Nice signs of a fightback against the age of austerity. This is the second factory occupation in Taranaki in a week, after a group of metal workers also held a sit down strike to get their company to recognise their delegate’s right to represent them at pay talks:
The latest annual accounts from Tegel’s parent company show total comprehensive income for the year to April 25, 2010 of NZ$18.3 million up from NZ$10.2 million the previous year. The profit rose as revenue fell to NZ$401.7 million from NZ$464.3 million and cost of sales dropped to NZ$282.9 million from NZ$340.8 million.
And. Ports of Tauranga made a record profit. Guess who is now trying to get staff to take wage cuts and sit around on call.
Along with POAL trying to make the rest of their skilled staff, planner, pilots etc. take cuts to help pay for Gibson’s 34 mill fuckup. And presumably his 750k salary.
I have been thinking lately, that it’s worth looking more at local newspapers, because they often print articles more relevant to ordinary people than the big dailies.
A fair comment Karol. The regions do appear to get ignored by City newspapers and TV news in general unless theres a mountain exploding or a multiple car crash involving tourists. News seems to be shaped into a top down format. People/community centred news that is still relevent to the country as a whole probably never makes it out the area.
Agreed, but the Herald has already morfed into a small minded Auckland local paper.
Others in the same ownership only repeat what the Herald says, so why waste money ?
Ahhh Tegel, those were the days…back in early 04 I did 2 weeks there as a casual worker. At that time, Allied Workforce (which was in a great growth period under the supposedly worker-friendly Labour government), had a contract with Tegel to supply casual workers to the plant, it bascially involved sitting by the phone, waiting for AWF to ring for you to come into work — if you missed the call, too late, someone else got the work, anyway, the guys at AWF would tell you about how their workers would be subjected to nasty harrasment by the permanent workers, but I experienced none, though in the cafeteria the AWF workers and the permanent workers tended to keep apart, with the permanent workers having the luxury of having purchases from the cafeteria deducted from their next pay slip.
But anyway, the work was hard, and one would come home at night very sore and stinking of chicken. Also, I found training to be more or less a senior worker spending 5 mins telling me what to do, and then leaving me to it to bumble round.
After being shifted to about 4 different departments (and having the privilige of pulling innards out of dead chickens), I left after getting chemical burns on my wrist when I was washing out dixie creates — something that I was responsible for, as I had deliberately not worn correct PPE when working, in the belief that it would be easier. The scars sometimes still itch to this day. And I havent been to Tegel since — the office job that I have spent 7 years in is more suited to me.
I belive Addeco has the contract now, but Tegel is a shit place to work. I dont blame the workers for striking for more pay — the money is the reason why so many people work there.
Mallard’s appallingly prepared and badly communicated Auckland Waterfront RWC Stadium Proposal comes to mind.
Did Annette get coaching on her Auckland Housing Solution from Mallard?
Annette and Mallard have had their last Hurray’s too many times.
Shadbolt should be retiring in Invergiggle soon, Trev!
Nothing looks more desperate than someone trying to start a meme.
I had to laugh when I heard Vogon Commander Joyce in parliament yesterday claiming that Labour have been nicknamed “the hobbit haters” by the nz media.
I’ve never noticed anyone in the media use the term, unless they were directly quoting a script-reading Nat MP. Has anyone?
“Hobbit Love” is more of a worry, when a union buster is celebrated by thousands of grinning kiwis.
Hobbit hater is attempted code for ‘unkiwi’, or not sticking to the default kiwi setting of twisted nationalism and subservience. The type that sees support for troops in Afghanistan, youthful trips to Gallipoli and ANZAC day, tears during Dave Dobbyn songs as patriotism.
Key and business has been “storming the shire” since ’08 and the kiwi hobbit lovers do not seem to care a bit.
@ weka, the implication I took via Lord Jackson’s shifty look was that “you” (The Prime Minister) by implication meant “us” (the taxpayers). Jackson knows well it did not come out of Key’s pocket, and that he was the bagman for Warners.
Hey TM. That unpatriotic vibe you’re referring to was disturbingly evident on 3’s coverage of the hobbit premiere last night. The whole angle on “if we didn’t act (meaning bend over for Hollywood) we wouldn’t be here today” was devisive and nauseating. Key was so fill of ‘told you so” smugness and was smirking and grinning like the cat who got the cream. Ugh!
And yes, the Tom Scott cartoon in todays dompost was a good leveller.
Kia Ora Muzza:-)
Yep. Ignorance is bliss.
Its’ been particluarly tiresome here in Wgtn with the whole Jackson adoration and “isn’t the Hobbit great for Wellington, blah blah blah” going on ad nauseum.
There are big things to worry about and legitimate things to crticise this corrupt government about. But the message gets lost when we cry about Mr Joyce saying nasty things in Parliament which may not be true.
“Does anyone in the media use the meme “Planet Key”?”
Actually, yes. And that meme was created by Key himself (and picked up by the Greens), which is quite different from an opposition party manufacturing a meme entirely, as National are now attempting to do.
Ambassador’s rage doesn’t dispel facts
by Elizabeth Farrelly, November 29, 2012
‘Swedish ambassador goes berserk over Assange,” read Monday’s Wiki-tweet. It rang a bell, as it bounced around the globe, for while most diplomats are polite to the point of somnambulism, my sole encounter with the Swedish ambassador had been distinguished by rage (his). This rage, rooted in WikiLeaks, had itself been Wikileaked.
Sven-Olof Petersson is Sweden’s man in Yarralumla. By now he may be wishing he’d followed the advice I give my 13 year-old.
It’s this. If you have something savage to say, sleep on it. Then, if it really must be said, pick up the phone. Say it in person. Shout it from the rooftops, if need be. But under no circumstances commit it to cyber-space. Cyber-speech, seemingly ethereal, is etched in stone.
Back story: last April I wrote a column about Julian Assange. ”It’s quite clear,” I said, ”that Assange is not guilty – not of rape, not of treason”, but it was more a logical deduction (from the definition of these things) than a claim to knowledge of the events. In particular, I wrote of my dismay at what can happen to speakers of truth, especially at the hands of those who pretend to uphold it.
It made the Swedish ambassador mad. Really mad. We now know it made him, by his own admission, out-of-control mad.
“In particular, I wrote of my dismay at what can happen to speakers of truth, especially at the hands of those who pretend to uphold it.”
You can include the hands or should I say paws of “Cry rape!” Feminists like Felix and QofT who are CIA dupes. They’ve jumped on board the trial by media smear campaign against Assange like good little toadies – “Rape culture! Rape culture!” they wail on cue, like professional mourners.
Of course what makes Julian Assange ‘guilty’ in their eyes is A) he is a man, B) his political activism against the rich and powerful that dwarfs anything Team Feminists and other Assange haters, have or ever will accomplish.
How can one logically deduce that someone did not commit rape without any knowledge of the events?
That entire piece is moronic. But thanks of regurgitating the “sex without a condom is illegal” lie. Just to remind us that even nice anti-establishment people will perpetuate rape myths if they think it will piss of America.
naaaah, not at all, just wondering if there is any merit in offloading some more sociological precis allah 🙂
Ellul, which I have to share, is dead on the money; everything he thought and wrote across the 20th
Century, Fox, (she’s a twentieth century fox) came to fruition and he is referred to as the prophet of
the 21st; sees social phenomena corresponding to waves, currents and depths 😉 ; present events and
personalities which the MSM and increasingly the academic social scientists focus on, deeper abstract philosophical concerns and of course, his interest in the middle of the trending currents.
His corpus has a foundation in Marxist analysis but it goes way beyond money and settles on technique
so I’ll search for a link and tell me what your thoughts are; many of the Sounds of Silence tell me it’s all
happening at The Zoo 🙂
interestingly there is a work entitled Presence amidst consideration is given to
lived experience
“common places”
and the
Sacred (isn’t it interesting where the teleology of one’s ontological project can lead?)
I really recommend this text Living the Word, Resisting the World: The Life and Thoughts of
Jacques Ellul, there are rooms in the reason for everybody, but then what would I know, I am
just a weary gardener 😉
So how about those ridiculous predictions of 100,000 people turning out for the premiere? Seems the actual turnout was around 20k.
As Wellington City itself has a population of approx 200,000, that would have been half the city turning out and squishing into downtown, just to see some famous people walk on a red-coloured carpet and hear the same old suspects have some speeches.
2 and one half internet points for trying there son, but a 15 point deduction for trying to pull some shit that might fly on a trade me forum in the wee small hours but otherwise should have sent the abort abort woop woop sirens ringing well before you got the actual typing part.
I wouldn’t be too down on Trademe forums Pascal’s bookie… They have a huge readership if the large amount of hits are anything to go by whenever somebody links to a Jackal post there.
Besides, BM’s reasoning is far more simplified… How else to explain him/her thinking that CNN article is the only negative international attention Key and the Hobbit has recently received?
The trend is very worrying indeed, with the world clearly starting to think New Zealand is backwards and run by morons. Unfortunately people like BM and the politicians he/she supports do nothing but encourage people to form those beliefs.
Do you know haow many people drink Coke? Neither do I, but it’s an imperial shit-tonne. Doesn’t mean I’m going to start drinking it, and it doesn’t mean there’s any reason for me to start trying to get them to make it drinkable for me.
lolwut? From your link, the only mention of Labour is this:
Pattrick Smellie is a co-founder of BusinessDesk an independent business news wire agency. He has spent 21 years working in journalism in New Zealand and for publications across the Tasman. He also was a press secretary for Labour’s Finance Minister Roger Douglas from 1985 to 1988 and has worked in corporate communications with Fonterra and Contact Energy.
The phrase “bread and circuses” came to my mind. The film evidently cost each and every one of us $8.00/head and then they will still expect us to pay full price for admission should we really want to go.
Cripes Janice – can’t you lift your sights above your personal cost to attend the film. If you want to comment why don’t you have something to say about the multiplier effect for every $8 (or whatever) spent. And that it comes from an continuing film making niche here providing opportunities for creatives and actors. And that it raises our profile overseas so we seem like a vital alive and beautiful country, which objectively, we probably still are.
But people grousing about the cost of any initiative and heaping loads of brown stuff on ‘the man they love to hate’ helps to drag us down to the boring, conservative, dour sadarse place we can still morph into.
very waltzing in black, strangle the life out of me there is plenty more I could say to make you change
your mind, didn’t have much money but I had a morrie thou’ sand ways to leave your lover and step out
the back Jack White is a very talented man with a beat full of eye candy. (deep inhalation) Shandi,
say goodnight and gooo home because you Sure Know Something ahaaa…
“cos we gotta mighty Convoy truckin on through the night, come join our convoy…see what’s outta
Sight. Breaker 1 9 you got your ears on? I seen a cab-over Pete with a Reefer on and a PM hauling hogs”
This whole Hobbit-hater thing is getting a bit overboard though. Anyway, the same people who go on about this stupid movie and the jobs that it will create are the same people who support the closure of the rail workshops at Hillside, the jobs there were secure, high wage and high skilled. They turned out some pretty good stuff. KiwiRail flash carriages being the latest — could have exported them to other countries as well.\
But oh no, appareantly we should all be independent contractors on Lord Jackson’s Tolkein adaptions.
That was a remarkable contrast to the ‘Campbell Caravan’ or whatever they call it where (if we are to believe the editing was done in an even handed way) absolutely everyone sampled in Lower Hutt was of the opinion that Shearer was ‘the man’…if they knew who he was… and most didn’t know who Cunliffe was.
The TV3 news straw poll asked a different question – quite a narrowly defined one: basically Shearer or Cunliffe? – and that was immediately after the MSM was giving Cunliffe bad press, while Shearer was identified as the legitimate leader.
The Dunedin-9 poll asks whether the Labour leadership problems have been ended with Cunliffe being sent to the back benches.
It’s hard to understand what David Cunliffe’s demotion was actually supposed to achieve for the Labour Party, or for the chances of a Labour Government getting elected. I took a look at the latest Roy Morgan results but the next one will be telling, I believe.
Yeah well, rumour has it that Clare Curran’s electorate members clearly indicated a preference for Cunliffe at the time of the leadership contest 12 months ago and she ignored them. What does that say about Clare Curran I wonder?
The Director General, Department of Conservation, Mr Al Morrison
We wish to register our collective dismay at the current restructuring of the Department of Conservation. The effect of these changes is of particular concern with regards to science and technical support staff. The dedicated staff in these positions are intimately involved in planning and advising field based conservation management and research. Therefore, to suggest that rangers and field based staff will not be affected by these changes, as the Minister and Director General claim, is ludicrous.
The Department of Conservation is characterised by an incredibly dedicated staff who are passionate about their jobs. Unfortunately, this dedication to conservation is not reflected by government. There is an ongoing reduction in capacity, support and funding for New Zealand conservation, along with the continual threat of restructuring and reprioritisation of resources. The loss of positions coupled with those who chose to leave an under-resourced and uncertain future within the department is to the detriment of New Zealand Conservation and ultimately to New Zealanders.
New Zealand has an outstanding international reputation for innovative and effective conservation management.
This reputation has been hard won through snatching iconic species from the brink of extinction the Chatham Island black robin, kakapo, takahe and saddleback. Many more species and ecosystems teeter on the edge of oblivion. We have the expertise to prevent this from happening but the experts require funding, support and job security.
This week over 1300 conservation biologists from more than 75 countries will converge on Auckland for the International Congress on Conservation Biology. As academics and scientists with intimate links to New Zealand-based conservation management, science and research what will we say when our international colleagues ask about conservation in New Zealand? We have many good things to tell them because conservationists are, by necessity, a dedicated and determined group of people. But we cannot say that this commitment is reflected by our government and we will doubtless relay our fears for the future of New Zealand conservation.
100 per cent Pure New Zealand has to be more than a marketing slogan to attract tourists and buoy exports of our agriculture products. It requires a well-funded Department of Conservation and secure roles within the department for the dedicated staff to simply get on with their job of protecting New Zealand’s biodiversity. We acknowledge the current economic challenges facing the globe but we also ask that conservation management and science be properly acknowledged as a strategic asset for the wealth of all New Zealanders and funded as such. Recessions come and go: extinction is forever.
Some homosexual, celebrity hairdo working as a “reporter” for the ET! channel “Close Up!” program, blubbering about Daddy not being able to see his son get married – boo hoo hoo!
Looks like Team Pro Gay are really scraping the bottom [ no pun intended ] of the barrel now in their social engineering attempts.
Well when the whole pro gay marriage crusade hinges on flakey Academic Left deconstructionist mumbo jumbo like Carol’s “binary opposites”, what else can they do?
That’s ‘pretty much’ because possibly, (possibly), you could come up with some word that is the only possible word to use, and it makes a pun that makes no sense, or that conveys some shit you don’t want to say.
Your case here?
Total tool move.
If you didn’t like the pun, get fucking rid of it. If you don’t want to get rid of it, own it, especially if you go out of your way to highlight the lame arsed piece of weak.
Holy shit, you found a homosexual person who’s in favour of gay marriage? I’m fucking stunned. Oh, wait, you meant “homosexual” as a perjorative. Interesting.
If you are genuinely concerned about overpopulation, then you should support gay marriage. The simplest, least invasive way of curbing overpopulation is not having so many children in the first place.
Logical fallacy – same sex couples are no less likely, and quite probably more likely, to pursue having children if married. Gay people have all the functioning bits, and what we don’t have we can go get. You’re actually being a bit patronising – especially if you are assuming that gay marriage will make more people gay, or whatever weird idea you have in your head.
A culture that accepts gay people will see fewer of them live unfulfilling heterosexual lifestyles. I would suggest it probably isn’t uncommon for closeted gays to shack up and have children under some mistaken belief that it might ‘fix’ them or whatever. So there’s that.
But otherwise, yeah, doesn’t really make any sense.
Another giant step forward for NZ on radio today! No. Sorry just another case of the wealthy playing monopoly with NZ people’s money. RAM otherwise Ross Assets Management or some lying name, has gone belly up with just $400 million somewhere and about $10 million assets can be found and another $67 million that might be raised from the dead hands of investors paid out with newcomers money, also the IRD receiving real tax on mythical profits. When will this stop!!!!!!
We can’t get anywhere in this country if we allow some bloated, calaculating business fatneck to swan along and pick our pockets. Who can you invest with and trust? When is there going to be close monitoring and regulation of financial entities from government? We don’t want the Goldman Sachs copycats doing an Antiques Roadshow on our bits and bank balances and then conniving to acquire them, and we don’t want the Standard and Poors acting stable assessing our businesses. We want integrity, and by god if we have to pay for it we should shut up and fork out. It would be advantageous in the long run.
The ASB has just done a city by city chart as to the most financially active business centre and Aucland wins – why because they have more housing start ups. I would like to see two separate lots of figures, one for housing only and the other for real business which would include commercial buildings. Housing masks other activities and it is a relatively easy option for business investment. We need reassurance that there is actitivity and investment in other areas of enterprise in NZ.
And another ruined golden goose – the kiwifruit debacle continues. All those great people mortgaging themselves, doing hands on productive work, refining methods to meet quality standards – putting muscle and thought and innovation into a growing market have been severely checked if not wiped out by this pollen business. Bring back hanging? No no that’s the wrong attitude but directing passion to introducing tight precautionary actions to prevent this sort of commercial sabotage, whether un- or intended, is where strong feelings should be channelled.
I been for a wonder and a quick look at the BBc before communion. The options before the UK
parliament at the mo’ are to either get the press to self-regulate or be under government regulation.
According to RT television, which is really a humurus watch at times, the Spaniards are loosing
1000’s more Jobs in an exchange for MORE bankier support from EU Central and the French
are exibiting fears of disenfranchised Islamists; remember Algeria? oui oui
Remember when you walked home from school for lunch and Mum had made fresh ham and chicken
sandwiches while Dad pulled up out front in the bright Red CA Bedford van. Family home for Lunch.
and the son of the men who founded the company died recently in an industrial accident, along creep
of increasing competitiveness and Size in the Transport Industry; very sad,
Oh well, there is always Question Time for a laugh 🙂
The things they say in parliament are interesting because they go in the Hansard and and not to mislead
i wear baggy pants and i can not lie Stag and me ‘ad our own litle mag with Stars on Radio with
Pictures in our eyes like Talking To A Stranger sow the NZIER also recognise that NZ imports to ausie
are down non-people anyways “she’ll be right” and the germ Joyce acknowledges NSW and Queen Vic.
economies are “struggling” while the MC assail the Battered seas Power Station. Russell was sowing
them memes Pa, sure did look purty Metiria (although there are burgeoning Mass Body issues in NZ)
we seem a “fattist” society as a generalization, which thankfully has been reframed thanks to Pacifica
30 Years Tenure, figurative rhetoric bites them apples deep.
Unbelievable boiled lolly behaviour over a hard-to-swallow sweetie we’ll modify statistical reporting
frequently to maximize the fleece between Shares.
Funny fred Brown-stone just needed Pebbles-dash splattered down his tie; Wilmah!..Wilmah!
f.ism = Mob Rules thats why ya’ need the Hounds Of Love Running Up That Hill to see Black Sabbath
playing April. Fools in Cuba? Alright! Alllllright! as Tool?s have always boot-strapped the apex predator
wannabee a Hot Child In The City as National lampoon democracy.
-All Fred Einstein Gary Numan 😉 (craig, you’re a fossil alright yeah, just lay your hands on me…lay your hands on me Alright Yeah)
You might have thought that his tuneless singing of this witless, plodding campaign tribute in 2008 was the low-point of Stevie Wonder’s foundering career….
I have just sent this letter to the Honourable Lockwood Smith.
“Dear Sir
I am deeply disappointed by what took place during Question Time, no.4 today (29/11/2012). I am astonished that you allowed the derogatory phrase “shut it sweetie” to pass by without stern censure. This type of language is more likely, for example, to be found in the build up to a bar room brawl between drunk females, or by an adult trying to bully a child into submission. “Shut it sweetie” is neither appropriate nor fittting language for use in the House, and especially by a Minister of the Government. I expect far greater competence from those in positions of great responsibility.
Whilst there may be loud and rude comments made in the to and fro of the House’s business, I find this comment to be quite offensive.
The Minister of Social Development has an important portfolio to care for some of the weakest and most vulnerable people in our country. This is especially pertinent in the context of today’s question dealing with vulnerable youth. As you will no doubt be aware, many of these youth are the victims of abuse, both physical and verbal. The Minister just compouded that abuse by her offensive remarks
Furthermore, I would suggest that there was very little provocation that caused this gross remark. The remark was not just “less that ideal.” The remark is offensive.
I found this interchange disgusting and your involvement was especially disappointing. Both the dignity of the House and the responsibilities the House has to the people of New Zealand were seriously belittled today.
I expect more that to hear Ministers of the Crown say “shut it sweetie.”!”
To the tune of “Little Buttercup” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance
For I’m called Paula Benefit — plump Paula Benefit,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I’m called Benefit — plump little Benefit,
Though benefit no one do I!
I’ve slashed solo mothers and plenty of others,
My clothing puts Bett Lynch to shame;
I hiss “Zip it, Sweetie,” at all who’d defeat me,
And ethics can go to the flame.
I’m a leopard-print manatee, I lack all humanity,
My office leaks like a sieve;
All of those unemployed just make me so annoyed,
I strike them wherever they live.
Then ask for a Benefit – beg for a Benefit;
Of jobs there are never enough;
So, come to your Benefit — plump little Benefit;
So I can say go and get stuffed!
cool Pop Music M People “movin’ on up yes we’re movin on up…”
2.2M FB users in NZ and only 15K tax after “legitimate tax avoidance” save Facebook now!
Horan, what a cheeky wee dog; is the forecast for cloudy or fine?).The Retirement Watchdog
Commission warns that housing affordability for the smothering litter will be in the dog-house
(of course) while MFAT is further trimmed we’re givin the dog a bone just givin the dog a bone
The New Demons http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1362676.The_New_Demons
they sound attractive
nothing tautological about it Word
you reap by the technique you sow with language sticks to mark out the rows, all in all we are just
bricks in a wall from Te Mata peak look down where The Mushroom Farm grows beneath a
Golden Gate Ellulian arche, underline, that spans civilisation, modernity and technique employing
the tools of a christian Post-Christian ethique.
There was some excellent representative television on Close-UP 7PM in my view.
Third, we don’t need the workers. Productivity gains and cheap imports mean that we can and do enjoy far more farm and factory goods than our forebears, with much less effort. Only a small fraction of today’s workers make things. Our problem is finding worthwhile work for people to do, not finding workers to produce the goods we consume.
Which is what I’ve been saying for a long, long time.
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
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Nice signs of a fightback against the age of austerity. This is the second factory occupation in Taranaki in a week, after a group of metal workers also held a sit down strike to get their company to recognise their delegate’s right to represent them at pay talks:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8011469/Unionised-Tegel-staff-push-for-5pc
Some context:
My emphasis.
Yep, belt tightening is for workers only. Bonuses and trebles all round for the bosses!
And. Ports of Tauranga made a record profit. Guess who is now trying to get staff to take wage cuts and sit around on call.
Along with POAL trying to make the rest of their skilled staff, planner, pilots etc. take cuts to help pay for Gibson’s 34 mill fuckup. And presumably his 750k salary.
I have been thinking lately, that it’s worth looking more at local newspapers, because they often print articles more relevant to ordinary people than the big dailies.
A fair comment Karol. The regions do appear to get ignored by City newspapers and TV news in general unless theres a mountain exploding or a multiple car crash involving tourists. News seems to be shaped into a top down format. People/community centred news that is still relevent to the country as a whole probably never makes it out the area.
Local dailies always have the juicy bits and they are pretty much all I read when trundling around our vast country. They are also very entertaining.
Karol
Agreed, but the Herald has already morfed into a small minded Auckland local paper.
Others in the same ownership only repeat what the Herald says, so why waste money ?
Ahhh Tegel, those were the days…back in early 04 I did 2 weeks there as a casual worker. At that time, Allied Workforce (which was in a great growth period under the supposedly worker-friendly Labour government), had a contract with Tegel to supply casual workers to the plant, it bascially involved sitting by the phone, waiting for AWF to ring for you to come into work — if you missed the call, too late, someone else got the work, anyway, the guys at AWF would tell you about how their workers would be subjected to nasty harrasment by the permanent workers, but I experienced none, though in the cafeteria the AWF workers and the permanent workers tended to keep apart, with the permanent workers having the luxury of having purchases from the cafeteria deducted from their next pay slip.
But anyway, the work was hard, and one would come home at night very sore and stinking of chicken. Also, I found training to be more or less a senior worker spending 5 mins telling me what to do, and then leaving me to it to bumble round.
After being shifted to about 4 different departments (and having the privilige of pulling innards out of dead chickens), I left after getting chemical burns on my wrist when I was washing out dixie creates — something that I was responsible for, as I had deliberately not worn correct PPE when working, in the belief that it would be easier. The scars sometimes still itch to this day. And I havent been to Tegel since — the office job that I have spent 7 years in is more suited to me.
I belive Addeco has the contract now, but Tegel is a shit place to work. I dont blame the workers for striking for more pay — the money is the reason why so many people work there.
Cheers, millsy, that’s a good summary of the place from what I’m told. And also testament to the need for a living wage.
Mallard’s appallingly prepared and badly communicated Auckland Waterfront RWC Stadium Proposal comes to mind.
Did Annette get coaching on her Auckland Housing Solution from Mallard?
Annette and Mallard have had their last Hurray’s too many times.
Shadbolt should be retiring in Invergiggle soon, Trev!
Nothing looks more desperate than someone trying to start a meme.
I had to laugh when I heard Vogon Commander Joyce in parliament yesterday claiming that Labour have been nicknamed “the hobbit haters” by the nz media.
I’ve never noticed anyone in the media use the term, unless they were directly quoting a script-reading Nat MP. Has anyone?
Noted entertainer John Key has been using it a lot. Maybe that’s what he meant?
I’m a Hobbit-hater, and not ashamed to say so.
http://t.co/80MRdynR
“Hobbit Love” is more of a worry, when a union buster is celebrated by thousands of grinning kiwis.
Hobbit hater is attempted code for ‘unkiwi’, or not sticking to the default kiwi setting of twisted nationalism and subservience. The type that sees support for troops in Afghanistan, youthful trips to Gallipoli and ANZAC day, tears during Dave Dobbyn songs as patriotism.
Key and business has been “storming the shire” since ’08 and the kiwi hobbit lovers do not seem to care a bit.
More on the H****t. quite good from Tom Scott.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/opinion/cartoons/6736460/Tom-Scott-2012
Scott got one thing wrong though – Key didn’t pay for some of it, we did.
@ weka, the implication I took via Lord Jackson’s shifty look was that “you” (The Prime Minister) by implication meant “us” (the taxpayers). Jackson knows well it did not come out of Key’s pocket, and that he was the bagman for Warners.
According to Key, it was Peter “Jackshon” who made the “Hobbits”. Our very own George W. Scott should do a cartoon about that.
“I’m goin’ back in Jachshon…Jackshon’s who I want to be…”
-in Key j minor
Hey TM. That unpatriotic vibe you’re referring to was disturbingly evident on 3’s coverage of the hobbit premiere last night. The whole angle on “if we didn’t act (meaning bend over for Hollywood) we wouldn’t be here today” was devisive and nauseating. Key was so fill of ‘told you so” smugness and was smirking and grinning like the cat who got the cream. Ugh!
And yes, the Tom Scott cartoon in todays dompost was a good leveller.
Hi Rosie,
The whole thing is disgusting, and seeing the thronging masses fawning over the event makes me shake my head.
These are the spells weaved by the “magic” of hollywood, which is what people seem to “care’ about these days.
Kia Ora Muzza:-)
Yep. Ignorance is bliss.
Its’ been particluarly tiresome here in Wgtn with the whole Jackson adoration and “isn’t the Hobbit great for Wellington, blah blah blah” going on ad nauseum.
Seen it used a lot by right wing blog commenters. Does Joyce consider them to be part of the media?
Stop being so precious.
Does anyone in the media use the meme “Planet Key”?
Does it matter?
The point was, that Joyce was trying to claim the term is used by the media.
And my point is – so what…?
The media has reported the “hobbit Hater” meme.
There are big things to worry about and legitimate things to crticise this corrupt government about. But the message gets lost when we cry about Mr Joyce saying nasty things in Parliament which may not be true.
No, the media has reported that Key has used the term “hobbit haters” to describe Labour.
Joyce is pretending that the media themselves used the term to describe Labour which is an entirely different thing altogether.
and…
…and it’s the opposite of what you said, yet just over an hour later you’re agreeing with it. Duh.
I don’t think any ‘message’ is going to get lost due to an open mike discussion.
Hey now, Joyce has a point. The media does use it. When reporting on how it was entirely coined by the Nats. But that still totally counts!
“Does anyone in the media use the meme “Planet Key”?”
Actually, yes. And that meme was created by Key himself (and picked up by the Greens), which is quite different from an opposition party manufacturing a meme entirely, as National are now attempting to do.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/ambassadors-rage-doesnt-dispel-facts-20121128-2ae99.html
Ambassador’s rage doesn’t dispel facts
by Elizabeth Farrelly, November 29, 2012
‘Swedish ambassador goes berserk over Assange,” read Monday’s Wiki-tweet. It rang a bell, as it bounced around the globe, for while most diplomats are polite to the point of somnambulism, my sole encounter with the Swedish ambassador had been distinguished by rage (his). This rage, rooted in WikiLeaks, had itself been Wikileaked.
Sven-Olof Petersson is Sweden’s man in Yarralumla. By now he may be wishing he’d followed the advice I give my 13 year-old.
It’s this. If you have something savage to say, sleep on it. Then, if it really must be said, pick up the phone. Say it in person. Shout it from the rooftops, if need be. But under no circumstances commit it to cyber-space. Cyber-speech, seemingly ethereal, is etched in stone.
Back story: last April I wrote a column about Julian Assange. ”It’s quite clear,” I said, ”that Assange is not guilty – not of rape, not of treason”, but it was more a logical deduction (from the definition of these things) than a claim to knowledge of the events. In particular, I wrote of my dismay at what can happen to speakers of truth, especially at the hands of those who pretend to uphold it.
It made the Swedish ambassador mad. Really mad. We now know it made him, by his own admission, out-of-control mad.
Read more….
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/ambassadors-rage-doesnt-dispel-facts-20121128-2ae99.html
“In particular, I wrote of my dismay at what can happen to speakers of truth, especially at the hands of those who pretend to uphold it.”
You can include the hands or should I say paws of “Cry rape!” Feminists like Felix and QofT who are CIA dupes. They’ve jumped on board the trial by media smear campaign against Assange like good little toadies – “Rape culture! Rape culture!” they wail on cue, like professional mourners.
Of course what makes Julian Assange ‘guilty’ in their eyes is A) he is a man, B) his political activism against the rich and powerful that dwarfs anything Team Feminists and other Assange haters, have or ever will accomplish.
Not sure I’ve passed any opinion on those matters, k_p.
Care to show where I have? Otherwise an apology and retraction will be fine, thanks.
Still really, really desperate to deny there’s rape culture, k_p. Interesting.
How can one logically deduce that someone did not commit rape without any knowledge of the events?
That entire piece is moronic. But thanks of regurgitating the “sex without a condom is illegal” lie. Just to remind us that even nice anti-establishment people will perpetuate rape myths if they think it will piss of America.
carry on Shrek?
you calling me fat? 😉
naaaah, not at all, just wondering if there is any merit in offloading some more sociological precis allah 🙂
Ellul, which I have to share, is dead on the money; everything he thought and wrote across the 20th
Century, Fox, (she’s a twentieth century fox) came to fruition and he is referred to as the prophet of
the 21st; sees social phenomena corresponding to waves, currents and depths 😉 ; present events and
personalities which the MSM and increasingly the academic social scientists focus on, deeper abstract philosophical concerns and of course, his interest in the middle of the trending currents.
His corpus has a foundation in Marxist analysis but it goes way beyond money and settles on technique
so I’ll search for a link and tell me what your thoughts are; many of the Sounds of Silence tell me it’s all
happening at The Zoo 🙂
interestingly there is a work entitled Presence amidst consideration is given to
lived experience
“common places”
and the
Sacred (isn’t it interesting where the teleology of one’s ontological project can lead?)
I really recommend this text Living the Word, Resisting the World: The Life and Thoughts of
Jacques Ellul, there are rooms in the reason for everybody, but then what would I know, I am
just a weary gardener 😉
So how about those ridiculous predictions of 100,000 people turning out for the premiere? Seems the actual turnout was around 20k.
As Wellington City itself has a population of approx 200,000, that would have been half the city turning out and squishing into downtown, just to see some famous people walk on a red-coloured carpet and hear the same old suspects have some speeches.
look at what the world thinks of us
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/blistering-cnn-report-calls-kiwis-desperate-over-hobbit-5247237
John Key has made us the laughing stock of the world.
New Zealand truly does suck while he continues to embarass us all
“John Key has made us the laughing stock of the world.”
Clark did the same thing with Return of the King don’t forget.
Clark did what? Rewrite employment law or just build an international reputation as a suck-up?
Really The Contrarian? Helen Clark drew the ridicule of international media for sucking up?
Do go on…
Article written by a one Pattrick Smellie
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1209/S00629/pattrick-smellie-wins-scholarship-to-london.htm
Once again Labour aligned people taking a dump in the Hobbit punch bowl, in a feeble attempt to sling shit at John Key and National
Notch another one up for the “Hobbit haters”
Fark.
2 and one half internet points for trying there son, but a 15 point deduction for trying to pull some shit that might fly on a trade me forum in the wee small hours but otherwise should have sent the abort abort woop woop sirens ringing well before you got the actual typing part.
Trade me forums aye.
I assume you post in opinions, what handle do you go by over there?
Don’t.
You should do, the left side could really do with some help.
Reckon seeing how Trademe forums are for people who can’t figure how to make Stuff comments work, losing a flame war is the least of their probs.
I wouldn’t be too down on Trademe forums Pascal’s bookie… They have a huge readership if the large amount of hits are anything to go by whenever somebody links to a Jackal post there.
Besides, BM’s reasoning is far more simplified… How else to explain him/her thinking that CNN article is the only negative international attention Key and the Hobbit has recently received?
The trend is very worrying indeed, with the world clearly starting to think New Zealand is backwards and run by morons. Unfortunately people like BM and the politicians he/she supports do nothing but encourage people to form those beliefs.
Do you know haow many people drink Coke? Neither do I, but it’s an imperial shit-tonne. Doesn’t mean I’m going to start drinking it, and it doesn’t mean there’s any reason for me to start trying to get them to make it drinkable for me.
BM: “… Labour aligned people …”
lolwut? From your link, the only mention of Labour is this:
Damn libril medja.
The phrase “bread and circuses” came to my mind. The film evidently cost each and every one of us $8.00/head and then they will still expect us to pay full price for admission should we really want to go.
Cripes Janice – can’t you lift your sights above your personal cost to attend the film. If you want to comment why don’t you have something to say about the multiplier effect for every $8 (or whatever) spent. And that it comes from an continuing film making niche here providing opportunities for creatives and actors. And that it raises our profile overseas so we seem like a vital alive and beautiful country, which objectively, we probably still are.
But people grousing about the cost of any initiative and heaping loads of brown stuff on ‘the man they love to hate’ helps to drag us down to the boring, conservative, dour sadarse place we can still morph into.
very waltzing in black, strangle the life out of me there is plenty more I could say to make you change
your mind, didn’t have much money but I had a morrie thou’ sand ways to leave your lover and step out
the back Jack White is a very talented man with a beat full of eye candy. (deep inhalation) Shandi,
say goodnight and gooo home because you Sure Know Something ahaaa…
Rogue Trooper
Your special weirdness gives an interesting counterpoint to our often banal comments. What are you on? Is it legal? Watch your dosage.
Yes, I like RT’s style. I like the song titles woven into the free form conversation. Even if they’re bad songs I still like it. Keep on truckin’ RT.
“cos we gotta mighty Convoy truckin on through the night, come join our convoy…see what’s outta
Sight. Breaker 1 9 you got your ears on? I seen a cab-over Pete with a Reefer on and a PM hauling hogs”
Yeah, I got my ears on RT! Thigh slappin’ and hat doffin’ right back at ya:-)
I’ve had “send me an angel” playing in my mind, off and on, since you mentioned it a couple of days ago 🙂
Im going to download it myself, down the track.
This whole Hobbit-hater thing is getting a bit overboard though. Anyway, the same people who go on about this stupid movie and the jobs that it will create are the same people who support the closure of the rail workshops at Hillside, the jobs there were secure, high wage and high skilled. They turned out some pretty good stuff. KiwiRail flash carriages being the latest — could have exported them to other countries as well.\
But oh no, appareantly we should all be independent contractors on Lord Jackson’s Tolkein adaptions.
http://www.ch9.co.nz/content/your-word-labours-leadership-problems
Duneding Labour Supporters are unhappy with the state of the Leadership.
90% of poll believe Cunliffe’s demotion does not address the Leadership problems.
Clare Curran has her work cut-out.
That was a remarkable contrast to the ‘Campbell Caravan’ or whatever they call it where (if we are to believe the editing was done in an even handed way) absolutely everyone sampled in Lower Hutt was of the opinion that Shearer was ‘the man’…if they knew who he was… and most didn’t know who Cunliffe was.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Who-should-lead-Labour/tabid/367/articleID/277266/Default.aspx
The TV3 news straw poll asked a different question – quite a narrowly defined one: basically Shearer or Cunliffe? – and that was immediately after the MSM was giving Cunliffe bad press, while Shearer was identified as the legitimate leader.
The Dunedin-9 poll asks whether the Labour leadership problems have been ended with Cunliffe being sent to the back benches.
It’s hard to understand what David Cunliffe’s demotion was actually supposed to achieve for the Labour Party, or for the chances of a Labour Government getting elected. I took a look at the latest Roy Morgan results but the next one will be telling, I believe.
Yeah well, rumour has it that Clare Curran’s electorate members clearly indicated a preference for Cunliffe at the time of the leadership contest 12 months ago and she ignored them. What does that say about Clare Curran I wonder?
.
Can’t say you weren’t warned, eh John?
More pro gay “marriage” propaganda in the NZ Herald.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10850682
Some homosexual, celebrity hairdo working as a “reporter” for the ET! channel “Close Up!” program, blubbering about Daddy not being able to see his son get married – boo hoo hoo!
Looks like Team Pro Gay are really scraping the bottom [ no pun intended ] of the barrel now in their social engineering attempts.
Well when the whole pro gay marriage crusade hinges on flakey Academic Left deconstructionist mumbo jumbo like Carol’s “binary opposites”, what else can they do?
^^^DFTT
Fuck that “no pun intended” crap.
Pretty much the only legitimate use of that phrase is here:
http://t.co/80MRdynR
That’s ‘pretty much’ because possibly, (possibly), you could come up with some word that is the only possible word to use, and it makes a pun that makes no sense, or that conveys some shit you don’t want to say.
Your case here?
Total tool move.
If you didn’t like the pun, get fucking rid of it. If you don’t want to get rid of it, own it, especially if you go out of your way to highlight the lame arsed piece of weak.
Holy shit, you found a homosexual person who’s in favour of gay marriage? I’m fucking stunned. Oh, wait, you meant “homosexual” as a perjorative. Interesting.
Seems our resident doom sayer Robert A isn’t the only one crying wolf.
http://www.businessinsider.com/were-headed-for-a-disaster-of-biblical-proportions-2012-11?op=1
70 million extra human beings squeezed onto the planet every year.
If you are genuinely concerned about overpopulation, then you should support gay marriage. The simplest, least invasive way of curbing overpopulation is not having so many children in the first place.
Logical fallacy – same sex couples are no less likely, and quite probably more likely, to pursue having children if married. Gay people have all the functioning bits, and what we don’t have we can go get. You’re actually being a bit patronising – especially if you are assuming that gay marriage will make more people gay, or whatever weird idea you have in your head.
A culture that accepts gay people will see fewer of them live unfulfilling heterosexual lifestyles. I would suggest it probably isn’t uncommon for closeted gays to shack up and have children under some mistaken belief that it might ‘fix’ them or whatever. So there’s that.
But otherwise, yeah, doesn’t really make any sense.
Well he is not wrong. Except I think he is just as bad as the deniers in one way.
Why bother doing anything if we are doomed anyway!
And on a lot more modest scale, those of you who’ve ever been tramping will get a mild chuckle from pg.2 of the latest FMC Newsletter:
http://www.fmc.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Newsletter/Club1210.pdf
Well, Hope the MSM responsibly broadcast this to the people joe
Another giant step forward for NZ on radio today! No. Sorry just another case of the wealthy playing monopoly with NZ people’s money. RAM otherwise Ross Assets Management or some lying name, has gone belly up with just $400 million somewhere and about $10 million assets can be found and another $67 million that might be raised from the dead hands of investors paid out with newcomers money, also the IRD receiving real tax on mythical profits. When will this stop!!!!!!
We can’t get anywhere in this country if we allow some bloated, calaculating business fatneck to swan along and pick our pockets. Who can you invest with and trust? When is there going to be close monitoring and regulation of financial entities from government? We don’t want the Goldman Sachs copycats doing an Antiques Roadshow on our bits and bank balances and then conniving to acquire them, and we don’t want the Standard and Poors acting stable assessing our businesses. We want integrity, and by god if we have to pay for it we should shut up and fork out. It would be advantageous in the long run.
The ASB has just done a city by city chart as to the most financially active business centre and Aucland wins – why because they have more housing start ups. I would like to see two separate lots of figures, one for housing only and the other for real business which would include commercial buildings. Housing masks other activities and it is a relatively easy option for business investment. We need reassurance that there is actitivity and investment in other areas of enterprise in NZ.
And another ruined golden goose – the kiwifruit debacle continues. All those great people mortgaging themselves, doing hands on productive work, refining methods to meet quality standards – putting muscle and thought and innovation into a growing market have been severely checked if not wiped out by this pollen business. Bring back hanging? No no that’s the wrong attitude but directing passion to introducing tight precautionary actions to prevent this sort of commercial sabotage, whether un- or intended, is where strong feelings should be channelled.
This is as good as we can expect under this National led Government:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/aspiring-to-become-average.html
This government isn’t even aspiring to average – they want to keep as as backwards hicks.
I been for a wonder and a quick look at the BBc before communion. The options before the UK
parliament at the mo’ are to either get the press to self-regulate or be under government regulation.
According to RT television, which is really a humurus watch at times, the Spaniards are loosing
1000’s more Jobs in an exchange for MORE bankier support from EU Central and the French
are exibiting fears of disenfranchised Islamists; remember Algeria? oui oui
Remember when you walked home from school for lunch and Mum had made fresh ham and chicken
sandwiches while Dad pulled up out front in the bright Red CA Bedford van. Family home for Lunch.
and the son of the men who founded the company died recently in an industrial accident, along creep
of increasing competitiveness and Size in the Transport Industry; very sad,
Oh well, there is always Question Time for a laugh 🙂
The things they say in parliament are interesting because they go in the Hansard and and not to mislead
i wear baggy pants and i can not lie Stag and me ‘ad our own litle mag with Stars on Radio with
Pictures in our eyes like Talking To A Stranger sow the NZIER also recognise that NZ imports to ausie
are down non-people anyways “she’ll be right” and the germ Joyce acknowledges NSW and Queen Vic.
economies are “struggling” while the MC assail the Battered seas Power Station. Russell was sowing
them memes Pa, sure did look purty Metiria (although there are burgeoning Mass Body issues in NZ)
we seem a “fattist” society as a generalization, which thankfully has been reframed thanks to Pacifica
30 Years Tenure, figurative rhetoric bites them apples deep.
Unbelievable boiled lolly behaviour over a hard-to-swallow sweetie we’ll modify statistical reporting
frequently to maximize the fleece between Shares.
Funny fred Brown-stone just needed Pebbles-dash splattered down his tie; Wilmah!..Wilmah!
ugh Gee Fred.
-Barney Rubble
f.ism = Mob Rules thats why ya’ need the Hounds Of Love Running Up That Hill to see Black Sabbath
playing April. Fools in Cuba? Alright! Alllllright! as Tool?s have always boot-strapped the apex predator
wannabee a Hot Child In The City as National lampoon democracy.
-All Fred Einstein Gary Numan 😉 (craig, you’re a fossil alright yeah, just lay your hands on me…lay your hands on me Alright Yeah)
How morally blind is Stevie Wonder?
You might have thought that his tuneless singing of this witless, plodding campaign tribute in 2008 was the low-point of Stevie Wonder’s foundering career….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svogqpLuXyI
But you would be wrong. He’s sunk about as low as anyone who is not Clint Eastwood could sink….
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/alexander-billet/will-israeli-apartheid-steal-stevie-wonders-soul
Interesting thoughts.
https://www.streettalklive.com/component/content/article/9-off-the-street/1302-a-capitalists-dilemma-whoever-wins-on-tuesday.html
Typical RWNJ with no solutions just more suggestions on giving the rich even more wealth.
I have just sent this letter to the Honourable Lockwood Smith.
“Dear Sir
I am deeply disappointed by what took place during Question Time, no.4 today (29/11/2012). I am astonished that you allowed the derogatory phrase “shut it sweetie” to pass by without stern censure. This type of language is more likely, for example, to be found in the build up to a bar room brawl between drunk females, or by an adult trying to bully a child into submission. “Shut it sweetie” is neither appropriate nor fittting language for use in the House, and especially by a Minister of the Government. I expect far greater competence from those in positions of great responsibility.
Whilst there may be loud and rude comments made in the to and fro of the House’s business, I find this comment to be quite offensive.
The Minister of Social Development has an important portfolio to care for some of the weakest and most vulnerable people in our country. This is especially pertinent in the context of today’s question dealing with vulnerable youth. As you will no doubt be aware, many of these youth are the victims of abuse, both physical and verbal. The Minister just compouded that abuse by her offensive remarks
Furthermore, I would suggest that there was very little provocation that caused this gross remark. The remark was not just “less that ideal.” The remark is offensive.
I found this interchange disgusting and your involvement was especially disappointing. Both the dignity of the House and the responsibilities the House has to the people of New Zealand were seriously belittled today.
I expect more that to hear Ministers of the Crown say “shut it sweetie.”!”
To the tune of “Little Buttercup” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance
For I’m called Paula Benefit — plump Paula Benefit,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I’m called Benefit — plump little Benefit,
Though benefit no one do I!
I’ve slashed solo mothers and plenty of others,
My clothing puts Bett Lynch to shame;
I hiss “Zip it, Sweetie,” at all who’d defeat me,
And ethics can go to the flame.
I’m a leopard-print manatee, I lack all humanity,
My office leaks like a sieve;
All of those unemployed just make me so annoyed,
I strike them wherever they live.
Then ask for a Benefit – beg for a Benefit;
Of jobs there are never enough;
So, come to your Benefit — plump little Benefit;
So I can say go and get stuffed!
+2 !
+9.9 Populuxe1
cool Pop Music M People “movin’ on up yes we’re movin on up…”
2.2M FB users in NZ and only 15K tax after “legitimate tax avoidance” save Facebook now!
Horan, what a cheeky wee dog; is the forecast for cloudy or fine?).The Retirement Watchdog
Commission warns that housing affordability for the smothering litter will be in the dog-house
(of course) while MFAT is further trimmed we’re givin the dog a bone just givin the dog a bone
The New Demons
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1362676.The_New_Demons
they sound attractive
nothing tautological about it Word
you reap by the technique you sow with language sticks to mark out the rows, all in all we are just
bricks in a wall from Te Mata peak look down where The Mushroom Farm grows beneath a
Golden Gate Ellulian arche, underline, that spans civilisation, modernity and technique employing
the tools of a christian Post-Christian ethique.
There was some excellent representative television on Close-UP 7PM in my view.
ACTUALLY, THE RETIREMENT AGE IS TOO HIGH
Which is what I’ve been saying for a long, long time.
Yeah. Labour’s policy of increasing the retirement age is dumbass.