I’m tired of self-flagellation, so let’s give credit to Joyce and ‘National’ for running an effective campaign.
The branding of Harry Holland in ‘51 is easily demolished – suggesting that the interests of beneficiaries and billionaires are the same.
I noticed a full-size poster at my bus stop saying “The Film Industry Thanks You” featuring a minotaur-like human with horns, what appeared to be unused props, and an attractive young woman facing the camera.
Remembering Weta’s involvement in NZ politics to change industrial legislation, it troubled me.
When I went to take a digital image of it a few days later, it had gone.
Then, at a pre-election candidates forum in Miramar a young intellectual type piped up about the ‘film industry’.
Straws in the wind, perhaps – but I would be interested in any other crowd-sourced observations of the ‘National’ Party campaign
Dear media. The causes of Labour’s election performance are complex and multifaceted. Can you stop treating New Zealanders like a bunch of idiots and start a more complex discussion about what happened?
Wayne Brittenden’s Counterpoint just now on Radio NZ furnished a nuanced and fair analysis of the election. Pointed to the fact the Labour Party is to the right of Rob Muldoon on economics, in a piece that critiqued the notion of ‘the centre ground’ and how far right it has been pushed.
The left = bad, regardless of facts with the MSM who wag their tails on command as DP has shown. Dumbing down is part of the strategy.
Any who oppose the rights powerful allies such as academics, industry bodies, support groups etc will be smeared, mis represented and outright lied about if thats what it takes.
Failure to deal with this reality and counter it will continue to cost the left dearly as the MSM will continue unaffected as evidence suggests with DPF and Hooten not even having a breather and straight into it again.
Quit living in an ideal construct and figure out how to deal with reality, it aint fair but then life is not fair so why expect it from our corporate and govt owned media.
Any who oppose the rights powerful allies such as academics, industry bodies, support groups etc will be smeared, mis represented and outright lied about if thats what it takes.
And that is exactly what we saw here: DPF attacking an academic with lies.
dead right Mickey. But why oh why are the”media” fueling the “every body for Robertson “campaign.
Because they want a new target for vilification.
The old story
” Lets attack DC because he’s married and got 2 kids… oh wait”.
” Because he’s intelligent and got a Harvard degree and no commercial experience….oh wait”
” Because he lives in a 2 million dollar house in central Auckland…oh shit that’s avg price there”
” Because he comprehensively lost the caucus vote…what? 18-16…bugger”.
” Because he grew up poor and played rugby.. hang on”.
” Fuck it ..OK who’s next”.
Robertson…Oh Yeah, PAYDIRT!
Anyone interested in who benefitted in the SCF was bankrupted and bailed out under Govct guarantee might want to read this. Am I reading correctly — that ACC and Crown Asset Management are deeply involved in this schmozzle ? Registered away from NZ taxes in Caymans ?
And wasn’t George Kerr reported as receiving $100 million of govt guarantee funds from his very belated SCF bond purchases ?
Stinky much ??
“Investors in a secretive private equity partnership are rebelling against its manager, enigmatic Kiwi businessman George Kerr, as scandal threatens to engulf the $240m fund.
The Torchlight Fund, now domiciled in the Cayman Islands, was formed in 2010 to invest in distressed assets such as South Canterbury Finance.
The identity of its partners has never been formally disclosed but Fairfax NZ understands they include New Zealand government entities Crown Asset Management and ACC, whose estimated respective exposures stemming from the South Canterbury collapse are about $30m and $2.5m.”
Not happening under national, move on as they’ve used numbers in the house to defeat an attempt before and will if needed again.
Now of course a high calibre well funded investigative team with a prominent MSM outlet could…..uh oh hang on a tick does anyone else see an issue here.
of course .. but this from the Stuff link I posted offers some little hope .. ASIC not so easily silenced as our msm or sfo …
“On Thursday the Australian Financial Review reported Van Eyk’s Sydney offices had been raided by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as it investigates alleged irregularities at its fund management division.”
This present Government will not want an investigation in to Kerr’s ties with SCF because I bet they invested in Kerr via ACC and NZ Super . Torchlight was formed in June 2009 — just ready for SCF to announce its loss $$$( but underlying profit ) ….
The bigger problem under the GG was not highlighted , follow your noses or google and then you will understand – SCF was small fry as a liability but a goldmine of assets.
$Southbury invested in irrigation infrastructure and by 2009 the present Govt were secretly planning funding on a grand scale of irrigation. Secret cabinet papers were gained by NZ Herald under OIA – showing just that.
Hubbard’s Southbury supported large schemes, Hunter Downs, Central Plains, etc etc … and he was taken out of the picture. By 2012 the Canterbury Irrigation Schemes were worth a reported $5billion to the Canterbury economy alone…
The true value of the Hubbard empire was far in excess of what the paper figures portray and were sold of undervalue in cases that were highlighted to media. Scales a value of $4 a share sold to Direct Capital for $2 – DC sold out 80% for a cool $180million just recently, There are many more and others hide under a cloak of secrecy. Face Finance bought by GE and interestingly it was GE that pulled funding last minute for Helicopters NZ and forced Hubbard in to the breach. They buy FACE Finance and now specialise in aviation and increased their assets by a cool $600million…..
Aorangi was NEVER insolvent – Hubbard placed equity in well above what was required… that has proven to be so based on the managers own reporting and the fact the investors have returned 99% funds less $12 million in fees alone for Aorangi.
Easy to use the media to destroy a man and his reputation – Stat Management is a very dangerous law that is open to political abuse… a court order should have been required – in that case Hubbard would never have been in Stat Management , the $60million so called fraud transaction out was actually the money he put in… the original fact sheet was wrong. When the Regulators realised that mistake (the Stats reversed this transaction out of Aorangi at the start) they should have acknowledged the mistake – they did not , instead continued on as if Hubbard was the thief… and destroyed him along the way with the spin via MSM.
This only touches the surface – it is an absolute shameful event from beginning to end. BUT Allan Hubbard was trialed again with SCF (even when dead and unable to defend himself) and most likely in Oct it will be confirmed to be “All Allan Hubbard’s fault”….
Got a phone call to renew my Labour membership last night at 9.30pm. Had already done so online and told Fraser House as such. Said that I’d rejoined just so I could vote back DC because as a gay man myself, Robertson leaves me cold and I couldn’t see how he could appeal to the redneck rugby playing non urban voters. Coupled with the fact his electorate vote went down, as well as only getting third in the party vote in 2014, how he could claim to represent Labour was unthinkable.
On the bright side, membership is only valid till Dec 31 so if Robertson unfortunately manages to win, at least I don’t need to worry about renewing my membership on Jan 1 2015.
We had booth by booth results available and online within hours of polls closing. Our current paper based system is efficient, traceable, auditable, re-countable.
Can someone please confirm the cut-off date for new members wanting to vote for the Labour party leader. “Keep Cunliffe as Labour Leader” on Facebook is saying it was 11.30pm yesterday. ??? Thanks.
Lurgee, they’re joining up because they genuinely care about the Labour Party and the future wellbeing of New Zealand – and they wholeheartedly believe that David Cunliffe is the best man to take on John Key in 2017, having had the benefit of three more years’ experience.
The Facebook page supporting him has over 4,300 likes already, and it was only set up a week ago.
Surely that’s a good thing, driving up the membership of the Labour Party? Why are they ‘carpetbaggers’ as you suggest, just because this upsetting election loss has motivated ordinary people to act? They’ve realised that if the Labour Party is to survive, they need to get involved as supporters and volunteers.
Shouldn’t the members ultimately determine the future of the Labour Party, and its policies, not the MPs who represent us? That’s why they demanded constitutional changes last year, after decades of being ignored.
I’m entirely in favour of membership choosing the leader. It should, IMHO, be an equal vote. Why should the votes of caucus count for more than the votes of an ordinary member. It’s not a very socialist idea.
But I still find the idea of people joining a party just so they can vote in an election deeply worrying. Obviously, you’ll disagree as the sign ups seem to be favouring Cunliffe and your handle suggests you might be a bit partisan.
I recently read this quote by GB Shaw: “Newspapers are unable to discriminate betweeen a bicycle crash and the collapse of civilization.” Shaw died in 1950 – the media has been a problem for a long time. One of the problems lies in daily publication; it tends toward an ADHD mentality that robs issues of their necessary depth.
We do need publicly funded news media outlets with a robust mandate to not treat the public like idiots. The health of our democracy depends on it. Living in China, and looking at NZ, it’s very clear to me that propaganda does have a power to influence our minds, and the only way to avoid its power is to be seriously paying attention to what’s going on – which no one can do about everythng all the time.
I came across a sharply pixelated example of how propaganda works, in Russell Brown’s Hard News post on Sep 24:
“….Gower’s conduct in the press conference made me uneasy.
He shouted at Cunliffe, a lame-duck leader with no good answers, for the answers he wanted. And then he barked: “Just say it — stop being tricky!”
“Tricky”. It’s hard to over-emphasise quite how loaded that word is. “Tricky David Cunliffe” is an attack line conceived and cultivated by Cunliffe’s National Party opponents over the entire time of his Labour leadership. There can barely be a National minister who hasn’t deployed it: The first few Google results for the phrase turn up Todd McLay, Amy Adams, John Key and, naturally, Whaleoil. Its organised use had a lot to do with shaping the popular perception of Cunliffe. It would not have had meaning without Cunliffe’s missteps, but it was a very successful political strategy.
For these reasons, it’s a line that a journalist simply should not be using.”
And Cunliffe’s reply? …”Nice Try Paddy ” was ok by me but I think the general public would have preferred a ‘Muldoon’ type of reply to Gower’s obnoxious disrespect and egotistical rudeness.
I would have said, “F*ck off Gower you little creep!” but that’s why I wouldn’t make it as a politician or a diplomat.
It’s also an interesting chicken-and-egg situation, since some of Cunliffe’s “missteps” that initially got the idea of trickiness into the mainstream consciousness (e. g. the intial Best Start announcement, the Dongha Liu letter) are only really missteps in the context of the media reaction that was constructed around them.
Yeah but on top of that, he does occasionally drop the ball. Such as setting up a trust to protect the identities of his financial backers or not communicating better with Goff in the 2011 election campaign.
Some think these things are examples of serious character flaws; I don’t. I simply think he’s clumsy sometimes. That clumsiness could become a major liability if he were seeking a third or fourth term as PM, cos you know he’s gonna hand his opponents something they could build a serious attack around. But fuckit, if you obsess too much about the enemy it puts you off your own game.
I hear what you’re saying, but Clark, Goff, Key, English… even Cullen managed to put their feet in it at times. Key’s probably the most clumsy, in fact (“We’d love to see wages drop”, Tranzrail shares, anything to do with the appointment of Ian Fletcher, “That’s one scientists opinion and I could probably find other experts to back up mine”, “Gay red shirt”, “Trotie”… he’s a veritable Mr. Magoo), but it doesn’t count against him. Key has a solid reputation and even a very long string of frequent gaffes doesn’t really seem to have endangered that. Cunliffe, once generally viewed as a person of substance, would also not be damaged by the odd bit of clumsiness.
Key’s gaffes are not seized on by the media.They love ‘gaffes’ by anyone on he left. In their desperation for scandal headlines they salivate, enhance and exaggerate any slight mistake by Cunliffe and gloss over any of Key’s.
Or maybe it’s the editors who are further up the right wing food /money chain do the changes to the journalists original copy giving it a right wing slant.
People are saying a lot of negative stuff about Grant Robertson. I’ve had personal experience of the guy and my impression is that he’s decent, superbrainy and he could be a good leader of the country. While he’s a good public speaker, he aint super-presidential, but then Labour shouldn’t bee seeking to follow the crowd in its approach to politics – that’d be like a good honest family restaurant emulating McDonalds to get more people through the door. You compromise your essential character and you’ll never be McDonands anyway.
Personally I’ve never seen evidence of anything like an ABC faction. A bunch of MPs dislike Cunliffe; that’s life. Some of these MPs have been attacking him through the media in a disgusting, cowardly manner, thereby undermining the party. Even worse, by undermining the party they’re adding to the suffering of the people the party needs to get into power to serve: The quarter of a million kids who live in poverty, low wage workers, the wider precariat, the small businesses who need a supportive policy environment in which to prosper – this is why their actions are decidedly hateful. Personally, I don’t believe there’s a faction, and I don’t believe there’s a conspiracy. I believe there are individuals, some of whom deserve to be evicted from the party they owe their careers to.
I believe that Cunliffe should retain the leadership of the party, though resigning and reapplying for his job after such a poor election result is actually a healthy step. He really does need to seek a new mandate.
If he wins he’s in for another three years of vicious, often nakedly dishonest (in the vein of helping a wifebeater who then gives labour a $100,000 donation that doesn’t exist) attacks by National, aided and abetted by MSM. The only way to avoid that fate would be if he was supported by the media or if he had a Muldoon/Clark type personality. So basically, he can’t avoid that fate. Neither could Robertson. I have to respect these guys for putting their hands up for one of the country’s shittiest jobs.
Back to Grant. New Zealand is a grievously divided country. We need guys like him around to help bring us together – he’s a conciliatory, broad church kind of leader with a deep, genuine sense of empathy. He has made the Wellington Central electorate his own because he’s competent and he impresses the fuck out of people he meets. I certainly believe that identity politics has been a three-plus decade blunder, supported by people who somehow manage to be simultaneously triumphalist and dangerously insecure. Grant supports gay issues, but in no way are his politics narrow, sectional or self-absorbed. If anything, I see him as old school left.
Well said Vaughan.
I don’t see Grant as the enemy of the left, I just do not think he is experienced enough to be the leader of the Labour Party yet.
I agree that whoever gets in will be subject to unrelenting, biased attacks in the MSM, and I am surprised Grant wants to put himself through that.
Nor would I wouldn’t have blamed David for giving up – but I am glad he hasn’t.
..is that robertson is not able to perform in parliament..
..for yrs i have watched various national party entities just wave him away..
..whereas when cunnliffe stands up..
..you can hear a cracking sound as nattys stiffen their spines..
..a reinvigorated left and centre..(as in fix poverty and look after the middle class..i.e. policies that will get the missing million out to the voting booths..and heads-up!..raising the pension age isn’t one of them..
..what is so complicated/difficult about that..?..)
..this re-focused labour..led by cunnliffe..
..is what terrifies the right the most..
..this is why the concerted attack on him by corporate-media..and the abc’ers..
..is so torrid/fervent..
..and this is why they must be ignored..
..it is all fucken spin..
..corporate media and the right..working in concert..
..(i’ll say it for cunnliffe)..’fuck them..!..eh..?..’)
I can go along with most of what you say. Except that word “centre”.
Appealing to the middle. Fuck that, we’re left.
Like Steve Jobs said, don’t worry about giving people what they want, cos by the time you’ve figured out what people want and put it on the market, they’ve moved on. You have to figure out what people want before they know they want it. That’s actually leadership.
We have to be sensitive to the people we’re seeking the privilege of governing, but honestly, we’re the ones who are thinking policy and politics 24/7. We have to do the hard graft of figuring out what policy best suits the country, and then take it to the poeple and communicate our vision to them in a responsive, two-way process.
Simply put, it’s our job to attract the centre leftwards. In a dialectical process.
Only just watched that post caucus video, Far out.
Shearer breaks ranks to talk and causes part of this feeding frenzy and then swans over to New York, plays the outsider and says today ‘oh’ it’s too distracting this leadership talk. I really just wanted to help review what went wrong. Stunning irony.
Hypocrite.
None of the candidates have acknowledged the party members and what they want. “I can unify the party, I can beat Steve Joyce in the house, I was the former leader…”
the failures to achieve are all over the place and none of this is “secure or stable”.
We are a broad church, but I am Labour. Coyle is very unimpressive.
Hipkins: Very impressive. It will be interesting to see where he and Parker go.
If the message Hipkins put forward today came from his senior colleagues then Labour would look like a professional government ready party.
I want to see a room where Robert Reid and Hipkins are in the room and both have got their obvious skills and guns turned on Key and National.
Coyle? Seems poisonous to me. As Robert Reid pointed out criticised the party during an election campaign from the position as its representative on television. Unimpressive.
Reid is right, the liberals and those in working poverty need to find a way to unite. Also like many liberals- just because you grew up in poverty in a much kinder era doesn’t mean you understand what is like there now.
I personally hate liberalism. But have found it easy to work with liberals in Labour. To paraphrase Stanley Hauerwas, the key to building friendship is to find meaningful work to do together. Labour represents nothing if not an opportunity to do meaningful work – to do good for the country, and especially its most vulnerable.
To be honest, I haven’t always found it in myself to refrain from bitching at liberals and their ideological excesses on facebook. I’m not proud of that…
If I was to join the labour party with the intention of voting in the upcoming race how would a new comer filter out the bs and learn the the pro’s Cons of the contenders.
same way you did at the general election. Same way you usually judge people and their intentions. I’m sure there will be a lot of information put forward in the campaign.
Here are the just released details of the Labour Party Review. The two people conducting the review will be announced this coming week. It is proposed to have it largely completed and reported on by December.
The review of the 2014 campaign will include reporting on
• party and electorate vote variance;
• electorate and hub performance, including enrolment, persuasion and turnout;
• the targeting approach;
• list and electorate candidate selection and performance
Looks comprehensive. Result will depend somewhat on the two people conducting the review and who they take submissions from, but I am cautiously hopeful.
My sentiments too Karen.
Just as important is: who will they take submissions from? This, in itself, will give a clue as to how serious they take the review and whether they are conducting it in an objective/inclusive way. For example: if they choose well known Labour members/commentators like Josie Pagani, Deborah Mahuta-Coyle and even Mike Williams, then I will have my doubts as to the authenticity of the review.
* They should also have a look at the delays in finalising policy that were a problem with timing releases.
They often came at awkward times because a policy that was expected would suddenly get bumped. This was apparent in that often the policy would be just a press release and the all important detail didn’t get released until days later. It was also quite evident that there were variants between what people were talking about and the later details.
All signs about late detailing and too many hands involved very late in the process. Policies need to be settled a week or weeks ahead and then have the complete package at release. Otherwise National exploits the holes in MPs understandings
* The campaign was always susceptible to a late interruption because it was designed to come to culmination. It got disrupted by outside events, just as it has been in at least 3 of the last 5 elections.
* Campaigns are 3 years long. Perhaps Labour should start operating as if they are. What you do in the first two years is just as important as the final year especially in terms of getting working teams and systems. That didn’t happen the last term or in the previous one.
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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, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
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 ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
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 ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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I’m tired of self-flagellation, so let’s give credit to Joyce and ‘National’ for running an effective campaign.
The branding of Harry Holland in ‘51 is easily demolished – suggesting that the interests of beneficiaries and billionaires are the same.
I noticed a full-size poster at my bus stop saying “The Film Industry Thanks You” featuring a minotaur-like human with horns, what appeared to be unused props, and an attractive young woman facing the camera.
Remembering Weta’s involvement in NZ politics to change industrial legislation, it troubled me.
When I went to take a digital image of it a few days later, it had gone.
Then, at a pre-election candidates forum in Miramar a young intellectual type piped up about the ‘film industry’.
Straws in the wind, perhaps – but I would be interested in any other crowd-sourced observations of the ‘National’ Party campaign
Perhaps these ..
“An open letter from John Key”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11332789
http://yournz.org/2014/09/08/vote-positive-and-the-standard/
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/
So average wages will increase several thousand over the next three years according to Mr Key. How will this come about?
Average.
Yep happening already.
Sky tv CEO
got a 7.6 per cent pay rise after a record net profit for the year to June 30 with a package of $1.8 million
That is an increase of 138k per yr.
Meanwhile, the lowest paid wages just went down by the rate of inflation.
Pete George is like a beached whale. He doesn’t get better with age. I wonder when he’ll get over the breakup of his relationship with The Standard?
Dear media. The causes of Labour’s election performance are complex and multifaceted. Can you stop treating New Zealanders like a bunch of idiots and start a more complex discussion about what happened?
Complex? Discussion? Media? You jest methinks.
Wayne Brittenden’s Counterpoint just now on Radio NZ furnished a nuanced and fair analysis of the election. Pointed to the fact the Labour Party is to the right of Rob Muldoon on economics, in a piece that critiqued the notion of ‘the centre ground’ and how far right it has been pushed.
The left = bad, regardless of facts with the MSM who wag their tails on command as DP has shown. Dumbing down is part of the strategy.
Any who oppose the rights powerful allies such as academics, industry bodies, support groups etc will be smeared, mis represented and outright lied about if thats what it takes.
Failure to deal with this reality and counter it will continue to cost the left dearly as the MSM will continue unaffected as evidence suggests with DPF and Hooten not even having a breather and straight into it again.
Quit living in an ideal construct and figure out how to deal with reality, it aint fair but then life is not fair so why expect it from our corporate and govt owned media.
And that is exactly what we saw here: DPF attacking an academic with lies.
+1
dead right Mickey. But why oh why are the”media” fueling the “every body for Robertson “campaign.
Because they want a new target for vilification.
The old story
” Lets attack DC because he’s married and got 2 kids… oh wait”.
” Because he’s intelligent and got a Harvard degree and no commercial experience….oh wait”
” Because he lives in a 2 million dollar house in central Auckland…oh shit that’s avg price there”
” Because he comprehensively lost the caucus vote…what? 18-16…bugger”.
” Because he grew up poor and played rugby.. hang on”.
” Fuck it ..OK who’s next”.
Robertson…Oh Yeah, PAYDIRT!
It looks to me like the political/media elite rushing to protect themselves from competing ideas, with the potential to weaken their power base.
not all bears @thelittlepakeha 14 mins,
“if I wanted good examples of charities that have had their funding cut by govt, whether just because or after criticism of govt,
where would be a good place to look? particular blogs?”
Anyone remember? I think we’ve had discussions here about this.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10553642/Kerr-under-pressure-in-fund-revolt
Anyone interested in who benefitted in the SCF was bankrupted and bailed out under Govct guarantee might want to read this. Am I reading correctly — that ACC and Crown Asset Management are deeply involved in this schmozzle ? Registered away from NZ taxes in Caymans ?
And wasn’t George Kerr reported as receiving $100 million of govt guarantee funds from his very belated SCF bond purchases ?
Stinky much ??
“Investors in a secretive private equity partnership are rebelling against its manager, enigmatic Kiwi businessman George Kerr, as scandal threatens to engulf the $240m fund.
The Torchlight Fund, now domiciled in the Cayman Islands, was formed in 2010 to invest in distressed assets such as South Canterbury Finance.
The identity of its partners has never been formally disclosed but Fairfax NZ understands they include New Zealand government entities Crown Asset Management and ACC, whose estimated respective exposures stemming from the South Canterbury collapse are about $30m and $2.5m.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10553642/Kerr-under-pressure-in-fund-revolt
There needs to be a in-depth investigation.
Read my comment here from Paul Caruthers video (The video is now taken down!!!)
http://thestandard.org.nz/health-service-funding/#comment-897626
and Sarahs reply
http://thestandard.org.nz/health-service-funding/#comment-897975
Very smelly.
thx dv .. a new, albeit bad, quality link ..http://www.openureyes.org.nz/blog/?q=node/5677
Not happening under national, move on as they’ve used numbers in the house to defeat an attempt before and will if needed again.
Now of course a high calibre well funded investigative team with a prominent MSM outlet could…..uh oh hang on a tick does anyone else see an issue here.
of course ! But from the Stuff lin k I posted, this could offer some little hope .. these
of course .. but this from the Stuff link I posted offers some little hope .. ASIC not so easily silenced as our msm or sfo …
“On Thursday the Australian Financial Review reported Van Eyk’s Sydney offices had been raided by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as it investigates alleged irregularities at its fund management division.”
Thanks Yeshe
Do you know if there is a transcript of the Caruthers video?
Interesting that it was taken down.
Do you know how authoritative caruthers is?
Does anyone else think that Hubbards autopspy report is sealed is odd?
On further investigation I see that the Curruthers video on the Vinny Eastwood Youtube channel was collateral damage after a video describing Keys history turned up.
http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/freedom-of-speech-curtailed-in-new-zealand-vinny-eastwoods-youtube-channel-shut-down/
This present Government will not want an investigation in to Kerr’s ties with SCF because I bet they invested in Kerr via ACC and NZ Super . Torchlight was formed in June 2009 — just ready for SCF to announce its loss $$$( but underlying profit ) ….
The bigger problem under the GG was not highlighted , follow your noses or google and then you will understand – SCF was small fry as a liability but a goldmine of assets.
$Southbury invested in irrigation infrastructure and by 2009 the present Govt were secretly planning funding on a grand scale of irrigation. Secret cabinet papers were gained by NZ Herald under OIA – showing just that.
Hubbard’s Southbury supported large schemes, Hunter Downs, Central Plains, etc etc … and he was taken out of the picture. By 2012 the Canterbury Irrigation Schemes were worth a reported $5billion to the Canterbury economy alone…
The true value of the Hubbard empire was far in excess of what the paper figures portray and were sold of undervalue in cases that were highlighted to media. Scales a value of $4 a share sold to Direct Capital for $2 – DC sold out 80% for a cool $180million just recently, There are many more and others hide under a cloak of secrecy. Face Finance bought by GE and interestingly it was GE that pulled funding last minute for Helicopters NZ and forced Hubbard in to the breach. They buy FACE Finance and now specialise in aviation and increased their assets by a cool $600million…..
Aorangi was NEVER insolvent – Hubbard placed equity in well above what was required… that has proven to be so based on the managers own reporting and the fact the investors have returned 99% funds less $12 million in fees alone for Aorangi.
Easy to use the media to destroy a man and his reputation – Stat Management is a very dangerous law that is open to political abuse… a court order should have been required – in that case Hubbard would never have been in Stat Management , the $60million so called fraud transaction out was actually the money he put in… the original fact sheet was wrong. When the Regulators realised that mistake (the Stats reversed this transaction out of Aorangi at the start) they should have acknowledged the mistake – they did not , instead continued on as if Hubbard was the thief… and destroyed him along the way with the spin via MSM.
This only touches the surface – it is an absolute shameful event from beginning to end. BUT Allan Hubbard was trialed again with SCF (even when dead and unable to defend himself) and most likely in Oct it will be confirmed to be “All Allan Hubbard’s fault”….
Media Watch and Wayne Brittenden are very good on recent events and the last weeks Election
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/20151331/mediawatch-for-28-september-2014
and this
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/20151343/wayne-brittenden's-counterpoint
Got a phone call to renew my Labour membership last night at 9.30pm. Had already done so online and told Fraser House as such. Said that I’d rejoined just so I could vote back DC because as a gay man myself, Robertson leaves me cold and I couldn’t see how he could appeal to the redneck rugby playing non urban voters. Coupled with the fact his electorate vote went down, as well as only getting third in the party vote in 2014, how he could claim to represent Labour was unthinkable.
On the bright side, membership is only valid till Dec 31 so if Robertson unfortunately manages to win, at least I don’t need to worry about renewing my membership on Jan 1 2015.
James Thrace +100…. a Glenn Greenwald …Grant Robertson is NOT
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/15/moment-truth-greenwald-dotcom-snowden-assange-new-zealand-john-key
Update on Petition….come on! ….sign up!… lets reach 10,000….lets try and give the Nacts a run for their money
…if it is not fraud …i am sure that it would have been, if they could have wangled it!
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Hon_Sir_Hugh_Williams_KNZM_QC_LLM_Recount_NZ_2014_Election_I_believe_it_was_rigged/?tDwgaib
this is quite funny imo..if it wasnt so serious!…(love the computer guy!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7R1_ixtlyc
A recount? What a waste of time and money
all election night ballot papers are recounted
http://www.elections.org.nz/news-media/preliminary-results-2014-general-election
Then why petition to have them done a third time? A waste of time and money.
Pretty compelling reason for us to stick with paper voting.
We had booth by booth results available and online within hours of polls closing. Our current paper based system is efficient, traceable, auditable, re-countable.
yes agreed!..no computers in the mix
Tells you everything you need to know about the way some people think. They can’t accept that people might have chosen not to support their party.
Can someone please confirm the cut-off date for new members wanting to vote for the Labour party leader. “Keep Cunliffe as Labour Leader” on Facebook is saying it was 11.30pm yesterday. ??? Thanks.
I hope it was yesterday, because it is quite unpleasant seeing a bunch of carpetbaggers joining up just to vote.
Lurgee, they’re joining up because they genuinely care about the Labour Party and the future wellbeing of New Zealand – and they wholeheartedly believe that David Cunliffe is the best man to take on John Key in 2017, having had the benefit of three more years’ experience.
The Facebook page supporting him has over 4,300 likes already, and it was only set up a week ago.
Surely that’s a good thing, driving up the membership of the Labour Party? Why are they ‘carpetbaggers’ as you suggest, just because this upsetting election loss has motivated ordinary people to act? They’ve realised that if the Labour Party is to survive, they need to get involved as supporters and volunteers.
Shouldn’t the members ultimately determine the future of the Labour Party, and its policies, not the MPs who represent us? That’s why they demanded constitutional changes last year, after decades of being ignored.
I’m entirely in favour of membership choosing the leader. It should, IMHO, be an equal vote. Why should the votes of caucus count for more than the votes of an ordinary member. It’s not a very socialist idea.
But I still find the idea of people joining a party just so they can vote in an election deeply worrying. Obviously, you’ll disagree as the sign ups seem to be favouring Cunliffe and your handle suggests you might be a bit partisan.
I recently read this quote by GB Shaw: “Newspapers are unable to discriminate betweeen a bicycle crash and the collapse of civilization.” Shaw died in 1950 – the media has been a problem for a long time. One of the problems lies in daily publication; it tends toward an ADHD mentality that robs issues of their necessary depth.
We do need publicly funded news media outlets with a robust mandate to not treat the public like idiots. The health of our democracy depends on it. Living in China, and looking at NZ, it’s very clear to me that propaganda does have a power to influence our minds, and the only way to avoid its power is to be seriously paying attention to what’s going on – which no one can do about everythng all the time.
I came across a sharply pixelated example of how propaganda works, in Russell Brown’s Hard News post on Sep 24:
“….Gower’s conduct in the press conference made me uneasy.
He shouted at Cunliffe, a lame-duck leader with no good answers, for the answers he wanted. And then he barked: “Just say it — stop being tricky!”
“Tricky”. It’s hard to over-emphasise quite how loaded that word is. “Tricky David Cunliffe” is an attack line conceived and cultivated by Cunliffe’s National Party opponents over the entire time of his Labour leadership. There can barely be a National minister who hasn’t deployed it: The first few Google results for the phrase turn up Todd McLay, Amy Adams, John Key and, naturally, Whaleoil. Its organised use had a lot to do with shaping the popular perception of Cunliffe. It would not have had meaning without Cunliffe’s missteps, but it was a very successful political strategy.
For these reasons, it’s a line that a journalist simply should not be using.”
And Cunliffe’s reply? …”Nice Try Paddy ” was ok by me but I think the general public would have preferred a ‘Muldoon’ type of reply to Gower’s obnoxious disrespect and egotistical rudeness.
I would have said, “F*ck off Gower you little creep!” but that’s why I wouldn’t make it as a politician or a diplomat.
Cunliffe has remarkable self control.
It’s also an interesting chicken-and-egg situation, since some of Cunliffe’s “missteps” that initially got the idea of trickiness into the mainstream consciousness (e. g. the intial Best Start announcement, the Dongha Liu letter) are only really missteps in the context of the media reaction that was constructed around them.
Yeah but on top of that, he does occasionally drop the ball. Such as setting up a trust to protect the identities of his financial backers or not communicating better with Goff in the 2011 election campaign.
Some think these things are examples of serious character flaws; I don’t. I simply think he’s clumsy sometimes. That clumsiness could become a major liability if he were seeking a third or fourth term as PM, cos you know he’s gonna hand his opponents something they could build a serious attack around. But fuckit, if you obsess too much about the enemy it puts you off your own game.
I hear what you’re saying, but Clark, Goff, Key, English… even Cullen managed to put their feet in it at times. Key’s probably the most clumsy, in fact (“We’d love to see wages drop”, Tranzrail shares, anything to do with the appointment of Ian Fletcher, “That’s one scientists opinion and I could probably find other experts to back up mine”, “Gay red shirt”, “Trotie”… he’s a veritable Mr. Magoo), but it doesn’t count against him. Key has a solid reputation and even a very long string of frequent gaffes doesn’t really seem to have endangered that. Cunliffe, once generally viewed as a person of substance, would also not be damaged by the odd bit of clumsiness.
Key’s gaffes are not seized on by the media.They love ‘gaffes’ by anyone on he left. In their desperation for scandal headlines they salivate, enhance and exaggerate any slight mistake by Cunliffe and gloss over any of Key’s.
Or maybe it’s the editors who are further up the right wing food /money chain do the changes to the journalists original copy giving it a right wing slant.
People are saying a lot of negative stuff about Grant Robertson. I’ve had personal experience of the guy and my impression is that he’s decent, superbrainy and he could be a good leader of the country. While he’s a good public speaker, he aint super-presidential, but then Labour shouldn’t bee seeking to follow the crowd in its approach to politics – that’d be like a good honest family restaurant emulating McDonalds to get more people through the door. You compromise your essential character and you’ll never be McDonands anyway.
Personally I’ve never seen evidence of anything like an ABC faction. A bunch of MPs dislike Cunliffe; that’s life. Some of these MPs have been attacking him through the media in a disgusting, cowardly manner, thereby undermining the party. Even worse, by undermining the party they’re adding to the suffering of the people the party needs to get into power to serve: The quarter of a million kids who live in poverty, low wage workers, the wider precariat, the small businesses who need a supportive policy environment in which to prosper – this is why their actions are decidedly hateful. Personally, I don’t believe there’s a faction, and I don’t believe there’s a conspiracy. I believe there are individuals, some of whom deserve to be evicted from the party they owe their careers to.
I believe that Cunliffe should retain the leadership of the party, though resigning and reapplying for his job after such a poor election result is actually a healthy step. He really does need to seek a new mandate.
If he wins he’s in for another three years of vicious, often nakedly dishonest (in the vein of helping a wifebeater who then gives labour a $100,000 donation that doesn’t exist) attacks by National, aided and abetted by MSM. The only way to avoid that fate would be if he was supported by the media or if he had a Muldoon/Clark type personality. So basically, he can’t avoid that fate. Neither could Robertson. I have to respect these guys for putting their hands up for one of the country’s shittiest jobs.
Back to Grant. New Zealand is a grievously divided country. We need guys like him around to help bring us together – he’s a conciliatory, broad church kind of leader with a deep, genuine sense of empathy. He has made the Wellington Central electorate his own because he’s competent and he impresses the fuck out of people he meets. I certainly believe that identity politics has been a three-plus decade blunder, supported by people who somehow manage to be simultaneously triumphalist and dangerously insecure. Grant supports gay issues, but in no way are his politics narrow, sectional or self-absorbed. If anything, I see him as old school left.
Well said Vaughan.
I don’t see Grant as the enemy of the left, I just do not think he is experienced enough to be the leader of the Labour Party yet.
I agree that whoever gets in will be subject to unrelenting, biased attacks in the MSM, and I am surprised Grant wants to put himself through that.
Nor would I wouldn’t have blamed David for giving up – but I am glad he hasn’t.
and the bottom line i have noticed..
..from doing commentaries on questiontime..
..is that robertson is not able to perform in parliament..
..for yrs i have watched various national party entities just wave him away..
..whereas when cunnliffe stands up..
..you can hear a cracking sound as nattys stiffen their spines..
..a reinvigorated left and centre..(as in fix poverty and look after the middle class..i.e. policies that will get the missing million out to the voting booths..and heads-up!..raising the pension age isn’t one of them..
..what is so complicated/difficult about that..?..)
..this re-focused labour..led by cunnliffe..
..is what terrifies the right the most..
..this is why the concerted attack on him by corporate-media..and the abc’ers..
..is so torrid/fervent..
..and this is why they must be ignored..
..it is all fucken spin..
..corporate media and the right..working in concert..
..(i’ll say it for cunnliffe)..’fuck them..!..eh..?..’)
I can go along with most of what you say. Except that word “centre”.
Appealing to the middle. Fuck that, we’re left.
Like Steve Jobs said, don’t worry about giving people what they want, cos by the time you’ve figured out what people want and put it on the market, they’ve moved on. You have to figure out what people want before they know they want it. That’s actually leadership.
We have to be sensitive to the people we’re seeking the privilege of governing, but honestly, we’re the ones who are thinking policy and politics 24/7. We have to do the hard graft of figuring out what policy best suits the country, and then take it to the poeple and communicate our vision to them in a responsive, two-way process.
Simply put, it’s our job to attract the centre leftwards. In a dialectical process.
i included ‘centre’ because it has become such a loaded word..
..with this battle for labours’ soul being depicted as left vs. centre..
..where in fact it is progressive vs. neo-liberal/right..
..and labour have to focus on their message to that real ‘centre’..
..that progressive policies designed to see off poverty etc..
..will also be good for them..
..too my mind..it’s not difficult to do..
..the scare-tactics that will come from the right..
..must be countered/seen off..
Only just watched that post caucus video, Far out.
Shearer breaks ranks to talk and causes part of this feeding frenzy and then swans over to New York, plays the outsider and says today ‘oh’ it’s too distracting this leadership talk. I really just wanted to help review what went wrong. Stunning irony.
Hypocrite.
None of the candidates have acknowledged the party members and what they want. “I can unify the party, I can beat Steve Joyce in the house, I was the former leader…”
the failures to achieve are all over the place and none of this is “secure or stable”.
Watched that Q and A.
Robertson supporter:
“I am Labour”
We are a broad church, but I am Labour. Coyle is very unimpressive.
Hipkins: Very impressive. It will be interesting to see where he and Parker go.
If the message Hipkins put forward today came from his senior colleagues then Labour would look like a professional government ready party.
I want to see a room where Robert Reid and Hipkins are in the room and both have got their obvious skills and guns turned on Key and National.
Coyle? Seems poisonous to me. As Robert Reid pointed out criticised the party during an election campaign from the position as its representative on television. Unimpressive.
Reid is right, the liberals and those in working poverty need to find a way to unite. Also like many liberals- just because you grew up in poverty in a much kinder era doesn’t mean you understand what is like there now.
reid is like a breath of fresh air..
..showing up the concerted bullshit/spin for what it is..
..and yep..!..coyle is hideous..a grotesque..
..as if we needed yet another josie pagani..
I personally hate liberalism. But have found it easy to work with liberals in Labour. To paraphrase Stanley Hauerwas, the key to building friendship is to find meaningful work to do together. Labour represents nothing if not an opportunity to do meaningful work – to do good for the country, and especially its most vulnerable.
To be honest, I haven’t always found it in myself to refrain from bitching at liberals and their ideological excesses on facebook. I’m not proud of that…
If I was to join the labour party with the intention of voting in the upcoming race how would a new comer filter out the bs and learn the the pro’s Cons of the contenders.
same way you did at the general election. Same way you usually judge people and their intentions. I’m sure there will be a lot of information put forward in the campaign.
Is a purge necessary?
Who would go if either side won?
Several Cunliffe supporters have already lost list seats due to the election result, I believe.
@newsense mallard would be my choice its time he went the way of Tau Henare
Here are the just released details of the Labour Party Review. The two people conducting the review will be announced this coming week. It is proposed to have it largely completed and reported on by December.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11332997
Looks comprehensive. Result will depend somewhat on the two people conducting the review and who they take submissions from, but I am cautiously hopeful.
My sentiments too Karen.
Just as important is: who will they take submissions from? This, in itself, will give a clue as to how serious they take the review and whether they are conducting it in an objective/inclusive way. For example: if they choose well known Labour members/commentators like Josie Pagani, Deborah Mahuta-Coyle and even Mike Williams, then I will have my doubts as to the authenticity of the review.
I think Shearer is quite right to say the leadership contest should have waited until after the review.
Looks like an adequate frame of reference.
* They should also have a look at the delays in finalising policy that were a problem with timing releases.
They often came at awkward times because a policy that was expected would suddenly get bumped. This was apparent in that often the policy would be just a press release and the all important detail didn’t get released until days later. It was also quite evident that there were variants between what people were talking about and the later details.
All signs about late detailing and too many hands involved very late in the process. Policies need to be settled a week or weeks ahead and then have the complete package at release. Otherwise National exploits the holes in MPs understandings
* The campaign was always susceptible to a late interruption because it was designed to come to culmination. It got disrupted by outside events, just as it has been in at least 3 of the last 5 elections.
* Campaigns are 3 years long. Perhaps Labour should start operating as if they are. What you do in the first two years is just as important as the final year especially in terms of getting working teams and systems. That didn’t happen the last term or in the previous one.
Clare and the Viper
Who said peak cray cray ended with the election.
http://www.matthewbeveridge.co.nz/politics/clare-and-the-viper/
And to think, I knew you before you got famous lol
“you are not constitutional”
Eat your cake, comrade. Meet the revolution.
Haha! The NZ version is – kids in poverty can eat Pav!
I might have developed a green skin, but I’m still red blooded.
Wish you well, mate.
Whoever head hunted Clare Curran for parliamentary status made a big mistake. Maturity does not appear to be her strong point.