The notion that New Zealanders don’t give a fuck about the environment or say, child poverty, while it suits the National Party’s owners, and certainly applies to the sociopath wing of the party, simply has no foundation in reality.
That’s because “most people” have a thing called “empathy”.
“Another day and most people get on with their lives quite happily.”
Now try this one … another day and far too many Kiwi families struggle in silence, in absolute misery, attempting to get on with their lives trying hard to survive … living in the back of a car, a garage, shed, tent, hovel etc!! Or they can rent a motel room and be in debt to WINZ for the rest of their wretched lives!
But then I guess if you are comfortable, well fed, warm, surviving on a very good income and happy with your lot, why give a big rat’s backside about the suffering of others?
You make this, or a similar comment every day. While I accept that there are things that could be done better, and that there are social problems to be solved, surely you are rather overstating it.
Most people in New Zealand do not think they are living in a nightmare. The right direction/wrong direction polls consistently show that a substantial majority think NZ is going in the right direction, which for instance is unlike the US.
By most OECD measures New Zealand is doing pretty well. Among the higher levels of economic growth, and among the highest levels of employment and one of the lowest levels on unemployment. Welfare rolls generally shrinking. The fact that we have such a high level of inwards migration, much of it being returning kiwis, shows that for many people they see good opportunities here.
In the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay for instance they are struggling to increase cool store capacity because of the good prices for kiwifruit, apples and other horticulture.
In short, overstating the severity of the issues facing the country will have people thinking that you are crying wolf a bit too often.
“Welfare rolls generally shrinking” – yes, because people are being kicked off welfare into destitution.
Meanwhile, the country is what, $120 bn in debt now? Hospitals are being steadily underfunded, with massive waits for ‘elective’ surgeries. Schools rely on donations just to keep afloat. Funding across many areas of government isn’t keeping up with inflation and population increases. Benefits don’t keep up with inflation. Numbers of homeless are burgeoning. Many people can’t even afford to rent a garage in Auckland. People are being forced into debt as they get shoved into motels as emergency accommodation because there aren’t enough houses for people in need, because the government is utterly failing to provide any solutions in this area.
So while things seem rosy to you, that’s only because you’ve ignored all the serious issues facing this country.
All you guys bitching and moaning about 120bn of debt: what do you want the alternative to be? slash and burn? because that’s what a traditional nat govt would have done, and what many other countries have done.
Increase taxes I hear you say? Well nope. Business were already doing it tough. This would have just made it even tougher.
Yeah, I’d have increased taxes to be more inline with western European social democracies. Businesses would have been just fine, particularly since I wouldn’t have raised GST (and indeed would move toward getting rid of GST).
I seriously doubt Wayne, that you have much to do with ‘most people’. Which explains part of the disconnect that lets you shrug off the manifest dishonesty and non-performance of this disgraceful kleptocracy. The other part must be attributed to that want of character by which lawyers have made themselves notorious.
Ha ! The plump Wayne. “Most people in New Zealand…….”
Tell that to the kids in cars Wayne……as you scan your financial affairs indicating (educated guess) the best part of half a million dollars gross coming into your small household annually.
Gets on my wick that a life long gravy trainer like you should invoke his plumpness to say “…….all’s OK, you know, by and large, at the end of the day, and here are some figures and gosh, we must mind our manners etc etc etc. Let’s just be gloriously plump and plompous !”
Highlighting the homelessness issue in New Zealand is not crying wolf.
I guess you can’t see from your leafy suburb and through the tinted windows of your SUV.
And the ‘most people’ argument does not wash.
Jimmy Carter, the last president of the US before the cult of neo-liberalism ( to which you subscribe) took over said.
“The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.
I am not sorry this upsets you; you need to pay attention. I do not plan to stop.
And the NACTS make similar comments every day too. nothing wrong, nothing to see here, everything is going well yada yada.
But I’m delighted to hear that some of you are doing really well, you’ll be able to pay that $120B debt off for the rest of us? Nope??
That 70% tax rate on personal incomes over $250k , on all trust income (offshore or onshore trusts ) looks like a more attractive option every day.
I’d even suggest bringing it in straight away, like tobacco tax hikes, so ther was no time to hide the dosh.
Stephanie’s on fire at the moment. People stepping up to help with the housing crisis,
And because New Zealanders are caring, compassionate people, we step up. We open our doors and put our hands in our pockets
Imagine if we could pool all those resources across the country and had a single organisation with the knowledge and leverage to ensure every kid gets breakfast and every family has a home. An organisation motivated by providing good lives for people, not payouts for shareholders.
We could call the organisation, “government”. We could call those resources we all chip in, “tax”. We used to know what those things meant, before we got to where we are now. Together, we can decide to go somewhere else.
Actually lets not have the tax be mandatory, but be a true donation but it must be declared publicly – i.e. “Hi my name is John Key and I only care for the country to the tune of 5c”
With John Key’s ultimatum last week over housing in Auckland; Is there anything stopping the Auckland Council finally zoning all inner suburbs as ultra-high density so we the Natophiles can get on and build nice big apartment buildings nice and close to the city? Save most of the infrastructure costs. Sure the people of Remmers, Ponsnobby and Parnell will have to move, but hey just zone some of that outer fringe land to low density residential so they can have mcmansions on their land-banked land and nice large green areas.
Would be much cheaper than the opposite way round, and the sooner we got on with becoming a real city the better…
AND
the 17Billion for the infrastructure upgrade for the green fields development will cost the average rate payer in Auckland about an extra $2000 per year for 20 years.
so?
the only ones that could not pay for that would be those on a fixed income, and i am sure that Paula Bennett and Blinglish will have no issues giving our retired people in akl some cash to move the fuck outta town and leave their homes to some more deserving people.
economical warfare is the game.
economical cleansing is the final desired solution
The cities of NZ, gated communities with swipe cards for the maids, chefs, baristas and gardeners.
Reactions ranging from outrage at the “ferals” ruining freedom camping for those with self contained vehicles to mild concern and ‘what are we going to do about it?’ from forumites living locally.
What most failed to read in the Stuff article was..
“Taupo’s Emergency Accommodation Facebook page manager Renee Grey said many of the people she has helped have used Reid’s Farm when times go desperate.
“I think it would be devastating as Taupo has no emergency accommodation shelter and thats where most homeless in Taupo use it temporarily,” she said. ”
and the forumites also neglected to read the other articles about the impending accommodation crisis in tourism hotspot Taupo.
This is a repetition of what has happened in Queenstown.
Rich buy up property, many don’t reside year round, property prices rise and rise and the low wage workers on whom the tourism industry depend cannot afford to live in town.
Towns people and privileged indigenous travelers refer to the homeless as ‘ferals’.
I commented in the distaff…but methinks the mods will remove the comment or perhaps ban me from the site.
That Stuff article doesn’t tell us 2 critical things. How much is this an issue of tourism, and what are the complaints being made? Pretty hard to understand the issue or what could be done without knowing those things.
Probably pay to read all three articles to get the picture weka, then maybe trawl the archives for articles along a similar vein that came out of Queenstown about three years ago.
“Indigenous travelers”….those of us who own our own self contained motorhomes. The ‘privileged’ part comes in when some…maybe most….demand the ‘right’ to freedom camp wherever and whenever based on the theory that spending a few dollars in that region affords them entitlement. Any real or perceived threat to freedom camping results in (yet another) venting of outrage at the ‘ferals’ in non self contained camping vehicles spoiling it for us.
Few ever engage with the ‘others’, seldom learn the whys and wherefores of their individual circumstances.
“A delegation of Queenstown community leaders received a shocking warning of what their resort town could become.
Queenstown/Aspen Queenstown/Aspen Photo: Wiki commons
The Chamber of Commerce delegation visited the Colorado ski resort of Aspen last month.
It’s geographically similar to Queenstown, and both are suffering serious housing affordability issues, with those working in the service industries having to live further and further out of town.”
Tourism…the raison d’etre of Queenstown , is losing ground to the now greater industry of real estate investment.
The lack of public facilities in NZ is astounding. You can literally drive form AKL to Wellington without seeing one Highway Rest Ground with appropriate Facilities.
When people need to go they need to go. And now you have about 4 million more that need to go. Add an extra million people over summer, and they all flush at least thrice a day.
Public facilities need to be upgraded and more numerous that is for sure, however i don’t hold my breath.
As for the spreading of the disease. The disease is Growth, this is our current Growth, selling the country to the highest bidder quarter acre by quarter acre, – us in Akl can tell you, that we told you so. Its time that NZ wake up. As elsewhere Paula Bennett will have no issue offering those with houses in high impact – err, high value areas. Here have 5 grand, now fuck off.
“The lack of public facilities in NZ is astounding. You can literally drive form AKL to Wellington without seeing one Highway Rest Ground with appropriate Facilities.”
Not quite…but the public facilities are often not obvious.
In Taupo, after 7pm, it appears you have to use the ones in a local fast food joint…after making the appropriate purchase of course. ;-( .
thats what i mean. there should be appropriatly marked rest places that offer public facilities. Not fast food joints or dairies where on has to buy something.
Interesting website. It does kinda confirm that you can drive a long way on SH1 without finding one. And how obvious the toilets are is another question.
Libraries, Petrol stations, and shopping centres are not at beaches or scenic sites or National Parks. Most of the public toilets are listed in towns anyway. The concern if you don’t already understand – is not that there are no toilet facilities in towns – the concern is that places of beauty are being spoiled by people defaecating on roadsides and reserves etc because there are little or no facilities. For instance in the Coromandel the permanent population of 30,000 are required to provided toilet facilities for up to 130,000 transient people (many of whom are tourists). The total number of toilet pans outside of the towns is about 3 dozen (including 2 at the top to “The Pinnacles”).
I thought you as a neo-lib junkie were all for user pays? Why should rate payers subsidize the tourist industry?
With rents or the new term, ‘social housing’, the current ‘mums and dads’ landlords will be gone, and in it’s place unwieldy companies and corporations with big rental portfolios who can price fix, decide not to rent at all or whatever. We can see it coming with the Chinese and Australian interest. Then NZ rentals or ‘social bonds’ will be put into shares by banks and money traders and traded by the wealthy. All the this is Bill English and Keys wet dream for NZ like the financial hub (aka tax havens).
For those that seem to think more houses and zoning changes will mean “for the poor’ – at current rates – very unlikely. We may get more of Paula Bennett’s famously vacant facts and figures, the increase in emergency housing which under scrutiny does not even make sense, like $5000 to leave Auckland or $3000 to come back.
The more the government and council loosen up planning rules the less affordable the houses in Auckland are becoming as people use the rules to make houses bigger and less affordable.
NZ has to lose the neoliberal rubbish and go back to what worked previously, state house being built and retained by the government and wages in line with the price to build a house to get back to our previously 74% home ownership figures.
The irony of all this, is that under neoliberalism the super rich are not even expected to pay tax (hence Key’s tax havens) and now the poorest are expected to keep the coffers going in our taxes increasingly spent on corporate welfare, with cigarette tax and beneficiary ‘fraud’ (i.e. over payments or being deemed to be a relationship) as assets in the latest budget!
With the super rich and corporations quasi legally not paying and seemingly out of the equation to get more taxes out of, it is up to the declining middle class to both pay for the corporate welfare and the social system. No wonder middle class are between a rock and a hard place vote wise if their choice is framed between more taxes vs less taxes from political parties.
Should we make the super rich poorer? An inheritance tax, a wealth tax, a land/property tax, and high income tax can all be designed to do just that.
But that’s a separate aim from funding the government. Government can fund itself by borrowing NZD, or by issuing NZD or by a combination of all these methods including taxation.
The problem is, under globalism many of these super rich people not only avoid the rules they have armies of lobbyist putting loop holes into legislation so that they don’t pay. If you are rich enough you can just tie the whole thing up in legal wranglings (like TPPA) so that those with least money pay i.e. middle class (and therefore become poorer hence middle class decline in the West) while the super rich using alias, corporations, trusts, tax havens and what have you become richer and less catchable.
Taxation needs to come into the 21st century, When the current tax laws were made people did not have multiple passports, private air and boat travel and ability to lobby to create the laws, media and government in their favour.
That is why I favour micro taxes at source, like stamp duty and transaction taxes. Both do not care about how much money you have or where you live, if you make the transaction – you must pay a set amount. So a person buying a $10 million house vs a person buying a $300k house will pay different amount of taxes each time they buy. Likewise if you are a currency trader and trading million of trades per day, you pay each time you trade vs someone who has a kiwi bank saver is hit only once unless they are buying and selling constantly.
It is interesting that the biggest group using the Panama tax haven through Mossack were politicians (followed by Hollywood). They make the rules so that they have given themselves exemption from paying tax!
In my view the opposition which has been obsessed with income figures with taxation instead decides, how do you stop someone wealthy who does not want to pay tax and may not even reside in this country to pay their fair share? Anything to do with income is a waste of time these days as the rich seem to live on nothing and aka Sky City casino there are plenty of places to money launder here for those people who pay in cash! As for capital taxes they will not work for Kiwis on a fixed income and again completely avoidable by the rich shuffling global money around.
Tax those that are buying up and moving money around each time they do it. Surprisingly we might have a bit more stability if those speculating were taxed each time! And if tax were unavoidable, we would have funds to pay for state houses again!
And I would like to see a gambling tax put on Sky City and they become legally liable if they contribute to money laundering.
“With John Key’s ultimatum last week over housing in Auckland…”
This morning Key muddied the waters over the Auckland Council threat. I couldn’t understand what he was saying. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201802550
The prime Minister was saying nothing, attempting to sound authoritative, sincere and convincing.
He has replaced ‘ at the end of the day’ with his latest buzz word, ‘fundamentally’ which is a bit like Brash’s, ‘basically’ and ‘frankly’..
Jane Bowron in the Press (Monday) sums it up well…in her column referring among other stupidities, to the Govt’s smugness “…..the prime minister sets out to grab the sound bite and appear the action man tough guy…”… ..convincing to some I guess.
In a huge blow to Israel, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders announced Thursday that calls to boycott the Jewish state fall within the limits of free speech, undermining intensive Israeli diplomatic efforts to sway European capitals to outlaw the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment Movement.
“Statements or meetings concerning BDS are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as enshrined in the Dutch Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights,” Koenders said Thursday during a debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the Dutch parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in The Hague.”
Some think that the crimes by Israeli Government against their enemies are similar to the crimes against Jews committed by Germany. How does that happen?
On 21 June 1933, the Zionist Federation of Germany sent a memorandum to the Nazi Party that contains the following insight into Zionist psychology:
“On the foundation of the new [Nazi German] state, which has established the principle of race, we wish so to fit our community into the total structure so that for us too, in the sphere assigned to us, fruitful activity for the Fatherland is possible… Our acknowledgment of Jewish nationality provides for a clear and sincere relationship to the German people and its national and racial realities. Precisely because we do not wish to falsify these fundamentals, because we, too, are against mixed marriage and are for maintaining the purity of the Jewish group…” (Lucy Dawidowicz (ed.), A Holocaust Reader, pp. 150-155.)
A different approach to affordability in Auckland, that is sustainable. I would not be against density if it was low rise and stylish and sustainable. It costs the same in the most part to have something beautiful than something that is an eyesore which is a lot of Auckland housing!
How about set designs like tiny houses from Architects that require no building consents under certain conditions and approved designs? A bit like State houses, designed for living in and built quickly and affordably.
Evidently Hooton was misleading Nine to Noon listeners (again) this morning in order to criticise the Auckland Council. He claimed the council hadn’t included the cost of the City Rail Link but actually they have. It is the Nact govt. who haven’t. If they had there would have been no surplus.
Patrick Reynolds
@pv_reynolds
@MatthewHootonNZ completely wrong on #CRL: Council share IS budgeted for gov share is in no budget @ninetonoon Council/AT are funding it now
It looks as though the Clinton’s may be indicted on charges relating to money laundering, bribery ,etc. These charges arise from investigations by the FBI of Hilary’s deleted emails, which now been recovered.
See entry in http://www.globalresearch.ca
I am aware the Huffington Post article has been removed. However the Global Research article seems sure of its facts. I suspect that the HuffPost has been leaned on while the Global Research, being Canadian, may well be beyond the reach of the Clintons.
Linked to the article so everyone knows what we’re talking about.
Well, I for one would like to know where the author got the information that James Comey and The FBI will present a recommendation to Loretta Lynch from. Which is probably the bit that got it cut. I doubt if the FBI is going to tell anyone about such a recommendation before it’s actually presented.
“Well, I for one would like to know where the author got the information”
I guess we all would, and also whether in fact the FBI has actually recovered those emails. And unless the content of the emails, if they exist, is compelling enough to oblige Ms Lynch to put aside her friendship with the Clinton’s and bring an indictment, nothing is likely to come of the matter. There is though the matter of conducting state business through a private email address and later destroying the emails, which I think is illegal.
However, even if Hillary is forced to fall on her sword over this, it does not guarantee that Bernie will get the nomination it seems.
The latest posting on global research (on this topic) would seem to indicate that the FBI are going to recommend the Clinton Foundation should be prosecuted for money laundering etc.
“Hit the streets Aucklanders! Tell Pm John Key to back off and butt out!”
___________________________________________________________________________
“Today, I ‘locked in’ with Auckland Central Police, the date, time and route of a march of potentially thousands of Aucklanders, to tell PM John Key to ‘back off and butt out’,” said Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.
___________________________________________________________________________
MARCH! Queen Street – Britomart to the Auckland Town Hall.
WHEN: Saturday 11 June 2016.
TIME: 12 noon till 2pm.
ASSEMBLE: 12 noon outside Britomart.
___________________________________________________________________________
“The reason for this march, is the veiled threat from PM John Key to appoint unelected Commissioners to run Auckland, if ‘Auckland’ doesn’t do what ‘Wellington’ says, (effectively on behalf of developers), regarding housing in Auckland.”
“Prime Minister John Key has given a strong hint that the Government could go as far as appointing commissioners to run Auckland if the council refuses to free up more land for housing.
“Mark my words,” he told reporters today after being asked about the possibilities for dealing with an uncooperative council.”
____________________________________________________________________________________
“For the Prime Minister to even hint at the threat of appointing Commissioners to run Auckland, four months out from the Auckland local body elections – is simply obscene.”
“In my view, every time ‘Wellington’ (central government) interferes with ‘Auckland’ (local government) – it makes things worse for thousands of ordinary Auckland ratepayers and citizens.”
“It was the John Key led National Government that forced this Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%) upon us in 2009, by railroading legislation under urgency through Parliament.”
“Pivotal to this Auckland ‘Supercity’ was the ‘One Plan’ for Auckland, which, in my view, has been delightful if you are a property developer, speculator, overseas investor, bank, land banker and/or money-launderer, but disastrous for thousands of Aucklanders.”
“Why does all this ‘growth’ have to come to Auckland?”
“Where is the national population growth, migration and regional development and employment strategy?”
“What is ‘local’ now about ‘local government’ in Auckland?”
“While PM John Key promotes ‘democracy for developers’, and his Government ‘land banks’ empty State houses, decent New Zealanders are appalled at the plight of vulnerable fellow citizens trying to sleep on cardboard in Queen Street, and little kids and their families ‘living’ crammed into cars, garages, caravans and already over-crowded houses.”
“As someone who helped organise the thousands on to the streets, opposing the TPPA investor and corporate control, I call upon those people, and more, to oppose investor and corporate /developer control of Auckland.”
“Stand up and be counted Aucklanders, and give PM John Key the message that can’t be ignored!”
I nearly threw more than a few well-chosen words of advice at Mr Hooton as he continually spoke over both other speakers. He has a habit of speaking over the others to interrupt or take over. The result is that the thread and the listener’s comprehension are disrupted. He’s ekshully quite good at it.
Williams is too well mannered, and Ryan has learnt to keep on going but Hooton’s interruptions are very unhelpful to good debate and listening.
Williams doesn’t have it any more. He should step down and let someone younger take it on. Several times this morning he let Hooton get away with blatant twists and outright lies and all he could do was giggle. Hooton’s attempt to shout both Williams and Ryan down was particularly bad this morning. Ryan doesn’t let him get away with it but Williams is useless. It’s almost as though he’s too scared to stand up to Hooton.
The issue is what Matthew has to say is interesting and thought provoking, the left comment normally whinging and nonsense, thus Matthew gets more air time
Oh, craven bullshit. 😀 Matthew shouts over everybody else that’s why he gets more air time. RNZ should be shot of him because he doesn’t even tell the truth most of the time.
“what Matthew has to say is interesting and thought provoking”
🙄
Yeah the thought that runs through my mind whenever I am unfortunate enough to hear him is “what shit are you on Matthew? and how come you’re not sea sick with all that spinning?”
He gets more air time because he is an empty vessel and they are the ones that make the most noise.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11639758
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This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back.‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
A Labour Party Member’s Bill aims to plug a culpability gap between manslaughter and health and safety breaches The post New push for corporate killing laws appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Terence O’Brien had the rare and no doubt undesired distinction of rising to one of the most exalted positions in New Zealand diplomacy, then being unceremoniously recalled to Wellington without explanation just when his career was at its zenith. What is perhaps more surprising is that he appears to have ...
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Why has New Zealand slipped from third to 12th on Quality of Death Indexes over the past decade or so? Hospice New Zealand Chief Executive Wayne Naylor has a list of reasons. “We don’t have a current national strategy – the Government hasn’t renewed our 2001 strategy, so we don’t ...
While women’s sport is exploding in Aotearoa and around the world, you still don’t hear a lot of talk about athletes and their periods, RED-S, breastfeeding and visible panty-lines. SASS (Suze and Sez Sports)Talk isn’t afraid to have that kōrero.LockerRoom founder Suzanne McFadden and Olympian broadcaster Sarah ...
On an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
DoC funding cut by $40m – independent expert
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305139/doc-funding-cut-by-$40m-independent-expert
Another day and most people get on with their lives quite happily.
…most people…
The notion that New Zealanders don’t give a fuck about the environment or say, child poverty, while it suits the National Party’s owners, and certainly applies to the sociopath wing of the party, simply has no foundation in reality.
That’s because “most people” have a thing called “empathy”.
Except when it effects their house values or share portfolio it seems.
That says a lot about you.
Empathy.
Google it.
Ignorance is bliss stunned mullet. You must be exceptionally happy.
@ Stunned mullet (1.1)
“Another day and most people get on with their lives quite happily.”
Now try this one … another day and far too many Kiwi families struggle in silence, in absolute misery, attempting to get on with their lives trying hard to survive … living in the back of a car, a garage, shed, tent, hovel etc!! Or they can rent a motel room and be in debt to WINZ for the rest of their wretched lives!
But then I guess if you are comfortable, well fed, warm, surviving on a very good income and happy with your lot, why give a big rat’s backside about the suffering of others?
+111
Another day and another moronic posting by Paul
Paul,
You make this, or a similar comment every day. While I accept that there are things that could be done better, and that there are social problems to be solved, surely you are rather overstating it.
Most people in New Zealand do not think they are living in a nightmare. The right direction/wrong direction polls consistently show that a substantial majority think NZ is going in the right direction, which for instance is unlike the US.
By most OECD measures New Zealand is doing pretty well. Among the higher levels of economic growth, and among the highest levels of employment and one of the lowest levels on unemployment. Welfare rolls generally shrinking. The fact that we have such a high level of inwards migration, much of it being returning kiwis, shows that for many people they see good opportunities here.
In the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay for instance they are struggling to increase cool store capacity because of the good prices for kiwifruit, apples and other horticulture.
In short, overstating the severity of the issues facing the country will have people thinking that you are crying wolf a bit too often.
“Welfare rolls generally shrinking” – yes, because people are being kicked off welfare into destitution.
Meanwhile, the country is what, $120 bn in debt now? Hospitals are being steadily underfunded, with massive waits for ‘elective’ surgeries. Schools rely on donations just to keep afloat. Funding across many areas of government isn’t keeping up with inflation and population increases. Benefits don’t keep up with inflation. Numbers of homeless are burgeoning. Many people can’t even afford to rent a garage in Auckland. People are being forced into debt as they get shoved into motels as emergency accommodation because there aren’t enough houses for people in need, because the government is utterly failing to provide any solutions in this area.
So while things seem rosy to you, that’s only because you’ve ignored all the serious issues facing this country.
All you guys bitching and moaning about 120bn of debt: what do you want the alternative to be? slash and burn? because that’s what a traditional nat govt would have done, and what many other countries have done.
Increase taxes I hear you say? Well nope. Business were already doing it tough. This would have just made it even tougher.
I think many of you need a reality check.
Not have implemented the unaffordable “tax switch”.
Labour’s tax cuts were already pretty generous, and more than we could really afford.
Yeah, I’d have increased taxes to be more inline with western European social democracies. Businesses would have been just fine, particularly since I wouldn’t have raised GST (and indeed would move toward getting rid of GST).
I seriously doubt Wayne, that you have much to do with ‘most people’. Which explains part of the disconnect that lets you shrug off the manifest dishonesty and non-performance of this disgraceful kleptocracy. The other part must be attributed to that want of character by which lawyers have made themselves notorious.
Wayne, it’s fully possible for “most people” to think we’re going in the right direction, without that being what is actually best for New Zealand.
But that doesn’t make any judgement about how fast we’re going there.
It might be under this current government we’re crawling along in ‘the right direction’, but under a different government we’d be zooming away.
Wayne Mapp should probably be in jail …………. http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/judith-collins-brazen-cronyism.html
Nominated yourself for anything else to Judith lately wayne ker ?????
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Cronyism
Ha ! The plump Wayne. “Most people in New Zealand…….”
Tell that to the kids in cars Wayne……as you scan your financial affairs indicating (educated guess) the best part of half a million dollars gross coming into your small household annually.
Gets on my wick that a life long gravy trainer like you should invoke his plumpness to say “…….all’s OK, you know, by and large, at the end of the day, and here are some figures and gosh, we must mind our manners etc etc etc. Let’s just be gloriously plump and plompous !”
Highlighting the homelessness issue in New Zealand is not crying wolf.
I guess you can’t see from your leafy suburb and through the tinted windows of your SUV.
And the ‘most people’ argument does not wash.
Jimmy Carter, the last president of the US before the cult of neo-liberalism ( to which you subscribe) took over said.
“The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.
I am not sorry this upsets you; you need to pay attention. I do not plan to stop.
This sums up your world view, Wayne.
“I’d love to help, but there’s no moral obligation to do so.”
Neo-liberalism has rotted your soul.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cjk_CaMVEAAqbNo.jpg:large
And the NACTS make similar comments every day too. nothing wrong, nothing to see here, everything is going well yada yada.
But I’m delighted to hear that some of you are doing really well, you’ll be able to pay that $120B debt off for the rest of us? Nope??
That 70% tax rate on personal incomes over $250k , on all trust income (offshore or onshore trusts ) looks like a more attractive option every day.
I’d even suggest bringing it in straight away, like tobacco tax hikes, so ther was no time to hide the dosh.
..whereas France stands up to transnational corporations.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/305137/france-targets-multinationals-with-tax-cases
France is going to sign TTIP like everone else.
Stephanie’s on fire at the moment. People stepping up to help with the housing crisis,
And because New Zealanders are caring, compassionate people, we step up. We open our doors and put our hands in our pockets
Imagine if we could pool all those resources across the country and had a single organisation with the knowledge and leverage to ensure every kid gets breakfast and every family has a home. An organisation motivated by providing good lives for people, not payouts for shareholders.
We could call the organisation, “government”. We could call those resources we all chip in, “tax”. We used to know what those things meant, before we got to where we are now. Together, we can decide to go somewhere else.
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/how-we-got-here/
Actually lets not have the tax be mandatory, but be a true donation but it must be declared publicly – i.e. “Hi my name is John Key and I only care for the country to the tune of 5c”
With John Key’s ultimatum last week over housing in Auckland; Is there anything stopping the Auckland Council finally zoning all inner suburbs as ultra-high density so we the Natophiles can get on and build nice big apartment buildings nice and close to the city? Save most of the infrastructure costs. Sure the people of Remmers, Ponsnobby and Parnell will have to move, but hey just zone some of that outer fringe land to low density residential so they can have mcmansions on their land-banked land and nice large green areas.
Would be much cheaper than the opposite way round, and the sooner we got on with becoming a real city the better…
AND
the 17Billion for the infrastructure upgrade for the green fields development will cost the average rate payer in Auckland about an extra $2000 per year for 20 years.
so?
the only ones that could not pay for that would be those on a fixed income, and i am sure that Paula Bennett and Blinglish will have no issues giving our retired people in akl some cash to move the fuck outta town and leave their homes to some more deserving people.
economical warfare is the game.
economical cleansing is the final desired solution
The cities of NZ, gated communities with swipe cards for the maids, chefs, baristas and gardeners.
And I can’t imagine the aucklanders being pleased about a 50% rate increase. They get exercised about a 5% incase
the teachers working for private schools and living in provided accomodation.
nothing says freedom more then owing once soul to the company store
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niClWAnP_14
read up on Paul Robertson, he lived in interesting times and lived an accordingly interesting life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson
This http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/80391585/reids-farm-could-close-due-to-complaints.html popped up on a forum for motorhomers the other day.
Reactions ranging from outrage at the “ferals” ruining freedom camping for those with self contained vehicles to mild concern and ‘what are we going to do about it?’ from forumites living locally.
What most failed to read in the Stuff article was..
“Taupo’s Emergency Accommodation Facebook page manager Renee Grey said many of the people she has helped have used Reid’s Farm when times go desperate.
“I think it would be devastating as Taupo has no emergency accommodation shelter and thats where most homeless in Taupo use it temporarily,” she said. ”
and the forumites also neglected to read the other articles about the impending accommodation crisis in tourism hotspot Taupo.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/77452043/The-rental-crisis-creating-Taupos-homeless-community
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/75936619/competitive-taupo-housing-market-forcing-one-family-towards-homelessness
This is a repetition of what has happened in Queenstown.
Rich buy up property, many don’t reside year round, property prices rise and rise and the low wage workers on whom the tourism industry depend cannot afford to live in town.
Towns people and privileged indigenous travelers refer to the homeless as ‘ferals’.
I commented in the distaff…but methinks the mods will remove the comment or perhaps ban me from the site.
Reality.
That Stuff article doesn’t tell us 2 critical things. How much is this an issue of tourism, and what are the complaints being made? Pretty hard to understand the issue or what could be done without knowing those things.
“privileged indigenous travelers”
Who do you mean?
Probably pay to read all three articles to get the picture weka, then maybe trawl the archives for articles along a similar vein that came out of Queenstown about three years ago.
“Indigenous travelers”….those of us who own our own self contained motorhomes. The ‘privileged’ part comes in when some…maybe most….demand the ‘right’ to freedom camp wherever and whenever based on the theory that spending a few dollars in that region affords them entitlement. Any real or perceived threat to freedom camping results in (yet another) venting of outrage at the ‘ferals’ in non self contained camping vehicles spoiling it for us.
Few ever engage with the ‘others’, seldom learn the whys and wherefores of their individual circumstances.
Natrad has done some good work on trying to highlight the issue….
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201801465/queenstown-warned-it-could-become-like-exclusive-aspen
“A delegation of Queenstown community leaders received a shocking warning of what their resort town could become.
Queenstown/Aspen Queenstown/Aspen Photo: Wiki commons
The Chamber of Commerce delegation visited the Colorado ski resort of Aspen last month.
It’s geographically similar to Queenstown, and both are suffering serious housing affordability issues, with those working in the service industries having to live further and further out of town.”
Tourism…the raison d’etre of Queenstown , is losing ground to the now greater industry of real estate investment.
Taupo is going down the same road.
The lack of public facilities in NZ is astounding. You can literally drive form AKL to Wellington without seeing one Highway Rest Ground with appropriate Facilities.
When people need to go they need to go. And now you have about 4 million more that need to go. Add an extra million people over summer, and they all flush at least thrice a day.
Public facilities need to be upgraded and more numerous that is for sure, however i don’t hold my breath.
As for the spreading of the disease. The disease is Growth, this is our current Growth, selling the country to the highest bidder quarter acre by quarter acre, – us in Akl can tell you, that we told you so. Its time that NZ wake up. As elsewhere Paula Bennett will have no issue offering those with houses in high impact – err, high value areas. Here have 5 grand, now fuck off.
“The lack of public facilities in NZ is astounding. You can literally drive form AKL to Wellington without seeing one Highway Rest Ground with appropriate Facilities.”
Not quite…but the public facilities are often not obvious.
In Taupo, after 7pm, it appears you have to use the ones in a local fast food joint…after making the appropriate purchase of course. ;-( .
thats what i mean. there should be appropriatly marked rest places that offer public facilities. Not fast food joints or dairies where on has to buy something.
thats a private facility 🙂
There’s a heap of public toilets.
http://www.toiletmap.co.nz
Interesting website. It does kinda confirm that you can drive a long way on SH1 without finding one. And how obvious the toilets are is another question.
7553 individual public toilet pans spread over the whole of NZ does not equal “there are heaps” and many of them are a heap of shit!
Add every petrol station,library and shopping center to that number.
Libraries, Petrol stations, and shopping centres are not at beaches or scenic sites or National Parks. Most of the public toilets are listed in towns anyway. The concern if you don’t already understand – is not that there are no toilet facilities in towns – the concern is that places of beauty are being spoiled by people defaecating on roadsides and reserves etc because there are little or no facilities. For instance in the Coromandel the permanent population of 30,000 are required to provided toilet facilities for up to 130,000 transient people (many of whom are tourists). The total number of toilet pans outside of the towns is about 3 dozen (including 2 at the top to “The Pinnacles”).
I thought you as a neo-lib junkie were all for user pays? Why should rate payers subsidize the tourist industry?
And just like the UK experience (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/25/sadiq-khan-condemns-foreign-investors-london-homes-gold-bricks-housing-policy) – it will produce houses for the wealthy many of whom do not live in NZ while the locals running Auckland will be commuting for hours, paying more rates and unable to buy a house or spending more to own a home.
With rents or the new term, ‘social housing’, the current ‘mums and dads’ landlords will be gone, and in it’s place unwieldy companies and corporations with big rental portfolios who can price fix, decide not to rent at all or whatever. We can see it coming with the Chinese and Australian interest. Then NZ rentals or ‘social bonds’ will be put into shares by banks and money traders and traded by the wealthy. All the this is Bill English and Keys wet dream for NZ like the financial hub (aka tax havens).
For those that seem to think more houses and zoning changes will mean “for the poor’ – at current rates – very unlikely. We may get more of Paula Bennett’s famously vacant facts and figures, the increase in emergency housing which under scrutiny does not even make sense, like $5000 to leave Auckland or $3000 to come back.
The more the government and council loosen up planning rules the less affordable the houses in Auckland are becoming as people use the rules to make houses bigger and less affordable.
NZ has to lose the neoliberal rubbish and go back to what worked previously, state house being built and retained by the government and wages in line with the price to build a house to get back to our previously 74% home ownership figures.
The irony of all this, is that under neoliberalism the super rich are not even expected to pay tax (hence Key’s tax havens) and now the poorest are expected to keep the coffers going in our taxes increasingly spent on corporate welfare, with cigarette tax and beneficiary ‘fraud’ (i.e. over payments or being deemed to be a relationship) as assets in the latest budget!
With the super rich and corporations quasi legally not paying and seemingly out of the equation to get more taxes out of, it is up to the declining middle class to both pay for the corporate welfare and the social system. No wonder middle class are between a rock and a hard place vote wise if their choice is framed between more taxes vs less taxes from political parties.
We really are at the bottom of the barrel!
Should we make the super rich poorer? An inheritance tax, a wealth tax, a land/property tax, and high income tax can all be designed to do just that.
But that’s a separate aim from funding the government. Government can fund itself by borrowing NZD, or by issuing NZD or by a combination of all these methods including taxation.
The problem is, under globalism many of these super rich people not only avoid the rules they have armies of lobbyist putting loop holes into legislation so that they don’t pay. If you are rich enough you can just tie the whole thing up in legal wranglings (like TPPA) so that those with least money pay i.e. middle class (and therefore become poorer hence middle class decline in the West) while the super rich using alias, corporations, trusts, tax havens and what have you become richer and less catchable.
Taxation needs to come into the 21st century, When the current tax laws were made people did not have multiple passports, private air and boat travel and ability to lobby to create the laws, media and government in their favour.
That is why I favour micro taxes at source, like stamp duty and transaction taxes. Both do not care about how much money you have or where you live, if you make the transaction – you must pay a set amount. So a person buying a $10 million house vs a person buying a $300k house will pay different amount of taxes each time they buy. Likewise if you are a currency trader and trading million of trades per day, you pay each time you trade vs someone who has a kiwi bank saver is hit only once unless they are buying and selling constantly.
FTT type taxes are important
Notice how the financial services industry in NZ got itself exempted from GST
It is interesting that the biggest group using the Panama tax haven through Mossack were politicians (followed by Hollywood). They make the rules so that they have given themselves exemption from paying tax!
In my view the opposition which has been obsessed with income figures with taxation instead decides, how do you stop someone wealthy who does not want to pay tax and may not even reside in this country to pay their fair share? Anything to do with income is a waste of time these days as the rich seem to live on nothing and aka Sky City casino there are plenty of places to money launder here for those people who pay in cash! As for capital taxes they will not work for Kiwis on a fixed income and again completely avoidable by the rich shuffling global money around.
Tax those that are buying up and moving money around each time they do it. Surprisingly we might have a bit more stability if those speculating were taxed each time! And if tax were unavoidable, we would have funds to pay for state houses again!
And I would like to see a gambling tax put on Sky City and they become legally liable if they contribute to money laundering.
CV,
In practice it is borrowers who get the majority of this advantage.
Hi Wayne. I’m sure that Auckland housing speculators with multiple sets of mortgage approvals and fees are very thankful.
The lending of money is presumably not considered a service. It is therefore difficult to see why interest should be charged.
“With John Key’s ultimatum last week over housing in Auckland…”
This morning Key muddied the waters over the Auckland Council threat. I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201802550
– Don’t worry ianmac- you are not alone.
The prime Minister was saying nothing, attempting to sound authoritative, sincere and convincing.
He has replaced ‘ at the end of the day’ with his latest buzz word, ‘fundamentally’ which is a bit like Brash’s, ‘basically’ and ‘frankly’..
Jane Bowron in the Press (Monday) sums it up well…in her column referring among other stupidities, to the Govt’s smugness “…..the prime minister sets out to grab the sound bite and appear the action man tough guy…”… ..convincing to some I guess.
The Dutch resist efforts to criminalise dissent.
In a huge blow to Israel, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders announced Thursday that calls to boycott the Jewish state fall within the limits of free speech, undermining intensive Israeli diplomatic efforts to sway European capitals to outlaw the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment Movement.
“Statements or meetings concerning BDS are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as enshrined in the Dutch Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights,” Koenders said Thursday during a debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the Dutch parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in The Hague.”
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/In-huge-blow-to-Israel-Netherlands-declares-BDS-free-speech-455162
Some think that the crimes by Israeli Government against their enemies are similar to the crimes against Jews committed by Germany. How does that happen?
Same way as a beaten child will go on to beat his children.
Nope:
A different approach to affordability in Auckland, that is sustainable. I would not be against density if it was low rise and stylish and sustainable. It costs the same in the most part to have something beautiful than something that is an eyesore which is a lot of Auckland housing!
http://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/jutland-denmark-cabin-simon-steffensen.html
How about set designs like tiny houses from Architects that require no building consents under certain conditions and approved designs? A bit like State houses, designed for living in and built quickly and affordably.
Evidently Hooton was misleading Nine to Noon listeners (again) this morning in order to criticise the Auckland Council. He claimed the council hadn’t included the cost of the City Rail Link but actually they have. It is the Nact govt. who haven’t. If they had there would have been no surplus.
Patrick Reynolds
@pv_reynolds
@MatthewHootonNZ completely wrong on #CRL: Council share IS budgeted for gov share is in no budget @ninetonoon Council/AT are funding it now
It looks as though the Clinton’s may be indicted on charges relating to money laundering, bribery ,etc. These charges arise from investigations by the FBI of Hilary’s deleted emails, which now been recovered.
See entry in http://www.globalresearch.ca
Huffington Post Removes Article Claiming Hillary Clinton Will Be Indicted
I am aware the Huffington Post article has been removed. However the Global Research article seems sure of its facts. I suspect that the HuffPost has been leaned on while the Global Research, being Canadian, may well be beyond the reach of the Clintons.
Breaking: Hillary Clinton to be Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges [?]
Linked to the article so everyone knows what we’re talking about.
Well, I for one would like to know where the author got the information that James Comey and The FBI will present a recommendation to Loretta Lynch from. Which is probably the bit that got it cut. I doubt if the FBI is going to tell anyone about such a recommendation before it’s actually presented.
Global Research though…would be waiting for some confirmation.
“Well, I for one would like to know where the author got the information”
I guess we all would, and also whether in fact the FBI has actually recovered those emails. And unless the content of the emails, if they exist, is compelling enough to oblige Ms Lynch to put aside her friendship with the Clinton’s and bring an indictment, nothing is likely to come of the matter. There is though the matter of conducting state business through a private email address and later destroying the emails, which I think is illegal.
However, even if Hillary is forced to fall on her sword over this, it does not guarantee that Bernie will get the nomination it seems.
The latest posting on global research (on this topic) would seem to indicate that the FBI are going to recommend the Clinton Foundation should be prosecuted for money laundering etc.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/hillary-accused-of-racketeering-by-the-fbi-will-she-be-indicted-will-she-be-dumped-from-the-presidential-race/5527862
Press Release Auckland Mayoral candidate Penny Bright.
“Hit the streets Aucklanders! Tell Pm John Key to back off and butt out!”
___________________________________________________________________________
“Today, I ‘locked in’ with Auckland Central Police, the date, time and route of a march of potentially thousands of Aucklanders, to tell PM John Key to ‘back off and butt out’,” said Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.
___________________________________________________________________________
MARCH! Queen Street – Britomart to the Auckland Town Hall.
WHEN: Saturday 11 June 2016.
TIME: 12 noon till 2pm.
ASSEMBLE: 12 noon outside Britomart.
___________________________________________________________________________
“The reason for this march, is the veiled threat from PM John Key to appoint unelected Commissioners to run Auckland, if ‘Auckland’ doesn’t do what ‘Wellington’ says, (effectively on behalf of developers), regarding housing in Auckland.”
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11646100
“Prime Minister John Key has given a strong hint that the Government could go as far as appointing commissioners to run Auckland if the council refuses to free up more land for housing.
“Mark my words,” he told reporters today after being asked about the possibilities for dealing with an uncooperative council.”
____________________________________________________________________________________
“For the Prime Minister to even hint at the threat of appointing Commissioners to run Auckland, four months out from the Auckland local body elections – is simply obscene.”
“In my view, every time ‘Wellington’ (central government) interferes with ‘Auckland’ (local government) – it makes things worse for thousands of ordinary Auckland ratepayers and citizens.”
“It was the John Key led National Government that forced this Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%) upon us in 2009, by railroading legislation under urgency through Parliament.”
“Pivotal to this Auckland ‘Supercity’ was the ‘One Plan’ for Auckland, which, in my view, has been delightful if you are a property developer, speculator, overseas investor, bank, land banker and/or money-launderer, but disastrous for thousands of Aucklanders.”
“Why does all this ‘growth’ have to come to Auckland?”
“Where is the national population growth, migration and regional development and employment strategy?”
“What is ‘local’ now about ‘local government’ in Auckland?”
“While PM John Key promotes ‘democracy for developers’, and his Government ‘land banks’ empty State houses, decent New Zealanders are appalled at the plight of vulnerable fellow citizens trying to sleep on cardboard in Queen Street, and little kids and their families ‘living’ crammed into cars, garages, caravans and already over-crowded houses.”
“As someone who helped organise the thousands on to the streets, opposing the TPPA investor and corporate control, I call upon those people, and more, to oppose investor and corporate /developer control of Auckland.”
“Stand up and be counted Aucklanders, and give PM John Key the message that can’t be ignored!”
“ENOUGH!”
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
(Activists – get things done.)
Same day as the test match, might have to miss it, dam !
Wouldn’t it be perfectly timed to be a double header?
I would prefer to read a page of OABs drivel than attend your march.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/us-will-refuse-to-confirm-or-deny-if-nukes-on-ship-visiting-nz-2016053010#axzz4A6EtjlGz
I’d like to see how many people participated in this poll but its not a bad poll for those that are pro-American (yes that includes me)
Why are we not surprised. Only the extreme right are blind to America’s failings – you’d probably support Trump. Or Palin.
Could someone please explain how Mike Williams gets to be ‘the Voice of the Left’ on National Radio..sorry iHeartRadio.
I nearly threw more than a few well-chosen words of advice at Mr Hooton as he continually spoke over both other speakers. He has a habit of speaking over the others to interrupt or take over. The result is that the thread and the listener’s comprehension are disrupted. He’s ekshully quite good at it.
Williams is too well mannered, and Ryan has learnt to keep on going but Hooton’s interruptions are very unhelpful to good debate and listening.
Williams is too well mannered,
Williams doesn’t have it any more. He should step down and let someone younger take it on. Several times this morning he let Hooton get away with blatant twists and outright lies and all he could do was giggle. Hooton’s attempt to shout both Williams and Ryan down was particularly bad this morning. Ryan doesn’t let him get away with it but Williams is useless. It’s almost as though he’s too scared to stand up to Hooton.
Self respect…….. A man with self respect faces his fears and doesn’t live a lie.
The issue is what Matthew has to say is interesting and thought provoking, the left comment normally whinging and nonsense, thus Matthew gets more air time
Oh, craven bullshit. 😀 Matthew shouts over everybody else that’s why he gets more air time. RNZ should be shot of him because he doesn’t even tell the truth most of the time.
Debatable but irrespective he is entertaining, I doubt many would listen otherwise
“what Matthew has to say is interesting and thought provoking”
🙄
Yeah the thought that runs through my mind whenever I am unfortunate enough to hear him is “what shit are you on Matthew? and how come you’re not sea sick with all that spinning?”
He gets more air time because he is an empty vessel and they are the ones that make the most noise.
I think his problem is DMS as distinct from KDS.
Hootie blows extra hard when he’s fibbing. He sounded quite angry that he couldn’t blame Labour so he did anyway.
Medical Cannabis on One News tonight, thanks to HK for hooking the charity up with a Reporter.
Good stuff, the item came over well I thought, and that this is an urgent issue.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11639758
You would think with all these P users contaminating HNZ houses there would be a bunch of benes getting kicked off welfare for drug use, but yeah, doesn’t seem to be the case…”Last year, there were 31,791 referrals for drug testable positions nationwide and just 55 sanctions for failing a drug test, according to Ministry of Social Development (MSD) figures.”