Congratulations, you are now on my moderation radar.
stop trolling.
You can obviously write sentences and paragraphs, but you are starting to look like an astroturfer here to just slag off Labour (and the Greens). We expect people to bring coherent political arguments, so up your game.
Read this post and the site Policy so you know how moderation works here
understand that we are banning people until after the election if they continue to cause problems
if you don’t understand anything I am saying, just ask
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Roy Morgan usually at the start of the month, so maybe late this week? I haven’t seen a TV3 one for a while. With everything that is going on politically, will be interesting to see if any clear trends are emerging.
I get it, costs and funding systems and all that. And Northerners won’t mind a toll tunnel at Brynderwyn they’ll be so happy to have it.Like the Puhoi tunnel.
But in Auckland, the Waterview tunnel? There’s no way Aucklanders would wear a toll.
And just like that you get to see why some Northlanders think they’re still being treated like dumb shits. The best part of 100 years of being playthings in games of politics. Simeon Brown or whoever the latest little message boy is can join the legion of Nation Party scumbags whose only real interest in Northland is getting a tick on a voting form.
I've been up north (Auckland to Mangonui) thrice in the last month. There is absolutely no need for any additional massive road building now the holiday highway has been opened. Incremental improvements are needed in Dome valley, and the Brynderwyns are a mess so it may be worth considering bypassing them to the east should climate events make that road no longer feasible.
If this proposal was for a high speed passenger (and freight) electrified rail corridor linking Whangarei-Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga combined with a push to create a high productivity corridor alongside the rail then I'd be all in favour of it.
If this proposal was for a high speed passenger (and freight) electrified rail corridor linking Whangarei-Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga combined with a push to create a high productivity corridor alongside the rail then I'd be all in favour of it.
High speed rail to Northland makes very little sense as it is only a short distance and once there one would need to rent a car to get to the myriad townships and beaches that rail or daily public transport will never ever get to. The other consideration is that within the next decade almost all transport will be electric and any presumed fossil fuel saving benefits will no longer apply. France has a very good TGV and other rail systems but you see very few buses.
I've always thought drive on , drive off rail flat cars would be an idea that could save congestion, lives and emissions on highways and provide a relaxing, comfortable journey without the need for hire cars.
There are those types of wagons for cars on the Ghan and Indian Pacific trains, great for long distance travel without the hassle of driving. No reason why they shouldn't work over this side of the ditch.
You should go to cities then, the whole of the Cote d'azur Alpes Maritimes is connected with buses where you have no trains – mountainous areas for example. Cheap, effective, several times a day and evenings buses that go long distance.
Lived in France for over a decade, never owned a car, always lived rural.
And fwiw, look up the feat of building a tram in Nice, something that was done in short time, and the ticket was initially at a 1 euro and is now something 1.5 euros. By a conservative deputee no less. Not a single greeny came help.
NZ does not have public transport because neither the left nor the right actually wants to invest in that. The one wants to build roads, the other want to complain about building road. And here we are, no tram anywhere in Auckland – just been there today, nary a bus to see, the trains seem all being worked on, and well it was quite depressing actually.
And hiring cars costs money, it is actually cheaper to have a non warrented non rego'ed car that one brings out when they need to go to town and cop the fine, specially when poor. If you even have a rental company anywhere near you to get too to pick up your car. Mind, a poor person could always walk there after all they have time to waste, right?
But yeah, just another region of NZ that don't need roads, nor trains, just rent a car, the same car that the left believes the poor won't be driving soon and that will be banned cause fossil fuels.
As for electric cars not being 'fossil fuel' dependent, what do you think electricity is? Where does that magic juice comes from? How do you recycle the batteries? What about the fossilfuel spend to create the car and the batteries and the shipping to our far flung corners? Oh yeah, thats cool and good pollution cause some rich guy can afford a car that makes him feel so green.
And after living in Vienna (Euro365/year for bus/train/tram within the city limits) & and travelling around Europe car-free for eight years and bugger-all money, and trying to do the same in Wellington (now we're home) – NZ is ruined, it's a transport nightmare. Absolutely pathetic, it's like people cannot see an alternative. We've seen NZers on Danube cruises and city-to-city trains who rave about the experience and then 'oh no, we can't do that in NZ, it's not our way.'
City-to-city by train $60 there and hundreds of dollars here, Wellington to Auckland by rail is twice the price of flying.
But of course, I'm elitest.
(otoh public transport is only for poor people) I give up.
This time it's a 4 lane motorway (second tunnel under Mount Victoria – yeah toll free) to the airport and eastern suburbs (instead of a light rail system within Wellington and via a tunnel to the east, something users would pay for).
National's obsession with roads frankly goes beyond just a blinkered and antedeluvian world view and veers hard towards outright cronyism and culture war nihilism.
They are still largely unchallenged in MSM over allowing heavier trucks on the roads – causing cracking and then the later potholes with the rain (and they did this while reducing funding for road maintenance).
And the poseurs then this year announce a pothole fund policy to deal with the mess they caused, as if they have the answers.
In 1847 (20 years before New Zealand’s Native Schools Act) a British government report into Welsh linked the language to stupidity, sexual promiscuity and unruly behavior, prompting a drive to remove the language from local schools.
So the historical trend into monoculture was a result of imperialism.
This led to the notorious punishment known as the Welsh Nots. These were planks of wood with the initials W.N. on them that would be hung around the necks of students caught speaking the language in school.
James Griffiths, author of Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Languageand a former CNN journalist, said Wales was a prime example of how sound policies could revive a native language, but he noted that, as in New Zealand, there had been resistance from some quarters.
“I think for a lot of people, if they speak the language of the majority, they don’t appreciate the type of recognition and representation of having it on road signs,” he said. Across the Irish Sea, bilingual signs bearing both Irish Gaelic and English have existed in the Republic of Ireland dating back to the start of the 20th century.
Whereas the trend towards inclusion is good politics, there's a problem with impact on driver cognition that has design implications:
Research by the University of Leeds suggests road signs consisting of four lines, or more, are likely to slow drivers’ response time significantly.
You may need to pull over & stop to read the sign for this place…
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill near Hawke’s Bay which prides itself as the world’s longest place name.
Alternatives to the msm are helpful. This one seems to have emerged from an aussie university: https://360info.org/about-us/
360 operates as a “wire agency” supplying contextual and explanatory news features ready-for-publication on other publisher’s outlets at no cost under Creative Commons.
It provides this review of China's BRI: The future of the Belt and Road Initiative is uncertain, but regional cooperation could secure its future.
China now navigates an inward-looking economic policy, and the outcomes of this reassessment will shape not only Belt and Road infrastructure projects but the economic and geopolitical landscape in the Pacific and beyond.
China would need to proffer a Taiwan within China deal, reassure ASEAN as to the SCS atolls being claimed as islands, and assist with a Korean Peninsular peace (guarantee South Korean security and thus allowing US forces to leave) to gain Japanese and Korean confidence.
Then there is this. Italy wondering about how to withdraw.
Labour is proposing a change to its rent to buy scheme.
The Government has tweaked its rent-to-buy type schemes for first home buyers, opening it up for existing homes and not just new builds.
About time.
Housing Minister Megan Woods announced on Sunday the progressive home ownership scheme – where the Government helps first home buyers through rent-to-buy, leasehold, and shared equity arrangements – would be opened up to existing homes for buyers, with an increased income cap of $150,000.
Rising wages since 2020.
The $400 million progressive home ownership scheme was started in 2020 with the aim of helping low-to-median income households, particularly Māori and Pacific whānau with children, who might lack a sufficient deposit or financial support for a deposit, into their first home.
The Government is also “increasing the flexibility” and speed of the application process, and extending the timeframe that rent-to-buy of shared equity schemes have to be paid off by from 15 to 20 years.
This is hardly surprising given the increasing cost of new builds since 2020.
Now, if only they would do an adjustment to Kiwibuild and allow those owning flats and apartments to buy (those seeking better quality or a small family home) or those empty nesters downsizing (to encourage this path to quality new builds). This would help provide impetus to the wider construction market.
How or when will this car dependency end? Seemingly never. Well, not while morons are still planning to build 4 lane "highways".
We must get Rail back on track !
As late as 2002, services operated between Auckland and Hamilton, Tauranga and Rotorua, Wellington and Napier, as well as Christchurch and Invercargill.
20 years later just a handful remain and New Zealand is one of the most car-dependent countries in the world.
I don't know about trying to restore regional rail. it's been run down for almost fifty years now. My view is we should start with a clean sheet of paper, build a standard gauge high speed electric rail network in the above mentioned Whangarei to Tauranga route, and then expand that South over 20-40 years. Then, a spur to Rotorua. Then to Taupo and from Wellington to Palmerston North. Then complete the link between Palmerston and Taupo. Then maybe an East Coast link, Palmerston North-Napier-Gisborne-Whakatane-Rotorua.
In the South Island, the maintrunk from a new ferry port at Clifford Bay to Christchurch. Forget about the rest of the old narrow gauge network.
The small populations and lack of economic dynamism makes modern rail hard to justify south of Hamilton except on the hope of induced demand and I can't imagine you'd ever come up with a good case to spend the money required ofor upgrade rail in Otago/Southland.
Far better accept the dynamic “virtuous circle” of growth in NZ will occur north of Taupo, and aim to create a zone with good, high-skilled jobs, a large, skilled population, and good communications that will attract more private investment and new, high-skilled jobs. Leave Otago and Southland to the penguins, fur seals and Royal Albatrosses.
National's default policy position: build more roads.
That's all you get from National.
Shameless populist vote buying, so their mates can drive their Ford Rangers at 130 km/hr between Whangarei and Auckland along ludicrously expensive King's highways.
Who will pay for that?
The poor, the homeless, the hungry and the sick.
National's pandering to the Kiwi car culture for votes at the expense of the general welfare of the country is the product of calculated minds who don't give a f.. about anything but the buzz of power.
They should be ashamed of themselves, but being National they will think they are the best thing since sliced bread.
About a month ago Jack was on here claiming that National had released their tax policy. When I pointed out that was incorrect, and (politely) asked for a link to this policy, Jack resorted to abuse.
That doesn't bother me, but deliberate misinformation does. Where is National's tax policy, Jack?
You'll see a nice aerial view of the Ivon Watkins-Dow plant in 2001. Demolition was completed earlier this year and all those buildings within that large green-belt quadrangle are now gone. Just below the bottom of the picture is the Tasman coastline. I live in that fringe suburb above the top right corner, less than 300m from the boundary, but I'm not paranoid about any contamination.
After months wondering why developers haven't moved in to start subdivision of what could become a highly-prized market opportunity, I've gleaned that the NPDC isn't satisfied with the owner's decontamination process, so the thing has stalled.
Meanwhile this report suggests things are even murkier for locals closely affected.
Jimmy Stoppard grew up on Marama Crescent in Paritūtū, and later worked at the IDW agrichemicals plant. His mother Susan Stoppard Raynor recorded the highest level of dioxin exposure in the 2005 study. But she was incorrectly grouped as a long-term resident, despite living in Paritūtū for just seven years. Stoppard feared the study's results had been skewed by wrong information about his mother and others who lived in the area in the 1960s.
Can't do basic science if you fudge the data. Gross negligence? Anyone ought to be able to grasp that the period of exposure is proportional to the effects, right? Should public health officials be deemed to thick to grasp that principle? No. How come they don't just get it right? Pandemic, obviously. The universal feeble excuse.
I would expect that they were representing constituents, voting in Parliament, sitting on Parliamentary committees, dealing with constituent problems and local issues.
If they were National MPs they'd be finding potholes, mingling with anti-mandate protesters, putting up protest hoardings, putting out press releases and newsletters full of words like "shambles", "crisis" and "woke".
People often complain there are too many MPs, but under our system there is no other talent pool for Cabinet. We can't create peers (UK) or appoint Senators (Australia) or other officials (USA). New Zealand is unusual in that regard.
The first MMP government (National – NZ First) was an object lesson in what can go wrong if jobs outnumber available talent.
Trainer wheels cabinet ministers who we haven’t seen, have no profile and who are going to lose their seats anyway?
Could at least have been some guest posts for the Standard expressing their political philosophy or political goals if those are allowed in the Labour Party these days…
@Mac yep all NaCT backbench stuff. What’s the Labour alternative? It seems like a lot of wasted opportunity at the moment.
The Labour alternative is to understand that potholes not on SH1 are the responsibility of the local authority, not the government; that anti-mandate protesters who deny the power of the police, the courts and reason are dangerously deluded; that protest hoardings that call for the banning of something that does not exist are in similar intellectual territory; that words used wrongly and overused lose their meaning; and finally that 'woke' is a term of praise.
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Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
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. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
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 ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
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 The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, 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 ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nice obituary.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Congratulations, you are now on my moderation radar.
Read.
Anyone know when the next polls are out?
Roy Morgan usually at the start of the month, so maybe late this week? I haven’t seen a TV3 one for a while. With everything that is going on politically, will be interesting to see if any clear trends are emerging.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election
It began in 2018
A National policy in 2020.
National and NZF are now proposing an alternative to the Brynderwyn hills route north, as it is flood prone.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/two-possible-bypass-routes-investigated-for-sh1-at-brynderwyn-hills-closed-for-weeks-after-summer-floods/Q2VAJUBJDRGN3C2VJGA3UULVOE/
I get it, costs and funding systems and all that. And Northerners won’t mind a toll tunnel at Brynderwyn they’ll be so happy to have it.Like the Puhoi tunnel.
But in Auckland, the Waterview tunnel? There’s no way Aucklanders would wear a toll.
And just like that you get to see why some Northlanders think they’re still being treated like dumb shits. The best part of 100 years of being playthings in games of politics. Simeon Brown or whoever the latest little message boy is can join the legion of Nation Party scumbags whose only real interest in Northland is getting a tick on a voting form.
I've been up north (Auckland to Mangonui) thrice in the last month. There is absolutely no need for any additional massive road building now the holiday highway has been opened. Incremental improvements are needed in Dome valley, and the Brynderwyns are a mess so it may be worth considering bypassing them to the east should climate events make that road no longer feasible.
If this proposal was for a high speed passenger (and freight) electrified rail corridor linking Whangarei-Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga combined with a push to create a high productivity corridor alongside the rail then I'd be all in favour of it.
This !
NZ First wants to build a railway to Marsden Point from the Northern Main Trunk Line.
And also a dry-dock in Northport and move Ports of Auckland, while also moving the RNZ Navy to Northport from Devonport.
High speed rail to Northland makes very little sense as it is only a short distance and once there one would need to rent a car to get to the myriad townships and beaches that rail or daily public transport will never ever get to. The other consideration is that within the next decade almost all transport will be electric and any presumed fossil fuel saving benefits will no longer apply. France has a very good TGV and other rail systems but you see very few buses.
I've always thought drive on , drive off rail flat cars would be an idea that could save congestion, lives and emissions on highways and provide a relaxing, comfortable journey without the need for hire cars.
There are those types of wagons for cars on the Ghan and Indian Pacific trains, great for long distance travel without the hassle of driving. No reason why they shouldn't work over this side of the ditch.
You should go to cities then, the whole of the Cote d'azur Alpes Maritimes is connected with buses where you have no trains – mountainous areas for example. Cheap, effective, several times a day and evenings buses that go long distance.
Lived in France for over a decade, never owned a car, always lived rural.
And fwiw, look up the feat of building a tram in Nice, something that was done in short time, and the ticket was initially at a 1 euro and is now something 1.5 euros. By a conservative deputee no less. Not a single greeny came help.
NZ does not have public transport because neither the left nor the right actually wants to invest in that. The one wants to build roads, the other want to complain about building road. And here we are, no tram anywhere in Auckland – just been there today, nary a bus to see, the trains seem all being worked on, and well it was quite depressing actually.
And hiring cars costs money, it is actually cheaper to have a non warrented non rego'ed car that one brings out when they need to go to town and cop the fine, specially when poor. If you even have a rental company anywhere near you to get too to pick up your car. Mind, a poor person could always walk there after all they have time to waste, right?
But yeah, just another region of NZ that don't need roads, nor trains, just rent a car, the same car that the left believes the poor won't be driving soon and that will be banned cause fossil fuels.
As for electric cars not being 'fossil fuel' dependent, what do you think electricity is? Where does that magic juice comes from? How do you recycle the batteries? What about the fossilfuel spend to create the car and the batteries and the shipping to our far flung corners? Oh yeah, thats cool and good pollution cause some rich guy can afford a car that makes him feel so green.
Fuck that is just so tedious.
Totally agree. The Nice tram went in so fast!
And after living in Vienna (Euro365/year for bus/train/tram within the city limits) & and travelling around Europe car-free for eight years and bugger-all money, and trying to do the same in Wellington (now we're home) – NZ is ruined, it's a transport nightmare. Absolutely pathetic, it's like people cannot see an alternative. We've seen NZers on Danube cruises and city-to-city trains who rave about the experience and then 'oh no, we can't do that in NZ, it's not our way.'
City-to-city by train $60 there and hundreds of dollars here, Wellington to Auckland by rail is twice the price of flying.
But of course, I'm elitest.
(otoh public transport is only for poor people) I give up.
"…within the next decade almost all transport will be electric…"
yeah….nah.
This time it's a 4 lane motorway (second tunnel under Mount Victoria – yeah toll free) to the airport and eastern suburbs (instead of a light rail system within Wellington and via a tunnel to the east, something users would pay for).
National's obsession with roads frankly goes beyond just a blinkered and antedeluvian world view and veers hard towards outright cronyism and culture war nihilism.
Absolutely summed. Its a core belief obsession.
They are still largely unchallenged in MSM over allowing heavier trucks on the roads – causing cracking and then the later potholes with the rain (and they did this while reducing funding for road maintenance).
And the poseurs then this year announce a pothole fund policy to deal with the mess they caused, as if they have the answers.
How many of those new bridges national promised to build in northland…
.. actually got built..?
This motorway chimera might snag the biggest pile of electioneering bullshit award…
..(from/for the party (formerly) known as the tax cuts party..)
CNN reports on bilingual road signage, featuring this country along with Wales & Hawaii: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/29/asia/new-zealand-bilingual-road-signs-debate-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
So the historical trend into monoculture was a result of imperialism.
Whereas the trend towards inclusion is good politics, there's a problem with impact on driver cognition that has design implications:
You may need to pull over & stop to read the sign for this place…
Alternatives to the msm are helpful. This one seems to have emerged from an aussie university: https://360info.org/about-us/
It provides this review of China's BRI: The future of the Belt and Road Initiative is uncertain, but regional cooperation could secure its future.
China would need to proffer a Taiwan within China deal, reassure ASEAN as to the SCS atolls being claimed as islands, and assist with a Korean Peninsular peace (guarantee South Korean security and thus allowing US forces to leave) to gain Japanese and Korean confidence.
Then there is this. Italy wondering about how to withdraw.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66354362
That 360 is a useful link/resource..
Labour is proposing a change to its rent to buy scheme.
About time.
Rising wages since 2020.
This is hardly surprising given the increasing cost of new builds since 2020.
Now, if only they would do an adjustment to Kiwibuild and allow those owning flats and apartments to buy (those seeking better quality or a small family home) or those empty nesters downsizing (to encourage this path to quality new builds). This would help provide impetus to the wider construction market.
The new hiway
Simple calc cost is 17 b not 6b
Distance 380
Based on the Tranmission gulley
27k, 1.2 b cost
How or when will this car dependency end? Seemingly never. Well, not while morons are still planning to build 4 lane "highways".
We must get Rail back on track !
I don't know about trying to restore regional rail. it's been run down for almost fifty years now. My view is we should start with a clean sheet of paper, build a standard gauge high speed electric rail network in the above mentioned Whangarei to Tauranga route, and then expand that South over 20-40 years. Then, a spur to Rotorua. Then to Taupo and from Wellington to Palmerston North. Then complete the link between Palmerston and Taupo. Then maybe an East Coast link, Palmerston North-Napier-Gisborne-Whakatane-Rotorua.
In the South Island, the maintrunk from a new ferry port at Clifford Bay to Christchurch. Forget about the rest of the old narrow gauge network.
No argument with Rail North. But meanwhile, heavy truck/trailers are rooting South Island roads.
Clifford Bay to ChCh could be a start…but we who are actually in the South need much more Rail service and use to put a stop to that.
Heres an Opinion piece from Duncan Connors.
While stating the case strongly for Dunedin..and our South Island IMO he has many valid points.
Duncan Connors, no mere enthusiast…he is also Senior Lecturer at University of Otago Business School
The small populations and lack of economic dynamism makes modern rail hard to justify south of Hamilton except on the hope of induced demand and I can't imagine you'd ever come up with a good case to spend the money required ofor upgrade rail in Otago/Southland.
Far better accept the dynamic “virtuous circle” of growth in NZ will occur north of Taupo, and aim to create a zone with good, high-skilled jobs, a large, skilled population, and good communications that will attract more private investment and new, high-skilled jobs. Leave Otago and Southland to the penguins, fur seals and Royal Albatrosses.
Did you even read Duncans article? Ok. Leave it at that…
National's default policy position: build more roads.
That's all you get from National.
Shameless populist vote buying, so their mates can drive their Ford Rangers at 130 km/hr between Whangarei and Auckland along ludicrously expensive King's highways.
Who will pay for that?
The poor, the homeless, the hungry and the sick.
National's pandering to the Kiwi car culture for votes at the expense of the general welfare of the country is the product of calculated minds who don't give a f.. about anything but the buzz of power.
They should be ashamed of themselves, but being National they will think they are the best thing since sliced bread.
Yet another week starts with National releasing policy and Labour again talking about themselves – today their party list.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
About a month ago Jack was on here claiming that National had released their tax policy. When I pointed out that was incorrect, and (politely) asked for a link to this policy, Jack resorted to abuse.
That doesn't bother me, but deliberate misinformation does. Where is National's tax policy, Jack?
Public health controversy continues to swirl around my local dioxin site: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/494823/ministry-of-health-cuts-access-to-flawed-data-in-paritutu-serum-dioxin-study
You'll see a nice aerial view of the Ivon Watkins-Dow plant in 2001. Demolition was completed earlier this year and all those buildings within that large green-belt quadrangle are now gone. Just below the bottom of the picture is the Tasman coastline. I live in that fringe suburb above the top right corner, less than 300m from the boundary, but I'm not paranoid about any contamination.
After months wondering why developers haven't moved in to start subdivision of what could become a highly-prized market opportunity, I've gleaned that the NPDC isn't satisfied with the owner's decontamination process, so the thing has stalled.
Meanwhile this report suggests things are even murkier for locals closely affected.
Can't do basic science if you fudge the data. Gross negligence? Anyone ought to be able to grasp that the period of exposure is proportional to the effects, right? Should public health officials be deemed to thick to grasp that principle? No. How come they don't just get it right? Pandemic, obviously. The universal feeble excuse.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300939162/live-the-day-in-politics-monday-july-31
Labour List is currently being released but a standalone link not available yet. To quote the top 60 from that link:
Here's a link
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/watch-live-labour-to-reveal-party-list-ahead-of-general-election/S4L45UXQFNDDFOI3JBFEEPTVP4/
What have the twenty extra MPs been doing for 3 years? Has there been any benefit to having this huge caucus?
I would expect that they were representing constituents, voting in Parliament, sitting on Parliamentary committees, dealing with constituent problems and local issues.
If they were National MPs they'd be finding potholes, mingling with anti-mandate protesters, putting up protest hoardings, putting out press releases and newsletters full of words like "shambles", "crisis" and "woke".
People often complain there are too many MPs, but under our system there is no other talent pool for Cabinet. We can't create peers (UK) or appoint Senators (Australia) or other officials (USA). New Zealand is unusual in that regard.
The first MMP government (National – NZ First) was an object lesson in what can go wrong if jobs outnumber available talent.
That’s it?
Trainer wheels cabinet ministers who we haven’t seen, have no profile and who are going to lose their seats anyway?
Could at least have been some guest posts for the Standard expressing their political philosophy or political goals if those are allowed in the Labour Party these days…
@Mac yep all NaCT backbench stuff. What’s the Labour alternative? It seems like a lot of wasted opportunity at the moment.
According to RNZ's Midday Sports News [@ 0:59 min], "New Zealand crushed Singapore"!
Crushed! Humiliated! Destroyed! – it's all good (entertainment), if a little juvenile.
The Labour alternative is to understand that potholes not on SH1 are the responsibility of the local authority, not the government; that anti-mandate protesters who deny the power of the police, the courts and reason are dangerously deluded; that protest hoardings that call for the banning of something that does not exist are in similar intellectual territory; that words used wrongly and overused lose their meaning; and finally that 'woke' is a term of praise.