Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
‘Is NZ facing a crisis of conscience?
The housing crisis has taken on a more visible form, with the issues of emergency housing and homelessness.
The causes of homelessness and need for emergency housing are complex, but the common thread is poverty. And no place to turn. At the end of the tether, society decides whether to simply let it happen, or to care and act.
New Zealand has long taken a caring approach. A safety net has been a part of the social contract in post-war New Zealand…..’
One document that has received particular attention is a PowerPoint presentation that said a trio of data-related companies — HBGary Federal, Palantir Technologies and Berico Technologies — could help attack WikiLeaks, which is rumored to be preparing to release internal e-mails from Bank of America.
One idea was to submit fake documents covertly to WikiLeaks, and then expose them as forgeries to discredit the group. It also suggested pressuring WikiLeaks’ supporters — notably Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com — by threatening their careers.
“Without the support of people like Glenn, WikiLeaks would fold,” the presentation said.
Another set of documents proposed similar ways to embarrass adversaries of the Chamber of Commerce for an initial fee of $200,000 and $2 million later.
Palantir Technologies won the awe of the United States’ intelligence community when it developed tools for large-scale data-mining, earning itself acclaim as “the War on Terror’s Secret Weapon”.
It set up shop in Wellington last year, advertising for an “embedded analyst” who was needed “to support our Palantir Government client base”
……..
A spokesman for the institute said it aimed to be a “positive influence” on the intelligence community by providing “support, advice and opportunities” to ” improve intelligence practice in and for New Zealand”.
It didn’t take long to divert the media attention from heart-wrenching homelessness to ‘big tax cuts’, as promised by Key to appease the greedy and selfish National-voting base.
Vandana Shiva:
When the US talks of strong patent laws, it is restricting itself to the corporate interest. On criteria of corporate rights at the cost of nature and people, US laws are strong. On grounds of ethical considerations and social and ecological justice, they are weak. Instead of India being bullied to destroy her civilisational legacy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakam, her carefully and democratically evolved laws related to Biodiversity, the Rights of Mother Earth, and rights of people to their collective intellectual and cultural heritage, it is time for the US government to stop being an instrument of the ethically, scientifically and legally perverse construction of global corporations to define life as their invention and property. https://medium.com/@drvandanashiva/seeds-biodiversity-and-iprs-845187d00951#.eaxdeo50l
The cancer of Corporate rule of US should not be allowed to metastasise via TPP, TTIP, TISA etc.
Last night at 6 on Daily Review 26/05/2016, Gangnam Style provided a link to John Armstrong’s blog, and a quote from his latest post on homelessness and the demolition of Housing NZ.
You will recall that John Armstrong was the Senior Political Correspondent at the NZ Herald for many years, prior to his retirement due to serious illness. IMHO Armstrong, for the most part, appeared to be a strong National supporter in his Herald columns.
I was therefore extremely surprised to read the excerpt from Armstrong’s blog post that Gangnam Style posted last night ; and the full post at the blog itself –
Although Armstrong’s political bias at times used to annoy me, nevertheless I always respected his ability and experience in political analysis. His posts on his blog (only four to date) continue to reflect these qualities; but with a quite different attitude to National and Key.
Many of us suspected John Armstrong wrote his Herald political pieces with a view to appeasing his former employers. Now he can be more open and honest about his opinions. I wonder who of the current MSM journalists the same criteria would apply?
Many of us suspected John Armstrong wrote his Herald political pieces with a view to appeasing his former employers. Now he can be more open and honest about his opinions.
If that is the case then we now have proof that journalists are forced to write in favour of the political-right.
“The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has attacked foreign investors for using homes in the capital as “gold bricks for investment” following a Guardian investigation that revealed the UK’s tallest residential skyscraper is now more than 60% foreign-owned and is under-occupied.
Facing questions from the London Assembly for the first time since he was elected mayor, Khan warned that building thousands of new homes a year in London to solve the housing crisis would mean nothing if “they are all bought by investors in the Middle East and Asia for use as second homes or they sit empty”.
The London skyscraper that is a stark symbol of the housing crisis
He said: “The Guardian’s front page today is an example of the consequences of the last eight years of being obsessed by numbers rather than [building] the right sorts of homes.”
From the same article – will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?
“Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who sits on the Commons communities select committee, which scrutinises housing policy, said the fact that the five-storey Tower penthouse was owned by an oligarch who had not yet lived there was ridiculous.
Blackman said it might now be time to consider a policy demanding buyers of UK properties commit to living in the UK for more than 90 days a year.
Ken Livingstone, who also backed the scheme when he was mayor of London, said he had no idea so many foreign buyers would be seeking to deposit money in London property.
He described the international buy-up as appalling. “I was very keen to get foreign investment into London, but that was in terms of constructing developments and creating new jobs, not flogging them off to people who just keep them there in case there is a coup and they have to flee,” he said.”
+100 save nz….” will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?”…this is clearly not an issue of racism..it is an issue of swamping
….and this from an honest Chinese property developer, who presumably is not racist
‘Wall of Chinese capital buying up Australian properties’
I suppose the builders are happy.
The owners who rent the buildings out to “investors” are happy.
The previous owners would be happy to sell the buildings to “investors.”
So it would seem that like here in NZ, everyone with vested interests will also be happy.
Market forces you know.
“The thing about foreign ownership is it requires more study. Is it good or bad for the market?” said Dugan. “Some people who are investing in the condo market for the long term can be quite helpful because they’ve been adding to the rental supply.”
P.E.I., equally, wants foreign investors and has a program to encourage them to come to the island, but it wants them to buy and become residents.
This is a small province, if there’s no rules, it could be bought out
Scott MacKenzie, chair and chief executive of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission known as IRAC, says the application alone costs one per cent of the purchase price, although if the deal falls through and you are rejected, only 50 per cent of the fee is refunded.
In a normal year P.E.I. gets 100 applications for individuals that exceed the 50-acre or 165-feet of shoreline limits, and about 50 applications from corporations. There are a number of considerations before an appeal will be considered. One of the stipulations is that no more than 30 per cent of a community be made up of non-islanders.
Tourism PEI
“If you are coming here to move here and be a resident of P.E.I. and be a member of the community, even though you are a non-resident right now, there is a good strong chance that the application will go through. If you are a corporate farmer from Ontario and you realize that you can buy farmland in P.E.I. for $2,500 an acre, whereas it would cost you $25,000 in Ontario and you simply want 1,000 acres to farm from afar, you’ve got a problem,” MacKenzie said.
Tracking out-of-province buyers might be a problem elsewhere in Canada but P.E.I. keeps a handle on the situation through a tax structure that effectively doubles property taxes for non-residents, creating an incentive for people to prove they are living on the island and meet the minimum stay of 183 days.”
– Financial Post
Worth reading the whole article for a real world example of how one of the necessary changes for NZ housing can be legislated, and how that plays a positive part for long-term affordability.
zealot
ˈzɛlət/Submit
noun
a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, Young Turk, diehard, activist, militant; More
antonyms: moderate
historical
a member of an ancient Jewish sect aiming at a world Jewish theocracy and resisting the Romans until AD 70.
noun: Zealot; plural noun: Zealots
Well you’d have to remove the religious factor as I’m atheist (well I guess agnostic but only because I can’t prove there’s no god however I also can’t prove there isn’t a flying spaghetti monster)
I think pat’s point is that you’re still making substantially irrational value judgements (like a religious person) about smoking. In some cases demonstrably wrong, as smoking has in fact been associated with reduced rates of some things like alzheimers.
I’m resigned to the fact that I’ve reluctantly become a “success story” because I quit when it got too expensive. But I’ll never understand why people who need to use several perjorative adjectives about smoking don’t seem to think that their attitudes are irrational.
I fucking enjoyed it, and the wowsers took it away. That’s democracy. But the campaign of encouraging ostracism and bullying of smokers is ugly.
BTW, this is one of my rantable issues, so I’ll try to keep an eye my responses. 🙂
It might well be filthy and disgusting to you, but there are lots of filthy or smelly people around. Normal response is not to say “filthy” AND “disgusting”, though.
But of course all of that is your personal value judgement. Including whether it’s worth it.
query: is the stress caused by being part of about the only acceptable target for widespread discrimination and abuse a larger or smaller threat to the health of others than simply having a smoke in the open air?
I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes. Otherwise I think your comparison misses the mark. We all get impacted by different things in different ways, but as a society I think it’s pretty much accepted now that cigarette smoke is impactful across the board.
“I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes.”
Don’t really have people leaving their engines running at my place. Usually it’s when I’m sitting somewhere public and someone pulls up. All sorts of places, including places in nature, beside parks, in carparks etc.
I think you really should be more clear in what you mean McFlock. Are you talking about govt policy, a business asking its customers not to smoke inside, me asking someone to not smoke in my house, someone asking you to not smoke in your house, etc?
Open air? You made a very general statement, which leaves everyone guessing, wrongly apparently.
While I had in mind the latest local government bylaws that are unenforceable, the main point was the telling. As in saying you”put that out now and generally making a fuss, pretend coughing, all that bullshit.
That’s the environment we’re in now. Arseholes with an excuse to harass.
I guess it’s hard to know where to go after that. If someone is smoking and that smoke is affecting me (see Draco’s original comment above), then how is me asking or even telling them not to blow smoke around me harassment? I mean, I can see how someone being an arsehole with it would be horrible, and even harrassing, but it doesn’t work as a general principle. Arseholes will be arseholes, people still have a right to not be exposed to smoke and to do something if they are.
how is me asking or even telling them not to blow smoke around me harassment?
Asking, not so much. Telling, however, is more common than simply asking, and passive-aggressive “asking” is more common still. When I smoked in public, I was abused more often than asked. And in the open air, the only way you or draco are “affected” is by smell when you’re within 20 feet or so. What do you do on the bus when a smelly person sits in front of you – ask them to bathe more often?
But even with asking, there’s no smoking in all workplaces, bars, restaurants, and public transport. Even my flat is non-smoking, as a (common) condition of the lease. So where are the addicted people supposed to smoke without some jerk who prefers to stay and rant rather than move on like a normal human being? Nowehere. Society is conditioned to scowl at smokers, and smokers are conditioned to accept it, every fucking day.
Arseholes will be arseholes, people still have a right to not be exposed to smoke and to do something if they are.
When the “exposure” is bugger-all beyond smell, the least hazardous and inconvenient option for all concerned is to just move on.
I do it when folk start a drum circle in the park, because that’s not my thing. I don’t yell at them to stop, hold my head in mock agony, and say that their drumming might give a small number of people a really bad migraine. And before you respond that smoking causes worse things than a migraine, not in the levels people are exposed to in NZ these days. Oh, I’ve met people who got all wheezy after coming within 50 feet of a smoker, but for some reason they only got wheezy when they saw the smoker, and smog didn’t seem to affect them at all.
This same right you have for offending people around here, if you tease that out too it’s logical conclusion everyone offends every one at some point.
So maybe that three way duel works out. 😉
Some would say the tax revenue smokers currently generate fiscally benefits the health system.
Moreover, a number of those that can’t quit will be forced to make savings elsewhere – i.e. doctors visits, nutrition, home heating etc… Leading to poorer health outcomes for them and their families.
what a good parrot pr and can you say pollie wants a cracker ?
dirty and disgusting i.m.o. is what we as humans are doing to the planet ie oceans full of plastic etc pollution on a grand scale war and violence …smokers….?/ pftt
I’m surprised a political party struggling for support are happy to turn their nose up to that while closing their eyes to the wider carnage – i.e assaults, theft, incarceration and fiscal suffering.
About twenty years ago anti-smoking adverts changed tack into “de-normalising” smoking. Basically, people are conditioned to judge smokers negatively, and smokers have been conditioned to accept it.
Personally, I reckon smoking illustrates the problem with capitalism rather than tobacco – smoking’s at the lowest level in decades, but soft drinks and fast food are still incredibly popular.
It’s apalling that feral deadbeat parents would rather buy cigarettes than feed their kids. The majority will just see tax increases as another reason to give up.
I hear Annette King supports the taxes, she is a smart women.
Thankyou for raising the appalling burden of addiction on its victms and their families. Your concern and empathy for your fellow human beings is once again brought to the fore as an example to us all, and you are a reminder of what it is to be a well-rounded human being.
That’s a lot of potential voters, yet it seems Labour aren’t interested in shielding them from tax increases.
They’re addicts, which means a lot of them will pay as much tax as a government wants. Every year, successive governments look on smokers as a bunch of people they can hold upside down by their ankles and shake to see how much falls out of their pockets. Labour are no different from National in that respect. They then phrase it in terms of “health initiatives” or some such bullshit. At least your P dealer doesn’t pretend he’s robbing you blind in a noble and charitable effort to get you to quit.
There’s an awful lot of people with chronic, serious mental health problems who chain smoke. Many of them picked up the habit as inpatients pre hospital smoking bans. They’re completely addicted and cutting down, yet alone quitting just isn’t part of the equation. And the vast majority are on benefits, and the smokes are going to take priority no matter what they cost. That’s the reality.
Revealed: 9% rise in London properties owned by offshore firms
Land Registry data of past 10 months shows 40,000 properties – from entire apartment complexes to wine cellars and car parks – registered in tax havens
China unveils ‘straddling bus’ design to beat traffic jams
The concept vehicle is designed to float above the clogged-up streets of some of the country’s biggest cities
Make sure you don’t deviate off your car lane. Ooops. Squished.
I had strong urges to sail my home made yacht under an oil platform floating off the top of the South Island. So tempting but never realised.
Interesting that the overide vehicle is the Chinese innovation.
Decades ago Japanese goods were regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
Currently Chinese goods have been regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
Our ethnic communities who traditionally are conservative voters and would most likely vote National will not be happy with this constant rise in the cigarette tax. They do seem to be quite prolific with their smoking, and there could be a back lash at the ballot box with the annual increase, will this now mean that Customs will have to not only work hard at detecting C.Meth coming into the country but now have contraband ciggies coming in as well to be searching for. Poor airport dogs will now have another skill to learn.
Stockists of ciggies will also have to barricade their shops up like Fort Knox, seems weird to me that alcohol can be bought in supermarkets and quite cheaply at that and they flog the ciggies for all their worth. The Booze Barons must give heaps to Nationals coffers to be coddled so. National’s mantra is personal responsibility – it works with sugar and junk food and they give them a wide berth – no consistency at all with their laws. The food industries must give generously as well. The whole system is a rort.
Another rightwing government adopts a; “if no one hears about it then it isn’t happening”, approach to a crisis:
the report “World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate”, which Unesco jointly published with the United Nations environment program and the Union of Concerned Scientists on Friday, initially had a key chapter on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as small sections on Kakadu and the Tasmanian forests.
But when the Australian Department of Environment saw a draft of the report, it objected, and every mention of Australia was removed by Unesco.
Fortunately, this attempt at suppressing information may insure that this will be the most read section of the report, now that the removed text has been published. This excerpt is mainly chosen for the appropriateness of the cited author’s name, but the whole is certainly worth the time:
Without global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions coupled with local management responses to increase resilience, current projections suggest that coral cover could decline to 5-10% of the GBR by the early 2020s from 28% in 1985 – a potential loss of 80% in just 40 years (De’ath et al 2012).
Robert Guyton
I need to keep thinking on this ecology ‘thing’.
On 22 May at 7.10 you said Douglas fir are “wilding pines” along with the better known contorta and are spreading at pace where conditions invite. A new wild would involve each of these trees in a new and complex mix and don’t forget, broom and gorse are straining at the leash to be given their unfettered chance to populate their favourite degraded landscapes.
Dynamic cycle of life or frozen picture in time? I’m for complex and ever-evolving landscapes. King Canute has a message for those who engage in the battle against incoming tides.
Are there farmers already enabling this sort of land regeneration (I’m thinking that gorse is nitrogen fixing too?), and if we ran a workshop on it in our areas, would we be able to link people into an internet site where they can communicate with others for info and feedback?
Are there workshops on forest gardens being carried out in your area scheduled for the future and what dates? Is there a forum on-line that people can go to for ideas and inspiration?
Another classic example in that part of the world is Hinewai. It’s a very important and successful example of native restoration by working with the natural systems there. Including regenerating via gorse.
Grey, I’m think that Robert Guyton will travel to run workshops. The gorse regeneration thing is even accepted by DOC now. If you google DOC and gorse you should find some information on their thinking (you’ll probably have to sift through some slash and spray hits).
Unfortunately I don’t think the NZ regenag etc people are big online outside of Facebook.
Alternatively if the gorse has been there for a few years, and you have willing labour, it’s not too diffiult to saw off the gorse at the base and put stumpkiller on the stumps. Then once you’ve cleared an area (which you can do pretty quickly with gorse), just plant your natives and I think you would get a 20-30 year headstart in comparison to waiting for seeds to germinate in the soil and for the gorse above to die off so they get enough light and room to grow well.
The Australian government reckons a report on the impact of global warming on some of its ‘natural wonders’ would be really bad for business (tourist industry), kind of implying that the trashing of things like the Great Barrier Reef by global warming…getting why my head hurts?
All mentions of Australia were removed from the final version of a Unesco report on climate change and world heritage sites after the Australian government objected on the grounds it could impact on tourism.
They must have noticed in Australia how useful our 100% Pure meme is. Just keep on sending out the bumf as usual, one day there will be a cruise liner turn up to a destination in Oz and there won’t be anything to look at except termite mounds.
weka
That was an interesting bunch of tweets and example of how effective they can be for disseminating information.
I liked El Cid —
“Democracy is so much cleaner if rich people can elect other rich people without all those ‘rules’ or ‘voters'”
and noted the combative comment from Securitay…. at the end. (Refer to something faulty and someone is sure to request an immediate alternative policy plan from you as an alternative!) —
“can you explain what you believe the world should have done? “
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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, ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 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 ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
‘Is NZ facing a crisis of conscience?
The housing crisis has taken on a more visible form, with the issues of emergency housing and homelessness.
The causes of homelessness and need for emergency housing are complex, but the common thread is poverty. And no place to turn. At the end of the tether, society decides whether to simply let it happen, or to care and act.
New Zealand has long taken a caring approach. A safety net has been a part of the social contract in post-war New Zealand…..’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/304722/is-nz-facing-a-crisis-of-conscience
Well said Paul (1) + 1000.
Nothing to add to what you have said there.
Exactly what is Palantir doing in NZ?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/us/politics/12hackers.html?_r=0
From a 2013 NZ Herald article by David Fisher:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899920
Positive influence?!!!!
It’s a poor show when you have to invent lies to be able to discredit whistleblowers.
i guess we now know who the big beneficiary of English’s extra $300m spy budget is. Forget the hungry kids.
And anyone can end up on the watchlist.
Being on the watchlist doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a threat – Kitteridge.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80149371/rebecca-kitteridge-this-job-has-got-me-by-the-throat–spy-boss
It’s all the plutocrats have. The truth shows them for what they are and what they’re doing to the world and it’s peoples.
Democracy? Freedom of speech? Transparency? Truth? Power balance?
What’s that in the 21st centuary?
It didn’t take long to divert the media attention from heart-wrenching homelessness to ‘big tax cuts’, as promised by Key to appease the greedy and selfish National-voting base.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11645678
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/80443600/tax-cuts-more-viable-after-safe-secure-budget
Just because the MSM has shifted focus doesn’t actually mean that the people have.
Vandana Shiva:
When the US talks of strong patent laws, it is restricting itself to the corporate interest. On criteria of corporate rights at the cost of nature and people, US laws are strong. On grounds of ethical considerations and social and ecological justice, they are weak. Instead of India being bullied to destroy her civilisational legacy of Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakam, her carefully and democratically evolved laws related to Biodiversity, the Rights of Mother Earth, and rights of people to their collective intellectual and cultural heritage, it is time for the US government to stop being an instrument of the ethically, scientifically and legally perverse construction of global corporations to define life as their invention and property.
https://medium.com/@drvandanashiva/seeds-biodiversity-and-iprs-845187d00951#.eaxdeo50l
The cancer of Corporate rule of US should not be allowed to metastasise via TPP, TTIP, TISA etc.
+1
Corporatisation of the world has become a serious problem and we need to stop it now before it destroys us.
The Budget – ‘where’s our money?’ schools ask.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/80441088/jo-moir-schools-will-look-to-parents-pockets-after-a-freeze-on-school-operational-funding
+1
Last night at 6 on Daily Review 26/05/2016, Gangnam Style provided a link to John Armstrong’s blog, and a quote from his latest post on homelessness and the demolition of Housing NZ.
http://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-26052016/#comment-1179443
You will recall that John Armstrong was the Senior Political Correspondent at the NZ Herald for many years, prior to his retirement due to serious illness. IMHO Armstrong, for the most part, appeared to be a strong National supporter in his Herald columns.
I was therefore extremely surprised to read the excerpt from Armstrong’s blog post that Gangnam Style posted last night ; and the full post at the blog itself –
https://armstrongonpolitics.wordpress.com/
Although Armstrong’s political bias at times used to annoy me, nevertheless I always respected his ability and experience in political analysis. His posts on his blog (only four to date) continue to reflect these qualities; but with a quite different attitude to National and Key.
I highly recommend reading his blog and posts.
Many of us suspected John Armstrong wrote his Herald political pieces with a view to appeasing his former employers. Now he can be more open and honest about his opinions. I wonder who of the current MSM journalists the same criteria would apply?
If that is the case then we now have proof that journalists are forced to write in favour of the political-right.
Very few as the bulk that remain are copy/paste kids who wouldnt know intellectual rigour and fact checking if it they had a threesome together.
@ VV thanks for posting well worth the read.
“The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has attacked foreign investors for using homes in the capital as “gold bricks for investment” following a Guardian investigation that revealed the UK’s tallest residential skyscraper is now more than 60% foreign-owned and is under-occupied.
Facing questions from the London Assembly for the first time since he was elected mayor, Khan warned that building thousands of new homes a year in London to solve the housing crisis would mean nothing if “they are all bought by investors in the Middle East and Asia for use as second homes or they sit empty”.
The London skyscraper that is a stark symbol of the housing crisis
He said: “The Guardian’s front page today is an example of the consequences of the last eight years of being obsessed by numbers rather than [building] the right sorts of homes.”
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/25/sadiq-khan-condemns-foreign-investors-london-homes-gold-bricks-housing-policy?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=174100&subid=13842748&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
From the same article – will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?
“Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who sits on the Commons communities select committee, which scrutinises housing policy, said the fact that the five-storey Tower penthouse was owned by an oligarch who had not yet lived there was ridiculous.
Blackman said it might now be time to consider a policy demanding buyers of UK properties commit to living in the UK for more than 90 days a year.
Ken Livingstone, who also backed the scheme when he was mayor of London, said he had no idea so many foreign buyers would be seeking to deposit money in London property.
He described the international buy-up as appalling. “I was very keen to get foreign investment into London, but that was in terms of constructing developments and creating new jobs, not flogging them off to people who just keep them there in case there is a coup and they have to flee,” he said.”
+100 save nz….” will NZ learn anything, or just keep repeating well know outcomes from neoliberalism and globalism?”…this is clearly not an issue of racism..it is an issue of swamping
….and this from an honest Chinese property developer, who presumably is not racist
‘Wall of Chinese capital buying up Australian properties’
http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/wall-of-chinese-capital-buying-up-australian-properties-20150628-ghztdf.html
I suppose the builders are happy.
The owners who rent the buildings out to “investors” are happy.
The previous owners would be happy to sell the buildings to “investors.”
So it would seem that like here in NZ, everyone with vested interests will also be happy.
Market forces you know.
What Canadians in Prince Edward Island did a couple of decades ago affected the prices in that province which is the second cheapest province to buy housing:
Prince Edward Island, the one place in Canada where foreign property buyers must check in
– Financial Post
Worth reading the whole article for a real world example of how one of the necessary changes for NZ housing can be legislated, and how that plays a positive part for long-term affordability.
About 550,000 New Zealanders are daily smokers.
That’s a lot of potential voters, yet it seems Labour aren’t interested in shielding them from tax increases.
Peters has slammed the move (tax increases) calling it an attack.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/cigarette-price-hike-will-see-kids-go-hungry—peters-2016052707#axzz49cNCdqQY
Once again, Labour are aligning with National.
Thoughts?
the position on smoking depends upon your religion
Good, smoking is a disgusting, filthy habit with no health benefits. Well done to Labour for doing this.
zealot
ˈzɛlət/Submit
noun
a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.
synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, Young Turk, diehard, activist, militant; More
antonyms: moderate
historical
a member of an ancient Jewish sect aiming at a world Jewish theocracy and resisting the Romans until AD 70.
noun: Zealot; plural noun: Zealots
next target?
Well you’d have to remove the religious factor as I’m atheist (well I guess agnostic but only because I can’t prove there’s no god however I also can’t prove there isn’t a flying spaghetti monster)
I think pat’s point is that you’re still making substantially irrational value judgements (like a religious person) about smoking. In some cases demonstrably wrong, as smoking has in fact been associated with reduced rates of some things like alzheimers.
I’m resigned to the fact that I’ve reluctantly become a “success story” because I quit when it got too expensive. But I’ll never understand why people who need to use several perjorative adjectives about smoking don’t seem to think that their attitudes are irrational.
I fucking enjoyed it, and the wowsers took it away. That’s democracy. But the campaign of encouraging ostracism and bullying of smokers is ugly.
BTW, this is one of my rantable issues, so I’ll try to keep an eye my responses. 🙂
Rants are always entertaining so go for it 🙂
But it stacks up, at least partially anyway, for being filthy and disgusting:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disgusting
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filthy
and as for health benefits while I grudgingly admit there:
http://www.livescience.com/15115-5-health-benefits-smoking-disease.html
I’m not sure its worth it
It might well be filthy and disgusting to you, but there are lots of filthy or smelly people around. Normal response is not to say “filthy” AND “disgusting”, though.
But of course all of that is your personal value judgement. Including whether it’s worth it.
query: is the stress caused by being part of about the only acceptable target for widespread discrimination and abuse a larger or smaller threat to the health of others than simply having a smoke in the open air?
Simple answer is yes
lol – unless they’re equivalent, in which case the answer is no.
aint human nature grand….well the question remains, who shall be the next target?
Here here McFlock,
flying spaghetti monster
PR by the way, their is such a thing, it’s happening around a high chair in this country nearly everyday. 👿
http://www.venganza.org/
Oh its coming big time, get your pirate gears ready me hearties!
What right do smokers have to affect others without their permission?
Exactly the same right others have to affect smokers.
Exactly – none.
And yet smokers keep smoking where they affect others and then complain when others tell them to stop.
Some people seem to think that they are affected by the mere existence of smokers or someone smoking.
And think it’s ok to tell them to stop.
If you’re talking about exposure to smoke, sure. Why wouldn’t it be ok?
do you acost drivers of motor vehicles and berate them for impacting your world?
I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes. Otherwise I think your comparison misses the mark. We all get impacted by different things in different ways, but as a society I think it’s pretty much accepted now that cigarette smoke is impactful across the board.
I don’t support the tobacco tax btw.
“I have been known to ask people to turn their vehicle engines off when they leave them idling for no good reason, if I’ve been sitting there when they arrive and am now breathing in fumes.”
that infers at your place abode….yes?
Don’t really have people leaving their engines running at my place. Usually it’s when I’m sitting somewhere public and someone pulls up. All sorts of places, including places in nature, beside parks, in carparks etc.
of course….I should have known better.
Because the stress.and other effect of interpersonal conflict is probably a greater health risk to others than a cigarette in the open air.
I think you really should be more clear in what you mean McFlock. Are you talking about govt policy, a business asking its customers not to smoke inside, me asking someone to not smoke in my house, someone asking you to not smoke in your house, etc?
Open air? You made a very general statement, which leaves everyone guessing, wrongly apparently.
While I had in mind the latest local government bylaws that are unenforceable, the main point was the telling. As in saying you”put that out now and generally making a fuss, pretend coughing, all that bullshit.
That’s the environment we’re in now. Arseholes with an excuse to harass.
I guess it’s hard to know where to go after that. If someone is smoking and that smoke is affecting me (see Draco’s original comment above), then how is me asking or even telling them not to blow smoke around me harassment? I mean, I can see how someone being an arsehole with it would be horrible, and even harrassing, but it doesn’t work as a general principle. Arseholes will be arseholes, people still have a right to not be exposed to smoke and to do something if they are.
What are the bylaws?
For example, the Auckalnd policy that tries to use “social pressure”, and similar bylaw from Hutt city.
Asking, not so much. Telling, however, is more common than simply asking, and passive-aggressive “asking” is more common still. When I smoked in public, I was abused more often than asked. And in the open air, the only way you or draco are “affected” is by smell when you’re within 20 feet or so. What do you do on the bus when a smelly person sits in front of you – ask them to bathe more often?
But even with asking, there’s no smoking in all workplaces, bars, restaurants, and public transport. Even my flat is non-smoking, as a (common) condition of the lease. So where are the addicted people supposed to smoke without some jerk who prefers to stay and rant rather than move on like a normal human being? Nowehere. Society is conditioned to scowl at smokers, and smokers are conditioned to accept it, every fucking day.
When the “exposure” is bugger-all beyond smell, the least hazardous and inconvenient option for all concerned is to just move on.
I do it when folk start a drum circle in the park, because that’s not my thing. I don’t yell at them to stop, hold my head in mock agony, and say that their drumming might give a small number of people a really bad migraine. And before you respond that smoking causes worse things than a migraine, not in the levels people are exposed to in NZ these days. Oh, I’ve met people who got all wheezy after coming within 50 feet of a smoker, but for some reason they only got wheezy when they saw the smoker, and smog didn’t seem to affect them at all.
This same right you have for offending people around here, if you tease that out too it’s logical conclusion everyone offends every one at some point.
So maybe that three way duel works out. 😉
Some would say the tax revenue smokers currently generate fiscally benefits the health system.
Moreover, a number of those that can’t quit will be forced to make savings elsewhere – i.e. doctors visits, nutrition, home heating etc… Leading to poorer health outcomes for them and their families.
what about drinking (alcohol) is this alright ?
what a good parrot pr and can you say pollie wants a cracker ?
dirty and disgusting i.m.o. is what we as humans are doing to the planet ie oceans full of plastic etc pollution on a grand scale war and violence …smokers….?/ pftt
I think it’s a good time to give up smoking.
The concern is for those that can’t and its wider impact.
550K daily smokers out of an adult population of 3.5M seems like a hell of a lot…
I’m surprised a political party struggling for support are happy to turn their nose up to that while closing their eyes to the wider carnage – i.e assaults, theft, incarceration and fiscal suffering.
About twenty years ago anti-smoking adverts changed tack into “de-normalising” smoking. Basically, people are conditioned to judge smokers negatively, and smokers have been conditioned to accept it.
Personally, I reckon smoking illustrates the problem with capitalism rather than tobacco – smoking’s at the lowest level in decades, but soft drinks and fast food are still incredibly popular.
Yes, the anti-smoking campaign has resulted in the demonisation and discrimination of smokers becoming socially acceptable.
It’s apalling that feral deadbeat parents would rather buy cigarettes than feed their kids. The majority will just see tax increases as another reason to give up.
I hear Annette King supports the taxes, she is a smart women.
Thankyou for raising the appalling burden of addiction on its victms and their families. Your concern and empathy for your fellow human beings is once again brought to the fore as an example to us all, and you are a reminder of what it is to be a well-rounded human being.
“It’s appalling that feral deadbeat parents would rather buy cigarettes than feed their kids”
That’s the power of addiction.
It’s appalling Labour are supporting policy that will result in further fiscal hardship and more children suffering.
About 550,000 New Zealanders are daily smokers.
That’s a lot of potential voters, yet it seems Labour aren’t interested in shielding them from tax increases.
They’re addicts, which means a lot of them will pay as much tax as a government wants. Every year, successive governments look on smokers as a bunch of people they can hold upside down by their ankles and shake to see how much falls out of their pockets. Labour are no different from National in that respect. They then phrase it in terms of “health initiatives” or some such bullshit. At least your P dealer doesn’t pretend he’s robbing you blind in a noble and charitable effort to get you to quit.
There’s an awful lot of people with chronic, serious mental health problems who chain smoke. Many of them picked up the habit as inpatients pre hospital smoking bans. They’re completely addicted and cutting down, yet alone quitting just isn’t part of the equation. And the vast majority are on benefits, and the smokes are going to take priority no matter what they cost. That’s the reality.
Revealed: 9% rise in London properties owned by offshore firms
Land Registry data of past 10 months shows 40,000 properties – from entire apartment complexes to wine cellars and car parks – registered in tax havens
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/may/26/revealed-9-rise-in-london-properties-owned-by-offshore-firms
China unveils ‘straddling bus’ design to beat traffic jams
The concept vehicle is designed to float above the clogged-up streets of some of the country’s biggest cities
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/26/china-straddling-floating-bus-beat-traffic-jams
Yum, yum, yum I eat cars for breakfast.
Emergency slide entry/exits 🙄
Apart from looking like an evil 1970s Star Wars vehicle, not a bad idea!
Make sure you don’t deviate off your car lane. Ooops. Squished.
I had strong urges to sail my home made yacht under an oil platform floating off the top of the South Island. So tempting but never realised.
Interesting that the overide vehicle is the Chinese innovation.
Decades ago Japanese goods were regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
Currently Chinese goods have been regarded as rubbish copies. Not any more.
If they put the two rails much closer together and the ‘bus’ ran alongside the traffic, that might work.
Why use up more space?
Our ethnic communities who traditionally are conservative voters and would most likely vote National will not be happy with this constant rise in the cigarette tax. They do seem to be quite prolific with their smoking, and there could be a back lash at the ballot box with the annual increase, will this now mean that Customs will have to not only work hard at detecting C.Meth coming into the country but now have contraband ciggies coming in as well to be searching for. Poor airport dogs will now have another skill to learn.
Stockists of ciggies will also have to barricade their shops up like Fort Knox, seems weird to me that alcohol can be bought in supermarkets and quite cheaply at that and they flog the ciggies for all their worth. The Booze Barons must give heaps to Nationals coffers to be coddled so. National’s mantra is personal responsibility – it works with sugar and junk food and they give them a wide berth – no consistency at all with their laws. The food industries must give generously as well. The whole system is a rort.
Legislation raising tobacco taxes by 10 per cent a year for the next four years was supported by every party except NZ First.
Therefore, NZ First would be the sole benefactor of any backlash at the ballot box in this regard.
Bless em..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z53YSMofgvs
Another rightwing government adopts a; “if no one hears about it then it isn’t happening”, approach to a crisis:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/australia-scrubbed-from-un-climate-change-report-after-government-intervention
Fortunately, this attempt at suppressing information may insure that this will be the most read section of the report, now that the removed text has been published. This excerpt is mainly chosen for the appropriateness of the cited author’s name, but the whole is certainly worth the time:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/revealed-the-report-on-the-great-barrier-reef-that-australia-didnt-want-the-world-to-see
Robert Guyton
I need to keep thinking on this ecology ‘thing’.
On 22 May at 7.10 you said
Douglas fir are “wilding pines” along with the better known contorta and are spreading at pace where conditions invite. A new wild would involve each of these trees in a new and complex mix and don’t forget, broom and gorse are straining at the leash to be given their unfettered chance to populate their favourite degraded landscapes.
Dynamic cycle of life or frozen picture in time? I’m for complex and ever-evolving landscapes. King Canute has a message for those who engage in the battle against incoming tides.
Are there farmers already enabling this sort of land regeneration (I’m thinking that gorse is nitrogen fixing too?), and if we ran a workshop on it in our areas, would we be able to link people into an internet site where they can communicate with others for info and feedback?
Are there workshops on forest gardens being carried out in your area scheduled for the future and what dates? Is there a forum on-line that people can go to for ideas and inspiration?
Your comment remainds me of interesting personal story that was on radio a few years back.
A woman on the Banks Peninsula (IIRC) started her natives by throwing clay balls mixed with native seeds into the extensive gorse growing on her land.
The gorse acted as a nursery cover for the seeds to get established, and then as they grew they took over the gorse until it disappeared.
Another classic example in that part of the world is Hinewai. It’s a very important and successful example of native restoration by working with the natural systems there. Including regenerating via gorse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinewai_Reserve
Grey, I’m think that Robert Guyton will travel to run workshops. The gorse regeneration thing is even accepted by DOC now. If you google DOC and gorse you should find some information on their thinking (you’ll probably have to sift through some slash and spray hits).
Unfortunately I don’t think the NZ regenag etc people are big online outside of Facebook.
That’s good stuff to hear Molly and weka. Thanks for that info.
Alternatively if the gorse has been there for a few years, and you have willing labour, it’s not too diffiult to saw off the gorse at the base and put stumpkiller on the stumps. Then once you’ve cleared an area (which you can do pretty quickly with gorse), just plant your natives and I think you would get a 20-30 year headstart in comparison to waiting for seeds to germinate in the soil and for the gorse above to die off so they get enough light and room to grow well.
Head. Hurts.
The Australian government reckons a report on the impact of global warming on some of its ‘natural wonders’ would be really bad for business (tourist industry), kind of implying that the trashing of things like the Great Barrier Reef by global warming…getting why my head hurts?
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/australia-scrubbed-from-un-climate-change-report-after-government-intervention
Here’s a link to the suppressed report as updated by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
http://blog.ucsusa.org/adam-markham/australias-iconic-great-barrier-reef-world-heritage-site-at-risk-from-global-warming?_ga=1.71838295.554248257.1464305420
They must have noticed in Australia how useful our 100% Pure meme is. Just keep on sending out the bumf as usual, one day there will be a cruise liner turn up to a destination in Oz and there won’t be anything to look at except termite mounds.
Nice tweeted summary of what happened in Brazil. I don’t know much about Brazil’s political system but I can’t help but think would this happen in NZ?
https://mobile.twitter.com/MissEllieMae/status/735478874587430913
they ran a soft coup in Australia way back, so why not here if required.
weka
That was an interesting bunch of tweets and example of how effective they can be for disseminating information.
I liked El Cid —
“Democracy is so much cleaner if rich people can elect other rich people without all those ‘rules’ or ‘voters'”
and noted the combative comment from Securitay…. at the end. (Refer to something faulty and someone is sure to request an immediate alternative policy plan from you as an alternative!) —
“can you explain what you believe the world should have done? “
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/304999/scrapped-ets-subsidy-may-cause-energy-price-rises
This is why the ETS is just a sick joke. If all companies have to do is pass the cost on then it will not reduce emissions .