Open mike 27/08/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 27th, 2016 - 58 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

58 comments on “Open mike 27/08/2016 ”

  1. Cheers, CV. I’m glad you see some value in my argument.

    I think giving a commenter a reasonable time to either back their statements or withdraw them is good moderation. I appreciate that Xanthe actually made an effort to find something (though it was just from an Assange fanboi site). Unfortunately, you’ve censored his or her efforts.

    When they pop up next, presumably on open mike, I’m going to repeat the comment above and see if they get the point. If they do, there won’t be a ban.

    • Colonial Viper 1.1

      Oh how very gracious of you TRP.

      When they pop up next, presumably on open mike, I’m going to repeat the comment above and see if they get the point. If they do, there won’t be a ban.

      You’re going to keep playing your cat and mouse games then? Let it go TRP. You’ve had enough little power tripping jollies for a day.

  2. Xanthe 2

    TRP
    Your apology?

    [Still waiting for you to supply evidence to back your claim. If you don’t have it, say so. I’m in a cheerful mood this morning, and I’m happy to explain my thinking once you either provide evidence or confirm you can’t do so. TRP]

    • Xanthe 2.1

      I posted link to transcript of the original police interviews .
      Perhaps it would be more appropriate if you did not continue to discuss as moderator. You have misrepresented me!

      You need to stop abusing your position and go an become informed

      There is a huge trove of original source documentation at
      Justice4assange.com avail yourself of it before you return here

      [Yes, you did post that link, Xanthe. Unfortunately it was censored by CV.

      However, good attempt though it was, I did ask you not to just link to Assange fan sites. NNN and J4A fall into that category. What we are looking for the two complainant’s words, not the words of third parties. You’ve made a very specific claim and if it was true, there would be clear evidence, not least because Assange supporters would be repeating it at every opportunity.

      As I mentioned earlier, at least one of the women is apparently very keen to have her story told in court. That suggests you really have got this wrong.

      You might also consider whether or not it makes a blind bit of difference anyway. There are plenty of victims of crime who don’t know what the crime’s called, or don’t even know that it’s a crime at all. There are others who, out of fear or shame, don’t want the crime prosecuted. That doesn’t mean the Police shouldn’t do their job anyway.

      So, if you’re prepared to accept that your claim cannot be substantiated, I’m happy to drop it.

      If you want to insist your claim is true, post some evidence that comes directly from both women. TRP]

      • Xanthe 2.1.1

        My specific claim was …. check carefully before you reply!

        [And my careful checked reply is that you’re welcome back on Oct. 1st. TRP]

    • Bill 2.2

      Xanthe was wrong – dead wrong in the assertion they made. That can be pointed out quite easily by reasoned argument and I think some people did that on the thread at the time. The thread is gone and the discussion finished (thankfully) and I can’t see what’s to be gained by the flogging of dead horses trp.

      There are dodgy and unsubstantiated opinions on a number of topics all over the site. That’s the nature of the beast. A link was asked for. A link was given. If the link is problematic (and that was pointed out) then the opinion’s undermined and the matter’s as good as dead and buried.

      Sometimes poking at stuff just brings up unpleasant odours y’know? Not worth it.

      And fuck it. The weather’s crap and it would be nice if commentary didn’t mirror the elements.

      • Cheers, Bill. I agree for the most part. However, it’s reasonable to ask commenters to substantiate claims (it’s covered in the rules). Xanthe has the choice of either providing evidence (which can’t be done) or backing down. I’m off to work now and I’ll check back later in the morning to see what decision Xanthe’s made.

        • Bill 2.2.1.1

          It’s reasonable. And for most people who were following that conversation, I’d guess that Xanthes link wasn’t considered to be up to the mark. shrug

          But hey, that’s what they’ve got and that’s that.

          Others (me, you and who-ever) can read and evaluate stuff and adopt or change a position off the back of that.

          Peeps can’t be “bashed into line” and opinions won’t disappear or change just because some proponent of any given opinion is being given a hard time. More often than not, that just results in entrenchment.

          An opinion is aired. It gets challenged and is found wanting. And that’s that.

          I’ll put it like this. If there are people in a room and someone in the room believes in alien abductions, then whatever evidence or argument they may have for their existence can be challenged, and people can come away (presumably) essentially dismissing any notion of alien abductions. At that point, there’s no useful purpose served by carrying on or over into the realm of ‘confession’ whereby the believer in abductions is pressured to ‘recant’ or whatever.

      • Xanthe 2.2.2

        1 The assertion I made was?
        2 reasoned argument would be good
        3 what is problematic about a link to original police interview transcript?

        • Colonial Viper 2.2.2.1

          Xanthe, if you had any sense at all you’d have stayed away from commenting for a few days. TRP isn’t the type to let this kind of thing go. Inevitably, he’ll find some rationale to permaban you as I can guarantee that no link or document you post will be satisfactory or admissible in his books.

          • Xanthe 2.2.2.1.1

            Thanks CV you are almost certainly right!
            Unfortunatly sense and self+ preservation is possibly not my strongest area 🙂

            Is there any form of moderator moderation?….. just asking

  3. 44 south 3

    Sweet Jesus! Just be grateful y’all don’t live in the U.S.A.
    “Fred on Everything : Milwaukee”
    The world’s problems are coming here. Try to be kind and have some fun until they get here. We’ll all be killing each other soon enough.

  4. The Chairman 4

    Labour claim the Maori King’s assertion was incorrect.

    Labour MP Peeni Henare says the Maori King has got it wrong about Andrew Little not wanting to work with the Maori Party.

    Little has no recollection of ever saying he wouldn’t work with the Maori Party.

    In fact, the Opposition even invested Parliament Library resources in trying to hunt down any hint of a comment, to no avail.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83588857/jo-moir-the-maori-king-has-nailed-his-colours-to-the-mast-by-shunning-labour

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83462254/maori-kings-claims-andrew-little-wont-work-with-maori-party-wrong-labour

    Does anybody know if this has been put to the King?

    Thus, has he now accepted he was incorrect? And has that resulted in him changing his stance against Labour?

    Or is the King standing by his assertion? Moreover, now that it’s been brought into question, can he substantiate it?

    • You don’t try and build positive relationships by saying someone is wrong. Idiotic tactics IF you want it better, good tactic if you don’t care or have too much ego in it. I cant imagine it wasn’t thought through. Grow up labour and be smart in building relationships ffs

      • Anne 4.1.1

        Hang on mm. Put yourself in Little’s place. He cannot remember saying what has been claimed he said. And unlike his counterpart the PM, he can be trusted to be telling the truth. Nevertheless Little’s staff have made an effort to ascertain whether he did say it which they have every right to do. Given the historically close ties with Maori through the Ratana Movement this is an important issue for Labour.

        I don’t think the intention is to start a sparring match with the Maori King. Although there is every chance that is what Tuku Morgan is trying to do with Labour. There’s past baggage there… Tuku’s underpants n’all.

      • Karen 4.1.2

        I don’t remember ever disagreeing with you before MM, but I do this time.

        Kīngi Tūheitia made a claim about Andrew Little in a setting that ensured it would be widely publicised. He said that the reason he would not vote for Labour again was because of a something he claimed was said by Andrew Little. I think it is fair enough for Andrew Little and Peeni Henare to say that he was mistaken. This is about correcting the record, and not about ego IMO.

      • The Chairman 4.1.3

        What has been asserted is pivotal to the King no longer supporting Labour. Therefore, if incorrect, it’s only right for Labour to point out the King has it wrong.

        After all, positive relationships are built on honesty.

        • marty mars 4.1.3.1

          I’m answer to all above. “I am sorry the king feels this way and i am geateful to be able to reiterate that i and labour are more than happy to work with the Māori Party and Mana. My goal is to change this government because they are doing nothing for the poor and disadvantaged, they are doing nothing about the homeless, they are doing nothing for the overinflated housing crisis, they are doing nothing about the dirty drinking waters and the state of the environment. We will change this. Labour, the Greens, and any other party that believes in a country that looks after those who need help will change this.

          • The Chairman 4.1.3.1.1

            Thanks for sharing those sentiments, Marty.

            I’m sure Labour are also disappointed the King feels this way. However, if Little didn’t make the asserted comment, the burning question is how did this all come about?

            Has the King been questioned on this? If so, what was his response (anybody)?

            They can’t both be right. And the media seems to have been lacking when it comes to ascertaining who is.

            • marty mars 4.1.3.1.1.1

              They can both be right it happens all the time. The point isn’t how it all came about but why – obviously a breakdown in communication that the king has highlighted. This is an opportunity not a reason to find a scapegoat, someone to blame. Surely we can be wiser than before and get on with sorting out the issues instead of blaming.

              • The Chairman

                “They can both be right“

                No, either Little said it or he didn’t.

                Therefore, if he didn’t, the question then becomes how did the King come to believe this is what Little said?

                How did communications between the two become so broken-down that it resulted in this?

                It’s a bit late trying to avoid the blame game. The King fired the first salvo when he entered into the political fray and openly blamed Little.

                This is an opportunity to get to the truth of the matter. Thus, potentially opening the door for reconciliation.

  5. Penny Bright 5

    Dr Mike Joy ‘blows the whistle’ and exposes the ‘clean, green, 100% pure New Zealand’ myth and mantra – FIVE years ago?

    Remember this?

    http://pundit.co.nz/content/mike-joy-answers-the-pm-with-hard-facts

    Mike Joy answers the PM, with hard facts

    by Claire Browning
    Fresh water ecologist Dr Mike Joy responds to the Prime Minister’s ‘hardtalk’, debunking his bland assertions, and calling his advice “rubbish science”, that would fail a first-year student.

    ________________________

    Penny Bright

    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

  6. The Chairman 6

    Minister says KiwiSaver concerns a matter for Police

    The widening KiwiSaver scandal saw the Commerce Minister put the ball into Police’s court following the receipt of official advice that concluded laws banning controversial weapons applied to providers of the public savings scheme.

    A Police spokesperson said they were aware of the issue and had begun asking questions.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11700839

    However, a suggestion that KiwiSaver providers might have broken laws by investing in companies that make weapons has been dismissed by one financial law expert.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/83622970/no-laws-broken-by-kiwisaver-schemes-expert-says

    Thoughts?

  7. mauī 7

    The precedent for Havelock Norths water incident in Canterbury
    http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83457130/Poisoning-the-wells-a-history-of-infected-drinking-water-in-Canterbury

    How long will we accept human greed over human health.

  8. Colonial Viper 8

    Mugabe orders arrest of all 31 members of Zimbabwe Olympic team for non-performance

    I guess this is one motivational strategy.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-26/mugabe-orders-arrest-rats-we-call-athletes-after-zimbabwe-wins-no-olympic-medals

  9. dv 9

    From the print version of the DomPost

    Chief Ex of teach first (Shauan Sutton) has Quit

    The EPA has ruled Teach first had illegally appointed teacher graduates to jobs.

    Parata has extended teach first this month to help solve the teacher shortage.

    Very short item on p2.

    Does any body have any more info on this.

  10. b waghorn 10

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83509666/overhauling-new-zealand-journalism

    Would you accept a small levy on all your media usage to fund independent journalism.?

    • BM 10.1

      Typical bludging left wingers, expecting everyone else to fund their life styles.

      How about this for an idea chaps, stump up with your own money and start your own media business.

      If people want to read your leftist news, your new business will be a raging success.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 10.1.1

        How’s this for an idea chap: the only way you can get elected is to lie, and you need a compliant media to lie effectively. So anything that fucks you over is good with me.

        • Reddelusion 10.1.1.1

          The standard bother boy and key board warrior strikes again, unfortunately soft as putty as usual

          • McFlock 10.1.1.1.1

            He’s not wrong though.

          • Rob 10.1.1.1.2

            I am surprised he is still here , he was threatening everyone after the last election that he was leaving in disgust , or he was organising a massed riot / uprising , neither has happened obviously .

      • Ad 10.1.2

        If The Spinoff and Scoop can do it, so can others.

      • reason 10.1.3

        But BM my dirty disco champ ………….. right wing bludgers like John Shewan and the Aussie banks try and scam New Zealand for $2.2 Billion dollars and you never moan about or mention that …

        Bernard Hickey: Banks’ tax dodging tantamount to theft

        ” the combined banks owe the Government and people of New Zealand about $2.25 billion.

        Now I’m not just grumpy.

        I’m furious. That is 10 hospitals or 100 schools or the entire budget deficit forecast for the year just finished.

        If I stole that much money I would be public enemy number one and rightly so.”
        ….

        ************************************************

        I’m beginning to suspect BM has double standards 😉

        The fact that most New Zealanders are unaware that Shewan was at the center of an attempted $2.2 Billion bank dollar robbery demonstrates something wrong with our media….

        One mans broken tax vehicles returned 100 years worth of total combined welfare benefit fraud recovery from ALL beneficiarys.

        How was this not front page news at the time ????

        It impressed the hell out of me ……. I bet John Shewan swings a hammer like John Key …… They may not be able to hammer a nail straight in soft pine ….but those two boys build things which blow billions out of Government revenues ……

        They should have statues of them by Des Brittans carbon fiber super bike at Te Papa

        Teach a rich man how to cheat and speculate ………. and BM will talk about the poor and fish

  11. Paul 11

    MSM Propaganda.

    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.
    Russia is bad.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11701071
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/olympics/news/article.cfm?c_id=502&objectid=11701015
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/olympics/news/article.cfm?c_id=502&objectid=11700559

    • reason 11.1

      The Olympics are a sad joke keeping the flames of nationalism burning … I skipped them.

      But Going back in time the New Zealand rugby union with their national government team mates helped stuff up the Montreal Olympics when 25 countries boycotted because we ( New Zealand ) were there …..

      “The New Zealand controversy

      At the 1976 Montreal Olympics New Zealand sparked a boycott. The African nations were angry that a New Zealand All Blacks rugby team was touring apartheid-era South Africa. The Africans wanted New Zealand banned from the Montreal Olympics.

      Eventually 26 African countries, as well as Iraq and Guyana, boycotted Montreal over New Zealand’s rugby activities. The boycott had a significant effect in athletics, as Africans were among the world’s best at middle- and long-distance running.”

      ” it looked as if New Zealand was in support of the apartheid movement as when no other country had wanted to create sporting ties with South Africa New Zealand was creating rugbylinks. Due to this a lot of controversy came a bout worldwide”

      “He said the decision by the IOC not to ban New Zealand would give “comfort and respectability to the South African racist regime and encourage it to continue to defy world opinion.”

      “Athletics events will be particularly affected by the absence of Filbert Bayi from Tanzania, who holds the world record in the 1500m and John Akii-Bua of Uganda, world record-holder in the 400 metres hurdles.

      The latest country to announce its withdrawal was Kenya.”

      “The All Blacks’ decision to tour South Africa in 1976 – at the height of the racial apartheid era – happened in defiance of a United Nations’ call to halt all sporting competition with the nation until racial equality was reached.”

      http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/82567562/New-Zealand-at-centre-of-Olympics-boycott

      “The boycott had a major impact on the 1976 Olympics”……

      One million Canadian dollars in seat and hotel reservations had to be refunded, according to the BBC, during the first two days of the games alone, as a result of the boycott.

      A number of events were marred as well; the track meet was badly diminished by the absence of perennial powerhouses like Tanzania and Kenya. ,……”http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/08/the-olympics-used-to-be-so-politicized-that-most-of-africa-boycotted-in-1976/260831/

  12. joe90 12

    Test Trump.
    /

    EXCLUSIVE: Trump doctor says he wrote health letter in just 5 minutes as limo waited https://t.co/NCYgaU6KfM pic.twitter.com/16o9dwEYcu— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 26, 2016

    Doc says "he's got a good family history" without mentioning his father had Alzheimer's. Test @realDonaldTrump now. https://t.co/RQrvK7CHuL— Jack Schofield (@jackschofield) August 26, 2016

  13. Penny Bright 13

    https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/drinking-water-standards-2008-jun14.pdf

    “….Since the publication of Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2000 the approach to managing drinking-water quality has changed.

    The focus has moved from quality control to a broader approach of quality assurance.

    This has been necessary due to changes in technology, an improvement in our scientific knowledge and the requirement to address a broader range of issues than previously covered.

    The Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2007 amended the Health Act 1956 to require all drinking-water suppliers providing water to more than 500 people to develop and start to implement a Public Health Risk Management Plan to guide the safe management of their supply before 2013.

    A Public Health Risk Management Plan is a tool to help suppliers identify, manage and minimise events that could cause water quality to deteriorate. …”

    So – where’s the ‘Water Safety Management Plan’ that was supposed to have been produced by the Hastings District Council and assessed by the Hawkes Bay DHB?

    Penny Bright

    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    • reason 14.1

      They could be one of the new flying squads that helped the Salvation Army …. oh no hang on ……. that was Paula telling lies http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/306028/national%27s-brawlers-flex-their-muscles

      Words can have many or any meanings from the Nacts…. so they are not really telling lies when not meaning what it appears they are saying

      Association obviously now means anything Hekia chooses to associate with that word …….

      Know that and a lie becomes the truth

      Another good example is ‘ GST regime’ has been subtly changed …..to now actually mean Global Shadow Transactions regime …..

      So Key was telling the truth recently about Shewan and Brash going to the Bahamas

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    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 ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    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, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    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, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    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, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$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 ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    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. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    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 ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    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 ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    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 Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    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 ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    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 ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    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 ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    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. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The 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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    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 ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter 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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    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 ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    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, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    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 ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    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 ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    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 ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    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, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    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.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    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. ...
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  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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  • Government lowering building costs
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
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