that without knowing a persons medical history or what drugs the person had taken prior to the episode a doctor would loathe to sedate anyone in case of an accidental overdose
I was answering this question, not sure what you’re on about
You need special mental health workers to attend in a situation like this. Joe Regular medical doctor likely won’t have enough hands on experience by themselves to deal with such a scenario successfully.
The quack who observed Sentry at the police station would’ve known the circumstances of his removal for detoxification and been aware of his self harm but didn’t bother.
To put it bluntly, if he’s on uppers and you give him downers, and the uppers wear off before the downers, you’ll John Belushi the dude.
Dealing with drunks, especially angry drunks, can make you see what you expect to see and overlook underlying medical conditions (not just drugs or mental health issues, but diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, hypothermia [Dunedin lol], and so on). Been there, fucked that up (not with the same repercussions, but there was an “oh fuck” moment or two).
I actually have issues with the doctor more than the cops in this case (although the cops should have checked regularly, too). It seems pretty obvious, but making a medical assessment through a window does not count as anything beyond “immediate danger” (i.e. the person is upright, not spurting blood or puking, and might be verbally responsive). If the person was too violent to complete a check, then the doctor should have been called back when the guy calmed down (only half an hour or so later).
There might also be other workload issues (no idea what else the police or doctor were dealing with) and the time of day might also be a factor alongside day of week and whether there were handover issues with a shift change, but it seems that almost all concerned assessed him through “the guy is a drunk dickhead” lenses. 999/1000 you’re right, but when you’re wrong…
“Over 30 minutes from 1.47am to 2.16 am, CCTV footage showed him falling and hitting his head on the concrete walls or floor of the cell 83 times, the report said.
Over the next hour, he hit his head about another 31 times, with his cell becoming smeared with blood.
A police doctor looked at Taitoko through the cell window at 3.21am, but he did not enter the cell.”
The Amazon contract, obtained by The Verge, requires employees to promise that they will not work at any company where they “directly or indirectly” support any good or service that competes with those they helped support at Amazon, for a year and a half after their brief stints at Amazon end.
[…]
The company has even required its permanent warehouse workers who get laid off to reaffirm their non-compete contracts as a condition of receiving severance pay.
And related: IMSI catchers, which are “pretend” cell phone towers that operate by tricking your cell phone into logging on to them, giving others access to all your details.
Allegedly for safety purposes for them and their families (noble), I wonder if this will also further obscure the number and nature of any casualties they have, after the defense forces being able to pick and choose which cases get investigated by the coroner. No photos. No grieving relatives. No stories about what we’re actually doing over there… just a silent loss that nobody is allowed to acknowledge or talk about.
Thanks for the link. That really seemed to go under everyone’s radar.
“I think it’s less to do with protecting our forces and their families and more to do with the posturing of the Government trying to over-emphasize the nature and degree of the threat that ISIS pose to New Zealand,” Massey political scientist Damien Rogers said….
the Defence Minister says not one of the 143 soldiers selected to go to Iraq has pulled out of the mission.
That’s; “selected to go” not “volunteered to go”, despite previous assurances.
Good luck Winston. The hopes and dreams of New Zealanders opposed to John Key/National are with you. As they are with the New Zealand Cricket Team at the MCG.
I saw Penny Bright (I think )on 6 News today, bravely holding a banner for Key, and getting told off too! but I am not sure if it was TV1 or 3.
Anyone got a link?
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
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. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Occasional Standard comment leaver Matthew Hooton has written a very interesting article on how implausible it is that National did not know about Sabin’s difficulties and the incompetence involved if this is true is just too outlandish to be believed.
His conclusion is that if and when the true story emerges there will be significant damage to National and brand Key.
In its attempt to win the Northland buy election, which is looking unlikely National may cause itself significant damage in the near future. That feeling of third termitis is getting very strong …
http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/sabin-clock-keeps-ticking-key
Very damaging for Key.
Keys comments about not being arrogant after blagging a narrow recapture of treasury benches at the GE look more like self appraisal than directed towards his sock puppet ministers.
It’s an epic piece of arrogance and stupidity to not dump Sabin for the likes of anyone, even osborne, in northland for the GE and all this would have been avoided.
Methinks Matty and others would be more incensed about the unnecessary nature of this by election and the risks to further sellouts however he does have kids so maybe it’s a bob each way.
chrs 4 the heads-up m.s..
@ mickysavage – thanks for the link.
Makes very interesting reading. When (and I notice Hooton uses the word WHEN) this issue is exposed, it will surely be the death knell for Key and his government.
Another point is this. Is Mike Sabin able to cast a vote this weekend? Or is he residing in a place where such an option is no longer available to him?
Thanks for the link MS. Matthew has become more explicit and more credible as a Commentator and less apparent partisan. I wonder whose strategy it was to throw a blanket over Sabin?
Hooton is just following the money, he can see Nationals term in power is coming to an end, so it’s time to start changing horses.
Can I respectfully ask your opinion, if on the chance, [deleted]
[lprent: What part of the rules about suppression orders don’t you understand? We can’t publish this comment nor anything like it.
I’m going to assume that you put this site at risk inadvertently. So you’ll just get auto-moderated for a while until we’re sure you won’t do it again. ]
If that happened we’d have more urgent problems to think about. For a start, we’d all be covered in crap from flying pigs.
does anyone else wonder what the origins of this ongoing bitch-fest are..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/comment-whoar-the-ongoing-war-between-the-two-chief-censors-of-the-biggest-leftwing-blogs-prentice-and-bradbury/
Let’s focus on the travails of the right this weekend, eh?
c’mon paul – we can both walk and chew gum at the same time..eh..?
..and this is ‘news’ – it went down yesterday..
The origins are well known and published here months ago, Bradbury has become quite the charicature and lost perspective along with plenty of credibility IMO.
@ tc –
– gotta link for those ‘origins’..?
..’cos i dunno what they are..
..and i am sure many others are in the same position at me..
..puzzled..
the oday saga didn’t help – the shrapnel flung pretty wide and Mana supporters have been pulling bits out for a while now – used to that though – scars – bit like that bit in Jaws.
Lynn makes a single comment correcting what he perceives as an inaccuracy in Bradbury’s post. Is this a bitch fest? (but yeah, Bradbury responds with an ad-hom and heavy comment completely devoid of meaningful response to the point that Lynn raised).
The man who’s just back from a ban (what was it for this time?) decides to call the main admin/moderator on ts a censor, despite the fact that Lynn rarely censors anyone apart from for reasons of potential defamation.
Looks like shitstirring to me.
it is sad the the two biggest ‘left’ blog aren’t friends – the micro reflecting the macro prehaps
seems like plenty of baiting going on – same as it always was
Maybe but misrepresenting what is going on doesn’t help either.
It isn’t hard to find. Just type Bomber into the search, set to posts and freshness.
We republished some well-warranted criticism of Bomber from Rob Salmond in June last year where Bomber was being a bit of a political fool in his pursuit of self-promotion, and was busy claiming credit for everything that was being done on the left except for what he was actually doing.
Rob called him on it.
http://thestandard.org.nz/polity-meanwhile-in-bomber-land/
Later that same month, after Bomber attacked The Standard and me in a post, I responded and had the comment ‘moderated’. So I republished it here.
http://thestandard.org.nz/bomber-a-sensitive-and-inexperienced-political-prima-donna/
The content of it will be familiar because it is exactly the same subjects I’m pulling him over the coals for now. Bomber has neither dealt with them nor presumably thought about them.
In the end IMP got 1.6%, lost Te Tai Tokerau, and didn’t win Wairakei. As far as I can see, mainly because they didn’t focus on doing the legwork in winning the election and instead wandered off into the types of politically irrelevant ranting that Bomber prefers. It may work in the media, but it is hell on political relationships.
In TTT that attitude from IMP activists attacking Labour activists, Labour, and Kelvin Davis resulted in pissing off grassroots Labour activists enough that they did do the work and booted Hone out of the seat. I haven’t seen Labour activists quite that vindictive about the results of their efforts for quite some time. I am sure that Bomber and those who read him had quite a lot to do with that.
For some reason people don’t like being attacked and they react against it. This appears to be a lesson that the profoundly self-centred arseholes like Bomber, Pat O’Dea, and apparently the Mana party don’t appear to have learnt well enough yet. I suspect that if they persist in their irritating attacks on people and parties on the left for much longer then many on the left are going to wind up irritated like me and those volunteers in TTT.
But I guess that is what has been happening as the readership over at TDB steadily drops compared to 2013 and 2014. It appears that Bomber is now trying for a very select micro-market in the left rather than across the broader left. Somehow I don’t think that is a winning political or media strategy….
But anyway, what has been happening is that Bomber or his sockpuppets attack TS, authors here, me, or says some complete crap about something on the left. We respond in kind pointing out why he is talking complete crap. Rather than deal with the issues or informing himself to deal with them, Bomber starts sulks and throwing out more stupid fantasies. It is a pain in the arse to waste time like this. But false meme development like this is something that needs to be dealt with early rather than later.
sorry I can’t let some of what you have written stand without a slight rebuttal – because as you say, “false meme development like this is something that needs to be dealt with early rather than later.”
labour won TTT – good on them, the PUBLIC help from the other parties was important – Maori Party, National, NZ First. Labour activists didn’t do it all on their own, not even slightly. Mana dropped the ball, IMP failed, Hone didn’t fire for many reasons, fuck even the right blogshere got in behind davis when he tried to set up the attack site. Perhaps these labour activists are going hard up north now – or maybe they are running courses around the country to get the rest of labour fired up after the dismal and shocking drop in their support at the last election – let’s hope so. I’ll say again good on labour for winning, they really socked it to the left wing Mana leader big time.
Spokespeople for a political party are NOT the party – the party is made up of many people who support the ideals and kaupapa. Slamming (rightfully) spokespeople that get up your nose and then extrapolating that to a party doesn’t make sense.
The family feud going on is just meat for the opponents – reminds me of a family feud a while ago down my neck of the woods, it was called Eat Relation Feud and it devastated communities just before the real enemies turned up.
The problem is that once you start to unfairly annoy and irritate people, they will tend to seek retribution. Others will jump on board.
In the case of Pat, that he prominently diversion trolled on this site and wrote disparaging inaccurate posts about this site at TDB with the “climate change spokesperson for Mana” tage everywhere. That means that it it is rather hard to not transfer the dislike to the party. If the party was concerned about it, then they should have damn well educated him about what he could do with their name. In the meantime I will assume it was done with their implicit support. That is what being a spokesperson is for.
Yep well we actually agree and I think you know that. No one likes something they believe in and are giving their energy to to be disparaged – no one – not Labour activists nor Mana activists and I think you understand that too because you’ve mentioned it a few times in the old bold. Anyway good to hear you’re getting some quieter time for reading and relaxing – hope you stay well. Kia kaha
I think its a perfect example of why the left fails so often….and im a leftie!!!….everyone wants to score but no one wants to play as a team………epic fail
Agreed. You are left with a problem though. If crazed people like Bomber start attacking other people and parties on the left, what do you do? You either stay silent as they steadily wind up their strategic insanity, or you respond.
Labour basically chose the first strategy and simply didn’t respond to the politically incompetent attacks by the likes of Bomber and some of the more idiotic Mana supporters.
However I’m not a person who ever allows people to inaccurately attack whatever I am guarding. So when someone like Bomber attacks TS with complete bullshit and lies like a right wing blogger, then I respond with some acerbic accuracy. If he repeats then I will keep escalating with increasing damage until I either get a desist or what I consider to be a reasonable operating meme.
It looks to me like Kelvin Davis and his team of volunteers operated on the ground in exactly the same way. Mana has effectively been politically destroyed for the moment because of some of their foolish supporters.
further to that ‘nipping memes in the bud’ practice extolled/advised above..
1)….i wd just like to note that the most vicious/virulent attacks on mana were in this forum…
..and by more than one –
– and claiming that ganging-up in ttt against harawira as a victory of sorts confirming the content of that slagging is beyond a bit rich..eh..?
..and still extolled as something that was good to do..?..(!)
2)..weka – above – (who positively gloated in delight when i was banned)..refers to the second meme i wd like to nip..
the reason for my/that banning..
..i was accused of making things up..
..i was accused of being deliberately ‘malicious’ in my making up ..
..i was accused of deliberately bringing the standard into legal/financial peril – on defamation grounds..
..now had what i said been untrue/made-up – those accusations (tho’ over-stated) – could have had some credibility..
.but the fact of the matter is that what i said..-that nash had been given a monthly-salary in the yr before the election by his rightwinger-supporters –
– was completely true and accurate..
..and in fact was just a repitition of a comment i heard made by trotter on the panel on rnz – (to a huge audience..)
..which brings up the question:..why the fuck was i banned..?..i am/was entirely innocent of everything i was accused of..
..and yet a person who posted the rnz link confirming the accuracy of what i said was called ‘retarded’ by prentice..(!)
..and a two week ban stood – because he said that the charges of maliciousness/and trying to bring the standard into legal/financial peril still stood..
..how the fuck cd those accusations have any grounds at all – when what i said was provably true..?
..and for me – those unfair/unjust/inaccurate accusations/banning rankled all the more –
– when post my banning – people who actually did what i was accused of -and continue to do – by naming s…. – were just given a tsk tsk..!..(!)..(see weka @ 16.1 in this thread..(!)
..given all these facts/this comparison – how the fuck in any way was that banning of me not a screaming injustice..?
..and is it just a coincidence that that banning came at the beginning of an election-campaign..?
…as was the last time i was banned on what i also thought were specious/trumped-up charges –
– as in the election ’14 campaign..
..(hope that answers yr ‘why were u banned?-question – there – weka..)
As far as I could see the “attacks” on Mana were responses to brainless mana supporters attacking people who were making perfectly reasonable comments like “Internet Mana are only likely to 2-3% countrywide party vote”, “Hone needs to concentrate on winning Te Tai Tokerau”, “Labour ALWAYS puts up candidates in every seat” and “Bad idea for Internet Mana to attack Labour supporters”. I know that I said all of those things and was attacked by various fools for bursting their bubble with reality warnings.
Perhaps if the lunatic fringe of the politically naive had listened rather going completely ballistic in response to realistic advice, then the Labour Maori activists in TTT wouldn’t have made it their mission to kick Hone out of his seat.
I know that my view on Mana has shifted from amused toleration eighteen months ago. It now pretty much consists of how soon will it die (and can I help in the process). The way that their supporters whine and attack everyone else on the left is pretty intolerable. It appears to be a party that has been killed by their nutty and completely erratic supporters… Like you, bomber, Pat O’Dea, and some others.
It is a pity because there are a whole lot of people inside and supporting Mana who are effective proponents for the left. But they are being drowned out by the fools.
I agree tc. Gave up reading Martyn Bradbury some months ago for exactly the reasons you outline. His long standing championing of Stuart Nash is just one example of questionable political judgement.
There are still some good posts on the Daily Blog by a few of the other contributors, but they have become so few and far between I seldom check the site now.
Karen
The trick with reading TDB these days is that the; “Deconstructing Headlines” section is Bradbury’s personal playground (I personally quite like some of his turns of phrase, but wouldn’t usually quote him as a information source). If you can’t be bothered with his stuff, then you’re best to stick with the; “Setting the Agenda” & “Guest Blogs” sections; which are mostly Bomber free zones. Frank Macskasy, Selwyn Manning, Latifa Daud, Diane Khan, Keith Locke, Jessie Hume & Chris Trotter are usually worth reading. Even Curwen Rolinson is interesting for a NZF insider viewpoint. The Daily Gallery is mostly a collection of Malcolm Evans cartoons these days which, with only occasional meme images. I tend to avoid Nash and O’Dea posts though.
After the election and over the holidays there was a distinct drop off in quality with Bradbury seeming to be doing everything by himself for a while. ScarletMod is doing a better job of moderation, usually stating the reason for a comment deletion or redaction rather than just disappearing them (the only one I’ve had vanish of late was one that commented a bit too much about a “Prominent New Zealander”, I’ve taken to copying them to my wordprocessor as a precaution though). But TRP is correct that the moderation has been much better than on TS than TDB.
However, I have noticed of late that there is a lag between making a comment and having it appear on a thread. This makes it impossible to edit out flawed phrasing which wasn’t evident before seeing it in the finished format (eg I should have shortened some sentences in the above comment). So I’ve had to take to copying comments to my computer when posting here too.
Yes, I agree there are a few of the other contributors worth reading. I’d add Susan St John, Mike Treen and Kate Davis to your list. I seldom read Chris Trotter these days.
However, the reason I have gone off reading the Daily Blog isn’t just about Bradbury, it is also the design of the blog. I much prefer the layout of The Standard. I find it very easy to quickly check out what new posts have been added and run my eye down the comments roll at the side to see who is talking about what. The selection of feeds is also useful.
I really miss Karol though!!
TDB and TS do have quite different layouts, and it is a lot harder to find old comments on TDB. But I do like the star-rating and up/down voting comments system there, for when I am too tired to be able to form coherent sentences or do the requisite research to back up my views.
Karol is doing good work over on her own blog (though I do miss her contributions to the hurly burly of TS). For example, the most recent post:
https://karolscribe.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/not-so-devious-maids-living-with-slavery/#more-481
Which I was re-reading in light of this article in the ODT:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/337409/nz-retailers-shocked-slavery-claims
Yep, The Standard is easily the best designed New Zealand Blog in my opinion.
Randomly, swordfish love your PB analysis
Ever use http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/
Seems to give better maps and better formatted info in dropdowns
Your headline includes a false equivalence, Phil. LPrent is not a censor. He’s remarkably tolerant of dissenting views and usually responds with words rather than bans. Ok, often abusive words, but you get my point. Bradbury, on the other hand, actively removes entire comments that conflict with whatever bollocks he publishes. Perhaps you haven’t experienced it personally, but if you disagree with him and post a comment saying so, even in the most reasonable language, there’s a high likelihood it will simply disappear.
As to the reason for the spat, I think there’s a huge clue in the blog site rankings. The pressure of having to pretty much write the whole blog himself and watching it lose readership month after month appears to be doing Bomber’s head in.
+1 TRP
+2 Critique the actions of both bloggers and the differences become clear.
but what to do – ignore and hope it all goes away, try and support – it just seems off.
This sounds ridiculous and improbable…but I think Bomber needs to ask lprent for some advice on how to move TDB ahead.
“does anyone else wonder what the origins of this ongoing bitch-fest are..?”
No, not me phillip, not really that interested.
I have little respect for Martyn Bradbury and only lasted about 6 months as a reader and commenter on his site before he got all personally petulant and pouty towards me and I got sick of his hyper sensitive moderating style. I can’t be bothered with his unappealing personality traits, such as his fragile ego. (I won’t go into all the others)
If Lynn wants to call Bradbury out on his BS (and I believe Lynn does have a finely tuned BS detector and has way more sharps than Bradbury) that’s fine, it’s his business and he’s entitled to respond.
Besides there’s far bigger buckets of popcorn going around this weekend!
Are we all going to be glued to the internet tomorrow night? 🙂
Hopefully dancing, after the votes come in……..
Should go and get some bubbly to put on stand by.
had to laugh that Key will be in Australia !!
The origins? Bradbury talking crap as usual. He’s really quite a nasty little man. Others on his blog are far better, but he’s so far up his own bum I usually don’t bother.
Sadly no one has akshully had the strength to force the moment to a crisis though, so National continue to believe they have no accountability, and integrity is such an old fashioned word these days
It’d help if labour kept at it in question time with their own attack lines and left the greens to do their own thing.
Transparency, or should I say the lack of surrounding Mike Sabin’s resignation looks likely to cost National the Northland seat. Should this occur then its the start of a political death spiral of firstly John Key and the National led Government. I’m going to call it, a loss on Saturday and then the wider New Zealand public learning of the nature of Sabin’s issue’s will force John Key to bow out of politics.
It appears election night 2014, and a further 3 years was Key’s political zenith, and now less than 6 months later brand Nationals share price has peaked, the market has realised the stocks were overvalued, with the Sabin coverup some speculators are smelling a ponzi scheme, the whiff of which signals a National share price collapse. In order to stabilise the National brand and share price. A board meeting will be called which usually results in the CEO’s resignation, think Bernie Madoff.
Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of Key. I say yes.
@ Skinny – yes. I think the King John reign is coming to an end. A controversial end to boot. And an end which will also see the end of the long anticipated knighthood for Key. Oh dear, what a shame, never mind!
John Key – THE END 🙂
agree totally…. how ever the rub is that Key wont give a shit anyway,,,,hes got millions and cares even less about the billions he will leave us in debt…..it would be most excellent to be able to pin his arse to wall in all sorts of ways……having a sullied reputation will not faze him either.
“Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of Key. I say yes.”
One can only hope so.
I won’t start celebrating until all the votes are counted though and we know for sure what the path ahead looks like.
Steven Joyce said (RNZ) that the Nat’s internal polling has Osbourne higher that the 3News and Colmar Brunton polls but still less than Peters. That polling bloody better reflect the actual outcome tomorrow. If it does, then yes, it may well be the beginning of the end.
PS: Edit: The Hooton article micky posted suggests it’s just a matter of time:
“The risk for Mr Key is that if the full Sabin story becomes known in a week, a month, six months or a year, it will look as if his government covered it up not just through a general election campaign but then again through the by-election as well. The clock keeps ticking.”
Yes in desperation Joyce called up Ryan trying to peddle the same old snake oil recipe, just using a different label. “Our internal polls say we are close a lot closer”. Deifying the stats of 4 other independent polls, knowing in elections a certain number of voters like too back the winning candidate, no science just that simple fact. Then when Ryan asks what’s the figure? he goes all silly and says ” I can’t possibly revel the figure.” His high pitched screeching was worst than our lunatic budgies, who incidentally started screaming their little heads off when they heard his voice chance to a shrill lol.
URGENT!!!
John Key will be in KeriKeri
Friday 27 March 2015
between 10am – 11am.
Penny Bright
Saw your sign briefly on the TV News last night Penny. Good on yer.
+ 1 yes onya penny I loved seeing that sign
+2
Gotta appreciate those who actually do something rather than merely talk:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/269684/john-key-heckled-in-northland
You should take a pink kumara and present it to Key.
give him a kumara allright……use ya imagination!!!
Some prominent New Zealander has managed to keep their suppression for a while longer.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/prominent-new-zealander-wins-name-suppression-appeal-vy-170671
Thanks Kaplan…………….
“Some prominent New Zealander”
I wonder who that is!….’The murky mystery and high level cover up of the well known unknown awful offender!’….(No, don’t tell! My ears are sealed!)
I am surprised that the Police opposed the suppression, you would usually expect them to protect one of their own. Perhaps it is true that the alleged victims of this PromNZr also oppose name suppression. Peters’ proposal of a bill to prevent abuse of name supression seems very timely (with the Northland byelection in its final week).
I don’t think they consider the individual to be one of their own but rather a very bad egg that needs to be made to answer the allegations.
long overdue housekeeping
As far as I know, if the victims of such acts want suppression, it happens automatically. Therefore the victims want this public. I can imagine on what grounds, apart from future knighthoods, that suppression has been ordered.
interesting the NZ Police opposed the suppression .. is that usual ??
Um, this is a bit difficult.
Last year a friend and her close relative went to the Police about an attempted rape. It was a sickening situation and the lives of some of those family members have changed forever.
The Police have been very supportive of the victims and been absolutely thorough in their investigation. It doesn’t sound like there is anything at fault with their processes. I’ve heard every twist and turn of it from my friend.
When the alleged offender’s name suppression was due to expire (expire? you know what I mean) and his lawyer wanted it extended, the Police opposed it. They wanted the name suppression lifted, and it was, a few months ago. No one in the press picked up on it.
The alleged offender is an ex cop, and had worked previously for many years in the region that the offending took place. That’s all that I will say about this case.
It’s not appropriate for me to convey to my friend my surprise and relief that the handling of their case has been nothing but professional and they did not seek to protect one of their own, but that’s something that has been privately reassuring at least.
Hearing her story has restored a small amount of faith I have in the Police (and then the Roastbusters report crapped all over that feeling). Perhaps it is possible that they won’t always tolerate criminal activity amongst their own.
Of course we don’t know if this is “one of their own” at all, it could be anybody but as TC says, maybe a real “bad egg” they feel the public has a right to know the identity of.
The fact that the police supported the lifting of the suppression order suggests to me that the alleged offences – whatever exactly they were – are regarded as within the upper levels of seriousness. It would also suggest to me that the victims – and/or their care givers – did not request continued suppression. This is just speculation of course but if true, then it brings into question… why did the judge choose to continue the suppression order?
All good points thanks Anne. And, yes, it would be interesting to know what reasoning the judge had to continue with name suppression, given the points of speculation.
@ Kaplan – can’t open page. Message says ” Page not found. Page does not exist” I have found similar situations trying to open links over the past few days of this week, all referring to the same issue!
Coincidence? The time worn old cynic in me thinks something sinister afoot!
NBR articles are usually behind a pay wall.
The owner felt that it was in the public interest for a number of them to be free to all today – including my column on Mike Sabin and John Key, and this one about the Prominent New Zealander.
Hooton I wouldn’t pay to read Coleman’s ( if he still owns it) rag, especially after reading your attack National lite dross. Manning smoked your arse in his column. Speaking of smoking, Barry must have been smoking dope with you to allow such say nothing news, Christ stay off the pot before the next edition please.
Reading the Dom Post editorial this morning I even felt a twinge of sympathy for Osborne. Then I got over it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/67520958/national-has-botched-this-byelection
No sympathy from me, you either win or GTFO
and yes if anyone in National had knowledge about the alleged allegations then National and John Key do not deserve to win the next election
@ ScottGN – The Natsies botched the byelection, long before now.
Such as the last quarter of last year, when Key decided to indulge himself in his usual deception and cover ups of the Mike Sabin issue, hoping it would go away and never see the light of day! How wrong he was, because the longer it remains hovering in the air, the more difficult the situation is going to get for Key & Co! So difficult in fact, I
doubt he will be able to slide his slimy way out of it! Watch him squirm then! Bring it on!
The Guardian wins the right to publish what should not have been secret. The monarch-in-waiting’s letters to ministers. It only took 10 years and still the powers that be insist these letters should be private.
Okay – random post time (that’s allowed at Open Mike right?).
* Shuffles onto stage*,
* Clears throat*
Ahem, can you hear me at the back?
So – last night I had the weirdest dream (promising start already) . . . I dreamt that I left work midway through the day, to go to a speech, held in a barn across the road . . a speech made and attended by all the posters and collaborators here at The Standard.
I have no recollection of what the speech was about.
I do remember Winstons ‘Force for the North’ bus parking behind us to hide us from public view so we could continue our discussions in relative privacy.
And I remember being singled out by the speaker as she recognised me from a community blog I was part of 14 year ago.
Then – realising it was 5:15pm and I had been away from work all afternoon, rushed back, only to find my office set up for a dinner party with members of the community and select V8 Supercar drivers in attendance.
Apparently Jamie Whincup was in danger of being disqualified from this weekends race due to a fuel disparity and I was distraught.
The End.
*shuffles back off stage*
You may all continue with your much more meaningful than mine posts now 🙂
You forgot the bit when Winny smiled so sweetly and asked you longingly, “Is that you, Condoleezza?”
You gotta leave the cheese and Pickled Onions alone before you go to bed!
This Saturday people in Christchurch get witness Cameron Slater getting knocked about for charity with proceeds going to Kids Can charity
So for those one or two people on here who don’t like Cameron Slater heres your chance to watch a fitter, taller, more experienced professional sportsman punch him in the face and a kids charity benefits!
What more could someone want
Not much charity in any of this, IMO.
Its all good, some good boxing, some side show boxing and some money going to charity so whats not to love
What’s not to love is what is not love- revenge, violence, hatred.
Slater is a worthless piece of shit
So buy a ticket and watch him get his beans
F#%k off
Ok tough guy 🙂
Sorry, wasn’t meant to be rude to you. Was meant in one of those friendly “f&%k off” ways.
Slater is unwelcome in the south island for good reason. I hate the prick personally
Exactly, hes not popular in Christchurch yet hes going up against the “peoples champion” thats had fight experience, has incredible hand-eye coordination and is both younger and taller
Never get a better chance then this to see Slater get punched in the face
I don’t think it has dawned on you that people might not give a shit what Slater does on his days off.
Fuck off back to Whaleoil and do your promo there.
No point preaching to the converted 🙂
So will you be ringside squealing? Or waiting out the back to give your boy a wristie?
I’m in the cheap seats with the boys, make as much noise as i like 🙂
And viceversa vice etc.
couldn’t be bothered.. can’t even be bothered fini
“What more could someone want”
Politics based on integrity, transparency, honesty, being real, telling the fucking truth, instead of a staged macho shithead fight based on PR, dishonesty and power grabbing (the charity do or DP).
Thats just a little bit too much to expect from some boxing
Ah, it’s lighthearted trole today is it?
I’ll see you at the boxing then, I’ll be the guy wearing the Whaleoil baseball cap so don’t forget to say hi 🙂
Are you completely stupid?
How about politics that doesn’t promote violence as the answer?
“The only poll that matters is the one on Saturday”…says Osborne!
And more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67521779/i-wont-pick-up-the-phone-john-key-dismisses-winston-peters
The only people that say that are those that know they’re losing
Quoting article:
Unless National’s support parties decide that they can’t support National. This years budget is going to be especially interesting.
Much mo’ money for Whanau Ora, methinks 🙂
Don’t forget that Peter Dunne will also be in a more powerful position
Yeah, but how much more cream can he drink?
He’ll milk this for as much and as long as he can
I can get my head round this issue.
Just read Jane Kelsey’s take on the TPPA. This phrase bothered me:
“Bilcon complained local officials had encouraged the project and called the review panel a “rare, cumbersome and costly obstacle” to its investment.”
USA Bilcon are seeking 300million compensation because the Canadian environmental committee turned down the American Bilcon application re mining.
So that is what our Government is signing up the TPPA for NZ.
No wonder they want to water down the RMA.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11423728
terrifying stuff. and absolute proof of Key and Groser lying to NZ on their way through the whole negotiation stages of it. It’s treason, but what can we do about it ?
This morning’s Tremain cartoon in the ODT is wonderfully relevant:
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52aca146e4b06d986ca82df3/52c0ec1ce4b0f4346e9358a5/5513c739e4b0b1971d0b5fbd/1427359569078/osborneW.jpg
very good. If National win Northland what do they think is going to happen when the truth finally comes out? Or even if they don’t win Northland.
Labour wins in a landslide
idiot trole.
Actually i’m serious, when [careful – MS] there’ll be a backlash against National, National will be punished and Labour will be returned in a land slide
You heard it here first
sorry about that
Think about timing
perhaps not…..I reckon Labour voters are quite clever…..they didn’t like Labours policies so just didn’t vote…..yeah I know some went blue and green but personally they had better come up with some better ideas than last time or the same will happen again.
If whats being said comes to pass then its just a matter of how much Labour will win by and who they choose to go in to coilition with
Key’s role for USA as their main man in NZ will start to come to an end.
Paul C
Thanx for that. Good to see Trmain as god as ever.
On a completely unrelated subject. . .
Any Dr Who fans about?
“Doctor Who has evolved from a threatening anti-establishment figure, laments Eddie Ford, to a patriotic defender of the status quo. . .”
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/doctor-who-degeneration-of-a-time-lord/
I don’t know about that but Christopher Eccelston was definately the best Doctor
My two bobs worth?
Written before Capaldi took over the role and resurrected the more edgy character traits as played by Troughton, Hartnell and latterly, Eccleston. Wish people would remember that it’s ‘just’ a kids programme btw…
Next thing you’ll be saying is the Goodies were just a kids program…
Hmm. Certainly not as childish as TVNZ and TV3 news programmes…or the so-called documentaries that are foisted on us….or most of the rest of what is on TV.
But then, kids programme that it is, neither, arguably, is Dr Who 😉
It’s not Just a Kids’ Program. It’s part of the zeitgeist of the last and today’s century.
One important thing about Doctor Who is that from the start, it has always shown that empires and civilisations, no matter how powerful and all encompassing, will arise and fall in their own time.
CR
True – I think that there are messages in Dr Who for us to take on board. And further everything we watch and do has reference to us and our society.
A lot of the stories are analogies for us, and allow our minds to encompass unthought of possibilites, at the conscious level. Anything that can be thought of, will be likely to have been done by someone, is possibly being done, or may be carried out in the future. So take care to critique what you think and see! I think we would have been happier if we had stayed just a little more intelligent than a dog.
I think we wiped out all those other hominids…
exactly…..see the Cybermen are ruling the country…..
Kidicorp now a charity
A pretty special thing to do Wayne and Chloe Wright.
I’m a bit more cynical about this move by Kidicorp, Miravox.
You do know that charitable status allows them tax exemption, plus they’ll be able to ask for grants from philanthropic funding organisations. Which means that a former commercial outfit now has a “competitive” advantage over its still-commercial rivals.
It was more that they recognised that quality early childhood education does not mix with a shares, dividends and other commercial imperatives rather than the charitable trust per se. A light bulb moment for them, I was thinking 😉
Not many who capitalists/business people seem to understand that public goods and profit motives may be at odds.
Anyone who names a childcare juggernaut Kidicorp has questionable motives. I think they are weird.
Friends near Kerikeri know the full Sabin story, but won’t risk discussing it with their friends on email, only face to face. We do live in a five eyes state.
Does anyone know people who feel the same way?
There is a [careful! – MS]. Not sure what the deal is with email (legal or not?) but don’t see an inherent connection with 5 eyes.
[Careful! – MS] Not talking to others about it. But who knows how far a security and surveillance state might go in order to make a point.
Damn…thanks MS
People are modifying their behaviour (what they say, how they say it, who they say it to) as Snowden’s revelations become more widely known. In East Germany the secret police state there ended up created an environment stifling personal creativity, innovation and expression, leading to a stagnation of the country and its people.
Melanie
The 1080 thinker who I think years ago wrote a letter about it to Fonterra, has had every google visit observed apparently. Or perhaps anything with the right keywords. So until they can read our minds (think John Chrisopher’s The Tripods) it would be best not to open oneself to the suspicion of the fuzz.
Yeah – I’d be careful about putting it into actual words, even on email. Where I’ve done this, I’ve hedged it around with words like “speculation”, “rumoured”, “alleged” etc.
hi melanie, in contrast , i had a telephone (landline) conversation with a chum from nthland.
he was fairly up front, clear and concise with his understanding of what the former mp for northland is accused of. his source is very well placed.
he is by nature a cautious and careful person.
i will mention to him what you have expressed re 5eyes, when i see him in person in the near future.
Just a philosophical thought. A Scottish writer interviewed this morning about his book Maggie and Me is gay and has an extraordinary tale of his route out of small-town working class bigotry. A thoughtful chap with ideas that are empowring and interesting.
He talks about the stresses on young people who are trying to get on in the world and how there is an idea that there is a list of things they should have done by age 30. And it reminded me of a feeling I had that we are living in a parallel with the zeitgeist of the 1930’s – the period between WW1 and WW2 – when young people wanted to enoy themselves and cretivity seemed to blossom, and older people fstruggled to find stability and happiness and wanted to ignore signs that this could not be achieved.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67521779/national-not-giving-up-in-northland-yet-steven-joyce-says
Keys usual tactics. Blames Winston for not wanting to do a deal, then makes it the voters fault for not turning out if they lose this by-election.
LGBT workers have been at the forefront of Baristas Rise Up, a movement advocating for low-waged service workers and baristas. . .
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/gay-lesbian-bi-and-trans-struggles-are-class-struggles-too/
Today a giant NASA balloon has been released from Wanaka and is to go high in the sky and above I think.
I suggest that people who are trying to get funds to provide compassionate help for those who are poor and disadvantaged should join up into an extended organisation just for similar groups, or somehow support one that is completely unaffiliated and does not receive any government money or contracts. Then that separate group will mock and parallel any expensive event of this balloon type in a demonstration. This would make a dramatic point about the way that money can be made available for curiosity science and other wonders for the wealthy, but not available to help the citizens of the world with necessities for living.
This group would now have mass balloon releases in this country and round the world from places where it would not interfere with aircraft flight paths, radar or bird migration. In the media attention they would be outlining ten things that need doing in their area that are well within our present scientific capabilities and needed for the human wellbeing, just requiring a small proportion of the funds spent on the latest Wonder of the World. When the now ubiquitious fireworks displays are put on for the momentary excitement of the blase’, the group would mass with displays of lighted sparklers and publicise a named needy cause at the same time, and this would be a structural need, not be for an individual charity supporting a group or individual with
needs. It wouldn’t be just another way of publicising fundraising for the blind, or MS, or Kayleene to advance her sporting skills overseas or to raise money for a child with rare medical problems needing overseas or groundbreaking surgery or treatment.
(This action could not be carried out against every expenditure, as some of the large amounts going on infrastructure result in permanent structures that aid tourism, cultural centres and so on which if they are available for the use and enjoyment by the poor as well as the wealthy, bring positive outcomes for years.)
The needs for funding extend from daily food and clothing, land with supply of water for food growing, controls on chemicals destructive to fertility of the soil and health of living beings from small to large, good, free seed and plant nurseries for cropping, action to slow global warming and find more sustainable living systems.
I like this idea GWS. Hopefully it should be clear to all that the mean spirited excuse that we “can’t afford” good things for Kiwis is just that – a mean spirited excuse.
greywarshark
I have to disagree with you on this one. Sure, you can publicity-jack any event you want, but this launch is simply not an example of an; “expensive event”:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1503/S00004/nasa-to-launch-scientific-space-balloon-from-wanaka-nz.htm
You may dismiss this as; “curiosity science”, and certainly curiosity is at the heart of all science worth the name. However, note the potential for; “atmospheric research”. Such balloons can provide essential data on the upper atmosphere while producing far less carbon emissions than conventional flight. They will be an important tool in combating the worst effects of climate change.
So Key tells Northland I don’t give a stuff about what you vote
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67521779/i-wont-pick-up-the-phone-john-key-dismisses-winston-peters
Key will be picking up the phone to the Maori Party.
I assume that everyone has read this but just in case…
“Werewolf: The Myth Of Steven Joyce
Gordon Campbell: The myth of competence that’s been woven around Steven Joyce – the Key government’s “Minister of Everything” and “Mr Fixit” – has been disseminated from high-rises to hamlets, across the country…”
http://werewolf.co.nz/2015/03/the-myth-of-steven-joyce/
Anyone know if breaking a suppression order by email is illegal?
You could ask these guys I guess
https://forms.police.govt.nz/forms/contact-new-zealand-police/10?about=general_enquiry
Don’t give too much information though 😉
Concern trole
If its a private email between you and the person receiving it then its got to be alright. There’s no difference between an email conversation and talking face to face. We can say what we damm well like when its out of public earshot.
Not only illegal – but punishable by fine of up to $100,000. Not something to undertake lightly !
Putting something on the internet is regarded as publication. A Tory judge could possibly stretch the definition of internet to include emails, but my lay opinion is that this would be pretty weak and likely to be overturned. If you wrote an email as an open letter and published it on a blog or on a local Facebook account, that might be different.
Filthy disgusting thugs let a young man beat himself to death in a blood-smeared room.
No charges to be laid. No disciplinary action to follow.
Nothing to see here. Carry on.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/67527642/police-failed-sentry-taitoko-who-died-in-custody
The doctor said he was too ill to send to hsopital. And he must have been out of his brain. Why isn’t there a special tranquiliser dart that a doctor can use to immobilise a highly excited person? Then he could have been cared for. It was obviously not just a case of letting him sleep off too much alcohol.
You can tell the quality of a police force by the methods they use with vulnerable criminals and others. You can tell the quality of a country and government by the way they treat vulnerable people while under government control.
(I heard this morning about the 1080 raid on a historical 1080 protester – ten or more policemen, 3 warrants, away from home for questioning from 7am to 6 pm, separated husband and wife I think at different establishments, and returned to a mess rubbish emptied over their kitchen bench, things all over the floor and the house left unlocked. No attempt at quality policing and responsible careful behaviour there.)
The usual with no chance of any sort of apology or reparations.
I’m guessing that without knowing a persons medical history or what drugs the person had taken prior to the episode a doctor would loathe to sedate anyone in case of an accidental overdose
Engaging the community mental health crisis team was too hard?.
I’m guessing that being a crooked thuggish sociopath surrounded by a bunch of similar fuckwits, who gives a fuck about some wasted black kid?
Why isn’t there a special tranquiliser dart that a doctor can use to immobilise a highly excited person?
– I’m guessing that without knowing a persons medical history or what drugs the person had taken prior to the episode a doctor would loathe to sedate anyone in case of an accidental overdose
I was answering this question, not sure what you’re on about
You need special mental health workers to attend in a situation like this. Joe Regular medical doctor likely won’t have enough hands on experience by themselves to deal with such a scenario successfully.
The quack who observed Sentry at the police station would’ve known the circumstances of his removal for detoxification and been aware of his self harm but didn’t bother.
Everyone is different. Too low a dosage can have little effect, too high a dosage can be fatal.
To put it bluntly, if he’s on uppers and you give him downers, and the uppers wear off before the downers, you’ll John Belushi the dude.
Dealing with drunks, especially angry drunks, can make you see what you expect to see and overlook underlying medical conditions (not just drugs or mental health issues, but diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, hypothermia [Dunedin lol], and so on). Been there, fucked that up (not with the same repercussions, but there was an “oh fuck” moment or two).
I actually have issues with the doctor more than the cops in this case (although the cops should have checked regularly, too). It seems pretty obvious, but making a medical assessment through a window does not count as anything beyond “immediate danger” (i.e. the person is upright, not spurting blood or puking, and might be verbally responsive). If the person was too violent to complete a check, then the doctor should have been called back when the guy calmed down (only half an hour or so later).
There might also be other workload issues (no idea what else the police or doctor were dealing with) and the time of day might also be a factor alongside day of week and whether there were handover issues with a shift change, but it seems that almost all concerned assessed him through “the guy is a drunk dickhead” lenses. 999/1000 you’re right, but when you’re wrong…
yep that doctor – fucken hell
“Over 30 minutes from 1.47am to 2.16 am, CCTV footage showed him falling and hitting his head on the concrete walls or floor of the cell 83 times, the report said.
Over the next hour, he hit his head about another 31 times, with his cell becoming smeared with blood.
A police doctor looked at Taitoko through the cell window at 3.21am, but he did not enter the cell.”
Fuck the corporates.
The Amazon contract, obtained by The Verge, requires employees to promise that they will not work at any company where they “directly or indirectly” support any good or service that competes with those they helped support at Amazon, for a year and a half after their brief stints at Amazon end.
[…]
The company has even required its permanent warehouse workers who get laid off to reaffirm their non-compete contracts as a condition of receiving severance pay.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/26/8280309/amazon-warehouse-jobs-exclusive-noncompete-contracts
the handbook for cellphone-surveillance gear (likely used by our spooks..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/heres-the-top-secret-stingray-manual-ed-this-is-the-surveillance-tool-used-to-interceptmonitor-cellphone-calls/
And related: IMSI catchers, which are “pretend” cell phone towers that operate by tricking your cell phone into logging on to them, giving others access to all your details.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMSI-catcher
Tests
Is this where National’s National Standards are taking our young?
best political one-liner of the wk..
it came from dita de boni in the herald..
..where she said of bill english:..
‘..Like his colleagues he is adept at rolling a turd in glitter..’
(heh..!..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/dita-de-boni-kiwis-hoodwinked-over-state-housing-ed-bill-english-is-described-as-adept-at-rolling-a-turd-in-glitter/
I think I overlooked any comments on this in the last few days:
Kiwi soldiers in Iraq to have identities kept secret.
Allegedly for safety purposes for them and their families (noble), I wonder if this will also further obscure the number and nature of any casualties they have, after the defense forces being able to pick and choose which cases get investigated by the coroner. No photos. No grieving relatives. No stories about what we’re actually doing over there… just a silent loss that nobody is allowed to acknowledge or talk about.
McFlock
Thanks for the link. That really seemed to go under everyone’s radar.
That’s; “selected to go” not “volunteered to go”, despite previous assurances.
enlightened-treatment of heroin addicts passed into law..
..in kentucky – of all fucken places…(!)
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/kentuckys-new-heroin-law-marks-a-culture-shift/
A Saturday morning option for Christchurch folk looking for something to do?
( Seeing as the Friday Evening session is already over. )
http://www.futurechristchurch.co.nz/news/victoria-square-meet-the-project-team
Northland by-election % result prediction:
Post YOUR predictions/ % guesstimates here just for fun:
———————–
On 6 March 2015 at 5:26 pm I predicted:
Mark Osborne : 38%
Winston Peters : 36%
Willow-Jean Prime: 21%
Total Valid Votes 22,000.
————————-
Two fays later, on 8 March 2015 at 10:38 pm I said:
Mark Osborne : 38%
Winston Peters : 44%
Willow-Jean Prime: 13%
Total Valid Votes 21,000.
———————
Two days ago, 26 March 2015 at 3:19 pm I predicted:
Winston = 58%
Osborne =32%
WJ Prime =09%
Total Valid Votes 21,000.
—————
Now, today, on the eve of the election day, on 27 March at 9:33pm, I am guessing:
Winston = 59%
Osborne =32%
WJ Prime =08%
Total Valid Votes 28, 000.
——————
HERE below is the advance photo of the winner. Take a look!
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/1823/821
——————-
Now Post YOUR predictions / % guesstimates to show your political antenna just for some fun.
Whoops, the correct link is here:
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/1823/821/original.jpg?w=600&h
Good luck Winston. The hopes and dreams of New Zealanders opposed to John Key/National are with you. As they are with the New Zealand Cricket Team at the MCG.
Anyone notice in the below pics that it is John Key doing most of the actual campaigning while Osborne stands in the background with a goofy grin.? “Hoss” indeed…
I saw Penny Bright (I think )on 6 News today, bravely holding a banner for Key, and getting told off too! but I am not sure if it was TV1 or 3.
Anyone got a link?
Found it here:
The clip is from 8:09 to 11:45. I think she (?) is at about 9:10.
Dont forget the NSW vote as well!