Iâm about to give the nicest man on Earth another chance. Counting down â 25 minutes to Mora
He wasn’t too nice this afternoon. He repeated the most flippant putdowns of Edward Snowdon, very like a loyal and dependable Soviet commissar deriding one of those dastardly Jewish doctors in the late 1930s.
Yep – I had to give up M. I tried – even got past some reasonable music (disappointed tho’ – I was hoping for a bit of Sympathy for the Devil).
The guy would be the best advertisement for whoever manufactures Valium I’ve ever come across.
The (70’s drugged up housewife’s) choice, and definitely the nicest man on Earth.
I think I can safely give the guy a miss for another few months.
Really? Peter Dunne is in private discussions with just a political party over questions of security?
Surely every word that man is saying about security “negotiations” should be on the public record.
This issue is not about doing deals.
As for Key’s pushing another TINA*, he just happens to be a party leader who is in the position of Prime Minister at a given moment in time. What makes him think he is the authority?
And trust him? He couldn’t even remember how many Tranzrail shares he had.
This is not a party political issue that is being discussed. The security services belong to all Enzeders.
* (TINA was Thatcher’s name – There Is No Alternative.)
I agree, Logie97, that the security services – and their rights or not to spy on NZers – are, or should be, of interest to all NZers.
I find Dunne now being in private discussions with Key etc over his position on the GCSB Bill incongruous with his stated position just a few days ago. Do they have more that they are holding over Dunne – or is he just out to preserve his job regardless of principles etc? Both are also possible.
Thanks to NRT*, I have also just read this Stuff article re Henry having access to Vance’s movements in and out of Parliament from her security card records the day before her article.
“The journalist who was leaked a sensitive report on the nation’s foreign spy network had her movements tracked by a government inquiry.
The MP forced to resign over the leak, Peter Dunne, said inquiry head David Henry detailed to him the movements of Fairfax journalist Andrea Vance in and out of the parliamentary precinct. …”
All very confusing – this issue is not over yet. The dots are just not connecting …
the turning worm.
Watched Dunne trying to get his points across in the debate on the Psychoactive Substances Bill, while being baited by Banks. When did Banks become a friend to man’s best friend? A Beagle Boy indeed. Did you know SAFE were denied the opportunity to make submissions, and the committee is unlikely to adopt Mathers’ SOP, which Banks supports; LDSO tests are obviously not excluded under the legal regimes in South East Asian countries where these substances are likely to be tested.
Just a prediction:
That bastion of the 4th Estate (‘Stuff’ – an appropriate name if ever there was) reports the media is being drawn into David Bain blame game http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8851997/Media-drawn-into-Bain-blame-game.
I’m now even more uncertain as to his guilt, and I’m not even sure that is the point. I’m waiting for this to become even more politicised to the extent that various counsel and supporters will soon find they are denigrated publicly – probably even including by the junta.
Yes, “the media are being played”.
According to Asst. Police Commissioner Malcolm Burgess, this new theory is only one in “isolation from a vast body of evidence”,” which one piece of circumstantial evidence does not outweigh”.
Unfortunate the entire matter sadly.
Robertson is half the problem. He backed and supported Shearer so that Cunliffe would not become leader. It was clear from the start that Shearer was a lame duck and not up to the job. As soon as Farrar and Hooton and Slater started supporting Shearer the alarm bells should have gone off.
Robertson played the factional game at the time even though he knew that Shearer would fail. Besides do you think that he has what it takes to win an election? He lost the party vote to the Greens in his electorate ffs.
For his careerism and because of his inability to do the job he should never be leader.
Time to start afresh. Cunliffe is the only one who can do the job. If MPs are going to stand in the way they should have their career path drastically altered. Anyone, repeat anyone, who makes a decision based on personal interest should go.
Totally agree Mr Burns Robertson and those who actively supported Shearer in my view.
Firstly if they backed Shearer because they thought Shearer was going to be an amazing leader they clearly have no idea what qualities a leader should have and two after being given a chance Shearer has failed to connect with voters and thats his job.
Thirdly by voting for Shearer over Cunliffe, Shearers voters totally disregarded grass roots members opinions during the membership contest.That being the case those Mp’s who voted against their LECs wishes and those who bullied members need to go. Those MPs have no credibility to work in the best interest of the Party or to represent its members.
Its time for a big clean out in Labour and sorry wont cut it.
Who is the most gifted member of caucus and who is the best match for Key. There is only one answer. There only ever was one answer. That is why Farrar, Slater, Hooton and Boag were running up flags for Shearer in such an overt way. They had their own ABC club.
They threw Shearer in at the deep end on his back story and it was never going to be enough. To expect someone to walk in to that job with virtually no apprenticeship was crazy. It would be like arranging for a builder to build your house without any proper training and experience. To my way of thinking they did Shearer as much a dis-service as they did Cunliffe. Shows they weren’t really thinking of either the party or the country.
What it really shows, if your theory is right, is that the decision makers in labour are completely dim, and can be outwitted by Nat spin doctors. Why would anyone want to put such numpties in charge of a country?
If cunliffe had won, they’d still be concern-tr0lling about challenges from shearer or robertson or mallard. And Key would still be saying cunliffe is in trouble and might be facing a challenge before the end of the year.
McFlock, the difference would be that Cunliffe would accept that the blogosphere is a legitimate part of the Labour consensus. He is an inclusive person. Perhaps that comes from his upbringing in vicarages around the country.
Imagine! A Labour leader in the 21st Century who actually recognises that the blogs are part of the wider democratic process and who does not fear their power!
I look forward to a Labour leader and a Labour Prime Minister who can look both the membership and the public in the eye comfortably, whether in TV debate or on The Standard. Cunliffe has the balls and the ability to argue, (and/or charm), with whomsoever. Cunliffe will move us to a plane higher and firmer than the current swamp.
Unfortunately the member for Wellington Central, (3rd to the Greens), has driven in the wedges that divide the Labour Party. He’s pulling Shearer’s strings like something from Machievelli’s ‘The Prince”, but unfortunately for the Party he has only read the Reader’s Digest version. He lacks the skill and subtlety of a real player and cannot help but reveal his control freak behaviour in the clumsy way he operates. We only have to look at the failure of Red Alert to see that in action.
This is the sort of messianic drivel that just sets âthe faithfulâ up for more heartbreak.
Rubbish. You have taken a quote out of context to the rest of the comment and tried to set it up as some sort of religious revival claptrap. Because Just do it’s views don’t fit in with yours… you discredit and belittle them. It’s a trait of yours and it’s not smart. Grow up!
My wariness at such imagery is from hearing people say similar things about Jim Anderton (among others). The person never matches the unreal expectations. If people don’t like me calling them on it, they can get stuffed.
You are right, CGV.
Cunliffe will unite the party again. Cunliffe has a majority in the Caucus, when you remove the four imbiciles who took graft from Skycity. Those four are politically dead. And Cunliffe always had the most members and Unions.
We can have a leader who never sold out and who talks properly to your mother or to your companys managing director. That should be the basic standard for a Leader. We should not be entertaining a fellow that asks us to pay for hs elecution seasons.
Why thank you. Beneath the surface of every cantankerous cynical Nuclear Power Station owner lies the heart of a leftie environmentalist just dying for Labour to get its stuff together.
But it could be one hell of a sabotage job. Started by the ABC faction and Paddy Gower, and kept up by Hooten Farrar and Slater. Labour ended up with a lame duck and has LOST a year due to this distraction. One can only imagine what could have happened if the ABC faction were shown he door after the last debacle of an election. But they weren’t they just stayed on sucking the life out of the Labour Party. The treatment of Cunliffe was despicable and it drove me from being a life time Labour supporter, to voting Green, and unless something radical is done to A: Get some good policy out that they will support. I was dismayed when Robertson said they were only going to do the power company and everyone else was safe to continue the pillaging. Chris Trotter said it better.
“Grant Robertsonâs statement of 24 April made everything much clearer. According to Grant the energy policy was a one-off, and the business community could rest easy that far from being the harbinger of Labourâs wholesale repudiation of neoliberal ideology, the energy policy was an aberration. No other deviations from the norm were planned, purred Robertson:” http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/06/26/okay-okay-im-un-surrendering-replace-shearer/
B: Listen to the membership they paid their fees, they walk, hammer, post,phone, etc etc every election. Yet they are still being treated like shit, and they are leaving too.
C: Get some new blood Labour is supposed to be a left party, but it is being ruin by dinosaurs with out dated thinking and even more out dated fuckups, I mean if you wanted to go to the Rugby. Well you are paid enough, (so as you don’t need to visit the ‘Enemies’ box.) Buy your own Tickets.
D: Just show some common sense. Shearer is not working, and Labour is on track for a bigger beating than last time. And NZ cannot afford 3 more years of Keys megalomania, and sell it all attitude. And I notice they are after the councils to start selling their assets like the port and Airport shares to pay for covered stadiums and the rail loop. That tells me they must have people just slavering at the thought of all these shares being gifted to them by a compliant government.
TV3’s Paddy Gower was explicitly clear that the detailed notes he took from a Labour caucus member were well outside the “Cunliffe camp” as he put it.
Despite the constitutional rule changes, the membership do not count. Either the media or the caucus need to call clearly for change of leaderhship. Hasn’t happened yet.
In fact caucus show all the signs of just doing another Goff and simply strapping themselves to ride the bomb straight into the ground. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Haaaa!
robertson..?..really..?..you reckon he is the best hope that labour has got..?
..(as noted above..)..did you miss his craven promise to the elites/current-power-paradigm that ‘electricity’ would be the only reform that a labour govt would do..?
..f.f.s..!..isn’t just that a neon-sign/loudhailer telling you that robertson is part of the problem..?
..and i hafta say..having done commentaries on q-time @ parliament for some years now..
..i have probably seen more of robertson in action than most..
..and in that forum..he has generally not impressed..
..(up against ryall in health he was particularly hapless/ineffectual..)
..and using impressions taken from that same window into parliament..
..the only one from labour that makes national/the right sit up straight and pay attention..
..is cunnliffe..
..they are particularly nervous about his follow-up questions..and his ability to instantly pounce on any contradictions in their answers to his interrogations..
..because ‘interrogations’ are what they are..
..and this is a skill that cunnliffe has..
..and that neither shearer nor robertson have..
(n.b..i have never met cunnliffe..and have been snarky about him in the past @ whoar..and i have not voted for labour since the rightwing revolution..
..so i have no party-faction-agenda/barrow..tho’ i do yearn for a labour that returns to its’ roots..
..and does what it was set up originally to do..eh..?)
..robertson is just a leader of those in labour who have still lost their way…
..and making him shearers’ successor will likely guarantee a defeat for the left in just over one year from now..
..much as continuing to cling to the wreck that is shearer will do…
..a labour party/govt led by the nose by the rightwing faction in labour..(who ‘nudge-nudge’/wink!-wink!’ robertson leads)..
..will be as big a disaster for those suffering the most..
..as was the last clark/labour-led govt..
..that bow/promise to the elites to do nothing to rock their boats from robertson –
+2 three meke.
I’ve never really understood why Helen decided to have a cuppa and a lay down in the third term and do absolutely sfa – when there was a golden opportunity to further roll back a bit more of the damage that the Nats had done during the 90s.
Yep – you’re probably correct DtB. I must have been blinded by devotion and admiration of her intellect not to have realised earlier.
That last (3rd) term was a shocker – in terms of laziness, stagnation, complacency and unwillingness to seize the opportunity to reverse the effects of that Ruthenasia era. Seems to me the current Labour scene queens are still in that mode.
I think Peters would have supported a large nation building infrastructure and public transport building programme. He would have supported enhanced healthcare for the elderly and for children. He certainly would have supported massive additions to trade training and skills for young people. And improvements to state provided low cost pensioner housing – a no brainer for Winston to claim credit for.
Just what I was thinking, David H. As a longtime Labour activist I’ve just about given up !
Hate what Key is doing to our country, but cannot bear the thought of voting Labour to get those old hack neo-libs back into power. What’s the alternative ? Greens perhaps !
That tells me they must have people just slavering at the thought of all these shares being gifted to them by a compliant government.
Yep, National are determined to turn us back into a rentier society where most of the people are dependent upon the rich for their well being, i.e, if you don’t please a rich person then your life will be a life of poverty. We saw this in the 19th century but the time most applicable is the time of feudalism.
National are busy taking us backwards several centuries.
Are you all still happy with the new leader election rules of Labour?
Not so much for the process of electing a new leader, rather the unintended consequence of the reluctance to dump an incompetent leader (aka Shearer) due to the uncertainty of who will replace him?
Does this turn the Labour caucus into a bunch of cowards?
Do the rules need to be modified so that the party membership and affiliates can initiate a leadership challenge?
Because from how I see it from the outside, Shearer is an incompetent leader who has very little support apart from the ABC crowd in caucus who are just enough in number to block a leadership challenge.
So you have the membership & unions and reasonable chunk of caucus who want a change but it can’t happen because of a sizable minority of has beens holding up the renewal process and no automatic leadership vote until after 2014?
But I thought that all righties all agreed that Shearer would be a wonderful leader. After all he did give a mango skin to some poor kids once and he did think that it was unfair that a guy painting his roof was receiving ACC. I mean even if the guy did not actually exist being willing to bash an imaginary benefit bludger would be the sort of thing the right would really approve of.
443,000 more people voted for National than Labour at the last election. Who are these people? The rich, some middle classes and aspiring blue collar workers. I wonder how many enrolled non-voters there were at the 2011 election.
That’s a lot of people. I wish they would start to feel angry rather than disinterested in what is happening. If they think not voting is a protest then I wish we could send them the message that voting is a more powerful protest.
“I wish they would start to feel angry rather than disinterested in what is happening.”
You make it sound like they woke up one morning a couple of years ago and decided not to care about politics any more. They didn’t.
They were taught, meticulously and repetitively, by several generations of politicians, that no-one in a position of power, whether left or right wing, gives a stuff about them.
And btw they’re not going to wake up tomorrow morning and unlearn it just because Labour’s middle-of-the-road fan club have decided they like John Key better.
You make it sound like they woke up one morning a couple of years ago and decided not to care about politics any more. They didnât.
They were taught, meticulously and repetitively, by several generations of politicians, that no-one in a position of power, whether left or right wing, gives a stuff about them.
and a clearer demonstration of that indifference/neglect from labour had to be their promise at the last election to bring sole-parents into the families tax-break/subsidy working parents get..
..(and here is the kicker/nose-grind..)..by 2018..
..(i kid you not..this was their election promise to those they have ignored for so long..and who now ignore them..this was the lure to get them back..what were they thinking..?
..and here is the bit to make you sob/despair..shearer/robertson dominated labour have since ditched this policy – as being ‘too radical’..
..’we are still a long way from home will..a long way from home..’.)
..so really..rolling shearer has to be a package-deal..
..make it a twofer…
..bundle up robertson at the same time..
..he also has had long enough to prove he isn’t growing into the job..
From the very moment he was appointed I knew that David Shearer lacked the qualities needed by a political leader. David Cunliffe has some of those qualities but if his colleagues don’t like or trust him, how can he be leader? At the moment anyway.
What about David Parker or Andrew Little?
And Shearer seems to be confident about only one thing: that he will lead the party into the 2014 election. Does he know something Patrick Gower doesn’t or is that pure spindoctoring?
BTW, for a fabulous insight into the nature of leadership and the skulduggery of politics I recommend the Danish TV series Borgen, available on DVD. It’s very relevant to Australian and New Zealand politics.
On TV 3 tonight, Gower cited Cunliffe, Robertson and Little as the ones to watch. Nothing he said indicated whether he was speculating or repeating what he was told, but it left me thinking that if a leadership challenge really is in the pipeline, Robertson might well try to persuade more than one left wing favourite to put their name forward, with a view to splitting the vote.
She may be considered a bit young to bear that level of authority. As CV said of Little, you can wreck people’s future careers by overburdening them too soon – some people think that is the case with Shearer, with regard to parliamentary experience.
Hi Maureen, it has nothing to do with liking and trust. It has everything to do with job security. If you look at who supported Shearer they are all people who had never won a seat properly. They had been given list positions or been given easy seats like mount Albert. Cunliffe has the mana of taking a seat from the Natz.
Cunliffe is respected and a real Trust comes put of that. Parker is not a winner ever. Little has not won a seat. They have not earned a possie on the stage.
Fracking ? See http://www.thedailyshow.com for extended interview with documentary maker Josh Fox on his “Gasland Part Two” for HBO. See people being able to ignite the water coming from their wells in USA heartland …
Thousands gathered to support Wendy Davis in Austin on Thursday night’s filibuster — this marvelous coverage warmed my heart, reminding me of how we used to be willing to do battle here .. the Repubs are such bullies; their skulduggery has to be seen to be believed, even to changing the electronic clock … wonderful reporting by the great Rachel Maddow … prepare to be ready to cheer for these brave and determined ones…. democracy alive in Texas …
But Rick Perry will be back again in a few weeks to try again … watch the interview that follows on the above report and believe the possibility of sea-change in Texas.
Because of yesterday’s day of jubilee, the other, less evolved primates in the Texas legislature are now free to redistrict an end to Davis’s meddlesome political career.
Thx for link Joe90 — they will get this strong woman to run for governor on the back of all this .. did you read the comments section ? Let’s see .. the people are awake and sea change can follow … ripples are the promises the waves make to the flood, and all that ! Wishful thinking ? nah.
Would there actually be any point changing leadership now?
We’re still a far way out, but I think you’d end up like Labour in aussie at the moment. Might as well ride it out with Shearer, wreak him, change leaders?
Yes, there has to be a point to it. Labour will lose under Shearer, almost no doubt about it. He can’t cut it. Cunliffe would be fresh, extremely capable and a brilliant and articulate communicator, likely the best in the House. The diff ‘twixt here and Oz ? We would not be re-selecting a previously-used leader. I dread the future for us all if Gnats get a third term; I seriously doubt we could ever recover from their massive harms.
Bugger the Labour Party… there will be significantly more munted and irrelevant people in NZ if we have another 3 years of Pinokeyo, the fat controller et al.
Would Cunliffe improve Labour’s prospects next year? Possibly. But the heart of the problem is that the Labour Party as a caucus and as an organisation, remains too far away from understanding what NZ needs. Which IMO I will put this way: 12 strong years which will rework the entire economy and set NZ right on track for thriving through peak oil and climate change.
Ride it out….like we did under Goff
Ride it out and let Nats in for another Term.
Ride it out and see our supporters go to e Greens and Mana and even NZ First.
Ride it out is not an option
Ride it out is not an option
Ride it out is not an option
Yeah, let us repeat the same mistakes.
Go Infusion. You are INSPIRED
Am I to understand from that link that they took thousands of reels of acetate and nitrate old films on a plane?
One reel in a car (or your house) would be highly dangerous.
The Nats Auckland Transport announcement; http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10893553
-CRL
-AMETI (east-west link)
-another harbour crossing- twin tunnels; 2025-2030
Despite pressure coming on from the council, and the Greens, total rail trips have to increase from 11M currently, to 20M per annum to have CRL brought forward from 2020 considered.
Along with the proposed double harbour tunnel. Key said that the Christchurch spend was all signed and sealed – unbreakable, but note nothing has been written in concrete about the CRL or the tunnel.
“An amateur litigant who has a court case against MP John Banks under way and plans one against MP Peter Dunne is now advancing the process against Prime Minister John Key.”
(Only found about this today).
It’s potentially quite a big deal.
I mean – whoever expected the DEFENDANT John Banks to end up in the dock, at the Auckland District Court?
A sitting MP, being held accountable in a Court of LAW, to the RULE OF LAW?
Far out!
Whoever may be next………………?
GREAT work Private Prosecutor Graham McCready!
______________________________________________________________________________
An amateur litigant who has a court case against MP John Banks under way and plans one against MP Peter Dunne is now advancing the process against Prime Minister John Key.
Graham McCready, a retired accountant, of Wellington, has filed informations with the Wellington District Court against Key alleging that he broke the Crimes Act by using or authorising illegal surveillance on internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom.
He has submitted the same informations against Government Communications Security Bureau head Ian Fletcher.
Deputy registrar Kevin Conroy has acknowledged the informations.
“I now have to consider the matter of the issue of summonses under the provisions of the Summary Procedures Act 1957,” he said.
He said he must be satisfied that the informations and summons disclosed an offence and there was sufficient information to fairly inform the defendants.
McCready is asked to provide a full written summary of the facts.
His case involves a section of the Crimes Act that prohibits the use of interception devices and says “everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who intentionally intercepts any private communication by means of an interception device”.
Key’s office had no comment.
McCready has previously taken private prosecutions against MPs Trevor Mallard and Banks. The prosecution against Mallard alleged assault, but the Labour MP later pleaded guilty to fighting in a public place in 2007.
In May, Banks pleaded not guilty to a charge alleging he filed a false electoral return in the Auckland mayoralty race three years ago. ”
______________________________________________________________________________
More information (copies of the actual ‘informations’) will be available soon – so you can read them for yourselves.
And as Judge Mills pointed out in the Wellington District Court at law, allegations stand or fall on their own merit, not on the character of the person making the allegations. An upstanding person may totally believe a wrong allegation Burglars don’t not necessarily commit treason.
Why is the system leaving it to a private individual to get John Banks into the dock?
This must leave you with a problem WRT John Key. Does he have an upstanding character with dreadful actions or vice versa.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! He’s living in Limbo!”
Another depraved few minutes on the Panel preshow.
Radio NZ National, Friday 28 June 2013
Jim Mora, Duncan Webb, Sally Wenley
If Red China during the very worst excesses of its crackdowns against “rightists”, “revisionists” and “capitalist running dogs” had had talk radio, this is what it would have sounded likeâŚ.
JIM MORA: It’s a quarter to four, and it’s time for Susan Baldacci and what the wooooooooorld’s talking about! SUSAN BALDACCI: Well today the world is talking about Las Vegas, Nevada, which is getting ready for the hottest temperature ever recorded in the world. MORA: What, on Planet Earth? SUSAN BALDACCI: They are expecting a temperature of— MORA: The hottest temperature on Planet Earth? SUSAN BALDACCI: Yep. It’s 142 Fahrenheit, or 56.7 celsius. MORA: We were talking about the Indian floods but this is a real crisis too isn’t it. SUSAN BALDACCI: It certainly is. The big worry would be if the power went out! MORA:Where was the previous highest temperature? SUSAN BALDACCI: In Australia, I think. MORA: Was it in Australia? SUSAN BALDACCI: Y-y-y-y-yes. MORA: I’ve been in 42 degrees once. But fifty-SIX degrees. That’s amazing! SALLY WENLEY: Oh yes. Amazing!
âŚ.[Long, vacuous pause]âŚ.
MORA: What’s Mr Snowden been up to? SUSAN BALDACCI: Arrrrrggghhhh. He’s not going anywhere! MORA Ha ha ha! SUSAN BALDACCI: He’s still in that transit lounge in Russia! MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! He’s living in Limbo! SALLY WENLEY: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! SUSAN BALDACCI: It looks like he could be going to Ecuador. MORA: Hmmmmm. Ecuador is being extremely aggressive, isn’t it! SUSAN BALDACCI: Yes, they are threatening to CANCEL the trade agreement they have with the United States! MORA: Why? SUSAN BALDACCI: Well, they are going to preemptively reject millions in trade benefits that it could lose by taking in this guy from his limbo in the Moscow airport. They say they are not going to be “blackmailed” by the United States. They want to show their “independence”. MORA: Huh! SALLY WENLEY: Huh! SUSAN BALDACCI: But President Obama has said they are not going to beg anyone to help them get this guy. MORA: Yeah, exactly. SALLY WENLEY: Exactly. MORA: And they said something about how they are offering to give the United States $23 million a year for “human rights training”. SUSAN BALDACCI: Yep, a government spokesman said :”Ecuador will not accept pressures or threats from anyone, and it does not traffic in its values or allow them to be subjugated to mercantile interests.” MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! Good Lord! Ha ha ha! SALLY WENLEY: Ha ha ha ha ha!
See alsoâŚ.
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: âBruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.â
No. 21 Tim Groser: âI think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.â
No. 20 John Key: âBut if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.â
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: âIt is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DONâT!â
No. 18 Ant Strachan: âThe All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!â
No. 17 Stephen Franks: âPeter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.â
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: âTony AbbottâŚhasnât made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.â
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: âI did not lie⌠Colin Powell did not lie.â
No. 14 Colin Powell: âa post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizationsâŚconnections are now emergingâŚâ
No.13 Barack Obama: âSimply put, these strikes have saved lives.â http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052013/#comment-638881
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: âProtecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UKâs top priorities.â
No. 11 Brendan OâConnor: âAustraliaâs approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.â
No. 10 Boris Johnson: âLondoners have⌠the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.â
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: âNews you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!â
No. 8 Simon Bridges: âI donât mean to duck the questionâŚ.â
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: âQuite frankly, theyâve been VERY tough.â
â¨http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15052013/#comment-633295
â¨No. 6 NZ Herald PR dept: âCongratulationsâyouâre reading New Zealandâs best newspaper.ââ¨
â¨No. 5 Rawdon Christie: ââŚa FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.ââ¨http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13052013/#comment-632594â¨
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: âThe X-Factor. Nah, nah, thereâs some GREAT talent there!ââ¨
No. 3 John Key: âYeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.â
â¨No. 2 Colin Craig: âOh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.â
â¨No. 1 Barack Obama: âMargaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.â
—John Key, Radio NZ National Checkpoint, 5:20p.m., Friday 28 June 2013. Host Mary Wilson let him get away with that unchallenged as usual.
Humbug Corner is dedicated to gathering, and highlighting, the most striking examples of faux solicitude, insincere apologies, and particularly stupid recycling of official canards. It is produced by the Insincerity ProjectÂŽ, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More appalling humbugâŚ.
No. 4 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton’s⌠integrity beyond reproachâŚsuch great character⌔
â¨No. 3 Dean Lonergan: âYâ know what? The only people who will mock them are people who are dwarfists.ââ¨
No. 2 Peter Dunne: âWhat a load of drivel and sanctimonious humbugâŚââ¨
â¨No.1 Dominic Bowden: âItâs okay to be speechless.â
Given the embargo on promoting any candidate on election day, please do NOT make any comments relating to the by election anywhere on The Standard from midnight until after 7pm on Saturday. ThanksâŚ
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Governmentâs official website – arrived in Point of Orderâs email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive  Melissa Lee â as may be discerned from the screenshot above â has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Governmentâs focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes –Â Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu â often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the governmentâs readiness to make urgent changes to âthe resource management systemâ through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes donât go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a âmedia summitâ to discuss âthe state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalismâ. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes –Â This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
 Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for âfast trackâ consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill â currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes-Â The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you arenât wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said âSince we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that âNew Zealandâs economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerfulâ. They also believe that âNew Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerfulâ. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
âYou talking about me?âThe neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hallâs âGlide Timeâ caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last yearâs severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labourâs environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our countryâs most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the countryâs books after Teanau Tuionoâs membersâ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his memberâs bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Todayâs advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Governmentâs newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealandâs urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - Â It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Â Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Â Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. âOur Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealandâs hydrogen future, with the opening of the countryâs first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. âI want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealandâs own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealandâs energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. âThe report shows that New Zealandâs emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,â Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where heâll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Governmentâs work to restore law and order. âAttending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the worldâs largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. âThe reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealandâs wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin  NgÄ mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho  Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.  I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. âOur Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealandâs overseas missions.  âOur diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealandâs interests around the world,â Mr Peters says.  âI am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. Â âOver 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. âIt is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. âOur coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
âChina remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,â Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. âRecently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachersâ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.  âThe Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. âScience, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĹ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĹ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĹ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. âThe coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealandâs latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âOur Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. âNew Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
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7.20 and all quiet on Open Mike, has everyone slept in? đ
Have cold, couldn’t get to sleep, watched tennis in the early hours, finally got a few hours sleep…. now…. blurgh!
….and 0820, and there’s hardly any traffic on the road in wgtn city
I was up at 5:01am but decided the shorter daylight hours justified my going back to bed.
Jenny copped a one week ban, and PG has been sulking for months.
Morrissey then?
Still undertaking the eenie meenie miney mo to ascertain todays “lairs of our time”.
catch a tiger by the toe
…when it bites ya head off… you’re bound to let go…
all good things must come to an end, and start all over again.(carry on stringing along fender, had Insomnia and only half-way through today’s shift).
I’m about to give the nicest man on Earth another chance. Counting down – 25 minutes to Mora
Iâm about to give the nicest man on Earth another chance. Counting down â 25 minutes to Mora
He wasn’t too nice this afternoon. He repeated the most flippant putdowns of Edward Snowdon, very like a loyal and dependable Soviet commissar deriding one of those dastardly Jewish doctors in the late 1930s.
Yep – I had to give up M. I tried – even got past some reasonable music (disappointed tho’ – I was hoping for a bit of Sympathy for the Devil).
The guy would be the best advertisement for whoever manufactures Valium I’ve ever come across.
The (70’s drugged up housewife’s) choice, and definitely the nicest man on Earth.
I think I can safely give the guy a miss for another few months.
LAIRS OF OUR TIME
No. 1: Dr. Evilâs Secret Underground Lair
http://i26.tinypic.com/32zq4i0.jpg
lol excellent
Really? Peter Dunne is in private discussions with just a political party over questions of security?
Surely every word that man is saying about security “negotiations” should be on the public record.
This issue is not about doing deals.
As for Key’s pushing another TINA*, he just happens to be a party leader who is in the position of Prime Minister at a given moment in time. What makes him think he is the authority?
And trust him? He couldn’t even remember how many Tranzrail shares he had.
This is not a party political issue that is being discussed. The security services belong to all Enzeders.
* (TINA was Thatcher’s name – There Is No Alternative.)
I agree, Logie97, that the security services – and their rights or not to spy on NZers – are, or should be, of interest to all NZers.
I find Dunne now being in private discussions with Key etc over his position on the GCSB Bill incongruous with his stated position just a few days ago. Do they have more that they are holding over Dunne – or is he just out to preserve his job regardless of principles etc? Both are also possible.
Thanks to NRT*, I have also just read this Stuff article re Henry having access to Vance’s movements in and out of Parliament from her security card records the day before her article.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8853155/Journalists-movements-tracked-by-leak-inquiry
“The journalist who was leaked a sensitive report on the nation’s foreign spy network had her movements tracked by a government inquiry.
The MP forced to resign over the leak, Peter Dunne, said inquiry head David Henry detailed to him the movements of Fairfax journalist Andrea Vance in and out of the parliamentary precinct. …”
All very confusing – this issue is not over yet. The dots are just not connecting …
*http://norightturn.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/spying-on-journalists.html
the turning worm.
Watched Dunne trying to get his points across in the debate on the Psychoactive Substances Bill, while being baited by Banks. When did Banks become a friend to man’s best friend? A Beagle Boy indeed. Did you know SAFE were denied the opportunity to make submissions, and the committee is unlikely to adopt Mathers’ SOP, which Banks supports; LDSO tests are obviously not excluded under the legal regimes in South East Asian countries where these substances are likely to be tested.
All the political parties seem to forget that the entire political system belongs to all NZers and not to the political parties.
David Shearer = No Good Whatsoever
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10893243
Shouldn’t really find amusement in Labours woes…but its just so funny
Just a prediction:
That bastion of the 4th Estate (‘Stuff’ – an appropriate name if ever there was) reports the media is being drawn into David Bain blame game http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8851997/Media-drawn-into-Bain-blame-game.
I’m now even more uncertain as to his guilt, and I’m not even sure that is the point. I’m waiting for this to become even more politicised to the extent that various counsel and supporters will soon find they are denigrated publicly – probably even including by the junta.
Yes, “the media are being played”.
According to Asst. Police Commissioner Malcolm Burgess, this new theory is only one in “isolation from a vast body of evidence”,” which one piece of circumstantial evidence does not outweigh”.
Unfortunate the entire matter sadly.
Looks like Shearer’s heading for the knackers: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8851945/Shearer-in-trouble-Key
Yes, the Shearer installation has been playing well for John Key and Nats.
Moving into the next phase now where Shearer The Awful can occupy the news for another two months.
What a bloody waste of all these months (plus another two months) with the majority of Labour caucus farking around with a hopeless seat warmer.
Arise, Mr Robertson. Pause no longer. Seek thy prize that now lies within thy grasp.
Robertson is half the problem. He backed and supported Shearer so that Cunliffe would not become leader. It was clear from the start that Shearer was a lame duck and not up to the job. As soon as Farrar and Hooton and Slater started supporting Shearer the alarm bells should have gone off.
Robertson played the factional game at the time even though he knew that Shearer would fail. Besides do you think that he has what it takes to win an election? He lost the party vote to the Greens in his electorate ffs.
For his careerism and because of his inability to do the job he should never be leader.
Time to start afresh. Cunliffe is the only one who can do the job. If MPs are going to stand in the way they should have their career path drastically altered. Anyone, repeat anyone, who makes a decision based on personal interest should go.
+1
+1
Totally agree Mr Burns Robertson and those who actively supported Shearer in my view.
Firstly if they backed Shearer because they thought Shearer was going to be an amazing leader they clearly have no idea what qualities a leader should have and two after being given a chance Shearer has failed to connect with voters and thats his job.
Thirdly by voting for Shearer over Cunliffe, Shearers voters totally disregarded grass roots members opinions during the membership contest.That being the case those Mp’s who voted against their LECs wishes and those who bullied members need to go. Those MPs have no credibility to work in the best interest of the Party or to represent its members.
Its time for a big clean out in Labour and sorry wont cut it.
The over-riding factor should be:
Who is the most gifted member of caucus and who is the best match for Key. There is only one answer. There only ever was one answer. That is why Farrar, Slater, Hooton and Boag were running up flags for Shearer in such an overt way. They had their own ABC club.
They threw Shearer in at the deep end on his back story and it was never going to be enough. To expect someone to walk in to that job with virtually no apprenticeship was crazy. It would be like arranging for a builder to build your house without any proper training and experience. To my way of thinking they did Shearer as much a dis-service as they did Cunliffe. Shows they weren’t really thinking of either the party or the country.
What it really shows, if your theory is right, is that the decision makers in labour are completely dim, and can be outwitted by Nat spin doctors. Why would anyone want to put such numpties in charge of a country?
Yes insider, that’s exactly the point. It’s exactly what many of us have been saying all along.
lol
If cunliffe had won, they’d still be concern-tr0lling about challenges from shearer or robertson or mallard. And Key would still be saying cunliffe is in trouble and might be facing a challenge before the end of the year.
McFlock, the difference would be that Cunliffe would accept that the blogosphere is a legitimate part of the Labour consensus. He is an inclusive person. Perhaps that comes from his upbringing in vicarages around the country.
Imagine! A Labour leader in the 21st Century who actually recognises that the blogs are part of the wider democratic process and who does not fear their power!
I look forward to a Labour leader and a Labour Prime Minister who can look both the membership and the public in the eye comfortably, whether in TV debate or on The Standard. Cunliffe has the balls and the ability to argue, (and/or charm), with whomsoever. Cunliffe will move us to a plane higher and firmer than the current swamp.
Unfortunately the member for Wellington Central, (3rd to the Greens), has driven in the wedges that divide the Labour Party. He’s pulling Shearer’s strings like something from Machievelli’s ‘The Prince”, but unfortunately for the Party he has only read the Reader’s Digest version. He lacks the skill and subtlety of a real player and cannot help but reveal his control freak behaviour in the clumsy way he operates. We only have to look at the failure of Red Alert to see that in action.
Cunliffe is not the man you think he is:
Cunliffe will move us to a plane higher and firmer than the current swamp
What rot. This is the sort of messianic drivel that just sets “the faithful” up for more heartbreak.
Rubbish. You have taken a quote out of context to the rest of the comment and tried to set it up as some sort of religious revival claptrap. Because Just do it’s views don’t fit in with yours… you discredit and belittle them. It’s a trait of yours and it’s not smart. Grow up!
My wariness at such imagery is from hearing people say similar things about Jim Anderton (among others). The person never matches the unreal expectations. If people don’t like me calling them on it, they can get stuffed.
You are right, CGV.
Cunliffe will unite the party again. Cunliffe has a majority in the Caucus, when you remove the four imbiciles who took graft from Skycity. Those four are politically dead. And Cunliffe always had the most members and Unions.
We can have a leader who never sold out and who talks properly to your mother or to your companys managing director. That should be the basic standard for a Leader. We should not be entertaining a fellow that asks us to pay for hs elecution seasons.
I totally agree with your summation Mr Burns.
When Shearer got the job as leader he promised to stand aside if he didn’t make a go of it… now’s the time for him to honour that promise.
Mr Burns – you seem to have had a personality change. No sarcasm, no support for the right. For once I agree with you.
Why thank you. Beneath the surface of every cantankerous cynical Nuclear Power Station owner lies the heart of a leftie environmentalist just dying for Labour to get its stuff together.
I think it’s just another side to his very complex personality, which has been hinting through in his past posts as well.
But it could be one hell of a sabotage job. Started by the ABC faction and Paddy Gower, and kept up by Hooten Farrar and Slater. Labour ended up with a lame duck and has LOST a year due to this distraction. One can only imagine what could have happened if the ABC faction were shown he door after the last debacle of an election. But they weren’t they just stayed on sucking the life out of the Labour Party. The treatment of Cunliffe was despicable and it drove me from being a life time Labour supporter, to voting Green, and unless something radical is done to A: Get some good policy out that they will support. I was dismayed when Robertson said they were only going to do the power company and everyone else was safe to continue the pillaging. Chris Trotter said it better.
“Grant Robertsonâs statement of 24 April made everything much clearer. According to Grant the energy policy was a one-off, and the business community could rest easy that far from being the harbinger of Labourâs wholesale repudiation of neoliberal ideology, the energy policy was an aberration. No other deviations from the norm were planned, purred Robertson:”
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/06/26/okay-okay-im-un-surrendering-replace-shearer/
B: Listen to the membership they paid their fees, they walk, hammer, post,phone, etc etc every election. Yet they are still being treated like shit, and they are leaving too.
C: Get some new blood Labour is supposed to be a left party, but it is being ruin by dinosaurs with out dated thinking and even more out dated fuckups, I mean if you wanted to go to the Rugby. Well you are paid enough, (so as you don’t need to visit the ‘Enemies’ box.) Buy your own Tickets.
D: Just show some common sense. Shearer is not working, and Labour is on track for a bigger beating than last time. And NZ cannot afford 3 more years of Keys megalomania, and sell it all attitude. And I notice they are after the councils to start selling their assets like the port and Airport shares to pay for covered stadiums and the rail loop. That tells me they must have people just slavering at the thought of all these shares being gifted to them by a compliant government.
TV3’s Paddy Gower was explicitly clear that the detailed notes he took from a Labour caucus member were well outside the “Cunliffe camp” as he put it.
Despite the constitutional rule changes, the membership do not count. Either the media or the caucus need to call clearly for change of leaderhship. Hasn’t happened yet.
In fact caucus show all the signs of just doing another Goff and simply strapping themselves to ride the bomb straight into the ground. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-Haaaa!
Spring is not far away.
robertson..?..really..?..you reckon he is the best hope that labour has got..?
..(as noted above..)..did you miss his craven promise to the elites/current-power-paradigm that ‘electricity’ would be the only reform that a labour govt would do..?
..f.f.s..!..isn’t just that a neon-sign/loudhailer telling you that robertson is part of the problem..?
..and i hafta say..having done commentaries on q-time @ parliament for some years now..
..i have probably seen more of robertson in action than most..
..and in that forum..he has generally not impressed..
..(up against ryall in health he was particularly hapless/ineffectual..)
..and using impressions taken from that same window into parliament..
..the only one from labour that makes national/the right sit up straight and pay attention..
..is cunnliffe..
..they are particularly nervous about his follow-up questions..and his ability to instantly pounce on any contradictions in their answers to his interrogations..
..because ‘interrogations’ are what they are..
..and this is a skill that cunnliffe has..
..and that neither shearer nor robertson have..
(n.b..i have never met cunnliffe..and have been snarky about him in the past @ whoar..and i have not voted for labour since the rightwing revolution..
..so i have no party-faction-agenda/barrow..tho’ i do yearn for a labour that returns to its’ roots..
..and does what it was set up originally to do..eh..?)
..robertson is just a leader of those in labour who have still lost their way…
..and making him shearers’ successor will likely guarantee a defeat for the left in just over one year from now..
..much as continuing to cling to the wreck that is shearer will do…
..a labour party/govt led by the nose by the rightwing faction in labour..(who ‘nudge-nudge’/wink!-wink!’ robertson leads)..
..will be as big a disaster for those suffering the most..
..as was the last clark/labour-led govt..
..that bow/promise to the elites to do nothing to rock their boats from robertson –
– was the magazine loading marks on his thumb..
..(is it too soon..?..)
phillip ure..
+2 three meke.
I’ve never really understood why Helen decided to have a cuppa and a lay down in the third term and do absolutely sfa – when there was a golden opportunity to further roll back a bit more of the damage that the Nats had done during the 90s.
’cause she wanted a 4th, obviously.
Would have been better if she’d gone all out but I don’t think she would have done so – still too tied to the neo-liberal dogma.
Yep – you’re probably correct DtB. I must have been blinded by devotion and admiration of her intellect not to have realised earlier.
That last (3rd) term was a shocker – in terms of laziness, stagnation, complacency and unwillingness to seize the opportunity to reverse the effects of that Ruthenasia era. Seems to me the current Labour scene queens are still in that mode.
It is what happens when you rely on Winston Peters for confidence. You can’t do left wing stuff any more.
Do you reckon MS?
I think Peters would have supported a large nation building infrastructure and public transport building programme. He would have supported enhanced healthcare for the elderly and for children. He certainly would have supported massive additions to trade training and skills for young people. And improvements to state provided low cost pensioner housing – a no brainer for Winston to claim credit for.
Just what I was thinking, David H. As a longtime Labour activist I’ve just about given up !
Hate what Key is doing to our country, but cannot bear the thought of voting Labour to get those old hack neo-libs back into power. What’s the alternative ? Greens perhaps !
Yep, National are determined to turn us back into a rentier society where most of the people are dependent upon the rich for their well being, i.e, if you don’t please a rich person then your life will be a life of poverty. We saw this in the 19th century but the time most applicable is the time of feudalism.
National are busy taking us backwards several centuries.
+1 too.
YES!
So, the journos wrote and published an entire story about one party leader on what an opposing party leader thinks is going to happen to the other?
Because key says so? Just before a by-election?
I mean, come on.
I have to ask Labourites a question.
Are you all still happy with the new leader election rules of Labour?
Not so much for the process of electing a new leader, rather the unintended consequence of the reluctance to dump an incompetent leader (aka Shearer) due to the uncertainty of who will replace him?
Does this turn the Labour caucus into a bunch of cowards?
Do the rules need to be modified so that the party membership and affiliates can initiate a leadership challenge?
Because from how I see it from the outside, Shearer is an incompetent leader who has very little support apart from the ABC crowd in caucus who are just enough in number to block a leadership challenge.
So you have the membership & unions and reasonable chunk of caucus who want a change but it can’t happen because of a sizable minority of has beens holding up the renewal process and no automatic leadership vote until after 2014?
But I thought that all righties all agreed that Shearer would be a wonderful leader. After all he did give a mango skin to some poor kids once and he did think that it was unfair that a guy painting his roof was receiving ACC. I mean even if the guy did not actually exist being willing to bash an imaginary benefit bludger would be the sort of thing the right would really approve of.
Shearer is a wonderful leader of labour :), don’t even think of replacing him
Why is it that righties are suddenly so interested in Labour’s leadership? From the PM down it seems.
because its funny.
I think D. Shearer is the right man for Labour. Keep him, please.
Just give your party back to the workers. All will come right after that.
How do they do that?
Nope, it’s for the members to take their party back off the caucus.
443,000 more people voted for National than Labour at the last election. Who are these people? The rich, some middle classes and aspiring blue collar workers. I wonder how many enrolled non-voters there were at the 2011 election.
~800,000
That’s a lot of people. I wish they would start to feel angry rather than disinterested in what is happening. If they think not voting is a protest then I wish we could send them the message that voting is a more powerful protest.
“I wish they would start to feel angry rather than disinterested in what is happening.”
You make it sound like they woke up one morning a couple of years ago and decided not to care about politics any more. They didn’t.
They were taught, meticulously and repetitively, by several generations of politicians, that no-one in a position of power, whether left or right wing, gives a stuff about them.
And btw they’re not going to wake up tomorrow morning and unlearn it just because Labour’s middle-of-the-road fan club have decided they like John Key better.
+1
+1
We need a party that gives them a reason to vote and we just don’t have one of those.
You make it sound like they woke up one morning a couple of years ago and decided not to care about politics any more. They didnât.
They were taught, meticulously and repetitively, by several generations of politicians, that no-one in a position of power, whether left or right wing, gives a stuff about them.
Hear, hear!
and a clearer demonstration of that indifference/neglect from labour had to be their promise at the last election to bring sole-parents into the families tax-break/subsidy working parents get..
..(and here is the kicker/nose-grind..)..by 2018..
..(i kid you not..this was their election promise to those they have ignored for so long..and who now ignore them..this was the lure to get them back..what were they thinking..?
..and here is the bit to make you sob/despair..shearer/robertson dominated labour have since ditched this policy – as being ‘too radical’..
..’we are still a long way from home will..a long way from home..’.)
..so really..rolling shearer has to be a package-deal..
..make it a twofer…
..bundle up robertson at the same time..
..he also has had long enough to prove he isn’t growing into the job..
..phillip ure..
This.
http://annesummers.com.au/2013/06/bullying-and-outright-treachery-are-the-new-normal-in-australia/
“truth, like decency, is no longer part of our political currency it seems”.-Anne Summers.
(Greens support for the ALP expires in September anyway).
âtruth, like decency, is no longer part of our political currency it seemsâ.-Anne Summers.
… nor, it seems is it a part of the Police agenda, or the judicial process (in relation to our Bain thoughts above)
From the very moment he was appointed I knew that David Shearer lacked the qualities needed by a political leader. David Cunliffe has some of those qualities but if his colleagues don’t like or trust him, how can he be leader? At the moment anyway.
What about David Parker or Andrew Little?
And Shearer seems to be confident about only one thing: that he will lead the party into the 2014 election. Does he know something Patrick Gower doesn’t or is that pure spindoctoring?
BTW, for a fabulous insight into the nature of leadership and the skulduggery of politics I recommend the Danish TV series Borgen, available on DVD. It’s very relevant to Australian and New Zealand politics.
Little maybe, but probably too soon. Parker no. Robertson no.
If you put Little up now, before he is properly blooded, you’ll be wasting what could be an awesome future talent.
On TV 3 tonight, Gower cited Cunliffe, Robertson and Little as the ones to watch. Nothing he said indicated whether he was speculating or repeating what he was told, but it left me thinking that if a leadership challenge really is in the pipeline, Robertson might well try to persuade more than one left wing favourite to put their name forward, with a view to splitting the vote.
The 3 Gower mentioned, had me musing on who the “anonymous” source of the “flat” caucus might be.
I’d have thought Jacinda Ardern would be in the frame as much as Little?
She may be considered a bit young to bear that level of authority. As CV said of Little, you can wreck people’s future careers by overburdening them too soon – some people think that is the case with Shearer, with regard to parliamentary experience.
Hi Maureen, it has nothing to do with liking and trust. It has everything to do with job security. If you look at who supported Shearer they are all people who had never won a seat properly. They had been given list positions or been given easy seats like mount Albert. Cunliffe has the mana of taking a seat from the Natz.
Cunliffe is respected and a real Trust comes put of that. Parker is not a winner ever. Little has not won a seat. They have not earned a possie on the stage.
test
Fracking ? See http://www.thedailyshow.com for extended interview with documentary maker Josh Fox on his “Gasland Part Two” for HBO. See people being able to ignite the water coming from their wells in USA heartland …
the contamination of the aquifiers in HB is a very real concern from this process.
Here.
So, today’s the day (tonight’s the night) when Christchurch City Council learn whether IANZ remove their permitting accreditation.
And the RB fear that the raising of interest rates will damage the ‘economic recovery’; what fragile coffers they must see.
Please watch this and be energised.
Thousands gathered to support Wendy Davis in Austin on Thursday night’s filibuster — this marvelous coverage warmed my heart, reminding me of how we used to be willing to do battle here .. the Repubs are such bullies; their skulduggery has to be seen to be believed, even to changing the electronic clock … wonderful reporting by the great Rachel Maddow … prepare to be ready to cheer for these brave and determined ones…. democracy alive in Texas …
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/#52324859
But Rick Perry will be back again in a few weeks to try again … watch the interview that follows on the above report and believe the possibility of sea-change in Texas.
Democracy, sea-change, nah, wishful thinking.
Because of yesterday’s day of jubilee, the other, less evolved primates in the Texas legislature are now free to redistrict an end to Davis’s meddlesome political career.
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/All_Things_Are_Connected
Thx for link Joe90 — they will get this strong woman to run for governor on the back of all this .. did you read the comments section ? Let’s see .. the people are awake and sea change can follow … ripples are the promises the waves make to the flood, and all that ! Wishful thinking ? nah.
Would there actually be any point changing leadership now?
We’re still a far way out, but I think you’d end up like Labour in aussie at the moment. Might as well ride it out with Shearer, wreak him, change leaders?
Yes, there has to be a point to it. Labour will lose under Shearer, almost no doubt about it. He can’t cut it. Cunliffe would be fresh, extremely capable and a brilliant and articulate communicator, likely the best in the House. The diff ‘twixt here and Oz ? We would not be re-selecting a previously-used leader. I dread the future for us all if Gnats get a third term; I seriously doubt we could ever recover from their massive harms.
I have to agree with you yeshe – if Labour do not win the next election, I fear it’ll be one seriously munted and irrelevant political party.
Bugger the Labour Party… there will be significantly more munted and irrelevant people in NZ if we have another 3 years of Pinokeyo, the fat controller et al.
Don’t worry yeshe, infused is getting a bit worried Cunliffe might become leader and biff it to his/her beloved NActs.
Would Cunliffe improve Labour’s prospects next year? Possibly. But the heart of the problem is that the Labour Party as a caucus and as an organisation, remains too far away from understanding what NZ needs. Which IMO I will put this way: 12 strong years which will rework the entire economy and set NZ right on track for thriving through peak oil and climate change.
Ride it out….like we did under Goff
Ride it out and let Nats in for another Term.
Ride it out and see our supporters go to e Greens and Mana and even NZ First.
Ride it out is not an option
Ride it out is not an option
Ride it out is not an option
Yeah, let us repeat the same mistakes.
Go Infusion. You are INSPIRED
Something good to report today.
Old films in NZ to be archived and cared for.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8851761/Lab-deal-gives-rare-Kiwi-films-new-life
Am I to understand from that link that they took thousands of reels of acetate and nitrate old films on a plane?
One reel in a car (or your house) would be highly dangerous.
Holy crap…you might as well carry 100kg of incendiaries onboard.
Coleman shines a lamp on the poor record of safety in the NZDF and launches a “wide-ranging enquiry”.
Risk to the financial system, general price stability, due to the housing market may be greater than in the lead-up to the GFC
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10893435
“significant financial and economic damage could result”.
Auckland housing sprawls across prime, productive agricultural land http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10893444. sigh.
Had to happen.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/wikileaks-mole/
all for 5 Grand
The Nats Auckland Transport announcement;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10893553
-CRL
-AMETI (east-west link)
-another harbour crossing- twin tunnels; 2025-2030
Despite pressure coming on from the council, and the Greens, total rail trips have to increase from 11M currently, to 20M per annum to have CRL brought forward from 2020 considered.
Not surprised the CRL announcement from National turns out to be a trojan horse.
Did anyone really expect much more?
Along with the proposed double harbour tunnel. Key said that the Christchurch spend was all signed and sealed – unbreakable, but note nothing has been written in concrete about the CRL or the tunnel.
Don’t know about a horse. I hoped santa would bring us a bridge – isn’t a tunnel in the shaky isles a bit of a pipedream?
Off topic I guess, but well done to steven adams for getting pick by the thunder at no12 in the draft.
PiĂąera, an intergenerational clan of thugs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/27/chilean-protesters-street-battles-police
FYI
“An amateur litigant who has a court case against MP John Banks under way and plans one against MP Peter Dunne is now advancing the process against Prime Minister John Key.”
(Only found about this today).
It’s potentially quite a big deal.
I mean – whoever expected the DEFENDANT John Banks to end up in the dock, at the Auckland District Court?
A sitting MP, being held accountable in a Court of LAW, to the RULE OF LAW?
Far out!
Whoever may be next………………?
GREAT work Private Prosecutor Graham McCready!
______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8845031/Litigant-launches-more-cases
” Litigant launches more cases
MICHAEL FIELD
Last updated 17:08 26/06/2013
An amateur litigant who has a court case against MP John Banks under way and plans one against MP Peter Dunne is now advancing the process against Prime Minister John Key.
Graham McCready, a retired accountant, of Wellington, has filed informations with the Wellington District Court against Key alleging that he broke the Crimes Act by using or authorising illegal surveillance on internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom.
He has submitted the same informations against Government Communications Security Bureau head Ian Fletcher.
Deputy registrar Kevin Conroy has acknowledged the informations.
“I now have to consider the matter of the issue of summonses under the provisions of the Summary Procedures Act 1957,” he said.
He said he must be satisfied that the informations and summons disclosed an offence and there was sufficient information to fairly inform the defendants.
McCready is asked to provide a full written summary of the facts.
His case involves a section of the Crimes Act that prohibits the use of interception devices and says “everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who intentionally intercepts any private communication by means of an interception device”.
Key’s office had no comment.
McCready has previously taken private prosecutions against MPs Trevor Mallard and Banks. The prosecution against Mallard alleged assault, but the Labour MP later pleaded guilty to fighting in a public place in 2007.
In May, Banks pleaded not guilty to a charge alleging he filed a false electoral return in the Auckland mayoralty race three years ago. ”
______________________________________________________________________________
More information (copies of the actual ‘informations’) will be available soon – so you can read them for yourselves.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
Heavens to Murgatroyd!
Graham McCready: Convicted tax fraudster and blackmailer
Yes. Invaluable qualifications for spotting others who also have corrupted characters.
And as Judge Mills pointed out in the Wellington District Court at law, allegations stand or fall on their own merit, not on the character of the person making the allegations. An upstanding person may totally believe a wrong allegation Burglars don’t not necessarily commit treason.
Why is the system leaving it to a private individual to get John Banks into the dock?
This must leave you with a problem WRT John Key. Does he have an upstanding character with dreadful actions or vice versa.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! He’s living in Limbo!”
Another depraved few minutes on the Panel preshow.
Radio NZ National, Friday 28 June 2013
Jim Mora, Duncan Webb, Sally Wenley
If Red China during the very worst excesses of its crackdowns against “rightists”, “revisionists” and “capitalist running dogs” had had talk radio, this is what it would have sounded likeâŚ.
JIM MORA: It’s a quarter to four, and it’s time for Susan Baldacci and what the wooooooooorld’s talking about!
SUSAN BALDACCI: Well today the world is talking about Las Vegas, Nevada, which is getting ready for the hottest temperature ever recorded in the world.
MORA: What, on Planet Earth?
SUSAN BALDACCI: They are expecting a temperature of—
MORA: The hottest temperature on Planet Earth?
SUSAN BALDACCI: Yep. It’s 142 Fahrenheit, or 56.7 celsius.
MORA: We were talking about the Indian floods but this is a real crisis too isn’t it.
SUSAN BALDACCI: It certainly is. The big worry would be if the power went out!
MORA:Where was the previous highest temperature?
SUSAN BALDACCI: In Australia, I think.
MORA: Was it in Australia?
SUSAN BALDACCI: Y-y-y-y-yes.
MORA: I’ve been in 42 degrees once. But fifty-SIX degrees. That’s amazing!
SALLY WENLEY: Oh yes. Amazing!
âŚ.[Long, vacuous pause]âŚ.
MORA: What’s Mr Snowden been up to?
SUSAN BALDACCI: Arrrrrggghhhh. He’s not going anywhere!
MORA Ha ha ha!
SUSAN BALDACCI: He’s still in that transit lounge in Russia!
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! He’s living in Limbo!
SALLY WENLEY: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
SUSAN BALDACCI: It looks like he could be going to Ecuador.
MORA: Hmmmmm. Ecuador is being extremely aggressive, isn’t it!
SUSAN BALDACCI: Yes, they are threatening to CANCEL the trade agreement they have with the United States!
MORA: Why?
SUSAN BALDACCI: Well, they are going to preemptively reject millions in trade benefits that it could lose by taking in this guy from his limbo in the Moscow airport. They say they are not going to be “blackmailed” by the United States. They want to show their “independence”.
MORA: Huh!
SALLY WENLEY: Huh!
SUSAN BALDACCI: But President Obama has said they are not going to beg anyone to help them get this guy.
MORA: Yeah, exactly.
SALLY WENLEY: Exactly.
MORA: And they said something about how they are offering to give the United States $23 million a year for “human rights training”.
SUSAN BALDACCI: Yep, a government spokesman said :”Ecuador will not accept pressures or threats from anyone, and it does not traffic in its values or allow them to be subjugated to mercantile interests.”
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! Good Lord! Ha ha ha!
SALLY WENLEY: Ha ha ha ha ha!
…et cetera, et cetera, ad absurdum, ad nauseamâŚ
LIARS OF OUR TIME
No. 24: John Key
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
—New Zealand prime minister John Key, pretending to be “disappointed” that parliamentary staff passed on information about a journalist’s movements as part of an inquiry into the leak of sensitive information.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8853155/Journalists-movements-tracked-by-leak-inquiry
See alsoâŚ.
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: âBruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.â
No. 21 Tim Groser: âI think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.â
No. 20 John Key: âBut if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.â
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: âIt is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DONâT!â
No. 18 Ant Strachan: âThe All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!â
No. 17 Stephen Franks: âPeter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.â
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: âTony AbbottâŚhasnât made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.â
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: âI did not lie⌠Colin Powell did not lie.â
No. 14 Colin Powell: âa post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizationsâŚconnections are now emergingâŚâ
No.13 Barack Obama: âSimply put, these strikes have saved lives.â
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052013/#comment-638881
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: âProtecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UKâs top priorities.â
No. 11 Brendan OâConnor: âAustraliaâs approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.â
No. 10 Boris Johnson: âLondoners have⌠the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.â
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: âNews you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!â
No. 8 Simon Bridges: âI donât mean to duck the questionâŚ.â
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: âQuite frankly, theyâve been VERY tough.â
â¨http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15052013/#comment-633295
â¨No. 6 NZ Herald PR dept: âCongratulationsâyouâre reading New Zealandâs best newspaper.ââ¨
â¨No. 5 Rawdon Christie: ââŚa FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.ââ¨http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13052013/#comment-632594â¨
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: âThe X-Factor. Nah, nah, thereâs some GREAT talent there!ââ¨
No. 3 John Key: âYeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.â
â¨No. 2 Colin Craig: âOh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.â
â¨No. 1 Barack Obama: âMargaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.â
Humbug Cornerâ¨
No. 5: JOHN KEY
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Yeah well the Greens’ answer to everything is rail, isn’t it.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
—John Key, Radio NZ National Checkpoint, 5:20p.m., Friday 28 June 2013. Host Mary Wilson let him get away with that unchallenged as usual.
Humbug Corner is dedicated to gathering, and highlighting, the most striking examples of faux solicitude, insincere apologies, and particularly stupid recycling of official canards. It is produced by the Insincerity ProjectÂŽ, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More appalling humbugâŚ.
No. 4 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton’s⌠integrity beyond reproachâŚsuch great character⌔
â¨No. 3 Dean Lonergan: âYâ know what? The only people who will mock them are people who are dwarfists.ââ¨
No. 2 Peter Dunne: âWhat a load of drivel and sanctimonious humbugâŚââ¨
â¨No.1 Dominic Bowden: âItâs okay to be speechless.â
The Black Hole, of Kolkata
http://www.ibtimes.com/india-set-surpass-china-worlds-largest-coal-importer-use-power-plants-1327117 :India to surpass China importing coal to meet energy shortages.
IMF (Lagarde) on “Green Economies that respond to Climate Change will create jobs”
http://www.ibtimes.com/imf-director-says-green-economies-respond-climate-change-will-create-jobs-1326579
France officially in recession and heading towards 11% jobless rate
http://www.ibtimes.com/france-officially-recession-headed-jobless-rate-over-11-1324355
The sound of the other shoe dropping . . .
How much are the NSA and the CIA front running markets?
http://m.nakedcapitalism.com/nakedcapitalism/#!/entry/how-much-are-the-nsa-and-cia-front-running-markets,51cd441687443d6c8e580489/1
Given the embargo on promoting any candidate on election day, please do NOT make any comments relating to the by election anywhere on The Standard from midnight until after 7pm on Saturday. ThanksâŚ