Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the construction and real estate industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $10b+ train-wreck that is “leaky homes” was created and executed. Architects, engineers, surveyors, civil servants, solicitors, accountants, politicians, union bosses, journalists, builders, bankers…the lot.
Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the finance and investment industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $5b train-wreck that is “finance company collapse” happened over a period of ten years. Financial advisors, accountants, civil servants, solicitors, politicians, union bosses, journalists, reserve bank, bankers…the lot.
What is wrong? Why do these people not find a way to collectivise and shout “fire” when they see the growing flame? Where else are they being silent (and paid)?
Very apt description of the financial debacle too! Just replace a few of the job descriptions. I wonder this often, and as corny as it sounds, for bad things to happen …..
That rule we all get programmed with at school from the age of 5, and which gets reinforced as we progress through life. When we are asked to be creative we fail because we have been proscribed into only that which we are “allowed” to imagine. Outside of the boundaries lies despair and freedom concurrently, it is deliberately a very scary place.
What is wrong? Why do these people not find a way to collectivise and shout “fire” when they see the growing flame? Where else are they being silent (and paid)?
Hundreds of millions in physical waste and fraud, thousands of families put into misery, and no one gets put away behind bars.
But steal $500 from your employer and its off to jail you go.
Consequences exist only for those on the bottom of the heap.
David Clark was interviewed on Q+A yesterday, first on his Miminum Wage bill. He responded with well rehearsed phrases, until…
SHANE So how much will it cost employers?
DAVID What will it cost employers? Well, it depends who you are as an employer. Most employers and most small and medium businesses pay their employees more than the minimum wage. They understand-
SHANE So the overall cost?
DAVID Well, we don’t know exactly how much it will cost. Um, we understand-
SHANE You haven’t costed it?
DAVID I haven’t costed it myself. I understand there has been work done.
That’s embarrassing. But wait, there was more, on Clark’s Monday-ising bill.
SHANE And how much is this going to cost? Have you costed this policy?
DAVID The government says that it will cost 13 cents per worker, per day.
SHANE No, has Labour costed this?
DAVID I’ve seen all of their costs, and I’ve done my own calculations on it which suggests it will be considerably less than that. It may even have a net positive effect, and that’s because you get a boost to domestic tourism, you also get more productive workers from having rests. But anyway, even if it costs 13 cents per worker, per day, as the government estimates – and the government officials acknowledge themselves it’s likely to be overestimated – we don’t think that’s too much to pay to make sure people get to spend times with their families. Hard-working Kiwis deserve all the public holidays they get.
Falling back on the talking points, but no financial substance from Labour’s Revenue spokesperson.
This is Goffesque – show us where the money would come from David.
But it’s more than just a new MP who hasn’t done his homework. Clark has been groomed by Labour as a supposed up and coming MP. All they have groomed him to do is to be a loyal reciter.
Labour seem to be too engrossed in trying to destroy Key and his government and too busy running a perpetual election campaign.
The minimum wage bill policy was announced a year ago and was a major election focus for Labour. Clark was using the same talking points then that he used in the interview yesterday. But still no substance.
Shane was the worst I had seen him. Often he is sharp and follows on well. This week he wasn’t listening to either Russell or Gareth, and not to Clark.
It was like he had questions that were designed to convey a predetermined angle and when the interviewees said otherwise he ignored them.
Eg. His line was that Morgan and the Greens were at loggerheads.
Rather, there was a bigger story he could have delved into, if he was listening, was that they weren’t so opposed and there was possibility that the Greens and Morgan could be reviewing the Greens economic policy. Something that has a far greater appeal to the electorate.
Strong environmental creds with an outside-the-box economic policy that seeks to bring equality with genuine reform of welfare and taxation.
I agree, generally he was on his own mission and not actually interviewing much.
His questioning about ‘why now” for Member’s bills was silly. Monday-ising and marriage equality are ideal types of Member’s bills (the SOE and minimum wage bills are a waste of Member’s Bill slots though).
Clark obviously should have adopted the tory approach to debating these sorts of issues. He should have pulled favorable figures out of his arse and shouted them out continuously to give the impression that he knew what he was talking about.
Do not confuse intellectual honesty for some sort of weakness.
Besides there were costings on the mondayising of holidays, no more than 13c per day per worker and probably a lot less.
The one who should be embarrassed is not David Clark.
After his reality check his response this morning is as good as could be expected:
@DavidClarkNZ
@damianchristie Fair cop. First time caller has learnt his lesson.
If he ditches the slogan library approach that’s been drummed into him and learns there are policy details plus learns to think on his feet then it wil have been a good lesson.
Somewhat surprised you consider that ‘new depths of maliciousness’, especially considering many far worse comments about MPs (and commenters) that pass as acceptable here.
(and the links are well worth following – time for me to get some Bageant from the library!).
…In the end, there’s an underclass simply because ‘we are all individualistic now’.
Underneath the underclass is simply the logic of today’s world.
Without wanting to distract attention from the severe plight of those most clearly at the sharp end of this experience, there is a real sense in which we are all experiencing, day to day, the forces that push people into the so-called underclass.
Lives – and ways of life – are being dismantled constantly. Many in the middle class are simply better able to afford the self-medications and have the wherewithal to put enough strapping around the ‘centre’ to ensure it holds together each day.
But there’s always the fear that the strapping will come loose. The last word on the scale of the underclass belongs to Joe Bageant…
Thanks for the link Just Saying: it is a lovely, insightful piece of writing by Puddleglum. The problem is, this deep social divide is extremely difficult to address, perhaps more so in our age than in previous ones, since manufacturing on a large scale does not seem set to return any time soon, and politicians are more interested in haves who want to defend what they have than the deeper and more difficult problems besetting the have-nots.
Absolutely fucking brilliant piece of writing through that there link. Thanks ‘just saying’…and of course puddleglum for taking the time to put it together 😉
Bookmarked. btw. (And this is at anyone who might know) Is there a way that links can be pasted in comments so that they automatically open in a new tab?
No mouse. But anyway, the reason I asked was because when putting up posts there is an option whereby links will automatically open in a new tab or in place of the current tab. And I just thought there might be some similar mechanism available for use in comments that I was unaware of.
But anyway. Getting rid of the add on and going back to right clicks and ‘open in’ or left clicks coz the number of open tabs is ridiculous.
With everyone waiting for Key’s administration to fall apart, it appears that there isn’t a leader-in-waiting. I guess he feels he still has time on his side.
As long as we can manage trends in the polls correctly, patiently wait for the tide to go out on National, and not rock the middle class boat of centrist voters by saying anything radical or unconventional, Labour will glide home to victory in 2014. Right?
You’re not the only one whose head is being done in SP!
I’ve had a headache since election night in 08. Nothing seems to help. The headache is so large and all consuming that it has even become resistant to the humour cure. Cynicism, anger, despair all worked for a while but now there is nothing. Just a dull relentless ache.
“The people’s flag is palest pink
It’s not as red as you might think.
White collar workers stand and cheer
Your Labour government is here.
We’ll change the country bit by bit
so no-one will notice it.
And just to show we’re still sincere
We’ll sing The Red Flag once a year. “
Yes, time on his side – just like the NZ cricketers, I guess – how much time does he need? We see that Shearer is “saleable” due to that often rehearsed “gallantry award” from the UK. We are reminded about his past heroics mostly by Shearer himself. He is neither “strong” nor “weak” – just plain “ördinary” (which one can hardly say about Key who is “ëxtraordinarily” crafty, arrogant, devious, unethical!)
It certainly does appear that Cunliffe is being well held under wraps. Small wonder the Greens (in spite of all prejudices) have assumed leadership in opposition.
So Koch and others fund a sceptical scientist and his organisation – that is comprised of sceptics – to take a more detailed look at temp stats. More detailed than some orgs had previously done. And they conclude that human emmissions of CO2 track with temp rise. And further, that solar flares, volcanic activity etc simply can’t explain the results.
And it gets shoved down the page on (as far as I can see) one British broadsheet.
Call me a cynic. But what ya reckon the prominence of this news story would have been in the event that they had contradicted all the other studies? I mean, okay. I understand the world, universe and everything begins and ends with the olympics. But second lead story, maybe?
Well that’s just common sense – of course a study done which backs up the pretty well accepted science does not get as much prominence as if they did a study which contradicts other studies.
One of the studies is interesting the other is just repeating things everyone knows.
Pretty much – news by definition needs to have new information come to light. It’s not news every time someone repeats the same study and gets the same results.
But it’s not simply ‘a study which backs up other studies’, is it?
Crucially, it’s a study carried out by people who refused to acknowledge the validity of all those other studies now publishing results that blow their previous denialist position out of the water. I mean, that’s pretty major in the scheme of things, don’t you think?
Y’know, a headline something like ‘The Day Denialism Died’ wouldn’t have been so out of order.
While the wealthy west bickers and spends up large on their respective PR exercises it’s reassuring that some of the poorest people on the planet are facing up to their own climate challenges.
Senegal is one of 11 countries in the Sahel region of Africa looking towards the same solution to the desertification problem: The Great Green Wall. The goal of the project is to plant a wall of trees, 4,300 miles long and 9 miles wide, across the African continent, from Senegal to Djibouti. African leaders hope the trees will trap the sands of the Sahara and halt the advance of the desert.
Key went to the Big Gay Out and made it quite clear that he has an opinion and you can find out what tghat opinion is by buying the book he’ll write when he decides he’s given enough of his good self to you ingrates.
Ah yeah I think I remember the Big Gay Out. Was that when John was modelling a rugby shirt and he pretended to be a gay?
Me and my friends we were cracking up laughing because he REALLY looked like a gay, and even though none of us are gays we still thought it was pretty funny.
Gays should laugh at themselves more. It’s super funny and they’d probably enjoy it.
Ah well, the focus groups are in John Key has has given full consideration to the relevant arguments, and decided it won’t impact on his marriage to Bronagh – so self-centred these neolibs!?
Exactly Carol and Felix, it doesn’t hurt Key so why should he care? FFS John, you finally get some balls but then they retreat back inside so quickly I can’t even give you credit where it’s due.
But what happened to Key voting on conscience issues in line with how his electorate felt? Did he poll them over the weekend? Of course not. No, his ‘best friend’ Barack is okay with the gays now so it’s safe for Key to do the same.
New Zealand’s persistent income gap between Maori and Pacific people and the European majority has widened sharply during the recession.
A quarterly update on vulnerable families by the NZ Council of Christian Social Services…
This is partly attributed to job losses being relatively bigger amongst low income people during the recession.
And the median income of sole parents (regardless of ethnicity) dropped while that of two-parent families rose – did you see that, Paula?!!!!!! So are you going to change your policies in the light of that?
And this, too, Paula?
Benefit statistics show Maori have continued to increase as a proportion of all beneficiaries, from 31.5 per cent in June 2008 to 32.4 per cent in June last year and 33.1 per cent last month.
Pacific beneficiaries have increased more slowly, from 7.6 per cent of the total four years ago to 8.1 per cent last year, and have stabilised at the same level this year.
This shows what a disgraceful country we are – that we can treat the indigenous people this way. It is time to wake up because people will not take this shit forever.
But, but – how many medals did we get? But, but – how will we afford our retirement. But, but – it’s the right not the left. But, but – the time for but’s is fast vanishing. I repeat – people will not take this shit forever!!!
So what to do marty mars? Jobs is not the answer in the way it used to be as less and less people are needed to do the work. It is about a change in the way every single part of society is provided for from the wealth of these islands.
Unfortunately, Maori and any other group already near the bottom of the pile are going to have their place worsened I suspect, until this change is complete (or well underway). Bad timing and positioning for those sectors. … some 2c …
perhaps marty, your suggestion that people will just not take it anymore may hasten this change …
Nothing will improve unless the illusions are gone and we get attitudinal change. That may occur when the effects of peak oil, climate change, and financial scumduggery hit home but somehow i suspect that it won’t. To be quite blunt – unless this country allows tangata whenua to be equal then this country is destined for nothing.
I do not adhere to any of the myriad of ‘civil war’ presumptions – simply because the they and us are not able to be differenciated. They are us. We are them. This is the waka and we are on it. Time to front up but that is the one thing this country seems unable to do, yet we must do it.
Join us for a live chat with Labour leader David Shearer from midday. You can leave your question here in the live chat window, or email it to livechat@stuff.co.nz
by Stuff Newsroom 9:21 AM
Oh, no, it was posted online before ak’s comment – must be a precog!?
I’m sure one said person is moving to Wellington soon and is looking for a dead cat.
So he can pussy foot around ohairyu and hopefully get more than a 161 votes.
Hopefully a knockout and hardworking candidate that is an improvement on Charles Chauvel. Staggers me that in successive elections Charles could not beat a relatively weak candidate.
I consider myself a critic of the PM, but he’s doing the right thing and in this case I think he is motivated by conscience. Although if it was a pressing matter for him, this would have been addressed by a government bill.
Yeah, had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned,
My crude riffmatic says that should the present electoral track Slippery’s National Party are experiencing continue into 2014 and the election National+John(the convicted)Banks+’the Hairdo from Ohariu’+whats left of the ‘Poodles’ won’t quite have the numbers,
So that leaves us with the ‘whim of Winston’ or the ‘Bible Bashing Conservatives’ if there is to be ,heaven forbid, a third term for this National Government,
IF National had of gifted Colin Craig a safe electorate seat in 2011 as they did with ACT’s Banks(spit),there would be 4 conservative MP’s in the House now,
Perhaps a political slip-up by the National Party strategists at the 2011 election hoping that the ‘Epsom chimps tea party’ would give ACT a dead cats bounce in the polls,or, even National have trouble coming to terms with the politics apparently driven by God,(in this case National hardly need fear the conservatives, they are as much if not more so driven by the aquisition of money as those in the National Party are),
It gave me a bit of a cringe when the Louisa Wall legislation was drawn from the ballot, its divisive issues like what this could have turned into among the broader left that can lead to a loss of support and worse, this is the meat and spuds what give small flakes of the right the oxygen with which they can self promote in the media,
Thankfully the issue looks as if it will hardly cause a ruffle of the broader lefts feathers, there seems to have been a collective shrug since the legislation was drawn from the ballot of ‘why didn’t this happen 10 years ago,
However, the elephant in the room, the Conservatives, obviously a potential and multi-seat candidate for coalition with National is still there in the room and the trick here is how to starve ‘them’ of oxygen not allowing ‘them’ access to the whole House so to speak…
had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned
Don’t be coy, mate. The gulity “couple” (not yet married) were Pascal’s Bookie and er, gobsmacked.
We not only saw the elephant, we put it under the microscope, and wrote a bloody long book about it (halfway through the “gay marriage thread, if anyone can be bothered).
Dunne and Hide gave National free bonus seats. Banks’ “bonus” seat came at a cost to National. Craig may also give National bonus seats, at an even bigger cost to National. That’s the point at issue. You may not agree, that’s your call … but please don’t keep repeating that we “don’t get it”.
Feel free to blow your own little egotistical trumpet won’t you ‘mate’,
The real,(and in my opinion),only question you need ask yourself = IF as we approach the 2014 election National’s own polling shows that it will lack enough support to form a Government for a 3rd term AND the conservatives are polling at or above the levels of Party Vote they accrued at the 2011 election (2.6%), will National do a deal with the Conservative’s Leader for a wink and a nod to the National Party faithful so as to gift the Conservatives a safe electorate seat,
IF that choice to put it more starkly is one of Opposition or gift a seat to the Conservatives then i suspect National will fall all over themselves to gift such a safe National held electoral seat,
You may be naive enough to believe that National will not do so fearing loss of electoral support from its core vote, but, National will by the 2014 election be ‘down’ to it’s core vote anyway and the core Tory vote has been well bought and such a ‘loss of support’ will only materialize as a fiction within your head…
If you think it’s the “only question”, then of course you’re wrong, but at least you should follow the logic of your own argument.
What else should Labour or the Greens do, to keep out Colin Craig? (“the only question”, as you put it).
Any other mildly progressive moves they should shy away from? How about – Shearer promises to repeal “anti-smacking” law? That would take the wind out of the Conservatives’ sails.
Surely the essential point is whether the opposition should be driven by fear of a National/Con deal, or a National/ACT deal, or any other deal they want to cook up. Because they will do what they want anyway. Labour/Greens can’t control that. They can, however, piss off their OWN supporters by running scared of Colin Craig.
The head of that pin you constantly dance upon has you constantly changing the subject, you seem to have conceded the debate vis a vis National gifting the Conservatives a safe electorate seat at the 2014 election,
That was the point i was trying to make, point made, expending my energies chasing a debate round various puffs of steam emanating from your cranial cavity wasn’t my intention for the afternoon,
I simply asked questions based on your assumption. To try and get an answer. To test the logic of the argument. The same as yesterday. It’s called debating the issue.
One more time … Do you think the Conservatives will bring a net gain for the National bloc? If so, how will they achieve this? And at what cost?
All your present inquiries have been well addressed in my previous comments upon the subject,
If you cannot deduce the answer to your queries from those previous comments then i can only suggest you avail yourself of a course in remedial reading…
Well, I can see both sides of this. National is short on options for future partners, so they have nothing to lose, and possibly everything to gain, by throwing Craig’s lot a bone.
But it depends on whether its as divisive as the Cons hope. They seem just a s likely to shoot themselves in the foot, and it seems most people, including most Nat MPs are now for marriage equality.
Certainly the website launched by the Cons and friends is off to a bad start – site crashed soon after launch, they are using a song by a US band that objects and wants it pulled.
And on RNZ today they reported that a pro-marriage equality campaigner said most of the stuff on the site was US-based, and didn’t seem to have much representation of Kiwi views on the bill.
Not sure if it’s an elephant, but it’s unnerving to see the course of the 2014 election already being algorhythmed into the extremes of those who are not even in yet and may never be, when all it would take in fact is a 4% gain from Labour to obviate all of that coulda-woulda-shoulda on the margins.
If the Greens can do this well in the media, why can’t Labour? Would not a large part of the country simply wipe the Conservatives and Act and New Zealand First out if Shearer and Norman announced today: we are forming a coalition, right now?
Act as if they were a government-in-wainting, not lunch-in-waiting?
If Labour are doing what Bad 12 is calculating, they are enabling the fleas to rule the dog. Time to get a bigger dog.
Trouble for Labour tho is it appears to now be a party of, for, and by the middle class and the middle in terms of gaining electoral traction is one hell of a crowded space,
Can you really see Labour gaining from either ‘blue collar’ or the ‘beneficiary belt’ when we know that raising the age of superannuation is what Labour is offering as policy to the ‘blue collar workers’ and the beneficiary belt is being offered (again) the chance for Labour to undo none of the damage done by the Slippery National Government and thus set them up for even harsher lives post the next Labour Government,
We have had the BIG democratization of the party by Labour, and, i have to wonder whether Clayton wrote it, so i would expect POLICY that differentiates Labour from National will be next egg for hatching,
As far as announcements over Government i would be just as happy for the Greens to sit out-side of Government with a far harder push on that party’s SOCIAL JUSTICE policy’s, being tarred with the same brush as Labour by being in a formal Government with them might prove electorally costly to the Greens…
Thanks Bad for summing up the non reality of the positions above re possible election results.
If Labour actually stood by their core principles and made the correct noises debates about coalitions would be meaningless. Instead Labour are lead by a guitar strumming middle class fellow with no teeth to keep the grasping middle classes happy, a gay guy also with no teeth to keep the sectoral interest groups happy, and a finance spokesman to the right of Milton Friedman to keep the “markets” happy.
Gads I hope you’re being sarcastic CV – Shearers rambling anecdotes of derring-do are becoming the butt of many jokes. It’s also risky to keep emphasising his time at the UN imo. The team likes to paint it as humanitarianism, but shearer was a school teacher who became rich and powerful as an administrator on the backs of the poor, much as the new CEOs of charities are (unpopularly) doing in contrast to the old public service model. He was never an aid worker, he didn’t give anything up, on the contrary, and I suspect he is an adrenaline junky and would have sought out danger to fill a personal need, no matter what he was doing.
Aha, the slow imperceptible slide had already begun then Slippery handed Hekia the Education Portfolio and the name of a good Doctor for anti-depressant medication,
All hell then broke loose,(although the mainstream media are still playing the game of show National from the high end of the margin of error and Labour from the bottom)…
To get more tax in an affordable way the Tobin tax on each financial transaction tax seems a good idea. This would include GST on consumer items too being financial transactions. The spread of the tax would be wide and because of volume bringing a good tax return this would enable GST to be lowered making it less important as a means of government income and less onerous for us all. The burden on consumers and on active domestic trading by ordinary people would be lessened and the economy would be more resilient.
When I do a financial transaction through my credit card, there is a charge to the seller, who may pass that on to me, and then there is an interest charge by the credit company to me. Private business can charge per transaction so why can’t government business tax be collected on each financial transaction?
Labour always ‘on the ball’ have decided on a ‘mild’ Capital Gains Tax which for some really f**king weird reason the likes of David Parker seems to think will address the over-inflated housing prices both as a buy and as a rental,
Only 10 or so years too late on that issue and fast being overtaken by the crisis of supply and demand in the rental market where the low wage workers are now spending 50+% of their wages on private rentals thus providing an even bigger drag on the internal economy as their disposable income shrinks…
The whole thing is not pretty as we still have a housing bubble in terms of the price to income ratios, propped up by housing demand that is a result of immigration policies and a lack of forward investment planning.
Our current scenario resembles the limited housing availability and bad housing standards of the 1920s, also a time of “market rentals” and asset bubbles. The end result was the State housing boom of the 1rst Labour government that also enabled the rise of Fletchers to economic prominence. From an economic perspective we need to go there again, it makes far more sense than the bailing out of private investment funds such as SCF who should have been left to go to the wall. How many houses could the money given SCF fund holders have built?
Agree with you there!!! another mess created by Neo-liberal Bullshit being imported into our country and economy by those who should have been confined to an institution other than the Parliament,
The ‘fix’ is simple, print the dollars necessary to build the high density housing needed in the places of highest demand and rent these out at 25% of income to all who apply based upon greatest need gets in first and don’t stop until there are housing units for which a tenant cannot be found,
Rental Housing based upon a rental of 25% of household income should be available to everyone no matter what their income is,
The only discrimination should be simply based upon the most need being catered to first and spreading the tenancy base far wider than just the ‘beneficiary belt’ to include everyone who applies allows for the wealthier tenants to be subsidizing the less wealthy…
The whole thing is not pretty as we still have a housing bubble in terms of the price to income ratios, propped up by housing demand that is a result of immigration policies and a lack of forward investment planning.
And don’t forget cheap mortgage debt, which is another crucial ingredient to keeping the whole ponzi scheme going.
Interestingly the whole mortgage Ponzi which underpins the housing fiasco can be broken by state investment…the state does its own fractional banking and sets up a local supply system to deliver…no money goes offshore to banksters. The upside benefit of state investment is that:
* landlords get placed under rental pressure.
* to compete landlords have to raise standards.
* private property values diminish.
* housing values mainly reflect the building / replacement cost.
It would not take a lot of state investment to send landlords some “market signals” on rental prices.
Having the state print dollars based upon tax take (that may not eventuate) is not as easy as creating credit by fractional banking (which should only be done by the state). Printing dollars can be fraught with inflationary pressure, having said that you could never print enough to keep up with bankster ponzis…..
The reason you allow a private rental market is because there will always be some prats for whom state houses wont be “good” enough for, plus I am a vindictive bugger when it comes to landlords and high house prices…I want to see both suffer a reality check. You do this by having enough state houses to collapse their market.
Having the state print dollars based upon tax take…
I’d do it the other way around – base the taxes on the printing. It doesn’t have to be precise over a yearly basis just balanced on average.
The reason you allow a private rental market…
I wouldn’t prevent it same as I wouldn’t prevent home ownership. I’d just make it so that private rental or home ownership would be more expensive than renting from the state. As the money to build the state houses was printed with 0% interest they don’t need a massive return – just enough to cover maintenance.
That last is true of all state funding which is, IMO, another reason why the capitalists don’t like the state. If the state was being rational there’d never be any reason for private investment which would remove the power that the capitalists presently have over us. The economy run for the benefit of the community rather than enriching a few.
Oops, didn’t click reply to Prism’s word on fair vs unfair tax, and my response in agreement is down there at 15 underneath he who can not be named. To add to my initial comment, the online live chat with Shearer was shamelessly trolled. JK fan girl Tracy Watkins probably got herself on the moderating team.
David Shearer has just done a live online chat on Stuff. Reasonable effort from him, up front on a number of questions, shows a sense of humour.
Do you believe New Zealand should become a republic?
Yes. It’s not our top priority but I’d like to see NZ stand up for itself in the world and have its own flag without someone else’s in the top left hand corner.
Were you surprised by the latest poll that said people didn’t feel they knew you?
No not really. New Zealanders take time to get to know people and to trust them. The onus is on me to get out there and earn their trust and their support.
Indeed Prism. This is exactly what I asked David Shearer on the live chat on Stuff.co.nz at midday, albeit in a less eloquent way. That question wasn’t however put on line. Instead there were plenty of mindless questions such as “Boxers, briefs or commando?” “Have you ever been shot?” (WTF?) and some one asked “Why are you always so negative about anything the governemnt says?”…..
There was a couple of relevent questions, inlcuding one from a Standard poster but it was generally incredibly cringe worthy.
Comment from maggie barry in an interview in June 2011 “I’m not naive. I would hope I wouldn’t get into profoundly dangerous territory whereby I’d endanger my political career from naive utterances.” Ha Ha bonk!
.Just laughed my head off.
Barry, also does not pay close enough attention when responding to emails..
She is making many errors, which is the logical outcome of having been used as a bad joke, and then thinking one was elected based on any sort of skills.
The woman is a loud mouthed fool, which means perfect National material
Headline on Stuff “PM laughs off Rich List loss”
I am sick of his dismissive attitude to issues. He is forever saying he is “relaxed” about something he should be emphatically concerned about.
The man is so god damn relaxed the man is manifestly flaccid.
Our great flaccid leader. A flaccid member.
Yeah down a cool 5 million, for the head Capitalist that must have been one BIG ouchy, seems it’s not only His political fortunes that are on the slide then…
William Joyce
I think flaccid is the word of the year for Jokey Hen. It should be welded to his name so its always mentioned like invaded Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction’.
Last week I thought I read a newspaper article stating Mr Key supports gay marriage but would vote according to his Helensville constituents. Today he says he is going to vote for the bill and can’t see him changing his mind? Did he poll Hellensville over the weekend????
Maori TV’s Tina Wickliffe has just tweeted “BREAKING: Waitangi Tribunal recommends the Crown ought not to proceed with asset sales.” A rather big headache for John Key there in the making …
No more a headache than before, this outcome was expected before the hearing began.
And in case you weren’t aware, Government can consider the finding carefully and then decide to proceed regardless of the finding, as it is non-binding.
The Waitangi Tribunal has said the Government should halt its asset sales programme – at least until the Tribunal delivers its full findings on a water rights claim in September.
The hapu and iwi argue they should receive shares in the Mighty River or other state owned power companies slated for partial privatisation under the Government’s “mixed ownership model
There’ll be a deal done, I’m sad to say. Key sees himself as a deal-maker and while it’s clear that he has no fiscal reason to go ahead with partial privitisation, he is ideologically wedded to it.
But aren’t the hapu and iwi represented more by the Iwi Leaders’ Group, which I think is the most likely one to argue for shares. And it’s not clear to me that the Maori Council, who launched the Waitangi claim, are in agreement:
The ILG perform a commercial and policy functions. The Group’s policy functions overlap with the MC, but the Group’s commercial functions overlap with FOMA. After all, the MC is a policy and lobbying group. Similar in function to, for example, the Climate Change Iwi Leaders Group – a kind of subsidiary of the ILG proper.
And, of course, it’s not surprising that the Herald immediately highlights the IWG position, and ignores the views of other Maori groups.
The Herald article states “The hapu and iwi argue they should receive shares in the Mighty River or other state owned power companies slated for partial privatisation under the Government’s “mixed ownership model”.
So I wouldn’t get all excited thinking this will derail the process.
In some ways I think the Maori powerbrokers (and I include the Maori party in this) are worse than their Pakeha counterparts.
And it appears that Labour has just shown itself to be as unprincipled as National.
Quite apart from introducing loopholes you could drive a busload of lobbyists through, this also undermines the objectives of the bill. “National, patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, scientific, artistic, social, professional, or sporting” NGOs – and unions – are lobbyists just like everybody else, and therefore their lobbying should be disclosed. Trying to exempt them simply makes it look like Labour thinks the rules shouldn’t apply to their mates.
Personally I’d love unions to get out of parliament and back on to the streets. Too much (all?) of the favourable legislation that came post 2000 was a result of backroom deals/lobbying. Meaning that union members were sidelined to a huge degree and subject to union heirarchies ‘negotiating’ improvements to conditions. Why does that matter? Cause you feel more attached to those things you have fought for… and that makes it much more difficult for somebody to come along and take them away.
It is crap to allow private commercial interests to hold the same status as organisations like charities which are purely focussed on societal and social benefit.
Hello out there.
Who read the item in the Sunday Star Times on Sunday about the doctor who said Tony Ryall should start asking the real people instead of relying on Spivs.
The Standard must get its ass into gear and get real instead of the tiresome reliance on semi-beltway issues that the masses just ignore.
I might have a degree of sympathy with the view you express (a lot of the navel gazing parliament stuff bores the hell outta me). But know what? There’s a ‘contribute’ facility that allows you to submit posts if you feel it’s important to diminish the prevalence of beltway or semi-beltway issues.
I hear on TVNZ1 news tonight Kiwi Rail is having many on going issues with the engines and rolling stock which they have purchased from China. Like the brakes on the rolling stock wont work, and it is costing them heaps. Ha ha fucking ha, when are these right wing fuckwits going to learn that THE market does not deliver every time if ever. All those engines and rolling stock could have been manufactured in the old Hillside Works they would have worked, employed lots of tax payers and would not have cost overseas funds.
There is truth in the saying The National party and the right wing fuckwits could not organise a piss up in a brewery
So, the same-sex marriage bill is decided by a conscience vote, right, and you, who voted AGAINST the Civil Union bill, also a conscience vote, now indicate that your ‘conscience’ will allow you to vote FOR same sex unions. Which (in terms of the bill passing) is great, I’m in full support of the bill and it passing. Well done John! But that leads me to my question….
Which is… What does that say about your ‘conscience’ John? I mean, I honestly don’t believe for a second that you’ve undergone a transformation in your views on this issue since 2004 and the bill you voted against then (Its a view that typically changes generationally rather than in the minds and hearts of existing voters). And, the way you’re playing it leads me to believe that you would like me to believe that you’re fairly ‘relaxed’ on it, and that it is overall of little consequence. An unlikely way to play it for someone who’s ‘conscience’ has changed so dramatically in such a relatively short span of time.
And, that’s the thing John. ‘Conscience’. Words are important John, or at least I believe they are, they allow us a window onto what our representatives represent, they convey and conscience…conscience John is one of those important words. Especially, ESPECIALLY John when you have chosen (remember now John, choices are your thing) to become a politician, someone elected by the people to represent the people.
But, and here I have to come back to why I started this letter as I watched you looking so calculatedly relaxed on the evening news John, do you even have any ‘views’ to undergo transformation? Do you have any principles that got you into the job of influencing so many peoples lives? Hell, you even claim to not remember where you stood on the ’81 Springbok Tour. I wasn’t even born and I know where I ‘stood’ on the ’81 Springbok Tour, John.
Whatever the old internal polling is telling you is the ‘mood of middle NZ’, that’s where you’ll set your plate eh John? Sounds like a pretty good method for clinging to power, but bloody hopeless for anything like the visionary leadership or far-reaching innovative policy that might get us out of the mess that you and your old mates set in motion. Or, ironically, anything approaching a ‘brighter future’.
The engines are made in Germany But most of the rest of the superstructure are made in China .
Apparently these trains can not reach full speed because the suspension is inferior.
This is another National disaster.
David Parker has posted a detailed statement about his environmental credentials and also his opinion interspersed with Labour positions on mining and drilling.
If you have to preface explaining what you really meant, when your words were fairly unambiguous, with a long whinge about how much you love tramping … I mean seriously, if “explaining is losing” in politics, what the hell is all that?
An arsewipe presenting itself as highest grade (organic and died from natural causes guv) vellum?
I mean, this is the guy who maintained that rivers should be clean enough to swim in no matter how hard he was pressed on the state of potable water. Anyway, apart from he the fact he apparently led or was indispensible to every environmental crusade in NZ since….forever. What’s he suggesting here when he says:
As I said when interviewed, there is legitimate public concern about deep sea drilling arising from the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe and the limitations of New Zealand’s response to the Rena shipwreck. We must ensure that world’s best practice is followed and that the safety devices needed in the event of mishap are available and can be deployed. Even then, it may be that the deepest of wells are too risky and ought not to proceed.
Kind of jumps out that he’s obviously not concerned about deep sea drilling – that’s just a pesky ‘public’ concern. And is he suggesting that the technology for dealing with major rig blow outs exists? Those ‘safety devices’ he mentions. What are they? Maybe he’s imagining a factory full of pixies magicking something up? Or maybe he imagines that oil will be sponged up in the way he fancies his ‘seeking of leave’ will be sponged by all and sundry?
And then there’s the mention of this ‘best practice’. What’s that? There have been (thankfully) precious few precedents for this ‘best practice’ to be developed….utilizing ‘safety devices’ (that don’t exist).
And the doozie. Deep sea drilling will go ahead unless it is shown to be too risky. Precautionary principle anyone? What happened to our heroic crusader for the environment that he shys away from insisting that safety is proved beyond any reasonable doubt before any drilling gets underway? Why merely ‘may’ it be that only ‘the deepest of wells’ that ‘ought not to’ (not, won’t) proceed’?
Okay. Disclaimer. I don’t like the guy and have found him to be about as disingenuous as they come.
Close-Up and Sainsbury.
Apparently people living in Auckland could hear him talking about the plans for Christchurch – not on television, but by sticking their heads out the window.
When is the prat going to learn to use his lapel microphone and stop shouting?
Better still, when are TVNZ going to replace him …?
Why wasn’t it done at the start of the year? It’s not easy to handle the media and few can do it without some in-depth training. So, why has it taken so long? Where was the strategy team? I’m a loyal Labour supporter but it’s been hard sometimes…
I’d like to think that tomorrow the Standard will acknowledge the birthday of Milton Friedman who was born July 31 1912 – 100 years ago.The man whose thoughts and theories have probably caused more human misery than any other single individual in history……
What a legacy!
Uganda ebola makes it to capital, outbreak kills 14
Ahhh this is bad. I understand its made it to the capital, Kampala.
Further, reports that this strain of ebola is less virulent are also really bad, as the mortality rate is still very high, but the disease is less obvious in its early stages so it can spread further before causing alarm.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Asia Pacific Report Two of the global Freedom Flotilla ships are being prepared in Turkey and almost ready for the upcoming humanitarian mission to Gaza. It is expected that the flotilla will include a New Zealand medical team. Kia Ora Gaza is a member of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition ...
Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the construction and real estate industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $10b+ train-wreck that is “leaky homes” was created and executed. Architects, engineers, surveyors, civil servants, solicitors, accountants, politicians, union bosses, journalists, builders, bankers…the lot.
Well paid, well educated Kiwi people in and around the finance and investment industry were “present and paid” but not acting in an accountable or responsible manner while the $5b train-wreck that is “finance company collapse” happened over a period of ten years. Financial advisors, accountants, civil servants, solicitors, politicians, union bosses, journalists, reserve bank, bankers…the lot.
What is wrong? Why do these people not find a way to collectivise and shout “fire” when they see the growing flame? Where else are they being silent (and paid)?
Very apt description of the financial debacle too! Just replace a few of the job descriptions. I wonder this often, and as corny as it sounds, for bad things to happen …..
Rule number 1. Do Not Question Authority
Learn that rule and you can go far.
“First rule.. IS..!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN4cFjOhjnY
That rule we all get programmed with at school from the age of 5, and which gets reinforced as we progress through life. When we are asked to be creative we fail because we have been proscribed into only that which we are “allowed” to imagine. Outside of the boundaries lies despair and freedom concurrently, it is deliberately a very scary place.
Hundreds of millions in physical waste and fraud, thousands of families put into misery, and no one gets put away behind bars.
But steal $500 from your employer and its off to jail you go.
Consequences exist only for those on the bottom of the heap.
David Clark was interviewed on Q+A yesterday, first on his Miminum Wage bill. He responded with well rehearsed phrases, until…
That’s embarrassing. But wait, there was more, on Clark’s Monday-ising bill.
Falling back on the talking points, but no financial substance from Labour’s Revenue spokesperson.
This is Goffesque – show us where the money would come from David.
But it’s more than just a new MP who hasn’t done his homework. Clark has been groomed by Labour as a supposed up and coming MP. All they have groomed him to do is to be a loyal reciter.
Labour seem to be too engrossed in trying to destroy Key and his government and too busy running a perpetual election campaign.
The minimum wage bill policy was announced a year ago and was a major election focus for Labour. Clark was using the same talking points then that he used in the interview yesterday. But still no substance.
Clark has to take this on the chin, but this is a whole party problem.Labour embarrassed David Clark.
🙄
I saw Q&A program and Shane was being flippant and arrogant.
David Clark came across reasonably well
Shane was the worst I had seen him. Often he is sharp and follows on well. This week he wasn’t listening to either Russell or Gareth, and not to Clark.
It was like he had questions that were designed to convey a predetermined angle and when the interviewees said otherwise he ignored them.
Eg. His line was that Morgan and the Greens were at loggerheads.
Rather, there was a bigger story he could have delved into, if he was listening, was that they weren’t so opposed and there was possibility that the Greens and Morgan could be reviewing the Greens economic policy. Something that has a far greater appeal to the electorate.
Strong environmental creds with an outside-the-box economic policy that seeks to bring equality with genuine reform of welfare and taxation.
I agree, generally he was on his own mission and not actually interviewing much.
His questioning about ‘why now” for Member’s bills was silly. Monday-ising and marriage equality are ideal types of Member’s bills (the SOE and minimum wage bills are a waste of Member’s Bill slots though).
. 🙄
and PG if you click the link below there’s worser – and its Orahiu-Bouffants main man –
http://thestandard.org.nz/another-looters-bonus/
show me the money Mr Keys – and this is a whole country problem.
Clark obviously should have adopted the tory approach to debating these sorts of issues. He should have pulled favorable figures out of his arse and shouted them out continuously to give the impression that he knew what he was talking about.
Do not confuse intellectual honesty for some sort of weakness.
Besides there were costings on the mondayising of holidays, no more than 13c per day per worker and probably a lot less.
The one who should be embarrassed is not David Clark.
+1
Come on people David Clark got schooled. He exposed himself and should get a good spanking in Caucus, before parliament does it.
After his reality check his response this morning is as good as could be expected:
If he ditches the slogan library approach that’s been drummed into him and learns there are policy details plus learns to think on his feet then it wil have been a good lesson.
T 🙄
😆
🙄
New depths of maliciousness there Pete 👿
Somewhat surprised you consider that ‘new depths of maliciousness’, especially considering many far worse comments about MPs (and commenters) that pass as acceptable here.
🙄 .
*facepalm*
🙄
🙄
🙄
From The Political Scientist’ Underneath the Underclass:
http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/?p=571#more-571
(and the links are well worth following – time for me to get some Bageant from the library!).
Thanks for the link Just Saying: it is a lovely, insightful piece of writing by Puddleglum. The problem is, this deep social divide is extremely difficult to address, perhaps more so in our age than in previous ones, since manufacturing on a large scale does not seem set to return any time soon, and politicians are more interested in haves who want to defend what they have than the deeper and more difficult problems besetting the have-nots.
Absolutely fucking brilliant piece of writing through that there link. Thanks ‘just saying’…and of course puddleglum for taking the time to put it together 😉
http://www.joebageant.com/joe/essay-list.html
Bookmarked. btw. (And this is at anyone who might know) Is there a way that links can be pasted in comments so that they automatically open in a new tab?
It’s a browser setting so here’s a couple of how to’s.
https://addons.mozilla.org/EN-us/firefox/addon/open-link-in-new-tab/
http://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/force-ie-to-open-link-in-new-tab/
http://chrome.blogspot.co.nz/2009/08/tip-opening-links-in-new-tabs.html
Cheers. One download and wee bit of fiddling later….
Best usability practice says that it’s a decision best left to the click-ee to make. It’s their browser after all.
If you’ve got a scroll button on your mouse, try clicking them with that…
No mouse. But anyway, the reason I asked was because when putting up posts there is an option whereby links will automatically open in a new tab or in place of the current tab. And I just thought there might be some similar mechanism available for use in comments that I was unaware of.
But anyway. Getting rid of the add on and going back to right clicks and ‘open in’ or left clicks coz the number of open tabs is ridiculous.
just saying, I replied to the same comment you first published in the Open Mike 29 July post. Just saying…. 🙂
I said in that comment that the link was too good to get lost in the “graveyard” of sunday night and that I’d repost today uless anyone objected.
And some real world examples from Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Scotland, Ireland etc of how an underclass forms… http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/a-world-of-pain.18271665
Anyone particularly concerned with Armstrong’s interpretation of David Shearer’s polling in the Dominion Post this morning?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7372821/David-Shearer-has-uphill-battle-to-gain-some-colour
With everyone waiting for Key’s administration to fall apart, it appears that there isn’t a leader-in-waiting. I guess he feels he still has time on his side.
Sorry Small not Armstrong. Edit function wonky.
Ouch! I thought the lack of cut through By Shearer was an Auckland problem only.
Something is rotten in the state of Labour.
Don’t be concerned, ALP.
As long as we can manage trends in the polls correctly, patiently wait for the tide to go out on National, and not rock the middle class boat of centrist voters by saying anything radical or unconventional, Labour will glide home to victory in 2014. Right?
I just wish Shearer would say something and that the Labour front Bench would not try and be slightly pinker versions of National.
This National lite stuff is doing my head in.
You’re not the only one whose head is being done in SP!
I’ve had a headache since election night in 08. Nothing seems to help. The headache is so large and all consuming that it has even become resistant to the humour cure. Cynicism, anger, despair all worked for a while but now there is nothing. Just a dull relentless ache.
The peoples flag is palest pink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People%27s_Flag_Is_Palest_Pink
A classic for the times.
“The people’s flag is palest pink
It’s not as red as you might think.
White collar workers stand and cheer
Your Labour government is here.
We’ll change the country bit by bit
so no-one will notice it.
And just to show we’re still sincere
We’ll sing The Red Flag once a year. “
There is another one…..
The people’s flag’s not what you think,
It is not red but bloody pink.
It is not stained by martyr’s blood
but Kings Cross harlot’s………………………..
Might come up on google – dunno.
Yes, time on his side – just like the NZ cricketers, I guess – how much time does he need? We see that Shearer is “saleable” due to that often rehearsed “gallantry award” from the UK. We are reminded about his past heroics mostly by Shearer himself. He is neither “strong” nor “weak” – just plain “ördinary” (which one can hardly say about Key who is “ëxtraordinarily” crafty, arrogant, devious, unethical!)
It certainly does appear that Cunliffe is being well held under wraps. Small wonder the Greens (in spite of all prejudices) have assumed leadership in opposition.
Climate sceptics try their hand at science, with predictable results ( no, really):
http://bit.ly/P5nuLc
So Koch and others fund a sceptical scientist and his organisation – that is comprised of sceptics – to take a more detailed look at temp stats. More detailed than some orgs had previously done. And they conclude that human emmissions of CO2 track with temp rise. And further, that solar flares, volcanic activity etc simply can’t explain the results.
And it gets shoved down the page on (as far as I can see) one British broadsheet.
Call me a cynic. But what ya reckon the prominence of this news story would have been in the event that they had contradicted all the other studies? I mean, okay. I understand the world, universe and everything begins and ends with the olympics. But second lead story, maybe?
Well that’s just common sense – of course a study done which backs up the pretty well accepted science does not get as much prominence as if they did a study which contradicts other studies.
One of the studies is interesting the other is just repeating things everyone knows.
Confirmation that the Titanic is still sinking is no longer headline news, because everyone already knows it?
Pretty much – news by definition needs to have new information come to light. It’s not news every time someone repeats the same study and gets the same results.
No, news by definition is information coming in from all directions of the globe, North, East, West and South.
Further, confirmation of something major which has been long suspected is frequently still thought of as being news-worthy.
But it’s not simply ‘a study which backs up other studies’, is it?
Crucially, it’s a study carried out by people who refused to acknowledge the validity of all those other studies now publishing results that blow their previous denialist position out of the water. I mean, that’s pretty major in the scheme of things, don’t you think?
Y’know, a headline something like ‘The Day Denialism Died’ wouldn’t have been so out of order.
Perhaps the penny has dropped for these people.
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/our-summer-of-climate-truth
this too http://www.cjr.org//the_observatory/michael_mann_national_review_m.php
While the wealthy west bickers and spends up large on their respective PR exercises it’s reassuring that some of the poorest people on the planet are facing up to their own climate challenges.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/12/senegal-great-green-wall
Senegal is one of 11 countries in the Sahel region of Africa looking towards the same solution to the desertification problem: The Great Green Wall. The goal of the project is to plant a wall of trees, 4,300 miles long and 9 miles wide, across the African continent, from Senegal to Djibouti. African leaders hope the trees will trap the sands of the Sahara and halt the advance of the desert.
So does John Key hate gays or not?
He voted against Civil Unions so I guess he hated gays in 2004. But last week he didn’t know if he still hated gays or not.
He’s had long enough to think about it. Time we got an answer.
You sush your mouth.
Key went to the Big Gay Out and made it quite clear that he has an opinion and you can find out what tghat opinion is by buying the book he’ll write when he decides he’s given enough of his good self to you ingrates.
Ah yeah I think I remember the Big Gay Out. Was that when John was modelling a rugby shirt and he pretended to be a gay?
Me and my friends we were cracking up laughing because he REALLY looked like a gay, and even though none of us are gays we still thought it was pretty funny.
Gays should laugh at themselves more. It’s super funny and they’d probably enjoy it.
Ah well,
the focus groups are inJohn Key has has given full consideration to the relevant arguments, and decided it won’t impact on his marriage to Bronagh – so self-centred these neolibs!?http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823210
And he’s leaving the space for the Conservative Party to gain a little support from the religious and social conservatives on the right.
Very telling that they think the biggest issue with equal rights is the feelings of the people who already have their rights.
Exactly Carol and Felix, it doesn’t hurt Key so why should he care? FFS John, you finally get some balls but then they retreat back inside so quickly I can’t even give you credit where it’s due.
But what happened to Key voting on conscience issues in line with how his electorate felt? Did he poll them over the weekend? Of course not. No, his ‘best friend’ Barack is okay with the gays now so it’s safe for Key to do the same.
Maybe Jokey Hen is the dual-facing Janus in all ways?
Is the J a typo?
Its an anagram.
I wonder if there is/will be any comment on this from the Maori Party.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823115
This is partly attributed to job losses being relatively bigger amongst low income people during the recession.
And the median income of sole parents (regardless of ethnicity) dropped while that of two-parent families rose – did you see that, Paula?!!!!!! So are you going to change your policies in the light of that?
And this, too, Paula?
But I’m pretty sure Mana will be onto this.
Thanks Carol for posting that disturbing news.
This shows what a disgraceful country we are – that we can treat the indigenous people this way. It is time to wake up because people will not take this shit forever.
But, but – how many medals did we get? But, but – how will we afford our retirement. But, but – it’s the right not the left. But, but – the time for but’s is fast vanishing. I repeat – people will not take this shit forever!!!
So what to do marty mars? Jobs is not the answer in the way it used to be as less and less people are needed to do the work. It is about a change in the way every single part of society is provided for from the wealth of these islands.
Unfortunately, Maori and any other group already near the bottom of the pile are going to have their place worsened I suspect, until this change is complete (or well underway). Bad timing and positioning for those sectors. … some 2c …
perhaps marty, your suggestion that people will just not take it anymore may hasten this change …
Awaiting the tipping point. How desperate do things need to become?
Nothing will improve unless the illusions are gone and we get attitudinal change. That may occur when the effects of peak oil, climate change, and financial scumduggery hit home but somehow i suspect that it won’t. To be quite blunt – unless this country allows tangata whenua to be equal then this country is destined for nothing.
I do not adhere to any of the myriad of ‘civil war’ presumptions – simply because the they and us are not able to be differenciated. They are us. We are them. This is the waka and we are on it. Time to front up but that is the one thing this country seems unable to do, yet we must do it.
Yes aren’t things going swimmingly for the Slippery cabal.
In just this morning’s news – from our premier pro-right organ at that:
Years of “relationship building” for the MP results in WIDENING THE GAPS.
The high-efficiency Supercity amalgamation results in MASSIVE RATE RISES.
That talented tall-poppy victim Paul Henry “lost to overseas” FAILS DRAMATICALLY.
Getting it all out of the way on a monday.
Don’t expect to see Shearer in the press or on TV again for months.
Oh, but look! Shearer must have taken notice of you, ak! He’s doing a live chat today at midday on Stuff;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7374911/Live-chat-Labour-leader-David-Shearer
Oh, no, it was posted online before ak’s comment – must be a precog!?
That’s good news for anyone interested in Shearer’s pet status.
I missed it, but I look forward to his live banjo performance on his youtube channel this evening
I’m sure one said person is moving to Wellington soon and is looking for a dead cat.
So he can pussy foot around ohairyu and hopefully get more than a 161 votes.
lol awesome if true
Hopefully a knockout and hardworking candidate that is an improvement on Charles Chauvel. Staggers me that in successive elections Charles could not beat a relatively weak candidate.
PM changes mind, will support marriage equality afterall. Good for him.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823210
Expect to see Nat list mps to follow suit, at least enough to get a healthy passing margin and to give cover for electorate mps to vote against.
I consider myself a critic of the PM, but he’s doing the right thing and in this case I think he is motivated by conscience. Although if it was a pressing matter for him, this would have been addressed by a government bill.
Conscience? Nah…. the focus groups are in…. and anyway, it won’t effect Key’s marriage! It’s all about him, you see?
And it also gives the Conservative Party a potential platform—- at possibly providing something National is lacking… a support partner for 2014.
Yeah, had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned,
My crude riffmatic says that should the present electoral track Slippery’s National Party are experiencing continue into 2014 and the election National+John(the convicted)Banks+’the Hairdo from Ohariu’+whats left of the ‘Poodles’ won’t quite have the numbers,
So that leaves us with the ‘whim of Winston’ or the ‘Bible Bashing Conservatives’ if there is to be ,heaven forbid, a third term for this National Government,
IF National had of gifted Colin Craig a safe electorate seat in 2011 as they did with ACT’s Banks(spit),there would be 4 conservative MP’s in the House now,
Perhaps a political slip-up by the National Party strategists at the 2011 election hoping that the ‘Epsom chimps tea party’ would give ACT a dead cats bounce in the polls,or, even National have trouble coming to terms with the politics apparently driven by God,(in this case National hardly need fear the conservatives, they are as much if not more so driven by the aquisition of money as those in the National Party are),
It gave me a bit of a cringe when the Louisa Wall legislation was drawn from the ballot, its divisive issues like what this could have turned into among the broader left that can lead to a loss of support and worse, this is the meat and spuds what give small flakes of the right the oxygen with which they can self promote in the media,
Thankfully the issue looks as if it will hardly cause a ruffle of the broader lefts feathers, there seems to have been a collective shrug since the legislation was drawn from the ballot of ‘why didn’t this happen 10 years ago,
However, the elephant in the room, the Conservatives, obviously a potential and multi-seat candidate for coalition with National is still there in the room and the trick here is how to starve ‘them’ of oxygen not allowing ‘them’ access to the whole House so to speak…
had this conversation with a couple of others on the weekend, some fail to see the elephant in the room as far as the Conservatives are concerned
Don’t be coy, mate. The gulity “couple” (not yet married) were Pascal’s Bookie and er, gobsmacked.
We not only saw the elephant, we put it under the microscope, and wrote a bloody long book about it (halfway through the “gay marriage thread, if anyone can be bothered).
Dunne and Hide gave National free bonus seats. Banks’ “bonus” seat came at a cost to National. Craig may also give National bonus seats, at an even bigger cost to National. That’s the point at issue. You may not agree, that’s your call … but please don’t keep repeating that we “don’t get it”.
Feel free to blow your own little egotistical trumpet won’t you ‘mate’,
The real,(and in my opinion),only question you need ask yourself = IF as we approach the 2014 election National’s own polling shows that it will lack enough support to form a Government for a 3rd term AND the conservatives are polling at or above the levels of Party Vote they accrued at the 2011 election (2.6%), will National do a deal with the Conservative’s Leader for a wink and a nod to the National Party faithful so as to gift the Conservatives a safe electorate seat,
IF that choice to put it more starkly is one of Opposition or gift a seat to the Conservatives then i suspect National will fall all over themselves to gift such a safe National held electoral seat,
You may be naive enough to believe that National will not do so fearing loss of electoral support from its core vote, but, National will by the 2014 election be ‘down’ to it’s core vote anyway and the core Tory vote has been well bought and such a ‘loss of support’ will only materialize as a fiction within your head…
If you think it’s the “only question”, then of course you’re wrong, but at least you should follow the logic of your own argument.
What else should Labour or the Greens do, to keep out Colin Craig? (“the only question”, as you put it).
Any other mildly progressive moves they should shy away from? How about – Shearer promises to repeal “anti-smacking” law? That would take the wind out of the Conservatives’ sails.
Surely the essential point is whether the opposition should be driven by fear of a National/Con deal, or a National/ACT deal, or any other deal they want to cook up. Because they will do what they want anyway. Labour/Greens can’t control that. They can, however, piss off their OWN supporters by running scared of Colin Craig.
So a bit more than “one question”, really.
The head of that pin you constantly dance upon has you constantly changing the subject, you seem to have conceded the debate vis a vis National gifting the Conservatives a safe electorate seat at the 2014 election,
That was the point i was trying to make, point made, expending my energies chasing a debate round various puffs of steam emanating from your cranial cavity wasn’t my intention for the afternoon,
Still isn’t…
I simply asked questions based on your assumption. To try and get an answer. To test the logic of the argument. The same as yesterday. It’s called debating the issue.
One more time … Do you think the Conservatives will bring a net gain for the National bloc? If so, how will they achieve this? And at what cost?
Repeat … “net”.
All your present inquiries have been well addressed in my previous comments upon the subject,
If you cannot deduce the answer to your queries from those previous comments then i can only suggest you avail yourself of a course in remedial reading…
Well, I can see both sides of this. National is short on options for future partners, so they have nothing to lose, and possibly everything to gain, by throwing Craig’s lot a bone.
But it depends on whether its as divisive as the Cons hope. They seem just a s likely to shoot themselves in the foot, and it seems most people, including most Nat MPs are now for marriage equality.
Certainly the website launched by the Cons and friends is off to a bad start – site crashed soon after launch, they are using a song by a US band that objects and wants it pulled.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10823203
And on RNZ today they reported that a pro-marriage equality campaigner said most of the stuff on the site was US-based, and didn’t seem to have much representation of Kiwi views on the bill.
Not sure if it’s an elephant, but it’s unnerving to see the course of the 2014 election already being algorhythmed into the extremes of those who are not even in yet and may never be, when all it would take in fact is a 4% gain from Labour to obviate all of that coulda-woulda-shoulda on the margins.
If the Greens can do this well in the media, why can’t Labour? Would not a large part of the country simply wipe the Conservatives and Act and New Zealand First out if Shearer and Norman announced today: we are forming a coalition, right now?
Act as if they were a government-in-wainting, not lunch-in-waiting?
If Labour are doing what Bad 12 is calculating, they are enabling the fleas to rule the dog. Time to get a bigger dog.
Ad + 1
Labour/Greens versus “hydra-headed monster”. Throw Key’s words back at him.
Anyone for Key/Banks/Dunne/Turia/Peters/Craig/McGillycuddy … ?
Wrong, Turei is MacGillicuddy.
Trouble for Labour tho is it appears to now be a party of, for, and by the middle class and the middle in terms of gaining electoral traction is one hell of a crowded space,
Can you really see Labour gaining from either ‘blue collar’ or the ‘beneficiary belt’ when we know that raising the age of superannuation is what Labour is offering as policy to the ‘blue collar workers’ and the beneficiary belt is being offered (again) the chance for Labour to undo none of the damage done by the Slippery National Government and thus set them up for even harsher lives post the next Labour Government,
We have had the BIG democratization of the party by Labour, and, i have to wonder whether Clayton wrote it, so i would expect POLICY that differentiates Labour from National will be next egg for hatching,
As far as announcements over Government i would be just as happy for the Greens to sit out-side of Government with a far harder push on that party’s SOCIAL JUSTICE policy’s, being tarred with the same brush as Labour by being in a formal Government with them might prove electorally costly to the Greens…
Thanks Bad for summing up the non reality of the positions above re possible election results.
If Labour actually stood by their core principles and made the correct noises debates about coalitions would be meaningless. Instead Labour are lead by a guitar strumming middle class fellow with no teeth to keep the grasping middle classes happy, a gay guy also with no teeth to keep the sectoral interest groups happy, and a finance spokesman to the right of Milton Friedman to keep the “markets” happy.
Harsh
You think? When the stakes are high you don’t pull punches. Nor die from self inflicted wounds.
Has the last one of them got teeth tho????
A pair of false teeth working through the mysterious influence of the markets “invisible hand”.
More homelessness under National
Heatley’s legacy will be one of social failure for generations to come…
I was wondering how many rental houses Heatley owns or has trust interests etc into?
Today’s Stuff poll is more useful than most, because it looks below the surface (the usual “party vote” numbers):
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/poll-2012
Look at the bottom left of your screen. Over 50% like David Shearer. Less than 20% think he’s a leader.
So the Labour PR campaign has “worked”. Voters like that nice bloke on the telly. Is he something to do with politics?
Someone needs to push the gallantry award and war zone lines a bit harder, then.
Gads I hope you’re being sarcastic CV – Shearers rambling anecdotes of derring-do are becoming the butt of many jokes. It’s also risky to keep emphasising his time at the UN imo. The team likes to paint it as humanitarianism, but shearer was a school teacher who became rich and powerful as an administrator on the backs of the poor, much as the new CEOs of charities are (unpopularly) doing in contrast to the old public service model. He was never an aid worker, he didn’t give anything up, on the contrary, and I suspect he is an adrenaline junky and would have sought out danger to fill a personal need, no matter what he was doing.
That Fairfax/Ipsos poll is nowhere as reassuring for National as Tracy Watkin would have us believe. Quite the contrary, with a simple bit of arithmetic and projection, the conclusion seems hard to miss that the Nats are in serious trouble; http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/on-course-for-a-change-in-government-part-rua/
If I were a taxpayer-funded National Party strategist I’d be sh*tt*ng bricks by now…
Aha, the slow imperceptible slide had already begun then Slippery handed Hekia the Education Portfolio and the name of a good Doctor for anti-depressant medication,
All hell then broke loose,(although the mainstream media are still playing the game of show National from the high end of the margin of error and Labour from the bottom)…
Time for David Shearer to learn some Merle Haggard adn Waylon Jennings tunes!
To get more tax in an affordable way the Tobin tax on each financial transaction tax seems a good idea. This would include GST on consumer items too being financial transactions. The spread of the tax would be wide and because of volume bringing a good tax return this would enable GST to be lowered making it less important as a means of government income and less onerous for us all. The burden on consumers and on active domestic trading by ordinary people would be lessened and the economy would be more resilient.
When I do a financial transaction through my credit card, there is a charge to the seller, who may pass that on to me, and then there is an interest charge by the credit company to me. Private business can charge per transaction so why can’t government business tax be collected on each financial transaction?
Labour always ‘on the ball’ have decided on a ‘mild’ Capital Gains Tax which for some really f**king weird reason the likes of David Parker seems to think will address the over-inflated housing prices both as a buy and as a rental,
Only 10 or so years too late on that issue and fast being overtaken by the crisis of supply and demand in the rental market where the low wage workers are now spending 50+% of their wages on private rentals thus providing an even bigger drag on the internal economy as their disposable income shrinks…
The whole thing is not pretty as we still have a housing bubble in terms of the price to income ratios, propped up by housing demand that is a result of immigration policies and a lack of forward investment planning.
Our current scenario resembles the limited housing availability and bad housing standards of the 1920s, also a time of “market rentals” and asset bubbles. The end result was the State housing boom of the 1rst Labour government that also enabled the rise of Fletchers to economic prominence. From an economic perspective we need to go there again, it makes far more sense than the bailing out of private investment funds such as SCF who should have been left to go to the wall. How many houses could the money given SCF fund holders have built?
Agree with you there!!! another mess created by Neo-liberal Bullshit being imported into our country and economy by those who should have been confined to an institution other than the Parliament,
The ‘fix’ is simple, print the dollars necessary to build the high density housing needed in the places of highest demand and rent these out at 25% of income to all who apply based upon greatest need gets in first and don’t stop until there are housing units for which a tenant cannot be found,
Rental Housing based upon a rental of 25% of household income should be available to everyone no matter what their income is,
The only discrimination should be simply based upon the most need being catered to first and spreading the tenancy base far wider than just the ‘beneficiary belt’ to include everyone who applies allows for the wealthier tenants to be subsidizing the less wealthy…
And don’t forget cheap mortgage debt, which is another crucial ingredient to keeping the whole ponzi scheme going.
Interestingly the whole mortgage Ponzi which underpins the housing fiasco can be broken by state investment…the state does its own fractional banking and sets up a local supply system to deliver…no money goes offshore to banksters. The upside benefit of state investment is that:
* landlords get placed under rental pressure.
* to compete landlords have to raise standards.
* private property values diminish.
* housing values mainly reflect the building / replacement cost.
It would not take a lot of state investment to send landlords some “market signals” on rental prices.
The state doesn’t need to do fractional banking – it just needs to print the money balanced by taxes.
Initially maybe but over time state investment would replace private investment thus getting rid of the rentiers altogether.
Having the state print dollars based upon tax take (that may not eventuate) is not as easy as creating credit by fractional banking (which should only be done by the state). Printing dollars can be fraught with inflationary pressure, having said that you could never print enough to keep up with bankster ponzis…..
The reason you allow a private rental market is because there will always be some prats for whom state houses wont be “good” enough for, plus I am a vindictive bugger when it comes to landlords and high house prices…I want to see both suffer a reality check. You do this by having enough state houses to collapse their market.
I’d do it the other way around – base the taxes on the printing. It doesn’t have to be precise over a yearly basis just balanced on average.
I wouldn’t prevent it same as I wouldn’t prevent home ownership. I’d just make it so that private rental or home ownership would be more expensive than renting from the state. As the money to build the state houses was printed with 0% interest they don’t need a massive return – just enough to cover maintenance.
That last is true of all state funding which is, IMO, another reason why the capitalists don’t like the state. If the state was being rational there’d never be any reason for private investment which would remove the power that the capitalists presently have over us. The economy run for the benefit of the community rather than enriching a few.
Oops, didn’t click reply to Prism’s word on fair vs unfair tax, and my response in agreement is down there at 15 underneath he who can not be named. To add to my initial comment, the online live chat with Shearer was shamelessly trolled. JK fan girl Tracy Watkins probably got herself on the moderating team.
David Shearer has just done a live online chat on Stuff. Reasonable effort from him, up front on a number of questions, shows a sense of humour.
More David Shearer chats Stuff.
Indeed Prism. This is exactly what I asked David Shearer on the live chat on Stuff.co.nz at midday, albeit in a less eloquent way. That question wasn’t however put on line. Instead there were plenty of mindless questions such as “Boxers, briefs or commando?” “Have you ever been shot?” (WTF?) and some one asked “Why are you always so negative about anything the governemnt says?”…..
There was a couple of relevent questions, inlcuding one from a Standard poster but it was generally incredibly cringe worthy.
Comment from maggie barry in an interview in June 2011 “I’m not naive. I would hope I wouldn’t get into profoundly dangerous territory whereby I’d endanger my political career from naive utterances.” Ha Ha bonk!
.Just laughed my head off.
Barry, also does not pay close enough attention when responding to emails..
She is making many errors, which is the logical outcome of having been used as a bad joke, and then thinking one was elected based on any sort of skills.
The woman is a loud mouthed fool, which means perfect National material
Headline on Stuff “PM laughs off Rich List loss”
I am sick of his dismissive attitude to issues. He is forever saying he is “relaxed” about something he should be emphatically concerned about.
The man is so god damn relaxed the man is manifestly flaccid.
Our great flaccid leader. A flaccid member.
Yeah down a cool 5 million, for the head Capitalist that must have been one BIG ouchy, seems it’s not only His political fortunes that are on the slide then…
And 43% of those polled still think he is working for “all New Zealanders”.
William Joyce
I think flaccid is the word of the year for Jokey Hen. It should be welded to his name so its always mentioned like invaded Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction’.
I’m getting confused.
Last week I thought I read a newspaper article stating Mr Key supports gay marriage but would vote according to his Helensville constituents. Today he says he is going to vote for the bill and can’t see him changing his mind? Did he poll Hellensville over the weekend????
this from May 2012
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10805945
and he repeated it, or the paper repeated it over the weekend!
It’s just Slippery being Slippery, never tell it as it really is and change that to something else on any given day,
Bronagh probably told Him how He was going to vote when He got home for the weekend…
Maybe Moonbeam gave him some advice….
Maori TV’s Tina Wickliffe has just tweeted “BREAKING: Waitangi Tribunal recommends the Crown ought not to proceed with asset sales.” A rather big headache for John Key there in the making …
Also BREAKING NEWS on both Herald and Stuff websites….. more soon.
No more a headache than before, this outcome was expected before the hearing began.
And in case you weren’t aware, Government can consider the finding carefully and then decide to proceed regardless of the finding, as it is non-binding.
🙄
” 🙄 “
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823272
There’ll be a deal done, I’m sad to say. Key sees himself as a deal-maker and while it’s clear that he has no fiscal reason to go ahead with partial privitisation, he is ideologically wedded to it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823272
But aren’t the hapu and iwi represented more by the Iwi Leaders’ Group, which I think is the most likely one to argue for shares. And it’s not clear to me that the Maori Council, who launched the Waitangi claim, are in agreement:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7296671/Iwi-leaders-views-differ-on-water-rights
This article says:
http://mauistreet.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/rise-of-iwi-leaders-group.html
And, of course, it’s not surprising that the Herald immediately highlights the IWG position, and ignores the views of other Maori groups.
The Herald article states “The hapu and iwi argue they should receive shares in the Mighty River or other state owned power companies slated for partial privatisation under the Government’s “mixed ownership model”.
So I wouldn’t get all excited thinking this will derail the process.
In some ways I think the Maori powerbrokers (and I include the Maori party in this) are worse than their Pakeha counterparts.
A High Court injunction might tho…
Beat me to it Pete : )
who wants a bet?
in five years after it is sold Mighty River Power will be de-listed.
Anybody know what’s been going on over at Pundit? The site’s been down all day.
And it appears that Labour has just shown itself to be as unprincipled as National.
I find that I’m not really surprised.
Personally I’d love unions to get out of parliament and back on to the streets. Too much (all?) of the favourable legislation that came post 2000 was a result of backroom deals/lobbying. Meaning that union members were sidelined to a huge degree and subject to union heirarchies ‘negotiating’ improvements to conditions. Why does that matter? Cause you feel more attached to those things you have fought for… and that makes it much more difficult for somebody to come along and take them away.
It is crap to allow private commercial interests to hold the same status as organisations like charities which are purely focussed on societal and social benefit.
This fucking shit has to stop.
As lobbying has an effect on government it should be transparent – doesn’t matter who it is. Putting in place exceptions is counter to that truth.
Hello out there.
Who read the item in the Sunday Star Times on Sunday about the doctor who said Tony Ryall should start asking the real people instead of relying on Spivs.
The Standard must get its ass into gear and get real instead of the tiresome reliance on semi-beltway issues that the masses just ignore.
I might have a degree of sympathy with the view you express (a lot of the navel gazing parliament stuff bores the hell outta me). But know what? There’s a ‘contribute’ facility that allows you to submit posts if you feel it’s important to diminish the prevalence of beltway or semi-beltway issues.
Looks like public transport in Christchurch will continue to be buses.
As a Dunedinite I would caution against a covered stadium if it hasn’t been fully costed.
I hear on TVNZ1 news tonight Kiwi Rail is having many on going issues with the engines and rolling stock which they have purchased from China. Like the brakes on the rolling stock wont work, and it is costing them heaps. Ha ha fucking ha, when are these right wing fuckwits going to learn that THE market does not deliver every time if ever. All those engines and rolling stock could have been manufactured in the old Hillside Works they would have worked, employed lots of tax payers and would not have cost overseas funds.
There is truth in the saying The National party and the right wing fuckwits could not organise a piss up in a brewery
And this is an excellent example.
Dear John,
So, the same-sex marriage bill is decided by a conscience vote, right, and you, who voted AGAINST the Civil Union bill, also a conscience vote, now indicate that your ‘conscience’ will allow you to vote FOR same sex unions. Which (in terms of the bill passing) is great, I’m in full support of the bill and it passing. Well done John! But that leads me to my question….
Which is… What does that say about your ‘conscience’ John? I mean, I honestly don’t believe for a second that you’ve undergone a transformation in your views on this issue since 2004 and the bill you voted against then (Its a view that typically changes generationally rather than in the minds and hearts of existing voters). And, the way you’re playing it leads me to believe that you would like me to believe that you’re fairly ‘relaxed’ on it, and that it is overall of little consequence. An unlikely way to play it for someone who’s ‘conscience’ has changed so dramatically in such a relatively short span of time.
And, that’s the thing John. ‘Conscience’. Words are important John, or at least I believe they are, they allow us a window onto what our representatives represent, they convey and conscience…conscience John is one of those important words. Especially, ESPECIALLY John when you have chosen (remember now John, choices are your thing) to become a politician, someone elected by the people to represent the people.
But, and here I have to come back to why I started this letter as I watched you looking so calculatedly relaxed on the evening news John, do you even have any ‘views’ to undergo transformation? Do you have any principles that got you into the job of influencing so many peoples lives? Hell, you even claim to not remember where you stood on the ’81 Springbok Tour. I wasn’t even born and I know where I ‘stood’ on the ’81 Springbok Tour, John.
Whatever the old internal polling is telling you is the ‘mood of middle NZ’, that’s where you’ll set your plate eh John? Sounds like a pretty good method for clinging to power, but bloody hopeless for anything like the visionary leadership or far-reaching innovative policy that might get us out of the mess that you and your old mates set in motion. Or, ironically, anything approaching a ‘brighter future’.
Signed
Eternally Disappointed
of Kingsland.
Nice on PJ. I tried to express exactly these sentiments this morning but it all came out as silly gay jokes.
Yours is spot on.
Did you send it PJ, or simply post it on here?
Haven’t sent it, yet. Gonna make a couple more tweaks
The engines are made in Germany But most of the rest of the superstructure are made in China .
Apparently these trains can not reach full speed because the suspension is inferior.
This is another National disaster.
Every single unit out of China has had to undergo unplanned and unbudgeted refitting by KiwiRail in order to correct major safety problems.
David Parker has posted a detailed statement about his environmental credentials and also his opinion interspersed with Labour positions on mining and drilling.
I seek leave to make a personal explanation …..
It’s a good read.
🙄
Sorry for promoting mainstream Labour views here. I suspected it wouldn’t be popular with some, but someone’s gotta do it.
T 🙄
U 🙄
* 🙄 *
If you have to preface explaining what you really meant, when your words were fairly unambiguous, with a long whinge about how much you love tramping … I mean seriously, if “explaining is losing” in politics, what the hell is all that?
“…what the hell is all that?”
An arsewipe presenting itself as highest grade (organic and died from natural causes guv) vellum?
I mean, this is the guy who maintained that rivers should be clean enough to swim in no matter how hard he was pressed on the state of potable water. Anyway, apart from he the fact he apparently led or was indispensible to every environmental crusade in NZ since….forever. What’s he suggesting here when he says:
Kind of jumps out that he’s obviously not concerned about deep sea drilling – that’s just a pesky ‘public’ concern. And is he suggesting that the technology for dealing with major rig blow outs exists? Those ‘safety devices’ he mentions. What are they? Maybe he’s imagining a factory full of pixies magicking something up? Or maybe he imagines that oil will be sponged up in the way he fancies his ‘seeking of leave’ will be sponged by all and sundry?
And then there’s the mention of this ‘best practice’. What’s that? There have been (thankfully) precious few precedents for this ‘best practice’ to be developed….utilizing ‘safety devices’ (that don’t exist).
And the doozie. Deep sea drilling will go ahead unless it is shown to be too risky. Precautionary principle anyone? What happened to our heroic crusader for the environment that he shys away from insisting that safety is proved beyond any reasonable doubt before any drilling gets underway? Why merely ‘may’ it be that only ‘the deepest of wells’ that ‘ought not to’ (not, won’t) proceed’?
Okay. Disclaimer. I don’t like the guy and have found him to be about as disingenuous as they come.
Close-Up and Sainsbury.
Apparently people living in Auckland could hear him talking about the plans for Christchurch – not on television, but by sticking their heads out the window.
When is the prat going to learn to use his lapel microphone and stop shouting?
Better still, when are TVNZ going to replace him …?
as Captain Kirk asked him,”what are you hiding behind that moustache Mirk?”.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/262224921-shearer-undergoing-media-training
At last!
Why wasn’t it done at the start of the year? It’s not easy to handle the media and few can do it without some in-depth training. So, why has it taken so long? Where was the strategy team? I’m a loyal Labour supporter but it’s been hard sometimes…
I’d like to think that tomorrow the Standard will acknowledge the birthday of Milton Friedman who was born July 31 1912 – 100 years ago.The man whose thoughts and theories have probably caused more human misery than any other single individual in history……
What a legacy!
… can we make that, “are causing more human misery”
Uganda ebola makes it to capital, outbreak kills 14
Ahhh this is bad. I understand its made it to the capital, Kampala.
Further, reports that this strain of ebola is less virulent are also really bad, as the mortality rate is still very high, but the disease is less obvious in its early stages so it can spread further before causing alarm.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/29/world/africa/uganda-ebola-virus/index.html