I am a fan of Campbells style: he is not however immune from getting it wrong. A few nights ago he did the gushing act whilst blaming Russia and Putin for the aeroplane disaster. Which would have been fine if he had any solid evidence. He fell into the trap of being judge jury and executioner and failing to ascertain any real evidence of guilt from any party. Even if he is proven correct he got it so wrong, he just sounded like a lapdog puppet of American media opinions. I no longer trust his objectivity.
Given Hoskings clear bias, how can he chair the debates.
He is clearly a tool of right wing and corporate interests.
From the article ….”It includes Hosking dismissing Cunliffe as a “moron” – and his endorsement of Prime Minister John Key before a major political speech last year.”
Jeez, after the witch hunt and banning of party political involvement by staff at TVNZ over the Taurima affair they think tory toady Hosking is acceptable in anyway for this task?
But then unofficially of course National is the preferred party among significant numbers of TVNZ senior presenters and executives and that is ok because it is all tacit and assumed ‘born to rule’ stuff.
The dilemma for Labour–do they want to be put in the ‘invited to appear but declined’ box that National usually occupies over uncomfortable situations.
Actually; Karol has copy/ pasted the relevant section of the Stuff review down at comment 5. Too late to edit though. This from Gruntie’s link at 1 stands out for me (others have already mentioned Hosking’s bias and moron lines:
TVNZ said it was standing by Hosking. Head of news John Gillespie said: “Mike is our man. He’s there every night [on Seven Sharp]. I don’t have an issue with it, I absolutely believe in his journalistic credibility.
However I quite liked Robertson’s line:
“If it’s true, we’d rather have Jeremy Wells as Mike Hosking, than Mike Hosking.”
If you have not heard them, enjoy them all here .
Just change the date numeral at the end of the link to roll on through the collection
enjoy the mirth 🙂
Media non-entity throws toys out of cot expecting people to give a damn in egotistical belief that he is standing up for some higher principle. In other news old man rants at television in retirement home because he doen’t like something someone on it has said.
I often wonder if you right wing nut jobs realise just how flawed your logic is. If Bomber Bradbury is such a “Media non-entity” why was he asked to appear on Seven un-Sharp?
”If Bomber Bradbury is such a “Media non-entity” why was he asked to appear on Seven un-Sharp?”’
According to his piece at TDB, wasn’t it because he kicked up such a fuss about Slater getting on 7Sharp ? I can’t remember exactly now but the details are in a piece he wrote asking people to vote on whether or not he should accept 7Sharp’s invitation to appear
Unfortunately last night I chose to tune into Seven Sharp (TV1, 7pm).
From the start host Mike Hosking was in typical Hosking mood – including some barbs at female drivers which… well, would have been out of date and inappropriate in a 1970s sitcom.
But worse was to come. Much worse. After an emotional story about the burning down of a kindergarten and how it affected the community and kids we were treated to a profile of controversial blogger Cameron ‘Whale Oil’ Slater.
I say ‘controversial blogger’ because that seems to the standard phrase used to describe him rather than the more accurate, in my opinion, ‘odious creep’.
We are told that Slater is a changed man and is even quite likeable. He’s got all the good people on his phone – John Key, Judith Collins, Paul Henry etc so he must be worth listening to. Sheesh.
What followed was a complete whitewash of who Slater is and what he does. It’s funny there was no mention of him thinking parents who allow their child to wear both girls and boys clothes are guilty of child abuse and him thinking the child would be better off dead because then it would be funny.
Or about him branding a victim of a car accident ‘feral’. Or his denial of rape-culture in New Zealand while dreaming up a conspiracy theory in his head because Tania Billingsley chose to speak out rather than remain quiet about an alleged sexual assault by a foreign diplomat. Or the apparent victim blaming that goes along with his theory.
It’s dishonest and morally unacceptable to pretend he’s a good guy and a changed man, while ignoring all the blatantly offensive things he’s still doing.
I’m sorry, but if this is the standard we can expect from Seven Sharp then I’m out. And I won’t waste any more words on a show which subscribes to such a one-sided profile as being somehow appropriate.
So instead I thought I’d take a look at Sunday Theatre’s Nancy Wake: The White Mouse (TV1) instead.
I agree with the conclusion that the Wake programme was poorly done. Hoqwever, it did provide some info on a remarkable woman. And the main take away for me, the statement about the MO of the French Resistance – basically about, even though the Natsies had power and military might on their side, the aim of the Resistance was to disrupt and damage the Natsies operations and despotic, inhumane systems as much as possible.
It is salient though unpleasant, to repeat Martyn Bradbury’s list of some of Slaters offensiveness here;
“Remember when Slater called a person who died in a car accident ‘feral’ for speeding while taking photos of himself speeding?
–Remember when Slater described a Kings student who drank himself to death as “a toffee-nosed school boy, a dead thief and a liar who couldn’t handle his piss. I always said King’s boys were poofs.”?
–Remember when Slater published all the details of businessman Matt Blomfield whose computer he somehow obtained?
–Remember when he was convicted of breaching a variety of name suppression orders?
–Remember when Slater published the personal employment details of a wharf protestor?
–Remember when Slater posted a fake Green Party press release that inspired threats of violence against Russel Norman?
–Remember Slater publishing lewd cruel details of Len Brown’s affair that went well below the belt in a spiteful and dehumanising way?
–Remember when Slater publicized a doctored interview with Jim Anderton edited into Anderton saying an earthquake would need to strike for him to lose the Christchurch mayoralty?
–Remember when Slater was wanting looters in Christchurch to be shot in the stomach so that the death would be slow and painful?
–Remember when he claimed Chris Carter’s mother who was dead for 12 years was still using a taxpayer cell phone?
–And recently Slater was trying to claim that Tania Billingsley is some sort of Green Party honeytrap who put herself up as bait so she could scream ‘rape culture’.”
And I would add the nasty smear campaign Slater initiated against the Greens when an associate did a non destructive ‘Banksy’ (the artist) style stickering campaign of National Party election signage. Linked to this was his junior stasi “Tipline” trying to get activists car regos and identities for online publishing.
Pure filth still, the PMs confidante, and should be treated as such.
James at 4 thinks all that is hilarious. Unbelievable….I’m alright Jack…the cult of the selfish
Symptomatic of too many New Zealanders who have been infected with the poison of neoliberalism.
Gotta be said, the lighting does not look like they were all photographed together.
There are some comments that Rugby News have confirmed it as real, but I cannot find any reference to it on their site at this time. Odd that the magazine would release a cover image to a personal political page before publication.
Does this make the All Blacks third party promoters of the PM?
Wonder if the Electoral commission will be asked for comment on this? The TeamKey hashtag is in the PM’s comment under the photo, thus directly linking the image to the campaign.
John Key
Richie is looking a little bemused, but it’s all in the spirit of backing the boys. Catch Rugby News this week. #teamkey, I wish.
Gower said Rugby News told him that the jersey was sent to key and he posed in his office and it was then photoshopped. (750am TV3)
Given a panelbeater was brow-beaten over his shop name near eden park for insinuated advertising by the NZRU during the World Cup, this seems odd indeed.
Yep definitely photoshopped. Not just the totally different lighting on Key’s face but also the fact that his left elbow seems to have mysteriously disappeared. (see freedom’s links above).
The magazine claims the cover photo with Key photoshopped onto a pic of some ABs and labelled ‘leader of the pack’ – is nothing to do with the election.
I assume the AB’s management approved it, the players featured would have had to approve it – and I assume Key’s advisers would have checked if it breached the electioneering rules given the timing.
John Key, the ‘No 1 AB fan’ who is such a rugby fanatic he cannot remember his position on the Springbok tour.
Buried at the end of the article is a comment suggesting proper consideration on this matter was absent from the All Black’s controllers.
NZ Rugby said it was shown the image the day before Rugby News printed it and had asked the magazine to make it clear that it was photoshopped and had nothing to do with NZ Rugby.
Nothing to do with NZ Rugby? Just the All Blacks and an election year, do they really think only National supporters play Rugby?
To be clear, if the PM had done this during the RWC, no problem. This is weeks from an election.
Bloomberg has done a bit of charting of CEO pay vs. performance, and their results are on the right. Bottom line: there’s essentially no link whatsoever between how well CEOs perform and how well they’re paid:
So, why are we paying so much for these people when it obviously makes no difference?
Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised by this when the evidence is that the more you pay people in administrative roles the less well they do.
It’s a game perpetuated by the in-crowd. They pay each other over inflated wages to justify their own, including Chair fees and board fees.
I learned a long time ago from professional experience that just cos someone has CEO under their name does not mean that they are intelligent or good at their job. Of course there are great CEO’s out there but I wish we would stop assuming overseas is better. That’s BS there are great people being overlooked constantly.
Because when you don’t pay the workers decent wages your firms make more profit.
When your firms make more profit you have to extract it legally in some way to your own pocket and to ensure that you don’t pay appropriate taxes to the very governments that have allowed you to pay your workers a pittance by passing laws to take away workers rights.
You also need to do this so you have enough money to buy over inflated houses to make your non-taxed capital gains and extract some of your workers wages back through rents.
The main way to extract this profit and turn it into your own capital is to pay yourself (and your mates) shitloads of money through salaries and shares.
“Of the 47 participating countries on the council, 29 voted for opening an investigation, 17 abstained, and one voted against.”Source: http://www.nationaljournal.com
There’s a lot of people that need to be charged with war crimes in the world at the moment. I’d say that I’m surprised that we’re ignoring them but it’s par for the course – the powerful don’t get charged.
Here is a summary of what I think are the core points of the argument between ShawnLH and myself. According to ShawnLH:
“Ugly is the resident expert in how to have no argument.”
“No evidence, no credible sources, nothing other than Ugly’s opinions based solely on his interpretation of events to suit his bias against Israel.”
The central point was that a US official admitted that classified evidence existed which linked the Israelis to 9/11.
“Evidence linking these Israelis to 9/11 is classified. I cannot tell you about evidence that has been gathered. It’s classified information.”
US official quoted in Carl Cameron’s Fox News report on the Israeli spy ring.
“US officials admitted to reporters that the entire investigation had become “too hot to handl”, but declined to give further details. However, some FBI officials did confirm at the time that the Israelis were running a major eavesdropping operation that had penetrated into the highest echelons of the US administration.” ~ Jane’s Intelligence Digest 3/15/2002
So why is this important? Like Reid said, 9/11 was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, geopolitical events since WWII. If the Zionists were behind 9/11 then the ramifactions for the current events in Gaza are huge, which brings us the the second point, the difference between Jews and Zionists.
Like mikenmild said, ShawnLH lied when he said that I was anti-Jewish. To illustrate this point, here is a quote from the Jerusalem post:
“After years of research, Misinai says that he can declare with certainty that nearly 90 percent of all Palestinians are descended from the Jews. “And what’s more, about half of them know it,” he says. Not only that, many Palestinians retain Jewish customs, including mourning rituals, lighting Shabbat or memorial candles and even wearing tefillin.”
So when the Zionist state of Israel shells homes and hospitals and murders children on the beach, it becomes an anti-semitic state and any complaints of anti-semitism by Zionist apologists become a monumental form of hypocrisy.
So, if after reading this you don’t detect a certain smell, like something is rootten in the state of Denmark, then I challenge you to say why any New Zealander should not support the call to remove the Israeli embassy from Wellington.
Also on radionz this morning was a rep from a combined religions council. They agree that taking arms and killing is not the way to go and that sitting down and talking conciliation should be the method. How fucking trite.
Anybody who had a modicum of desire for respectful relationships and peaceful and fair negotiations between the clashing parties of Israel and Palestine and surrounding countries could say that. And those talks. How many already and how many booby trapped by some small aggression, serious enough, but not enough to start World War 2 and a half. There is always some bad faith action that jars any eye to eye mutual and positive understandings and that is allowed to indicate an end to the talks and efforts and hard work by those working to get conciliation and honest dialogue and real action to solve the crisis and deal with the ongoing problems as satisfactorily as would be possible for the two parties’ interests and needs.
There must be so much money or land in it or both that keep the Israeli elite in a position of overall power while the populace live with compulsory armed service, uncertainty, instability in a country with a damaged reputation inviting contempt while the Palestinians fall before them managing only to bite them on the ankles, or blow their feet off.
edited
Anyway. I think labour has given key way to much ammunition over the last few months. They might want to stay on message now but banning cosmetics and moas galore will be raised in the debates.
Not to mention apologising for being a man. Pretty sure that will be in there.
Debates should be fun to watch and I predict key will win them clearly. Esp linking labour with Kim dotcon
@James 9.00
Fun to watch eh. Obviously you don’t want a leftish government. To me your scenario about them sounds possible but I would find that excruciating.
Two shocks already and it’s only 9a.m. Turned radio on, to hear that the ‘gnome of Remuera’ is going to be the moderator for tv3 debates, threw up egg, then looked at photo of abs with the little gnome of America, threw up toast. FFS what the Hades is going on.
This is in the Dominion Post this morning (part of the Hosking story). It looks to me like the Nats
are sh- – scared of having ShonKey debate along with David Cunliffe.
“Meanwhile, National’s campaign team is pushing behind the scenes to include the Greens in the pre-election debates, but TVNZ has ruled this out.”
JK+100…everything points towards John Key and Nactional being shit scared of having face to face television debates with David Cunliffe…Why?:
….David Cunliffe is a superb debater with a vast command of the issues facing New Zealand
….David Cunliffe has ethics and compassion ( something John Key lacks)
….David Cunliffe is young and fresh looking
….David Cunliffe is way more handsome than John Key…(bet he looks better in his speedos too!)
Actually Russel Norman is a looker as well….lol….and I bet he looks better in his speedos than John Key…lets face it the Left has a great line up of superbly intelligent and good looking male contestants …and that includes Hone ( great bone structure and tan ) ….and Winnie the suave silver fox in the senior section ( every sophisticated senior woman’s crumpet)
*…and that is just the male line up….the female brains and beauty line up on the Left is even better!…if that is possible!
JK+100…everything points towards John Key and Nactional being shit scared of having face to face television debates with David Cunliffe…Why?:
John Key has defeated Clark, Cullen, Goff, Shearer and Campbell while Cunliffe has defeated no one
….David Cunliffe is way more handsome than John Key…(bet he looks better in his speedos too!)
Actually Russel Norman is a looker as well….lol….and I bet he looks better in his speedos than John Key…lets face it the Left has a great line up of superbly intelligent and good looking male contestants …and that includes Hone ( great bone structure and tan ) ….and Winnie the suave silver fox in the senior section ( every sophisticated senior woman’s crumpet)
*…and that is just the male line up….the female brains and beauty line up on the Left is even better!…if that is possible!
@ Puckish sad one ……Nup!……this is the REALITY of it!….and spoken on a breakfast of two glasses of squeezed lemon juice…dark wholemeal toast, NZ butter, NZ vegemite and NZ peanut butter…. and downed with a very strong cup of expresso coffee
….dont own “cooking sherry” …yuk!… just good Pinot ( a glass of which imbibed last thing after a good meal at night)….but as you know all about the “cooking sherry” dear Pucky….i reckon you and Nactional have been into the cupboard and are already trying to fortify yourselves on secret little binges
…bracing yourselves against the MIGHTY Cunliffe onslaught TV debates
yeah but while it would water down the Key v Cunliffe debate it would be good to have the Greens there-they deserve major party status now they have polled 10-15% for 6 years
@Bearded Git 9.31
+100 It is so FPP. It is simpler to divide and rule that way for the power-players. Their internal monologue. The Greens damn them, just won’t curl up and die, but we aren’t going to give them any oxygen.
At one time there was talk here about the Wiri geology and coastline. Who was it? I have been talking to someone about this area.
And the OCR Official Cash Rate, Overnight Cash Rate? has gone up to 3.5%. Our economy is growing strongly you will be pleased to hear. Which part I don’t know, it wasn’t spelt out. Just as extra size from muscle growth is usually lesser and firmer than excess fat which can help to an early death, I am concerned how healthy this growth is.
The living wage, Miramar Wellington restaurant La Boca Loca is worth supporting for those who can afford to eat out,
ALL the staff at this particular, Mexican themed, restaurant are now to be paid the living wage,
Source: Stuff.co.nz/DominionPost
The CEO of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Raewyn Bleakly of course opposes such living wage payments claiming wages ”should be about performance and productivity”,
Is that true, i say that Her statement is patently Bullshit, all the sum parts of an industry are of equal value and productivity,
Simply put, if the chefs in a restaurant had to stop preparing the meals to both deliver the food to the customer and then later collect and wash the dishes and cutlery then such work would be valued at the cost of the chefs employment,
The same could be applied to the office cleaner, what is the value of your work in your office, if that unseen cleaner were to not clean your office that simply would leave two choices, you would have to work amidst the mess, or, clean it yourself,
So, if it takes an hour of your time to clean your office the usual cleaner of your office is as valuable as the hour of your time,
BIG UPS to the latest business noted above for paying ALL their staff the living wage,(what is it with Miramar, an Eastern Suburb here in Wellington, the local bakery also pays its one labourer the living wage)…
Funny how CEOs always manage to find obtuse justifications for their own big pay increases; no justifications provided for the workers who actually add value though.
You just have to watch Hoskings little smug condescending comments about Cunliffe at the end of some of 7sharp shows to see this clown is far from a neutral front man.
Tell me why are they not putting up a political editor or deputy, Dann & Parkinson piss all over Hosking because politics is their bread & butter. You can count on Key-National cheerleader Hosking continuing to bait DC with his little end of show slagging.
Wake the fuck up TVNZ this is a taxpayer funded broadcaster. Someone should link a complaint form to the broadcasting standards commission and or the electoral commission to put some heat on the Nat hand picked mongrel board of TVNZ
Thanks for not being annoyed, I do realise I could have phrased it more politely 🙂
Sometimes hard to get the tone right on topics like that, without getting all verbose.
‘Dear Seven Sharp – after learning Hosking will be the leaders debate moderator – NO I will not give you the pretence of balance & I refuse to appear on your show’
By Martyn Bradbury / July 24, 2014
In light of this decision by TVNZ to give someone as biased as Hosking the moderator role in the all important leaders debates, I have decided that I will decline Seven Sharp’s offer because it will be nothing more than a manufactured pathetic attempt at balance….
I have to be honest, I had made the decision last night to accept Seven Sharp’s hastily offered opportunity to appear on their show after I savagely criticised the bullshit whitewash story they did on John Key’s favourite far right hate speech merchant, Cameron Slater….This morning I wake to the appalling news that Mike Bloody Hosking will be the moderator of the TVNZ leadership debates???
No. Fucking. Way.
Hosking is to the right of Caligula, allowing him to moderate the debate would be like appointing Cameron Slater to sit on the Broadcasting Standards Authority! It’s one hate crime against public broadcasting to allow Hosking to host Seven Sharp in the first place but to allow him to moderate the leaders debate is an outright abomination. Hosking moderating the leaders debates will be as credible as asking him to do a critical story on his corporate benefactor Sky City.
Why is it different to John Campbell moderating the debates on TV3? TV3 is a private company who can do what they like, TVNZ is supposed to be the Public Broadcaster and as such have a demand on balance far higher than TV3. Shane Taurima was rightfully crucified for his bias inside TVNZ (despite the fact that it was Management’s incompetence to bring him back in the first place), but his stupidity has allowed TVNZ to conduct a witch hunt for reds under the bed within the news room while foaming right wing fanatics get to front current affairs programs with no questions asked.
30 years of neoliberalism has pulled the Political centre so far to the right that the shrill beige brigade of Espiner, Hosking, Henry, Garner and Gower are enabled to construct one vast unchallenged narrative arch where the Right are always right and the Left are criminally insane.
In light of this decision by TVNZ to give someone as biased as Hosking the moderator role in the all important leaders debates, I have decided that I will decline Seven Sharp’s offer because it will be nothing more than a manufactured pathetic attempt at balance. I’m a Campbell Live supporter and would hate to do anything that would turn attention away from real current affairs to a sick joke like Seven Sharp.
My opinion, ‘Bomber’ should have accepted the invite, read exactly what you have printed there out on prime time tv and then got up and walked out of the studio,
@ Bad from yesterday. I don’t dispute your figures and I’m in no doubt you can back your numbers, I would expect no less. My point of dispute is that tough as it is for those 20% there are ways to engage.
Lolz @ Alien, stop being sneaky, remember we were discussing a particular piece of Green Party election policy,
While i in no way oppose a policy of providing Kindy hours for two year old’s i think i made the case? that it was/is wrong for the Green Party to tout this policy as ”child poverty busting” which was the intent/wording of the form email sent to my inbox under Metiria’s signature,
Sure Alien ”there are ways to engage” the 20% of those that leave the education system every year barely able to read or write, BUT, that was not the central issue of debate was it, and, more crucially, these ”ways” you allude to, i look around from horizon to horizon, and, see none of these ”ways” as an election policy,(except as my nod indicated yesterday Labour’s slight move of a toe in the general direction with decreased class sizes)…
Matthew Hooton fighting hard to keep his house value high and free of low decile interlopers.
” Parents from two elite Auckland public schools are up in arms after learning of a proposal to put them in an overlapping zone with two lower decile schools.
The Ministry of Education advised One Tree Hill College and Selwyn College to put enrolment schemes in place due to rapid roll growth.
Both schools are consulting with the community before submitting the schemes to the ministry for approval.
The proposed home zones would overlap with Epsom Girls Grammar School and Auckland Grammar School.
Parent Matthew Hooton owns a house in the proposed overlap and says the consultation has been “wholly unsatisfactory”.
The process had been rushed and parents still didn’t know the basis behind the zone overlap, he said.
Many parents were anxious that eventually these houses would be excluded from the Epsom Girls and Grammar zones, he said.
This had spurred a group of parents to inquire about taking legal action, Hooton said.
“You live in this area because you pay $100,000 more for your house so you can access Epsom Girls Grammar and Auckland Grammar School,” he said.
“Any perceived threat to these zones will be met with fierce resistance.”
and then…
he and others engaged Russell McFactory… high end law firm in Auckland and hey presto
”
Auckland Grammar, One Tree Hill College and Epsom Girls’ Grammar. Auckland Grammar, One Tree Hill College and Epsom Girls’ Grammar.
Hostile feedback from residents in some of the country’s most expensive real estate has caused an emerging school to back away from including them in its new zone.
A rapidly rising roll has seen the Ministry of Education to direct One Tree Hill College to draw-up a proposed school zone.
The school, which has seen its roll and local reputation greatly increase, put forward a zone that would overlap with those of seven other schools, including Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar.
Selwyn College has also consulted on a proposed zone that would overlap with EGGS and AGS.
Next trending article: Hospitals struggle with flu surge
Residents in shared zone areas were assured they will be able to choose which school their children attend.
However, some living in the sought-after “double Grammar zone” believed it might be a first step to their eventual exclusion from EGGS and AGS, because of roll pressure on the two schools.
Submissions cited proximity issues and the desire for children to attend a single-sex school, and concern about the value of property was also a factor.
Last year the Herald reported that a Mt Eden home just 750m outside the grammar zones went for $516,000 less than a similar house up the road that was within zone.
Act Party Epsom candidate David Seymour set-up a petition against the One Tree Hill proposal after fielding “a stream of phone calls and emails”.
Lobbyist and local resident and Matthew Hooton also protested against what he said was unsatisfactory consultation, and with other parents briefed law firm Russell McVeagh.
One Tree Hill College has now made the decision to withdraw any proposed overlap of the grammar zones.
The proposed Selwyn College zone will also be amended so it does not overlap with the two neighbouring schools.
One Tree Hill College said it wanted to remain focussed on the education of its students and not be drawn into “political manoeuvring” around enrolment zones in central Auckland.
“This is a success story of another New Zealand school doing extremely well and achieving excellent outcomes for our youth,” principal Nick Coughlan said.
“It is not about what Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar may, or may not do, in terms of changing their zones.
“That is a decision for their respective boards of trustees. One Tree Hill College were simply proposing an enrolment zone to meet Ministry of Education guidelines.”
That included the need to not divide areas and homes around contributing schools.
The college received about 150 submissions, the vast majority of which were from those opposed to the overlap with the grammar zones.
Mr Coughlan said the most who were opposed also recognised the college’s success, and he wanted to acknowledge them. A handful were not so measured, however.
“There were certainly one or two who went full quid, for want of a better term.””
If you are correct tracey that Hooton said this …… “You live in this area because you pay $100,000 more for your house so you can access Epsom Girls Grammar and Auckland Grammar School, he said. Any perceived threat to these zones will be met with fierce resistance”
Then Matthew Hooton is an ignorant arsehole. It is no wonder that people of his ilk are detested outside of Epsom. I spit on them like they spit on us.
When I went to Epsom Grammar, parents didn’t need to own a house, or an expensive hosue for their daughters to attend.
People living in the area now have contributed to house price inflation, and excluded the descendants of working class people who once lived in the school’s catchment area. All for snobbery, status and unequal privilege.
you know the funny thing is that the company of working class people is preferred to that of the snobs and the privileged – they tend to be ignorant which together with the disturbing power that they wield also makes them dangerous. oh and they are on average and in comparison simply very boring.
The Party Party looks like quite a Party – about the worst that Stuff could say was that it took a while for the crowd to arrive and get out on the dance floor; on a Wednesday night in the middle of winter.
The thing that surprised me watching that clip is just how American Dotcom sounds on the mic. I guess it’s long established that many Kiwi rock acts will put on a British or American accent while preforming (probably not even consciously). But I’m so used to Dotcom’s speaking voice having a distinct deutscher tone, that his performance style is quite unexpected (though if you listen to some of the vowels he still has a few lingering umlauts).
I’ve learnt a lot about the longstanding Palestinian/Israeli conflict in the last 2 weeks.
Our allies the US are supplying Israel with political cover, advanced weapons and funding which is then being used to kill hundreds of unarmed civilians: the indigenous natives whose land Israel has illegally and militarily occupied/stolen since 1967.
I don’t feel that NZ’s position anywhere adequately reflects these facts.
so it seems Cunliffee knew he was meeting with a sex offender – and told lies when caught out.
Mr Cunliffe confirmed to the Herald last night that he had arranged for the person – whose case has been the topic of media coverage – to meet a Labour candidate but said he had no idea about the controversial background until yesterday.
“If I had known of the suggestion, no such meeting would have taken place.”
But Newstalk ZB reported:
Mr Cunliffe admits a prominent New Zealander’s possible sexual offending had been raised with him before he met with the man in Queenstown last week.
So what is it? He did know – or didnt – If the admission to Newstalk ZB is true – are people happy with this?
[lprent: So by your logic, I must be a woman because of my first name? After all that is that fuckwit Cameron Slater’s insinuation. But if you aren’t a retarded sociopath, you don’t label or deal with people on the basis of rumour and possibilities. After all there are always uncivilised morans around making up and passing unsustantiated rumours around.
Just to demonstrate I will follow your ‘rule’. Because you appear to have no logic I choose at this point to think you are a silly adolescent dork who is trolling here. After all there have been people saying things similar to that about you.
So in the absence of any proof to the contrary (because it is probably suppressed), you are banned for 2 weeks. ]
Jesus, you Tories have got some gall bringing this subject up. You’re havin’ a laugh, aint ya ? I mean do you not feel just a modicum of embarrassment or shame ?
@ James 12.13
Oh piss off. Take your faux concerns for probity and political analysis and post them to National, along with a big dollop of humbugs, and those long lasting gob stoppers, but do keep a few for yourself..
I have some advice for cunliffe (not that he’d take it)
If you are about to meet with someone and you hears rumours that they may in fact be a sexual predator then you get someone to apoligise on your behalf and do not, I repeat, do not meet that person
If someone tells your wife a rumour they heard that you are a pedophile, then your wife should ask your kids not to talk to you anymore ? No proof needed? Just innuendo and suspicion will do?
Its a pretty simple question. Did he lie about this. Sure looks like it.
No, no it doesn’t. You can’t beat up an unsubstantiated rumour (that might not have even been at all specific) into “knowledge”.
Telling Parliament that the PM’s office got your old school chum’s cellphone number from the phone book when they wanted to offer him a job, on the other hand – that looks like a lie.
Or are you saying that its OK to lie as long as you are leader of Labour.
nope. Lying is bad. Try to stop doing it.
Its OK to Meet and take wine from convicted sex offenders as long as you are leader of labour.
It is if you don’t know they were a convicted sex offender because the courts suppressed their name.
Its OK to joke about killing prostitutes if you are a supporting the left (Kim dotcom).
No. And he’s been called out on that both here and by folk in the Internet Party.
Seems that the rape culture that got so much comments is indeed alive and well – right here in the standard.
Little tory learned a new word, but still doesn’t know how to use it. That’s sweet.
by the by
Went to see what New Zealand’s political sage had to say on the Queenstown matter and was not disappointed. As balanced and objective as ever, with more tumble weed spotting than a coyote conference, all to the accompaniment of the ever growing volumes of whoosh as Cunliffe’s comments to Soper sailed clear over his little pointed head.
He also skirts more closely to openly naming the person than any blog has.
As for that other vehicle of investigative integrity he runs . . nothing since June 11.
A little story about a defunct speculator who lost his collection of valuable cars which apparently went to Dotcom, who then had them confiscated, and now Dave Blackmore is having a fit of schadenfreude and has enough spare time to run around in a vehicle with slogans trying to upset Dotcom’s political advance. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10789678
Here is one reason why the Left is going to win this Election!…the Internet /Mana Party…which is scooping up the youth and multi-cultural vote
‘Internet Party Party review’
By Martyn Bradbury / July 24, 2014
I have been to A LOT of political party functions in my time, and they tend to be dull affairs at the best of times but what is happening with Internet MANA is something quite exciting. I went to last nights ‘Party Party’ because I wanted to see what the turn out would be like and who exactly wants to vote for Internet MANA.
Good stuff from ‘Bomber’, the question also interests me, will be looking when the ‘roadshow’ comes to town to see who other than ‘the usual suspects’ turns out in support…
John Key pretending to be a rugby player?! …it was dreamed up by Crosby Texter probably
…it is an revolting insult to REAL New Zealand All Blacks and REAL rugby players!….. like Winston Peters and Hone Harawira…they should challenge his PR image game of pretence in the House!
..what a phoney pretender Key is… he said he was too busy (playing the money markets?) to have even remembered the Springbok Tour!
So Gerry Brownlee as Minister of Transport decides he cannot bother waiting for a security check at Christchurch Airport and deliberately avoids the check by trying to board plane through the airport exit doors.
Thsi is so serious that it should result in a full police investigation and charge ion the courts, Recently Jono & Ben show were charged for a prank that involved doing something similar and all hell broke loose.
Is the minister going to be charged?
Offering a token ‘I’ll resign my portfolio’ is insufficient. He should be charged and Key should do the same to Gerry as he did to his MP for Kelston. Show Gerry the door.
Not serious? You try dodging security checks Ron. So you will get away with a roguish grin and a friendly pat. Reckon? Try it. At the same level as saying that you have a bomb in your bag. Very funny but watch what happens.
I say charge Jerry Brownlie!
Jono and ben impersonated/provided false information.
Simply bypassing security because you think you’re awesome is one of those things that’s so dickish it doesn’t appear to have been specifically legislated against in the Civil aviation Act, at first glance anyway.
Better late than never i suppose, although as far as the pinheads over at Colon’s Conservatives goes those proposing the opposite to that point in a debate would pretty much carry the moot unchallenged to any great extent,
Laugh out Loud material in among the Thursday drop of junk into the mailbox, along with one of the local freebie newspapers which deserves an ups for its well put together format and news stories topical to the area,
Anyone who gets this one, The Wellingtonian, will know what i am on about, the other freebie, the Cook Strait Times is learning but not ‘quite there’ in my opinion,
i tho digress, only most of the week late my copy of Colon’s plan for a nationwide bowel movement arrived today,
No i haven’t sent it up in flames just yet, on the back page is a gift that will just keep on giving, Lookout NZ Post workers, ‘incoming’ and my apologies beforhand,
There’s a pre-paid postage thingy on the back of a little tear off that has space for the name and address presumably so anyone having gone completely over the edge can have the little tribe of screwballs send even more of this trash,
Perfect, absolutely perfect, i plan on using the address box to send Colon and Co a little message, as its pre-paid postage Colon is picking up the tab and it will keep a postal worker or two in choclate bikkies for a while longer at least,
The message??? i haven’t decided yet, something gutter, to do with sex and travel i should imagine,
Again my apologies to any NZ Post worker who is harmed from having been subjected to such messaging…
Why not just confess to Colin that you are turned on by his countenance and would like to know him better. All those hoardings with his picture on is just driving you crazy
The message??? i haven’t decided yet, something gutter, to do with sex and travel i should imagine,
The Intercept reveals the full details of US terrorist blacklisting/watchlisting criteria. A massive revelation. Including the bizarre fact that dead people can be put on watchlists.
The document’s definition of “terrorist” activity includes actions that fall far short of bombing or hijacking. In addition to expected crimes, such as assassination or hostage-taking, the guidelines also define destruction of government property and damaging computers used by financial institutions as activities meriting placement on a list. They also define as terrorism any act that is “dangerous” to property and intended to influence government policy through intimidation.
This combination—a broad definition of what constitutes terrorism and a low threshold for designating someone a terrorist—opens the way to ensnaring innocent people in secret government dragnets. It can also be counterproductive. When resources are devoted to tracking people who are not genuine risks to national security, the actual threats get fewer resources—and might go unnoticed.
“If reasonable suspicion is the only standard you need to label somebody, then it’s a slippery slope we’re sliding down here, because then you can label anybody anything,” says David Gomez, a former senior FBI special agent with experience running high-profile terrorism investigations. “Because you appear on a telephone list of somebody doesn’t make you a terrorist. That’s the kind of information that gets put in there.”
The fallout is personal too. There are severe consequences for people unfairly labeled a terrorist by the U.S. government, which shares its watchlist data with local law enforcement, foreign governments, and “private entities.” Once the U.S. government secretly labels you a terrorist or terrorist suspect, other institutions tend to treat you as one. It can become difficult to get a job (or simply to stay out of jail). It can become burdensome—or impossible—to travel. And routine encounters with law enforcement can turn into ordeals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law requiring internet companies to store all personal data of Russian users at data centres in Russia, a move which could chill criticism on foreign social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
These companies, which do not have offices in Russia, have become a vital resource for opposition groups and refuse to hand over user data to governments.
The use of Russian data centres would make them subject to Russian laws on government access to information.
The Kremlin said the law was aimed at “improving the management of personal data of Russian citizens on computer networks” and that companies that did not comply would be blocked.</i>
Roads that are really of national significance and not just nice to haves!
Radionz News
Forestry workers condemn road delays
Work begins to clear a slip on Mangakahia Road in Northland.
Forestry contractors in storm-battered Northland say road closures and detours are causing heavy financial losses and that their plight is being ignored.
Before the rains the inhabitants around were complaining about the choking, thick, obscuring dust clouds setting off asthma attacks, lying on everything, making driving dangerous etc etc Just fill in your own ideas of what would happen if there was a dust storm.
So dry or wet there are problems not being addressed. It all makes for a level playing field though – everyone is upset and struggling. That is how NZ operates isn’t it. Wait till something is falling over, then think about it for a while, put it to a select committee. Find it is being exagerrated. Wait till someone dies and blame it all on the driver. etc etc
After seeing TV news tonight it occurs to me that the elegant solution to the Leaders’ debates dilemma is for TVNZ to host at Key/Norman debate while TV3 hosts Key/Cunliffe. The vile filth that Hoskings has spewed about Cunliffe for the past 3 years certainly disqualifies him from moderating a Key/Cunliffe debate.
Yeah, I don’t get it at all. David Cunliffe is likeable, honest and natural. He is the real Kiwi to John Key’s yanky-doodle-dandy.
You can see it in the footage from his visit to his old mates in a Timaru pub recently. On entry he hugs his old friends, hugs them! Upon sitting down for a chat, one of his childhood friends rips into the local Labour MP/candidate calling him an idiot. Cunliffe didn’t spit the dummy, he went with it and made a joke, even though his old friend had criticised one of the members of his own campaign on TV. David Cunliffe recognises he was on their patch, and that people have different views and he accepts it.
John Key would have got the GCSB onto that guy if it was #TeamKey in the firing line. He thinks anywhere in NZ is his patch.
They would have had to text Key from behind the secure cordon set up by the trained attack dogs of his diplomatic protection squad. Key is about as far from being an average bloke as it’s possible to be.
Latest blow against personal rights and reasoned approach to dying. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/euthanasia-campaigner-dr-philip-nitschke-suspended-by-medical-board
In a press conference in Adelaide, Nitschke said: “The board’s decision seems in keeping with the Liberal government’s long-standing policy of censorship of information on death and dying,” he said….
The South Australian Board of the Medical Board of Australia said it made the decision, which will apply nationally, to “keep the public safe”.
The interim suspension, an “immediate action” separate to other inquiries the regulator is conducting into the man dubbed “Doctor Death”, was triggered by an ABC television story in July alleging that Nitschke had counselled an apparently depressed but otherwise healthy Perth man, Nigel Brayley, to take his own life.
Brayley, 45, died in May after taking a euthanasia drug he illegally imported from China.
Mental health groups Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute believe Dr Nitschke had an obligation to recommended psychiatric help to Mr Brayley, but Dr Nitschke said it
was not his role to intervene….
Dr Nitschke, who described the suspension as a “politically motivated deregistration”, told AM it was “clearly stupid” to claim he is a risk to public safety.
@ Ron 9.22
You mean Abbott? It seems that the big push is coming from a very conservative
medical board. Although only of one state, but then it seems it will be automatic for the whole of the country.
The South Australian Board of the Medical Board of Australia said it made the decision, which will apply nationally, to “keep the public safe”.
It is amazing how difficult it is for politicians to accept new ideas and it is unsatisfactory that we have to go cap in hand to them, and possibly have, in NZ to wait for a private members Bill to be drawn from a lottery. My scenario for what would produce good social legislation would change that.
We should be able to go to a Tribunal and state that we have a People’s Bill which we wanted put in our own system, parallel with government but doing much of the work ourselves for what we thought would be a good idea. This would then go into the select committee process with submissions heard or received on it, which would be incorporated unless unreasonable. It would however be an opt-in situation for being accepted in its final form, when there was no glaring reason why not.
Then it would have a pilot and be monitored before being introduced nationally and examined after two years for any faults, or extra steps and funding. Sensitive matters like this would be assessed every four years, one year longer than a present parliamentary term, as it seems a good long period in which to assess whether it needed small improvements.
All pollies need to do is to introduce reasonable safeguards, after consultation with long-standing groups, and then enable what people want. Let people decide when they are ready to die, have some counselling sessions first ensuring that depression and stress received help when people are still young,. Even if thinking of going when they are still ‘young’ oldies, which is in their 70’s nowadays, despite many news reports referring to 50 year olds as elderly.
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Despite a “historic” ceasefire agreement in Papua New Guinea between Enga authorities and tribal leaders after months of bitter warfare, a young woman has been found brutally killed near Kaekin village, Wapenamanda. Despite the peace agreement and signing concluded in Port Moresby last Thursday ...
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
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Difference between Hosking and Campbell
Campbell has ethics, Hoskings – no evidence of any
Campbell is a professional, Hoskings – no evidence
Campbell has intellectual honesty, Hosking – narcissistic personality
Campbell likely to over-correct his politics and be harder on Cunliffe. Hosking likely to under correct be harder on Cunliffe
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10303335/Labour-claims-Hoskings-biased
Labour claims everyone is biased. What’s new.
Perhaps. I saw Gower on TV3 at 750am this morning and I would say he did not paint John Key in a very good light at all. So that’s one. 😉
I am a fan of Campbells style: he is not however immune from getting it wrong. A few nights ago he did the gushing act whilst blaming Russia and Putin for the aeroplane disaster. Which would have been fine if he had any solid evidence. He fell into the trap of being judge jury and executioner and failing to ascertain any real evidence of guilt from any party. Even if he is proven correct he got it so wrong, he just sounded like a lapdog puppet of American media opinions. I no longer trust his objectivity.
Ow. I eyerolled too hard and hurt myself.
Not surprising, no brain to cushion the roll!
He plays on emotions. That’s all he does.
Given Hoskings clear bias, how can he chair the debates.
He is clearly a tool of right wing and corporate interests.
From the article ….”It includes Hosking dismissing Cunliffe as a “moron” – and his endorsement of Prime Minister John Key before a major political speech last year.”
And this ….
Seven Sharp – The day public broadcasting died
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/07/22/seven-sharp-the-day-public-broadcasting-died/
Jeez, after the witch hunt and banning of party political involvement by staff at TVNZ over the Taurima affair they think tory toady Hosking is acceptable in anyway for this task?
But then unofficially of course National is the preferred party among significant numbers of TVNZ senior presenters and executives and that is ok because it is all tacit and assumed ‘born to rule’ stuff.
The dilemma for Labour–do they want to be put in the ‘invited to appear but declined’ box that National usually occupies over uncomfortable situations.
This is a link to a 7blunt review for those who won’t visit TDB:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/couch-potato/10301046/Wake-up-New-Zealand
For those who will – this has been an interesting discussion over the past day:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/07/23/dear-seven-sharp-i-have-little-interest-in-appearing-on-your-show-so-that-you-can-pretend-to-have-some-type-of-balance/
Actually; Karol has copy/ pasted the relevant section of the Stuff review down at comment 5. Too late to edit though. This from Gruntie’s link at 1 stands out for me (others have already mentioned Hosking’s bias and moron lines:
However I quite liked Robertson’s line:
“If it’s true, we’d rather have Jeremy Wells as Mike Hosking, than Mike Hosking.”
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/07/21/jeremy-wells-mike-hosking-rant-on-radio-hauraki-today-10/
If you have not heard them, enjoy them all here .
Just change the date numeral at the end of the link to roll on through the collection
enjoy the mirth 🙂
Update – Bradbury declines to appear on 7Blunt due to Hoskings appointment as debate chair:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/07/24/dear-seven-sharp-after-learning-hosking-will-be-the-leaders-debate-moderator-no-i-will-not-give-you-the-pretence-of-balance-i-refuse-to-appear-on-your-show/#comment-233652
Media non-entity throws toys out of cot expecting people to give a damn in egotistical belief that he is standing up for some higher principle. In other news old man rants at television in retirement home because he doen’t like something someone on it has said.
I often wonder if you right wing nut jobs realise just how flawed your logic is. If Bomber Bradbury is such a “Media non-entity” why was he asked to appear on Seven un-Sharp?
”If Bomber Bradbury is such a “Media non-entity” why was he asked to appear on Seven un-Sharp?”’
According to his piece at TDB, wasn’t it because he kicked up such a fuss about Slater getting on 7Sharp ? I can’t remember exactly now but the details are in a piece he wrote asking people to vote on whether or not he should accept 7Sharp’s invitation to appear
Well spotted Paul.
Had to laugh when reading that Hosking dismisses claims of his bias “because I get accused of bias everyday of my life” ….
helllooooooooo ……….
I think it hilarious. And Paul linking to the daily blog rant and boomer to back up your argument about bias…. That’s priceless.
“Wake up New Zealand!” A TV review in 2 parts on Stuff yesterday:
This on Cam Slat on Seven Sharp:
I agree with the conclusion that the Wake programme was poorly done. Hoqwever, it did provide some info on a remarkable woman. And the main take away for me, the statement about the MO of the French Resistance – basically about, even though the Natsies had power and military might on their side, the aim of the Resistance was to disrupt and damage the Natsies operations and despotic, inhumane systems as much as possible.
It is salient though unpleasant, to repeat Martyn Bradbury’s list of some of Slaters offensiveness here;
“Remember when Slater called a person who died in a car accident ‘feral’ for speeding while taking photos of himself speeding?
–Remember when Slater described a Kings student who drank himself to death as “a toffee-nosed school boy, a dead thief and a liar who couldn’t handle his piss. I always said King’s boys were poofs.”?
–Remember when Slater published all the details of businessman Matt Blomfield whose computer he somehow obtained?
–Remember when he was convicted of breaching a variety of name suppression orders?
–Remember when Slater published the personal employment details of a wharf protestor?
–Remember when Slater posted a fake Green Party press release that inspired threats of violence against Russel Norman?
–Remember Slater publishing lewd cruel details of Len Brown’s affair that went well below the belt in a spiteful and dehumanising way?
–Remember when Slater publicized a doctored interview with Jim Anderton edited into Anderton saying an earthquake would need to strike for him to lose the Christchurch mayoralty?
–Remember when Slater was wanting looters in Christchurch to be shot in the stomach so that the death would be slow and painful?
–Remember when he claimed Chris Carter’s mother who was dead for 12 years was still using a taxpayer cell phone?
–And recently Slater was trying to claim that Tania Billingsley is some sort of Green Party honeytrap who put herself up as bait so she could scream ‘rape culture’.”
And I would add the nasty smear campaign Slater initiated against the Greens when an associate did a non destructive ‘Banksy’ (the artist) style stickering campaign of National Party election signage. Linked to this was his junior stasi “Tipline” trying to get activists car regos and identities for online publishing.
Pure filth still, the PMs confidante, and should be treated as such.
James at 4 thinks all that is hilarious. Unbelievable….I’m alright Jack…the cult of the selfish
Symptomatic of too many New Zealanders who have been infected with the poison of neoliberalism.
Didnt his breach of a name suppression lead to identifying a victim without their consent?
a repost from last night
Meet John Key and his All Blacks. Cover image for this week’s Rugby News apparently.
https://www.facebook.com/pmjohnkey/photos/a.10150162547855429.346317.12635800428/10152606072995429/?type=1&fref=nf
Here is the image alone for those not wanting to read the comments
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t31.0-8/p600x600/10541396_10152606072995429_4979096729614657622_o.jpg
Gotta be said, the lighting does not look like they were all photographed together.
There are some comments that Rugby News have confirmed it as real, but I cannot find any reference to it on their site at this time. Odd that the magazine would release a cover image to a personal political page before publication.
Does this make the All Blacks third party promoters of the PM?
Wonder if the Electoral commission will be asked for comment on this? The TeamKey hashtag is in the PM’s comment under the photo, thus directly linking the image to the campaign.
John Key
Richie is looking a little bemused, but it’s all in the spirit of backing the boys. Catch Rugby News this week. #teamkey, I wish.
went to tidy up the quoted line at the bottom, but edit permission was denied 🙁
What a creepy pic! Key as try hard wannabe – a self parody. Meanwhile, there’s a decline in his support among women.
Ugh. Were the players asked?
Hope they lose now.
Wishing bad on others just because they may not agree with you. Yep – you’re a leftie.
The All Blacks vote National do they? Politics shouldn’t come into it. Rugby News has forced it upon us.
Thinking the NZRU and National are automatically representative of each other? Yep, you’re a righty.
Wow, Cameron Slater is a leftie ?
haha – fair cop on that one.
Gower said Rugby News told him that the jersey was sent to key and he posed in his office and it was then photoshopped. (750am TV3)
Given a panelbeater was brow-beaten over his shop name near eden park for insinuated advertising by the NZRU during the World Cup, this seems odd indeed.
Yep definitely photoshopped. Not just the totally different lighting on Key’s face but also the fact that his left elbow seems to have mysteriously disappeared. (see freedom’s links above).
The magazine claims the cover photo with Key photoshopped onto a pic of some ABs and labelled ‘leader of the pack’ – is nothing to do with the election.
I assume the AB’s management approved it, the players featured would have had to approve it – and I assume Key’s advisers would have checked if it breached the electioneering rules given the timing.
John Key, the ‘No 1 AB fan’ who is such a rugby fanatic he cannot remember his position on the Springbok tour.
They announced that Key had been photoshopped in. As far as I’m concerned, he’s insulting the jersey by wearing it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11298450
Buried at the end of the article is a comment suggesting proper consideration on this matter was absent from the All Black’s controllers.
Nothing to do with NZ Rugby? Just the All Blacks and an election year, do they really think only National supporters play Rugby?
To be clear, if the PM had done this during the RWC, no problem. This is weeks from an election.
Nobody Knows What Makes a Good CEO
So, why are we paying so much for these people when it obviously makes no difference?
Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised by this when the evidence is that the more you pay people in administrative roles the less well they do.
It’s a game perpetuated by the in-crowd. They pay each other over inflated wages to justify their own, including Chair fees and board fees.
I learned a long time ago from professional experience that just cos someone has CEO under their name does not mean that they are intelligent or good at their job. Of course there are great CEO’s out there but I wish we would stop assuming overseas is better. That’s BS there are great people being overlooked constantly.
Because when you don’t pay the workers decent wages your firms make more profit.
When your firms make more profit you have to extract it legally in some way to your own pocket and to ensure that you don’t pay appropriate taxes to the very governments that have allowed you to pay your workers a pittance by passing laws to take away workers rights.
You also need to do this so you have enough money to buy over inflated houses to make your non-taxed capital gains and extract some of your workers wages back through rents.
The main way to extract this profit and turn it into your own capital is to pay yourself (and your mates) shitloads of money through salaries and shares.
QED really.
The UN have voted on conducting an inquiry whether Israel’s actions in Gaza are war crimes.
“Of the 47 participating countries on the council, 29 voted for opening an investigation, 17 abstained, and one voted against.”Source: http://www.nationaljournal.com
No surprises in who the objection came from.
How many resolutions has Israel ignored over the years?
Also pay attention to the morally gutless abstentions – the entire EU, UK, Japan, S Korea, etc.
There is always the American fear that they too could be charged with War Crimes in Iraq and in Afghanistan. So additional self interest in the NO.
+1
There’s a lot of people that need to be charged with war crimes in the world at the moment. I’d say that I’m surprised that we’re ignoring them but it’s par for the course – the powerful don’t get charged.
Flag burning…..
Here is a summary of what I think are the core points of the argument between ShawnLH and myself. According to ShawnLH:
“Ugly is the resident expert in how to have no argument.”
“No evidence, no credible sources, nothing other than Ugly’s opinions based solely on his interpretation of events to suit his bias against Israel.”
The central point was that a US official admitted that classified evidence existed which linked the Israelis to 9/11.
“Evidence linking these Israelis to 9/11 is classified. I cannot tell you about evidence that has been gathered. It’s classified information.”
US official quoted in Carl Cameron’s Fox News report on the Israeli spy ring.
“US officials admitted to reporters that the entire investigation had become “too hot to handl”, but declined to give further details. However, some FBI officials did confirm at the time that the Israelis were running a major eavesdropping operation that had penetrated into the highest echelons of the US administration.” ~ Jane’s Intelligence Digest 3/15/2002
So why is this important? Like Reid said, 9/11 was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, geopolitical events since WWII. If the Zionists were behind 9/11 then the ramifactions for the current events in Gaza are huge, which brings us the the second point, the difference between Jews and Zionists.
Like mikenmild said, ShawnLH lied when he said that I was anti-Jewish. To illustrate this point, here is a quote from the Jerusalem post:
“After years of research, Misinai says that he can declare with certainty that nearly 90 percent of all Palestinians are descended from the Jews. “And what’s more, about half of them know it,” he says. Not only that, many Palestinians retain Jewish customs, including mourning rituals, lighting Shabbat or memorial candles and even wearing tefillin.”
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/The-lost-Palestinian-Jews
So when the Zionist state of Israel shells homes and hospitals and murders children on the beach, it becomes an anti-semitic state and any complaints of anti-semitism by Zionist apologists become a monumental form of hypocrisy.
So, if after reading this you don’t detect a certain smell, like something is rootten in the state of Denmark, then I challenge you to say why any New Zealander should not support the call to remove the Israeli embassy from Wellington.
Minto was excellent on the flag burning on MR this morning-worth a listen.
Bearded Git +100…Minto was superb… Espiner was a creep…. and the Jewish spokesperson tried a pathetic smear of Minto…as a promoter of hatred
Jews for Justice for Palestinians:
http://jfjfp.com/
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/origin.html
http://www.againstourbetterjudgment.com/
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-israeli-dream-the-criminal-roadmap-towards-greater-israel/5391839
http://www.globalresearch.ca/
Also on radionz this morning was a rep from a combined religions council. They agree that taking arms and killing is not the way to go and that sitting down and talking conciliation should be the method. How fucking trite.
Anybody who had a modicum of desire for respectful relationships and peaceful and fair negotiations between the clashing parties of Israel and Palestine and surrounding countries could say that. And those talks. How many already and how many booby trapped by some small aggression, serious enough, but not enough to start World War 2 and a half. There is always some bad faith action that jars any eye to eye mutual and positive understandings and that is allowed to indicate an end to the talks and efforts and hard work by those working to get conciliation and honest dialogue and real action to solve the crisis and deal with the ongoing problems as satisfactorily as would be possible for the two parties’ interests and needs.
There must be so much money or land in it or both that keep the Israeli elite in a position of overall power while the populace live with compulsory armed service, uncertainty, instability in a country with a damaged reputation inviting contempt while the Palestinians fall before them managing only to bite them on the ankles, or blow their feet off.
edited
A little humour…
http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/nevil42/media/israelsoldier_zpsa7d00c46.jpg.html
Anyway. I think labour has given key way to much ammunition over the last few months. They might want to stay on message now but banning cosmetics and moas galore will be raised in the debates.
Not to mention apologising for being a man. Pretty sure that will be in there.
Debates should be fun to watch and I predict key will win them clearly. Esp linking labour with Kim dotcon
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/listen-on-demand/audio/114004302-kim-dotcom–early-life
Here is Dotcom explaining some of his background, especially the ‘criminal background’.
It’s a short clip with the relevant section roughly 1/3 way through.
Here is the full interview, well, as full as has been released for on-demand viewing.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/national/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=144347
I endorse that the interview with Kim Dotcom was wellworth the time even for those who are anti-Kim.
@James 9.00
Fun to watch eh. Obviously you don’t want a leftish government. To me your scenario about them sounds possible but I would find that excruciating.
Two shocks already and it’s only 9a.m. Turned radio on, to hear that the ‘gnome of Remuera’ is going to be the moderator for tv3 debates, threw up egg, then looked at photo of abs with the little gnome of America, threw up toast. FFS what the Hades is going on.
Dammit! Tvnz!!!!
This is in the Dominion Post this morning (part of the Hosking story). It looks to me like the Nats
are sh- – scared of having ShonKey debate along with David Cunliffe.
“Meanwhile, National’s campaign team is pushing behind the scenes to include the Greens in the pre-election debates, but TVNZ has ruled this out.”
JK+100…everything points towards John Key and Nactional being shit scared of having face to face television debates with David Cunliffe…Why?:
….David Cunliffe is a superb debater with a vast command of the issues facing New Zealand
….David Cunliffe has ethics and compassion ( something John Key lacks)
….David Cunliffe is young and fresh looking
….David Cunliffe is way more handsome than John Key…(bet he looks better in his speedos too!)
Actually Russel Norman is a looker as well….lol….and I bet he looks better in his speedos than John Key…lets face it the Left has a great line up of superbly intelligent and good looking male contestants …and that includes Hone ( great bone structure and tan ) ….and Winnie the suave silver fox in the senior section ( every sophisticated senior woman’s crumpet)
*…and that is just the male line up….the female brains and beauty line up on the Left is even better!…if that is possible!
JK+100…everything points towards John Key and Nactional being shit scared of having face to face television debates with David Cunliffe…Why?:
….David Cunliffe is way more handsome than John Key…(bet he looks better in his speedos too!)
Actually Russel Norman is a looker as well….lol….and I bet he looks better in his speedos than John Key…lets face it the Left has a great line up of superbly intelligent and good looking male contestants …and that includes Hone ( great bone structure and tan ) ….and Winnie the suave silver fox in the senior section ( every sophisticated senior woman’s crumpet)
*…and that is just the male line up….the female brains and beauty line up on the Left is even better!…if that is possible!
@ Puckish sad one ……Nup!……this is the REALITY of it!….and spoken on a breakfast of two glasses of squeezed lemon juice…dark wholemeal toast, NZ butter, NZ vegemite and NZ peanut butter…. and downed with a very strong cup of expresso coffee
….dont own “cooking sherry” …yuk!… just good Pinot ( a glass of which imbibed last thing after a good meal at night)….but as you know all about the “cooking sherry” dear Pucky….i reckon you and Nactional have been into the cupboard and are already trying to fortify yourselves on secret little binges
…bracing yourselves against the MIGHTY Cunliffe onslaught TV debates
…a debacle is looming and you know it !
….you Puckish running scared Rogue you…..
yeah but while it would water down the Key v Cunliffe debate it would be good to have the Greens there-they deserve major party status now they have polled 10-15% for 6 years
@Bearded Git 9.31
+100 It is so FPP. It is simpler to divide and rule that way for the power-players. Their internal monologue. The Greens damn them, just won’t curl up and die, but we aren’t going to give them any oxygen.
At one time there was talk here about the Wiri geology and coastline. Who was it? I have been talking to someone about this area.
And the OCR Official Cash Rate, Overnight Cash Rate? has gone up to 3.5%. Our economy is growing strongly you will be pleased to hear. Which part I don’t know, it wasn’t spelt out. Just as extra size from muscle growth is usually lesser and firmer than excess fat which can help to an early death, I am concerned how healthy this growth is.
The living wage, Miramar Wellington restaurant La Boca Loca is worth supporting for those who can afford to eat out,
ALL the staff at this particular, Mexican themed, restaurant are now to be paid the living wage,
Source: Stuff.co.nz/DominionPost
The CEO of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Raewyn Bleakly of course opposes such living wage payments claiming wages ”should be about performance and productivity”,
Is that true, i say that Her statement is patently Bullshit, all the sum parts of an industry are of equal value and productivity,
Simply put, if the chefs in a restaurant had to stop preparing the meals to both deliver the food to the customer and then later collect and wash the dishes and cutlery then such work would be valued at the cost of the chefs employment,
The same could be applied to the office cleaner, what is the value of your work in your office, if that unseen cleaner were to not clean your office that simply would leave two choices, you would have to work amidst the mess, or, clean it yourself,
So, if it takes an hour of your time to clean your office the usual cleaner of your office is as valuable as the hour of your time,
BIG UPS to the latest business noted above for paying ALL their staff the living wage,(what is it with Miramar, an Eastern Suburb here in Wellington, the local bakery also pays its one labourer the living wage)…
Footnote: Delighted with the remuneration you receive for the daily grind in your office???, well lucky you,
How bout you just for once look past the end of your nose, ignore the protection of your own privilege just for an hour,
Promote a staff/stop-work meeting in your office/workplace and demand the living wage for those who clean your workspace…
Funny how CEOs always manage to find obtuse justifications for their own big pay increases; no justifications provided for the workers who actually add value though.
You just have to watch Hoskings little smug condescending comments about Cunliffe at the end of some of 7sharp shows to see this clown is far from a neutral front man.
Tell me why are they not putting up a political editor or deputy, Dann & Parkinson piss all over Hosking because politics is their bread & butter. You can count on Key-National cheerleader Hosking continuing to bait DC with his little end of show slagging.
Wake the fuck up TVNZ this is a taxpayer funded broadcaster. Someone should link a complaint form to the broadcasting standards commission and or the electoral commission to put some heat on the Nat hand picked mongrel board of TVNZ
Hoskings has always reminded me of a picky vege eating lost boy
(didnt Hoskings once do the vege report?…he was very good at it!…maybe he should go back to it)
Skinny, it takes just as long for someone else to do it as it would have taken you to do it.
Almost no time at all. 🙂
http://bsa.govt.nz/complaints/making-a-complaint
Thanks freedom, I was heading out in the country where the coverage is crap at the time 🙂 poor excuse but true ha ha.
Thanks for not being annoyed, I do realise I could have phrased it more politely 🙂
Sometimes hard to get the tone right on topics like that, without getting all verbose.
TVNZ is a disgrace!
‘Dear Seven Sharp – after learning Hosking will be the leaders debate moderator – NO I will not give you the pretence of balance & I refuse to appear on your show’
By Martyn Bradbury / July 24, 2014
In light of this decision by TVNZ to give someone as biased as Hosking the moderator role in the all important leaders debates, I have decided that I will decline Seven Sharp’s offer because it will be nothing more than a manufactured pathetic attempt at balance….
I have to be honest, I had made the decision last night to accept Seven Sharp’s hastily offered opportunity to appear on their show after I savagely criticised the bullshit whitewash story they did on John Key’s favourite far right hate speech merchant, Cameron Slater….This morning I wake to the appalling news that Mike Bloody Hosking will be the moderator of the TVNZ leadership debates???
No. Fucking. Way.
Hosking is to the right of Caligula, allowing him to moderate the debate would be like appointing Cameron Slater to sit on the Broadcasting Standards Authority! It’s one hate crime against public broadcasting to allow Hosking to host Seven Sharp in the first place but to allow him to moderate the leaders debate is an outright abomination. Hosking moderating the leaders debates will be as credible as asking him to do a critical story on his corporate benefactor Sky City.
Why is it different to John Campbell moderating the debates on TV3? TV3 is a private company who can do what they like, TVNZ is supposed to be the Public Broadcaster and as such have a demand on balance far higher than TV3. Shane Taurima was rightfully crucified for his bias inside TVNZ (despite the fact that it was Management’s incompetence to bring him back in the first place), but his stupidity has allowed TVNZ to conduct a witch hunt for reds under the bed within the news room while foaming right wing fanatics get to front current affairs programs with no questions asked.
30 years of neoliberalism has pulled the Political centre so far to the right that the shrill beige brigade of Espiner, Hosking, Henry, Garner and Gower are enabled to construct one vast unchallenged narrative arch where the Right are always right and the Left are criminally insane.
In light of this decision by TVNZ to give someone as biased as Hosking the moderator role in the all important leaders debates, I have decided that I will decline Seven Sharp’s offer because it will be nothing more than a manufactured pathetic attempt at balance. I’m a Campbell Live supporter and would hate to do anything that would turn attention away from real current affairs to a sick joke like Seven Sharp.
Oh, so there is an upside to Hosking moderating the debate
My opinion, ‘Bomber’ should have accepted the invite, read exactly what you have printed there out on prime time tv and then got up and walked out of the studio,
Wasted opportunity…
@ Bad from yesterday. I don’t dispute your figures and I’m in no doubt you can back your numbers, I would expect no less. My point of dispute is that tough as it is for those 20% there are ways to engage.
Lolz @ Alien, stop being sneaky, remember we were discussing a particular piece of Green Party election policy,
While i in no way oppose a policy of providing Kindy hours for two year old’s i think i made the case? that it was/is wrong for the Green Party to tout this policy as ”child poverty busting” which was the intent/wording of the form email sent to my inbox under Metiria’s signature,
Sure Alien ”there are ways to engage” the 20% of those that leave the education system every year barely able to read or write, BUT, that was not the central issue of debate was it, and, more crucially, these ”ways” you allude to, i look around from horizon to horizon, and, see none of these ”ways” as an election policy,(except as my nod indicated yesterday Labour’s slight move of a toe in the general direction with decreased class sizes)…
Matthew Hooton fighting hard to keep his house value high and free of low decile interlopers.
” Parents from two elite Auckland public schools are up in arms after learning of a proposal to put them in an overlapping zone with two lower decile schools.
The Ministry of Education advised One Tree Hill College and Selwyn College to put enrolment schemes in place due to rapid roll growth.
Both schools are consulting with the community before submitting the schemes to the ministry for approval.
The proposed home zones would overlap with Epsom Girls Grammar School and Auckland Grammar School.
Parent Matthew Hooton owns a house in the proposed overlap and says the consultation has been “wholly unsatisfactory”.
The process had been rushed and parents still didn’t know the basis behind the zone overlap, he said.
Many parents were anxious that eventually these houses would be excluded from the Epsom Girls and Grammar zones, he said.
This had spurred a group of parents to inquire about taking legal action, Hooton said.
“You live in this area because you pay $100,000 more for your house so you can access Epsom Girls Grammar and Auckland Grammar School,” he said.
“Any perceived threat to these zones will be met with fierce resistance.”
and then…
he and others engaged Russell McFactory… high end law firm in Auckland and hey presto
”
Auckland Grammar, One Tree Hill College and Epsom Girls’ Grammar. Auckland Grammar, One Tree Hill College and Epsom Girls’ Grammar.
Hostile feedback from residents in some of the country’s most expensive real estate has caused an emerging school to back away from including them in its new zone.
A rapidly rising roll has seen the Ministry of Education to direct One Tree Hill College to draw-up a proposed school zone.
The school, which has seen its roll and local reputation greatly increase, put forward a zone that would overlap with those of seven other schools, including Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar.
Selwyn College has also consulted on a proposed zone that would overlap with EGGS and AGS.
Next trending article: Hospitals struggle with flu surge
Residents in shared zone areas were assured they will be able to choose which school their children attend.
However, some living in the sought-after “double Grammar zone” believed it might be a first step to their eventual exclusion from EGGS and AGS, because of roll pressure on the two schools.
Submissions cited proximity issues and the desire for children to attend a single-sex school, and concern about the value of property was also a factor.
Last year the Herald reported that a Mt Eden home just 750m outside the grammar zones went for $516,000 less than a similar house up the road that was within zone.
Act Party Epsom candidate David Seymour set-up a petition against the One Tree Hill proposal after fielding “a stream of phone calls and emails”.
Lobbyist and local resident and Matthew Hooton also protested against what he said was unsatisfactory consultation, and with other parents briefed law firm Russell McVeagh.
One Tree Hill College has now made the decision to withdraw any proposed overlap of the grammar zones.
The proposed Selwyn College zone will also be amended so it does not overlap with the two neighbouring schools.
One Tree Hill College said it wanted to remain focussed on the education of its students and not be drawn into “political manoeuvring” around enrolment zones in central Auckland.
“This is a success story of another New Zealand school doing extremely well and achieving excellent outcomes for our youth,” principal Nick Coughlan said.
“It is not about what Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar may, or may not do, in terms of changing their zones.
“That is a decision for their respective boards of trustees. One Tree Hill College were simply proposing an enrolment zone to meet Ministry of Education guidelines.”
That included the need to not divide areas and homes around contributing schools.
The college received about 150 submissions, the vast majority of which were from those opposed to the overlap with the grammar zones.
Mr Coughlan said the most who were opposed also recognised the college’s success, and he wanted to acknowledge them. A handful were not so measured, however.
“There were certainly one or two who went full quid, for want of a better term.””
I have to say fair enough Hooton and the others are hostile I would be too. Ya need to pick ya fights a bit better Tracy.
whooooosh
Triple WOOSH….
If you are correct tracey that Hooton said this …… “You live in this area because you pay $100,000 more for your house so you can access Epsom Girls Grammar and Auckland Grammar School, he said. Any perceived threat to these zones will be met with fierce resistance”
Then Matthew Hooton is an ignorant arsehole. It is no wonder that people of his ilk are detested outside of Epsom. I spit on them like they spit on us.
When I went to Epsom Grammar, parents didn’t need to own a house, or an expensive hosue for their daughters to attend.
People living in the area now have contributed to house price inflation, and excluded the descendants of working class people who once lived in the school’s catchment area. All for snobbery, status and unequal privilege.
yes it disgusts me
you know the funny thing is that the company of working class people is preferred to that of the snobs and the privileged – they tend to be ignorant which together with the disturbing power that they wield also makes them dangerous. oh and they are on average and in comparison simply very boring.
boring
boring
boring
The Party Party looks like quite a Party – about the worst that Stuff could say was that it took a while for the crowd to arrive and get out on the dance floor; on a Wednesday night in the middle of winter.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10304657/Dotcom-kicks-off-Internet-Party-party
The thing that surprised me watching that clip is just how American Dotcom sounds on the mic. I guess it’s long established that many Kiwi rock acts will put on a British or American accent while preforming (probably not even consciously). But I’m so used to Dotcom’s speaking voice having a distinct deutscher tone, that his performance style is quite unexpected (though if you listen to some of the vowels he still has a few lingering umlauts).
wow …looks like FUN!…this is why the Left coalition is going to win…YOUNG PEOPLE VOTING!
Cunliffe rightly backs Government’s stand:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Cunliffe-backs-Govt-on-MH17-Gaza/tabid/1607/articleID/353969/Default.aspx
I’ve learnt a lot about the longstanding Palestinian/Israeli conflict in the last 2 weeks.
Our allies the US are supplying Israel with political cover, advanced weapons and funding which is then being used to kill hundreds of unarmed civilians: the indigenous natives whose land Israel has illegally and militarily occupied/stolen since 1967.
I don’t feel that NZ’s position anywhere adequately reflects these facts.
+100 CV
so it seems Cunliffee knew he was meeting with a sex offender – and told lies when caught out.
Mr Cunliffe confirmed to the Herald last night that he had arranged for the person – whose case has been the topic of media coverage – to meet a Labour candidate but said he had no idea about the controversial background until yesterday.
“If I had known of the suggestion, no such meeting would have taken place.”
But Newstalk ZB reported:
Mr Cunliffe admits a prominent New Zealander’s possible sexual offending had been raised with him before he met with the man in Queenstown last week.
So what is it? He did know – or didnt – If the admission to Newstalk ZB is true – are people happy with this?
[lprent: So by your logic, I must be a woman because of my first name? After all that is that fuckwit Cameron Slater’s insinuation. But if you aren’t a retarded sociopath, you don’t label or deal with people on the basis of rumour and possibilities. After all there are always uncivilised morans around making up and passing unsustantiated rumours around.
Just to demonstrate I will follow your ‘rule’. Because you appear to have no logic I choose at this point to think you are a silly adolescent dork who is trolling here. After all there have been people saying things similar to that about you.
So in the absence of any proof to the contrary (because it is probably suppressed), you are banned for 2 weeks. ]
Jesus, you Tories have got some gall bringing this subject up. You’re havin’ a laugh, aint ya ? I mean do you not feel just a modicum of embarrassment or shame ?
If Labour MPs refused to meet anyone about whom unsubstantiated rumours or lies had been spread, caucus meetings would have to be teleconferences.
Lol. Bye, James.
Not at all.
Its a pretty simple question. Did he lie about this. Sure looks like it.
Or are you saying that its OK to lie as long as you are leader of Labour.
Its OK to Meet and take wine from convicted sex offenders as long as you are leader of labour.
Its OK to joke about killing prostitutes if you are a supporting the left (Kim dotcom).
Seems that the rape culture that got so much comments is indeed alive and well – right here in the standard.
edit- by some people – not a reference to the standard itself or all of its posters.
Just some who are happy to look the other way when its one of their ‘own’
@ James 12.13
Oh piss off. Take your faux concerns for probity and political analysis and post them to National, along with a big dollop of humbugs, and those long lasting gob stoppers, but do keep a few for yourself..
I have some advice for cunliffe (not that he’d take it)
If you are about to meet with someone and you hears rumours that they may in fact be a sexual predator then you get someone to apoligise on your behalf and do not, I repeat, do not meet that person
Its not that difficult
If someone tells your wife a rumour they heard that you are a pedophile, then your wife should ask your kids not to talk to you anymore ? No proof needed? Just innuendo and suspicion will do?
The question Cunliffe has to ask himself is how will it play out in public especially in light of his popularity and polling
A tough, knotty, barbed sort of question, until you consider the offender’s strong links to the National Party.
Careful now, don’t want to get the standard in trouble…
On that thought though I agree that they should be named and shamed, this is more important then whatever percieved damage may occur
[lprent: Indeed. If people want to have a name and shame then they need to get a judge to agree with them.
I currently have a tendency to simply ban suppression order offenders either permanently or until after the election.
But OAK hasn’t got close to that. There are a lot of strongly offensive National supporters. ]
I think it’s you who should be careful what you wish for, trash.
Your gutter threats at 21.2.1.1 (yes they are, lowlife) expose your gutter character. Get off my shoe.
Really?
With so many lies told by tories, how is anyone supposed to realistically regard any particular rumour as being true?
I actually agree.
There must be some political radar going haywire because they should have run for the hills once they heard those rumours…
No, no it doesn’t. You can’t beat up an unsubstantiated rumour (that might not have even been at all specific) into “knowledge”.
Telling Parliament that the PM’s office got your old school chum’s cellphone number from the phone book when they wanted to offer him a job, on the other hand – that looks like a lie.
nope. Lying is bad. Try to stop doing it.
It is if you don’t know they were a convicted sex offender because the courts suppressed their name.
No. And he’s been called out on that both here and by folk in the Internet Party.
Little tory learned a new word, but still doesn’t know how to use it. That’s sweet.
So you want our politicians and their staff to openly and actively break name suppression orders?
perhaps you care to answer these questions then
by the by
Went to see what New Zealand’s political sage had to say on the Queenstown matter and was not disappointed. As balanced and objective as ever, with more tumble weed spotting than a coyote conference, all to the accompaniment of the ever growing volumes of whoosh as Cunliffe’s comments to Soper sailed clear over his little pointed head.
He also skirts more closely to openly naming the person than any blog has.
As for that other vehicle of investigative integrity he runs . . nothing since June 11.
A little story about a defunct speculator who lost his collection of valuable cars which apparently went to Dotcom, who then had them confiscated, and now Dave Blackmore is having a fit of schadenfreude and has enough spare time to run around in a vehicle with slogans trying to upset Dotcom’s political advance.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10789678
There is a piece on Blackmore and his propaganda vehicle on… greasy.
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/tag/david-blackmore/
Here is one reason why the Left is going to win this Election!…the Internet /Mana Party…which is scooping up the youth and multi-cultural vote
‘Internet Party Party review’
By Martyn Bradbury / July 24, 2014
I have been to A LOT of political party functions in my time, and they tend to be dull affairs at the best of times but what is happening with Internet MANA is something quite exciting. I went to last nights ‘Party Party’ because I wanted to see what the turn out would be like and who exactly wants to vote for Internet MANA.
Good stuff from ‘Bomber’, the question also interests me, will be looking when the ‘roadshow’ comes to town to see who other than ‘the usual suspects’ turns out in support…
the rugby magazine cover is real, i just saw it at the supermarket.
I wonder how much the nats paid for the ad? And does it have a disclosure statement? (yeah, right)
I cc’d the Electoral Commission in my complaint.
Get typing, people.
John Key pretending to be a rugby player?! …it was dreamed up by Crosby Texter probably
…it is an revolting insult to REAL New Zealand All Blacks and REAL rugby players!….. like Winston Peters and Hone Harawira…they should challenge his PR image game of pretence in the House!
..what a phoney pretender Key is… he said he was too busy (playing the money markets?) to have even remembered the Springbok Tour!
John Key rugby player…! my arse
Commented above 6.5
24 July 2014 at 9:09 pm
Editor of mag says he’s fed up with being ‘castigated’ by people over the cover – seems he’s getting a fair bit of flak.
John Key, ‘No 1 All Black fan’ on a magazine cover in an AB shirt with four ABs with caption ‘leader of the pack’ – two months before the election.
Just a coincidence – yeah right.
Tory Entitlement update No94: Gerry Brownlee.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10306149/Gerry-Brownlee-offers-resignation-over-airport-drama
Nothing to see here though, Key relaxed: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11298499
Born to rule example No7686: the 5th National government.
He should have been fired over that. Another example of this National government being corrupt.
So Gerry Brownlee offers his resignation as Minister of Transport!
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1407/S00481/statement-from-hon-gerry-brownlee.htm
More like a publicity stunt – Is this all the Nats have to offer?
Abuse of power and privilege and theft as a servant?
I wonder if after this “sob” story Uncle John will say – “Never Mind Gerry – your doing such a fine job of fucking up NZ Transport you keep your job!”
Meh.
Gerry and John’s “lolz I’ll resign, lolz nah you’re sweet” bit is just fud to cloud Claudette’s disgrace.
So Gerry Brownlee as Minister of Transport decides he cannot bother waiting for a security check at Christchurch Airport and deliberately avoids the check by trying to board plane through the airport exit doors.
Thsi is so serious that it should result in a full police investigation and charge ion the courts, Recently Jono & Ben show were charged for a prank that involved doing something similar and all hell broke loose.
Is the minister going to be charged?
Offering a token ‘I’ll resign my portfolio’ is insufficient. He should be charged and Key should do the same to Gerry as he did to his MP for Kelston. Show Gerry the door.
Not serious? You try dodging security checks Ron. So you will get away with a roguish grin and a friendly pat. Reckon? Try it. At the same level as saying that you have a bomb in your bag. Very funny but watch what happens.
I say charge Jerry Brownlie!
Jono and ben impersonated/provided false information.
Simply bypassing security because you think you’re awesome is one of those things that’s so dickish it doesn’t appear to have been specifically legislated against in the Civil aviation Act, at first glance anyway.
Here is some good news from a Stuff poll
http://i.imgur.com/BdBS8Ba.png?1
I’m surprised this doesn’t get a thread of its own and proof that the Left will win the next election 🙂
Wonderful banter, Pucks. You read a lot of Oscar Wilde, do you ?
Naah but I watched the movie and Stephen Fry did a brilliant job playing him, even looked like him too…kinda
lol
credit where it’s due, that one was pretty funny
i am surprised that a little puppy like you Puckish isn’t covered in tire treads from having chased one too many vehicle exhausts…
lol
that is bad news for the vote them out party
Better late than never i suppose, although as far as the pinheads over at Colon’s Conservatives goes those proposing the opposite to that point in a debate would pretty much carry the moot unchallenged to any great extent,
Laugh out Loud material in among the Thursday drop of junk into the mailbox, along with one of the local freebie newspapers which deserves an ups for its well put together format and news stories topical to the area,
Anyone who gets this one, The Wellingtonian, will know what i am on about, the other freebie, the Cook Strait Times is learning but not ‘quite there’ in my opinion,
i tho digress, only most of the week late my copy of Colon’s plan for a nationwide bowel movement arrived today,
No i haven’t sent it up in flames just yet, on the back page is a gift that will just keep on giving, Lookout NZ Post workers, ‘incoming’ and my apologies beforhand,
There’s a pre-paid postage thingy on the back of a little tear off that has space for the name and address presumably so anyone having gone completely over the edge can have the little tribe of screwballs send even more of this trash,
Perfect, absolutely perfect, i plan on using the address box to send Colon and Co a little message, as its pre-paid postage Colon is picking up the tab and it will keep a postal worker or two in choclate bikkies for a while longer at least,
The message??? i haven’t decided yet, something gutter, to do with sex and travel i should imagine,
Again my apologies to any NZ Post worker who is harmed from having been subjected to such messaging…
Why not just confess to Colin that you are turned on by his countenance and would like to know him better. All those hoardings with his picture on is just driving you crazy
Why not Ron take your lurid homosexual fantasies off to some place where their telling would really be appreciated,
Try Garrett Street if you are in Wellington, don’t forget your lippy will you…
The Intercept reveals the full details of US terrorist blacklisting/watchlisting criteria. A massive revelation. Including the bizarre fact that dead people can be put on watchlists.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/07/23/blacklisted/
We are so on the slippery slope towards some form of police state in the west – it is bloody scary.
” They also define as terrorism any act that is “dangerous” to property and intended to influence government policy through intimidation.”
well that describes the US government – ha ha ha ha ha ha ha the US government has just defined itself as a terrorist organisation
……. screaming to the hellhole at the bottom we go ……… wheeeeeeee ……..
The interest of international labour, have been failed again. OECD slack on tax fraud, here a good read – http://www.icij.org/blog/2014/07/oecds-plan-end-bank-secrecy-blasted-activists?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=icij-email
Once a Chekist…
/
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law requiring internet companies to store all personal data of Russian users at data centres in Russia, a move which could chill criticism on foreign social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
These companies, which do not have offices in Russia, have become a vital resource for opposition groups and refuse to hand over user data to governments.
The use of Russian data centres would make them subject to Russian laws on government access to information.
The Kremlin said the law was aimed at “improving the management of personal data of Russian citizens on computer networks” and that companies that did not comply would be blocked.</i>
http://www.zdnet.com/putin-signs-data-retention-law-7000031897/
ha ha I like their justification – seems they are learning from the americans
Tomorrow the Israeli government is going to kill 7 children
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/10306469/Gaza-war-in-saddest-photo-from-space
Tomorrow the Israeli government is going to kill 7 children
They are very lucky that the Palestinians are not very good at firing rockets. Maybe someone upstairs likes the Israelis
Roads that are really of national significance and not just nice to haves!
Radionz News
Forestry workers condemn road delays
Work begins to clear a slip on Mangakahia Road in Northland.
Forestry contractors in storm-battered Northland say road closures and detours are causing heavy financial losses and that their plight is being ignored.
Before the rains the inhabitants around were complaining about the choking, thick, obscuring dust clouds setting off asthma attacks, lying on everything, making driving dangerous etc etc Just fill in your own ideas of what would happen if there was a dust storm.
So dry or wet there are problems not being addressed. It all makes for a level playing field though – everyone is upset and struggling. That is how NZ operates isn’t it. Wait till something is falling over, then think about it for a while, put it to a select committee. Find it is being exagerrated. Wait till someone dies and blame it all on the driver. etc etc
After seeing TV news tonight it occurs to me that the elegant solution to the Leaders’ debates dilemma is for TVNZ to host at Key/Norman debate while TV3 hosts Key/Cunliffe. The vile filth that Hoskings has spewed about Cunliffe for the past 3 years certainly disqualifies him from moderating a Key/Cunliffe debate.
Yeah, I don’t get it at all. David Cunliffe is likeable, honest and natural. He is the real Kiwi to John Key’s yanky-doodle-dandy.
You can see it in the footage from his visit to his old mates in a Timaru pub recently. On entry he hugs his old friends, hugs them! Upon sitting down for a chat, one of his childhood friends rips into the local Labour MP/candidate calling him an idiot. Cunliffe didn’t spit the dummy, he went with it and made a joke, even though his old friend had criticised one of the members of his own campaign on TV. David Cunliffe recognises he was on their patch, and that people have different views and he accepts it.
John Key would have got the GCSB onto that guy if it was #TeamKey in the firing line. He thinks anywhere in NZ is his patch.
John Key. Does. Not. Accept. Criticism.
They would have had to text Key from behind the secure cordon set up by the trained attack dogs of his diplomatic protection squad. Key is about as far from being an average bloke as it’s possible to be.
” … Key/Norman debate”.
What have got against Metiria Turei, Benghazi?
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/television-new-zealand-calling-to-have-mike-hosking-dropped-from-moderatingthe-political-debates#share
For those of you who haven’t seen this on the post on Hoskings as moderator, please sign!
Done Anker. 1,678 have signed. Amazing for less than a day.
Latest blow against personal rights and reasoned approach to dying.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/euthanasia-campaigner-dr-philip-nitschke-suspended-by-medical-board
In a press conference in Adelaide, Nitschke said: “The board’s decision seems in keeping with the Liberal government’s long-standing policy of censorship of information on death and dying,” he said….
The South Australian Board of the Medical Board of Australia said it made the decision, which will apply nationally, to “keep the public safe”.
The interim suspension, an “immediate action” separate to other inquiries the regulator is conducting into the man dubbed “Doctor Death”, was triggered by an ABC television story in July alleging that Nitschke had counselled an apparently depressed but otherwise healthy Perth man, Nigel Brayley, to take his own life.
Brayley, 45, died in May after taking a euthanasia drug he illegally imported from China.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-24/euthanasia-advocate-philip-nitschke-suspended-by-medical-board/5615268
Euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke has been suspended by the Medical Board of Australia, which says he “presents a serious risk to public health and safety”.
Mental health groups Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute believe Dr Nitschke had an obligation to recommended psychiatric help to Mr Brayley, but Dr Nitschke said it
was not his role to intervene….
Dr Nitschke, who described the suspension as a “politically motivated deregistration”, told AM it was “clearly stupid” to claim he is a risk to public safety.
What would you expect form an almost Jesuit prime minister
@ Ron 9.22
You mean Abbott? It seems that the big push is coming from a very conservative
medical board. Although only of one state, but then it seems it will be automatic for the whole of the country.
The South Australian Board of the Medical Board of Australia said it made the decision, which will apply nationally, to “keep the public safe”.
It is amazing how difficult it is for politicians to accept new ideas and it is unsatisfactory that we have to go cap in hand to them, and possibly have, in NZ to wait for a private members Bill to be drawn from a lottery. My scenario for what would produce good social legislation would change that.
We should be able to go to a Tribunal and state that we have a People’s Bill which we wanted put in our own system, parallel with government but doing much of the work ourselves for what we thought would be a good idea. This would then go into the select committee process with submissions heard or received on it, which would be incorporated unless unreasonable. It would however be an opt-in situation for being accepted in its final form, when there was no glaring reason why not.
Then it would have a pilot and be monitored before being introduced nationally and examined after two years for any faults, or extra steps and funding. Sensitive matters like this would be assessed every four years, one year longer than a present parliamentary term, as it seems a good long period in which to assess whether it needed small improvements.
All pollies need to do is to introduce reasonable safeguards, after consultation with long-standing groups, and then enable what people want. Let people decide when they are ready to die, have some counselling sessions first ensuring that depression and stress received help when people are still young,. Even if thinking of going when they are still ‘young’ oldies, which is in their 70’s nowadays, despite many news reports referring to 50 year olds as elderly.
Looks like National Standards is working real well…not!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11298477
http://i.imgur.com/4xDdxZO.png
Nothing against her at all Te Reo Putake and point taken. It was Norman that was doing the sound bites this evening which was why I thought of him.
Benjamin Netanyahu you are a war criminal, bombing a designated UN safe haven full of families is a crime against humanity; off to the Hague with you!