Whistleblowers and services to journalism

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 10th, 2013 - 57 comments
Categories: internet, john key, news, same old national, slippery, spin, Spying, telecommunications, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, us politics - Tags: , , , ,

Two whistleblowers leakers are in the news right now, both focused on the US-led surveillance society, operating in the interests of corporate power.  One is a true whistleblower, the other has created as much confusion as enlightenment. And today they are brought into focus by some journalists who have done a major service over time.

Kim Hill took it to John Key this morning on RNZ’s Morning Report,

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20130610-0735-john_key_responds_to_claims_from_winston_peters-048.mp3

She didn’t let him get away with his vague prevarications.  For instance, following through the logic of him claiming he couldn’t pursue the revealing of the Dunne emails because they weren’t in the terms of reference of the inquiry.

But who set the terms of reference, Mr Key?  Well I did.  So wasn’t that a bit stupid, Mr Key?

And, towards the end of the interview, Hill persists with questioning Key over his use of “Dunne’s lapse in judgement”, non-explanation for him losing Key’s trust.

This issue is related to the role of the Kitteridge Report on the role of the GCSB, launched in the wake of the Kim Dotcom saga.  While Dunne can be classed as a whistleblower, he hardly has performed a service for the 98% in leaking something that was due to become public anyway.  And Dunne also supported the extension of GCSB powers to legally spy on Kiwis.

So Dunne is as much diversionary foot-soldier for the expansion of authoritarian powers as helping to expose the machinations of the plutocracy, and political maneuverings of politicians, as outlined by today’s Standard guest post, and micky savage on his blog.

Kim Hill, on the other hand, exposes the fog of spin that John Key uses to mask his government’s increasing anti-democratic procedures.

Today in the Guardian the whistle-blower, who exposed the US NSA Prism surveillance system, is revealed as Edward Snowden.  As recounted by Tyler Durden (h/t Colonial Viper),

he is Edward Snowden, 29 years old. Originally from Elizabeth City, NC, a Maryland community college dropout and former Special Forces trainee, the 10 year “veteran” with the NSA, most recently in its Hawaii office under the employ of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, has just made history and joined the pantheon of such legendary whistleblowers of the US government’ secret activities as the Pentagon Papers’ Daniel Ellsberg and Wikileaks’ Bradley Manning. Last but not least, Edward is currently residing in Hong Kong, out of harm’s (read America’s) way.

In the Guardian article by Glenn Greenwald, it is revealed that Snowden always intended to make is identity known, but also did not want his identity to get more attention than the information he revealed. Snowden takes extraordinary (almost tinfoil hat) measures to avoid surveillance, knowing the powers that the US systems wield:

He is deeply worried about being spied on. He lines the door of his hotel room with pillows to prevent eavesdropping. He puts a large red hood over his head and laptop when entering his passwords to prevent any hidden cameras from detecting them.

Though that may sound like paranoia to some, Snowden has good reason for such fears. He worked in the US intelligence world for almost a decade. He knows that the biggest and most secretive surveillance organisation in America, the NSA, along with the most powerful government on the planet, is looking for him….

And he knows only too well the sophisticated technology available to them and how easy it will be for them to find him. The NSA police and other law enforcement officers have twice visited his home in Hawaii and already contacted his girlfriend, though he believes that may have been prompted by his absence from work, and not because of suspicions of any connection to the leaks.

“All my options are bad,” he said. The US could begin extradition proceedings against him, a potentially problematic, lengthy and unpredictable course for Washington. Or the Chinese government might whisk him away for questioning, viewing him as a useful source of information. Or he might end up being grabbed and bundled into a plane bound for US territory.

“Yes, I could be rendered by the CIA. I could have people come after me. Or any of the third-party partners. They work closely with a number of other nations. Or they could pay off the Triads. Any of their agents or assets,” he said.

This article by Glenn Greenwald is the latest in a series resulting from the journalist spending a lot of investigative time with and around Snowden in order to bring the NSA whistle-blown story to the public.  Snowden began working for the US government’s NSA believing he was doing something good, but then found otherwise:

He described as formative an incident in which he claimed CIA operatives were attempting to recruit a Swiss banker to obtain secret banking information. Snowden said they achieved this by purposely getting the banker drunk and encouraging him to drive home in his car. When the banker was arrested for drunk driving, the undercover agent seeking to befriend him offered to help, and a bond was formed that led to successful recruitment.

“Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world,” he says. “I realised that I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good.”

Once a believer in the liberating potential of the Internet, Snowden increasingly came to see the surveillance systems used by the US government as too powerful, all-encompassing and threatening to the existence of democracy..

Glenn Greenwald and Kim hill, take a bow for services to the fourth estate.

In contrast to the Dunne-Key-GCSB fog of spin, Snowden shows the true meaning of whistle-blower.  And lets not forget that the GCSB is plugged in to the same surveillance systems as those used by the US government agencies.

 

 

57 comments on “Whistleblowers and services to journalism ”

  1. Lightly 1

    Dunne is no whistleblower – he himself hasn’t claimed that title and, as you point out, he supports the broader powers to the GCSB.

    Snowdon is a true whistleblower – revealing an abuse of state power that otherwise would never have come to light and owning it

    • karol 1.1

      Yes, you are right, Lightly. Dunne is merely a leaker, while Snowden is the true whistleblower. I have amended the post accordingly.

  2. Poission 2

    Now that the NSA is the worlds biggest owner of porn,can we prosecute them?

  3. Andre 3

    Now justice needs to prevail. Dunne has breached the trust of the people that he represents .GCSB is our state intelligence dept . He is on the committee as a cross party control for a democratic oversight.He has breached our trust . Treason is a big word but …………

    • Pascal's bookie 3.1

      It’s not treason, ffs.

      • Andre 3.1.1

        Leaking information And the possible effect of a snap election on the country has not a detrimental effect on NZ ?

        • Pascal's bookie 3.1.1.1

          he leaked informatioj it seems. but that’s not Treason. And even if it did lead to a snap election (which it won’t), it still would not be treason.

          New Zealand has treason laws that are stipulated under the Crimes Act 1961. Section 73 of the Crimes Act reads as follows:

          “Every one owing allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen in right of New Zealand commits treason who, within or outside New Zealand,—
          (a) Kills or wounds or does grievous bodily harm to Her Majesty the Queen, or imprisons or restrains her; or
          (b) Levies war against New Zealand; or
          (c) Assists an enemy at war with New Zealand, or any armed forces against which New Zealand forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between New Zealand and any other country; or
          (d) Incites or assists any person with force to invade New Zealand; or
          (e) Uses force for the purpose of overthrowing the Government of New Zealand; or
          (f) Conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in this section.”[19]
          The penalty is life imprisonment, except for conspiracy, for which the maximum sentence is 14 years imprisonment. Treason was the last capital crime in New Zealand law, with the death penalty not being revoked until 1989, years after it was abolished for murder.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason#New_Zealand

          It’s not a word that should be lightly thrown around. Why not just say ‘OMG IT’S MURDER!’. Makes about as much sense.

        • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.2

          Still not treason – the bar is far higher for treason.

          Selling out our nation’s strategic economic infrastructure to foreigners, now that’s treason.

          • Pascal's bookie 3.1.1.2.1

            No it isn’t.

            • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.2.1.1

              Well, in a wider sense than the statute, yes it is 🙂

              A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within

  4. Martin Legge 4

    When I blew the whistle on the pokie industry in 2010 it was Peter Dunne’s contact with the DIA that sufficiently influenced Nathan Guy and DIA to ignore, suppress and even lose doumentary evidence that I provided should have stopped the pokie trust (TTCF) in its tracks. The suggestion that Dunne is some sort of whistleblower is obscene !!!

    • karol 4.1

      Interesting, Martin. You are providing support to the idea that Dunne is a serial offender in leaking and diverting, according to what suits Dunne’s agenda, rather than the interests of the public.

      And I have amended my post to highlight the fact that Dunne is merely a leaker, while Snowden is a whistleblower-actual.

    • ghostrider888 4.2

      ahhh, followed your course in the press; you give the police a good name.

    • First Time Caller 4.3

      Yeah, back the others on this – you certainly are a legend around that. Just a pity what the DIA didn’t do – the whole thing stank to high heaven.

  5. I am perplexed by references to Peter Dunne as a whistle-blower. A whistle-blower by definition is a person with inside information who reveals it because not to do so would allow something the whistle-blower finds unconscionable or morally repugnant to continue. In other words a whistle-blower is a self-appointed referee applying the “rules of the game” where he or she finds the rules being infringed.

    There is not the slightest suggestion that PD finds the government’s legislative programme repugnant or that he does not/did not wholeheartedly support the retrospective legislation validating the illegal activities of GCSB. Had his motivation been moral repugnance I would have applauded the man as one standing up and proclaiming enough of this ordure!

    But, no. Far from being some sort of Saul on the Road to Damascus, Peter Dunne is genuinely puzzled about his own motivation, he has seen no light; he has not acted out of a sense moral or ethical urgency. He has no idea. He has blown no whistle, he has merely farted at the dinner table

    • ghostrider888 5.1

      while playing footsies (or maybe, a little up-skirt peek).

    • xtasy 5.2

      James N: I must agree, Dunne is rather only a technical, reluctant “whistle-blower, if that.

      He appears to rather have been driven by remaining hormonal rushes affecting his thinking and judgment, perhaps trying to “impress” somebody who led to some visual or other arousal, setting off the hormones. He will know more about it, so it is a bit of speculation, but possibly a better explanation for his actions.

      Dunne was certainly not acting for the cause of exposing some evil or wrong, as it would otherwise have been exposed in the relevant report anyway.

      But the US American chap who worked for the NSA, he surely is a whistle-blower and has taken a big risk for himself to reveal what he did.

      • Colonial Viper 5.2.1

        The US seems to be having trouble with all these young idealistic Americans who believed in the stuff they were told about doing good in the world, enhancing freedom and protecting the constitution.

  6. ianmac 6

    What odds are there that Mr Key will ever risk being interviewed by Kim Hill again, ever?
    Remember Kim is there for only two weeks and this is the 2nd week.

    • Shona 6.1

      Bummer eh? Morning Report has been radio wallpaper for soooo long .

    • Macro 6.2

      “Remember Kim is there for only two weeks and this is the 2nd week.”

      I’m really sorry to hear that. Its popcorn normally.

    • SpaceMonkey 6.3

      It was radio gold listening to Kim Hill interview John Key, knowing that it is unlikely ever to happen again. She didn’t accept his patsy answers, going deeper into detail, and ignored his attempt to fall back with a “Labour did it too”-type answer. Loved the “well that was a bit stupid”!!!

  7. Colonial Viper 7

    He is deeply worried about being spied on. He lines the door of his hotel room with pillows to prevent eavesdropping. He puts a large red hood over his head and laptop when entering his passwords to prevent any hidden cameras from detecting them.

    Though that may sound like paranoia to some, Snowden has good reason for such fears.

    “Yes, I could be rendered by the CIA. I could have people come after me. Or any of the third-party partners. They work closely with a number of other nations. Or they could pay off the Triads. Any of their agents or assets,” he said.

    The line between “conspiracy theory” and “conspiracy fact” is much more blurry than some might choose to believe.

    With regard to all pervasive intelligence and spying powers, I do believe that “smaller government” is probably better for the proper function of democracy and an appripriate balance of power between the citizens and the state. Rather than the all invasive, no holds barred (and basically totalitarian) direction things seem to be heading.

    • ghostrider888 7.1

      what democracy? stay focused man. 😀

    • prism 7.2

      Could be that smaller countries could be better. The United States of America and Russia also, are unwieldy and the USA appears to be having a political civil war making it ungovernable.

      Did anyone used to play statues at school? Everyone freezes and the game controller walks around looking for movement and if spotted, the mover has to leave the game. Don’t know if it could work quite like that in the USA. Politicians there would rather turn to stone than move and be like normal people.

  8. vto 8

    How can we know Snowden can be believed?

    Surely the chances of him being put up for this are as equal as the chances he is a true whistleblower…..

    or not? and why?

    best not believe anything and go fishing …… only to return and find the jackboots have overrun the place.

    • Colonial Viper 8.1

      How can we know Snowden can be believed?

      Because Obama and co. have implicitly or explicitly agreed that the leaked info is accurate, that the Prism system is operational and does what has been described, and have started a criminal investigation into the unauthorised release of classified information.

      BTW it looks like major consulting firm Booz Allen who was Snowden’s employer (looks like he and they were a contractor to the NSA) has already declared that Snowden has committed a “grave ethical violation” in whistleblowing.

  9. Winston Smith 9

    Will you still being saying the same thing when Kim Hill subjects Shearer or Norman to the same…

    • Colonial Viper 9.1

      Although Key is, Shearer and Norman aren’t party to the Dunne/SIS mess.

    • weka 9.2

      “Will you still being saying the same thing when Kim Hill subjects Shearer or Norman to the same…”

      If Norman ever becomes a sleazy, lying, arrogant, sell the country for whatever I can get for my pay masters, politician, then I hope KH savages him. As it is, I expect Norman to be able to hold his own quite well with her, given that (a) he still has his integrity reasonably intact and (b) he’s not trying to shaft anyone and is more inclined to be open and honest (to the extent a politician can) and is thus unlikely to get mired in his own lies, and (c) is intelligent and well informed.

      • grumpy 9.2.1

        ….or Shearer cant explain his over $1mill in offshore bank accounts……or Norman wont come clean about his commie past – what then?

        • gobsmacked 9.2.1.1

          Winston S and Grumpy are sadly lost. They must have bought their moral compass at the two dollar shop.

          It says everything about your mindset that you can only say “Wah wah – the other side!”. Well, I hope Kim Hill – and every other interviewer – holds all our elected representatives to account, including Norman, Shearer and the rest. Why would you want anything less?

          Do you think the public are better served by vacuous puff-pieces? Do you want to be “informed” by cuddles on a Breakfast TV couch? Do you want a democracy or a royal court?

  10. xtasy 10

    ““Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world,” he says.”

    As quoted from Karol’s interesting story above, this may well be what not only Edward Snowden as an experienced insider in state intelligence services of the US would say, but many New Zealanders who are likely to have been spied on.

    Of course most of us would not think GCSB or SIS would be too bothered with critical posters on social media, but is it not so, that some long serving MPs of accepted, mainstream and left of centre parties had been spied on by the SIS?

    I think the truth of what has been, and still is going on, over many years, would shock many. But of course we are very unlikely to ever learn much about this.

    What got me very concerned and seriously questioning what state agencies are up to was the fact, that on a day of action against welfare cuts and draconian benefit reforms in early October last year, one such protest was filmed very attentively and intensely by a female police officer in Henderson from before the start to the very end!

    And they appeared to have no reason for this. Such things are stuff one would suspect to happen in Mainland China, in some other dictatorships and in former East European countries. Yet it happened right here in New Zealand, at a totally peaceful, non violent protest, openly in broad daylight.

    I have also heard of infiltration of leftist and activist groups, that is supposed to have happened. What next?

    As for Snowden, I would not necessarily feel any better off in a place like Hong Kong, as Mainland China has an easy reach there, and they are certainly no better than US secret agencies.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1

      I have also heard of infiltration of leftist and activist groups, that is supposed to have happened. What next?

      IIRC in both the UK and in NZ undercover police infiltrated environmental activist groups. Including under taking activism and protest themselves – and sleeping with women in the groups to get “intelligence”.

  11. ghostrider888 11

    YOUR smart-phone is watching YOU
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/douthat-your-smartphone-is-watching-you.html?_r=0 “soft despotism”; not so smart.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1

      If you ever wanted to bug your ex-spouse’s car or bedroom, you would need to buy a device which had both a microphone and a transmitter built into it i.e. a “bug”. If the bug was going to be in their car, it would be more useful if it could also report it’s location i.e. a “tracking device”.

      The beautiful thing about a GPS enabled smart phone is that people voluntarily carry the device with them at all times, you can tell their exact location within 10m (if they are outdoors), and by turning the microphone on, their smartphone instantly becomes a transmitting microphone too: a “bug”.

      There’s no particular reason why the smartphone’s microphone could not be turned on even when you have turned the smart phone “off” as long as the battery had not been removed.

  12. Bill 12

    I’m looking forward with interest to how, both the msm and some of the left react to Snowdon in the coming weeks – bearing in mind the enthusiam they exhibited and continue to exhibit over the metaphorical burying of Assange.

    I guess the msm will be fairly predictable as they always, in the end, side with power. (Consider the coverage they gave to the allegations of rape levelled at Assange in comparison to the coverage they generated over the ex-head of the IMF Struass-Kahn – the former villified and the latter exonerated…the accusers in the former case taken at their word and the accuser in the latter ‘crucified’.

    Of the baying pack that sits on the left…? We’ll see.

    Mind you, the whole thing could just be buried ‘quicksmart’, thereby denying anybody interested in levels of consistency any ‘entertainment’.

  13. ghostrider888 13

    Gower, the Tory Shill, on 3; “Labour’s motive not holier-than-thou (interest in security), but to ruin Peter Dunne for good and embarrass John Key further.” (if that were possible).

    Paul Brislen; “likely there has been reciprocal spying (between Echelon partners)” to get around not spying on own citizens.
    Key; “no reciprocal spying has occurred”.

    • Colonial Viper 13.1

      Key; “no reciprocal spying has occurred”.

      If that were true it means we are in a pretty lame do-nothing bunch of spooks…which I doubt is the case.

    • karol 13.2

      Actually, I thought Key just side-stepped the question

      Prime Minister John Key won’t rule out whether New Zealanders are being spied on by the agency or whether any of that information was passed on to our spies.
      Videos, emails, photos, audio, stored data, social networking details – PRISM collects it all.
      But Mr Key won’t let on whether New Zealanders’ information is being collected.

      “I’m not going [into that] or what techniques are used for that,” he says.

      He said there were “isolated” examples of working with other countries’ agencies, “but there’s no wholesale reciprocal work going on.”

  14. karol 14

    Talking about Andrea Vance’s role in the emails, the chief executive editor of Fairfax, claims to be part of the “fourth estate”, albeit in a skewed way, referring to himself/his organisation in the 3rd person:

    Fairfax Group executive editor Paul Thompson said Fairfax was “absolutely” backing Vance.

    ‘‘Realistically you as members of the fourth estate will need to think about whether you want that committee to sub poena that information and therefore be delving into your communications both by phone, by text and by email with members of Parliament.’’

    Is this false advertising? Although some journalists may be trying to fulfill a fourth estate role, I don’t hold out the same optimism for the chief editor of Fairfax.

  15. fabregas4 15

    I heard Hill and Key and moved to the bathroom where my radio is on Radio Live. Key, late for his normal Monday morning chat with Lush because he had been being mauled by Hill had this to answer first up “Well Prime Minister what did you like the best, the Rugby or the League?” Normal Service resumed.

  16. RedLogix 16

    Maybe we’ll have to stop using the internet and go back to actually talking to each other….

  17. tracey 17

    Geoff robinson should hang his head in shame.

    the pm wld not breach security if he gave an assurance that no nzers were under secret survellience.

    his dalziel and field comments were interesting in light of his non treatment of banks and worth. Someone needs to go back over keys righteous indignation over the own glen affair and his promise to have higher standards than labour. To be utterly transparent… and… I recall him telling paul henry he would even answer questions he wasnt asked. Start quoting that back at him.

  18. tracey 18

    Didnt dunne tell peters to put up or shut up last week? The pm might want to ruminate on his use of the same words.

    notice how he played on self interest to get the media on side to suppress the emails. Speaks volumes about his ethics that he assumes others will put themselves ahead of public interest.

    finally, dunne gets a week paid leave to sort a mess entirely of his own making?

    I feel sorry for his wife.

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    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    23 hours ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    2 days ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    2 days ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    2 days ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    4 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
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