The cray cray level of this campaign level has been dialed up a few notches. Cunliffe convincingly bet Key in the first debate. It may be that Key was distracted by rumors that a Judith Collins staffer had approached Winston Peters to discuss the possibility of NZ First supporting a Collins led government.
Key always talks about stable government. If the rumor is true National is in turmoil.
Winstons time is nigh, revenge is a dish etc etc. Keys delivery was terrible and the albatross that is collins was nailed on. Hope those unemployment numbers key and DC disagreed on get some air as the flat out ‘no they aren’t ‘ from JK shows an out of touch wilfully deceptive trader man in action.
Hosking was better than expected but still not up to the task of being even, it’s just not in his nature.
“New Zealand First Tauranga candidate Clayton Mitchell said his party was now in a strong position: “We are now in a position to negotiate with National and get what we are after and that is what is best for New Zealand.””
I am only guessing, but the person who spoke to Winston Peters sounds like David Farrar.
.
In the last few days his research company was including Bill English in a list of “preferred Prime Minister” where Bill was the only person not currently a party leader. Why would he have done that?
.
Winston was approached before the Orivada scandal when Collins was in her ascendency, and Whaleoil/Farrar were trying to “help” her. I doubt that there was anything wrong in what he did (it sounds like the typical leadership plotting that happens in many parties), and I also doubt that Collins was aware of what he was doing.
.
Farrar is extremely aware of the power of information, and getting information on possible replacements for John Key – Judith Collins earlier this year, and Bill English now would feed this. Or it may simply have been an attempt to “get to know” Winston, in a personal desire to have connections with all the important political players.
This is what Farrar says about the person who spoke to Winston Peters: (from kiwiblog)
I’m 95% certain I know who Peters is referring to. He is
not an MP. He is not an official of the National Party. And
he is not close to Judith Collins. In fact I don’t think he has
had a conversation with her in almost three years!!! I’ve
had more conversations with Winston Peters in the last two
years than this person has had with Judith Collins, so does
that mean if I say something, it can be seen as being on
behalf of Winston Peters?
Which still leaves open the possibility that the person was Farrar himself.
Mickey .. maybe worth noting this was prior to the main Oravida scandal, according to Winston on TV3 this morning. And Winston is willing to swear an affidavit no less.
…and now that we have witnessed the insulting treatment dished out to Mr Cunliffe/Labour all year by the media with their ongoing fantastical, ‘don’t-just-report-the-story-make-it-up’ questioning of whether the Labour caucus should ditch their leader, I am exceedingly interested to see whether the media are going to play the questioning over the National leadership for as long and hard as they have done so with Labour.
[lprent: From the behaviour it appears that some security patch from a few days ago doesn’t like odd punctuation, like .. and ://. I will probably have to limp through to the weekend before I have time to find and fix it. ]
Agree, I have been contacted by 2 non political, middle of the road voters this morning saying “Wow, David Cunliffe was amazing, why haven’t we seen him like this before”, which I think is really interesting.
The fact that people haven’t seen much of the real Cunliffe is an indictment on our MSM media who have sucked up to their “insiders” and have made sure that DC doesn’t get any favourable coverage.
I think the other biggie here is that National always knew that David Cunliffe would look good in the debates, that is why they have been on a concerted attack against him ever since he was voted Leader (helped by some self serving Labour insiders)…they have been affective given where Labour polls are currently.
Perhaps the other point is that Nicky Hagar’s Dirty Politics book has exposed Key’s main tool: nasty attack lines. Without his nasty attack lines Key has had to try and use facts and policies, and consequently looks weak…”facts and policies” aren’t exactly National’s strengths.
But you should not be surprised Weka. Colin and company are very white and very reactionary in their policies. They also bat shit crazy enough, to attract the bitter nasty right wing nut jobs.
I thought Richard Prosser from NZ First would be more their kind of thing:
“Richard Prosser said young men who were Muslim, “look like a Muslim” or came from a Muslim country should not be permitted to fly on “western” airlines, in an article he wrote for Investigate magazine.”
No Rosie – the extreme authoritarian right are not just Muslim haters – oh no. They have a special kind of hate in their hearts for everyone who is not white, and thinking straight like them.
He doesn’t generate enough money to pay for his tea and sugar from his blog in all likelihood. The money comes from Corporates and the National Party as per whaledump.
Slater said he would be telling police he believed Kim Dotcom was involved in the hacking due to “the fact that he was gloating, the fact that he’s made comments prior to this happening, a whole lot of other stuff”.
Gloating as signifier of guilt? Does that mean half the country was part of the hacking?
What’s more significant is that Slater waited until now to go to the cops. My guess is he didn’t lay a complaint about the original hack because he didn’t want anyone with a badge knowing what he was up to, whereas now we all know he’s got very little to lose.
I got the impression he laid the complaint previously from Israel, but is only just now meeting with the police because he’s just back in the country. Don’t know when the complaint was laid though.
BlogWatch columnist Peter Fowler looks at the controversy around the song “Kill the PM” and how misinformation about NZ On Air spread quickly through blogs and reader comments online.
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I’m gonna get you, too
Another one bites the dust
I thought Ferguson did well to follow up those repeated comments about Peters’ being racist and that he was “the last person” she would have contacted with the question about whether she could work with him in a coalition.
She floundered around saying ‘that’s up to John Key’ but Ferguson reminded her that it was also up to her (she could decline to be a minister in such a Cabinet or government, for example).
No. She didn’t say that it was “a Labour Party website”, she said that it was The Labour Party Website. Even worse. Either she is being deliberately misleading or she is pig-ignorant. Either would make her equally unfit to be police minister.
Cyber bullying what a joke – a difference of opinion and butting of heads – yes. I think I’ve clashed with a few people here. But does that mean I carry on clashing with them, loss respect for them and hold a grudge – Hell no. Politics on the left is passionate and people get heated – and say silly things -I should know, I’ve done it a few times. But, we know what we want at the end of the day is a better society, that works for everyone – even if we disagree what form and shape that should take now and into the future. If at times sound rough, tough, and a bit abusive – it is the medium not the message.
However attacking opponents who lie, and keep repeating the same lies over and over and push and ideological line which is anti-human, selfish and self indulgent. Well maybe Collins is right – because for some strange reason logic, or well formed rhetoric with these individuals does not work. No matter how many facts, figures or truths you put to them, they will always come back with the lie, the repetition, and the rigid ideological defence. I then point out the character flaws – if that is cyber bulling – then I’m a cyber bully.
And silly question – why do the hard right always fall into rapid vicarious political correctness as a defence? As they seem to be the ones who say – political correctness is mad http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/tag/political_correctness
Interesting comment from Wayne Hope and Claire Robinson (Claire was angry too) on RNZ re last nights debate, both reckon that the debate has “cemented Cunliffe in as leader of the Labour Party post election”
Cunliffe will be so pleased since, like, a week ago, he confirmed he’d be around for 2017 election win or lose. Not a reassuring statement for leader to say going into a hard-win election, but I’m sure someone somewhere knows what it really means.
OxyContin is one of the worst drugs ever invented. Period, if you have anyone use this drug for an extended period, you will know what I mean. I have advocated people off it to marijuana. Yeah pot can male you a bit spacey, but Oxy makes you dumb, incompetent and lifeless.
Why am I not surprised by this wonder piece of investigative journalist by Lee Fang.
In the States and here the gangs see Oxy as a good way to make money. Can we please grow up, and treat marijuana as a health issue – not a criminal one.
The Standard spellcheck tells me Cunliffe is actually spelled Conifer. Do I want to add to dictionary? No, I like the idea that there might be a David Conifer somewhere planning a secret coup from his corner of the forest.
I suspect I’ve been hacked by a blogger close to The Green Party, to boost their support. Every time I write Booo Cunliffe! It’ll come up as Booo Conifer! and gardeners everywhere will be steeled in their resolve to vote Greens, just to teach me a lesson. Sneaky people, those Greens.
[lprent: Or you could just add Cunliffe to your spell checker?
Jeepers comments falling like the black-hole-memory of dirtkey.
Go John, Go IMP, Go left, Go Labour, Go Greens Go you bloody beaut go!!!
“Internet-Mana would have four MPs in Parliament including veteran activist John Minto, if its support in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey were translated to an election result.”
I think key will be doing a midnight flit when he loses the election. There must be ton of dirt he hasn’t been able to shred or bury yet. No way will he be able to stay in NZ. Could be more stuff to come from whaledump yet. Collins might let us all know what she has on him. I wonder if he has broken his pledge not to drink alcohol until the election is over? I thought last night that he looked like a meerkat looking for a way out. He looked like a man without a plan. Aloha John key!!
He looked like he was well and truly over the whole circus.
What’s in it for JK now? He’s been the PM for 6 years, in his eyes (and many others) been fairly successful at it, but where to from here? Whats the upside for JK? All the good stuff has been sold, Chch assets will be stripped shortly, Auckland’s stuff can’t be got at. He’ll get his “Sir John” and the CV will be complete.
The faeces are awfully close to the fan and I got the distinct impression JK feels it’s not worth the risk hanging around to find out where it’ll spray.
JK been successful at spin and shining the turd blossom. He’s done nothing about housing, he’s lived off earnings from the ChCh and the Year of the Dragon Chinese Birth boom. The core problem with the NZ economy is the tax system rewards building a business as much as buying and selling homes! Think about that, which would you rather do to get wealthy, sit on your hands counting up the rental takings or have to use you noggings to fight world competition for profits.
But wait its got worse. The GFC caused world national banks to print money, zero interest loans, and for life nor money Key can’t get it into his scrawny tiny economic head that cashed up foreign buyers get to out buy Kiwis. Sure if they stay fairs fair, but that’s not whats happening, absent owners of farmland and homes isn’t good for out economy, as that capital Key says he wants to attract goes straight into the non-productive housing market, or into raw production and offshoring of the added value chain. Its pretty much absymal from a right of center commerical point of view, unsaleable you’d think. But Key’s not going for the intelligent vote, he’s after the I want my tax cut because I don’t know were taxation comes from brigade. Tax cuts eventually reach a limit where they start eating the economy rather than revving it. Where the tax cut winners start sending their money overseas, or worse, pay more to buy into homes and assets!!!! due to foreigner bidding up the prices. Its reckless economics, breed from a time of luxury when cheap high density fuels got year on year cheaper.
He will have made multi-millions out of NZ in his supposedly blind Aldgate Trust. Would not surprise me at all to discover down the track both Key and English gained multiples from the govt guarantee of SCF and its subsequent collapse.
Why isn’t the Serious Fraud Office asking more question ?
I noted the following:
*Key noteably surprised at start when Hosking pushed him hard for an answer – put him off and he never recovered, JK was expecting usual patsy questions and had no where to hide. No answers without his team in his ear, it showed.
*Hosking still a plonker albeit reasonably even handed (for him)
* Cunliffe truly impressive, Ive not seen this man before.
*TVNZ poll obvious bullshit.
Give us more of this Cunliffe please.
Well done David Cunliffe. My impression of you hadn’t been very good, but the debate last night changed has my mind and reading Dirty Politics has cemented my vote against Key and Collins. It’s time for a change of government – you have my vote. Best of luck for the election.
Will be interesting to hear Key’s slant on the prospects of John Minto.
John Minto earned his hatred by the Right through his involvement in the 1981 tour.
Of course he has been in the forefront of many movements since, but none that
would earn him the “opprobrium” of ’81. Only those “living” at the that time carry those feelings.
Key will have to be careful how he comments, because it may just identify his position in the 1981 spectrum… “Oh, I can’t really remember.” Yeah Right.
Perhaps the MSM might Key what he thinks of the possibility of John Minto getting into parliament.
Undecided.
… and your point is?
The Link and discussion I have commented on is John Minto.
Last I heard was that he is standing for Mana/IP.
Where does my comment mention Labour or any other parties?
(Unless of course your comment has been linked to my post 21 in error, in which case my apologies).
Quite the opposite, kiwi-guy. John Minto was not overly popular with the Soviet aligned Socialist Unity Party. Does your knowledge come from reading Whalespew and Kiwibog?
Communities are coalesce around and through the act of gift giving. Whether benefits street, or Broadway where the currency is a mention, a good review. In Tory circles the currency is the recital of the neo-liberal myth, tax cuts. Tax cuts are the gift the Tories are gifting to each other. They honestly believe that with yet another tax cut they will be better off. Its just one giant cult.
Humanity, creates collectively, the wealth we now all enjoy. Humanity, underwrites it, with its own lives if necessary, since our freedom to trade comes from our willingness to stand up and defend ourselves against dictators. Even the act of getting up in the morning to a timetable, commuting to work, embracing a common language, common laws, defending one law for all (no three strikes tying the hands of judges), all are gifts to good order, and generate the underlying fabric that makes wealth possible. Yes, staying within the white line while driving is a cooperative social act that has wealth connotations. So when some desperately weak minded Tory jumps up with their mythology of tax cuts, how they worked hard for what they gotten, I just shake my head. How long before people start pissing in the collective well, how much collective inertia is built up due to good people worrying they may be making Tories richer.
Well arguable it happens a lot in NZ, when some kiwis aggressively need to pounce on perceived weakness, is to my mind nothing more than the break down of the social compact. What are gangs? but more of the same notion extolled by National supporters who believe seizing wealth is the right of the strong. The weak should pay more taxes, which is essentially what they mean when they want tax cut (Keys tax cuts raised GST on the poorest).
So yeah, extolling private schools as better, or Key as competent, is yet another way for Tories to be seen as good Tories and has actually nothing to do with the actualities of the matter. Its a profit cult after all.
Dear Old Duffer Armstrong – obviously feeling better today after the discomfort of having to call Cunliffe the victor in last night’s debate – renewed tra-la-la love affair with TheGodKey this morning. You up’n’at’em John ! And good lad……don’t mention that bloody debate again. People might think it relevant enough to question your perennial negative framing of Cunliffe.
Judith Collin’s interview with Suzy Ferguson this a.m. was interesting: firstly because her head was suddenly above the parapet and secondly for the blanket denials: the first unusual recently, the second par for the course.
Of greater interest, I think, is the reason she has now re-appeared in the arena. It goes like this: she claimed that she is unable to comment further about any of the matters relating to her outing of the civil servant (just business card details, nothing more) because – wait for it – everything relating to the information stolen from a blogger’s website is with the police who are “making a serious investigation” and that therefore any further comments would constitute interference with their investigation. And she wouldn’t want Suzy to accuse her of that, would she?
The complainant is, of course, Cam Slater, back for a spot of fishing in the politcal pool. The happy conjunction of events ( Cam comes back, lays a complaint, Judith is free to walk again in the sunlight shielded by a hint of sub judice sunblock) is indeed fortuitous and in no way a plan. No smoke and mirrors here at all.
Does anyone know if the Police have acutally accepted Slater’s complaint?
(Ref RNZ website MR download, between 5-8 mins in.)
the utter contempt our justice minister is showing is frightening… Everything she and key do just further proves the strategies outlined in dirty politics
“Jackman spoke out on the advice of public relations consultant Carrick Graham, who advised her to tell her story quickly to circumvent any pending court order.
Graham said he had a client a few years ago who “faced pretty extreme suppression orders and that limited greatly my ability to help her in the media. I just said to her ‘it’s best to go out there early”‘. Neither case involved children.”
As exciting as the politics is, the big question for me this morning is whether phil will change his commenting syntax, or be willing to let his comments sit in the spam filter for variable amounts of time before appearing. Quite a fascinating dilemma.
A picture tweeted by ‘Caniwikiwi’ who tweeted it to Max Rashbrooke (and retweeted by Laila Harre) starkly showing the systemic racism in existence in New Zealand by comparing Maori, Pacific Island and Pakeha incomes between 1988 & 2013. 🙁
That’s not “systemic racism”, whatever ‘systemic’ is suppose to mean, its low skilled work that is in decline as most of those jobs went to Asia over that period. Glut of low skilled workers = flat or declining wages.
But in real terms basically EVERYONE on a salary or wage has flatlined i.e not even keeping pace with real inflation eg housing.
Oh well Kiwi_Guy, in case you have returned to read responses.
Your first comment indicated you didn’t understand what ‘systemic’ was and had you looked that word up, it may have given you a clue as to what ‘systemic racism’ was.
In my words: Systemic Racism is where disadvantages are embedded within the system, causing poor outcomes for those races that it affects. i.e a person of that race will have a harder time getting any of the benefits that the system is supposed to provide to all because there are inbuilt obstacles to them doing so. Places people of that race at a disadvantage to those who are not of that race.
It might lead, for example, to the people of that race, overall, being paid less than those of other races.
I made an error in comment @ 30: It was not Max Rashbrooke who tweeted that, it was ‘Caniwikiwi’ who tweeted it to Max Rashbrooke. (Sorry, Caniwikiwi, if you are reading! )
The Roy Morgan poll looking at what are the election issues the public are interested in makes heartening reading for the left. The top issue is inequality. Then the economy, then unemployment and job security. There’s lots there that the left can get its teeth into.
National staffer ministry of Social Development writing messages on WO, “Comments linked to the ministry’s computer systems included saying “people who are so stupid (already being poor, they then have children) should not be allowed to vote”. Other comments included attacks on Muslim immigrants, unions and Labour leader David Cunliffe.” A few right wingers on these blogs have suddenly gone silent, makes me wonder.
The vast majority of NZers would agree that people who can’t afford children but go ahead and have them on the tax payers tab are indeed stupid – in fact they would probably offer some more colourful descriptions.
This is one reason maybe that Nats haven’t taken much of a hit from the Dirty Politics fallout (yet).
The vast majority of NZers would agree that people who can’t put together a coherent argument without resorting to talkback memes are indeed stupid– in fact they would probably offer some more colourful descriptions.
You are toxic like the rest of the “Progressives”.
You want to see the reason the NZ public won’t touch you with a barge pole even after Dirty Politics, go take a look in the mirror.
Oh, and ask that manhater Ms Rogers what the NZ public would think of a Labour activists with Twitbook friends called “Cuntess van Mankiller”. What a bunch of crazy losers.
[lprent: OK, you really are a stupid wonder. Banned for attacking an author personally. Guess you never read the policy. I guess that being an ignorant dropped is just cool eh? Get your jollies that way huh? Just another limp fuckwit ]
The funniest thing last night was Steven Joyce tweeting his outrage that Cunliffe was talking over Key – that piece of hypocrisy was almost as funny as Michele Boag, when talking of Judith Collins and Slater’s friendship, saying “My Grandmother always told me, if you lay down with dogs, you’re going to get up with fleas” !! Those dear old Natz, always good for a laugh!!
Amazing, Cunliffe wins last nights debate hands down and both TV1 and TV3 News find stories to attack Labour. Labour needs to check details on TV1’s Vote Compass and check whether it can be manipulated, if its a net driven survey then Id guess Nat Members are playing it.
Both news managed to say that Labour had back tracked on the sale to foreigners, which is a story about the “benefit that a foreign buyer brings” when they purchase. I think the question the media need to be asking is, given this requirement is already in our legislation, how are so many foreigners managing to purchase land without bringing any obvious benefits other than paying more than locals can afford. Labour are just going to make sure that this is happening, which is good government.
I switched from tv1 to tv3 and then turned my tv off in disgust. They are too stupid to realise that around 50% of the public vote for the left and most wont be impressed at their bias. I really hope Labour does something to make this scummy media account for their unprofessional bias.
Anyone else notice that Key has been musing about the possibility of running a minority government in the same fashion that his mate Stephen Harper has done in Canada. Such governments are common in Canada both at the federal and provincial level. Opposition parties vote for the Speech from the Throne (mostly because their electoral support is low and/or fractured and they don’t wish to further antagonize the electorate by fruitlessly sending everyone back to the polls) and thereafter the government negotiates all legislation through the House until the opposition parties decide a more propitious time has arrived for another election or the minority government believes it has enough backing on a particular issue which warrants the calling of another election that it hopes might deliver a majority. At which point a confidence vote is contrived and the government falls. Governments rarely go full term and needless to say there’s plenty of potential for legislative timidity from the minority government that’s clinging to power. There’s no reason I guess why we couldn’t have this system in NZ except that unlike us, Canada (and Australia) are federal systems with provincial/state governments and have bicameral systems with an upper house to act as legislative backstop. Also given that all governments in NZ since at least the Second World War have commanded a majority in the House of Reps a significant change of thinking would be required from the Governor General to facilitate such a government in NZ.
For Key and National to even have been posing the possibility of this sort of minority government surely demonstrates a stunning retreat of ambition for this election on their part.
(sorry about the wordy post).
Have just been to a political meeting – a debate between the local youth council and the three main candidates in Kaikoura – National’s Stuart Smith, Labour’s Jannette Walker and Green’s List MP Stefan Browning.
A question about child poverty was answered by Stuart Nash Smith – his opening claim that the ‘poverty gap is actually closing’ was met by a roar of derision; he compounded his stupidity by saying ‘the statistics prove it’ which caused another wave of laughter – and then he made my night – by saying ‘statistics don’t lie’. The hall erupted. This clearly upset some right-wingers and when Jannette Walker was replying to the child poverty question someone bellowed ‘tell the parents to stop smoking and drinking’. She proceeded to tear them up for bog paper – she’s got guts and she has real passion.
Stuart Smith is just a bland suit – deeply unimpressive to anyone other than those who are walking round in a permanent blue haze – and I’m not at all sure he understands the nature of the electorate south of Blenheim. It’s a lot more marginal than the Nats thought it would be when they booted out Colin King.
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In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
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The cray cray level of this campaign level has been dialed up a few notches. Cunliffe convincingly bet Key in the first debate. It may be that Key was distracted by rumors that a Judith Collins staffer had approached Winston Peters to discuss the possibility of NZ First supporting a Collins led government.
Key always talks about stable government. If the rumor is true National is in turmoil.
Winstons time is nigh, revenge is a dish etc etc. Keys delivery was terrible and the albatross that is collins was nailed on. Hope those unemployment numbers key and DC disagreed on get some air as the flat out ‘no they aren’t ‘ from JK shows an out of touch wilfully deceptive trader man in action.
Hosking was better than expected but still not up to the task of being even, it’s just not in his nature.
From the BOP times…..
“New Zealand First Tauranga candidate Clayton Mitchell said his party was now in a strong position: “We are now in a position to negotiate with National and get what we are after and that is what is best for New Zealand.””
Winston won’t be too happy at Mitchell negotiating before the election and with the Nats as well.
It’s Tauranga, he has no choice but to say that.
I am only guessing, but the person who spoke to Winston Peters sounds like David Farrar.
.
In the last few days his research company was including Bill English in a list of “preferred Prime Minister” where Bill was the only person not currently a party leader. Why would he have done that?
.
Winston was approached before the Orivada scandal when Collins was in her ascendency, and Whaleoil/Farrar were trying to “help” her. I doubt that there was anything wrong in what he did (it sounds like the typical leadership plotting that happens in many parties), and I also doubt that Collins was aware of what he was doing.
.
Farrar is extremely aware of the power of information, and getting information on possible replacements for John Key – Judith Collins earlier this year, and Bill English now would feed this. Or it may simply have been an attempt to “get to know” Winston, in a personal desire to have connections with all the important political players.
This is what Farrar says about the person who spoke to Winston Peters: (from kiwiblog)
I’m 95% certain I know who Peters is referring to. He is
not an MP. He is not an official of the National Party. And
he is not close to Judith Collins. In fact I don’t think he has
had a conversation with her in almost three years!!! I’ve
had more conversations with Winston Peters in the last two
years than this person has had with Judith Collins, so does
that mean if I say something, it can be seen as being on
behalf of Winston Peters?
Which still leaves open the possibility that the person was Farrar himself.
He certainly does seem to know a lot about this person. Then again, David Farrar does talk a lot of bullshit.
lolz, how many professional liars are in this conversation now?
gold weka, gold!
yesterday he and his taxpayers union were certain that kill the pm was funded by nz on air…
I was polled by Curia.
They asked us to rate party leaders and then included bill english. He was not listed as a preferred prime minister
Mickey .. maybe worth noting this was prior to the main Oravida scandal, according to Winston on TV3 this morning. And Winston is willing to swear an affidavit no less.
…and now that we have witnessed the insulting treatment dished out to Mr Cunliffe/Labour all year by the media with their ongoing fantastical, ‘don’t-just-report-the-story-make-it-up’ questioning of whether the Labour caucus should ditch their leader, I am exceedingly interested to see whether the media are going to play the questioning over the National leadership for as long and hard as they have done so with Labour.
I wait with bated breath.
Bet key? Beat key? I didn’t see it!
cunnliffe owned key…
Still think Winnie will go with Key Senor Ure?
And I agree with your comment below-Cunliffe beating Key no surprise to those who have watched the 2 closely over the last year
comments still vanishing..
[lprent: From the behaviour it appears that some security patch from a few days ago doesn’t like odd punctuation, like .. and ://. I will probably have to limp through to the weekend before I have time to find and fix it. ]
Ditto.
f.y.i..it’s not the punctuation..
If it’s going to stop Phil from posting illiterate, illegible tosh, can I suggest it’s not a bug, but an upgrade?
imo it is easy to read his postings although I have suggested in the past that he keep it short, sharp and sweet.
Easy to spot and scroll past.
“imo it is easy to read his postings”
For you marty? I assume you are not suggesting for everyone.
Like
lol
To be fair, they have been getting easier to read.
i had high expectations of cunnliffe last nite..
..and that’s ‘cos..thru doing commentaries on q-time..i have probably seen more of cunnliffe in action than most..
..and i had seen many times how well he presents his arguments..how on top of the facts he is when doing this..
..but most of all..how he was able to rattle national/key..and in labour..he was best at that ‘rattling’..
..those observations made then are why i supported cunnliffe to lead labour..
..’cos i knew he wd be able to foot it against key…
..and he didn’t disappoint..
Agree, I have been contacted by 2 non political, middle of the road voters this morning saying “Wow, David Cunliffe was amazing, why haven’t we seen him like this before”, which I think is really interesting.
The fact that people haven’t seen much of the real Cunliffe is an indictment on our MSM media who have sucked up to their “insiders” and have made sure that DC doesn’t get any favourable coverage.
I think the other biggie here is that National always knew that David Cunliffe would look good in the debates, that is why they have been on a concerted attack against him ever since he was voted Leader (helped by some self serving Labour insiders)…they have been affective given where Labour polls are currently.
Perhaps the other point is that Nicky Hagar’s Dirty Politics book has exposed Key’s main tool: nasty attack lines. Without his nasty attack lines Key has had to try and use facts and policies, and consequently looks weak…”facts and policies” aren’t exactly National’s strengths.
Conservative Party is a “Pro White” party supported by the National Front.
http://www.nationalfront.org.nz/?p=1288
Does this make Colin Craig our version of Pauline Hanson?
I think that’s stretching it a bit. I’d want to see Craig’s response.
But you should not be surprised Weka. Colin and company are very white and very reactionary in their policies. They also bat shit crazy enough, to attract the bitter nasty right wing nut jobs.
I’m not surprised that the white supremacists are attracted to the Conservatives, I just thought that a stronger connection was being made.
I thought Richard Prosser from NZ First would be more their kind of thing:
“Richard Prosser said young men who were Muslim, “look like a Muslim” or came from a Muslim country should not be permitted to fly on “western” airlines, in an article he wrote for Investigate magazine.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8293690/Racist-Prosser-slammed-over-Muslim-comments
And yuck, NF give me the heeby geebies. I remember seeing one of their rallies. It was like swarm of hate.
No Rosie – the extreme authoritarian right are not just Muslim haters – oh no. They have a special kind of hate in their hearts for everyone who is not white, and thinking straight like them.
Oh I know that adam. NF are equal opportunity haters 🙂
National Front supporting =/= Conservatives supporting the National Front
As I recall last election Kyle Chapman was endorsing NZFirst
He trashed Key on every level. Any one who takes those Sort of poles seriously is a fool
What happens to the Whale if he can no longer generate $ from his blog? Back to the bene?
He doesn’t generate enough money to pay for his tea and sugar from his blog in all likelihood. The money comes from Corporates and the National Party as per whaledump.
sugar daddy ?
Comments vanishing here too. Another try:
Poisonous wingnut cancer closer to being publicly identified. Every single action taken by this filth while betraying New Zealand should be investigated and prosecuted where appropriate.
Does anyone seriously expect this trash gave neutral advice?
I loved this,
Slater said he would be telling police he believed Kim Dotcom was involved in the hacking due to “the fact that he was gloating, the fact that he’s made comments prior to this happening, a whole lot of other stuff”.
Gloating as signifier of guilt? Does that mean half the country was part of the hacking?
What’s more significant is that Slater waited until now to go to the cops. My guess is he didn’t lay a complaint about the original hack because he didn’t want anyone with a badge knowing what he was up to, whereas now we all know he’s got very little to lose.
I got the impression he laid the complaint previously from Israel, but is only just now meeting with the police because he’s just back in the country. Don’t know when the complaint was laid though.
Why didn’t he lay it in January when his cesspool was attacked?
Ok, I see what you mean (I thought you meant why didn’t he lay the complaint when the book came out).
I loved the irony of the idiot calling poor people stupid in comments posted from a work computer. I’d say that’s fairly typical of the Blubber Army.
Army? More like Five Sad Sockpuppets.
And National’s smear machine still operates:
Spam trap must be hungry.
thought you were talking about nat caucus members…
I have only just read toby manhire’s opinion piece from 15 August. It makes Garth George’s effort look foolish. The comments are entertaining too.
Collins on RNZ being interviewed by Suzie Ferguson…wow, COLLINS IS ANGRY.
She even reckons there is “Cyber bullying on The Standard”…nah, just a bit of friendly banter, never seen any “cyber bullying “on here.
is she saying that IF there were cyber bullying on the standard her behaviour is vindicated. I think shes lost it. Minister of Justice?!?
Yep, she has made it to senior National ranks by using attack politics and nasty tricks. Brains and logic is not her strength. She’s gone.
Minister of injustice.
Bullying isn’t the same as commentary. She’s playing the victim, which is the true mark of a bully, the place a bully goes when they’re exposed.
+1
+2 Tigger.
+3
+4
well she should stop with the ridiculous forehead and eyebrows
But then how would she do her Joker impressions?
You missed the part where Collins categorically said The Standard is a Labour party website.
Yeah, I wonder if they’ll be issuing an apology and retraction for the Minister’s lie.
She was livid – “I despise Winston Peters’ racist policies…”
and the part where she said she hadn’t read the cabinet manual…..
Actually she was saying she hadn’t read the email leaks, Suzie just mis-interpreted what she’d said.
she was probably bcc-ed at the time so doesnt need to read the leaked version
I thought Ferguson did well to follow up those repeated comments about Peters’ being racist and that he was “the last person” she would have contacted with the question about whether she could work with him in a coalition.
She floundered around saying ‘that’s up to John Key’ but Ferguson reminded her that it was also up to her (she could decline to be a minister in such a Cabinet or government, for example).
” “I despise Winston Peters’ racist policies…” ”
I wonder if any journalist thought to ask her what she thought of Colin Craig’s racist policies, or Jamie Whyte’s racist policies…
No. She didn’t say that it was “a Labour Party website”, she said that it was The Labour Party Website. Even worse. Either she is being deliberately misleading or she is pig-ignorant. Either would make her equally unfit to be police minister.
I’ll say. I will have to have a look at that.
or Justice Minister. Isnt red Alert the labour party blog?
I also recall recently, lprent, posting he would vote Greens. So he is not very good at bei g part of THE labour party blog…
Yep she said The Standard is a labour party website and that Cunliffe’s people use it for cyber-bullying.
Cyber bullying what a joke – a difference of opinion and butting of heads – yes. I think I’ve clashed with a few people here. But does that mean I carry on clashing with them, loss respect for them and hold a grudge – Hell no. Politics on the left is passionate and people get heated – and say silly things -I should know, I’ve done it a few times. But, we know what we want at the end of the day is a better society, that works for everyone – even if we disagree what form and shape that should take now and into the future. If at times sound rough, tough, and a bit abusive – it is the medium not the message.
However attacking opponents who lie, and keep repeating the same lies over and over and push and ideological line which is anti-human, selfish and self indulgent. Well maybe Collins is right – because for some strange reason logic, or well formed rhetoric with these individuals does not work. No matter how many facts, figures or truths you put to them, they will always come back with the lie, the repetition, and the rigid ideological defence. I then point out the character flaws – if that is cyber bulling – then I’m a cyber bully.
And silly question – why do the hard right always fall into rapid vicarious political correctness as a defence? As they seem to be the ones who say – political correctness is mad http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/tag/political_correctness
but please you don’t need to follow the link.
My, my ‘what a sensitive wee sausage’ Collins turns out to be, when in hot water.
And the water is hot due to her own bad, fractious and divisive behaviour.
So no sympathy from this quarter.
She needs to learn what the word ‘bully’ means, then perhaps she might learn to stop being one.
Key needed to be a better leader to stop this type of stuff -undisciplined behaviour and disarray – proliferating.
Big fail to you and your casual ‘hands off’ attitudes, Key.
Is it too late for the dirty brigade in national to now leak to slater everything they can to spike colin’s party?
what do you mean by spike ? ruin it, or up in the polls ??
sorry, ruin it.
@tracey thx
Interesting comment from Wayne Hope and Claire Robinson (Claire was angry too) on RNZ re last nights debate, both reckon that the debate has “cemented Cunliffe in as leader of the Labour Party post election”
Hallef%&$#&lujah
Cunliffe will be so pleased since, like, a week ago, he confirmed he’d be around for 2017 election win or lose. Not a reassuring statement for leader to say going into a hard-win election, but I’m sure someone somewhere knows what it really means.
I’m pretty sure that that means that Cunliffe won’t be stepping down if Labour loses the election. Which, IMO, would be good.
“..Now why would companies that make opioids want to line the pockets of marijuana prohibitionists?..”
http://www.alternet.org/leading-researchers-who-oppose-legal-pot-are-paid-painkiller-manufacturers
OxyContin is one of the worst drugs ever invented. Period, if you have anyone use this drug for an extended period, you will know what I mean. I have advocated people off it to marijuana. Yeah pot can male you a bit spacey, but Oxy makes you dumb, incompetent and lifeless.
Why am I not surprised by this wonder piece of investigative journalist by Lee Fang.
In the States and here the gangs see Oxy as a good way to make money. Can we please grow up, and treat marijuana as a health issue – not a criminal one.
The Standard spellcheck tells me Cunliffe is actually spelled Conifer. Do I want to add to dictionary? No, I like the idea that there might be a David Conifer somewhere planning a secret coup from his corner of the forest.
“The Standard” doesn’t have a spellcheck. It will be whatever browser you’re using.
For your browsers spell checker to assume that Conifer is Cunliffe, usually means you have told it that’s how it’s spelt.
I suspect I’ve been hacked by a blogger close to The Green Party, to boost their support. Every time I write Booo Cunliffe! It’ll come up as Booo Conifer! and gardeners everywhere will be steeled in their resolve to vote Greens, just to teach me a lesson. Sneaky people, those Greens.
[lprent: Or you could just add Cunliffe to your spell checker?
Besides which it could be just a Lebanese conspiracy… ]
Jeepers comments falling like the black-hole-memory of dirtkey.
Go John, Go IMP, Go left, Go Labour, Go Greens Go you bloody beaut go!!!
“Internet-Mana would have four MPs in Parliament including veteran activist John Minto, if its support in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey were translated to an election result.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315806
nice one marty, and good to see that voting for the IMP won’t be a wasted party vote 😉
I hope they get enough to get Miriam Pierard in too (5% I believe).
Miriam and Annette – one, two in the house!
Would not the Tory scum, learn politeness and manners then?
it wd certainly wipe the habitual-sneers off their faces..
..and i was asked by an mp why i had stopped doing the commentaries on q-time..
..and i said i had got ‘bored’…
..but said that i fully expected to be doing them again..for the new parliament..
..’cos it will be anything but ‘boring’..
I think key will be doing a midnight flit when he loses the election. There must be ton of dirt he hasn’t been able to shred or bury yet. No way will he be able to stay in NZ. Could be more stuff to come from whaledump yet. Collins might let us all know what she has on him. I wonder if he has broken his pledge not to drink alcohol until the election is over? I thought last night that he looked like a meerkat looking for a way out. He looked like a man without a plan. Aloha John key!!
He looked like he was well and truly over the whole circus.
What’s in it for JK now? He’s been the PM for 6 years, in his eyes (and many others) been fairly successful at it, but where to from here? Whats the upside for JK? All the good stuff has been sold, Chch assets will be stripped shortly, Auckland’s stuff can’t be got at. He’ll get his “Sir John” and the CV will be complete.
The faeces are awfully close to the fan and I got the distinct impression JK feels it’s not worth the risk hanging around to find out where it’ll spray.
Hand in pocket, waiting for the limo…………………
JK been successful at spin and shining the turd blossom. He’s done nothing about housing, he’s lived off earnings from the ChCh and the Year of the Dragon Chinese Birth boom. The core problem with the NZ economy is the tax system rewards building a business as much as buying and selling homes! Think about that, which would you rather do to get wealthy, sit on your hands counting up the rental takings or have to use you noggings to fight world competition for profits.
But wait its got worse. The GFC caused world national banks to print money, zero interest loans, and for life nor money Key can’t get it into his scrawny tiny economic head that cashed up foreign buyers get to out buy Kiwis. Sure if they stay fairs fair, but that’s not whats happening, absent owners of farmland and homes isn’t good for out economy, as that capital Key says he wants to attract goes straight into the non-productive housing market, or into raw production and offshoring of the added value chain. Its pretty much absymal from a right of center commerical point of view, unsaleable you’d think. But Key’s not going for the intelligent vote, he’s after the I want my tax cut because I don’t know were taxation comes from brigade. Tax cuts eventually reach a limit where they start eating the economy rather than revving it. Where the tax cut winners start sending their money overseas, or worse, pay more to buy into homes and assets!!!! due to foreigner bidding up the prices. Its reckless economics, breed from a time of luxury when cheap high density fuels got year on year cheaper.
He will have made multi-millions out of NZ in his supposedly blind Aldgate Trust. Would not surprise me at all to discover down the track both Key and English gained multiples from the govt guarantee of SCF and its subsequent collapse.
Why isn’t the Serious Fraud Office asking more question ?
+1 analysis. Doing better than the finance minister and treasury, media commentators and reserve bank.
I noted the following:
*Key noteably surprised at start when Hosking pushed him hard for an answer – put him off and he never recovered, JK was expecting usual patsy questions and had no where to hide. No answers without his team in his ear, it showed.
*Hosking still a plonker albeit reasonably even handed (for him)
* Cunliffe truly impressive, Ive not seen this man before.
*TVNZ poll obvious bullshit.
Give us more of this Cunliffe please.
Well done David Cunliffe. My impression of you hadn’t been very good, but the debate last night changed has my mind and reading Dirty Politics has cemented my vote against Key and Collins. It’s time for a change of government – you have my vote. Best of luck for the election.
Latest Poll.
Will be interesting to hear Key’s slant on the prospects of John Minto.
John Minto earned his hatred by the Right through his involvement in the 1981 tour.
Of course he has been in the forefront of many movements since, but none that
would earn him the “opprobrium” of ’81. Only those “living” at the that time carry those feelings.
Key will have to be careful how he comments, because it may just identify his position in the 1981 spectrum… “Oh, I can’t really remember.” Yeah Right.
Perhaps the MSM might Key what he thinks of the possibility of John Minto getting into parliament.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315806
“Labour is continuing a decline and polled 24.1 in the new poll. It polled 30.5 per cent in June, 26.5 in July, and 25.2 last week.”
“National is up marginally to 50.7 per cent and would be able to govern alone with 64 MPs.”
This is a good start by David but lets not get too ahead of ourselves
Undecided.
… and your point is?
The Link and discussion I have commented on is John Minto.
Last I heard was that he is standing for Mana/IP.
Where does my comment mention Labour or any other parties?
(Unless of course your comment has been linked to my post 21 in error, in which case my apologies).
In a different world, John Minto would have been New Zealander of the Year several times over !
If NZ had joined the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, then yeah possibly.
Quite the opposite, kiwi-guy. John Minto was not overly popular with the Soviet aligned Socialist Unity Party. Does your knowledge come from reading Whalespew and Kiwibog?
High house prices, high housing material costs, high rates. Work hard to be mugged. Welcome to John Key’s economy.
Education?
Herald reporter Robb Kidd today equates exclusive (private) with “best.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315977
“…former principal of one of the country’s best schools…”
One hopes he is not one of the Herald’s education columnists.
Communities are coalesce around and through the act of gift giving. Whether benefits street, or Broadway where the currency is a mention, a good review. In Tory circles the currency is the recital of the neo-liberal myth, tax cuts. Tax cuts are the gift the Tories are gifting to each other. They honestly believe that with yet another tax cut they will be better off. Its just one giant cult.
Humanity, creates collectively, the wealth we now all enjoy. Humanity, underwrites it, with its own lives if necessary, since our freedom to trade comes from our willingness to stand up and defend ourselves against dictators. Even the act of getting up in the morning to a timetable, commuting to work, embracing a common language, common laws, defending one law for all (no three strikes tying the hands of judges), all are gifts to good order, and generate the underlying fabric that makes wealth possible. Yes, staying within the white line while driving is a cooperative social act that has wealth connotations. So when some desperately weak minded Tory jumps up with their mythology of tax cuts, how they worked hard for what they gotten, I just shake my head. How long before people start pissing in the collective well, how much collective inertia is built up due to good people worrying they may be making Tories richer.
Well arguable it happens a lot in NZ, when some kiwis aggressively need to pounce on perceived weakness, is to my mind nothing more than the break down of the social compact. What are gangs? but more of the same notion extolled by National supporters who believe seizing wealth is the right of the strong. The weak should pay more taxes, which is essentially what they mean when they want tax cut (Keys tax cuts raised GST on the poorest).
So yeah, extolling private schools as better, or Key as competent, is yet another way for Tories to be seen as good Tories and has actually nothing to do with the actualities of the matter. Its a profit cult after all.
Dear Old Duffer Armstrong – obviously feeling better today after the discomfort of having to call Cunliffe the victor in last night’s debate – renewed tra-la-la love affair with TheGodKey this morning. You up’n’at’em John ! And good lad……don’t mention that bloody debate again. People might think it relevant enough to question your perennial negative framing of Cunliffe.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/john-armstrong/news/article.cfm?a_id=3&objectid=11315805
Judith Collin’s interview with Suzy Ferguson this a.m. was interesting: firstly because her head was suddenly above the parapet and secondly for the blanket denials: the first unusual recently, the second par for the course.
Of greater interest, I think, is the reason she has now re-appeared in the arena. It goes like this: she claimed that she is unable to comment further about any of the matters relating to her outing of the civil servant (just business card details, nothing more) because – wait for it – everything relating to the information stolen from a blogger’s website is with the police who are “making a serious investigation” and that therefore any further comments would constitute interference with their investigation. And she wouldn’t want Suzy to accuse her of that, would she?
The complainant is, of course, Cam Slater, back for a spot of fishing in the politcal pool. The happy conjunction of events ( Cam comes back, lays a complaint, Judith is free to walk again in the sunlight shielded by a hint of sub judice sunblock) is indeed fortuitous and in no way a plan. No smoke and mirrors here at all.
Does anyone know if the Police have acutally accepted Slater’s complaint?
(Ref RNZ website MR download, between 5-8 mins in.)
All very incestuous.
“you might not like it but @whaleoil is better informed and better read than any other news outlet or social media”
Judith Collins tweets 8/4/13
https://twitter.com/danbakes/status/504724910908788736/photo/1
Still flying the Slater even even after a wet bus ticket from Key.
Looks like #teamcollins doesn’t think they need to abandon using WhaleSmear yet. Disturbing.
the utter contempt our justice minister is showing is frightening… Everything she and key do just further proves the strategies outlined in dirty politics
psychopathic; she is now officially crazed crusher.
Saw this article this morning, guilty or not guilty, how much was Cameron Slater paid for this:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315977
From the TVNZ article:
“Jackman spoke out on the advice of public relations consultant Carrick Graham, who advised her to tell her story quickly to circumvent any pending court order.
Graham said he had a client a few years ago who “faced pretty extreme suppression orders and that limited greatly my ability to help her in the media. I just said to her ‘it’s best to go out there early”‘. Neither case involved children.”
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/courts-impose-gagging-orders-exes-online-attacks-5302020
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/tag/peter-clague/
All part of the retainer I guess. Quite interesting in seeing how these things were put together.
” Clague had quit his $385,000-a-year job as Kristin School executive principal “
“Cathy Odgers has resigned from the Lichtenstein based business adviser Jeeves Group by mutual consent – Alex Jeeves confirms”
https://twitter.com/Zagzigger/status/505112240752582657
Wonder what brought that on?
not a prick of conscience
Much much more to come from Whaledump maybe ?
I did like the twitter comment
https://twitter.com/nzsaysfun/status/503029266611576832/photo/1
This, maybe
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/08/new-zealand-prime-minister-john-key-the-whale-oil-blog-and-international-organized-crime.html
As exciting as the politics is, the big question for me this morning is whether phil will change his commenting syntax, or be willing to let his comments sit in the spam filter for variable amounts of time before appearing. Quite a fascinating dilemma.
Cruel…
“Unusual punctuation in comments is automatically going into spam. It is a bug. Your message will be extracted manually.”
Wondered what that was. I just assumed it was last night’s cheese.
” Your message will be extracted manually. ”
… That sounds rather uncomfortable.
A picture tweeted by ‘Caniwikiwi’ who tweeted it to Max Rashbrooke (and retweeted by Laila Harre) starkly showing the systemic racism in existence in New Zealand by comparing Maori, Pacific Island and Pakeha incomes between 1988 & 2013. 🙁
http://twitter.com/MaxRashbrooke/status/504857676761661440/photo/1
[lprent: corrected per comment below by BL. ]
That’s not “systemic racism”, whatever ‘systemic’ is suppose to mean, its low skilled work that is in decline as most of those jobs went to Asia over that period. Glut of low skilled workers = flat or declining wages.
But in real terms basically EVERYONE on a salary or wage has flatlined i.e not even keeping pace with real inflation eg housing.
If it is not systemic then please tell my why the top wage of Maori is the lowest wage for a Pakeha?
How can you argue a point without knowing what that point means?
I suggest you look up the term systemic racism prior to arguing a point about it.
I would link to the online Oxford dictionary for you, but that will mean my comment gets rejected for hours due to the fault on the Standard today.
[Deleted]
[lprent: if you want to be an idiot troll playing stupid word games rather than expressing your own ideas, then try wanking on the whale. ]
Why do maori and PI workers fill those low paid positions, kiwi guy?
Lprent, no wonder you guys are crashing in the polls despite being given so many gifts on a silver plate lately.
What the fuck! Im moderated, deleted and now unmoderated again? LOL
Explain to me “systemic racism”, its not the dictionary where I was told to go look by one of your comrades.
Oh well Kiwi_Guy, in case you have returned to read responses.
Your first comment indicated you didn’t understand what ‘systemic’ was and had you looked that word up, it may have given you a clue as to what ‘systemic racism’ was.
In my words: Systemic Racism is where disadvantages are embedded within the system, causing poor outcomes for those races that it affects. i.e a person of that race will have a harder time getting any of the benefits that the system is supposed to provide to all because there are inbuilt obstacles to them doing so. Places people of that race at a disadvantage to those who are not of that race.
It might lead, for example, to the people of that race, overall, being paid less than those of other races.
Wikipedia has a page on Institutional Racism.
LOL, you censor my comments and then post criticisms about them?
[deleted]
[lprent: Yeah. You obviously don’t respect private property enough to read the local rules. I don’t like graffiti wankers… Bye. ]
Every time you comment, it becomes more obvious that you haven’t got a clue. We have had better RWNJs in here.
I made an error in comment @ 30: It was not Max Rashbrooke who tweeted that, it was ‘Caniwikiwi’ who tweeted it to Max Rashbrooke. (Sorry, Caniwikiwi, if you are reading! )
Thanks very much for correcting my error, lprent!
The Roy Morgan poll looking at what are the election issues the public are interested in makes heartening reading for the left. The top issue is inequality. Then the economy, then unemployment and job security. There’s lots there that the left can get its teeth into.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11315798
National staffer ministry of Social Development writing messages on WO, “Comments linked to the ministry’s computer systems included saying “people who are so stupid (already being poor, they then have children) should not be allowed to vote”. Other comments included attacks on Muslim immigrants, unions and Labour leader David Cunliffe.” A few right wingers on these blogs have suddenly gone silent, makes me wonder.
The vast majority of NZers would agree that people who can’t afford children but go ahead and have them on the tax payers tab are indeed stupid – in fact they would probably offer some more colourful descriptions.
This is one reason maybe that Nats haven’t taken much of a hit from the Dirty Politics fallout (yet).
The vast majority of NZers would agree that people who can’t put together a coherent argument without resorting to talkback memes are indeed stupid– in fact they would probably offer some more colourful descriptions.
You are toxic like the rest of the “Progressives”.
You want to see the reason the NZ public won’t touch you with a barge pole even after Dirty Politics, go take a look in the mirror.
Oh, and ask that manhater Ms Rogers what the NZ public would think of a Labour activists with Twitbook friends called “Cuntess van Mankiller”. What a bunch of crazy losers.
[lprent: OK, you really are a stupid wonder. Banned for attacking an author personally. Guess you never read the policy. I guess that being an ignorant dropped is just cool eh? Get your jollies that way huh? Just another limp fuckwit ]
You have no idea why people have kids or why they are ‘stupid’. The evidence suggests a poverty cycle has a lot to do with it.
i have done a fri-dump on the ak city council..
http://whoar.co.nz/2014/grafton-cycleway-to-open-minus-link-to-uni-ed-this-is-one-of-those-stories-that-has-you-first-face-palming-and-when-that-is-not-enough-bringing-yr-forehead-into-sharp-contact-with-the-nea/
The funniest thing last night was Steven Joyce tweeting his outrage that Cunliffe was talking over Key – that piece of hypocrisy was almost as funny as Michele Boag, when talking of Judith Collins and Slater’s friendship, saying “My Grandmother always told me, if you lay down with dogs, you’re going to get up with fleas” !! Those dear old Natz, always good for a laugh!!
the back-story to that is that boag and collins are from opposing sides in the internicine warfare currently raging in national..
..’game of thrones’..indeed..!
..and fast heading for their big wedding-scene.
Amazing, Cunliffe wins last nights debate hands down and both TV1 and TV3 News find stories to attack Labour. Labour needs to check details on TV1’s Vote Compass and check whether it can be manipulated, if its a net driven survey then Id guess Nat Members are playing it.
Both news managed to say that Labour had back tracked on the sale to foreigners, which is a story about the “benefit that a foreign buyer brings” when they purchase. I think the question the media need to be asking is, given this requirement is already in our legislation, how are so many foreigners managing to purchase land without bringing any obvious benefits other than paying more than locals can afford. Labour are just going to make sure that this is happening, which is good government.
I switched from tv1 to tv3 and then turned my tv off in disgust. They are too stupid to realise that around 50% of the public vote for the left and most wont be impressed at their bias. I really hope Labour does something to make this scummy media account for their unprofessional bias.
I switched from tv1 to tv3 and then turned my tv off in disgust.
Me too!
I couldn’t believe my ears.
The carcass of public broadcasting is well and truly rotten.
Yep. A pretty shoddy effort by Tova O’Brien – repeating John Key’s spin, without any critical analysis.
[Deleted]
Anyone else notice that Key has been musing about the possibility of running a minority government in the same fashion that his mate Stephen Harper has done in Canada. Such governments are common in Canada both at the federal and provincial level. Opposition parties vote for the Speech from the Throne (mostly because their electoral support is low and/or fractured and they don’t wish to further antagonize the electorate by fruitlessly sending everyone back to the polls) and thereafter the government negotiates all legislation through the House until the opposition parties decide a more propitious time has arrived for another election or the minority government believes it has enough backing on a particular issue which warrants the calling of another election that it hopes might deliver a majority. At which point a confidence vote is contrived and the government falls. Governments rarely go full term and needless to say there’s plenty of potential for legislative timidity from the minority government that’s clinging to power. There’s no reason I guess why we couldn’t have this system in NZ except that unlike us, Canada (and Australia) are federal systems with provincial/state governments and have bicameral systems with an upper house to act as legislative backstop. Also given that all governments in NZ since at least the Second World War have commanded a majority in the House of Reps a significant change of thinking would be required from the Governor General to facilitate such a government in NZ.
For Key and National to even have been posing the possibility of this sort of minority government surely demonstrates a stunning retreat of ambition for this election on their part.
(sorry about the wordy post).
Have just been to a political meeting – a debate between the local youth council and the three main candidates in Kaikoura – National’s Stuart Smith, Labour’s Jannette Walker and Green’s List MP Stefan Browning.
A question about child poverty was answered by Stuart
NashSmith – his opening claim that the ‘poverty gap is actually closing’ was met by a roar of derision; he compounded his stupidity by saying ‘the statistics prove it’ which caused another wave of laughter – and then he made my night – by saying ‘statistics don’t lie’. The hall erupted. This clearly upset some right-wingers and when Jannette Walker was replying to the child poverty question someone bellowed ‘tell the parents to stop smoking and drinking’. She proceeded to tear them up for bog paper – she’s got guts and she has real passion.Stuart Smith is just a bland suit – deeply unimpressive to anyone other than those who are walking round in a permanent blue haze – and I’m not at all sure he understands the nature of the electorate south of Blenheim. It’s a lot more marginal than the Nats thought it would be when they booted out Colin King.
[lprent: fixed per later comment by TWW. ]
sorry TWW .. you don’t mean Stuart Nash … Stuart Smith ! long late night ….
Oops should be Stuart Smith second para – got Nash on the brain.
With all this dirty politics going on I am thinking of not voting. What’s the point of supporting a lifestyle of lies and deception.
Surrender is it? Fucking cry baby.