In ever-mounting horror, I listened last night (Wed 29.5.13) to the 9 o’clock news on Radio NZ National. After noting that another U.S. drone strike has killed seven people in the North Waziristan tribal region, the newsreader, Chris Whitta, drily intoned: “Such strikes are widely seen in Pakistan as a breach of the country’s sovereignty.”
Let’s (to quote Jeremy Kyle) flip things around….
It’s Tuesday, 30th of May, 2023. From his air-conditioned offices in Moscow, dashing young Russian hero Sergeant Yuri (“Ivan”) Rebrov (17 years old) guides another remote-controlled drone somewhere in the hills of West Virginia, carefully manoeuvres it over a hillbilly wedding party, then skillfully unleashes two smart bombs into the midst of the proceedings, killing 47 hillbillies and wounding dozens more.
The strike is totally justified because Sgt Rebrov’s commanders had received intelligence from a reputable source that at least one member of the notorious 82nd Airborne Division was attending the festivities. While it now looks as if there were in fact no soldiers actually present, and the intelligence was faulty, it should be noted that there was a preponderance of U.S. flags flying in the vicinity, which marks this area as a hotbed of Christian extremism.
Such strikes are widely seen in the United States as a breach of the country’s sovereignty. U.S. President Jenna Bush has filed another complaint to the Russian authorities, and reiterated her claim that such strikes serve only to inflame the situation in the southern states.
Overnight, meanwhile, Russian soldiers killed a carload of eight “rednecks”, including a mother and six children, when the driver failed to stop at a checkpoint in Atlanta. Witnesses say the driver could not understand the soldiers shouting out orders to stop as they were shouting in Russian.
President Putin has expressed his regret at the deaths, but insists that such operations in the Hillbilly Regions are necessary to keep the world safe for democracy and freedom.
Russian Foreign Minister Gerard Depardieu repeated his assurance that the last Russian troops will leave the country by the end of the 21st century.
It is a source of wonder that drone bombing is apparently acceptable to the USA population. Or maybe the general population is not really informed. Like the towns near WW11 concentration camps. They didn’t want to know.
It is a source of wonder that drone bombing is apparently acceptable to the USA population.
It’s not. Polling shows that U.S. citizens are as appalled by drone strikes as the people in every other country. Not that the views of U.S. citizens are a concern for Washington.
Or maybe the general population is not really informed. Like the towns near WW11 concentration camps. They didn’t want to know.
Peters went out on a limb yesterday and accused Peter Dunne of leaking the Kitteridge report into the GCSB. Dunne denies this. Then Paddy Gower tweets this:
“11 Ministers get GCSB report. Dunne only one interviewed by leak inquiry. Peters finds out – so who leaked the leak inquiry?”
It will be interesting to find out if this information was leaked and why. Is this further evidence of National’s internal factional battles?
Winston accused Dunne of leaking in a Committee meeting.
Dunne denies it, but at the same times says one of his staff had access.
Key says “I take Mr Dunne at his word”.
Key last used those words in the Aaron Gilmore affair.
Key asks Winston to repeat outside the protection of the House. Winston should do so and call Dunne’s and Key’s bluff. Winston would gets loads of glorious exposure.
We would have loads of entertainment.
Roy reckons “If a National Election were held now the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows an Opposition Labour/ Greens Coalition would win.”
Bugger the (other) polls. As always, the RM is actually reflecting the intentions of Kiwi voters. Which could be why a normally National voting farmer offered to put up Labour signange on his fences next election when we were sharing a beer last night. The tide is turning.
Ae Te Reo, the food in schools bizzo coming on top of gay marriage and frozen chinese mutton has thrown a discombobulating wee crescent into cosy redneck territory; their expensive gold-plated tongue has let his mincing poof-loving rangi-feeding slip show and worse – both the books and the polls are heading south…..tough times down on the farm factory as the frosts of progression nibble at that brighter bigot future.
The frozen meat did come up in conversation, he reckoned it was a sign of the overall incompetence of this government and the lack of farmers amongst the the caucus ranks. I’d pick him as a bit of a Muldoonist, keen on intervention in the economy. The major gripe was that his carpenter son has to work in Oz to earn a decent living. Should be in Chch, but doesn’t want to be ripped off apparently.
Why would his son get ripped off? Any trade can earn higher than ever in Christchurch at the moment. If a young tradie cannot “earn a decent living” in this environment then, yep, better they go to oz as they won’t be much use here.
You try to negotiate with one of the official insurance repair contractors, I suspect they don’t leave much on the table for a young independent tradie, esp in terms of conditions, housing provided etc
We have some involvement in this area. Hourly rates for labourers up to $30/hour. Qualified builders and carpenters 35, 45 and up to 65 / hour. Almost as much as drainlayers who charge / earn even more. Sure, insurance work negotiation is a tough job but it aint all there is going on.
But then, there are stories of people still earning the typically smaller rates. Main contractor charging the lad out at $45 and paying him $22/hr.
This is the way it goes, but the opportunity is here for sure.
btw, what is a typical government-contracted consultant in Wellington charged at?
Fletchers were offering $35 to $45 an hour for a qualified builder.
Many people do not seem to understand is that the builder does not get anywhere near the $35 to $45, in the hand, after expenses.
Working as a subcontractor, supplying their own tools and travel etc.
Not to mention having to pay the crazy accommodation prices in Christchurch.
I was making more than that in Auckland 6 years ago!
And, unlike Fletchers, the client was paying for all my materials, travel and accommodation.
In Queensland the hammerhands get almost as much, as wages.
We are going to have another “leaky building” crises in Christchurch in a few years as a consequence, of the insurance companies and Fletchers, only paying enough to get cowboys.
Thanks for laying that out KJT. Further to it, as Fletchers have been granted monopoly control of the project, they set the rates at an artificially low level to maximise their profits. Add in to that the exorbitant cost of rent in the Chch area, it is simply not economically sensible to turn down work in Oz. If workers are going to travel, they will travel to where the best return is. That’s how the market works.
Yep, every time my nephew has looked at going to Christchurch the sums always show he’ll be worse off.
Christchurch isn’t being rebuilt because, quite simply, they’re not paying enough and there’s absolutely no way that the insurance companies can actually afford to pay enough even with re-insurance.
Don’t know if it is that simple. Personally know of many such workers who are happy to be finally paid something better. But they live here so no rent / relocation etc problems.
As for reasons for not being rebuilt, they are many and varied. One of the main reasons is that costs have been forced dramatically up due to all the insurance and public money flooding in for infrastructure and repairs & rebuilds of insured homes. This of course is distorting everything else which does not have that public / insurance money behind it. Hence very little private rebuild going on – the numbers don’t stack up.
Nothing’s ever that simple but some times the glaringly obvious is a large part of the problem and by saying but it’s not that simple is, IMO, diverting from the need to address that large part.
True. Oh well, we have been lumped with the mechanism of the free market to deal with all of this so we shall see what happens….. (oh, except of course for those in the central city who have full blown central government heavy handed intervention to help them through – nice for some. Hypocrites.)
When the Ministry of Works was abolished in 1988, and its SOE successor was sold off in 1996, there were repeated warnings to the effect that this will all come back and bite us when a natural disaster comes along.
Yep, the MoW could have moved thousands of people in to help out. Instead we’re leaving it to the “market” (Rained over by King Gerry) and our people are suffering unnecessarily.
Te Reo Putake. Thanks for the link. Our MP Colin King lauded the Fairfax-Isos Poll in the Marlborough Express today so I have sent a letter to the editor asking Colin to respond to the Morgan Poll the summary of which I have supplied. Poor old Colin will have to ask someone how to respond.
Carry On Dame Ann Leslie! Nine to Noon, Radio NZ National, Thursday 30 May 2013
Last week we were subjected to ten minutes of blithering nastiness from the former Thatcher underling Matthew Parris. This week, the producers at Radio NZ National went to another in the seemingly inexhaustible supply of smug old gits that it uses as its “U.K. correspondent”: this time it was Dame Ann Leslie who was rostered on.
Dame Ann took up where Parris had left off last week, i.e., she tried to say the killings last week were the work of demented thugs, and had no rationale whatsover. Here are a few snatches of her uninterrupted and unexamined monologue: “These Islamist deluded youths… these Islamist fanatics… they want to force their views on us whether we want to accept them or not… I was heartened by those three young women….incredibly courageous….”
Eventually, Lynn Freeman had had enough of this, and moved la Grande Dame away from the panegyrics….
LYNN FREEMAN: So you’re not seeing any backlash, Dame Ann? DAME ANN LESLIE: Oh, of course! There always is! A bunch of THUGS called the English Defence League. But we are really quite stoic. There hasn’t been a huge amount of backlash.
LYNN FREEMAN: For your second topic, you wanted to say something about Syria. DAME ANN LESLIE: You know, Stalin said a single death is a tragedy, but a thousand deaths is a statistic. Every day we hear that seventy people have been killed in Syria. But I don’t think we should be getting involved there. I don’t agree with William Hague. He’s very bright, but he suffers from poor judgement. If we arm the rebels, there will only be more killing, and WE will get blamed, of course.
LYNN FREEMAN: And your third topic is quite different. DAME ANN LESLIE: Yes, I want to talk about the return of the garden gnomes to the Chelsea Flower Show…
Appalled, I flicked off the following email to the show….
Dame Ann Leslie deliberately ignored Iraq and Afghanistan: why?
Dear Lynn,
Dame Ann Leslie quoted Stalin then blithely went on to say that “every day, we hear about seventy people killed in Syria.”
If she had any integrity, she would have used the more relevant examples of Iraq and Afghanistan; relevant because Britain is directly involved in the massive death tolls in both of those nations. The situation in both Iraq and Afghanistan, it should be noted, is far worse than in Syria.
But Dame Ann ignored that.
Shame on her, and shame on your producers for continually going to such partisan, right wing commentators.
Yours in concern at the standards in public radio,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Keep listening, fellas! There might be another Standardista (namely, moi) breaking onto the National Radio radar! Lynn might just read out my correspondence on air! You never know….
As still happens in Finland today, the school-children of Red Vienna were given both breakfast and lunch, free of charge, by the city authorities. For the benefit of Hone Harawira and the Mana Party, that was ALL the children of Red Vienna – not just those who hailed from the 1920s Austrian equivalent of Deciles 1-4.
I must confess to being utterly astounded by Mana’s decision to limit the provision of breakfasts and lunches to the “children of the poor”. Was there no one in its ranks who could see how stigmatising such a policy was bound to be? Surely, if an education to the level of his or her full potential is every citizen’s right, and if effective learning is impossible if a child is hungry, then feeding kids when they’re at school is the community’s – not the parents – responsibility?
It’s about making sure every kid in every public school gets some decent food, (I’m not convinced that weetbix and milk alone qualifies), regardless of their parents’ income level. It’s making damn sure that no kid has to try to learn at school on an empty stomach without stigmatizing kids as ‘poor’.
Bullshit about ‘why would we give free lunches to kids with rich parents’ or ‘won’t the parents just spend more money on pokies’ misses the point – it’s about the kids not the fricken parents.
I’m in South Korea. Everyday at 12, all the pupils and teachers sit down together and eat a full, hot, nutritious, and often delicious lunch. This happens in every public school of all levels in this country of 50 million. Everyone gets at least one decent meal a day. There’s sure as shit no special corner for the poor kids.
I’ve been explaining to people here that the NZ government is finally going to give school kids a slab of dried wheat biscuit and a splash of milk to the poor kids. They’re shocked, “why don’t you just feed them well?” BTW, the tax rate here: 7%
Did you reply with shock that 2/3rds of south korean power is generated by nuclear power?
Personally I think breakfast and lunch should be provided for in schools, using jaime oliver guidelines and to pay for this it’d be a simple matter of deducting a subsidised amount from each and every person that gets any sort of payment for looking after/raising kids (WFF, DPB etc etc)
Is there a point somewhere in that random brainfart?
If you’re asking in your own dickish way “How u gonna pay 4 it?” then I note that a decent food in schools programme wouldn’t make much of a dent in the $2b tax cuts that Key has given to the well off. http://thestandard.org.nz/priorities-4/
Did you reply with shock that 2/3rds of south korean power is generated by nuclear power?
If the South Koreans want to be stupid, that’s up to them. Of course, their present response to our failure to our children is shock at our stupidity.
Personally I think breakfast and lunch should be provided for in schools, using jaime oliver guidelines and to pay for this it’d be a simple matter of deducting a subsidised amount from each and every person that gets any sort of payment for looking after/raising kids (WFF, DPB etc etc)
That’s because you’re a stupid and vindictive arsehole. You want to make it complicated, expensive and, on top of that stupidity, you also want to punish people for being poor. All for no reason.
[lprent: Usual question – why? Without it there is no point in making the comment for anyone else reading the comment regardless how much better it makes you feel. Eventually my fingers will get tired of making this observation and I will find a way to give them a long well-earned rest…. And I’m sure you are aware of how I would do that. ]
What you did mention was “…50 million…”. A significant tax base don’t you think, maybe, just maybe that’s why they can also get away with a 7% tax rate. In fact with 50 million they can probably wash down their school lunches with some of the best champers. So, where did we go wrong in NZ. I’m picking the clue is in the numbers. Comparing apples with bricks is not rocket science is it?
The South Korean Government gave massive financial and institutional backing to the industrial Chaebol of the nation.
They did this with large government contracts, trade barriers and tariffs, and active subsidies. Their objective was not to create a ‘free market’, it was to create a massive technological and industrial capability.
The South Korean Govt also used massive amounts of financial and material assistance from the USA in order to build up it’s military industries.
Money is nothing. If we used our resources here appropriately we’d be far better off. Instead we hand them over to the rich and then wonder why we’re getting poorer.
As I understand it most of the money is all shipped offshore to Australian banks, very little remains in New Zealand. Corporate greed is what runs New Zealand, and it isn’t even New Zealanders that own said corporations.
As Bradley Manning’s trial moves closer, the judge over-seeing the millitary court, Col. Denise Lind, has ruled that vast swathes of the prosecution’s case be held in secret. Wikileaks, the Associated Press, under the auspices of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Center for Constitutional Rights attached to the Reporters Committee are seeking greater transperancy.
At stake is the possibility that a precent may be set which would severly hamper the reporting of inconvenient truths. The Committee to Protect Jounalists says:
. . . The possibility that portions of the Manning trial will take place in secret is all the more troubling because the trial will touch on issues of grave concern to U.S. journalists–in particular, whether the act of releasing classified documents to the public violates the 1917 Espionage Act and is tantamount to “aiding the enemy,” a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Espionage Act, under which civilians but not (so far) journalists have been prosecuted, makes it a crime to “communicate” information, but the word “publish” was deliberately omitted from the statute by Congress, according to the legislative history . . .
Meanwhile, New York civil rights lawyer, Chase Madar as written a fascinating biography of Bradley Manning – The Passion of Bradley Manning. Madar calls from Bradley Manning to be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom and goes on to suggest that this story marks a significant turning point in the history of dissent in the US.
If the article is to be believed, that US soldier was mentally broken by the war and just as much a victim. Nevertheless, let’s remember that Afghan tribes people hate the Americans not because the US keep randomly killing civilians, but because the villagers “hate freedom”.
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Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
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. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
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, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Here is the News
30 May, 2023
In ever-mounting horror, I listened last night (Wed 29.5.13) to the 9 o’clock news on Radio NZ National. After noting that another U.S. drone strike has killed seven people in the North Waziristan tribal region, the newsreader, Chris Whitta, drily intoned: “Such strikes are widely seen in Pakistan as a breach of the country’s sovereignty.”
Let’s (to quote Jeremy Kyle) flip things around….
It’s Tuesday, 30th of May, 2023. From his air-conditioned offices in Moscow, dashing young Russian hero Sergeant Yuri (“Ivan”) Rebrov (17 years old) guides another remote-controlled drone somewhere in the hills of West Virginia, carefully manoeuvres it over a hillbilly wedding party, then skillfully unleashes two smart bombs into the midst of the proceedings, killing 47 hillbillies and wounding dozens more.
The strike is totally justified because Sgt Rebrov’s commanders had received intelligence from a reputable source that at least one member of the notorious 82nd Airborne Division was attending the festivities. While it now looks as if there were in fact no soldiers actually present, and the intelligence was faulty, it should be noted that there was a preponderance of U.S. flags flying in the vicinity, which marks this area as a hotbed of Christian extremism.
Such strikes are widely seen in the United States as a breach of the country’s sovereignty. U.S. President Jenna Bush has filed another complaint to the Russian authorities, and reiterated her claim that such strikes serve only to inflame the situation in the southern states.
Overnight, meanwhile, Russian soldiers killed a carload of eight “rednecks”, including a mother and six children, when the driver failed to stop at a checkpoint in Atlanta. Witnesses say the driver could not understand the soldiers shouting out orders to stop as they were shouting in Russian.
President Putin has expressed his regret at the deaths, but insists that such operations in the Hillbilly Regions are necessary to keep the world safe for democracy and freedom.
Russian Foreign Minister Gerard Depardieu repeated his assurance that the last Russian troops will leave the country by the end of the 21st century.
It is a source of wonder that drone bombing is apparently acceptable to the USA population. Or maybe the general population is not really informed. Like the towns near WW11 concentration camps. They didn’t want to know.
It is a source of wonder that drone bombing is apparently acceptable to the USA population.
It’s not. Polling shows that U.S. citizens are as appalled by drone strikes as the people in every other country. Not that the views of U.S. citizens are a concern for Washington.
Or maybe the general population is not really informed. Like the towns near WW11 concentration camps. They didn’t want to know.
They’re informed, and they don’t support these strikes. The problem is that they feel powerless to do anything to stop it. There are not enough Americans like these….
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/2/8/codepink_repeatedly_disrupts_brennan_hearing_calling
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/5/24/medea_benjamin_v_president_obama_codepink
Peters went out on a limb yesterday and accused Peter Dunne of leaking the Kitteridge report into the GCSB. Dunne denies this. Then Paddy Gower tweets this:
“11 Ministers get GCSB report. Dunne only one interviewed by leak inquiry. Peters finds out – so who leaked the leak inquiry?”
It will be interesting to find out if this information was leaked and why. Is this further evidence of National’s internal factional battles?
Winston accused Dunne of leaking in a Committee meeting.
Dunne denies it, but at the same times says one of his staff had access.
Key says “I take Mr Dunne at his word”.
Key last used those words in the Aaron Gilmore affair.
Key asks Winston to repeat outside the protection of the House. Winston should do so and call Dunne’s and Key’s bluff. Winston would gets loads of glorious exposure.
We would have loads of entertainment.
Oh no Pete George has been able to get into Dunny’s office.
What was Pete George doing on the day the report was leaked?
😀
The “Ouch” file
No. 1: ratesarerevolting
Monday, May 27, 2013….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052013/#comment-639510
A series dedicated to public slapdowns of the hapless, the horrible and the hypocritical.
Just in case folk missed the release of the latest Roy Morgan poll, here ’tis:
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/new-zealand-voting-intention-may29-201305290604
Roy reckons “If a National Election were held now the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows an Opposition Labour/ Greens Coalition would win.”
Bugger the (other) polls. As always, the RM is actually reflecting the intentions of Kiwi voters. Which could be why a normally National voting farmer offered to put up Labour signange on his fences next election when we were sharing a beer last night. The tide is turning.
Ae Te Reo, the food in schools bizzo coming on top of gay marriage and frozen chinese mutton has thrown a discombobulating wee crescent into cosy redneck territory; their expensive gold-plated tongue has let his mincing poof-loving rangi-feeding slip show and worse – both the books and the polls are heading south…..tough times down on the farm factory as the frosts of progression nibble at that brighter bigot future.
The frozen meat did come up in conversation, he reckoned it was a sign of the overall incompetence of this government and the lack of farmers amongst the the caucus ranks. I’d pick him as a bit of a Muldoonist, keen on intervention in the economy. The major gripe was that his carpenter son has to work in Oz to earn a decent living. Should be in Chch, but doesn’t want to be ripped off apparently.
Why would his son get ripped off? Any trade can earn higher than ever in Christchurch at the moment. If a young tradie cannot “earn a decent living” in this environment then, yep, better they go to oz as they won’t be much use here.
You try to negotiate with one of the official insurance repair contractors, I suspect they don’t leave much on the table for a young independent tradie, esp in terms of conditions, housing provided etc
We have some involvement in this area. Hourly rates for labourers up to $30/hour. Qualified builders and carpenters 35, 45 and up to 65 / hour. Almost as much as drainlayers who charge / earn even more. Sure, insurance work negotiation is a tough job but it aint all there is going on.
But then, there are stories of people still earning the typically smaller rates. Main contractor charging the lad out at $45 and paying him $22/hr.
This is the way it goes, but the opportunity is here for sure.
btw, what is a typical government-contracted consultant in Wellington charged at?
Fletchers were offering $35 to $45 an hour for a qualified builder.
Many people do not seem to understand is that the builder does not get anywhere near the $35 to $45, in the hand, after expenses.
Working as a subcontractor, supplying their own tools and travel etc.
Not to mention having to pay the crazy accommodation prices in Christchurch.
I was making more than that in Auckland 6 years ago!
And, unlike Fletchers, the client was paying for all my materials, travel and accommodation.
In Queensland the hammerhands get almost as much, as wages.
We are going to have another “leaky building” crises in Christchurch in a few years as a consequence, of the insurance companies and Fletchers, only paying enough to get cowboys.
Thanks for laying that out KJT. Further to it, as Fletchers have been granted monopoly control of the project, they set the rates at an artificially low level to maximise their profits. Add in to that the exorbitant cost of rent in the Chch area, it is simply not economically sensible to turn down work in Oz. If workers are going to travel, they will travel to where the best return is. That’s how the market works.
Yep, every time my nephew has looked at going to Christchurch the sums always show he’ll be worse off.
Christchurch isn’t being rebuilt because, quite simply, they’re not paying enough and there’s absolutely no way that the insurance companies can actually afford to pay enough even with re-insurance.
Don’t know if it is that simple. Personally know of many such workers who are happy to be finally paid something better. But they live here so no rent / relocation etc problems.
As for reasons for not being rebuilt, they are many and varied. One of the main reasons is that costs have been forced dramatically up due to all the insurance and public money flooding in for infrastructure and repairs & rebuilds of insured homes. This of course is distorting everything else which does not have that public / insurance money behind it. Hence very little private rebuild going on – the numbers don’t stack up.
Nothing’s ever that simple but some times the glaringly obvious is a large part of the problem and by saying but it’s not that simple is, IMO, diverting from the need to address that large part.
True. Oh well, we have been lumped with the mechanism of the free market to deal with all of this so we shall see what happens….. (oh, except of course for those in the central city who have full blown central government heavy handed intervention to help them through – nice for some. Hypocrites.)
When the Ministry of Works was abolished in 1988, and its SOE successor was sold off in 1996, there were repeated warnings to the effect that this will all come back and bite us when a natural disaster comes along.
Well guess what. Its coming back to bite us.
Yep, the MoW could have moved thousands of people in to help out. Instead we’re leaving it to the “market” (Rained over by King Gerry) and our people are suffering unnecessarily.
Te Reo Putake. Thanks for the link. Our MP Colin King lauded the Fairfax-Isos Poll in the Marlborough Express today so I have sent a letter to the editor asking Colin to respond to the Morgan Poll the summary of which I have supplied. Poor old Colin will have to ask someone how to respond.
i’ve tried most..and here are the two drugs i recommend…
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/how-ecstasy-can-take-you-on-the-healing-path-even-for-a-former-nun-comment-ed-after-decades-of-field-experiments-i-give-my-drug-recommendations/
(excerpt..)
“..(ed:..having during a chequered drug-life/history..taken/tried most mind-altering substances..
(at the nadir..demanding heroin laced with cocaine as a heart-starter every morning..and thru the ensuing day/night..)
..and having been clean of those two for a long time..(now i only use cannabis..)
..there are only two of all those drugs/substances i would give a serious thumbs-up to..”
phillip ure..
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/22/fda-approves-first-study-on-ecstasy-assisted-therapy-for-social-anxiety-in-autistic-adults/
Carry On Dame Ann Leslie!
Nine to Noon, Radio NZ National, Thursday 30 May 2013
Last week we were subjected to ten minutes of blithering nastiness from the former Thatcher underling Matthew Parris. This week, the producers at Radio NZ National went to another in the seemingly inexhaustible supply of smug old gits that it uses as its “U.K. correspondent”: this time it was Dame Ann Leslie who was rostered on.
Dame Ann took up where Parris had left off last week, i.e., she tried to say the killings last week were the work of demented thugs, and had no rationale whatsover. Here are a few snatches of her uninterrupted and unexamined monologue: “These Islamist deluded youths… these Islamist fanatics… they want to force their views on us whether we want to accept them or not… I was heartened by those three young women….incredibly courageous….”
Eventually, Lynn Freeman had had enough of this, and moved la Grande Dame away from the panegyrics….
LYNN FREEMAN: So you’re not seeing any backlash, Dame Ann?
DAME ANN LESLIE: Oh, of course! There always is! A bunch of THUGS called the English Defence League. But we are really quite stoic. There hasn’t been a huge amount of backlash.
LYNN FREEMAN: For your second topic, you wanted to say something about Syria.
DAME ANN LESLIE: You know, Stalin said a single death is a tragedy, but a thousand deaths is a statistic. Every day we hear that seventy people have been killed in Syria. But I don’t think we should be getting involved there. I don’t agree with William Hague. He’s very bright, but he suffers from poor judgement. If we arm the rebels, there will only be more killing, and WE will get blamed, of course.
LYNN FREEMAN: And your third topic is quite different.
DAME ANN LESLIE: Yes, I want to talk about the return of the garden gnomes to the Chelsea Flower Show…
Appalled, I flicked off the following email to the show….
Dame Ann Leslie deliberately ignored Iraq and Afghanistan: why?
Dear Lynn,
Dame Ann Leslie quoted Stalin then blithely went on to say that “every day, we hear about seventy people killed in Syria.”
If she had any integrity, she would have used the more relevant examples of Iraq and Afghanistan; relevant because Britain is directly involved in the massive death tolls in both of those nations. The situation in both Iraq and Afghanistan, it should be noted, is far worse than in Syria.
But Dame Ann ignored that.
Shame on her, and shame on your producers for continually going to such partisan, right wing commentators.
Yours in concern at the standards in public radio,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Keep listening, fellas! There might be another Standardista (namely, moi) breaking onto the National Radio radar! Lynn might just read out my correspondence on air! You never know….
A good article by Chris Trotter on feeding the kids:
Nails it.
It’s not rocket science is it?
It’s about making sure every kid in every public school gets some decent food, (I’m not convinced that weetbix and milk alone qualifies), regardless of their parents’ income level. It’s making damn sure that no kid has to try to learn at school on an empty stomach without stigmatizing kids as ‘poor’.
Bullshit about ‘why would we give free lunches to kids with rich parents’ or ‘won’t the parents just spend more money on pokies’ misses the point – it’s about the kids not the fricken parents.
I’m in South Korea. Everyday at 12, all the pupils and teachers sit down together and eat a full, hot, nutritious, and often delicious lunch. This happens in every public school of all levels in this country of 50 million. Everyone gets at least one decent meal a day. There’s sure as shit no special corner for the poor kids.
I’ve been explaining to people here that the NZ government is finally going to give school kids a slab of dried wheat biscuit and a splash of milk to the poor kids. They’re shocked, “why don’t you just feed them well?” BTW, the tax rate here: 7%
Did I mention that it’s about the kids?
+1. Feed them all.
To be honest, I actually think that bit of socialisation is as important as feeding the kids.
Did you reply with shock that 2/3rds of south korean power is generated by nuclear power?
Personally I think breakfast and lunch should be provided for in schools, using jaime oliver guidelines and to pay for this it’d be a simple matter of deducting a subsidised amount from each and every person that gets any sort of payment for looking after/raising kids (WFF, DPB etc etc)
Is there a point somewhere in that random brainfart?
If you’re asking in your own dickish way “How u gonna pay 4 it?” then I note that a decent food in schools programme wouldn’t make much of a dent in the $2b tax cuts that Key has given to the well off. http://thestandard.org.nz/priorities-4/
Winston thinks that nuclear powered breakfasts are why South Korea does it better for the children.
If the South Koreans want to be stupid, that’s up to them. Of course, their present response to our failure to our children is shock at our stupidity.
That’s because you’re a stupid and vindictive arsehole. You want to make it complicated, expensive and, on top of that stupidity, you also want to punish people for being poor. All for no reason.
“Winston Smith”, you are a moron.
[lprent: Usual question – why? Without it there is no point in making the comment for anyone else reading the comment regardless how much better it makes you feel. Eventually my fingers will get tired of making this observation and I will find a way to give them a long well-earned rest…. And I’m sure you are aware of how I would do that. ]
I withdraw and apologize.
In fact, I have brought along a little gift for our friend by way of expiation.
Winston, my friend, this is for you….
http://www.hawaii.edu/cowielab/rat.jpg
What you did mention was “…50 million…”. A significant tax base don’t you think, maybe, just maybe that’s why they can also get away with a 7% tax rate. In fact with 50 million they can probably wash down their school lunches with some of the best champers. So, where did we go wrong in NZ. I’m picking the clue is in the numbers. Comparing apples with bricks is not rocket science is it?
You’re a right wing ignoramus, aren’t you.
The South Korean Government gave massive financial and institutional backing to the industrial Chaebol of the nation.
They did this with large government contracts, trade barriers and tariffs, and active subsidies. Their objective was not to create a ‘free market’, it was to create a massive technological and industrial capability.
The South Korean Govt also used massive amounts of financial and material assistance from the USA in order to build up it’s military industries.
The bigger the tax base the bigger the govt handouts. You only need look across the ditch to see what the bigger tax base can give you.
Money is nothing. If we used our resources here appropriately we’d be far better off. Instead we hand them over to the rich and then wonder why we’re getting poorer.
As I understand it most of the money is all shipped offshore to Australian banks, very little remains in New Zealand. Corporate greed is what runs New Zealand, and it isn’t even New Zealanders that own said corporations.
‘
As Bradley Manning’s trial moves closer, the judge over-seeing the millitary court, Col. Denise Lind, has ruled that vast swathes of the prosecution’s case be held in secret. Wikileaks, the Associated Press, under the auspices of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Center for Constitutional Rights attached to the Reporters Committee are seeking greater transperancy.
At stake is the possibility that a precent may be set which would severly hamper the reporting of inconvenient truths. The Committee to Protect Jounalists says:
Meanwhile, New York civil rights lawyer, Chase Madar as written a fascinating biography of Bradley Manning – The Passion of Bradley Manning. Madar calls from Bradley Manning to be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom and goes on to suggest that this story marks a significant turning point in the history of dissent in the US.
Bradley Manning’s trial begins on Monday.
Wow. Every day the USA and the F-USSR become more and more similar.
And this murderous piece of shit will most likely be shown the wet bus ticket.
http://gawker.com/us-army-sergeant-to-plead-guilty-to-slaughtering-16-afg-510380090
If the article is to be believed, that US soldier was mentally broken by the war and just as much a victim. Nevertheless, let’s remember that Afghan tribes people hate the Americans not because the US keep randomly killing civilians, but because the villagers “hate freedom”.
They do. If they valued freedom, they’d be born in the US and A.