Attempts by Lesley Longstone to pin problems in the payroll system – also known by teachers as Novopain, No-pay and Novovirus – on the collective agreement smacked of desperation, particularly since it was the teachers on the agreement who were having the least problems with their pay, he said.
The secretary is looking to blame the collective agreement rather than face the fact it was blatant cost-cutting that led to the mess the payroll system is in.”
VTO – Ch Ch will not be rebuilt, not the way it should be at least, the reasons why in my opinion are that its about the mining,/drilling, and Antarctica.
Agendas have a whole different set of plans for Chch, because if there was an apetite to rebuild it for the locals, and benefit of NZ, it would we well underway by now…
This is see through even by NZ abysmal record of being run on corruption!
GST refunds have been later than usual and without explanation. Government is well behind in its payments for the Chch Stalingrad makeover. Teachers are being underpaid for weeks.
What Really Happened in Gaza
by NORMAN FINKELSTEIN
November 29, 2009
The official storyline is that Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense on 14 November, 2012 because, in President Barack Obama’s words, it had “every right to defend itself.”
In this instance, Israel was allegedly defending itself against the 800 projectile attacks emanating from Gaza since January of this past year.
The facts, however, suggest otherwise.
From the start of the new year, one Israeli had been killed as a result of the Gazan attacks, while 78 Gazans had been killed by Israeli strikes. The ruling power in Gaza, Hamas, was mostly committed to preventing attacks. Indeed, Ahmed al-Jaabari, the Hamas leader whose assassination by Israel triggered the current round of fighting, was regarded by Israel as the chief enforcer of the periodic ceasefires, and….
Lifted from a comment to a piece on another site concerning Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey’s double-cross of the Spanish people (pursuading them to convert their savings deposits in Spanish Banks into ‘preference’ shares in a failed attempt to save the banks from bankruptcy they are now facing a 39% ‘haircut’ just to earn a bail-out loan to the banks from the EEC), this seemed to me a perfect summary of John Key and his acolytes:
“He hails from what Ljubiša Mitrović calls the “comprador bourgeoisie.”
Comprador bourgeoisie is the upper layer of the bourgeois class…. It is not national in character and is socially irresponsible. It is a blind servant of foreign capital, ruthless in the exploitation of the domestic workforce and dictatorial in relation to its fellow countrymen. Its homeland is where its interests are. It is the agent of the megacapital in the function of global economy. It is a “Trojan horse” of the foreign TNCs [Transnational Corporations]… Its god is the god Mammon, the capital. Its aim is to amass capital, and it puts profit above individuals. It is a predatory class of the nouveau riche and often bon vivant and parasitic upstarts. It is a peculiar jet-set of bandit economy…..
If they wish not to be discarded by the citizens and most of the nation, political parties and elites would have to stop deceiving the citizens and articulate their real interests in the struggle for social change.
Well I guess when sexism itself stops being a predominantly one way flow against women, others might love whatever it is you are loving too.
btw, the example you give is such glaring example of sexism, and the ground we have lost in recent years, that I’m really at a loss to know why you used it. How about you provide a similarly garing example of sexism running the other way?
all of the ads that show men as lard arses with fat bellies, unshaven, sloppy and slobbery, lazing on the couch while the women go out and do the right stuff.
There are countless of them. It is a well acknowledged phenomenon.
The fact that male complaints don’t run to the level of female complaints about the same issue speaks to perhaps the very nature of men vs women more than to the actual sexism on display.
But in this region on which i opine the current general society-wide opinion (which you reflect imo) I would suggest reflects a 50s charm in reverse. In the 50s, such a response as your own mr weka, was the norm and the issue considered well overblown and lacking in reality.
This is the nearest ad to the one of was thinking of – that I could find quickly. Based on sexist stereotypes with women’s bodies there to be looked at, while the guys are in control (no matter how slobby they are), and are smart-a*ses.
The one I was thinking of has a guy on a couch phoning a woman in another room to change the TV channel for him.
Yep. Sorry, dudes, but an eternity of being portrayed as mere objects for male consumption ain’t actually equivalent to a cultural meme which absolves all men from being competent, compassionate, or active participants in a relationship. Oh noes, it makes men look bad – where “looks bad” = “provides an excuse to be completely self-centred”.
“There are countless of them. It is a well acknowledged phenomenon.”
I don’t know those, please link to some examples. Make sure they are ones that show a similar level of sexism as the law student example.
“The fact that male complaints don’t run to the level of female complaints about the same issue speaks to perhaps the very nature of men vs women more than to the actual sexism on display.”
Nope, that demonstrates that institutionalised and culturally sanctioned sexism against women is far more prevalent, difficult to combat, and damaging.
yes, men get stereotyped in various ways to their detriment, but the dymanics of how that happens, and why, and how it affects men and society are different than the millenial-old forces of suppression of women.
“yes, men get stereotyped in various ways to their detriment, but the dymanics of how that happens, and why, and how it affects men and society are different than the millenial-old forces of suppression of women.”
Millenial old? You mean it has been going on forever?
” but the dymanics of how that happens, and why, and how it affects men and society are different ”
Sure it is different. How does that affect the issue raised though? These ads indicate a pervasive and detrimental sexism in the portrayal of men. Like they do for women. But their status as issues are unequal – that was my point.
As for which is the more damaging, sexism against men or against women, well that is a very good question. I suspect we cannot see the wood for the trees on that issue actually.
Here is another question mr weka – how exactly is this ad sexist, relative to today’s standards in the advertising world? What singles it out? What makes it so different from so many other countless advertisements that use sex to sell (by both sexes)?
“Millenial old? You mean it has been going on forever?”
No, I mean it’s been going on for 5,000 years.
” These ads indicate a pervasive and detrimental sexism in the portrayal of men”
Which ads? Do you mean the one you linked to? Or the ones that you still haven’t linked to that show an equal degree of sexism against men?
“As for which is the more damaging, sexism against men or against women, well that is a very good question. I suspect we cannot see the wood for the trees on that issue actually.”
Maybe for you. For me and many other people, of all genders, it is very obvious.
“Here is another question mr weka – how exactly is this ad sexist, relative to today’s standards in the advertising world? What singles it out? What makes it so different from so many other countless advertisements that use sex to sell (by both sexes)?”
Interesting questions with interesting answers but sorry mrs vto, it’s Friday night after a long week and I don’t feel like doing anyone’s homework. We might get lucky and someone posts a link to sexism 101. However I am reluctant to provide information for you while I am still waiting for examples of the ads you were talking about. Fairs fair.
You know, people, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted,
in Phillipi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong
opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to
trick you. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little
children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God,
but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. For you know that we dealt with each of
you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, urging you.We sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you in your “faith” so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You
know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out this way, as you well know.
(this was on a sign-post as I entered Thessalonica).
“At the present moment we are confronted by a choice: either a mass “civilization”, technological and
“conformist”-the Brave New World (not!) of Huxley, hell organised upon earth for the bodily comfort
of everybody-or a different Civilization, which we cannot yet describe because we do not know what it will be; it still has to be created, consciously by people. If we do not know what to choose, or in other
words, how to “make a revolution”, if we let ourselves drift along in the stream of history, without
knowing it, we shall have chosen the power of suicide, which is at the heart of the world.”
(Presence,31) and that concludes Chapter 3
While Ellul was writing his masterpiece he, also, enjoyed the Brandenburg Concertos which is a more
uplifting concert than Jim Mora chasing his tail with “How Much is That Doggie in The Window……..
the one with the rageddy tail, how much is that doggie in the window, I do hope that doggy’s for Sale”
Robin Duff in commenting on that silly piece by Langely on the 28 November, points out that in the days of School Cert 50% of all students failed. Now we are told that only 20% fail. If you believe the constant 20% “fail” call from politicians, then the system must be doing better and better. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10850846
Is being a shareholder a privilege or a right? After hearing that citizenship is a privilege not a right I was just wondering if the national socialism edict applied also to property.
Privilege, rights, blah blah. There are no such things. There is only an ability, which may be fleeting or long-lasting. People have an ability to be shareholders. People have an ability to become citizens. Some of these things may be considered a privilege afforded to only them and in many ways that is true. But there aint no rights, except those where there is an ability under law or norm, and that qualification would seem to render a right not a right, in the wider existence sense. Make sense?
As for property – sheesh, good luck. It seems to be not a matter of any such thing but solely a matter of what you can get away with, especially under Key. 2c
Yeah, just like the SCF investors lost everything… Oh, wait
Oh, I know, The Pike River shareholders… No, they didn’t lose everything either – the miners did.
Yes, I’m sure that if we look really hard we will find some shareholders somewhere, some when that have, as a matter of fact, lost everything. I think we’ll find it far less often than the workers losing everything.
The little shareholders lose everything.
The director shareholders and “preferred” (read:”already rich”) customers of financial advisors don’t lose.
I recall a tv documentary about a glasses factory that was on the edge – a new CEO came in, changed it to sunglasses, encouraged workers to invest their pensions in share options, and lost it all. It then turned out that he had been paying himself £30,000p.a. more than the other two shareholder/directors (who were already doing okay). People lost their retirement savings, and he was saying “at least we gave it a go”. Fuckwit. And he was small-time compared to most of the plutocrats.
Hey, how ya doin, sorry i couldn’t get through, just leave your name…and your number…and I’ll get
Back to You.
I find the discussions on TS the last couple of days very interesting, and sure am glad that I never keep
copies of the comments the fat cats claw me to write. We’re not gonna be Orphans anymore, We’re not
gonna take it anymore, more, more…
some may argue that shareholders who do not work on their holdings are failing in their duty to themselves, i.e. due diligence.
I would say that share owning is a privilege, just as companies have a duty not to harm their good will when taking decisions that create pollution, destroy communities and degrade the planet. In fact most companies could be said to be brats since they support an economy that needs five planets to support.
As for citizenship, how can that be a privileged? most are born into it, sure some reject the privileged and change citizenship (unless their current nationality allows for dual citizenships), then maybe they have a privilege???
Sand mining is going to be trialed in NZ, with the impacts not as yet known. Tomorrow, a surfer will finish a protest paddle from Taranaki to Piha.
Surfer Dave Rastovich is used to paddling into the waves, but tomorrow he’ll finish an epic 350km paddle from Taranaki to Piha.
The New Zealand born Australian set out from Taranaki on a paddle-board on November 16 in protest against sand mining on the West Coast.
The 35-year-old will be welcomed at the West Auckland beach from 11am by former Waitakere mayor and activist Bob Harvey and local surfers….
Kiwis Against Seabed Mining and global organisation Surfers for Cetaceans, which Rastovich co-founded, have joined forces for the campaign. Sustainable Coastlines and Greenpeace have also offered their support.
“All would be threatened if the sand flow is interrupted and a coastline littered with flawless waves could be irretrievably altered,” Rastovich said.
Gotta admire the guy’s stamina. It seems NZ is being used as an international test ground for sand mining.
Ironsand from the Waikato North Head is used for steel-making at BHP New Zealand Steel’s Glenbrook mill, which uses about 1.2 Mt of concentrate per year. About 1.4 Mt per year of titanomagnetite concentrate from Taharoa is exported.
We’ve been mining the sands in NZ for decades.
And, no, I’m not supportive of what’s being proposed.
Thanks, DTB and joe. So the problem is the large scale of seabed mining that’s being proposed now? Plus the fact that they are looking to extract a range of different minerals than have previously been extracted?
It’s the range and extent without any consideration for what damage it will do. Throw in the fact that it’s typical unsustainable dig it, mine, sell it BS that we don’t seem to be able to get away from under capitalism.
So on one hand you don’t want to go ahead with underseas mining to any great extent yet on the other you want NZ to be totally self-sufficient and make all it’s own TV’s, Computers, vehicles etc etc.
as I cycled in and leant over Mill (eee, by gum) I lobbed a fellow tradesman half a round of shrapnel
to complete his purchase; The young men serving (Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in A Small
Town?) exclaimed! “you don’t see many Good Samaritans these days” (can’t escape those biblical
foundations, I’m just learning about the sociology of Law as we speak) and I engaged them over
“current events” (intimating my modest comprehension of them). Their Replies, Unanimous,
“The world is disintegrating”, well I chose not to weld any defence against those conclusions.
When will the pseudo-Tory Neoliberal Nightmare Mongers accept that they are on a ………………….
Hiding to Nothing? Freakin “bad faith” parasites.
Man, now the children at the feet are getting it…
On a different, more reassuring note, at the “couch” this morning, Two, not just one, but Two very
learned consultants reassured me that everything I have concluded about our society’s disease over
the passing of this year is valid; It is not us, the people who Post and comment on The Standard
who are “mad”;
If you are a right-wing greedy capitalist snooping on the wisdom of socialist commentators…
grab a Hand Mirror, it is You who are Ideologically Impure fools.
Its not “hatred of the poor”, its recognizing that some people aren’t fit to be parents. Its a charity set up to stop some people from making make mistakes.
Shame on you if you can’t (don’t want to) see that
Why do we need it in NZ?
What is the extent of addiction-related harm against children in NZ?
Would greater protection be made if such funds were diverted towards education, antenatal care, housing, or benefit levels?
This is an ill-considered policy that believes the best way of protecting poor children is to eradicate them using rich-person’s privilege. It therefore suggests to me that eugenics is a real risk. You might not think that, but that’s exactly the reason it is a risk.
Its not policy, its a private charity. Its not about protecting children its making sure people don’t have the children in the first place.
Considering the person on the clip actually went out and adopted 4 “crack babies” it says to me she wants to help these people rather then mouth platitudes
Just the ethical issues of abusing people’s needs to make decisions for them about what they do with their bodies, the benefits of sterilization as opposed to addressing the problems of drug addiction, the apparent obliviousness to risks of that policy (implemented by private charity or not) sliding into old-school eugenics, and most of all I doubt whether we “need” such a programme here.
Feel free to provide actual evidence for the extent of the problem in NZ and why this solution” is appropriate for that problem if it exists here. You know, just something to demonstrate that tories don’t just want it because it’s American, therefore bright, shiny and wonderful.
It’s not about a me supporting a centre left or left government, it’s about the left halting internal bickering and focusing on what the real problem is. Without the left focusing on National’s destructive agenda, there won’t be a centre left or left government to choose from. In other words, you won’t get a left government by undermining the centre left… It’s as simple as that.
I disagree but it’s an interesting point. How many people are feeling like we can’t afford another centre-left govt and we may as well go for what we really want at this time? Or are people feeling like we cannot afford another 3 years of NACT, so better to support a centre left govt if that’s the only viable option?
we can’t afford another centre-left govt and we may as well go for what we really want at this time
^^ this.
And the option that says if you fundamentally disagree with the party bureaucracy (not the party principles) you have a right to express dissent. We’re not Nact after all.
The time of half measures is almost at an end. You can’t kick the can further down the road if you are just about out of road.
My prediction: by the time the 2014 elections roll around, peak debt, peak oil, peak unemployment will be breaking upon the world. New Zealanders will be coming back from Australia by the thousands.
If we aren’t careful what we will presented with after the election is back-breaking knee-capping austerity (from National) or grinding, gut wrenching, nail pulling austerity (from Labour).
The period from 2014-2017 is not one to be wished on any government, good luck to whoever is in power then.
Weka: I totally agree with what Jackal writes. It is not that he is commenting on the rights or wrongs of the leadership or the Leftness or not. He is condemning the nit-picking, mean-spirited suicidal behaviour of the so called “supporters of the Left.”
It seems to me there is far more energy being spent on attacking the Labour leadership, than on the pressing duplicity of the so-called “Right.”
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It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...
How the ‘rebranding’ of NZ as Middle Earth is obscuring our history:
http://www.readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/from-peria-to-hobbiton.html
You know people inside of government are involved in the drug industry when….
Thinking back, Muldoon was cozy with the gangs, reckon they must have just been talking about “current affairs”
From PPTA website
So what Langstone is saying is that Novopay could cope with 90000 individual contracts.
BIZARE
http://www.ppta.org.nz/index.php/resources/media/2504-media-novopay-scapegoat
Attempts by Lesley Longstone to pin problems in the payroll system – also known by teachers as Novopain, No-pay and Novovirus – on the collective agreement smacked of desperation, particularly since it was the teachers on the agreement who were having the least problems with their pay, he said.
The secretary is looking to blame the collective agreement rather than face the fact it was blatant cost-cutting that led to the mess the payroll system is in.”
.
Christchurch is heading directly for Stalingradesque stature
VTO – Ch Ch will not be rebuilt, not the way it should be at least, the reasons why in my opinion are that its about the mining,/drilling, and Antarctica.
Agendas have a whole different set of plans for Chch, because if there was an apetite to rebuild it for the locals, and benefit of NZ, it would we well underway by now…
This is see through even by NZ abysmal record of being run on corruption!
The government is running out of money.
GST refunds have been later than usual and without explanation. Government is well behind in its payments for the Chch Stalingrad makeover. Teachers are being underpaid for weeks.
Is there reality to this reality?
Artificially low interest through LIBOR scams and $112 billion in Derivatives on our books may have something to do with it
What Really Happened in Gaza
by NORMAN FINKELSTEIN
November 29, 2009
The official storyline is that Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense on 14 November, 2012 because, in President Barack Obama’s words, it had “every right to defend itself.”
In this instance, Israel was allegedly defending itself against the 800 projectile attacks emanating from Gaza since January of this past year.
The facts, however, suggest otherwise.
From the start of the new year, one Israeli had been killed as a result of the Gazan attacks, while 78 Gazans had been killed by Israeli strikes. The ruling power in Gaza, Hamas, was mostly committed to preventing attacks. Indeed, Ahmed al-Jaabari, the Hamas leader whose assassination by Israel triggered the current round of fighting, was regarded by Israel as the chief enforcer of the periodic ceasefires, and….
Read more….
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/11/29/what-really-happened-in-gaza/
Lifted from a comment to a piece on another site concerning Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey’s double-cross of the Spanish people (pursuading them to convert their savings deposits in Spanish Banks into ‘preference’ shares in a failed attempt to save the banks from bankruptcy they are now facing a 39% ‘haircut’ just to earn a bail-out loan to the banks from the EEC), this seemed to me a perfect summary of John Key and his acolytes:
“He hails from what Ljubiša Mitrović calls the “comprador bourgeoisie.”
Comprador bourgeoisie is the upper layer of the bourgeois class…. It is not national in character and is socially irresponsible. It is a blind servant of foreign capital, ruthless in the exploitation of the domestic workforce and dictatorial in relation to its fellow countrymen. Its homeland is where its interests are. It is the agent of the megacapital in the function of global economy. It is a “Trojan horse” of the foreign TNCs [Transnational Corporations]… Its god is the god Mammon, the capital. Its aim is to amass capital, and it puts profit above individuals. It is a predatory class of the nouveau riche and often bon vivant and parasitic upstarts. It is a peculiar jet-set of bandit economy…..
If they wish not to be discarded by the citizens and most of the nation, political parties and elites would have to stop deceiving the citizens and articulate their real interests in the struggle for social change.
Ljubiša Mitrović, “THE NEW BOURGEOISIE AND ITS PSEUDO-ELITE IN THE SOCIETIES OF PERIPHERAL CAPITALISM”
http://facta.junis.ni.ac.rs/pas/pas2010/pas2010-01.pdf“
I just love how sexism issues always run in just one gender direction in this country. At least it is consistent in its inconsistency.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/life/8017140/Law-school-magazine-blasted-for-sexist-ad
Well I guess when sexism itself stops being a predominantly one way flow against women, others might love whatever it is you are loving too.
btw, the example you give is such glaring example of sexism, and the ground we have lost in recent years, that I’m really at a loss to know why you used it. How about you provide a similarly garing example of sexism running the other way?
all of the ads that show men as lard arses with fat bellies, unshaven, sloppy and slobbery, lazing on the couch while the women go out and do the right stuff.
There are countless of them. It is a well acknowledged phenomenon.
The fact that male complaints don’t run to the level of female complaints about the same issue speaks to perhaps the very nature of men vs women more than to the actual sexism on display.
But in this region on which i opine the current general society-wide opinion (which you reflect imo) I would suggest reflects a 50s charm in reverse. In the 50s, such a response as your own mr weka, was the norm and the issue considered well overblown and lacking in reality.
It is like looking through a mirror
You mean those ones where the guy is portrayed is being very smart in manipulating women to run around after them?
I can’t picture one of them. Which one are you thinking?
This is the nearest ad to the one of was thinking of – that I could find quickly. Based on sexist stereotypes with women’s bodies there to be looked at, while the guys are in control (no matter how slobby they are), and are smart-a*ses.
The one I was thinking of has a guy on a couch phoning a woman in another room to change the TV channel for him.
I like Ad’s, they remind me what NOT to buy.
Yep. Sorry, dudes, but an eternity of being portrayed as mere objects for male consumption ain’t actually equivalent to a cultural meme which absolves all men from being competent, compassionate, or active participants in a relationship. Oh noes, it makes men look bad – where “looks bad” = “provides an excuse to be completely self-centred”.
“There are countless of them. It is a well acknowledged phenomenon.”
I don’t know those, please link to some examples. Make sure they are ones that show a similar level of sexism as the law student example.
“The fact that male complaints don’t run to the level of female complaints about the same issue speaks to perhaps the very nature of men vs women more than to the actual sexism on display.”
Nope, that demonstrates that institutionalised and culturally sanctioned sexism against women is far more prevalent, difficult to combat, and damaging.
yes, men get stereotyped in various ways to their detriment, but the dymanics of how that happens, and why, and how it affects men and society are different than the millenial-old forces of suppression of women.
“yes, men get stereotyped in various ways to their detriment, but the dymanics of how that happens, and why, and how it affects men and society are different than the millenial-old forces of suppression of women.”
Millenial old? You mean it has been going on forever?
” but the dymanics of how that happens, and why, and how it affects men and society are different ”
Sure it is different. How does that affect the issue raised though? These ads indicate a pervasive and detrimental sexism in the portrayal of men. Like they do for women. But their status as issues are unequal – that was my point.
As for which is the more damaging, sexism against men or against women, well that is a very good question. I suspect we cannot see the wood for the trees on that issue actually.
Here is another question mr weka – how exactly is this ad sexist, relative to today’s standards in the advertising world? What singles it out? What makes it so different from so many other countless advertisements that use sex to sell (by both sexes)?
“Millenial old? You mean it has been going on forever?”
No, I mean it’s been going on for 5,000 years.
” These ads indicate a pervasive and detrimental sexism in the portrayal of men”
Which ads? Do you mean the one you linked to? Or the ones that you still haven’t linked to that show an equal degree of sexism against men?
“As for which is the more damaging, sexism against men or against women, well that is a very good question. I suspect we cannot see the wood for the trees on that issue actually.”
Maybe for you. For me and many other people, of all genders, it is very obvious.
“Here is another question mr weka – how exactly is this ad sexist, relative to today’s standards in the advertising world? What singles it out? What makes it so different from so many other countless advertisements that use sex to sell (by both sexes)?”
Interesting questions with interesting answers but sorry mrs vto, it’s Friday night after a long week and I don’t feel like doing anyone’s homework. We might get lucky and someone posts a link to sexism 101. However I am reluctant to provide information for you while I am still waiting for examples of the ads you were talking about. Fairs fair.
You know, people, that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted,
in Phillipi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong
opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to
trick you. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little
children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God,
but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. For you know that we dealt with each of
you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, urging you.We sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you in your “faith” so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You
know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out this way, as you well know.
(this was on a sign-post as I entered Thessalonica).
“At the present moment we are confronted by a choice: either a mass “civilization”, technological and
“conformist”-the Brave New World (not!) of Huxley, hell organised upon earth for the bodily comfort
of everybody-or a different Civilization, which we cannot yet describe because we do not know what it will be; it still has to be created, consciously by people. If we do not know what to choose, or in other
words, how to “make a revolution”, if we let ourselves drift along in the stream of history, without
knowing it, we shall have chosen the power of suicide, which is at the heart of the world.”
(Presence,31) and that concludes Chapter 3
While Ellul was writing his masterpiece he, also, enjoyed the Brandenburg Concertos which is a more
uplifting concert than Jim Mora chasing his tail with “How Much is That Doggie in The Window……..
the one with the rageddy tail, how much is that doggie in the window, I do hope that doggy’s for Sale”
Robin Duff in commenting on that silly piece by Langely on the 28 November, points out that in the days of School Cert 50% of all students failed. Now we are told that only 20% fail. If you believe the constant 20% “fail” call from politicians, then the system must be doing better and better.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10850846
Loud applause as President Abbas addresses the U.N.
It’s in the bag….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifnMN3yhdrk&feature=player_embedded
Is being a shareholder a privilege or a right? After hearing that citizenship is a privilege not a right I was just wondering if the national socialism edict applied also to property.
Privilege, rights, blah blah. There are no such things. There is only an ability, which may be fleeting or long-lasting. People have an ability to be shareholders. People have an ability to become citizens. Some of these things may be considered a privilege afforded to only them and in many ways that is true. But there aint no rights, except those where there is an ability under law or norm, and that qualification would seem to render a right not a right, in the wider existence sense. Make sense?
As for property – sheesh, good luck. It seems to be not a matter of any such thing but solely a matter of what you can get away with, especially under Key. 2c
It’s an injustice as the shareholders benefit from the work of others without having to work themselves.
Some shareholders do not benefit and in fact lose it all.
Yeah, just like the SCF investors lost everything… Oh, wait
Oh, I know, The Pike River shareholders… No, they didn’t lose everything either – the miners did.
Yes, I’m sure that if we look really hard we will find some shareholders somewhere, some when that have, as a matter of fact, lost everything. I think we’ll find it far less often than the workers losing everything.
I have lost money in shares before – it happens all the time to people.
P.S. I am a worker and a shareholder – it isn’t one or the other.
Not quite, DTB.
The little shareholders lose everything.
The director shareholders and “preferred” (read:”already rich”) customers of financial advisors don’t lose.
I recall a tv documentary about a glasses factory that was on the edge – a new CEO came in, changed it to sunglasses, encouraged workers to invest their pensions in share options, and lost it all. It then turned out that he had been paying himself £30,000p.a. more than the other two shareholder/directors (who were already doing okay). People lost their retirement savings, and he was saying “at least we gave it a go”. Fuckwit. And he was small-time compared to most of the plutocrats.
Oscar and Lucinda-Peter Carey
nah I think this is the one. Spectacles, not tumblers 🙂
Hey, how ya doin, sorry i couldn’t get through, just leave your name…and your number…and I’ll get
Back to You.
I find the discussions on TS the last couple of days very interesting, and sure am glad that I never keep
copies of the comments the fat cats claw me to write. We’re not gonna be Orphans anymore, We’re not
gonna take it anymore, more, more…
-Twisted! 🙂 Sisters
some may argue that shareholders who do not work on their holdings are failing in their duty to themselves, i.e. due diligence.
I would say that share owning is a privilege, just as companies have a duty not to harm their good will when taking decisions that create pollution, destroy communities and degrade the planet. In fact most companies could be said to be brats since they support an economy that needs five planets to support.
As for citizenship, how can that be a privileged? most are born into it, sure some reject the privileged and change citizenship (unless their current nationality allows for dual citizenships), then maybe they have a privilege???
Sand mining is going to be trialed in NZ, with the impacts not as yet known. Tomorrow, a surfer will finish a protest paddle from Taranaki to Piha.
Gotta admire the guy’s stamina. It seems NZ is being used as an international test ground for sand mining.
http://www.mbendi.com/indy/ming/iron/au/nz/p0005.htm
We’ve been mining the sands in NZ for decades.
And, no, I’m not supportive of what’s being proposed.
More details about the proposals and likely impacts of sea bed mining.
http://kasm.org.nz/
Thanks, DTB and joe. So the problem is the large scale of seabed mining that’s being proposed now? Plus the fact that they are looking to extract a range of different minerals than have previously been extracted?
It’s the range and extent without any consideration for what damage it will do. Throw in the fact that it’s typical unsustainable dig it, mine, sell it BS that we don’t seem to be able to get away from under capitalism.
So on one hand you don’t want to go ahead with underseas mining to any great extent yet on the other you want NZ to be totally self-sufficient and make all it’s own TV’s, Computers, vehicles etc etc.
Can’t have one without the other Draco my’man
New TV’s, smart phones and other misc. shit aren’t going to be that important in future, to quality of life.
They aren’t important now, other than that people have been spun into beleiving they are..
You know, toys, games and entertainment, while the important people get on with the scheming!
as I cycled in and leant over Mill (eee, by gum) I lobbed a fellow tradesman half a round of shrapnel
to complete his purchase; The young men serving (Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in A Small
Town?) exclaimed! “you don’t see many Good Samaritans these days” (can’t escape those biblical
foundations, I’m just learning about the sociology of Law as we speak) and I engaged them over
“current events” (intimating my modest comprehension of them). Their Replies, Unanimous,
“The world is disintegrating”, well I chose not to weld any defence against those conclusions.
When will the pseudo-Tory Neoliberal Nightmare Mongers accept that they are on a ………………….
Hiding to Nothing? Freakin “bad faith” parasites.
Man, now the children at the feet are getting it…
On a different, more reassuring note, at the “couch” this morning, Two, not just one, but Two very
learned consultants reassured me that everything I have concluded about our society’s disease over
the passing of this year is valid; It is not us, the people who Post and comment on The Standard
who are “mad”;
If you are a right-wing greedy capitalist snooping on the wisdom of socialist commentators…
grab a Hand Mirror, it is You who are Ideologically Impure fools.
btw, how those A zaleas smelling down South?
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2012/11/a-charity-steps-in-where-a-government-cant/
We need this here
synopsis? because every single time I’ve followed a link to wo, it’s been a fucking waste.
http://www.projectprevention.org/
Why pay poor people not to breed, rather than simply paying them to get addiction treatment/be drug free?
And yes, it is aimed at poor people because money is only an “incentive” if you don’t have enough of it.
Why pay poor people not to breed, rather than simply paying them to get addiction treatment/be drug free?
– Addiction treatments take longer, don’t always work and are more expensive whereas sterilization is quick, simple (for the guys) and reversible
You’re missing the point. Even if sterilization were 100% effective.
This will not prevent drug-affected babies (and I’d love to know what the prevalence of drug-affected babies is in NZ – why do “we need this here”?).
Attack the cause, not the symptom. The cause is a failed drug policy.
But that would involve considering a public health issue rationally, rather than just succumbing to the regular tory hatred of the poor.
Its not “hatred of the poor”, its recognizing that some people aren’t fit to be parents. Its a charity set up to stop some people from making make mistakes.
Shame on you if you can’t (don’t want to) see that
There is absolutely no way I could ever support such a program.
http://www.projectprevention.org/destiny/
This is another opinion you might consider
Why do we need it in NZ?
What is the extent of addiction-related harm against children in NZ?
Would greater protection be made if such funds were diverted towards education, antenatal care, housing, or benefit levels?
This is an ill-considered policy that believes the best way of protecting poor children is to eradicate them using rich-person’s privilege. It therefore suggests to me that eugenics is a real risk. You might not think that, but that’s exactly the reason it is a risk.
Its not policy, its a private charity. Its not about protecting children its making sure people don’t have the children in the first place.
Considering the person on the clip actually went out and adopted 4 “crack babies” it says to me she wants to help these people rather then mouth platitudes
I wasn’t doubting her commitment.
Just the ethical issues of abusing people’s needs to make decisions for them about what they do with their bodies, the benefits of sterilization as opposed to addressing the problems of drug addiction, the apparent obliviousness to risks of that policy (implemented by private charity or not) sliding into old-school eugenics, and most of all I doubt whether we “need” such a programme here.
Feel free to provide actual evidence for the extent of the problem in NZ and why this solution” is appropriate for that problem if it exists here. You know, just something to demonstrate that tories don’t just want it because it’s American, therefore bright, shiny and wonderful.
Barbara Harris and crack.
Jackal said this in another thread –
I disagree but it’s an interesting point. How many people are feeling like we can’t afford another centre-left govt and we may as well go for what we really want at this time? Or are people feeling like we cannot afford another 3 years of NACT, so better to support a centre left govt if that’s the only viable option?
we can’t afford another centre-left govt and we may as well go for what we really want at this time
^^ this.
And the option that says if you fundamentally disagree with the party bureaucracy (not the party principles) you have a right to express dissent. We’re not Nact after all.
The time of half measures is almost at an end. You can’t kick the can further down the road if you are just about out of road.
My prediction: by the time the 2014 elections roll around, peak debt, peak oil, peak unemployment will be breaking upon the world. New Zealanders will be coming back from Australia by the thousands.
If we aren’t careful what we will presented with after the election is back-breaking knee-capping austerity (from National) or grinding, gut wrenching, nail pulling austerity (from Labour).
The period from 2014-2017 is not one to be wished on any government, good luck to whoever is in power then.
Weka: I totally agree with what Jackal writes. It is not that he is commenting on the rights or wrongs of the leadership or the Leftness or not. He is condemning the nit-picking, mean-spirited suicidal behaviour of the so called “supporters of the Left.”
It seems to me there is far more energy being spent on attacking the Labour leadership, than on the pressing duplicity of the so-called “Right.”
No more Santa parades!
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/communist-style-austerity-forced-on.html