I have been trying to get my head around the full implications of the TPPA in general terms.
Reluctantly, I have heard myself beginning to sound like a conspiracy theorist!
These are my conclusions – please shoot them down!
As is obvious, I am not talking detail here, but broad generalisations.
1 – that there is a conspiracy by the 1% elite to financially enslave the world. They have so many more resources than the ‘man in the street’ and a unity of purpose which is beyond the grasp of the ordinary person. The recent meeting in Davos is a case in point. What better time for the elite to meet over cups of coffee or martinis and discuss the future direction of their corporate world? That over 600 CEOs had an input into the terms of the agreement, and that it was negotiated in almost complete secrecy, are red flags that we should have heeded.
2 – that TPPA and its brother treaties TTIP and TISA will impose a further level of governance on the countries which sign into the agreements. This will come in the form of the so-called chilling effect of potential law suits through ISDS. As one commentator said, the Legislative Council was abolished in 1951 – now it appears to be coming back as a supra-national corporate overseer. As someone else suggested, our parliament may become ‘middle-level managers,’ able to change small matters, but always deferring upwards to the corporates on major issues.
3 – that TPPA is not at all about free trade but about controlled or managed trade. Certainly, many tariffs have been eliminated but the projected benefits take years to come into effect – and may be supposed to be open to ‘unforseen’ events which might nullify those benefits. In other words, the TPPA is, in terms of trade, frankly, a poor deal.
4 – that climate change hardly gets a mention. How can it be possible to sign a ‘trade’ agreement which does not attempt at least to grapple with the greatest threat facing mankind? There appears to be no money to be made in saving the planet! Corporates, with a myopic narrowness of vision on profit, can’t see the bleaker larger picture. For this reason alone TPPA should be rejected!
Finally, I find myself looking almost with longing to an event which might overtake all these negotiations and signings: the coming global financial collapse. When the house of cards that is the neoliberal economic structure finally falls, there may be an opportunity, like with FDRs New Deal in 1932, and the election of the Labour Party in 1935, to radically sweep the elite out of existence (in the nicest possible way, of course) and return this country to the people.
The Norwegians did it! http://www.commondreams.org/views/2012/01/26/how-swedes-and-norwegians-broke-power-1-percent
But what a hell of a thing (a world-wide depression) to wish for!
would only take issue with point 4….the elites have not missed the larger bleaker picture due to a myopic focus on profit…..the elites are more aware than the general population of the impacts of climate change and seek to use that profit and position to insulate themselves at the cost of the many. In a world of diminishing resources and increasing risks their actions are Darwinian
As the “lifeboats” become increasingly overloaded their army of useful fools will be cast overboard as required.
Wondering about those Roadshows:
From “Its Our Future: “Warning: These Roadshows are not likely to be useful lobbying events. The government officials are going there to talk at us, not to listen. There will be opportunities to influence those who attend, particularly business people who are there, and it is important that we counter their spin. We will do a Q&A on http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz to help counter the usual government spin, and will update it after the Auckland roadshow….Protest! There will be protests at these roadshows – for information on TPPA events see FB pages for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and information on the Take Action page at It’s Our Future.”
Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster) 1.3.1
There is nothing about the Roadshows, in particular the 11th March event in Christchurch, at which I plan to protest, on the Take Action page – or if there is, I couldn’t find it.
I need to know the time, so I can be there!
Thank you Tony V. A great contribution and worthy of a post in its own right.
I agree with almost all your conclusions.
Part of the story should also include the work of Naomi Klein and her book Shock Doctrine, which explains how disasters have been used to further the corporate governance of the world.
I think the elite are aware of climate change and a part of their solution is to have lifeboats like New Zealand ready if and when things turn to custard and their Patriot Acts, TPPA, surveillance laws and other control techniques fail to manage an enraged population. It would explain why such energy has been put into making this country such a slavish follower of the neo-liberal doctrine.
Finally, we should not be scared to use the word conspiracy. The powerful and their useful idiots use the word because they don’t want us to question the status quo.
‘According to John Ayoto’s 20th century words, the phrase “conspiracy theory” was originally a neutral term and only acquired a pejorative connotation in the mid 1960s, implying that the advocate of the theory has a paranoid tendency to imagine the influence of some powerful, malicious, covert agency in events. According to Florida State University professor Lance deHaven-Smith’s 2013 book Conspiracy Theory in America, the phrase “conspiracy theory” was invented in the 1960s by the CIA to discredit JFK assassination conspiracy theories. ‘
Comments yesterday on the post about ACT’s climate change policy reminded me of an (unpublished) letter to the editor I wrote in Sept 2014.
“Many have commented on the vagueness of John Key and the tax cuts. National are just as vague about their climate change policy. I hadn’t heard much on National’s climate change policy, so I googled it today and got 2 hits. First was a page of press releases from Tim Groser, a link took me to a list of 36 policies, but not climate change. The second hit went to a National campaign page which said “our plan is focused on 4 key areas”. Climate change was not mentioned. There was no ‘search ’ function for me to find out more.”
National completely ignored climate change in the 2014 election and the MSM completely ignored it too. Maybe things will be different in 2017? 2020? 2032?
I think the Natz unofficial climate change policy is to ignore climate change. They don’t want to upset the voters (after seeing how many were at the march) but since they have signed TPPA they don’t have to worry – as Tony Veitch has concluded – “As someone else suggested, our parliament may become ‘middle-level managers,’ able to change small matters, but always deferring upwards to the corporates on major issues.” Good excuse not to do anything.
Chris 73 is just trying to railroad the excellent discussion started by Tony V above – take no notice of him ……. nor of the silly nonsense whoever guy williams is – just so silly its not worth repeating or even reading.
Its nothing to do with Tony V, I posted it here because its amusing but that you don’t know who Guy Williams is really does illustrate just how out of touch the left is with mainstream NZ
Guy Williams , Main Stream NZ????? Nah!!!
He is another hard to laugh at so called NZ comedian. Why would anybody with an interest in politics be at all interested in his drivel.
Well hes in a number of popular (and not so popular) shows both TV and radio so he has access to a large of number of people and he majored in political science so hes probably as qualified as most to speak on politics
Plus the article is amusing and thats the most important thing
The Labour Party was founded on 19th century concepts and ideals. Mostly around workers versus capital.
By the ’50s and ’60s Labour had largely accomplished everything they had originally set out to do.
Since then they have been floundering around trying to make up new goals, given up on following through their old goals to completion, and generally backing a new pro-ruling class status quo.
What purpose is Labour fit for now? They’ve accomplished as much major change as they could by the 50s and 60s, in the 1980s they undid large parts of it, and now, who knows? Round and round in circles.
I thought this was the Open Mike thread, where anyone can start a discussion on anything they choose. It’s actually not possible to railroad any discussion given the design of this website.
Who Guy Williams is, is irrelevant. I don’t care if he’s the local milkman, It’s what he says that’s important and I agree with his appraisal of Labour.
I also believe the local milkman’s opinion is as valid as anyones.
I also believe the local milkman’s opinion is as valid as anyones.
And there you’d be wrong. Opinions are only valid when they’re based upon fact. If they’re not then they’re obviously of no value.
It’s got nothing to do with being the milkman or any body else. For that matter, NZ never used to disregard what people said based upon what they did for a living and we were better off because of it.
” Opinions are only valid when they’re based upon fact. If they’re not then they’re obviously of no value.”
I don’t agree. Every opinion is valid. How could it not be? Opinion is opinion, no body is claiming it’s fact.
“It’s got nothing to do with being the milkman or any body else. For that matter, NZ never used to disregard what people said based upon what they did for a living and we were better off because of it.”
Yes, I believe that concurs with what I implied.
I guess what you are trying to say is that every one is free to have and opinion which is true however some opinions are more valid than others, e.g, one mans view say based on his observation and common sense that the earth is flat verses the collective wisdom of science that The earth is not flat, similarly left wing doctrine that equal outcome is more important than equal opportunity, abstract groups are more important than individuals and that there is no such thing as individual responsibility, have nots have simply been exploited by the mythical system
equal outcome is more important than equal opportunity, abstract groups are more important than individuals and that there is no such thing as individual responsibility,
[citations needed]
False premises, false conclusions. Less charitable interpretations involve mindless parrots and malice.
No, the facts show that the rich don’t pay for anything at all. In fact, they’re actually paid to be rich. These are the facts. You don’t like them and so cling to your delusion.
People from Remuera carry a genetic marker that renders them criminal subhumans. Being resident in Remuera for more than six months infects you with the genetic marker.
The best solution is to nuke Remuera, and hunt the survivors with dogs and petrol.
It’s the “entertainment” section, and no I don’t agree with Guy at all, cannot imagine the “perfect Labour Leader” in any human form, but Andrew Little is an intelligent man who cares about all NZers. I believe he will offer a sustainable, fairer system of government and have no problems with what he wears or whether he has “charisma” (whatever that is these days, lord knows Key hasn’t got any, despite being told over these long years that he has.)
So why is Key on 40% in the preferred PM stakes and Little on 9%?
If you don’t think it is down to charisma, it must mean that Little is simply not believed by the vast majority of NZers.
Averaging 39% over last 6 months in the Colmar Bruntons and Reid Research Polls. That’s 13-14 points down on his average during the Key Government’s First Term.
Highest rating over last 6 months = 40% (currently fluctuating within very tight parameters between 38%-40%)
Compared to high of 59% during First Term.
2/2 2015 = Key average 39%
2/2 2006 = Clark average 37%
Read Media reports over the last year and you’d assume from their hyperbolic rhetoric that Key is waaayyyyyyyy ahead of Clark. Reality is, as you can see, a mere 2 point difference.
(Clark did, however, start to fall away around mid-2007, albeit with a recovery of support during the 2008 Election campaign. Leader’s ratings often lift in the heat of a campaign with all the publicity / Leader’s Debates etc))
It was in 2006 that the Nats realised that Brash was unelectable and eased him out in favour of Key.
Little is about as electable as Brash was. And the sooner Labour admit that fact, the better.
Big day for world elections today. The Iran and Ireland results are slowly coming through, but seem inconclusive and will have to wait on coalition building:
Labour are getting punished for their support of austerity, with Sinn Féin beating them to third place and possibly part of a coalition if; a Fine Gael & Fianna Fáil coalition can’t make up the numbers with smaller parties and independents. All three of these parties have had long animosity so there may be a new election instead.
Also there is the South Carolina Democratic primary on the 27th (our 28th). This is only the second primary (Iowa and Nevada were caucuses), and favours Clinton; possibly because the antiestablishment black vote has somewhere else to go than Sanders:
It looks like Clinton has it in the bag with the Black Vote (62% of voters in this exit poll). 76% to 23% Sanders with 10 % counted (I don’t know what’s happened with Wilson).
Well they must be thinking in relatively strange ways because, despite Hillary’s usual feel-good charade as she courts the Black vote, the Clintons have done nothing to earn such devotion.
I was just making a comment on saxophones swordfish, not Black people’s views of the politicians on offer, which I’m quite sure are varied and complex.
Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight, Sanders should have sought the Green nomination for President. Trying to wrest the Democratic nomination from Clinton was always a tough ask.
Looking at some of the stuff he did as Mayor of Burlington, VT it seems that he would have been more of a fit for the Greenies. Missed oppurtunity here.
He may have won New Hampshire, but Alex Tsongas won it back in 1992, and we never saw or heard from him again (he actually died a few years later, but that’s beside the point..)
Fellow Auckland Mayoral candidate ‘Independent’ Phil Goff (currently Labour MP for Mt Roskill) supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course.
Which is why I expect to get electoral support from a number of Labour Party supporters, and the 64% of (2013) non-voters, who are unlikely, in my view, to feel inspired by these policies which are promoted by and serve the interests of the corporate 1%?
City Vision have endorsed Phil Goff as ‘their’ Mayoral candidate.
Phil Goff supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course.
Does that mean City Vision now supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course?
Fuck off, liar. City Vision haven’t endorsed Phil Goff, as you well know. Any chance you’ll get round to telling us why you are a climate change denier? No, thought not. Transparency is for others. aye?
Pay your rates, bludger. Then you might have some credibility.
No courtesy for lying spammers who troll this site to boost their own egos. Penny is a bludging bullshit artist who can’t answer a straight question. As I suggested yesterday, ACT is the party most closely aligned with her lifestyle and values.
“We are pleased to hear his solid commitment to retention of our publicly owned assets” seems straightforward enough evidence that City Vision are not endorsing Goff selling assets, let alone endorsing his candidacy. No doubt our dim local candidate will try to redefine ‘retention’ next.
“While City Vision is yet to make a formal Mayoral endorsement decision, we believe that we could work collaboratively with Mr Goff to build a better Auckland”, says Waitematā Local Board Chair, Shale Chambers.”
I don’t expect Penny to mend her ways but other readers deserve not to be continually lied to.
City Vision welcomes Phil Goff’s Mayoral Announcement and Prepares for 2016 Campaign
“Auckland needs strong, progressive leadership so we welcome Phil Goff’s announcement that he will campaign to be Auckland’s next Mayor”, says City Vision Councillor, Cathy Casey.
“Phil has a strong track record in senior positions, and is well known for being pragmatic, open-minded, and acting with integrity.
We are pleased to hear his solid commitment to retention of our publicly owned assets, his vision of a truly inclusive city, and his strong positions in favour of public transport and quality intensification;” says Cr Casey
“I have worked with Phil in my capacity as ward councillor for the last two terms since amalgamation and have developed a good working relationship with him in this time as well as an appreciation for his commitment to the people of Auckland.”
“City Vision believes that Auckland is at a cross-roads. The Supercity structure has helped to give the region a voice, and real progress on developing an integrated transport network has been made as a result.
However, there is no denying that many Aucklanders Havel lost confidence in Council in recent years and that a fresh start is required.
While City Vision is yet to make a formal Mayoral endorsement decision, we believe that we could work collaboratively with Mr Goff to build a better Auckland”, says Waitematā Local Board Chair, Shale Chambers.
……
________________________________________
In my view – the above-mentioned Press Release from City Vision is an endorsement of Phil Goff’s standing as a 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Not yet a ‘formal’ endorsement by City Vision?
Then definitely, in my view, an ‘informal’ endorsement by City Vision.
I call bullsh*t on your semantics and ask again – do City Vision now support the TPPA, road tolls, PPPs and selling off Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course?
Only one person has sought to take some likely policy positions of Goff and attach them to City Vision, by using the word ‘endorse’. It is clear that there is no arrangement on policy between those two entities.
Take some responsibility for your attempts to mislead readers and citizens. Better still, buck up your act. Your behaviour reduces the value of public discourse.
Ms Bright states: “Does that mean City Vision now supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets”.
City Vison states: “We are pleased to hear his solid commitment to retention of our publicly owned assets”.
Does that sound like an endorsement of that position, let alone of candidacy? Someone is trying to make black equal white here.
No different than opponents of intensifcation calling 3-storey buildings “high-rises”.
While there may be a precise political definition of the term “endorsement” from a “reasonable person” test, it certainly reads as an endorsement.
One might hope that an aspiring politician might then go, “In light of the discussion I’d like to clarify my comment. City Vision appear to support Goff on certain issues while stopping short of a formal endorsement” or such (in their own language and with attention to whether Goff is supported or the issue).
Having a barney on social media seems counter productive.
Would you care to provide the precise ‘political’ definition of the term “endorsement” upon which you are apparently relying – which differs from that which I provided by the Cambridge Dictionary?
Thank you Sacha for confirming that you do NOT have a precise political definition of “endorsement” that differs to that which I provided from the Cambridge Dictionary.
Which means, in my opinion, you just ‘made it up’.
Which means, in my view, there is little point in discussing such terms as political “endorsement” with you, Sacha?
Penny, how do you reconcile your reliance on precise dictionary definitions in regards to one part of the statement, with your complete ignoring of an explicit sentence at the end of the same statement?
Saying a political organisation “endorses” a candidate means that the organisation supports that candidate and wants its members and supporters to vote for that candidate and donate to their campaign, and help out in other ways.
Liking a candidate isn’t the same as saying everyone should vote for that candidate.
Sure, City Vision doesn’t think Goff is the devil. But if you work hard, you might gain equal respect in their eyes, and snatch their endorsement. Their actual endorsement, not just in a wider sense of the word that you’re using to mislead people.
Perhaps City Vision may change their tune and NOT end up ‘formally’ endorsing Phil Goff, given his now publicly stated position supporting the TPPA, road tolls, PPPs and the sale of Auckland Council owned assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course?
We shall see.
However, as a proven anti-privatisation campaigner – I shall be taking no prisoners on these issues (as it were).
They like Goff, they’re happy to see he’s running, but in case a better candidate comes along they’re not asking anyone to help him out, they’re not aligning their campaigning to him, and they’re not endorsing him.
I can’t believe that I have to explain basic language skills to someone who sees themselves as mayor of a million-citizen city.
The deliberate misleading is what annoys me. Bad faith corrodes civic discussions. Perhaps others are fine with that sort of behaviour – after all, look at who we elect as PM.
no, I’m not, you nutbar. I live in Dunedin. I do, however, use the English language regularly.
The point is that adding the qualification “informal” does change the message somewhat. You might think it’s semantics, but it’s not.
Although from your perspective, I’m not sure how many formal or informal endorsements you’re likely to receive. You can’t even reply to the correct comment.
trp, you could always put your mod hat on. Isn’t it in the rules that if someone makes an assertion as fact they need to back it up when asked and do so within a reasonable timeframe?
Moderation has been loosened up, weka. All sorts of things that were not previously acceptable, such as racism and misogyny, are now fine. I’m not happy about it.
[It’s not true marty. Where it’s recognised, it’s gone…just the same less than perfect, but workable, procedure as always. Nothing at all has changed.] – Bill
We ‘all’ have nothing to sort out really. I mean, in a perfect world of perfect awareness and what not, they’re a number of things that would never see the light of day on ‘ts’. But peeps in’t perfect and so most peeps just do the best they can and act in good faith to keep ‘ts’ as tolerable as possible.
What we’re not prepared to accept are pointless personal attacks, or tone or language that has the effect of excluding others. We are intolerant of people starting or continuing flamewars where there is little discussion or debate. This includes making assertions that you are unable to substantiate with some proof (and that doesn’t mean endless links to unsubstantial authorities) or even argue when requested to do so. Such comments may be deleted without warning or one of the alternatives below may be employed. The action taken is completely up to the moderator who takes it.
An endorsement is an endorsement. Penny didn’t distinguish between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ (Fucked if I care about the hair splitting on that one to be honest). Sasha provided a link that’s definitely a very strong informal endorsement. And that may or may not be a prelude to a formal endorsement.
All that happened after the initial conversation asking for back up (and me posting the rules). I don’t have an opinion about whether Penny has provided adequate backup, I think we past peak crazy already 😉
In my view te reo putake – the one who is effectively lying is YOU.
While City Vision is yet to make a formal Mayoral endorsement decision, we believe that we could work collaboratively with Mr Goff to build a better Auckland”, says Waitematā Local Board Chair, Shale Chambers.
……
________________________________________
How was the City Vision (public) Press Release supporting Phil Goff as an Auckland Mayoral candidate – not an ‘endorsement’ – albeit not yet a ‘formal’ endorsement?
Are you not yet familiar with the following words, in my opinion, of sound political wisdom?
Neither racism nor misogyny are fine as far as moderation on ts is concerned trp – and you know this.
Just because you wanted a person- an author you just happen to have huge issues with, condemned for allegedly racist comments, and got no bites (due, by the way, to the comments not being racist), does not translate as those with moderating rights okay-ing racism.
Are you a) saying the exchange I’m alluding to was racist?
(No-one – and I do mean no-one – who could be bothered to comment was in agreement with you on that.)
Or are you b) saying that I’m wrong when I say that recognised instances of racism will not be endorsed/tolerated by moderators when and where they come across it?
(As far as I’m aware, no moderator who comes across an instance of racism will defend it.)
The only reason I commented as I did above at 6.1.4.1.3 and as an edit in 6.1.4.1.1 is because it’s the truth of the matter. No-one anywhere has suggested any kind of change, in either policy or practice, in relation to racist comments.
TS actually does now tolerate bigotry. The rules haven’t changed, but the application has. You, personally, are happy to turn a blind eye as long as its a) done by someone you like and b) not about the folk north of Hadrian’s wall.
First sentence disingenuous insofar as that type of charge could always have been leveled at ‘ts’. But that’s because it’s to do with individual mods recognising those things when they appear. And no-one has a perfect awareness of various discriminations.
Second part of second sentence (change in application of the rules) patently untrue.
Third sentence completely riddled with nonsense, bullshit and lies.
And no link provided to back your claim that I defend racism.
Yes, Bill, right you are. You know why the link can’t be posted, but still you ask. How cute. You’ve helped lower the standard, and you know it. Give yourself a couple of slow claps.
So the reality is that there are no instances of me defending racism.
And what you’d like to think I was asking for (I wasn’t) is a portion of a back-end discussion, that obviously can’t be linked to, where you made a charge of racism against another, where that claim elicited not a single comment of support or agreement from anyone.
That you have taken that absence of any of support for your position to somehow mean that racism is fine by those who moderate is quite astonishing (and not a little troubling imo).
Yes, McFlock. And Bill knows I won’t reveal what was said on the back end discussion, hence his being precious about the link. It really is a case of a lowering of the tolerance level, dependent on who the commenter is. That’s something we get regularly accused of over at PG’s place, but I never previously thought actually happened here.
Anyhoo, my feelings on acceptable moderation aren’t everyone else’s. My line is that we shouldn’t leave bigotry unremarked upon, no matter who does it. That could be anything from a ‘steady on, old chap’ sort of thing to more severe restraints. But if we say nothing, particularly when it’s pointed out to us, we are tacitly approving it.
I can quite honestly say here that TRP is correct, City Vision have not officially endorsed Phil Goff and as for abuse well as someone that gets banned frequently and so forth, its their blog and you play by their rules
If you don’t accept the rules of the blog then set your own blog up
Trp is being a macho shithead and I can’t see much useful about what he is doing. Penny is annoying at least as many commenters as trp. What does that tell you?
1. There are angry and potentially violent people in positions of ‘status’ at this site, who lack self control and self awareness
2. That verbally abusing woman is acceptable at this site
3. That moderators and authors don’t respect eachother, openly
4. That commenters are hypocrites, and worse
5. That commenters cited rules regarding ‘backing up with facts’ and entered into pedantry over word definitions, suggesting warnings/bans instead of stepping up and shutting down the verbally abusive TRP
6. That NZ has little chance of turning around because the so called ‘left’ exhibits such behaviours
7. That jellousy and ego are too poweful for people to control for a better cause
Having come from the background of engineering workshop(s), I am not a delicate flower when it comes to profane language.
However – I do draw the line to being told to f.. k off when I am trying to debate, serious issues on ‘Open Mike’ pertaining to the upcoming local government elections, particularly in Auckland, where I am a Mayoral candidate.
I also take exception to offensive and defamatory comments made by te reo putake.
When MY rights are under attack – I WILL stand up and fight back.
In fact – I have defamatory proceedings on foot in the Auckland High Court, arising from comments made about me by the CEO of Auckland Council.
Copping ad hominem attacks, in my view, are usually a sign that you have ‘hit a nerve’ to which the other party has no valid reply (on the issue).
Don’t worry – I know how to defend myself (have plenty of practice on Kiwiblog 🙂
Those things were already in your head by the sounds of it, not so much to do with trp being a shit and Penny annoying the fuck out of a bunch of people.
5. That commenters cited rules regarding ‘backing up with facts’ and entered into pedantry over word definitions, suggesting warnings/bans instead of stepping up and shutting down the verbally abusive TRP
Commenter, single. I can’t shut trp down, he’s an author. I could have said something to him about his behaviour, but I’m sick of being the behaviour police around here. I am curious though, why didn’t you give him a telling off?
Of course you can shut him down, or try to. You’re clearly a long time contributer to this site, and undoubtedly have the respect of authors , moderators and commenters.
If you have reached the stage of being worn down being the behaviour police, and those who should be performing that role, don’t, won’t or in this instance, are the abusers…..
Then perhaps it’s time to move in a different direction before you lose reapect for yourself
te reo putake 6.1
28 February 2016 at 10:23 am
Fuck off, liar. City Vision haven’t endorsed Phil Goff, as you well know. Any chance you’ll get round to telling us why you are a climate change denier? No, thought not. Transparency is for others. aye?
Pay your rates, bludger. Then you might have some credibility.
___________________________________________________
Aren’t you supposed to be a ‘moderator’ te reo putake?
Your comment is both offensive and defamatory.
Starting with withdrawing and apologising for making that comment?
I also respectfully suggest that you ‘pull your head in’ and ‘mind your manners’?
As a ‘moderator’ – lead from the front and practice what you preach – sort of thing?
Fuck off liar. If you want to prove me wrong, post the link to City Vision’s endorsement of Phil Goff. You can’t, because you are lying. You talk a lot about transparency, but you refuse to be open and honest with the voters of Auckland or the readers of the Standard. You’re a spamming, trolling, bludgeing hypocrite.
Fuck off, liar. You’re a spam spewing, cut and paste troll, who hasn’t got enough integrity to address reasonable questions. You’re a bullshitter, a denier and an evader of the awkward truth. A person who wants to tell others what to do, while doing the opposite. Someone who thinks it’s everybody else’s burden to pay for the things we share.
Come to think of it, you might have what it takes to be mayor after all.
Are you currently here on planet earth, Penny? Just asking – nicely.
And yes, I am actually running City Vision from a back room in Standard Towers. I knew you’d find me out eventually, but crikey, that was fast! Now, what was that you were saying about your views on climate change?
It’s how they do business and if they can shape the world in their own image they will.
Someone once here posted the response of the steam companies to the development of electricity and how they legislated to take their power (no pun intended at all) back.
What changed at some point was not the behaviour of the rich and powerful. This continues unabated. What changed was the working class wresting some power off them through labour rights and re-distribution.
Change won’t happen until those things are wrested back again.
Right now no-one is wresting those back in NZ.
Even a simple concept like an 8 hour working day, 40 hour working week is anathema to every single political party in NZ. Something we used to lead the world in and were very proud of.
It’s not the right that have changed and need changing – it’s the cowed left.
some yes….but “the centre” is a very broad church, and as we know from polling it only requires a small portion of that congregation to shift to have the desired effect
It’s the left however that determine left policies. You can’t vote for left policies – such as an 8 hour working day – if those policies no longer exist within political parties.
You can’t strike if there’s no left policies enabling this. At present you can only strike at the expiry of a contract. Who is looking at changing this – no-one.
Unions are cowed and buy into things such as three year contracts when a one year contract could at least give them the power to strike every year. Three year contracts in a fast changing world just give away what little power unions have left.
The right and centre voters are summed up in this quote.
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” J.K. Galbraith
Of the participating public in General elections I would suggest the mobile ” centre” is as large as 40%….some more willing to be deceived than others.
The majority on these blogs are not members of this group.
It implies that people make a conscious decision not to vote because of one policy or other as opposed to say “Fuck it can’t be bothered cause they’re all the same anyway”.
I remember talking to one old lady on the bus who voted National. She did this because her (now long deceased husband) had told her to always vote National. Doing otherwise would let him down.
It’s much more complicated than the conscious decision making process because people are much more complicated than that and emotion will always play a part in decision making.
Part of the problem is seeing the appeal of the centre voters as the way to win elections.
On re-think was a good example this morning of how taking a principled and what would have been considered a far from centre position enabled and energised people and led to significant change.
For those who didn’t see this this was the land march.
At the end of the day left wing policies need to have some passion and resonance – an emotional as well as a rational being to attract voters.
Chasing the center voters as a tactic to win just comes across as cynical.
The logic might appeal to some rational sense but it’s clearly not enough.
It was also rational for Labour and Greens to not compete against each other in some seats (and lets face both parties had and have infinitely more control over that than the voters) and win the last election but the emotional attachment Labour have to themselves meant that did not happen.
It was much more rational if Labour wanted to help people at the bottom to put the $20-00 per week back on benefits before putting it back on NZS but they chose not to do this because of the emotional value they would get out of voting superannuitants.
Those on benefits continue to be poor and getting poorer.
you frame it incorrectly….it is not a case of “chasing ” the widely disparaged centre voter…it is convincing that relatively small proportion of them that their interests are better served by the alternative……and this has to be achieved in an environment of general disinterest and “once over lightly”….(your description of the National voter has its mirror image within Labour and these are not your target audience.)….once successful with this , only then can you hope to address the issues you outline.
the right loosely defined in NZ
The National Party
Act
the conservatives
the Maori Party
un-affiliated, or turn coats, or opportunists
NZFirst
Peter Fucken Dunne Party
Maori Party (yes i put them in two categories, as they admit to be working with everyone – all of he above just to get to parliament)
and i want people to vote, irrespective of whom they vote, i want them to vote. People have fought very hard to give us the rights we have today, and hardest of all the was right to vote especially for women.
Whom they vote for, that is not my choice to make, they will decide forthemselves once they are in the polling booth. But I want them to go there, and Just do it! tis the only point i am trying to make.
definitely do not forget about the most marginalised…..it is consideration of exactly that that requires a compromise to enable a less bad option…..and whether it is left enough or not is not the point, at least it is not blatantly corrupt.
@descendant of ssmith
I think you are making good points. It occurs to me that the centre voters are the ones without much passion. Easy peasy. they say they are looking for stability but really not too bothered providing they feel they are doing okay.
They are not driven by ideals of fairness and social mobility as on the left or on the RW side. an aggrieved defence against demands that others should have opportunities to rise and sit alongside these godlike achievers. (Refer to the Four Yorkshireman, monty python, ‘Aye, I had it hard etc.).
by and large thats true, and I agree there needs to be wholesale change…BUT, we need to work with whats available until such time as that change gathers momentum.
And getting rid of the current lot is becoming increasingly important as another term of this BS will take us further down the road of no return
1. Stop distributing profit to shareholders while you develop what you need to
2. Make the developers and builders of new homes in new subdivisions pay the additional costs needed.
The private sector is pretty good at telling us what things cost when they want to charge us long term existing users – work out the cost and charge the new users.
$5,000 per house seems small change if you’re paying over a million dollars for each house.
Wallace Chapman: “I won’t read any racist
messages on air. Here’s an anti-Maori one I’ve chosen.” Sunday Morning, RNZ National, 28 February 2016
If you listened to Mediawatch this morning, you would have heard a rather fraught debate between Willie Jackson and RNZ Head of Content Carol Hirschfeld about RNZ’s commitment, or lack of commitment, to Maori language and Maori culture.
After the 10 o’clock news, host Wallace Chapman said: “Lots of feedback about the Mediawatch programme this morning. But I have to say that a lot of the comments are RACIST. So I won’t be reading them out. Still, thanks for your comments, and keep them coming.
Less than an hour later, just before 11 o’clock, Chapman broke his pledge not to read out any racist statements. No doubt Chapman had received many intelligent and thoughtful responses about that debate, but he chose to read one that might have been sent in by his namesake Kyle Chapman, or by someone equally vile like Larry “Lackwit” Williams or David Round or Stephen Franks…
WALLACE CHAPMAN: There has been a LOT of feedback about the Mediawatch programme this morning. I’ll just read this one: “They’ve got their own TV station, for heaven’s sake.”
Yes please. Bring back Chris Laidlaw. While I believe Wallace Chapman is probably a quite nice chap he just doesn’t seem to know how to conduct an intelligent interview.
Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders campaigns at the Circuit of the Americans in southeast Austin on Saturday, February 27.
Austin (KXAN) — Thousands lined up to see Sen. Bernie Sanders at Circuit of Americas Saturday morning, despite long security lines.
Sanders visited Austin to kick off his “Future to Believe in Austin Rally.” He took the stage just after noon.
At the beginning of his speech, Sanders pointed out Texas will vote for the most delegates of any state on Super Tuesday, with 222 pledged delegates of the 4,051 needed to win the nomination.
Sanders also said the nation’s minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour, expand benefits to retired Americans, end homelessness among veterans and demand equal pay for women.
He asked the Austin crowd how many had student debt, which led to a lot of hands being raised.
“Unbelievable!” Sanders said of the Austin crowd. “This is an epidemic of debt.”
While talking about racial inequality, Sanders promised major reforms while attacking Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
“We are not going to allow the Trumps of the world to divide us up,” Sanders said, which led to cheers. “And that we are going to bring major reforms to a broken, very broken, criminal justice system.”
………
___________________
Just seeing if I am able to write comments in here yet … and how long it takes for my comment to appear in the Standard 🙂
[lprent: You just have to get a first comment past a moderator. All we look for is that your comment has something vaguely to do with the post (not a criteria on OpenMike) and the conversation that you join, and doesn’t look like it was written by a idiot trying to learn how to wank online (and failing). That is because we’re interested in people who can express an opinion and then be able to argue for it with a degree of intelligence. This appears to be something that isn’t common amongst the neolithic self pleasuring trolls.
If it’d been my pass through moderating, this comment would probably not have gotten through. I detest people who can only grunt commentary on what they are manipulating. ]
“The old regimes of ‘Bailoutistan’ that were put in place by the troika, or by their acceptance of the troika programmes, have collapsed in every country where we had an election during the last twelve months,
So Pete George – in my opinion – is misrepresenting what I have said on his blog?
It will be interesting to see if he publishes my reply ..
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
(Consistent and persistent in her opposition to the TPPA, road tolls, privatisation via Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and sales of Auckland Council assets (including the Remuera Golf Club).
You fucken prick trp or voice of reason for deleting my comment which WASN’T on the subthread you have decided to stop because your idiot mind couldn’t take it – what a fucken bogus weakling you are
No, trp, I can most definitely say what the problem is. Anyone here, including yourself, knows that I am not shy about explaining myself or unable to. In this instance I choose not to, because you have spent a day not hearing what has been said to you.
Looks like you have to have a login to contribute to it too, bummer 🙁 With heated disussions currently happening not sure if it will go any way to easing tensions either.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
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While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
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As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
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I have been trying to get my head around the full implications of the TPPA in general terms.
Reluctantly, I have heard myself beginning to sound like a conspiracy theorist!
These are my conclusions – please shoot them down!
As is obvious, I am not talking detail here, but broad generalisations.
1 – that there is a conspiracy by the 1% elite to financially enslave the world. They have so many more resources than the ‘man in the street’ and a unity of purpose which is beyond the grasp of the ordinary person. The recent meeting in Davos is a case in point. What better time for the elite to meet over cups of coffee or martinis and discuss the future direction of their corporate world? That over 600 CEOs had an input into the terms of the agreement, and that it was negotiated in almost complete secrecy, are red flags that we should have heeded.
http://www.marxist.com/the-1-and-the-99-tiny-rich-elite-own-half-the-worlds-wealth.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/19/davos-super-rich-wealth-inequality
2 – that TPPA and its brother treaties TTIP and TISA will impose a further level of governance on the countries which sign into the agreements. This will come in the form of the so-called chilling effect of potential law suits through ISDS. As one commentator said, the Legislative Council was abolished in 1951 – now it appears to be coming back as a supra-national corporate overseer. As someone else suggested, our parliament may become ‘middle-level managers,’ able to change small matters, but always deferring upwards to the corporates on major issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0jCqd-MWrA (audio)
https://tpplegal.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/tpp-treaty-process.pdf Read the key points
3 – that TPPA is not at all about free trade but about controlled or managed trade. Certainly, many tariffs have been eliminated but the projected benefits take years to come into effect – and may be supposed to be open to ‘unforseen’ events which might nullify those benefits. In other words, the TPPA is, in terms of trade, frankly, a poor deal.
https://tpplegal.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/tpp-economics.pdf Read the key points
4 – that climate change hardly gets a mention. How can it be possible to sign a ‘trade’ agreement which does not attempt at least to grapple with the greatest threat facing mankind? There appears to be no money to be made in saving the planet! Corporates, with a myopic narrowness of vision on profit, can’t see the bleaker larger picture. For this reason alone TPPA should be rejected!
https://tpplegal.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/tpp-environment.pdf Read the key points
Finally, I find myself looking almost with longing to an event which might overtake all these negotiations and signings: the coming global financial collapse. When the house of cards that is the neoliberal economic structure finally falls, there may be an opportunity, like with FDRs New Deal in 1932, and the election of the Labour Party in 1935, to radically sweep the elite out of existence (in the nicest possible way, of course) and return this country to the people.
The Norwegians did it! http://www.commondreams.org/views/2012/01/26/how-swedes-and-norwegians-broke-power-1-percent
But what a hell of a thing (a world-wide depression) to wish for!
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/22-signs-that-the-global-economic-turmoil-we-have-seen-so-far-in-2016-is-just-the-beginning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-67ifpdMps (30 mins – especially gloomy!)
+1 Tony Veitch
would only take issue with point 4….the elites have not missed the larger bleaker picture due to a myopic focus on profit…..the elites are more aware than the general population of the impacts of climate change and seek to use that profit and position to insulate themselves at the cost of the many. In a world of diminishing resources and increasing risks their actions are Darwinian
As the “lifeboats” become increasingly overloaded their army of useful fools will be cast overboard as required.
+1
Wondering about those Roadshows:
From “Its Our Future: “Warning: These Roadshows are not likely to be useful lobbying events. The government officials are going there to talk at us, not to listen. There will be opportunities to influence those who attend, particularly business people who are there, and it is important that we counter their spin. We will do a Q&A on http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz to help counter the usual government spin, and will update it after the Auckland roadshow….Protest! There will be protests at these roadshows – for information on TPPA events see FB pages for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and information on the Take Action page at It’s Our Future.”
There is nothing about the Roadshows, in particular the 11th March event in Christchurch, at which I plan to protest, on the Take Action page – or if there is, I couldn’t find it.
I need to know the time, so I can be there!
The roadshows seem to be fullday events, so hopefully the protests will be likewise 9am to 5pm:
https://www.tpp.mfat.govt.nz/assets/docs/TPP%20roadshows%20programme.pdf
Thank you Tony V. A great contribution and worthy of a post in its own right.
I agree with almost all your conclusions.
Part of the story should also include the work of Naomi Klein and her book Shock Doctrine, which explains how disasters have been used to further the corporate governance of the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shock_Doctrine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCQj-z86qUo
I think the elite are aware of climate change and a part of their solution is to have lifeboats like New Zealand ready if and when things turn to custard and their Patriot Acts, TPPA, surveillance laws and other control techniques fail to manage an enraged population. It would explain why such energy has been put into making this country such a slavish follower of the neo-liberal doctrine.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2931325/Super-rich-buying-property-New-Zealand-bolthole-case-west-goes-meltdown.html
Finally, we should not be scared to use the word conspiracy. The powerful and their useful idiots use the word because they don’t want us to question the status quo.
‘According to John Ayoto’s 20th century words, the phrase “conspiracy theory” was originally a neutral term and only acquired a pejorative connotation in the mid 1960s, implying that the advocate of the theory has a paranoid tendency to imagine the influence of some powerful, malicious, covert agency in events. According to Florida State University professor Lance deHaven-Smith’s 2013 book Conspiracy Theory in America, the phrase “conspiracy theory” was invented in the 1960s by the CIA to discredit JFK assassination conspiracy theories. ‘
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory#Pejorative_meaning
Comments yesterday on the post about ACT’s climate change policy reminded me of an (unpublished) letter to the editor I wrote in Sept 2014.
“Many have commented on the vagueness of John Key and the tax cuts. National are just as vague about their climate change policy. I hadn’t heard much on National’s climate change policy, so I googled it today and got 2 hits. First was a page of press releases from Tim Groser, a link took me to a list of 36 policies, but not climate change. The second hit went to a National campaign page which said “our plan is focused on 4 key areas”. Climate change was not mentioned. There was no ‘search ’ function for me to find out more.”
National completely ignored climate change in the 2014 election and the MSM completely ignored it too. Maybe things will be different in 2017? 2020? 2032?
I think the Natz unofficial climate change policy is to ignore climate change. They don’t want to upset the voters (after seeing how many were at the march) but since they have signed TPPA they don’t have to worry – as Tony Veitch has concluded – “As someone else suggested, our parliament may become ‘middle-level managers,’ able to change small matters, but always deferring upwards to the corporates on major issues.” Good excuse not to do anything.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/77263068/guy-williams-lets-scrap-the-labour-party-and-start-again
Interestingly I’m guessing theres more then a few lefties on here that probably agree with him…
Chris 73 is just trying to railroad the excellent discussion started by Tony V above – take no notice of him ……. nor of the silly nonsense whoever guy williams is – just so silly its not worth repeating or even reading.
Its nothing to do with Tony V, I posted it here because its amusing but that you don’t know who Guy Williams is really does illustrate just how out of touch the left is with mainstream NZ
Guy Williams , Main Stream NZ????? Nah!!!
He is another hard to laugh at so called NZ comedian. Why would anybody with an interest in politics be at all interested in his drivel.
Well hes in a number of popular (and not so popular) shows both TV and radio so he has access to a large of number of people and he majored in political science so hes probably as qualified as most to speak on politics
Plus the article is amusing and thats the most important thing
The Labour Party was founded on 19th century concepts and ideals. Mostly around workers versus capital.
By the ’50s and ’60s Labour had largely accomplished everything they had originally set out to do.
Since then they have been floundering around trying to make up new goals, given up on following through their old goals to completion, and generally backing a new pro-ruling class status quo.
What purpose is Labour fit for now? They’ve accomplished as much major change as they could by the 50s and 60s, in the 1980s they undid large parts of it, and now, who knows? Round and round in circles.
Yes a distraction by a rwnj
Yes dear
I thought this was the Open Mike thread, where anyone can start a discussion on anything they choose. It’s actually not possible to railroad any discussion given the design of this website.
Who Guy Williams is, is irrelevant. I don’t care if he’s the local milkman, It’s what he says that’s important and I agree with his appraisal of Labour.
I also believe the local milkman’s opinion is as valid as anyones.
And c73 comes to this site to engage in meaningful debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE1EevX4gIE
And there you’d be wrong. Opinions are only valid when they’re based upon fact. If they’re not then they’re obviously of no value.
It’s got nothing to do with being the milkman or any body else. For that matter, NZ never used to disregard what people said based upon what they did for a living and we were better off because of it.
” Opinions are only valid when they’re based upon fact. If they’re not then they’re obviously of no value.”
I don’t agree. Every opinion is valid. How could it not be? Opinion is opinion, no body is claiming it’s fact.
“It’s got nothing to do with being the milkman or any body else. For that matter, NZ never used to disregard what people said based upon what they did for a living and we were better off because of it.”
Yes, I believe that concurs with what I implied.
I guess what you are trying to say is that every one is free to have and opinion which is true however some opinions are more valid than others, e.g, one mans view say based on his observation and common sense that the earth is flat verses the collective wisdom of science that The earth is not flat, similarly left wing doctrine that equal outcome is more important than equal opportunity, abstract groups are more important than individuals and that there is no such thing as individual responsibility, have nots have simply been exploited by the mythical system
equal outcome is more important than equal opportunity, abstract groups are more important than individuals and that there is no such thing as individual responsibility,
[citations needed]
False premises, false conclusions. Less charitable interpretations involve mindless parrots and malice.
+1
Because opinion not based upon reality such as the RWNJ delusion that the rich pay for everything is simply not valid.
It’s really simple.
Which is your opinion, therefor invalid.
No, the facts show that the rich don’t pay for anything at all. In fact, they’re actually paid to be rich. These are the facts. You don’t like them and so cling to your delusion.
I think that the opinions of imaginary persons are also invalid. Haven’t seen a milkman in decades.
😀
Why are we debating the difference between ‘opinion’ and ‘informed opinion”?
Might as well debate the difference between ‘tomatoes’ and ‘green tomatoes’.
We’re not. We’re discussing if all opinions are valid or not. Obviously, uninformed opinion isn’t valid at all.
Every opinion is valid. How could it not be?
People from Remuera carry a genetic marker that renders them criminal subhumans. Being resident in Remuera for more than six months infects you with the genetic marker.
The best solution is to nuke Remuera, and hunt the survivors with dogs and petrol.
Oh, and notional standards are a good idea.
Positively basking in validity.
+111
It’s the “entertainment” section, and no I don’t agree with Guy at all, cannot imagine the “perfect Labour Leader” in any human form, but Andrew Little is an intelligent man who cares about all NZers. I believe he will offer a sustainable, fairer system of government and have no problems with what he wears or whether he has “charisma” (whatever that is these days, lord knows Key hasn’t got any, despite being told over these long years that he has.)
So why is Key on 40% in the preferred PM stakes and Little on 9%?
If you don’t think it is down to charisma, it must mean that Little is simply not believed by the vast majority of NZers.
I think party support is a bit more complex than a false dichotomy.
It’s a tiny step for humankind, and a great giant leap for a wingnut.
🙄
Feet of clay.
Better wingnuts please.
Key on 40%? Isn’t that hugely down on his peak popularity of 50-something plus?
Averaging 39% over last 6 months in the Colmar Bruntons and Reid Research Polls. That’s 13-14 points down on his average during the Key Government’s First Term.
Highest rating over last 6 months = 40% (currently fluctuating within very tight parameters between 38%-40%)
Compared to high of 59% during First Term.
How does that compare to Clark over the same time period?
Weka, comparing same point in their Third Terms:
2/2 2015 = Key average 39%
2/2 2006 = Clark average 37%
Read Media reports over the last year and you’d assume from their hyperbolic rhetoric that Key is waaayyyyyyyy ahead of Clark. Reality is, as you can see, a mere 2 point difference.
(Clark did, however, start to fall away around mid-2007, albeit with a recovery of support during the 2008 Election campaign. Leader’s ratings often lift in the heat of a campaign with all the publicity / Leader’s Debates etc))
It was in 2006 that the Nats realised that Brash was unelectable and eased him out in favour of Key.
Little is about as electable as Brash was. And the sooner Labour admit that fact, the better.
thanks swordfish, that’s what I thought, so good to have it confirmed.
Crosby Textor
and some clever psychology/manipulation:
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiH8bSs3JnLAhXEX5QKHUdbB80QFghgMA0&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftopdocumentaryfilms.com%2Fthe-century-of-the-self%2F&usg=AFQjCNFaU8XWzNBwlOTYvx0mQRmRxO5qZw
c73 may be a prat, but Guy Williams is no fool. That’s burning satire and it pays to pay attention when the court jesters get fiery.
Big day for world elections today. The Iran and Ireland results are slowly coming through, but seem inconclusive and will have to wait on coalition building:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/27/reformists-and-moderates-lead-race-in-early-election-results
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/27/ireland-election-likely-hung-parliament-talk-grand-coalition
http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/feb/27/ireland-general-election-exit-poll-coalition-fine-gael
Labour are getting punished for their support of austerity, with Sinn Féin beating them to third place and possibly part of a coalition if; a Fine Gael & Fianna Fáil coalition can’t make up the numbers with smaller parties and independents. All three of these parties have had long animosity so there may be a new election instead.
Also there is the South Carolina Democratic primary on the 27th (our 28th). This is only the second primary (Iowa and Nevada were caucuses), and favours Clinton; possibly because the antiestablishment black vote has somewhere else to go than Sanders:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/26/willie-wilson-democratic-party-candidate-youve-never-heard-of
South Carolina Democratic primary
Demographic breakdown from NBC News Exit Poll
Clinton Support
Ethnicity…….2008……..2016………Diff
White…………43%………35%………Down 8 Points
Black………….55%………61%………Up 6 Points
It looks like Clinton has it in the bag with the Black Vote (62% of voters in this exit poll). 76% to 23% Sanders with 10 % counted (I don’t know what’s happened with Wilson).
http://www.cbsnews.com/elections/2016/primaries/democrat/south-carolina/
[edit “Other” has 0.6% with 11 % counted, I assume that’s Wilson]
According to Pew Research:
Black voters make up 51% of South Carolina Dems and Dem-leaners
White Voters = 41%
Latino = 6%
Other = 2%
The black support for Mrs Clinton has increased because her husband plays the saxophone.
While wearing shades.
Pretty sure Black supporters of Clinton think about a whole lot more things than whether her husband plays a saxophone.
blacklivesmatter
Well they must be thinking in relatively strange ways because, despite Hillary’s usual feel-good charade as she courts the Black vote, the Clintons have done nothing to earn such devotion.
http://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K1jpOrTI44
I was just making a comment on saxophones swordfish, not Black people’s views of the politicians on offer, which I’m quite sure are varied and complex.
Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight, Sanders should have sought the Green nomination for President. Trying to wrest the Democratic nomination from Clinton was always a tough ask.
Looking at some of the stuff he did as Mayor of Burlington, VT it seems that he would have been more of a fit for the Greenies. Missed oppurtunity here.
He may have won New Hampshire, but Alex Tsongas won it back in 1992, and we never saw or heard from him again (he actually died a few years later, but that’s beside the point..)
1 – that there is a conspiracy by the 1% elite to financially enslave the world.
Why wouldn’t they? No conspiracy hypothesis required here. Greed of the super-rich and powerful has no constraint of conscience.
Yes and they do no need to conspire to make things happen the way they want.
Davos
Bildeberg
Fellow Auckland Mayoral candidate ‘Independent’ Phil Goff (currently Labour MP for Mt Roskill) supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course.
Which is why I expect to get electoral support from a number of Labour Party supporters, and the 64% of (2013) non-voters, who are unlikely, in my view, to feel inspired by these policies which are promoted by and serve the interests of the corporate 1%?
City Vision have endorsed Phil Goff as ‘their’ Mayoral candidate.
Phil Goff supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course.
Does that mean City Vision now supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course?
Perhaps ‘Mickey Savage’ could please explain?
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Fuck off, liar. City Vision haven’t endorsed Phil Goff, as you well know. Any chance you’ll get round to telling us why you are a climate change denier? No, thought not. Transparency is for others. aye?
Pay your rates, bludger. Then you might have some credibility.
Courtesy please
No courtesy for lying spammers who troll this site to boost their own egos. Penny is a bludging bullshit artist who can’t answer a straight question. As I suggested yesterday, ACT is the party most closely aligned with her lifestyle and values.
“We are pleased to hear his solid commitment to retention of our publicly owned assets” seems straightforward enough evidence that City Vision are not endorsing Goff selling assets, let alone endorsing his candidacy. No doubt our dim local candidate will try to redefine ‘retention’ next.
Somehow I get the feeling that you may not be planning to vote for Penny in the local body elections. Just an impression I am getting.
the force is strong in this one… 🙂
“City Vision haven’t endorsed Phil Goff, as you well know.”
Yep, 3rd time Ms Bright has made that claim here in recent days.
From their website:
http://cityvision.org.nz/news/media-release-city-vision-welcomes-phil-goffs-mayoral-announcement-and-prepares-for-2016-campaign/
“While City Vision is yet to make a formal Mayoral endorsement decision, we believe that we could work collaboratively with Mr Goff to build a better Auckland”, says Waitematā Local Board Chair, Shale Chambers.”
I don’t expect Penny to mend her ways but other readers deserve not to be continually lied to.
+1 Sasha
http://cityvision.org.nz/news/media-release-city-vision-welcomes-phil-goffs-mayoral-announcement-and-prepares-for-2016-campaign/
23 November 2015
City Vision welcomes Phil Goff’s Mayoral Announcement and Prepares for 2016 Campaign
“Auckland needs strong, progressive leadership so we welcome Phil Goff’s announcement that he will campaign to be Auckland’s next Mayor”, says City Vision Councillor, Cathy Casey.
“Phil has a strong track record in senior positions, and is well known for being pragmatic, open-minded, and acting with integrity.
We are pleased to hear his solid commitment to retention of our publicly owned assets, his vision of a truly inclusive city, and his strong positions in favour of public transport and quality intensification;” says Cr Casey
“I have worked with Phil in my capacity as ward councillor for the last two terms since amalgamation and have developed a good working relationship with him in this time as well as an appreciation for his commitment to the people of Auckland.”
“City Vision believes that Auckland is at a cross-roads. The Supercity structure has helped to give the region a voice, and real progress on developing an integrated transport network has been made as a result.
However, there is no denying that many Aucklanders Havel lost confidence in Council in recent years and that a fresh start is required.
While City Vision is yet to make a formal Mayoral endorsement decision, we believe that we could work collaboratively with Mr Goff to build a better Auckland”, says Waitematā Local Board Chair, Shale Chambers.
……
________________________________________
In my view – the above-mentioned Press Release from City Vision is an endorsement of Phil Goff’s standing as a 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Not yet a ‘formal’ endorsement by City Vision?
Then definitely, in my view, an ‘informal’ endorsement by City Vision.
I call bullsh*t on your semantics and ask again – do City Vision now support the TPPA, road tolls, PPPs and selling off Auckland Council assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course?
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Endorse has quite a specific meaning in politics. Important that other readers get a chance to understand that, even if it’s beyond your grasp.
Really Sacha?
endorse Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary
endorse meaning, definition, what is endorse: to make a public statement of your approval or support …
_____________________________________
So City Vision put out a (public) Press Release supporting Phil Goff standing as a 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Looks like an ‘endorsement’ to me – according to the above-mentioned Cambridge Dictionary definition?
I respectfully request you ‘quit while you’re behind’ Sacha?
In my view, it’s not my grasp of this issue which is questionable – it’s yours.
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Your view will not surprise anyone here.
I respectfully request that you practice what you preach Sacha?
How is that FULL City Vision Press Release about Phil Goff’s 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidacy NOT an endorsement, albeit an ‘informal’ endorsement?
I look forward to readers of The Standard making up their own minds, after reading the full City Vision Press Release and thinking for themselves?
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Only one person has sought to take some likely policy positions of Goff and attach them to City Vision, by using the word ‘endorse’. It is clear that there is no arrangement on policy between those two entities.
Take some responsibility for your attempts to mislead readers and citizens. Better still, buck up your act. Your behaviour reduces the value of public discourse.
Kia ora Sacha
While there may be a precise political definition of the term “endorsement” from a “reasonable person” test, it certainly reads as an endorsement.
Ms Bright states: “Does that mean City Vision now supports the TPPA, road tolls, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and the sale of Auckland Council assets”.
City Vison states: “We are pleased to hear his solid commitment to retention of our publicly owned assets”.
Does that sound like an endorsement of that position, let alone of candidacy? Someone is trying to make black equal white here.
No different than opponents of intensifcation calling 3-storey buildings “high-rises”.
I’m asking what I think is a VERY fair question of City Vision Sacha, and look forward to clarification from City Vision.
Are you a member of City Vision Sacha?
Just asking – nicely 🙂
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
No.
Thank you Adele.
I agree.
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
While there may be a precise political definition of the term “endorsement” from a “reasonable person” test, it certainly reads as an endorsement.
One might hope that an aspiring politician might then go, “In light of the discussion I’d like to clarify my comment. City Vision appear to support Goff on certain issues while stopping short of a formal endorsement” or such (in their own language and with attention to whether Goff is supported or the issue).
Having a barney on social media seems counter productive.
I disagree.
In my view this is encouraging informed debate (or trying to) on pivotal issues pertaining to the Auckland region and the 2016 Auckland Mayoralty.
Isn’t this the purpose of ‘Open Mike’?
Penny Bright
Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Except it’s not informed debate if you start with a lie.
ps, Any chance you’re ready to explain why you’re a climate change denier? Y’know, for transparency’s sake?
Really Sacha?
Would you care to provide the precise ‘political’ definition of the term “endorsement” upon which you are apparently relying – which differs from that which I provided by the Cambridge Dictionary?
(Or did you just ‘make it up’?)
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
If people in politics do not understand common terms like ‘candidate’ ‘endorsement’ or ‘policy’ then there’s little point in discussion.
Thank you Sacha for confirming that you do NOT have a precise political definition of “endorsement” that differs to that which I provided from the Cambridge Dictionary.
Which means, in my opinion, you just ‘made it up’.
Which means, in my view, there is little point in discussing such terms as political “endorsement” with you, Sacha?
However – it won’t stop me trying 🙂
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Penny, how do you reconcile your reliance on precise dictionary definitions in regards to one part of the statement, with your complete ignoring of an explicit sentence at the end of the same statement?
Saying a political organisation “endorses” a candidate means that the organisation supports that candidate and wants its members and supporters to vote for that candidate and donate to their campaign, and help out in other ways.
Liking a candidate isn’t the same as saying everyone should vote for that candidate.
Sure, City Vision doesn’t think Goff is the devil. But if you work hard, you might gain equal respect in their eyes, and snatch their endorsement. Their actual endorsement, not just in a wider sense of the word that you’re using to mislead people.
It’s the word ‘formal’?
Semantics – in my view.
Perhaps City Vision may change their tune and NOT end up ‘formally’ endorsing Phil Goff, given his now publicly stated position supporting the TPPA, road tolls, PPPs and the sale of Auckland Council owned assets – starting with the Remuera Golf Course?
We shall see.
However, as a proven anti-privatisation campaigner – I shall be taking no prisoners on these issues (as it were).
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Not, it’s not down to a particular word.
It’s the coherent whole of the entire message.
They like Goff, they’re happy to see he’s running, but in case a better candidate comes along they’re not asking anyone to help him out, they’re not aligning their campaigning to him, and they’re not endorsing him.
I can’t believe that I have to explain basic language skills to someone who sees themselves as mayor of a million-citizen city.
The deliberate misleading is what annoys me. Bad faith corrodes civic discussions. Perhaps others are fine with that sort of behaviour – after all, look at who we elect as PM.
here’s a fresh example: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/77337489/chris-christies-donald-trump-endorsement-changes-everything
You keep dancing on the head of that pedantic pin Sacha….
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Really McFlock?
City Vision’s ‘informal’ endorsement of Phil Goff as an Auckland Mayoral candidate doesn’t read that way to me.
Are you perchance McFlock, a member of City Vision?
Just asking – nicely 🙂
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
no, I’m not, you nutbar. I live in Dunedin. I do, however, use the English language regularly.
The point is that adding the qualification “informal” does change the message somewhat. You might think it’s semantics, but it’s not.
Although from your perspective, I’m not sure how many formal or informal endorsements you’re likely to receive. You can’t even reply to the correct comment.
Attack , is not always the best form of defense
The form of attack employed in this instance, signals a nerve has been touched
Please expand….
Indeed!
I didn’t expect such offensive and defamatory attacks from a supposed ‘moderator’ of The Standard.
NOT impressed.
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
trp, you could always put your mod hat on. Isn’t it in the rules that if someone makes an assertion as fact they need to back it up when asked and do so within a reasonable timeframe?
Moderation has been loosened up, weka. All sorts of things that were not previously acceptable, such as racism and misogyny, are now fine. I’m not happy about it.
🙁
[It’s not true marty. Where it’s recognised, it’s gone…just the same less than perfect, but workable, procedure as always. Nothing at all has changed.] – Bill
thanks bill for the clarification – hope you all sort it out soon.
We ‘all’ have nothing to sort out really. I mean, in a perfect world of perfect awareness and what not, they’re a number of things that would never see the light of day on ‘ts’. But peeps in’t perfect and so most peeps just do the best they can and act in good faith to keep ‘ts’ as tolerable as possible.
http://thestandard.org.nz/policy/
For Penny’s benefit, although no doubt it will fall on deaf ears 😉
I welcome any moderator deleting repeated unsubstantiated nonsense over a period of days.
Me too, although a warning/ban process might be more expedient.
An endorsement is an endorsement. Penny didn’t distinguish between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ (Fucked if I care about the hair splitting on that one to be honest). Sasha provided a link that’s definitely a very strong informal endorsement. And that may or may not be a prelude to a formal endorsement.
All that happened after the initial conversation asking for back up (and me posting the rules). I don’t have an opinion about whether Penny has provided adequate backup, I think we past peak crazy already 😉
EXACTLY Bill.
“An endorsement is an endorsement.
Penny didn’t distinguish between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ ”
Thanks for that.
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Except you are lying. City Vision specifically said it was not an endorsement.
In my view te reo putake – the one who is effectively lying is YOU.
While City Vision is yet to make a formal Mayoral endorsement decision, we believe that we could work collaboratively with Mr Goff to build a better Auckland”, says Waitematā Local Board Chair, Shale Chambers.
……
________________________________________
How was the City Vision (public) Press Release supporting Phil Goff as an Auckland Mayoral candidate – not an ‘endorsement’ – albeit not yet a ‘formal’ endorsement?
Are you not yet familiar with the following words, in my opinion, of sound political wisdom?
“When you’re in a hole – stop digging”?
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
When they specifically say it’s not an endorsement, it’s not an endorsement. Grow up or fuck off, troll.
Neither racism nor misogyny are fine as far as moderation on ts is concerned trp – and you know this.
Just because you wanted a person- an author you just happen to have huge issues with, condemned for allegedly racist comments, and got no bites (due, by the way, to the comments not being racist), does not translate as those with moderating rights okay-ing racism.
You’re wrong, Bill. And we both know why you are saying this.
Wrong on what front trp?
Are you a) saying the exchange I’m alluding to was racist?
(No-one – and I do mean no-one – who could be bothered to comment was in agreement with you on that.)
Or are you b) saying that I’m wrong when I say that recognised instances of racism will not be endorsed/tolerated by moderators when and where they come across it?
(As far as I’m aware, no moderator who comes across an instance of racism will defend it.)
The only reason I commented as I did above at 6.1.4.1.3 and as an edit in 6.1.4.1.1 is because it’s the truth of the matter. No-one anywhere has suggested any kind of change, in either policy or practice, in relation to racist comments.
(As far as I’m aware, no moderator who comes across an instance of racism will defend it.)
Ahem. Except you, Bill.
So, first it’s claimed that ‘ts’ will tolerate racism. Now it’s progressed to just me, as opposed to ‘ts’. Link to an example.
TS actually does now tolerate bigotry. The rules haven’t changed, but the application has. You, personally, are happy to turn a blind eye as long as its a) done by someone you like and b) not about the folk north of Hadrian’s wall.
First sentence disingenuous insofar as that type of charge could always have been leveled at ‘ts’. But that’s because it’s to do with individual mods recognising those things when they appear. And no-one has a perfect awareness of various discriminations.
Second part of second sentence (change in application of the rules) patently untrue.
Third sentence completely riddled with nonsense, bullshit and lies.
And no link provided to back your claim that I defend racism.
Yes, Bill, right you are. You know why the link can’t be posted, but still you ask. How cute. You’ve helped lower the standard, and you know it. Give yourself a couple of slow claps.
are you guys arguing about a comment in open mike a week or two ago, or are you referring to something that happened in the back-end of TS?
So the reality is that there are no instances of me defending racism.
And what you’d like to think I was asking for (I wasn’t) is a portion of a back-end discussion, that obviously can’t be linked to, where you made a charge of racism against another, where that claim elicited not a single comment of support or agreement from anyone.
That you have taken that absence of any of support for your position to somehow mean that racism is fine by those who moderate is quite astonishing (and not a little troubling imo).
Yes, McFlock. And Bill knows I won’t reveal what was said on the back end discussion, hence his being precious about the link. It really is a case of a lowering of the tolerance level, dependent on who the commenter is. That’s something we get regularly accused of over at PG’s place, but I never previously thought actually happened here.
Anyhoo, my feelings on acceptable moderation aren’t everyone else’s. My line is that we shouldn’t leave bigotry unremarked upon, no matter who does it. That could be anything from a ‘steady on, old chap’ sort of thing to more severe restraints. But if we say nothing, particularly when it’s pointed out to us, we are tacitly approving it.
Enraged verbal abuse no problem for you then, Weka ?
Apparently One Two.
I wonder how long I’d last on The Standard if I verbally abused te reo putake in the same offensive and defamatory way he/she has referred to me?
What do others on The Standard think?
Is this acceptable to YOU?
How would YOU like it?
Penny Bright
2015 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
I can quite honestly say here that TRP is correct, City Vision have not officially endorsed Phil Goff and as for abuse well as someone that gets banned frequently and so forth, its their blog and you play by their rules
If you don’t accept the rules of the blog then set your own blog up
I have abused trp with the same coarse language today – it is okay if it can be somehow relevant 🙂
Trp is being a macho shithead and I can’t see much useful about what he is doing. Penny is annoying at least as many commenters as trp. What does that tell you?
1. There are angry and potentially violent people in positions of ‘status’ at this site, who lack self control and self awareness
2. That verbally abusing woman is acceptable at this site
3. That moderators and authors don’t respect eachother, openly
4. That commenters are hypocrites, and worse
5. That commenters cited rules regarding ‘backing up with facts’ and entered into pedantry over word definitions, suggesting warnings/bans instead of stepping up and shutting down the verbally abusive TRP
6. That NZ has little chance of turning around because the so called ‘left’ exhibits such behaviours
7. That jellousy and ego are too poweful for people to control for a better cause
The list is endless….
I share your concerns One Two.
Having come from the background of engineering workshop(s), I am not a delicate flower when it comes to profane language.
However – I do draw the line to being told to f.. k off when I am trying to debate, serious issues on ‘Open Mike’ pertaining to the upcoming local government elections, particularly in Auckland, where I am a Mayoral candidate.
I also take exception to offensive and defamatory comments made by te reo putake.
When MY rights are under attack – I WILL stand up and fight back.
In fact – I have defamatory proceedings on foot in the Auckland High Court, arising from comments made about me by the CEO of Auckland Council.
Copping ad hominem attacks, in my view, are usually a sign that you have ‘hit a nerve’ to which the other party has no valid reply (on the issue).
Don’t worry – I know how to defend myself (have plenty of practice on Kiwiblog 🙂
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Those things were already in your head by the sounds of it, not so much to do with trp being a shit and Penny annoying the fuck out of a bunch of people.
5. That commenters cited rules regarding ‘backing up with facts’ and entered into pedantry over word definitions, suggesting warnings/bans instead of stepping up and shutting down the verbally abusive TRP
Commenter, single. I can’t shut trp down, he’s an author. I could have said something to him about his behaviour, but I’m sick of being the behaviour police around here. I am curious though, why didn’t you give him a telling off?
Plural. You were not alone.
Of course you can shut him down, or try to. You’re clearly a long time contributer to this site, and undoubtedly have the respect of authors , moderators and commenters.
If you have reached the stage of being worn down being the behaviour police, and those who should be performing that role, don’t, won’t or in this instance, are the abusers…..
Then perhaps it’s time to move in a different direction before you lose reapect for yourself
6.1.3
I’m ok with who I am thanks.
“Of course you can shut him down, or try to.”
I suggest you go look at what happend to marty today in arguing with trp and see what happens.
You didn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you take on trp over this behaviour?
te reo putake 6.1
28 February 2016 at 10:23 am
Fuck off, liar. City Vision haven’t endorsed Phil Goff, as you well know. Any chance you’ll get round to telling us why you are a climate change denier? No, thought not. Transparency is for others. aye?
Pay your rates, bludger. Then you might have some credibility.
___________________________________________________
Aren’t you supposed to be a ‘moderator’ te reo putake?
Your comment is both offensive and defamatory.
Starting with withdrawing and apologising for making that comment?
I also respectfully suggest that you ‘pull your head in’ and ‘mind your manners’?
As a ‘moderator’ – lead from the front and practice what you preach – sort of thing?
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Fuck off liar. If you want to prove me wrong, post the link to City Vision’s endorsement of Phil Goff. You can’t, because you are lying. You talk a lot about transparency, but you refuse to be open and honest with the voters of Auckland or the readers of the Standard. You’re a spamming, trolling, bludgeing hypocrite.
Feel free to sue me if any of that is incorrect.
Ok te reo putake.
I gave you, as a supposed ‘moderator’ of The Standard an opportunity to withdraw your offensive and defamatory comment.
You didn’t.
Now I am about to test the complaints process of The Standard.
(FYI – similar offensive and defamatory comments made about me on Kiwiblog have been ‘sanctioned’ by strikes and stand downs by host David Farrar.)
And YOU te reo putake – are supposed to be a ‘moderator’??
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
trp is a author but isn’t, as far as I’m aware, a moderator.
Actually, I do have the ability to moderate, Bill, but of late, I’ve kept it to a bare minimum.
Yes te reo putake – a number of your comments pertaining to me, today, have been anything but ‘moderate’, in my opinion.
In fact I have found a number of them to be both offensive and defamatory.
BTW – how on earth can anyone ‘troll’ on ‘Open Mike’?
Don’t you know what ‘troll’ means, pertaining to commenting on a blog?
Perhaps you shouldn’t use words you don’t know the meaning of?
(Meant of course in a caring way 😉
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Fuck off, liar. You’re a spam spewing, cut and paste troll, who hasn’t got enough integrity to address reasonable questions. You’re a bullshitter, a denier and an evader of the awkward truth. A person who wants to tell others what to do, while doing the opposite. Someone who thinks it’s everybody else’s burden to pay for the things we share.
Come to think of it, you might have what it takes to be mayor after all.
Probably disagree with every other view of TRP but he is 100 pc on the mark here
lol
and such an endorsement might lead to TRP re-evaluating the vociferousness, if not the accuracy, of their claim 👿
I’m buggered now, aren’t I? I’ll get me hat and coat.
what are the defamatory ones?
edit just saw trp’s latest – must be something in there?
Are you a member of City Vision perchance te reo putake?
Just asking – nicely 🙂
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Are you currently here on planet earth, Penny? Just asking – nicely.
And yes, I am actually running City Vision from a back room in Standard Towers. I knew you’d find me out eventually, but crikey, that was fast! Now, what was that you were saying about your views on climate change?
Poor City Vision …. 😉
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Whoosh …
It’s how the vulgar wealthy / corporates / 1% have always operated.
History tells us that.
In more recent times the quote by Warren Buffet
“There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”
or the Citibank plutonomy documents outline this perfectly.
http://politicalgates.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/citigroup-plutonomy-memos-two-bombshell.html
Go back further and “War is a racket” outlines the rort of the rich.
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html
It’s how they do business and if they can shape the world in their own image they will.
Someone once here posted the response of the steam companies to the development of electricity and how they legislated to take their power (no pun intended at all) back.
What changed at some point was not the behaviour of the rich and powerful. This continues unabated. What changed was the working class wresting some power off them through labour rights and re-distribution.
Change won’t happen until those things are wrested back again.
Right now no-one is wresting those back in NZ.
Even a simple concept like an 8 hour working day, 40 hour working week is anathema to every single political party in NZ. Something we used to lead the world in and were very proud of.
It’s not the right that have changed and need changing – it’s the cowed left.
Absolutely.
“It’s not the right that have changed and need changing – it’s the cowed left.”
would suggest it is the deceived centre that needs “changing”….in the absence of societal change.
“deceived centre” – nah they are not deceived at all.
They vote for their interests.
They know well what they are doing.
some yes….but “the centre” is a very broad church, and as we know from polling it only requires a small portion of that congregation to shift to have the desired effect
It’s the left however that determine left policies. You can’t vote for left policies – such as an 8 hour working day – if those policies no longer exist within political parties.
You can’t strike if there’s no left policies enabling this. At present you can only strike at the expiry of a contract. Who is looking at changing this – no-one.
Unions are cowed and buy into things such as three year contracts when a one year contract could at least give them the power to strike every year. Three year contracts in a fast changing world just give away what little power unions have left.
The right and centre voters are summed up in this quote.
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” J.K. Galbraith
There are left wing policies in New Zealand.
They are not to be found in the Labour Party though.
Sabine’s post re the flag is as pertinent here as it is there…
http://thestandard.org.nz/the-butchers-apron-or-the-tea-towel/#comment-1139662
Of the participating public in General elections I would suggest the mobile ” centre” is as large as 40%….some more willing to be deceived than others.
The majority on these blogs are not members of this group.
Nah that’s disingenuous.
It implies that people make a conscious decision not to vote because of one policy or other as opposed to say “Fuck it can’t be bothered cause they’re all the same anyway”.
I remember talking to one old lady on the bus who voted National. She did this because her (now long deceased husband) had told her to always vote National. Doing otherwise would let him down.
It’s much more complicated than the conscious decision making process because people are much more complicated than that and emotion will always play a part in decision making.
Part of the problem is seeing the appeal of the centre voters as the way to win elections.
On re-think was a good example this morning of how taking a principled and what would have been considered a far from centre position enabled and energised people and led to significant change.
For those who didn’t see this this was the land march.
At the end of the day left wing policies need to have some passion and resonance – an emotional as well as a rational being to attract voters.
Chasing the center voters as a tactic to win just comes across as cynical.
The logic might appeal to some rational sense but it’s clearly not enough.
It was also rational for Labour and Greens to not compete against each other in some seats (and lets face both parties had and have infinitely more control over that than the voters) and win the last election but the emotional attachment Labour have to themselves meant that did not happen.
It was much more rational if Labour wanted to help people at the bottom to put the $20-00 per week back on benefits before putting it back on NZS but they chose not to do this because of the emotional value they would get out of voting superannuitants.
Those on benefits continue to be poor and getting poorer.
you frame it incorrectly….it is not a case of “chasing ” the widely disparaged centre voter…it is convincing that relatively small proportion of them that their interests are better served by the alternative……and this has to be achieved in an environment of general disinterest and “once over lightly”….(your description of the National voter has its mirror image within Labour and these are not your target audience.)….once successful with this , only then can you hope to address the issues you outline.
So forget about the poorest and the most marganalised UNTIL you have power.
Tried that with Helen Clark’s 9 years of Labour government.
As noted they increased super but not benefits, they put in draconian measures against beneficiaries, they barely touched labour laws.
How’d that approach work out for those not voting.
9 years of pale blue.
Yeah there’s an argument that a Labour government is a better alternative to National but left it’s not.
the left loosely defined in NZ
the Labour Party
the Green Party
Mana
the right loosely defined in NZ
The National Party
Act
the conservatives
the Maori Party
un-affiliated, or turn coats, or opportunists
NZFirst
Peter Fucken Dunne Party
Maori Party (yes i put them in two categories, as they admit to be working with everyone – all of he above just to get to parliament)
and i want people to vote, irrespective of whom they vote, i want them to vote. People have fought very hard to give us the rights we have today, and hardest of all the was right to vote especially for women.
Whom they vote for, that is not my choice to make, they will decide forthemselves once they are in the polling booth. But I want them to go there, and Just do it! tis the only point i am trying to make.
definitely do not forget about the most marginalised…..it is consideration of exactly that that requires a compromise to enable a less bad option…..and whether it is left enough or not is not the point, at least it is not blatantly corrupt.
@descendant of ssmith
I think you are making good points. It occurs to me that the centre voters are the ones without much passion. Easy peasy. they say they are looking for stability but really not too bothered providing they feel they are doing okay.
They are not driven by ideals of fairness and social mobility as on the left or on the RW side. an aggrieved defence against demands that others should have opportunities to rise and sit alongside these godlike achievers. (Refer to the Four Yorkshireman, monty python, ‘Aye, I had it hard etc.).
Bingo.
Every single political party in NZ is all about keeping things the way they are rather than changing them as needed.
by and large thats true, and I agree there needs to be wholesale change…BUT, we need to work with whats available until such time as that change gathers momentum.
And getting rid of the current lot is becoming increasingly important as another term of this BS will take us further down the road of no return
“Every single political party in NZ is all about keeping things the way they are rather than changing them as needed.”
Except when rich people want more priviliges.
See how profit is a weight around the shoulders of infrastructure companies.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/vector-struggling-with-18b-bill-for-auckland-expansion-2016022809#axzz41PF7ta3a
Two solutions:
1. Stop distributing profit to shareholders while you develop what you need to
2. Make the developers and builders of new homes in new subdivisions pay the additional costs needed.
The private sector is pretty good at telling us what things cost when they want to charge us long term existing users – work out the cost and charge the new users.
$5,000 per house seems small change if you’re paying over a million dollars for each house.
Wallace Chapman: “I won’t read any racist
messages on air. Here’s an anti-Maori one I’ve chosen.”
Sunday Morning, RNZ National, 28 February 2016
If you listened to Mediawatch this morning, you would have heard a rather fraught debate between Willie Jackson and RNZ Head of Content Carol Hirschfeld about RNZ’s commitment, or lack of commitment, to Maori language and Maori culture.
After the 10 o’clock news, host Wallace Chapman said: “Lots of feedback about the Mediawatch programme this morning. But I have to say that a lot of the comments are RACIST. So I won’t be reading them out. Still, thanks for your comments, and keep them coming.
Less than an hour later, just before 11 o’clock, Chapman broke his pledge not to read out any racist statements. No doubt Chapman had received many intelligent and thoughtful responses about that debate, but he chose to read one that might have been sent in by his namesake Kyle Chapman, or by someone equally vile like Larry “Lackwit” Williams or David Round or Stephen Franks…
WALLACE CHAPMAN: There has been a LOT of feedback about the Mediawatch programme this morning. I’ll just read this one: “They’ve got their own TV station, for heaven’s sake.”
Could they coax Chris Laidlaw out of retirement?
More on Wallace Chapman…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21122014/#comment-942709
Yes please. Bring back Chris Laidlaw. While I believe Wallace Chapman is probably a quite nice chap he just doesn’t seem to know how to conduct an intelligent interview.
Or put pressure on the powerful.
How many thousands are lining up to see Hillary Clinton?
__________________________________________________
Thousands line up to see Bernie Sanders in Austin.
http://kxan.com/2016/02/27/thousands-wait-in-line-to-see-bernie-sanders-in-austin/
Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders campaigns at the Circuit of the Americans in southeast Austin on Saturday, February 27.
Austin (KXAN) — Thousands lined up to see Sen. Bernie Sanders at Circuit of Americas Saturday morning, despite long security lines.
Sanders visited Austin to kick off his “Future to Believe in Austin Rally.” He took the stage just after noon.
At the beginning of his speech, Sanders pointed out Texas will vote for the most delegates of any state on Super Tuesday, with 222 pledged delegates of the 4,051 needed to win the nomination.
Sanders also said the nation’s minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour, expand benefits to retired Americans, end homelessness among veterans and demand equal pay for women.
He asked the Austin crowd how many had student debt, which led to a lot of hands being raised.
“Unbelievable!” Sanders said of the Austin crowd. “This is an epidemic of debt.”
While talking about racial inequality, Sanders promised major reforms while attacking Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
“We are not going to allow the Trumps of the world to divide us up,” Sanders said, which led to cheers. “And that we are going to bring major reforms to a broken, very broken, criminal justice system.”
………
___________________
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Mugabe’s lavish 92nd birthday party angers critics
https://www.rt.com/usa/halloween-party-depp-obama-421/
No wonder Britain’s scofflaw regime want to close down this television station
About 15 minutes into this, you’ll see an unintentionally hilarious contribution by the hapless son of that old zombie Neil Kinnock….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwb3YmAdXeI
What an ugly thread.
Yes. There are no perfect people, but you have to accept that bashing out the ugly is usually better done with pixels than pitchforks.
Very true.
Pretty strong stuff all right. Quite rare to see blog moderators slugging it out too.
Testes Testes Testes …
Just seeing if I am able to write comments in here yet … and how long it takes for my comment to appear in the Standard 🙂
[lprent: You just have to get a first comment past a moderator. All we look for is that your comment has something vaguely to do with the post (not a criteria on OpenMike) and the conversation that you join, and doesn’t look like it was written by a idiot trying to learn how to wank online (and failing). That is because we’re interested in people who can express an opinion and then be able to argue for it with a degree of intelligence. This appears to be something that isn’t common amongst the neolithic self pleasuring trolls.
If it’d been my pass through moderating, this comment would probably not have gotten through. I detest people who can only grunt commentary on what they are manipulating. ]
Look at that picture of my naked titties in my profile picture.
No wonder TeReoPutake wants to have babies with me. LOL.
You’re all class, Mike. The wedding’s back on.
@Prentice
Oh dear … my last two comments would have failed on all counts then. LOL 🙂
Hmmm
“The old regimes of ‘Bailoutistan’ that were put in place by the troika, or by their acceptance of the troika programmes, have collapsed in every country where we had an election during the last twelve months,
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/yanis-varoufakis-electorate-has-rejected-dead-end-policies-1.2551925
So Pete George – in my opinion – is misrepresenting what I have said on his blog?
It will be interesting to see if he publishes my reply ..
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
(Consistent and persistent in her opposition to the TPPA, road tolls, privatisation via Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and sales of Auckland Council assets (including the Remuera Golf Club).
About 300 foreigners a month are being issued IRD numbers for the purpose of buying or selling property in NZ.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/77300899/House-prices-will-take-off-as-more-foreigners-issued-IRD-numbers
You fucken prick trp or voice of reason for deleting my comment which WASN’T on the subthread you have decided to stop because your idiot mind couldn’t take it – what a fucken bogus weakling you are
It was deleted for abuse, as I’m sure you understand. Wanna catch up for a chat? No, thought not, tough guy.
lol less abuse than above liar
So you can’t say what the problem is? Goodo. This discussion is ended. Further comments on this sub-thread go straight to trash.
http://thestandard.org.nz/the-butchers-apron-or-the-tea-towel/#comment-1139987
No, trp, I can most definitely say what the problem is. Anyone here, including yourself, knows that I am not shy about explaining myself or unable to. In this instance I choose not to, because you have spent a day not hearing what has been said to you.
my deleted comment was also an explanation but obviously not one voicey wanted to hear for some reason.
I am perturbed by voiceys ‘go to violence’ option above – pretty typical for bully’s though.
not the finest hour on ts :-/
No indeed – the whole day on here has been pretty shit really, anyway tomorrow is almost here. Kia kaha weka
Cheers, you too marty.
Urgh…just noticed the “thumbs up” doo-dad. “Thumbs down” for the “thumbs up”.
+1s are okay though.
Looks like you have to have a login to contribute to it too, bummer 🙁 With heated disussions currently happening not sure if it will go any way to easing tensions either.
Hmmm, not a fan … for obvious reasons!
Was testing some code by looking at performance under a bit of sunday evening load.
I think I like the likes. Great, see how they go.
horses mouth
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/28/mervyn-king-new-financial-crisis-is-certain-without-reform-of-banks
@Prentice
Oh dear … my last two comments would have failed on all counts then. LOL 🙂