Cunliffe clearly has more support from members, so if he is successful in becoming leader, there will be a much stronger “Labour Machine” on the ground in 2014. More money and people on the ground. It will certainly make Tim Barnett”s job a little easier. Just a thought.
“Cunliffe got punished by Shearer and Robertson for showing respect for the membership.”
If Cunliffe wins, the Party’s coffers will swell in size and Labour will again be in a position to run a first class campaign and win. If Cunliffe loses…
It would be utterly jaw-dropping if, one year out from an election, the caucus vote ran counter to both the membership vote and the more general preferences shown in polls etc, and ultimately won the day. I cannot think how they would even begin to explain themselves this time around. It would effectively be an admission that their internal status quo carried more weight with them than actually winning an election.
Go with your instincts Tigger. If Cunliffe loses, stick with the resignation. Being a martyr is all very noble, but pushing shit uphill eventually just gets a bit messy and you eventually just run out of life whilst you watch the troughers continue to profess their dedication to the cause as they continue with their promises.
I will also resign my membership, I cannot handle another term of this god-forsaken government. If ABC get their way, we will be punished because their own self-interest has gotten in the way of getting into office. I will join another social democratic party, one that hopefully has a hero we can all believe in – as a bck-up of course!
She is welcome back to the fold.
She can plead that she was led astray by some naughty boys in Wellington, that she has learned a hard lesson and that she now remenbers her Union roots.
I totally agree. What gets my knickers in not (lol) is Robinson’s two faced face denying he was disloyal to Shearer. The way I see it, doing nothing and waiting for your boss to hang himself out to dry is being disloyal. He was totally un-supportive of Shearer, and never backed him when he was in strife. Being part of the executive, you are a team, and you go down with your boss. I was ashamed when he was not at Shearer’s press conference. The way I see it, he cannot be trusted,and the fact he is homosexual is inconsequential. He has no experience and has not achieved a single proud moment since he has been an MP. It is all very well being a performer in parliament, from what I can see he is nothing but hot air and empty promises. ABC’s new man, if elected, will be another failed experiment Cunliffe is our only shot at 2014!
Cunliffe can take the game to Key straight away and beat him. And Auckland is unlikely to turn out for Robertson in the massive numbers that Labour needs next year.
Takere…….this is for you bro’. Wonder why the workers in the smoko-room at AFFCO in Moerewa wouldn’t say “Peter Talley……..ten grand…….Dalmatian ancestry…….yeah, right !”
From the Herald article link below “………..in the past – in both the 2008 and 2011 elections Mr Jones declared just under $30,000 in donations, including $10,000 from Sealord in 2011 and $10,000 from Peter Talley in 2008, which Mr Jones said was due to their common Dalmatian ancestry.”
So Jones gets 10k from Talley’s and $10k from Sealord. Tries to pass off the $10k from Talley’s as money because of their common “dalmatian ancestry”, clearly he is feeling guilty about this money, otherwise why such a ridiculous explanation.
I would be interested to know how supportive Jones was to Affco/Talley’s workers lockout in March/April 2012???
The last time I saw Jones in a public place he was enjoying a meal with David Henderson, the colourful property developer. Our common folk Jones boy like the company of “rich” men.
Yes, makes you wonder what makes these people want to be part of the labour Party. Use to see Mallard in the Wellington Rugby Corporate box quite often, sucking up to the sad rich leaches that love to be seen in that environment, wanker. Out of all of the Corporate Boxes, the “wank factor” was pretty high in Wellington. The role I had at the time required me to travel around to the various Corporate Boxes, I handled it be burying myself in the free piss on offer and avoiding talking to the biggest ‘try hards’ that you will ever meet, (the alcohol worked like an anesthetic).
My partner refused to attend any corporate boxes after attending the Wellington CB once, she couldn’t stand them. It take a certain type of dick-head to want to attend rugby corporate boxes.
Saarbo my cobber after yesterday’s caucus meeting http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11116377
the ABC are rattled Mallard, Goff & King have lost their influence. Some of those undecided are actually scuttling from the old rear guards sinking ship. The numbers aren’t even there within caucus for their endorsed man GR. Bloody good job the focus is on the election as it should be. They better not make a fuss either or lookout!
When the Warriors started up, the inhabitants of the corporate boxes were a total joke. I had a season ticket from the ARL, with a seat in front of one of the boxes. They needed ex players there to explain to them what was happening on the field. Of course Roger Douglas and the other unmentionables were involved, mainly to help Murdoch take over. Mixing businessmen with sport never does any good for the sport, and I couldn’t care less what it does for the businessmen.
Spot on Murray. People in Corporate Boxes at Super/AB games have nil to do with Club Rugby. Club rugby and professional rugby are two completely different worlds, and being involved in club rugby Im fairly happy with this.
Too many MP’s have had a charmed run on Labour’s list. Jones and Ardern gives them a view from above. Tally’s an evil bunch. Dodgy Shane… A word in his ear ” you have a history of lapses of judgment every 2 years- do not repeat in 2014…repeat not in 2014, keep your snout clean.”
Absolutely Micky. Jones is a liability as we all know. At least this leadership thing will force the lazy prick to do some heavy lifting to get the Maori vote as he has stated in his own words.
the british print media..(with a couple of exceptions..)
..are all urging cameron not to attack syria..
..with memories being evoked/cited of the ‘clear-evidence’ intelligence-bullshit blair/bush used to justify the attack on iraq..(‘intelligence’ from the same source..mossad..in both cases..)
..it would seem their media have longer memories than our little pack of yapping media-dogs of war..eh..?
..you just have to push our medias’ attack-button..and the (unthinking) barking begins..
..the length/width/depth of their uselessness..is kinda awesome..
See ya Key and thanks for nothing. What a fitting send off you have just given yourself – off to sacrifice yourself in someone else’s war. Or maybe you could send your kids along instead, that would be more your style (and that of your type)
What I find strange about his latest brain fart is that he had previously said a decision to intervene in Syria should be left to the United Nations. He later contradicted himself by saying military intervention with no UN mandate could be justified on moral grounds.
I totally disagree with this playing of both sides of the coin. The UN is considering the moral grounds of the situation. They will make a decision once they’ve attained the required information. The warmongers should not preempt that decision by undertaking an unsanctioned attack on Syria.
Good call from the British Parliament with some of Cameron’s own Tory’s voting down the idea of military intervention,(for the moment at least),
There’s two things here, one, the Prez, Obama says that the US has ‘proof’ that the Assad regime used chemical weapons,
The question is does the Prez think that His own population and the population of the world are all stupid???,
If the US Prez has this ‘Proof’ He should use the organs of the media to show the world such proof,
The second ‘thing’, it is the Saudi’s acting in concert with the US that have ‘Enflamed’ the Syrian civil war by arming and inserting ‘Arab militias’ into this conflict,
The US Prez will have far more ‘moral right’ on His side when He ensures that ALL the foreign combatants are pulled out of Syria and military equipment flowing into to Syria is seriously constrained,
Until such time as ‘The West’ undertakes such actions they will simply be seen as the Warmonger Baby Murderers that their actions would suggest…
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
On a related note, Stuf has this article with the headline Cannabis Nightmare (in the print edition, online edition has been changed – check the URL) with the first paragraph reading:
Hospital visiting hours are turning into a living nightmare for Una Harding.
Her son, Kyle, along with numerous mental health patients at Waitakere Hospital, is hooked on synthetic cannabis. And the problem is getting worse.
My bold.
I suppose it’s obvious why they changed the headline in the online edition but it would have been much better if they hadn’t made such a BS headline in the first place.
while i think the legal-high business is on a par with the alcohol-pushers..(in that neither want cannabis legalised..it’s called market-protection..)
..i am puzzled as to how alcohol has managed to factor/quarantine itself out of the/any health-debate around intoxicants commonly used in our society..
..as the/any negative outcomes from those legal-highs..are far outweighed by the number fucked over/killed by alcohol..
(as noted the other day..a recent un report on causes of death globally shows that more die each year from alcohol..than are killed from violent acts/war..
..and we advertise/celebrate/endorse/condone this killer-drug..
..and we criminalise the safest intoxicant of all..
..the intoxicant that has never killed anyone..
..that one both the booze-pushers and the legal-high pushers want kept illegal..
(..that ‘market-protection’ imperative kicking in again..)
..’cos if pot were normalised/de-blackmarketed the legal high industry would likely disappear..
..it has only been created as a mutant outcome of/from prohibition..
(n.b..colorado..where pot is legalised/regulated/taxed..there is no legal-high problem..)
..and of course there are many out there..who would switch to pot from booze..if it were legal/they were able to legally grow a few plants..
..plus the provinces/tourism would see a green/gold rush..
..and because of the advances in research on the theraputic/medicinal uses of cannabis..
..feeding that market..in either raw or synthesised-product ..
..is a sunrise industry of some note..
..and a fonterra co-op model would seem to be the way to go..
Not doubting that they changed it, but the URL itself doesn’t mean much. On stuff.co.nz links you can make the last bit of the URL anything at all and the link will still work, like this one for example.
Last time they were certain that weapons of mass destruction were primed and ready to reach us in twenty minutes. And that if we invaded, those poor oppressed Iraqi soldiers would throw down their guns and welcome us with open arms. Millions slaughtered and displaced, the culprits never to be forgotten or forgiven.
This time they’re almost certain, so up goes Slippery’s pink craven hand for us all.
Hels kept us out of the last one, despite the rabid objections of wee Johnny and his mob.
This time we’re already on the list; now a weaker, easier target for the survivors forever.
Happy Toryday, grandkids: the hatred of million of decades. Thanks National.
“MP Shane Jones warmed a South Auckland crowd with a promise of a Pacific Island language TV channel along the lines of Maori TV. ..”
“Jones, meanwhile, went on the attack against “the privileged” and the powerful.
“I’ll tell you one thing I won’t do, I will never squander the popular will of the people for the 30 bloody pieces of silver that John Key has done over that wretched casino deal. You have my bloody word on that.”
Here’s an online ‘political leanings’ quiz I hadn’t seen before. I get the distinct impression it was written for an American audience, for example the question about whether we spend too much on military has quite different connotations in NZ than it does in the US.
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a university professor. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with several strong opinions.
PS: The questions on emotion were a problem as far as I could see. I gave contradictory arguments & wavered on the implications from one question to another.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10.1.1
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a devoted egalitarian with many strong opinions.
This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist.
It appears that you are moderate towards religion- and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be – political preference aside – an idealist with several strong opinions.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a pragmatist with many strong opinions. 😎
Guess it picked up my democratic leanings quite well. 96.75/93.75…and half way to being tough as old boots is probably about right 😉 – 50 for tenderness
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded moderate progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with few strong opinions.
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
tender-minded progressive; an animal rights activist. moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
But what does this question mean?
25) People should have faith in what they believe.
These scores indicate that you are a very tender-minded moderate; this is the political profile one might associate with a protective parent. It appears that you are accepting of religion, and have a generally optimistic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a liberated atheist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with primarily strong opinions.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
Found this when I was recalling Hooten’s part in Hollowmen.
His rather desperate post here yesterday and 2 days earlier on kiwiblog reminded me of some things Hager once wrote about him.
“I first became aware of Matthew Hooton when he was a spin doctor in the late 1990s for Cabinet Minister Lockwood Smith. He got a mention in my book on anti-environmental public relations, Secrets and Lies. At that time he was helping his Minister argue that the state company Timberlands was actually helping improve the environment by chopping down West Coast native forests. This cynical world of ministerial advisers is illustrated beautifully by the current Australian TV satire called The Hollowmen, which is well worth watching online here.
I next noticed Hooton in 2003, when he was a National Party activist arguing in a party conference that National should drop the nuclear-free policy. That year he was working as a freelance PR consultant, notably assisting the tobacco industry. Over several months he collected information on organisations supporting new smoke-free legislation, information that was later used by the ACT Party’s Rodney Hide to attack those groups and the smoke-free legislation on the day it was introduced to Parliament. Willingness to work on the side of tobacco companies is a very clear way of identifying the less ethical PR operators. (John Key’s strategy adviser Mark Textor, of the Australian firm Crosby/Textor, likewise stands out as someone who was willing to work for tobacco companies.)
These experiences paved the way to Hooton’s next job, working freelance for Don Brash. What Hooton doesn’t mention when he expresses is indignation about the leaked information in The Hollow Men, is that he is one of the people the book shows at work. His strategy e-mails are there for the world to see. Anyone who wonders what to make of Matthew Hooton’s public contributions to New Zealand politics really should read what he writes in private. His advice is sometimes clever, but it is also cynical. It is very revealing.
Which brings us to the point. Anyone who wonders why Hooton is making wild allegations about theft and crime again needs only to see what the leaked materials revealed about Hooton himself.
His words have since been used in the Hollow Men stage play and now in the feature-length documentary. This is the unacknowledged context of all Hooton’s comments about my book and the Police. Like Don Brash and the other National Party figures featured in the book, presenting themselves as the victims of dark deeds is preferable to facing up to their own dark deeds as revealed in the book.
For this sort of PR person, the answer when faced with a crisis is to attack the messenger, deny everything and claim that they themselves are the victims in the affair. Like an octopus squirting ink into the water, the hope is that these diversions will allow them to escape unscathed. In this world of spin, words, arguments and personal attacks are all just means to an end, tools to advance their and their clients’ objectives. “
I just wrote on the ‘Smell the Fear’ thread, in response to one of your comments that I really do think it is very deceptive indeed the way Mr Hooton is introduced as a ‘commentator’ when he appears on TV. This is simply wrong and allows his opinions to be taken as relevant when they aren’t at all; they are simply opinion manipulation techniques.
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with many strong opinions.
Agreed wydham. Noticed Air NZ CEO being paid $1.2m and the setting up of Air NZ for handing over to the rentiers in the MSM this morning. Especially significant after the costs of sort-termism and asset sales being highlighted as causes of the gap.
aside from the litany of inequities/miseries for many..
..two of the more jaw-dropping stat from that program is the $5 billion in tax-dodges run by the rich/corporates(?) each year..
..and also the confirmation of just how much money would be raised by a financial-transactions/hone heke -tax on the banksters..
..address those two..
..and we will have more than enough wherewithall to repair our country..
..’to put things right’..
..and there will be no need to focus on clawing back more p.a.y.e..from workers..
..surely promises focused on these two issues would be the keystone of any progressive election campaign policy-plank/promises..?
..the added bonus from focusing on the tax-thieves/banksters..and not the workers..would totally emasculate any fear-mongering from key/national..aimed at workers fearful of having to pay more tax from their wages/salaries under a progressive government….
..don’t target the innocent..(the workers..esp. the working-poor/struggling middle class..promise them tax relief..)
..get the monies from the banksters..and the big-time tax-thieves..(real ‘user-pays’..eh..?..)
(don’t forget that treasury figures prepared for harawira before the last election..showed that a small hone heke-tax on inter-bank transactions..
(not customer-bank interactions..once again..don’t target the innocent..)
..that the monies raised from this..would allow us to do away with g.s.t..if we so chose..
..that gives some indication of the seachange that would bring..
..then on top of that..there is that $5 billion in unpaid tax the richest are stealing from the rest of us..
..as i said..fix those two..and we are nearly home with solving some of our most pressing problems..
..and together..along with promises of tax-relief for working-poor/middle class..
Was at dinner at an Indian restaurant in Auckland last night with my ACT/National voting family.
They became quite animated, and pointed out that the PM and his family had sat down behind me.
Two things struck me;
1. What a great country we live in that a PM can sit down for a simple meal in a crowded restaurant and no one bothers him (positively or negatively);
2. He just couldn’t seem to decide what to order. He took ages. Then a person approached the table with an envelope with something written on it and handed it to him. I could only make out curia or something on the envelope. He opened it, read it and then reeled off his order like a regular.
Reminds me of another little Injun SSSSStrant moment Tracey involving the PM and his enter age returning to Wellington whilst passing through the Kapiti Coast. I knew I shudda cudda wudda kept the security video! (except that it just made the staff want to vomit – despite the hour or so of comedy entertainment it provided). All complete wif Nafe da man, ‘Sir’ John Key, the DPS et al …. con ois ers of fine Injun cwasoin and experts with it. Come to think of it – there’s probably some of it still around.
We once gave Aaron Gilmore shit! This was priceless! We all had ‘learnings’ from that little episode re the size of their egos and their arrogance.
Don’t you KNOW who we are? !!!!
Amazing revelations from Oz! Kerry-Ann Walsh on Radionz update on Oz this a.m. Rudd seems to be making up policy on the hoof which hasn’t even been passed by his colleagues. And wait for it, some in the betting industry have refused to accept any more bets, some have closed their books and paid out previous punters. They are finding it impossible to assess any odds at all apparently.
She said that Kevin Rudd is rushing round saying whatever he thinks will gain positive attention in each state. He suggested, unexpectedly, shifting defence bases to Brisbane or further north. He is keen to recover lost ground in Qld so that would make sense to him as a short term expedient move I guess.
But Rudd has cut off his nose to spite his face. In undermining Gillard he has shafted Labour as a whole. Abbott seems certain to win – playing a cool hand in comparison.
Have a listen. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport
Bets on Abbott to win Australia election paid out early ( 1′ 58″ )
07:58 The Australian election race is over – at least, according to a betting agency
across the Tasman.
Also This should be interesting on Auckland. Listen in.
4 ’til 8 with Katrina Batten on Sunday 1 September 2013
4:07 The Sunday Feature: Is the Auckland Supercity Working?
Simon Mercep anchors a special panel discussion exploring the success of Auckland’s local body reforms, including the results of new research conducted by AUT (RNZ)
From the Radio New Zealand National Schedule
Abbott has been making up slogans (not really policy) on the hoof for ages. It’s possible that, as with the boat people, Rudd is just copying him. I spoke with a colleague yesterday who knows someone high up in the Canberra bureaucracy. They said that Rudd is 200 times as egotistic, micromanaging and hard to work with as has been reported in the media.
The Australian Labor Party should just start again. They have very little worth keeping.
When Rudd loses, I doubt he will ever admit the damage he did to the party through his own unswerving pursuit to establish himself as the greatest person to have ever lived.
I was thinking of NZ Labour as being like a good old car that was getting a new engine and a new lease of life.
I wondered about the same analogy for Oz, looked up Holden and found that Oz is in difficulties and Labour is thinking of demanding govt buys Australian made, somthing that will never happen here under present thinking. Rudd has been making promises about supporting the car industry. The announcement comes as Labor fights to hold the ultra-marginal Victorian seat of Corangamite based around Geelong, which has been hit hard by Ford’s announcement that it will cease Australian manufacturing operations in 2016….
The government makes the commitment as it seeks to calm industry anger over its decision to tighten the fringe benefits tax regime for company cars, which the industry argues could slash sales of locally manufactured vehicles by 20 per cent.
The government offered a further $200m to the motor industry on the eve of the election campaign, and introduced a directive that only Australian-made motor vehicles were to be purchased for the commonwealth fleet. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/kevin-rudds-500m-boost-for-car-industry/story-fn9qr68y-1226698798673
The Oz car industry is down to 200,000 from 300,000. They have a high dollar killing them too. The decline in the numbers of cars made in Australia is caused by a combination of factors but chief among them is the high Australian dollar. Even now, at its current level of the low $US90c range, the exchange rate is hurting the local car industry. This is a very important point to make. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-14/toner—car-manufacturing-in-australia/4886462
So lets see, Martin Paine. He comes from a populous country that takes in many kiwis and provides them free health cover when they settle there. As a nation spending on medical research, training, and other equipment all reduce the costs for us here in NZ. Hospitals in NZ that already have the capacity to easily take a extra patient, and whats to say Mr.Paine does get some other ailment. The idea that our purpose in watering down residency to business visas was what? So that we could grow the cackles of the press corps and bureaucrat costs, all because they said yes to letting him in. Sorry, but what comes around goes around, we gain hugely from UK spending on health care, on health coverage, on cheaper procedures, on medical staff trained in the UK, we owe not to free load and accept the mistake that the visa was issued to him. Secondly, its actually good for our health system to have one more patient, as its runs efficiently, gains experience, and used readily accessible and waiting to be used health care services and equipment. Why have all that effort, on standby, in case, and then not use it an extra go around, its not like business visa holders would not need health care, that a small minority may get ailments that are expense to treat, and that Mr Paine has yet to need any of them. Sorry, I just think its more costly to send him on his way, costly for the concern the UK may have that we are introducing costs on to them and them revisiting Kiwis in the UK health costs. I think its just wrong to jump the gun before the costly healthcare, just because he has a condition that has more predictable cost than those who arrive here with undiscovered cancer or whatever. It smacks of snapper quotas, and testing drugs on beagles, a backdown is very likely, its just more cover for Key and his legalizing the illegality of the GSCB.
Martin immigrated here from the UK about (7?) years ago with his family and settled in Northland, invested in and built up his business, a local garage. He was upfront about his heart condition from the get go, and was admitted to NZ under a business category visa while his residency was being processed.
He is now being faced with deportation, with his heart condition cited as reason for denial of residency. Campbell Live has been following the story for a few years now.
Is it wise for any immigrant to begin building a life and investing in a business until they have PR, OR did he have to build the business as part of his application.
I’m not an immigration expert, but as I understand it, investing in his business was integral to his application.
It’s worth pointing out that with an annual turnover of 2 million, and his employment of seven staff, Martin has been contributing a great deal to the small and relatively poor Northland township he’s settled in.
Given that the cost for *fixing* his heart condition is estimated at a fairly paltry sum of $25,000 should he ever require medical intervention, it seems more than economically short-sighted to deport him.
Agreed NZFemme. When I first heard about this I wondered about the posting of a $25K contingency bond. Not a good look in terms of those sufficiently wedged up having an advantage over others but I guess that in terms of principle that has already occurred in the context of his business residency status.
Were there no bond, the contingency did in fact present, and the health system ended up footing the bill that would be $3.5K per job assuming the garage would not survive.
Wonder how much Paula Bennett’s punitive and useless training courses cost per head ? She’s planning to pay up to $10K to consultants to keep one person full time employed for as little as a year isn’t she ?
Actually I heard it was a minimum of $25,000 but maybe much much more. Personally I have no problem with the cost since Kiwis in the UK will receive this treatment too.
Its just bad economics, if we and the UK both put up health cost barriers its will only mean that its costs more not less to both the UK and NZ. Costs on businesses who have to find replacement staff, cost of having to relocate, having to go further to find a garage, etc, etc. Its just very stupid uneconomic government that only feeds media whores and bureaucrats who shouldn’t have ticked the box in the first place. Mistakes happen, in principle its bad to chuck him out, and its just makes us all feel a bit unkind, geeze, what happen to a fair go, the tail in health care ain’t going away, I bet if they had let someone else in instead, they would have brought their soon to be boy racer paraplegic with them…
…notch it up as an example of bad border policy and move on already.
If he was Chinese, they would let him stay, plain and simple.
In 25 short years, the ‘White New Zealand’ policy has become the ‘Chinese New Zealand’ policy.
It will only be a matter of time before Chinese will be enjoying the right of entry into the country the same way that the British had until the late 1970’s.
For those who don’t want to trawl Google for the vote on that (it doesn’t seem to be on the Parliament website … any clues?) the only votes against the bill were the Greens, Maaori, and Mana parties.
Heard twatkey on radio this morning regarding Syria saying that he had a call in to whatshisname who runs Britain and that he expected that he british guy) would get back to him in 24 hours and then he might put a call in to Obama who he was sure would want to talk to him considering the severity of Syria’s problems. Would love to know if this comes to pass.
“The Prime Minister continues to not rule out not ruling anything out regarding whether he (and New Zealand) would or would not confirm any decision not ruling out the ruling out of action against Mr Assad.
Mr Key told reporters this afternoon that he was expecting a call from Mr Cameron “shortly”.
Mr Obama discussed the situation in Syria yesterday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, a NATO ally, Cameron, Hollande, Ban Kee Moon, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his dog walker who has some great ideas given his experience with flighty puppies. Vice President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with Britain’s deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.
Mr Key confirmed that his relationship with Washington and the President is as strong as ever and pointed out that he had spoken with Washington today when the Secretary of State’s assistant to administrative affairs had called him but it turned out to be a wrong number.
“It’s no big deal” said Mr Key. “We’re all very busy and I used to call wrong numbers when I was a kid all the time.”
Mr Key didn’t rule out not answering his phone immediately when Mr Obama and Mr Cameron called. “I’m cheap, but I’m not easy.” he said.”
I’ve been following the Herald’s “Gambling and Sport” series for the past week. Just wondering what anyone else thinks about the relationship that’s been built in New Zealand, between sport initiatives and gambling funds?
Considering problem gamblers contribute disproportionately to the money raised, isn’t this really a matter of funding sport through the misery of some of the most vulnerable members of our society? I understand how great sport is, love playing football on the weekends, but I don’t know if sport clubs are really making that much of a contribution to our communities, as to outweigh the damage (often incalculable) suffered by problem gamblers and the people around them, including wider society.
Not an expert on the subject, but our current arrangement just feels fundamentally wrong.
Since National have been a bit tardy in paying out my invoices I’ve decided to lend my expertise to Labour (except for the work for Judith Collins as thats pro bono)
So first bit of advice for Labour is to gag certain MPs until the election is over, these MPs are (obviously) T. Mallard and C. Curran but also A. Little after this head thumping performance:
What can’t be denied though is that whoever wins the leadership battle (I’d prefer Jones but I think Cunliffe will) need to put gagging orders on a number of MPs
I’m sure I’m not the only person on here that remembers some of the pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs
Also can’t deny the disconnect between ” ….pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs” and your preference for Jones who provides “pearls” on a regular basis.
On September 1st 2013 there will be nationwide rallies which will unite Kiwis who are concerned about the loss of democracy occurring in New Zealand.
Foreign control, corporate takeover of education, asset sales, GE food, pesticides, the health system, unsustainable farming and fishing, destructive mining, and the TTPA all have the common theme of destroying our future.
Add to that the GCSB bill which has now been passed in the most undemocratic way, so we need to collectively show our concern.
If you get a chance to listen to “Tell-it-as-you-see-it Boag” on The Panel RNZ this afternoon she was praising up the New Zealand Education system as if she had had a Road to Damascas experience. It’s “wonderful” full of “brilliant things” and by international standards “bloody dam good”. “We should celebrate the good that is going on our schools. For too long we have been ignoring this.” She has apparently done some on-the-scene work recently and actually gone into classrooms.
She should take Parata and the rest of the champions of charter schools who have spent the last five years telling us that the current system is a failing system, with failing teachers and a tail as long as your arm.
Boag’s praise was insincere, and nothing more than a roundabout way of having a shot at the teacher unions. She said that the reason there was so much “dissension” amongst teachers was “perhaps because the teaching union so highly unionised.”
Once again, her fellow Panel guest (and “friend”) Brian Edwards failed to challenge this breathtaking and provocative display of dishonesty. Boag is always on the job; Edwards is not so alert. He was (yet again) bamboozled by the woman he always takes such exaggerated pains to point out is his “friend”.
“A Labour Green Government is the kind of Government I’d want to be part of.”
Grant Robertson
Source: Bryce Edwards Interview, Uni of Otago Politics Dept Voice Chat TV show, 21st Oct 2011
Is that a Labour aspiration? Is that a suitable aspiration a real leader for the Labour Party should have?
I imagine Cunliffe’s aspirations would be to be the Leader of a very strong Labour Party.
Any government involving Beltway Grant will turn to dullest beige, lacking even the military verve of khaki or the consistency of grey. It would even be worse than fawn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRMk4WP5eAY
Shane Jones and Peter Talley have Dalmatian blood so Shane says. Here is a clip of I think the Kaitaia Dalmatian group dancing the Kolo to their own music from tamburicas probably.
Testing further at nearly 10 a.m. No Friday Social post. I hope all is well with whoever was to look after The Standard. We aren’t like Jokeyhen who likes to leave his post and go off overseas, or even go off in his head at home. So this gap might mean illness or problems. So hope all okay. If you want an alternative for a few minutes, to please your eyes look at the link for the Kolo Dalmatian dance I put on Open Mike last night.
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. 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 ...
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 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 ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
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 ...
Will we have a Labour Party in which all sectors have real influence?
Or will we have a Labour Party whose Caucus sector treats the membership as a penance or a pool of cheap Labour?
That was the nub of what was disputed at the 2012 Conference in Ellerslie.
Cunliffe got punished by Shearer and Robertson for showing respect for the membership.
Cunliffe clearly has more support from members, so if he is successful in becoming leader, there will be a much stronger “Labour Machine” on the ground in 2014. More money and people on the ground. It will certainly make Tim Barnett”s job a little easier. Just a thought.
“Cunliffe got punished by Shearer and Robertson for showing respect for the membership.”
That is the way I see it!
Me too, Saarbo!! Let’s hope that the Caucus and Unions take note of the members wishes this time!!
Cunliffe = a strong Labour Party!
If Cunliffe wins, the Party’s coffers will swell in size and Labour will again be in a position to run a first class campaign and win. If Cunliffe loses…
It would be utterly jaw-dropping if, one year out from an election, the caucus vote ran counter to both the membership vote and the more general preferences shown in polls etc, and ultimately won the day. I cannot think how they would even begin to explain themselves this time around. It would effectively be an admission that their internal status quo carried more weight with them than actually winning an election.
If Cunliffe loses I’m resigning. It will mean the caucus still isn’t listening and my patience for their crap will be over.
No, don’t do that.
I have a better idea and hopefully there will be no need to reveal the plan.
Go with your instincts Tigger. If Cunliffe loses, stick with the resignation. Being a martyr is all very noble, but pushing shit uphill eventually just gets a bit messy and you eventually just run out of life whilst you watch the troughers continue to profess their dedication to the cause as they continue with their promises.
I will also resign my membership, I cannot handle another term of this god-forsaken government. If ABC get their way, we will be punished because their own self-interest has gotten in the way of getting into office. I will join another social democratic party, one that hopefully has a hero we can all believe in – as a bck-up of course!
The others in that mix are Hipkins,Fenton,Geoff,King,Mallard ect.
Fenton and Hipkins should stand down at the next election.
Aaah Ms Fenton.
She is welcome back to the fold.
She can plead that she was led astray by some naughty boys in Wellington, that she has learned a hard lesson and that she now remenbers her Union roots.
I totally agree. What gets my knickers in not (lol) is Robinson’s two faced face denying he was disloyal to Shearer. The way I see it, doing nothing and waiting for your boss to hang himself out to dry is being disloyal. He was totally un-supportive of Shearer, and never backed him when he was in strife. Being part of the executive, you are a team, and you go down with your boss. I was ashamed when he was not at Shearer’s press conference. The way I see it, he cannot be trusted,and the fact he is homosexual is inconsequential. He has no experience and has not achieved a single proud moment since he has been an MP. It is all very well being a performer in parliament, from what I can see he is nothing but hot air and empty promises. ABC’s new man, if elected, will be another failed experiment Cunliffe is our only shot at 2014!
Cunliffe can take the game to Key straight away and beat him. And Auckland is unlikely to turn out for Robertson in the massive numbers that Labour needs next year.
Takere…….this is for you bro’. Wonder why the workers in the smoko-room at AFFCO in Moerewa wouldn’t say “Peter Talley……..ten grand…….Dalmatian ancestry…….yeah, right !”
From the Herald article link below “………..in the past – in both the 2008 and 2011 elections Mr Jones declared just under $30,000 in donations, including $10,000 from Sealord in 2011 and $10,000 from Peter Talley in 2008, which Mr Jones said was due to their common Dalmatian ancestry.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11116552
So Jones gets 10k from Talley’s and $10k from Sealord. Tries to pass off the $10k from Talley’s as money because of their common “dalmatian ancestry”, clearly he is feeling guilty about this money, otherwise why such a ridiculous explanation.
I would be interested to know how supportive Jones was to Affco/Talley’s workers lockout in March/April 2012???
The last time I saw Jones in a public place he was enjoying a meal with David Henderson, the colourful property developer. Our common folk Jones boy like the company of “rich” men.
Yes, makes you wonder what makes these people want to be part of the labour Party. Use to see Mallard in the Wellington Rugby Corporate box quite often, sucking up to the sad rich leaches that love to be seen in that environment, wanker. Out of all of the Corporate Boxes, the “wank factor” was pretty high in Wellington. The role I had at the time required me to travel around to the various Corporate Boxes, I handled it be burying myself in the free piss on offer and avoiding talking to the biggest ‘try hards’ that you will ever meet, (the alcohol worked like an anesthetic).
My partner refused to attend any corporate boxes after attending the Wellington CB once, she couldn’t stand them. It take a certain type of dick-head to want to attend rugby corporate boxes.
Saarbo my cobber after yesterday’s caucus meeting http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11116377
the ABC are rattled Mallard, Goff & King have lost their influence. Some of those undecided are actually scuttling from the old rear guards sinking ship. The numbers aren’t even there within caucus for their endorsed man GR. Bloody good job the focus is on the election as it should be. They better not make a fuss either or lookout!
When the Warriors started up, the inhabitants of the corporate boxes were a total joke. I had a season ticket from the ARL, with a seat in front of one of the boxes. They needed ex players there to explain to them what was happening on the field. Of course Roger Douglas and the other unmentionables were involved, mainly to help Murdoch take over. Mixing businessmen with sport never does any good for the sport, and I couldn’t care less what it does for the businessmen.
Spot on Murray. People in Corporate Boxes at Super/AB games have nil to do with Club Rugby. Club rugby and professional rugby are two completely different worlds, and being involved in club rugby Im fairly happy with this.
The clock can never be wound back, but professionalism has more or less ruined sport.
Too many MP’s have had a charmed run on Labour’s list. Jones and Ardern gives them a view from above. Tally’s an evil bunch. Dodgy Shane… A word in his ear ” you have a history of lapses of judgment every 2 years- do not repeat in 2014…repeat not in 2014, keep your snout clean.”
Tallys are some of the most anti union employers in the country. If you want to have a read about some of their behaviour have a read of http://thestandard.org.nz/talleys-corporate-scum/
They are only interested in enlarging their power. I am amazed that a Labour Politician would accept a donation from them.
Absolutely Micky. Jones is a liability as we all know. At least this leadership thing will force the lazy prick to do some heavy lifting to get the Maori vote as he has stated in his own words.
the british print media..(with a couple of exceptions..)
..are all urging cameron not to attack syria..
..with memories being evoked/cited of the ‘clear-evidence’ intelligence-bullshit blair/bush used to justify the attack on iraq..(‘intelligence’ from the same source..mossad..in both cases..)
..it would seem their media have longer memories than our little pack of yapping media-dogs of war..eh..?
..you just have to push our medias’ attack-button..and the (unthinking) barking begins..
..the length/width/depth of their uselessness..is kinda awesome..
..phillip ure..
What are the exceptions?
@paul..”..What are the exceptions?..”
..the times..and the sun..
phillip ure..
Did I hear that right? Did John Key just open the door to NZ joining a non-sanctioned military action?
Yes.
Shakes Head…
Well then let him go.
See ya Key and thanks for nothing. What a fitting send off you have just given yourself – off to sacrifice yourself in someone else’s war. Or maybe you could send your kids along instead, that would be more your style (and that of your type)
“Well then let him go.”
+1
This tough guy Key is going to be busy….N Korea and Syria.
Yup. He can go. Not stopping him. And no need for him to rope in the rest of us.
Looks like David Cameron doesn’t get his way, as the UK parliament has just voted down military intervention. In my opinion this is currently the right decision to make and one that John Key should take note of.
What I find strange about his latest brain fart is that he had previously said a decision to intervene in Syria should be left to the United Nations. He later contradicted himself by saying military intervention with no UN mandate could be justified on moral grounds.
I totally disagree with this playing of both sides of the coin. The UN is considering the moral grounds of the situation. They will make a decision once they’ve attained the required information. The warmongers should not preempt that decision by undertaking an unsanctioned attack on Syria.
Good call from the British Parliament with some of Cameron’s own Tory’s voting down the idea of military intervention,(for the moment at least),
There’s two things here, one, the Prez, Obama says that the US has ‘proof’ that the Assad regime used chemical weapons,
The question is does the Prez think that His own population and the population of the world are all stupid???,
If the US Prez has this ‘Proof’ He should use the organs of the media to show the world such proof,
The second ‘thing’, it is the Saudi’s acting in concert with the US that have ‘Enflamed’ the Syrian civil war by arming and inserting ‘Arab militias’ into this conflict,
The US Prez will have far more ‘moral right’ on His side when He ensures that ALL the foreign combatants are pulled out of Syria and military equipment flowing into to Syria is seriously constrained,
Until such time as ‘The West’ undertakes such actions they will simply be seen as the Warmonger Baby Murderers that their actions would suggest…
Key should put it to a vote – that way if we do go we know who to blame when it turns to poop.
And when putting in the vote, Key should also use Simon Power’s wonderful line that where the US goes, NZ will go. ‘Tis wonderful.
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
yes ! And its a bit scary .election coming up which Key will have a job to get the numbers ,as he has no partners.So what better than the sound of drums and trumpets plus flying the flag. Thatcher did it in the Falklands . However like Thatcher their kids are not sent away to be killed are they?
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/10-reasons-marijuana-is-better-for-you-than-alcohol-comment-but-beware-looseunfixed-bales-of-pot-they-could-kill-you/
(excerpt..)
“…and in that comprehensive report of causes of death globally..
..cannabis did not rate a mention…
..yet another year of nil/zero/nada deaths from a drug used so comprehensively worldwide..
..(ed:..tho’ there were unconfirmed rumours of a single death from cannabis..
..apparantly a bale of it fell on someones’ head..eh..?
..so the lesson there is..
..drive carefully when around loose bales of cannabis..eh..?..)..”
phillip ure..
On a related note, Stuf has this article with the headline Cannabis Nightmare (in the print edition, online edition has been changed – check the URL) with the first paragraph reading:
My bold.
I suppose it’s obvious why they changed the headline in the online edition but it would have been much better if they hadn’t made such a BS headline in the first place.
while i think the legal-high business is on a par with the alcohol-pushers..(in that neither want cannabis legalised..it’s called market-protection..)
..i am puzzled as to how alcohol has managed to factor/quarantine itself out of the/any health-debate around intoxicants commonly used in our society..
..as the/any negative outcomes from those legal-highs..are far outweighed by the number fucked over/killed by alcohol..
(as noted the other day..a recent un report on causes of death globally shows that more die each year from alcohol..than are killed from violent acts/war..
..and we advertise/celebrate/endorse/condone this killer-drug..
..and we criminalise the safest intoxicant of all..
..the intoxicant that has never killed anyone..
..that one both the booze-pushers and the legal-high pushers want kept illegal..
(..that ‘market-protection’ imperative kicking in again..)
..’cos if pot were normalised/de-blackmarketed the legal high industry would likely disappear..
..it has only been created as a mutant outcome of/from prohibition..
(n.b..colorado..where pot is legalised/regulated/taxed..there is no legal-high problem..)
..and of course there are many out there..who would switch to pot from booze..if it were legal/they were able to legally grow a few plants..
..plus the provinces/tourism would see a green/gold rush..
..and because of the advances in research on the theraputic/medicinal uses of cannabis..
..feeding that market..in either raw or synthesised-product ..
..is a sunrise industry of some note..
..and a fonterra co-op model would seem to be the way to go..
..should/when sanity rule(s)..
..phillip ure..
check the URL
Not doubting that they changed it, but the URL itself doesn’t mean much. On stuff.co.nz links you can make the last bit of the URL anything at all and the link will still work, like this one for example.
Anything after the last “/” is a free-for-all.
Last time they were certain that weapons of mass destruction were primed and ready to reach us in twenty minutes. And that if we invaded, those poor oppressed Iraqi soldiers would throw down their guns and welcome us with open arms. Millions slaughtered and displaced, the culprits never to be forgotten or forgiven.
This time they’re almost certain, so up goes Slippery’s pink craven hand for us all.
Hels kept us out of the last one, despite the rabid objections of wee Johnny and his mob.
This time we’re already on the list; now a weaker, easier target for the survivors forever.
Happy Toryday, grandkids: the hatred of million of decades. Thanks National.
Cunliffe leading the NZ Herald, self-selecting, online commenters’ choice – by a digital mile.
Most of those wouldn’t be voting though karol?
Interesting body language in this photo
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9113123/Labour-hopefuls-promise-living-wage
“MP Shane Jones warmed a South Auckland crowd with a promise of a Pacific Island language TV channel along the lines of Maori TV. ..”
“Jones, meanwhile, went on the attack against “the privileged” and the powerful.
“I’ll tell you one thing I won’t do, I will never squander the popular will of the people for the 30 bloody pieces of silver that John Key has done over that wretched casino deal. You have my bloody word on that.”
Anyone but Cunliffe (ABC). Robertson must be the next leader.
Here’s an online ‘political leanings’ quiz I hadn’t seen before. I get the distinct impression it was written for an American audience, for example the question about whether we spend too much on military has quite different connotations in NZ than it does in the US.
http://slackhalla.org/~demise/test/socialattitude.php
Here’s my result:
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 93.75
Tenderness 65.625
PS: The questions on emotion were a problem as far as I could see. I gave contradictory arguments & wavered on the implications from one question to another.
86% radical, 0% socialist and 50% tender.
Fairly high radical score, and an almost impossible socialist score.
Quite the extremist. I guess any claim you ever had of your views being in any way representative of ordinary kiwis is out the window.
When did I ever claim that?
And my socialist score is the perfect one.
You’re the biggest radical so far karol 🙂
and i’m more radical/socialist than you..jackal..
..nyah..!..nyah..!..nyah..!
..eh..?
..my radical/socialist gene is bigger than your radical/socialist gene..
..(some say that size doesn’t matter..but y’know..!..)
..tho’..strangely..our ‘tenderness-levels’ are in sync..68.75..
..aww!!..eh..?
phillip ure..
Radicalism 88.5
Socialism 62.5
Tenderness 75
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a devoted egalitarian with many strong opinions.
This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting.
Radicalism 85.75
Socialism 75
Tenderness 68.75
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist.
It appears that you are moderate towards religion- and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be – political preference aside – an idealist with several strong opinions.
phillip ure..
Radicalism 83
Socialism 68.75
Tenderness 62.5
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a pragmatist with many strong opinions. 😎
Guess it picked up my democratic leanings quite well. 96.75/93.75…and half way to being tough as old boots is probably about right 😉 – 50 for tenderness
One gets the distinct impression we’re a bunch of opinionated bastards and bastardesses.
Radicalism 77.5
Socialism 68.75
Tenderness 68.75
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded moderate progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, a centrist with few strong opinions.
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 87.5
Tenderness 59.375
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
Radicalism 94
Socialism 81.25
Tenderness 50
My Radicalism is a bit high…shit. What would drive that I wonder.
Radicalism 88.5
Socialism 81.25
Tenderness 50
This is my partners score. A bit scarey, but perhaps hanging out together for 24 years means our thoughts are fairly similar.
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 75
Tenderness 62.5
tender-minded progressive; an animal rights activist. moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
But what does this question mean?
25) People should have faith in what they believe.
A yes answer would indicate the belief that people shouldn’t question their beliefs.
Radical 55
Socialist 62.5
Tender 81.25
These scores indicate that you are a very tender-minded moderate; this is the political profile one might associate with a protective parent. It appears that you are accepting of religion, and have a generally optimistic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear socialist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as a political centrist.
So far I’m the wussiest.
LOLOL *Flexing my commie cred
Radicalism 83
Socialism 100
Tenderness 40.625
These scores indicate that you are a progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with a liberated atheist. It appears that you are skeptical towards religion, and have a pragmatic attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with primarily strong opinions.
Radicalism 63.75
Socialism 18.75
Tenderness 62.25
Ha Draco I’m more tender than you.
Seems like I:
1) am not that radical
2) am highly socialist
3) care about all you pricks too much!!!
Who would’ve thought.
Pfft, you’re right wing, NZFemme 🙂
Radicalism 88.5
Socialism 100
Tenderness 62.5
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an egalitarian with many strong opinions.
Well I never!
Radicalism 91.25
Socialism 100
Tenderness 62.5
And identical comments as MO above
There’s a hell of a lot of animal rights activists who comment here!
I wish
Radicalism 85.75
Socialism 87.5
Tenderness 50
Odd. Thought I was more of an insensitive dickhead than 50% tender 🙂
Found this when I was recalling Hooten’s part in Hollowmen.
His rather desperate post here yesterday and 2 days earlier on kiwiblog reminded me of some things Hager once wrote about him.
“I first became aware of Matthew Hooton when he was a spin doctor in the late 1990s for Cabinet Minister Lockwood Smith. He got a mention in my book on anti-environmental public relations, Secrets and Lies. At that time he was helping his Minister argue that the state company Timberlands was actually helping improve the environment by chopping down West Coast native forests. This cynical world of ministerial advisers is illustrated beautifully by the current Australian TV satire called The Hollowmen, which is well worth watching online here.
I next noticed Hooton in 2003, when he was a National Party activist arguing in a party conference that National should drop the nuclear-free policy. That year he was working as a freelance PR consultant, notably assisting the tobacco industry. Over several months he collected information on organisations supporting new smoke-free legislation, information that was later used by the ACT Party’s Rodney Hide to attack those groups and the smoke-free legislation on the day it was introduced to Parliament. Willingness to work on the side of tobacco companies is a very clear way of identifying the less ethical PR operators. (John Key’s strategy adviser Mark Textor, of the Australian firm Crosby/Textor, likewise stands out as someone who was willing to work for tobacco companies.)
These experiences paved the way to Hooton’s next job, working freelance for Don Brash. What Hooton doesn’t mention when he expresses is indignation about the leaked information in The Hollow Men, is that he is one of the people the book shows at work. His strategy e-mails are there for the world to see. Anyone who wonders what to make of Matthew Hooton’s public contributions to New Zealand politics really should read what he writes in private. His advice is sometimes clever, but it is also cynical. It is very revealing.
Which brings us to the point. Anyone who wonders why Hooton is making wild allegations about theft and crime again needs only to see what the leaked materials revealed about Hooton himself.
His words have since been used in the Hollow Men stage play and now in the feature-length documentary. This is the unacknowledged context of all Hooton’s comments about my book and the Police. Like Don Brash and the other National Party figures featured in the book, presenting themselves as the victims of dark deeds is preferable to facing up to their own dark deeds as revealed in the book.
For this sort of PR person, the answer when faced with a crisis is to attack the messenger, deny everything and claim that they themselves are the victims in the affair. Like an octopus squirting ink into the water, the hope is that these diversions will allow them to escape unscathed. In this world of spin, words, arguments and personal attacks are all just means to an end, tools to advance their and their clients’ objectives. “
@ Tracey,
Very useful comment.
I just wrote on the ‘Smell the Fear’ thread, in response to one of your comments that I really do think it is very deceptive indeed the way Mr Hooton is introduced as a ‘commentator’ when he appears on TV. This is simply wrong and allows his opinions to be taken as relevant when they aren’t at all; they are simply opinion manipulation techniques.
Political Values
Radicalism 80.25
Socialism 100
Tenderness 78.125
These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded progressive; this is the political profile one might associate with an animal rights activist. It appears that you are moderate towards religion, and have a balanced attitude towards humanity in general.
Your attitudes towards economics appear communist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as left-wing.
To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with many strong opinions.
Radicalism 61
Socialism 81.25
Tenderness 75
Interesting!
Can I recommend the TV3 doco..”Mind The Gap” of yesterday evening (29th.) as compulsory viewing ? A great expose of the evil of neo-liberal politics.
http://www.tv3.co.nz/Shows/InsideNZ.aspx
Agreed wydham. Noticed Air NZ CEO being paid $1.2m and the setting up of Air NZ for handing over to the rentiers in the MSM this morning. Especially significant after the costs of sort-termism and asset sales being highlighted as causes of the gap.
aside from the litany of inequities/miseries for many..
..two of the more jaw-dropping stat from that program is the $5 billion in tax-dodges run by the rich/corporates(?) each year..
..and also the confirmation of just how much money would be raised by a financial-transactions/hone heke -tax on the banksters..
..address those two..
..and we will have more than enough wherewithall to repair our country..
..’to put things right’..
..and there will be no need to focus on clawing back more p.a.y.e..from workers..
..surely promises focused on these two issues would be the keystone of any progressive election campaign policy-plank/promises..?
..the added bonus from focusing on the tax-thieves/banksters..and not the workers..would totally emasculate any fear-mongering from key/national..aimed at workers fearful of having to pay more tax from their wages/salaries under a progressive government….
..don’t target the innocent..(the workers..esp. the working-poor/struggling middle class..promise them tax relief..)
..get the monies from the banksters..and the big-time tax-thieves..(real ‘user-pays’..eh..?..)
(don’t forget that treasury figures prepared for harawira before the last election..showed that a small hone heke-tax on inter-bank transactions..
(not customer-bank interactions..once again..don’t target the innocent..)
..that the monies raised from this..would allow us to do away with g.s.t..if we so chose..
..that gives some indication of the seachange that would bring..
..then on top of that..there is that $5 billion in unpaid tax the richest are stealing from the rest of us..
..as i said..fix those two..and we are nearly home with solving some of our most pressing problems..
..and together..along with promises of tax-relief for working-poor/middle class..
..they’d make a pretty potent election campaign..
..eh..?
phillip ure..
Was at dinner at an Indian restaurant in Auckland last night with my ACT/National voting family.
They became quite animated, and pointed out that the PM and his family had sat down behind me.
Two things struck me;
1. What a great country we live in that a PM can sit down for a simple meal in a crowded restaurant and no one bothers him (positively or negatively);
2. He just couldn’t seem to decide what to order. He took ages. Then a person approached the table with an envelope with something written on it and handed it to him. I could only make out curia or something on the envelope. He opened it, read it and then reeled off his order like a regular.
Note: only part of the above is true.
I hope it was the chain of restaurants currently being investigated.
Did he have the Goon Squad with him?
I didn’t actually see him. He had left before my family pointed him out to me.
obviously afraid of what you might do 🙂
ooh er, they iz wotching u now tracey …. 🙂
😉
Reminds me of another little Injun SSSSStrant moment Tracey involving the PM and his enter age returning to Wellington whilst passing through the Kapiti Coast. I knew I shudda cudda wudda kept the security video! (except that it just made the staff want to vomit – despite the hour or so of comedy entertainment it provided). All complete wif Nafe da man, ‘Sir’ John Key, the DPS et al …. con ois ers of fine Injun cwasoin and experts with it. Come to think of it – there’s probably some of it still around.
We once gave Aaron Gilmore shit! This was priceless! We all had ‘learnings’ from that little episode re the size of their egos and their arrogance.
Don’t you KNOW who we are? !!!!
Interesting findings c/o Salon.com on Amerian investment in drug screening for beneficiaries a la National red meat policy onshore:
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/29/gop%e2%80%99s_inane_money_eating_sham_drug_tests_for_welfare_a_huge_failure/
Excellent article.
Amazing revelations from Oz! Kerry-Ann Walsh on Radionz update on Oz this a.m. Rudd seems to be making up policy on the hoof which hasn’t even been passed by his colleagues. And wait for it, some in the betting industry have refused to accept any more bets, some have closed their books and paid out previous punters. They are finding it impossible to assess any odds at all apparently.
She said that Kevin Rudd is rushing round saying whatever he thinks will gain positive attention in each state. He suggested, unexpectedly, shifting defence bases to Brisbane or further north. He is keen to recover lost ground in Qld so that would make sense to him as a short term expedient move I guess.
But Rudd has cut off his nose to spite his face. In undermining Gillard he has shafted Labour as a whole. Abbott seems certain to win – playing a cool hand in comparison.
Have a listen.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport
Bets on Abbott to win Australia election paid out early ( 1′ 58″ )
07:58 The Australian election race is over – at least, according to a betting agency
across the Tasman.
Also This should be interesting on Auckland. Listen in.
4 ’til 8 with Katrina Batten on Sunday 1 September 2013
4:07 The Sunday Feature: Is the Auckland Supercity Working?
Simon Mercep anchors a special panel discussion exploring the success of Auckland’s local body reforms, including the results of new research conducted by AUT (RNZ)
From the Radio New Zealand National Schedule
(Have edited this and changed paras around.)
Abbott has been making up slogans (not really policy) on the hoof for ages. It’s possible that, as with the boat people, Rudd is just copying him. I spoke with a colleague yesterday who knows someone high up in the Canberra bureaucracy. They said that Rudd is 200 times as egotistic, micromanaging and hard to work with as has been reported in the media.
The Australian Labor Party should just start again. They have very little worth keeping.
When Rudd loses, I doubt he will ever admit the damage he did to the party through his own unswerving pursuit to establish himself as the greatest person to have ever lived.
I was thinking of NZ Labour as being like a good old car that was getting a new engine and a new lease of life.
I wondered about the same analogy for Oz, looked up Holden and found that Oz is in difficulties and Labour is thinking of demanding govt buys Australian made, somthing that will never happen here under present thinking. Rudd has been making promises about supporting the car industry.
The announcement comes as Labor fights to hold the ultra-marginal Victorian seat of Corangamite based around Geelong, which has been hit hard by Ford’s announcement that it will cease Australian manufacturing operations in 2016….
The government makes the commitment as it seeks to calm industry anger over its decision to tighten the fringe benefits tax regime for company cars, which the industry argues could slash sales of locally manufactured vehicles by 20 per cent.
The government offered a further $200m to the motor industry on the eve of the election campaign, and introduced a directive that only Australian-made motor vehicles were to be purchased for the commonwealth fleet.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/election-2013/kevin-rudds-500m-boost-for-car-industry/story-fn9qr68y-1226698798673
Abbott’s plan is for withdrawing $500 million.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/poll-could-kill-car-industry-20130805-2ra91.html
The Oz car industry is down to 200,000 from 300,000. They have a high dollar killing them too.
The decline in the numbers of cars made in Australia is caused by a combination of factors but chief among them is the high Australian dollar. Even now, at its current level of the low $US90c range, the exchange rate is hurting the local car industry. This is a very important point to make.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-14/toner—car-manufacturing-in-australia/4886462
One of the problems of the Australian car industry is that they produce old fashioned, poor quality rubbish. Then they overcharge for it.
So lets see, Martin Paine. He comes from a populous country that takes in many kiwis and provides them free health cover when they settle there. As a nation spending on medical research, training, and other equipment all reduce the costs for us here in NZ. Hospitals in NZ that already have the capacity to easily take a extra patient, and whats to say Mr.Paine does get some other ailment. The idea that our purpose in watering down residency to business visas was what? So that we could grow the cackles of the press corps and bureaucrat costs, all because they said yes to letting him in. Sorry, but what comes around goes around, we gain hugely from UK spending on health care, on health coverage, on cheaper procedures, on medical staff trained in the UK, we owe not to free load and accept the mistake that the visa was issued to him. Secondly, its actually good for our health system to have one more patient, as its runs efficiently, gains experience, and used readily accessible and waiting to be used health care services and equipment. Why have all that effort, on standby, in case, and then not use it an extra go around, its not like business visa holders would not need health care, that a small minority may get ailments that are expense to treat, and that Mr Paine has yet to need any of them. Sorry, I just think its more costly to send him on his way, costly for the concern the UK may have that we are introducing costs on to them and them revisiting Kiwis in the UK health costs. I think its just wrong to jump the gun before the costly healthcare, just because he has a condition that has more predictable cost than those who arrive here with undiscovered cancer or whatever. It smacks of snapper quotas, and testing drugs on beagles, a backdown is very likely, its just more cover for Key and his legalizing the illegality of the GSCB.
aerobubble
What can you give as reference to your comment to see background to it?
http://www.3news.co.nz/Final-chapter-in-immigrants-battle-to-stay/tabid/817/articleID/310832/Default.aspx
Martin immigrated here from the UK about (7?) years ago with his family and settled in Northland, invested in and built up his business, a local garage. He was upfront about his heart condition from the get go, and was admitted to NZ under a business category visa while his residency was being processed.
He is now being faced with deportation, with his heart condition cited as reason for denial of residency. Campbell Live has been following the story for a few years now.
Is it wise for any immigrant to begin building a life and investing in a business until they have PR, OR did he have to build the business as part of his application.
I’m not an immigration expert, but as I understand it, investing in his business was integral to his application.
It’s worth pointing out that with an annual turnover of 2 million, and his employment of seven staff, Martin has been contributing a great deal to the small and relatively poor Northland township he’s settled in.
Given that the cost for *fixing* his heart condition is estimated at a fairly paltry sum of $25,000 should he ever require medical intervention, it seems more than economically short-sighted to deport him.
Agreed NZFemme. When I first heard about this I wondered about the posting of a $25K contingency bond. Not a good look in terms of those sufficiently wedged up having an advantage over others but I guess that in terms of principle that has already occurred in the context of his business residency status.
Were there no bond, the contingency did in fact present, and the health system ended up footing the bill that would be $3.5K per job assuming the garage would not survive.
Wonder how much Paula Bennett’s punitive and useless training courses cost per head ? She’s planning to pay up to $10K to consultants to keep one person full time employed for as little as a year isn’t she ?
found this link
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/invest/entrepreneur/default.htm
Actually I heard it was a minimum of $25,000 but maybe much much more. Personally I have no problem with the cost since Kiwis in the UK will receive this treatment too.
Its just bad economics, if we and the UK both put up health cost barriers its will only mean that its costs more not less to both the UK and NZ. Costs on businesses who have to find replacement staff, cost of having to relocate, having to go further to find a garage, etc, etc. Its just very stupid uneconomic government that only feeds media whores and bureaucrats who shouldn’t have ticked the box in the first place. Mistakes happen, in principle its bad to chuck him out, and its just makes us all feel a bit unkind, geeze, what happen to a fair go, the tail in health care ain’t going away, I bet if they had let someone else in instead, they would have brought their soon to be boy racer paraplegic with them…
…notch it up as an example of bad border policy and move on already.
If he was Chinese, they would let him stay, plain and simple.
In 25 short years, the ‘White New Zealand’ policy has become the ‘Chinese New Zealand’ policy.
It will only be a matter of time before Chinese will be enjoying the right of entry into the country the same way that the British had until the late 1970’s.
wtf are you on?
Local body elections coming up – thoughts on radionz Outspoken program.
Sunday 1 August 5.30pm
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/outspoken
[deleted]
[lprent: Consider the following to be an example of how you should layout intelligible comments containing abuse.
If you are going for simple abuse then always say why. Otherwise I can and often will regard it as being pointless abuse (as covered by the policy).
A one week ban for simple stupidity by a fuckwit wannabe troll. ]
I’m supporting the aspirant for the leader of the opposition who voted against National’s attack-the-poorest beneficiary-bashing-bill.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/218238/welfare-fraud-legislation-through-first-reading
For those who don’t want to trawl Google for the vote on that (it doesn’t seem to be on the Parliament website … any clues?) the only votes against the bill were the Greens, Maaori, and Mana parties.
Heard twatkey on radio this morning regarding Syria saying that he had a call in to whatshisname who runs Britain and that he expected that he british guy) would get back to him in 24 hours and then he might put a call in to Obama who he was sure would want to talk to him considering the severity of Syria’s problems. Would love to know if this comes to pass.
Key’s been waiting for 24 hours for 2 days now.
“The Prime Minister continues to not rule out not ruling anything out regarding whether he (and New Zealand) would or would not confirm any decision not ruling out the ruling out of action against Mr Assad.
Mr Key told reporters this afternoon that he was expecting a call from Mr Cameron “shortly”.
Mr Obama discussed the situation in Syria yesterday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, a NATO ally, Cameron, Hollande, Ban Kee Moon, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his dog walker who has some great ideas given his experience with flighty puppies. Vice President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday with Britain’s deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.
Mr Key confirmed that his relationship with Washington and the President is as strong as ever and pointed out that he had spoken with Washington today when the Secretary of State’s assistant to administrative affairs had called him but it turned out to be a wrong number.
“It’s no big deal” said Mr Key. “We’re all very busy and I used to call wrong numbers when I was a kid all the time.”
Mr Key didn’t rule out not answering his phone immediately when Mr Obama and Mr Cameron called. “I’m cheap, but I’m not easy.” he said.”
Chuckles.
Yeah……..and if the landline’s busy when Cameron or Obama or Ban Ki Moon call universal knowledge will have them try +64 21 ARSEHOLE.
The world may go to the brink but it WILL be saved. Phew !
Nothing on kiwiblog about ‘Mind the Gap’.
Is the right’s strategy to ignore this for fear of drawing further attention to their bankrupt worldview?
probably
Yep, can’t have reality go round proving them wrong and so they will ignore the facts.
I’ve been following the Herald’s “Gambling and Sport” series for the past week. Just wondering what anyone else thinks about the relationship that’s been built in New Zealand, between sport initiatives and gambling funds?
Considering problem gamblers contribute disproportionately to the money raised, isn’t this really a matter of funding sport through the misery of some of the most vulnerable members of our society? I understand how great sport is, love playing football on the weekends, but I don’t know if sport clubs are really making that much of a contribution to our communities, as to outweigh the damage (often incalculable) suffered by problem gamblers and the people around them, including wider society.
Not an expert on the subject, but our current arrangement just feels fundamentally wrong.
Since National have been a bit tardy in paying out my invoices I’ve decided to lend my expertise to Labour (except for the work for Judith Collins as thats pro bono)
So first bit of advice for Labour is to gag certain MPs until the election is over, these MPs are (obviously) T. Mallard and C. Curran but also A. Little after this head thumping performance:
http://www.labour.org.nz/news/bill-will-re-victimise-victims-of-violent-crime?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
“my expertise” . source please???
Trust me I’m a consultant 🙂
But seriously if Labour follwed my advice would they get more or less votes in the next election…you know they would
😉 @ consultant
Can’t spell consult without con or insult…
What can’t be denied though is that whoever wins the leadership battle (I’d prefer Jones but I think Cunliffe will) need to put gagging orders on a number of MPs
I’m sure I’m not the only person on here that remembers some of the pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs
Also can’t deny the disconnect between ” ….pearls of wisdom that dropped from the mouths of Labours MPs” and your preference for Jones who provides “pearls” on a regular basis.
and the tone has been successfully lowered 🙂
If pointing out “pearls of wisdom” = lowering the tone I’m not surprised you are an under-employed consultant.
Oh my bad, I’ve just realised you were using your whalebrain humour and got all giggly over pearls.
What’s so bad about Little’s statement? I agree with it.
It’s been said before that National’s automatic response is to pass a new law, rather than trying to enforce or expand existing laws.
I don’t agree with leaving it to judges, he makes it sound as if its compulsory and it sounds like hes protecting crims
Better to concentrate decision making power with the Prime Minister and his staff eh.
Oh damn, and Labour were so close to getting Winston’s vote. No, wait, Winston’s an insincere tr0ll whose word ain’t worth shit, I was forgetting.
LOL @ prefer Jones and want gagging orders on idiot MPs.
to be fair that should read gagging orders on idiot MPs from both sides of the house
So you support Jones for Labour leader but you want him gagged.
Now it makes sense.
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Details here: http://kiwisconnect.org.nz/action/
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Tropical fish smuggler caught at Auckland Airport
“Wet, bulging pockets” gave him away
New Zealand customs officials on the job. Respect!….
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-30/new-zealand-catches-man-smuggling-live-fish-in-trouser-pockets.html
lol……probably thought they’d caught someone doing some money laundering 🙂
Are they sure he wasn’t just happy to…
Sorry, getting my coat already.
If you get a chance to listen to “Tell-it-as-you-see-it Boag” on The Panel RNZ this afternoon she was praising up the New Zealand Education system as if she had had a Road to Damascas experience. It’s “wonderful” full of “brilliant things” and by international standards “bloody dam good”. “We should celebrate the good that is going on our schools. For too long we have been ignoring this.” She has apparently done some on-the-scene work recently and actually gone into classrooms.
She should take Parata and the rest of the champions of charter schools who have spent the last five years telling us that the current system is a failing system, with failing teachers and a tail as long as your arm.
A tale as long as a serpent’s tongue! (thinking of the slithery thing in Harry Potter).
Boag’s praise was insincere, and nothing more than a roundabout way of having a shot at the teacher unions. She said that the reason there was so much “dissension” amongst teachers was “perhaps because the teaching union so highly unionised.”
Once again, her fellow Panel guest (and “friend”) Brian Edwards failed to challenge this breathtaking and provocative display of dishonesty. Boag is always on the job; Edwards is not so alert. He was (yet again) bamboozled by the woman he always takes such exaggerated pains to point out is his “friend”.
“A Labour Green Government is the kind of Government I’d want to be part of.”
Grant Robertson
Source: Bryce Edwards Interview, Uni of Otago Politics Dept Voice Chat TV show, 21st Oct 2011
Is that a Labour aspiration? Is that a suitable aspiration a real leader for the Labour Party should have?
I imagine Cunliffe’s aspirations would be to be the Leader of a very strong Labour Party.
Well, a labour party at >50% is unrealistic under MMP, so yeah, labour would have to go in coalition with someone. Options: Greens.
Any government involving Beltway Grant will turn to dullest beige, lacking even the military verve of khaki or the consistency of grey. It would even be worse than fawn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRMk4WP5eAY
Shane Jones and Peter Talley have Dalmatian blood so Shane says. Here is a clip of I think the Kaitaia Dalmatian group dancing the Kolo to their own music from tamburicas probably.
There’s a warm wind blowing,
Feel it brothers sisters and who-cares-sexed
It whispers loudly today in the lost and perplexed
In even burt Smith BMerries and stuffpoll sense
In the Left celebration of the present tense.
Now is the hour, three decades removed
From the treason and filth Caygill/Douglas crewed
So live love and mean it, generation what
Or stay forever tory-fashioned
lost
and forgot
Testing… is The Standard broken? No posts showing?
Testing further at nearly 10 a.m. No Friday Social post. I hope all is well with whoever was to look after The Standard. We aren’t like Jokeyhen who likes to leave his post and go off overseas, or even go off in his head at home. So this gap might mean illness or problems. So hope all okay. If you want an alternative for a few minutes, to please your eyes look at the link for the Kolo Dalmatian dance I put on Open Mike last night.