Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 4 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The mainstream media may think the Zac Guilford, Lydia Ko and Mark Todd are all important news items, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
@Paul – Granny’s main focus is to warn the business owners and shareholders and the public against workers! Don’t trust them, they steal! Don’t trust anyone for that matter! The world is a scary place that only ‘The bachelor’ and ‘cops 4’ can lighten your day.
White collar criminals do little to not jail time, and pay back none of the money, as compared to the full conviction rate and claw back of any benefit fraud.
Should we be worried after Brexit?
Rachel Stewart thinks so…
What do you think?
OBR policy a scary bank secret
Let’s talk about the Reserve Bank’s open bank resolution policy.
The what? The open bank resolution (OBR) is an extremely important piece of policy that most New Zealanders have never heard of. Trust me, I have asked around and they haven’t.
If you have debt, it will likely not concern you in the slightest. If you have savings, then, like me, you will possibly endure sleepless nights.
It is not entirely hushed up but you do need to go looking to find it.
James Shaw has been doing work on this too in the past few weeks. I think the concerns were there even without Brexit but I’m not sure why it’s come up now.
Yeah and this after seeing year after year after year these arsoles paying themselves massive bonuses after the BIG bailout in 2008.
As I have said on many occasions I would not trust this incompetent Double Dipping Dickhead from Dipton with the local Boy Scouts Jamboree money.
I find it amusing that the likes of Prat Henry thinks he’s so Wonderful. Not surprised the international elite like the IMF thinks he’s first class as he’s of the same ilk and is borrowing heaps to keep us in hock for ever.
The other thing is, In Australia all the major trading banks have to have a deposit guarantee for the customer deposits.
As the major banks in NZ are Australian owned we now have a situation that if the major banks fail and they bring in the OBR New Zealanders will be financing Australians
How about that for a fucking MIckey Mouse set up. As I have said on many occasion, This shower of shit as a government could not organise a piss up in a brewery.
“Every other country in the OECD protects savers’ deposits with deposit insurance. Australians saving with the parent banks of ANZ, BNZ, ASB, or Westpac all have their deposits guaranteed up to $250,000. Kiwis saving with these same banks get no protection whatsoever.”
heh – I thought it was Cullen who had legislated for using customer deposits to bail the banks at the tail end of the last Labour led government. Guess I was a wee bit off the mark.
The Double Dipping Dickhead from Dipton (National) introduced that very quietly (not reported on TV or in Granny) in 2011.
The banks don’t make their customers aware of it either
I believe that these changes were mandated by the international central banking authority, the BIS (Bank of International Settlements). Another key institution of the power elite that most have not heard of.
Right, so we’re now witnessing a long-planned coup against Corbyn that was always scheduled to happen at some point in the immediate wake of the EU Referendum result, regardless of outcome.
Naturally enough, the PLP plotters needed to fabricate some sort of plausible-sounding pretexts and seed them in the MSM.
What I find interesting, though, is just how internally incoherent these pretexts are.
Despite the most authoritative polls taken on Referendum Day all suggesting Labour voters went heavily for Remain … 63/37 (Lord Ashcroft), 65/35 (YouGov), 60/32 (with 8% not voting) (Survation) … and the likelihood (based on the detail of the figures) that even Labour’s working and lower middle class C2DE voters (as a whole) either mildly favoured Remain or were relatively evenly split … Corbyn’s critics have pushed the notion that he has to go because “millions of Labour voters” defied his authority by ignoring his advice to support Remain. He clearly can’t command Labour voters’ respect, the argument goes.
At the same time, however, they’re also pushing the rather contradictory idea that he didn’t campaign hard enough for Remain, indeed appeared to be lukewarm and somewhat sceptical of the EU at best (in which case, the minority of Labour supporters who chose Leave did not, in fact, defy him !)
Utterly incoherent.
I mean, you could mount a reasonable argument that Corbyn got it pretty much right by keeping both types of Labour voter happy – going through the paces of formally supporting Remain while making it clear the EU needed significant reform.
It’s also a fact that Tory voters were rather more divided than Labour ones (42/58 in favour of Brexit – Lord Ashcroft Poll), (39/61 Brexit – YouGov). Does that mean Boris Johnson shouldn’t stand because he failed to exercise authority over a large-ish minority of Tory voters ?
And what about Nicola Sturgeon ? According to the Lord Ashcroft Poll, as many SNP supporters in Scotland voted Brexit (36%) as Labour supporters throughout the UK (37%). Should she also resign given that her Party is pro-Remain ?
The other implausible pretext comes courtesy of The Guardian:
It’s supposed to be some sort of Shock !, Horror ! King-Hit:
“Leaked internal Labour Party polling of people who voted for Labour in 2015 reveals that nearly a third (29%) would support a different party if a general election was held today … It shows that just 71% of those who voted for Ed Miliband’s party in May last year say they would vote Labour now.”
And, in another article from The Guardian: “Leaked internal Labour party polling suggested that Labour would attract nearly 3 million fewer votes than it did in the 2015 general election if one were called today.”
On Kiwiblog, David Farrar approvingly quotes the article, commenting that: “Labour MPs know they’ll do even worse than in 2015.”
The Guardian, I suspect has read far too much into the figures, smuggling some highly questionable assumptions into their analysis.
For starters, they fail to realise just how much churn there always is in public opinion. 71% loyalty to a Party is pretty typical in the UK. Take, for example, the latest Survation Poll conducted just a few days ago, immediately following the Referendum (and almost certainly after Labour’s Internal Poll):
2015 Labour voters = 73% Loyal, 15% Other party, 12% Don’t Know
2015 Tory voters = 71% Loyal, 13% Other party, 16% Don’t Know
In this Poll, Lib Dem loyalty was just 60% and, among people who had either voted for Other parties in 2015 or Not Voted, there were significant swings to Labour (far greater than movement to the Tories). Which is why Labour and the Tories were neck-and-neck on 32% each.
And I can cite plenty of other polls over the last year that say the same. There’s nothing at all shocking about 71% loyalty.
That’s why this idea of Labour being 3 million voters down is such utter rubbish. Not only will a reasonable chunk of their currently “disloyal” 2015 voters be in the Don’t Know category (many of whom will end up choosing Labour again) but also the usual degree of churn means that Labour will be largely compensated (or, as the latest Survation suggests) more than compensated by significant swings from people who voted for other Parties in 2015.
@BM – I think the screams are from the Labour supporters as their preferred leader is knifed in the back by his own party, at a time where the instability of the Conservatives could be utilised by looking like Labour is the stable safe haven. Apparently Labour’s personal careerists politicians and hungry warmongers are more interested in their own dramas and career climbing and appeasing their lobbyists to actually do something like shutting up, 9months in about their leader and actually helping win the next election.
Funny enough voters can easily work it out and learn politics in not worth it, and not vote.
swordfish
Thanks for that, I was wondering percentage of that alleged (cherry-picked?) 29% had gone to undecided rather than another party. This seems to me to be the coup that was scheduled for after the local body elections earlier in the year, which then had to be rainchecked when Labour’s vote heldup (except in Scotland). This line seems to neatly sum up the antidemocratic mindset of the Labour traitors:
Corbyn’s critics have pushed the notion that he has to go because “millions of Labour voters” defied his authority
They’ve had so much practice at it. They have no credibility with the electorate, imo. But meanwhile the Tory’s are managing the Brexit fallout (they’ve had a lot of practice at that!) and are looking composed (relatively speaking).
All over for Labour thanks to the Blairites. Shouda held off… but then they have July 6th to worry about…
Jeremy Corbyn is being blamed for sins principally committed by others. It is remarkable, when you think about it. The left is accustomed to being savaged by the Conservatives for promoting policies that would cause economic chaos and threaten the future of the country. That’s what they claimed against the modest social democratic proposals of Ed Miliband at the last general election. Look at what these people have now done to Britain. History may judge the Tory Brexiteers to be the architects of the most radical, and ruinous, proposition to be offered and (presumably) implemented in Britain since the war.
Launching a coup in the Labour Party at this moment has diverted attention away from those responsible for this national crisis — not least by staggering resignations to ensure Labour’s woes dominate the news cycle for as long as possible. The opposition has a crucial role right now in filling the vacuum and offering leadership and a plan for dealing with the coming turmoil. The nation’s crisis has been deepened as a consequence of this political paralysis. It will now be harder to define the coming crisis as a Tory-created crisis…
This in Politico is hardly unbiased (being based on a leak from an MP who has obviously chosen their side already), but I found this interesting:
The Labour Party now faces an internal constitutional crisis, unable to remove a leader his MPs will not serve.
MPs emerged shell-shocked from the meeting, and told POLITICO they were contemplating the very real possibility that it will have to split. The Parliamentary Labour Party is now considering electing its own leader in a move which would essentially create a separate party. This nuclear option is being referred to by MPs as a “universal declaration of independence.”
It seems incredible that the revolting Labour MPs would sacrifice their careers in this fashion. Given the UK’s FPP system, two Labour parties splitting the vote would be electoral suicide. Perhaps they’ve got lucrative “consultancy” positions lined up for when they are turfed out of parliament?
Speaking of breakups, this is interesting in light of the Plaid Cymru suggestion of Welsh independence (though that’s generally their answer to anything). Perhaps a Celtic confederation is on the cards? You could could argue that Scotland and Northern Island have more in common than the Republic of Eire and NI (though you’d have a lot of argument from catholic Ulstermen).
former Labour lord chancellor and justice secretary Charlie Falconer is consulting constitutional lawyers on whether a new federal relationship would be a legally sound alternative route to a full divorce between the EU and all parts of the UK… a possible federal deal where each devolved region could negotiate their own membership of the EU, while staying in the UK.
Although the UK as a whole voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU last Thursday, Scotland voted 62% to 38% to remain and Northern Ireland voted by 56% to 44% to stay…
Those involved admit the “associative status” proposal is theoretical and based in part on two previous decisions by the EU to modify its normal membership rules. Diplomatic sources in Brussels said the only realistic route for Scotland to stay in the EU after Brexit would be to apply as an independent country.
With regard to what is going on in Labour, I think that the results of 2008 are coming to a head in the UK, triggered by the Brexit. I was interested in this comment by RedLogix on last night’s daily Review: http://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-27062016/#comment-1195717
It is a comment on Labour’s right wingers, dated 1981, and it occurred to me that prior to Thatcher, etc. Labour right wingers did actually a have a devil’s advocate role to play, and they also helped to keep Labour policy from jeopardising the fortunes of the country as a whole, as well as protecting the party from accusations of communism. The third way period placed this lot in ascendancy, but since 2008 the right have held such economic sway that not rocking the boat has come to mean supporting austerity and not doing a single meaningful thing that a Labour Party exists to do. Now I see an unholy panic in UK Labour at the thought that the actual left might get mileage out of the Brexit. But the thing is, there is actually nothing attractive now for a market-centred Labour to convincingly pitch to the voters. If they cannot represent their abandoned constituents they have no further purpose.
“It seems incredible that the revolting Labour MPs would sacrifice their careers in this fashion. Given the UK’s FPP system, two Labour parties splitting the vote would be electoral suicide
Yes. This is a very high stakes play from the Blairite wing. The UK (un-united kingdom) really does need to convert to to proportional representation. The limits of FPP are glaring with this break-up on the left. The trouble is, the Conservatives are comfortable with the status quo. Meanwhile, citizens with the most difficult living conditions are unrepresented (again!) if Corbyn is ousted.
The opposition has a crucial role right now in filling the vacuum and offering leadership and a plan for dealing with the coming turmoil.
This vacuum is rapidly & easily filled by the far-right, which is all too keen to offer leadership and obviously has strong views on how to deal with present and future turmoil.
Here in New Zealand we worry and complain about the lack of a strong opposition but it ain’t nothing compared to what goes on and has been going on for some time in Europe.
If the UK or the World indeed goes into recession (again) all Hell could break loose (again).
Key is getting a lot of publicity with so called wonderful opportunities in a FTA with England/Britain, its like wow, its two years away, and they cant even negotiate a deal as of yet.
Constant claims by National claim more trade will raise wages and improve our living costs is unproven.
Its a fiction because the complete opposite happens.
Has employment costs increased for apple growers, since the Aussie market was opened up,
Prices for apples have tripled in the supermarket for low quality fruit.
Is there any evidence any primary producers have increased their employment costs on the back higher export volumes
FYI, I grew up on an a 3 acre apple orchard in the Tron.
Exactly – it is pretty clear that so called ‘trade deals’ do not work for consumers or workers.
In the UK supermarkets own everything, so that when you get an apple it has been picked before it is ripe so tastes horrible and has hundreds of food miles.
Most get put into cold storage here before being shipped.
I am waiting for anyone to post some proof how increases in trade volumes have added to employment costs,
which would happen if wages increase, wouldnt it?
Free market seems to work only theoretically. Most of it’s admirers do all their work paper pushing and making a killing on ‘the markets’ rather than growing or producing real stuff. Now we have the GFC because some banks got some maths whizzes to make up some new products with debt to ‘produce’ something theoretical. No lessons learnt there by the look of it.
Given that the petition to keep Mike Hosking has just over 2,700 signatures, as against the approximately 21,700 signed up to get rid of him, and given that the pace at which the latter is gathering supporters still far outstrips the former, the question must be asked as to whether getting rid of him is really enough, or whether the only appropriate option might not be to sack him, proclaim his sacking in a special announcement across all channels to the musical backdrop of What a Wonderful World, revoke his passport, prohibit his dining at any restaurant or public bar, or purchasing any edible produce fresher than twenty-one weeks old, and legislate to replace the overnight programme of all free-to-air channels with uninterrupted repeats of his least flattering moments in broadcasting, mostly drowned out by pre-recorded flatulence.
A big thank you to all of the right-leaning Standard readers who advocated increasing the merriment of the rest of us by creating a counter-petition for keping him. Your contributions are always appreciated.
Without Hosking where else would I get my daily reminder of what a dismal, desperate, callous, corrupt, hateful, heartless and truly horrible place New Zealand will become if the national party and it’s cronies remain in power ?
^That’s one of the top comments on the Keep Mike Hosking petition. I think its really a taking the piss petition.
The lazy buggers don’t turn up to vote and then blame Corbyn.
In fact 3.5 million people aged under 35 were not registered to vote in the UK. If most of these people had got their act together and voted 70% Remain, Remain would have won.
There is an inherent contradiction with those in their 20’s at the moment; on one hand they say F%^& It I’m not going to vote, the whole system is rigged/crap; on the other hand they whinge when old people vote and so get what they want. My niece in England is a classic example.
Yes, because it was artists who attacked workers’ rights and refused to ensure that wages kept pace with inflation, and failed to build enough state housing.
These false dichotomies (we can have housing or art and not both) are the very stuff of witless populism that made such a dog’s breakfast of the Brexit debate.
A lesson for political parties here. Don’t take the game seriously, underestimate the opposition, lose focus with distractions, and finally, blame the manager and not the players themselves.
1 hours ago:
“Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to dig in as Labour leader despite the resignations of 46 members of his front bench and an expected vote of no-confidence from the vast majority of his MPs.
Mr Corbyn is facing the biggest rebellion against a party leader in modern UK history, brutal in its scale and determination, yet he has refused to budge. Propped up by a hard core of loyal MPs and by the unions, he said on Monday that he would not leave until he was defeated in a leadership contest. ” http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/568a85c0-3c87-11e6-8716-a4a71e8140b0.html#axzz4Cox2Qvki
it’s the only thing they have, but it seems to work for them, like a panza unit.Unfortunately, Labour being a democratic party, allowing for debate, gets interpreted as being rudderless, rather than respectful of others opinions
There’s democratic and then there is stupid which uk labour seems to be.
They had the option of shutting up looking united and pushing for a snap election instead they go for the nuclear option that will likely end in a drawn out bitter leadership challenge.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the tories shuffle in a new leader and call an election while labour is in disarray in the midst of a leadership election.
There is definitely something wrong with the climate. Apart from being the warmest winter so far, my Garlic which I plant on the shortest day and pick on the longest, normally would not show it’s head until mid/end of July, and that would only be poking just above the surface.
It is now the 28Th June 7 days after the shortest day and it is about 30 mm in growth out of the ground. Worrying times, not for the Garlic but for the planet.
That suggests your soil temp this year has been 1 deg to 2 deg warmer than normal over this period. Which is utterly massive. And it’s 15 deg C down here at the moment. Which for Dunedin is warm spring time weather.
Oh boy! An hour ago:
“Britain should have a second referendum on the terms of leaving the European Union if it can secure a deal to control its borders, a Cabinet minister says.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, becomes the first minister to suggest Britain could hold another vote on Brexit, despite the Leave victory last week.
The Electricity Authority is investigating claims New Zealand’s largest electricity generating company manipulated the electricity market to maximise its own profits.
The case concerns an electricity price spike early this month, during which wholesale prices shot up for two short periods from a norm of $60 to $70 a megawatt hour to an average of $230.
A small power retailer, Electric Kiwi, said Meridian Energy withheld cheap electricity from the South Island to drive up the price.
When will we learn that privatisation always costs us more and thus stop voting for the psychopaths hell bent on selling our stuff?
“Captain Cook Highway”, I dunno if someone has it in for Foster-Bell but he’s pretty good at sticking his head above the parapet. How about Kupe Highway?
“The first the PM knew about Paul Foster-Bell’s idea to rename SH1 ‘Captain Cook Highway’ was today. He’s not keen.” – Newshub
Astounding isn’t it ianmac, so why vote National when you get the same as Labour, so much dissonance & white noise. When shown a problem Key just shrugs his shoulders & sings “It wasn’t me”.
Foreign Minister McCulley fronts up on Checkpoint tonight to explain at length the story of a lowly Embassy staffer was wanted for discussion with S Korean police over a minor matter.
What! You might find that odd given McCulley’s total absence over very serious issues like sheep and Ombudsman reports. Mmmm!
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 ...
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What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
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When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
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Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 4 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The mainstream media may think the Zac Guilford, Lydia Ko and Mark Todd are all important news items, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
Don’t forget Millie has found love in Greece.
This is the Herald’s lead story online…’Manager who stole $730k from Wanaka health centre had stolen before’
not Brexit
not homelessness.
What a joke!
You could write that headline any day and substitute minister for manager and abuse/disregard process for stolen.
But hey that would be journalism which has no place in granny’s celebrity, fear mongering, distraction agenda.
@Paul – Granny’s main focus is to warn the business owners and shareholders and the public against workers! Don’t trust them, they steal! Don’t trust anyone for that matter! The world is a scary place that only ‘The bachelor’ and ‘cops 4’ can lighten your day.
White collar criminals do little to not jail time, and pay back none of the money, as compared to the full conviction rate and claw back of any benefit fraud.
Zac Guildford, an overrated sports jock with issues. Did he have his pants on this time ?
Used to be one of the Herald’s favourite soap operas.
Looks like they’re hoping for a sequel.
Pity they don’t tackle the issue of alcohol in New Zealand seriously and instead do celebrity tittle tattle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8djI1rUQkw
Should we be worried after Brexit?
Rachel Stewart thinks so…
What do you think?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/opinion/9988749/OBR-policy-a-scary-bank-secret
James Shaw has been doing work on this too in the past few weeks. I think the concerns were there even without Brexit but I’m not sure why it’s come up now.
https://blog.greens.org.nz/2016/06/21/national-leaves-kiwi-savers-the-most-vulnerable-in-oecd/
Kiwi Saver, as an entire scheme, puts Kiwi wages into feeding the Wall St growth seeking investment animal. Thanks Labour, thanks Greens.
Feel free to post some alternatives including plans CV.
Yeah and this after seeing year after year after year these arsoles paying themselves massive bonuses after the BIG bailout in 2008.
As I have said on many occasions I would not trust this incompetent Double Dipping Dickhead from Dipton with the local Boy Scouts Jamboree money.
I find it amusing that the likes of Prat Henry thinks he’s so Wonderful. Not surprised the international elite like the IMF thinks he’s first class as he’s of the same ilk and is borrowing heaps to keep us in hock for ever.
The other thing is, In Australia all the major trading banks have to have a deposit guarantee for the customer deposits.
As the major banks in NZ are Australian owned we now have a situation that if the major banks fail and they bring in the OBR New Zealanders will be financing Australians
How about that for a fucking MIckey Mouse set up. As I have said on many occasion, This shower of shit as a government could not organise a piss up in a brewery.
“Every other country in the OECD protects savers’ deposits with deposit insurance. Australians saving with the parent banks of ANZ, BNZ, ASB, or Westpac all have their deposits guaranteed up to $250,000. Kiwis saving with these same banks get no protection whatsoever.”
blog.greens.org.nz/2016/06/21/national-leaves-kiwi-savers-the-most-vulnerable-in-oecd/
heh – I thought it was Cullen who had legislated for using customer deposits to bail the banks at the tail end of the last Labour led government. Guess I was a wee bit off the mark.
The Double Dipping Dickhead from Dipton (National) introduced that very quietly (not reported on TV or in Granny) in 2011.
The banks don’t make their customers aware of it either
I believe that these changes were mandated by the international central banking authority, the BIS (Bank of International Settlements). Another key institution of the power elite that most have not heard of.
Right, so we’re now witnessing a long-planned coup against Corbyn that was always scheduled to happen at some point in the immediate wake of the EU Referendum result, regardless of outcome.
Naturally enough, the PLP plotters needed to fabricate some sort of plausible-sounding pretexts and seed them in the MSM.
What I find interesting, though, is just how internally incoherent these pretexts are.
Despite the most authoritative polls taken on Referendum Day all suggesting Labour voters went heavily for Remain … 63/37 (Lord Ashcroft), 65/35 (YouGov), 60/32 (with 8% not voting) (Survation) … and the likelihood (based on the detail of the figures) that even Labour’s working and lower middle class C2DE voters (as a whole) either mildly favoured Remain or were relatively evenly split … Corbyn’s critics have pushed the notion that he has to go because “millions of Labour voters” defied his authority by ignoring his advice to support Remain. He clearly can’t command Labour voters’ respect, the argument goes.
At the same time, however, they’re also pushing the rather contradictory idea that he didn’t campaign hard enough for Remain, indeed appeared to be lukewarm and somewhat sceptical of the EU at best (in which case, the minority of Labour supporters who chose Leave did not, in fact, defy him !)
Utterly incoherent.
I mean, you could mount a reasonable argument that Corbyn got it pretty much right by keeping both types of Labour voter happy – going through the paces of formally supporting Remain while making it clear the EU needed significant reform.
It’s also a fact that Tory voters were rather more divided than Labour ones (42/58 in favour of Brexit – Lord Ashcroft Poll), (39/61 Brexit – YouGov). Does that mean Boris Johnson shouldn’t stand because he failed to exercise authority over a large-ish minority of Tory voters ?
And what about Nicola Sturgeon ? According to the Lord Ashcroft Poll, as many SNP supporters in Scotland voted Brexit (36%) as Labour supporters throughout the UK (37%). Should she also resign given that her Party is pro-Remain ?
The other implausible pretext comes courtesy of The Guardian:
It’s supposed to be some sort of Shock !, Horror ! King-Hit:
“Leaked internal Labour Party polling of people who voted for Labour in 2015 reveals that nearly a third (29%) would support a different party if a general election was held today … It shows that just 71% of those who voted for Ed Miliband’s party in May last year say they would vote Labour now.”
And, in another article from The Guardian:
“Leaked internal Labour party polling suggested that Labour would attract nearly 3 million fewer votes than it did in the 2015 general election if one were called today.”
On Kiwiblog, David Farrar approvingly quotes the article, commenting that: “Labour MPs know they’ll do even worse than in 2015.”
The Guardian, I suspect has read far too much into the figures, smuggling some highly questionable assumptions into their analysis.
For starters, they fail to realise just how much churn there always is in public opinion. 71% loyalty to a Party is pretty typical in the UK. Take, for example, the latest Survation Poll conducted just a few days ago, immediately following the Referendum (and almost certainly after Labour’s Internal Poll):
2015 Labour voters = 73% Loyal, 15% Other party, 12% Don’t Know
2015 Tory voters = 71% Loyal, 13% Other party, 16% Don’t Know
In this Poll, Lib Dem loyalty was just 60% and, among people who had either voted for Other parties in 2015 or Not Voted, there were significant swings to Labour (far greater than movement to the Tories). Which is why Labour and the Tories were neck-and-neck on 32% each.
And I can cite plenty of other polls over the last year that say the same. There’s nothing at all shocking about 71% loyalty.
That’s why this idea of Labour being 3 million voters down is such utter rubbish. Not only will a reasonable chunk of their currently “disloyal” 2015 voters be in the Don’t Know category (many of whom will end up choosing Labour again) but also the usual degree of churn means that Labour will be largely compensated (or, as the latest Survation suggests) more than compensated by significant swings from people who voted for other Parties in 2015.
Corbyn’s critics are selling a lie.
And his Preferred PM stats are still better than Little’s.
Rolling Corbyn is like Brexit itself: revolution always sounds good while you plot get everyone emotional and even while you do it.
Then you wake up and reach for the plan. And there isn’t one.
Corbyn screams instability, which is the last thing you want while the country is about to go through a period of instability.
I don’t think the UK economy would survive Brexit and Corbyn as PM, so he’s out the door.
@BM – I think the screams are from the Labour supporters as their preferred leader is knifed in the back by his own party, at a time where the instability of the Conservatives could be utilised by looking like Labour is the stable safe haven. Apparently Labour’s personal careerists politicians and hungry warmongers are more interested in their own dramas and career climbing and appeasing their lobbyists to actually do something like shutting up, 9months in about their leader and actually helping win the next election.
Funny enough voters can easily work it out and learn politics in not worth it, and not vote.
At a time where the instability of the Conservatives could be utilised by looking like Labour is the stable safe haven.
Never happen while Corbyn is at the wheel, which is why he has to go.
If Corbyn stays, the Labour party won’t be able to capitalise on the disarray within the conservatives.
The man is voter poison.
When was the last time you were in the UK BM?
Talking from your arse or from living there?.
“The man is voter poison.”
This is a big Fat complete lie and the opposite of actual reality.
London is not the whole UK BM.
It’s mostly London MP’s too who resigned, good riddance to champagne socialists IMHO
As for the people who live in the UK and vote labour, the majority want Corbyn the stupid posh soft southern part of Labour thinks it knows better
Corbyn screams of the end of the neo-liberal accomodation. The voters love him.
name me one other time in recent history when a potential party leader got queues out the door at a meeting
Smart choices on his new Shadow Cabinet, heavy on Northerners and a few Scots.
Is this the beginnings of the Blairite/Mandelson purge?
Bryan Gould made some surprising comments in the NZ Herald today, but perhaps not all that surprising if you know the man, which I don’t:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11664386
Yes he got that completely wrong Incognito-see my comment below the article.
swordfish
Thanks for that, I was wondering percentage of that alleged (cherry-picked?) 29% had gone to undecided rather than another party. This seems to me to be the coup that was scheduled for after the local body elections earlier in the year, which then had to be rainchecked when Labour’s vote heldup (except in Scotland). This line seems to neatly sum up the antidemocratic mindset of the Labour traitors:
The Guardian have always hated Corbyn, favouring the Blairlite candidates from the start
“Corbyn’s critics are selling a lie.”
They’ve had so much practice at it. They have no credibility with the electorate, imo. But meanwhile the Tory’s are managing the Brexit fallout (they’ve had a lot of practice at that!) and are looking composed (relatively speaking).
All over for Labour thanks to the Blairites. Shouda held off… but then they have July 6th to worry about…
Owen Jones on the plight of UK Labour
The conclusion provides food for thought.
This in Politico is hardly unbiased (being based on a leak from an MP who has obviously chosen their side already), but I found this interesting:
http://www.politico.eu/article/inside-account-of-labour-mps-attacks-on-jeremy-corbyn-shadow-cabinet-resignations-brexit/
It seems incredible that the revolting Labour MPs would sacrifice their careers in this fashion. Given the UK’s FPP system, two Labour parties splitting the vote would be electoral suicide. Perhaps they’ve got lucrative “consultancy” positions lined up for when they are turfed out of parliament?
Speaking of breakups, this is interesting in light of the Plaid Cymru suggestion of Welsh independence (though that’s generally their answer to anything). Perhaps a Celtic confederation is on the cards? You could could argue that Scotland and Northern Island have more in common than the Republic of Eire and NI (though you’d have a lot of argument from catholic Ulstermen).
With regard to what is going on in Labour, I think that the results of 2008 are coming to a head in the UK, triggered by the Brexit. I was interested in this comment by RedLogix on last night’s daily Review: http://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-27062016/#comment-1195717
It is a comment on Labour’s right wingers, dated 1981, and it occurred to me that prior to Thatcher, etc. Labour right wingers did actually a have a devil’s advocate role to play, and they also helped to keep Labour policy from jeopardising the fortunes of the country as a whole, as well as protecting the party from accusations of communism. The third way period placed this lot in ascendancy, but since 2008 the right have held such economic sway that not rocking the boat has come to mean supporting austerity and not doing a single meaningful thing that a Labour Party exists to do. Now I see an unholy panic in UK Labour at the thought that the actual left might get mileage out of the Brexit. But the thing is, there is actually nothing attractive now for a market-centred Labour to convincingly pitch to the voters. If they cannot represent their abandoned constituents they have no further purpose.
“It seems incredible that the revolting Labour MPs would sacrifice their careers in this fashion. Given the UK’s FPP system, two Labour parties splitting the vote would be electoral suicide
Yes. This is a very high stakes play from the Blairite wing. The UK (un-united kingdom) really does need to convert to to proportional representation. The limits of FPP are glaring with this break-up on the left. The trouble is, the Conservatives are comfortable with the status quo. Meanwhile, citizens with the most difficult living conditions are unrepresented (again!) if Corbyn is ousted.
On a lighter note – a celtic confederation has been sorted! … 🙂
https://twitter.com/hashtag/UnionOfCraic?s=04
This vacuum is rapidly & easily filled by the far-right, which is all too keen to offer leadership and obviously has strong views on how to deal with present and future turmoil.
Here in New Zealand we worry and complain about the lack of a strong opposition but it ain’t nothing compared to what goes on and has been going on for some time in Europe.
If the UK or the World indeed goes into recession (again) all Hell could break loose (again).
Key is getting a lot of publicity with so called wonderful opportunities in a FTA with England/Britain, its like wow, its two years away, and they cant even negotiate a deal as of yet.
Constant claims by National claim more trade will raise wages and improve our living costs is unproven.
Its a fiction because the complete opposite happens.
Has employment costs increased for apple growers, since the Aussie market was opened up,
Prices for apples have tripled in the supermarket for low quality fruit.
Is there any evidence any primary producers have increased their employment costs on the back higher export volumes
FYI, I grew up on an a 3 acre apple orchard in the Tron.
Exactly – it is pretty clear that so called ‘trade deals’ do not work for consumers or workers.
In the UK supermarkets own everything, so that when you get an apple it has been picked before it is ripe so tastes horrible and has hundreds of food miles.
Most get put into cold storage here before being shipped.
I am waiting for anyone to post some proof how increases in trade volumes have added to employment costs,
which would happen if wages increase, wouldnt it?
Free market seems to work only theoretically. Most of it’s admirers do all their work paper pushing and making a killing on ‘the markets’ rather than growing or producing real stuff. Now we have the GFC because some banks got some maths whizzes to make up some new products with debt to ‘produce’ something theoretical. No lessons learnt there by the look of it.
Given that the petition to keep Mike Hosking has just over 2,700 signatures, as against the approximately 21,700 signed up to get rid of him, and given that the pace at which the latter is gathering supporters still far outstrips the former, the question must be asked as to whether getting rid of him is really enough, or whether the only appropriate option might not be to sack him, proclaim his sacking in a special announcement across all channels to the musical backdrop of What a Wonderful World, revoke his passport, prohibit his dining at any restaurant or public bar, or purchasing any edible produce fresher than twenty-one weeks old, and legislate to replace the overnight programme of all free-to-air channels with uninterrupted repeats of his least flattering moments in broadcasting, mostly drowned out by pre-recorded flatulence.
A big thank you to all of the right-leaning Standard readers who advocated increasing the merriment of the rest of us by creating a counter-petition for keping him. Your contributions are always appreciated.
its really just stroking his ego, either which way, he will be loving it.
Of course he will:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11663786
Without Hosking where else would I get my daily reminder of what a dismal, desperate, callous, corrupt, hateful, heartless and truly horrible place New Zealand will become if the national party and it’s cronies remain in power ?
^That’s one of the top comments on the Keep Mike Hosking petition. I think its really a taking the piss petition.
I would have added , deserving of at least two of the three strike rule?
Dam-ning article on the Ruataniwha dam. Exposes, yet again, Nick Smith’s deliberate negligence and incompetence. An interesting read. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=11664300
Another National ideological driven gambit to make the taxpayers pay for it,
while privatizing the profit, so who will own the water rights?
oh the irony…
London Young Labour have just blamed Corbyn for not mobilising more Labour voters to vote against Brexit
– with only 30% of young voters turning up to vote, you’ve got to wonder whether LYL are just spoilt kids of Blairite era dinosaurs
http://www.politico.eu/article/inside-account-of-labour-mps-attacks-on-jeremy-corbyn-shadow-cabinet-resignations-brexit/
The lazy buggers don’t turn up to vote and then blame Corbyn.
In fact 3.5 million people aged under 35 were not registered to vote in the UK. If most of these people had got their act together and voted 70% Remain, Remain would have won.
There is an inherent contradiction with those in their 20’s at the moment; on one hand they say F%^& It I’m not going to vote, the whole system is rigged/crap; on the other hand they whinge when old people vote and so get what they want. My niece in England is a classic example.
Priorities ? People raising 16 million, 11 already found thank you generous NZ, for some Art Centre while people are homeless.
Yes, because it was artists who attacked workers’ rights and refused to ensure that wages kept pace with inflation, and failed to build enough state housing.
These false dichotomies (we can have housing or art and not both) are the very stuff of witless populism that made such a dog’s breakfast of the Brexit debate.
Bravo.
Just checked this comment at KB ” Vote: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 11″ 🙂
Perhaps the art centre donors could run a bake sale and give the poor people cake
CV 🙂
AND England got beat by ICELAND in the soccer euro cup.
A lesson for political parties here. Don’t take the game seriously, underestimate the opposition, lose focus with distractions, and finally, blame the manager and not the players themselves.
And lose.
as Monty Python said…..”and Iceland are bringing their spin-dryer on to bowl”
Papa Crimblecheeks FTW!.
Brian Bilston
@brian_bilston
If you ever wondered why the Icelanders are so tough, it’s because they are raised on lullabies like this.
https://twitter.com/brian_bilston/status/747522413043322880
https://brianbilston.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/papa-crimblecheeks.jpg?w=620
Iceland beat England!
Iceland, same population as Wellington!
Leeeeeeeewserrrrrrrs!
Stand by as Jeremy Corbyn gets the blame …
I thought it was john Keys fault…
no, he has no responsibility for anything, how could he be blamed?
He’s claiming not to have even read the Shewan Report in the House & he commissioned it!
Calling my mum a lewsser eh?
Iceland.. lol She got up to watch it, huddled in her blanky, poor thing.
Big mistake widening the competition to 24 teams to let in the lesser football nations like England.
1 hours ago:
“Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to dig in as Labour leader despite the resignations of 46 members of his front bench and an expected vote of no-confidence from the vast majority of his MPs.
Mr Corbyn is facing the biggest rebellion against a party leader in modern UK history, brutal in its scale and determination, yet he has refused to budge. Propped up by a hard core of loyal MPs and by the unions, he said on Monday that he would not leave until he was defeated in a leadership contest. ”
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/568a85c0-3c87-11e6-8716-a4a71e8140b0.html#axzz4Cox2Qvki
If he doesn’t go the Labour party will split.
A Lexit could be on the cards.
Or emerge stronger and more focussed. The pseudo Labour Blarites will be gone.
Aye to that
Lexit – sounds like a trade name for a laxative – you know, getting rid of all the shit.
Good riddance to the Blairites.
There is another excellent but extremely depressing post from Owen Jones on the current state of the Labour Party in the UK.
https://medium.com/@OwenJones84/my-thoughts-on-the-plight-of-labour-38413229f88#.rjpdpzeuw
You’re right Karen. Depressing.
MMP would allow the different factions of the Left to participate.
Wonder if the Conservative Party will splinter?
Nah, if there’s one things that tories the world over know it’s how to swallow dead rats to stay in power.
it’s the only thing they have, but it seems to work for them, like a panza unit.Unfortunately, Labour being a democratic party, allowing for debate, gets interpreted as being rudderless, rather than respectful of others opinions
There’s democratic and then there is stupid which uk labour seems to be.
They had the option of shutting up looking united and pushing for a snap election instead they go for the nuclear option that will likely end in a drawn out bitter leadership challenge.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the tories shuffle in a new leader and call an election while labour is in disarray in the midst of a leadership election.
I agree, self serving Blairites could be the ruin of Labour
There is definitely something wrong with the climate. Apart from being the warmest winter so far, my Garlic which I plant on the shortest day and pick on the longest, normally would not show it’s head until mid/end of July, and that would only be poking just above the surface.
It is now the 28Th June 7 days after the shortest day and it is about 30 mm in growth out of the ground. Worrying times, not for the Garlic but for the planet.
Interesting +1
That suggests your soil temp this year has been 1 deg to 2 deg warmer than normal over this period. Which is utterly massive. And it’s 15 deg C down here at the moment. Which for Dunedin is warm spring time weather.
WTF is wrong with people.
//
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/06/sanders-staffers-tried-to-rig-the-game-in-nevada.html
Oh boy! An hour ago:
“Britain should have a second referendum on the terms of leaving the European Union if it can secure a deal to control its borders, a Cabinet minister says.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, becomes the first minister to suggest Britain could hold another vote on Brexit, despite the Leave victory last week.
He says the new prime minister must be allowed to “negotiate a deal” with Brussels and “put it to the British people” either by calling a general election or having another referendum…..”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11664894
Privatisation and profiteering strike again:
When will we learn that privatisation always costs us more and thus stop voting for the psychopaths hell bent on selling our stuff?
“Captain Cook Highway”, I dunno if someone has it in for Foster-Bell but he’s pretty good at sticking his head above the parapet. How about Kupe Highway?
“The first the PM knew about Paul Foster-Bell’s idea to rename SH1 ‘Captain Cook Highway’ was today. He’s not keen.” – Newshub
They really needed Paul to hit the news a few weeks ago when either Panama came out or the homeless hit the news. Useful distraction.
10% of NZrs own more than 60% of the wealth, 40% of NZrs own less than 4%. Though Foster-Bell hardly going to distract us from that surely?
It’s OK though, John Key said it was the same under Labour, yup Labour did it too.
Key says it is OK because he reckons it was about the same as when Labour was in power. So it is Labour’s fault.
OOps. gangman snap.
Astounding isn’t it ianmac, so why vote National when you get the same as Labour, so much dissonance & white noise. When shown a problem Key just shrugs his shoulders & sings “It wasn’t me”.
Foreign Minister McCulley fronts up on Checkpoint tonight to explain at length the story of a lowly Embassy staffer was wanted for discussion with S Korean police over a minor matter.
What! You might find that odd given McCulley’s total absence over very serious issues like sheep and Ombudsman reports. Mmmm!
Mmmm alright.
I asked yesterday if… anyone knows what Murray McCully has been up to lately?
I have a suspicion it might be something to do with an Ombudsman, and some minor ‘Kiwi businessman’ in Korea is a convenient distraction?
Yes my point Anne. Very visible on the miniscule. Missing on the big stuff. Typical of them all.