Open mike 28/11/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 28th, 2015 - 56 comments
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56 comments on “Open mike 28/11/2015 ”

  1. Morrissey 2

    Liars of Our Time
    No. 54: RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN

    “The greatest supporter of ISIL is the Assad regime.”

    —-ISIL’s greatest supporter Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey
    Al Jazeera News, Saturday 28 November 2015

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-25/meet-man-who-funds-isis-bilal-erdogan-son-turkeys-president

    More liars…
    No. 53 Richie McCaw: “The win over France in the quarter-final put some demons to bed.”
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19112015/#comment-1098032
    No. 52 Michael Cheika: “I genuinely feel for Craig Joubert. It’s so unfair. No other referee has had this stuff put out there like that and he’s a very good referee.”

    Even more liars…
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20102015/#comment-1084864

  2. Whispering Kate 3

    Browsing online on the Herald, though God knows why I do, I see where a woman, Australian born, who has lived here since she was 4 years old, 38 years old now, has been diagnosed with terminal melanoma. She does not qualify for free treatment here and although 31 weeks pregnant, she has to return to Australia for her treatment and early birth of her baby.

    With all our disgust of how New Zealanders are treated over the ditch in not being able to receive help, even when they pay taxes to provide for such help, isn’t it a bit rich of us when we are doing the same thing to fellow neighbours from over the ditch who have lived here for many years. I understand that recent arrivals have to pay for their medical help but isn’t this going a bit too far for this woman who has lived here for years. What a nasty old world we live in.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11552650

    • RedLogix 3.1

      Read this and be appalled:

      http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/nov/28/a-phonecall-a-meeting-then-indefinite-detention-the-refugees-at-the-mercy-of-asio

      This is exactly the same secretive administrative regime that is detaining and deporting New Zealanders.

      The point so many people fail to understand, is that the rule changes Abbott passed early this year mean that:

      1. If you are deemed to have failed the new retrospective rules then arrest is mandatory.
      2. Indefinite detention is mandatory
      3. You do not have to be told why you have been detained or on what grounds
      4. There is NO legal appeal
      5. The Minister of Immigration has sole discretion

      The UN has condemned this regime, and there was real disquiet when Abbott rammed these changes through under the guise of ‘fighting terrorism’. It’s application to New Zealanders who have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism is obnoxious and wrong.

      Kind of like their cricket team now I come to think of it.

  3. Mike the Savage One 5

    Here is some interesting new OIA information that was released by MSD on 19 Nov. 2015 (see also questions/answers 18 and 19 re Mental Health Employment Service and Sole Parent Employment Service outcomes). As usual, the response has raised more questions than answers, and some info has been withheld (some without any reason), other info appears to have selectively been made available.

    A post on another blog covers all this:

    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/msds-selective-and-poor-responses-to-new-oia-requests-on-benefits-advisors-reports-mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services/

    An earlier post that also contained OIA data on MHES and SPES and much more:
    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services-msd-withholds-o-i-a-information-that-may-prove-their-trials-a-failure/

    And here is a post showing how MSD and their Principal Advisor on Health selectively use statistical and other information, and misrepresent it to push their agendas:
    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/

    PDFs with the new OIA response from MSD, and also with the sets of questions that were asked:
    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-oia-rqst-dr-bratt-mhes-spes-waa-reports-winz-sundry-data-08-07-reply-anon-19-11-15.pdf

    High-lit version:
    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-oia-rqst-dr-bratt-hd-panel-mhes-spes-waa-reports-reply-hi-lit-19-11-15.pdf

    Questions put to MSD:
    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-o-i-a-request-to-c-e-of-m-s-d-base-benefit-break-down-anon-08-07-15.pdf

    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/msd-o-i-a-request-to-c-e-of-msd-bratt-hd-panel-reforms-anon-08-07-15.pdf

    Now why can our MSM not deliver any such information? Sorry, they do mostly seem to be under-resourced, unable to do a proper job, or are indifferent and rather spend time on discussing different flags and help the government stir up yet more fear about possible terror attacks in NZ. And lest we forget, there is always the weather, crime, lots of sports and celebrity news to report on. And who and what is “trending” on Twitt-err?

    • Mike the Savage One 5.1

      So most on “the left” do not seem to give much of a shit about this kind of info, but rather follow with obsession whatever MSM report, so they can then hit out at them? FFS if that is the state of affairs in this crap country, I have NO more hope for it!!!

  4. Sabine 7

    Brazil and the mining ‘tragedy’ no one really wants to speak about.

    http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16803&LangID=E

    Quote: The expert noted that the Doce River, one of Brazil’s great water sheds, “is now considered by scientists to be dead and the toxic sludge is slowly working its way downstream towards the Abrolhos National Marine Park where it threatens protected forest and habitat. Sadly the mud has already entered the sea at Regencia beach a sanctuary for endangered turtles and a rich source of nutrients that the local fishing community relies upon.”

    We are killing this planet one river at a time….and nothing will be done about it, lest we hinder progress and growth and export n shite.

  5. ianmac 8

    Hey! This sounds very brave, very exciting and innovative. Great leadership!
    “An Auckland high school is skipping NCEA Level 1 to reduce assessment stress for its students, giving the teenagers an extra year before facing exams.

    Hobsonville Point Secondary School says the first year of the NCEA qualification is unnecessary as it doesn’t lead to anywhere except further schooling……
    The school, which opened last year, said it made the decision to switch to a two-year NCEA Level 2 programme after reviewing a national report on student wellbeing which found schools were over-assessing children, leading to anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

    “Why would we do that to them?” said principal Maurie Abraham. “We found the kids weren’t enjoying learning, and were instead ticking boxes. Our approach changes the focus to deep learning, rather than chasing credits.”
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11552492

    • lurgee 8.1

      This is an interesting step. But the gap between Level 1 NCEA and Level 2 is huge. A lot will not be able to cope with it. Those are the ones who need Level 1 – it shows basic literacy, numeracy and general understanding of subjects studied. That’s may be all some students are capable of, but that capacity should be acknowledged.

      Of more concern is the hothousing and credit farming that is becoming endemic in schools. This is not a problem with NCEA as such (scaling exams so 50% passed and 50% failed was just as bad) but is a result of the pressure on schools to improve on results. The Ministry target for NCEA Level 1 is 85% pass rate (Which makes it pretty meaningless as a qualification). In a lot of cases, this can only be achieved by hothousing and downright cheating at an institutional level, because 85% of students are not capable of passing NCEA Level 1, at least not over the course of a single year.

      But no school wants to be identified as a failing school, because then Bright Flight happens – the capable students are sent to other schools and the cycle is confirmed.

    • The Fairy Godmother 8.2

      I wish we could move away from this continual cycle of assessment. A useful analogy is that weighing the pig all the time does not increase its weight. Have just observed my youngest child’s NCEA level one year. Start school in February. Practice exams in September, more revision then NCEA exams November to December. She is currently on holiday until the start of next year. So effectively only seven months when they learn new stuff. Just imagine what they could learn and discover if it wasn’t for all these pesky assessments.

      • galeandra 8.2.1

        Not to mention that huge slabs of the so-called ‘curricula’ consist of doing assigned work for internal assessment anyway and chunks of the week to week programme are reserved for this. For a bright or more widely interested students things can be pretty tedious.

      • galeandra 8.2.2

        Not to mention that huge slabs of the so-called ‘curricula’ consist of doing assigned work for internal assessment anyway and chunks of the week to week programme are reserved for this. For bright or more widely interested students things can be pretty tedious.

      • greywarshark 8.2.3

        Another analogy. A watched pot doesn’t boil! Give the kids a break. Strange that our pollies and advisors seem to be leaning towards Chinese rote learning after our style had been lauded for years.

        • The Fairy Godmother 8.2.3.1

          It fits the new political agenda. Our previous style involved thinking and creativity. This is probably a bit inconvenient now and tick boxes are far better training for people who will live in a bureaucratic fascist state.

        • The Fairy Godmother 8.2.3.2

          It fits the new political agenda. Our previous style involved thinking and creativity. This is probably a bit inconvenient now and tick boxes are far better training for people who will live in a bureaucratic fascist state.

  6. Bearded Git 9

    The Nats and there friends at the Herald are spinning the line that there are only minor changes to the RMA proposed. See here:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11552680

    This is NOT true. Let me repeat; NOT true.

    The changes proposed to S.95A of the Act mean that NO residential subdivision and/or development will be able to be publicly notified regardless of adverse effects. This means that the checks and balances of public submission and the ability to appeal to the Environment Court will be removed completely from ALL residential subdivisions and developments.

    The result will be that in places such as Queenstown or Wanaka visually intrusive residential developments promoted by well-resourced developers will inevitably gain consent from (specially chosen, often poorly trained) commissioners without any public input. This is a disaster for NZ’s landscapes in the making.

    Why on earth have the Maori Party signed up to this?

    S.95A should be kept as it it is. In its current form it does not hold back residential development. The Nats are simply using this as an excuse to change it.

    One can only hope that Dunne and the Maori Party realise the the disastrous effects of this change before it is too late.

    The change also flies in the face of a central tenet of the RMA-public involvement.

    • ianmac 9.1

      The Maori Party have only promised support up to Select Committee stage. They presumably have not the manpower to examine the implications and hope that a wider view will help illuminate.

    • greywarshark 9.2

      There seems to be a wish to fast track things behind tis RMA overturning. This is in my opinion, one of the main factors that influenced the Christchurch City Council building management section to be so careless with the controls and demands on the building that went down in the earthquake. The hegemony at that time was the same careless, feckless one presently coming from government.

      We should take this gummint before the Trade Practices tribunal or whatever decides that the public has been sold a sick pup and left with an article that is not fit for purpose. I want an intelligent government that acts carefully and effectively not a bunch of buccaneer cowboys knocking down fences meant to offer protection from danger and reliable stability.

    • ianmac 10.1

      Yeah indeed North. Wonder if that level of support was Government funded? Should be.
      Edit:Mr Backhouse and trust founder Scott Gilmour worked for more than two years to raise money for the Whangarei programme, which costs about $1000 per student per year.

      The men had joined forces with the Ngatahi Education Initiative ….”

  7. greywarshark 11

    This morning on RADIONZ Kim Hill interviewed Nick Tyler, a very interesting and knowledgable searcher for practical application of good ideas. The sort of person that gives my heart oxygen! His interview would have something in it for everyone who comes here and like heartening news, positive and factual and helpful stuff that will aid us for coping even improving our situation.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780651
    05 Nick Tyler: rethinking urban movement
    Nick Tyler is Chadwick Professor of Civil Engineering at University College London, and investigates the ways in which people interact with their immediate environments. He set up the Accessibility Research Group within the Centre for Transport Studies, with a team of researchers investigating many aspects of accessibility and public transport.

    Professor Tyler is also the Director of the UCL CRUCIBLE Centre, which conducts interdisciplinary research on lifelong health and wellbeing. He visited New Zealand as a guest of the University of Auckland, New Zealand Transport Agency, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington City Council, for public meetings and talks.

    • Rosemary McDonald 11.1

      I was peripherally listening to that.

      Much of what he was saying was very good…but the bit about making bus shelters into something that sounded like entertainment zones threw me.( As Kim pointed out…everyone has devices!) And the one meter square of grass needed to supply the urban dwellers with the required amount of aerial gut biota was a bit woowooish!

      I would have though grass verges and urban green spaces would have provided enough bug populated turf.

      I’ll listen again later…

      • greywarshark 11.1.1

        Rosemary
        These are generalised ideas and particularly aimed at sterile spaces, not like our green and pleasant neighbourhoods?

  8. joe90 12

    Promoters of anti-choice terrorist propaganda are culpable.

    .
    Michael Skolnik Verified account
    ‏@MichaelSkolnik

    Suspect in #PlannedParenthood shooting is a white male in his 40’s.
    (via police scanner)

    https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik/status/670326090699796480

    Lisa ‏@notmuchelse 9m9 minutes ago

    Daleiden and his buddy Troy Newman knew exactly what they were doing w/ their dishonest propaganda videos. Newman’s done it before!
    3 retweets 2 likes

    Lisa
    ‏@notmuchelse

    Troy Newman spent years demonizing Dr. Tiller, until he was murdered. Then he joined up w/ Daleiden for these videos.

    https://twitter.com/notmuchelse/status/670382764286349312


    Alexandra
    ‏@aliemalie

    A clinic needs bulletproof vests. Let that sink in. “Clinic has a… supply of bulletproof vests.” #ColoradoSprings http://nyti.ms/1InJgGU

    https://twitter.com/aliemalie/status/670362047834558468

    • greywarshark 12.1

      The USA seems to be quite a violent, lawless place. And of course they assassinate their leaders from time to time. On top of that they have a religious fundamentalist group that thinks nothing of preventing people having human rights and freedom.

      It is not surprising that we hear so much bad stuff about the USA. Any place where people feel they have to have a gun to protect themselves against lurking dangers, (mostly their family or neighbours), must be a country not yet civilised, or one on the way down.

      • Tautuhi 12.1.1

        Rumour had it, it was the CIA that nailed JFK Kennedy?

        • greywarshark 12.1.1.1

          Oh I love these theories. I hardly have to watch films for intriguing plots and scenarios now. And with the emerging stories that leak out from the past – ones about killing Castro come to mind, they can’t be dismissed as drivel.

    • millsy 12.2

      These guys want a blanket ban on abortion, and are prepared to kill in order to acheive that goal.

  9. greywarshark 13

    I’ve put this up once and it seems to have vanished. I think it is interesting so here goes again.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780648
    On antiobiotics which the news about has lately been negative. They are becoming ineffective because they have been used profligately as prophylactics and because they seem to promote growth by the food industry. Now some boffin is sounding hopeful about fighting the little bacteria b..gers.

    This from RADIONZ. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780533
    Last year the World Health Organisation warned that the world was heading towards a “…post-antibiotic era”.
    Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet last week described the discovery in China of a bug resistant to the polymyxins, the last class of fully effective antibiotics. More worryingly, this resistance can pass between bacteria, raising the prospect that polymyxin-resistant bugs could spread worldwide over the next few years.

    So far, so gloomy…but is antibiotic resistance a problem that we can solve?
    Bacteria have been around for billions of years, and in that time they’ve worked out how to fight off and kill other bugs muscling in on their turf.

    They do this using a bacteriocin, a toxic protein that can target a specific species of bacteria; think sniper fire as opposed to the hand grenade approach employed today with broad spectrum antibiotics.

    Professor Richard James of the University of Nottingham and other teams around the world are hoping that these bacteriocins will help us win the war against infection.

    [lprent: Some of your comments have been going into autospam. Haven’t looked to see why yet. ]

  10. greywarshark 14

    lprent
    Running my mouse over parts of the TS page bring up a warning that –
    ‘Firefox has prevented the outdated plugin “Adobe Flash” from running on thestandard.org.nz.

    And this is without my presenting anything. Then it happened when I was testing to see what brought up the message and ran the mouse down the comments list on the right.

    I had tried to put up a comment with two links to audio on Radionz but it wouldn’t accept them on the two times that I tried. While I have been refreshing to see where the comment has gone, I have had that message about taking up too much time and been locked out.

    I’m not sure what’s going on.

    • greywarshark 14.1

      lprent
      Further to before – I see that I had some options to get rid of the blocker – Allow now and allow and remember, so I have pressed the remember one. It has gone. Don’t know any more but hope that’s it.

      • greywarshark 14.1.1

        Still having trouble. I am trying to put up a summary from RADIONZ plus their audio for one of their features. It has gone up in the cloud but not come down again.
        Need some heavenly guidance. Had four or five goes now in total.

    • BM 14.2

      Just use chrome, firefox is a dog.

  11. Pat 15

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/11/david-cameron-letter-cuts-oxfordshire

    insert National Party Ministers name of your choice and this would be here

    • Gabby 15.1

      You have to wonder whether the man is just completely oblivious to the effects of his government on ordinary people, or if he is taking the piss monumentally.

  12. Tautuhi 16

    National have pricked the Auckland real estate bubble with the 1st October changes!

  13. greywarshark 17

    Antibiotics:
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780648
    On antiobiotics which the news about has lately been negative. They are becoming ineffective because they have been used profligately as prophylactics and because they seem to promote growth by the food industry. Now some boffin is sounding hopeful about fighting the little bacteria b..gers.

    This from RADIONZ. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201780533
    Last year the World Health Organisation warned that the world was heading towards a “…post-antibiotic era”.
    Meanwhile, a study published in The Lancet last week described the discovery in China of a bug resistant to the polymyxins, the last class of fully effective antibiotics. More worryingly, this resistance can pass between bacteria, raising the prospect that polymyxin-resistant bugs could spread worldwide over the next few years.

    So far, so gloomy…but is antibiotic resistance a problem that we can solve?
    Bacteria have been around for billions of years, and in that time they’ve worked out how to fight off and kill other bugs muscling in on their turf.

    They do this using a bacteriocin, a toxic protein that can target a specific species of bacteria; think sniper fire as opposed to the hand grenade approach employed today with broad spectrum antibiotics.

    Professor Richard James of the University of Nottingham and other teams around the world are hoping that these bacteriocins will help us win the war against infection.

    • Pat 19.1

      one must not mention such things as the whole system runs on confidence….a confidence trick as it were

  14. Mike the Savage One 20

    Jihad and more in Syria, and what is behind it:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sPY0X8SrLo

    Most keep dreaming and getting no real info, that is the west.

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    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    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 ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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