When Arnold Schwarzenegger became the governor of a bankrupt California. This widely popular actor, but conservative politician was expected to choose one of two options, either raise taxes or cut services.
Schwarzenegger caught everyone by surprise by going for a surprise third option. Borrowing heavily to keep the State running.
The same tactic is being followed by the widely populist John Key like Swartzeneger Key refuses to tax the wealthy, and like swartzeneger he has got into power on his populist image, which he doesn’t want to dent.
But sooner or later the Nats will have to make the hard decision to reverse this cop out.
At present John Key is borrowing $300 million a week from overseas rather than make the hard decision between taxing the rich or cutting services, and he will keep doing this until National gets their second term. Then they will feel they have the mandate to make the choice either way, on how to address this deficit.
So we re introduce the 39% tax bracket. Now if there are opportunities left open (just like Lab did last time) for the targeted wealthy to redivert their earnings to some other vehicle to miminise tax then we do not achieve the desired results. But that aside the result would be instead of borrowing $300m/mth we borrow $290-295m. That also does not take into consideration GST on F&V and the $5k tax free income. Does not change the issue that with all this debt something will have to give, be it reduced govt services, asset sales (But this does not solve the problem) or further tax changes. Under the current financial philosphy we operate under only options as you mentioned cut or increase revenue. Less stressful is to increase NZ ltd GDP. But as we have seen under Lab this in optium times is difficult, especially as this growth was not based on continual substainable growth.
Something dramatic has to occur.
There was a table produced by income bands and no of earners within the band sometime ago on this site. Also looked in Treasuy/Dept Stats and IRD could not locate.
Joky Hen was so keen to get on our screens and tell New Zealand that the world is now a safer place because of the assassination. Seems today’s online poll in the Herald suggests that a massive 77 percent don’t believe him (and that is on 14,000 respondents).
Yeah, this man really has a handle on international affairs. Wonder when his next around-the-barbecue-discussion is scheduled so he can formulate more foreign policy expertise.
Maybe he didn’t hear the news correctly and thought his “advisory paper” was referring to Brash’s disposal of Hide. Yeah that’s it.
He flip-flopped on that particular piece of wisdom within 24 hours, Logie97.
What I noticed was that we kept getting the flip-flopped version repeated to us by the media and no-one was willing to pick up on the fact that he had contradicted himself. There was a moment there that I experienced a degree of doubt as to whether I’d picked up his screamingly ludicrous initial ‘assessment’ correctly.
A public-private hybrid will oversee rebuilding Christchurch’s quake-battered infrastructure, spending an estimated $2 billion and employing up to 2000 workers.
Yesterday, government ministers, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker and other officials gathered to sign an “alliance” agreement with five private contractors charged with rebuilding the city’s infrastructure.
Profit rules, yeah we are all safe, in the market we trust. (which translates to saying we are totally fekked).
Just wondering if the North Shore might come under a state of emergency, the law suspended and the whole rebuild of tornado damage given to Bechtel Corp or similar?
To be fair, Carol, a certain government that shall remain nameless decided in their infinte wisdom to kill the old Ministry of Works, and wipe out the engineering and construction expertise that had been built up since 1870. The following decade, local bodies euthanised their public works departments as well.
The reality is, that we have no option but to go cap in hand to the private sector for the aforementioned expertise as we decided that we didnt need them any more, and now it is too late to get them back without paying *a lot* of money.
and now it is too late to get them back without paying *a lot* of money.
Come now it’s not that difficult, just requires a bit of imagination. Here is one scenario out of a million:
1) Government starts up a highly independent works business unit under the auspices of an existing SOE. Hires new staff, gives it new budget, brings in experienced managers from around the public and private sector. Might even pull back a few specialist Kiwis from Australia *gasp*.
2) Announce that there is $2B of work to be done in Christchurch. Any private sector firm which wants a piece of it needs to enter into joint venture with the SOE’s new works business unit, and agree to share knowledge, technology, methods, etc.
3) Do the work in Christchurch. Massive work, essentially building a new city from the foundations up. Over the next 5 years rapidly build up the capabilities and staffing of this “Works Business Unit” and its Christchurch rebuilding joint venture.
4) Finish building Christchurch, collapse the massive experience, expertise hardware etc from the joint venture back into the SOE business unit, the private sector elements can go on their merry way, then spin the business unit off into a standalone publicly owned Works, Environmental and Advanced Developments SOE.
Voilà a fully reformed Government infrastructure arm based on money that you mostly would have had to spend any way to rebuild Christchurch.
…a certain government that shall remain nameless decided in their infinte wisdom to kill the old Ministry of Works…
Corporatised in 1988 by Douglas and Prebble.
Assets sold in 1996 under a National government.
The government still owns the Works and Development Services Corporation, which is the shell company that owned the construction arm and the design and management arm of the Ministry of Works.
R corporation Ltd (Works and Development Services Corp) was struck off in 2005, after 4 years in liquidation – I presume that it was wound up after historical ‘loose ends’ were tied up.
A classy, diplomatic way for the Brits to get out of the constitutional nightmare of Key’s invitation to visit in an election year (bet William doesn’t go to the Falklands, but)
A Royal visit to New Zealand is on the cards for the couple whose wedding stopped the world, but fans of the newlyweds will have to wait until next year for their arrival.
Prince William looks unlikely to make it to this year’s Rugby World Cup, as was previously tipped, because Buckingham Palace says he will be posted to the Falkland Islands for two months.
What’s the update on the privacy case against darling Paula Bennett?
The last that I heard many moons ago, the Director of Human Rights Proceedings was supposed to make a call on that?
The comment from one that implied that Obama didn’t want to take out bin Laden because he was a “brother” Muslim. Wonder if there is any truth in the coup report? A bit dodgy?
Even if Obama secretly felt that he was a “brother Muslim” and therefore shouldn’t be killed, there’s no way he’d ever ever say that to anyone else, either in public or private, simply because of the amount of shit it would stir up should it become known (he’d come up with some other reason). Obama isn’t an idiot.
Therefore, it’s just a crank story by the birthers who are wildly trying to latch on to their next conspiracy theory.
I reckon they’re so fearful and/or outraged that a black man from a single parent family was actually elected to high office and they so much want to believe that it’s all a bad dream, ‘a black man as our president’, noooo…., anything goes and the nuttier the better.
If Obama has managed to retain a moral compass, despite the nature of his job, he may well have argued in favour of capturing Osama and bringing him before the courts. However, this too seems unlikely. As Fisk puts it, “But a court would have worried more people than Bin Laden. After all, he might have talked about his contacts with the CIA during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, or about his cosy meetings in Islamabad with Prince Turki, Saudi Arabia’s head of intelligence. Just as Saddam – who was tried for the murder of a mere 153 people rather than thousands of gassed Kurds – was hanged before he had the chance to tell us about the gas components that came from America, his friendship with Donald Rumsfeld, the US military assistance he received when he invaded Iran in 1980.”
Still no word from Mana as to whether they stand for a separate Maori Parliament, or setting up separate Maori states for the likes of Tuhoe. For me personally this is unacceptable. These lands should never have more than one state, and in realistic terms, it should be unacceptable for NZ to have a neighbouring state on it’s border.
I think we should also make our National Day October 28, as it was on this day that New Zealand’s independence was declared in 1835 (He Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tirene).
Where do you get the “separate Maori Parliament” or “separate Maori states for the likes of Tuhoe,” from Samuel? Nothing like what the Mana Party stands for. Not very helpful old chap.
Hone Harawira is the leader of the party is he not? I have already posted links up here in the last couple of day’s where he has been quoted in the past making these kind of statements. Now if you want me to post it again I will, but I will ask you this question. If we are to forget what Harawira has said in the past, should we give Don Brash the same lee-way as to what he said in the past whilst leader of the National Party?
I don’t think so.
I really hope you guys who are supporting Mana wake up and smell the coffee.
For fuck’s sake, if you makes factual claims it is entirely up to you to provide teh evidence, not anyone else’s, especially given the search function on this site is pretty good.
And I quote this from a conversation I had with ‘Te Mana’ on Facebook. Its on their wall for everyone to see.
“Constitutional transformation consistent with Te Tiriti guarantees and he whakaputanga”
“Specific issues of institutional reform of parliamentary system is part of larger debate”
“We have asked Moana Jackson and group lead by him to develop a paper to be discussed at inaugural conference after hone confirms his mandate to lead MANA after by election”
So? Mana makes me sick. I have no doubt their rallies will include people waving Tino Rangatiratanga flags. As a New Zealander I find their Maori populist rhetoric only causes more racism and scepticism. Wake up.
Translation: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, teh Maori’s are gettn upitty! Waaaaaaaaaaa*.
Because pointing out the Crown still has obligations to fulfil under Te Treati O Waitangi = racism. Instead of say a factual statement, driven by long term socio-economic issues stemming from colonialism and Crown reluctance to honour their legal Treati obligations.
Shit, you’d think that people might be able to realise that it’s quite possible to move beyond semi-racist mainstream NZ nationalism that tells Maori to effectively ignore their Treati rights to a mind set that sees Maori nationalism as just a movement within NZ that seeks to deal with historical wounds that despite myths otherwise, are still yet to fully heal.
___________________________________________________________
*Nothing like my fellow Pakeha’s whinging over someone pointing out their privileges involve shitting on others.
We should ignore the treaty, it is a load of fucking shit. They had a war for 20 years after that.
And then there are those who say they didn’t sign the treaty.
I know my privileges involved not only shitting on others, but raping and killing them. But what privileges do I have that Maori don’t? My ancestors came here in the 1880s, what privileges do I have that Maori don’t? My great-great grandfather put in railroads and then cut down forest to have his own farm. 110 years later I was being raised by a solo mother subject to the whims of Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson’s welfare cuts.
You tell me what privileges I have that Maori don’t?
We should ignore the treaty, it is a load of fucking shit. They had a war for 20 years after that.
Except of course the major conflicts with in that time frame where pretty much all to do with treaty violations and the Crown seizing land illegally, as documented under later Waitangi Tribunals. Along with the usual ethnic tensions that come from colonisation and white dudes thinking they have a god-given right to teh land.
@Samuel: “You tell me what privileges I have that Maori don’t?”
You tell me what privileges Maori have that I don’t Samuel?
I have asked before but it seems to be taken for granted that they do have plenty. (One chap told me that Maori are accepted into Medical School over the heads of those with higher quals and could qualify as Doctors with lower rquals.. But it turns out that the Selection process has flexibility in choosing students who show promise but have had fewer opportunities. eg Pakeha girl from Rangitata District High. But once in they all have to pass the grade.
So you tell me what privileges Maori have that I don’t Samuel?
I don’t know. I don’t think they have any. Maybe if they are like some of my friends they get cash injections from tribes such as Tainui to go to University. But thats the tribes money, I have no problem with that.
This isn’t an issue over what Maori have that I don’t, this is about Maori saying that they don’t have the same rights as Pakeha.
Maori have privileges to the beaches for free, fresh country ear, oodles of prime beachside property, first dibs on any resource consent application, cushy contracts with the local councils which mean you can’t really do anything without the blessing of kaumatua when it comes to anything political, more weight when it comes to protesting against the rape and pillage of our seabed, a deeper connection with the earth, a great collective culture, wonderful stories, a beautiful unique language (when it’s not being shouted and mangled).
If you want to go on about so called “special treatment” we’ve all got our own sectors. Everyone is accepted to university on their own merits. People that selectors know will eventually end up supporting the family financially, the last thing they need to hinder them in supporting anyone other than just themselves, is a crippling loan.
It’s a two way street.That being said, we have had an increasing talent in making things as complex as possible for ourselves. It doesn’t have to be.
I am calm you douchebag, and you have no right to police my state of mind, especially when you should be more focused on arguing your points more effectively.
From a 2005 article in the Northern Advocate;
/sigh
Aside from the fact they’re drawing off the Maori version of Te Treati O Waitangi, which iirc did allow for Maori self-governance, which is the legal basis for the make do Maori Seats in Parliament if memory serves me right. So Hone was, and still is fully reasonable to be after a separate Maori Parliament, which would probably work alongside the one in Wellington given Te Treati, that is unless it proves constitutionally unworkable. However, that’s a future goal, rather than a current one. And besides that, NZ is overdue for a much more in depth discussion of the role of Te Treati in terms of shaping NZ’s constitution, instead of sorting out land seizures in the hope questions of Maori sovereignty slide beneath the surface.
Besides, that is only one aspect of Mana’s platform, and a myopic focus on it seems a mite trite and somewhat narrow focused, on top of appearing rather ignorant about the Crown’s obligations under Te Treati O Waitangi. Then again, there’s nothing like uppity minorities to get teh middle and lower classes all worked up and making twits out of themselves. Per all the “fun” over beach access…
Lastly, given what the Crown has done to Tuhoe, they’re fully within their moral rights to withdraw and create a separate microstate. However they what they’ve made clear is that they don’t really want that, and rather what they want is greater rights and responsibilities to do with Te Urewera National Park and former lands not inside there returned to them. Hardly asking for all that much, and well within their rights under Te Treati.
Oh the crown is so bad. How did these Maori tribes get there land in the first place? Oh thats right, they fought, killed, and ate people. British colonisation is just a natural progression of humanity. There was no such thing as ‘Maori’ until the tribes realised that those muskets they had received in exchange for land weren’t as valuable as they first hoped.
Maori Parliament? Are you crazy.
They should be worrying about getting a sustainable economy where skills and education for out youth are our priority, increasing our ability for innovation and research which will create new jobs.
But I’m sure they had it all sussed before the white man arrived.
Sorry, what did you say? Because all I can see is a bunch of racist bullshit that denies the well documented past douchebaggery by the Crown over Te Treati that could be summarised in one line of*;
WHAAAAAA, TeH Maori’s are gettin uppity!
Instead of say a reasoned counter argument that outlines why the Crown perhaps doesn’t have to deal with the issue of Maori Sovereignty via creating a new House of Parliament on the basis of Land ownership and “self determination”. For example. Which I just thought up. In less time that it took you type the above tripe.
As for this:
But I’m sure they had it all sussed before the white man arrived.
Te Treati O Waitangi mo-fo, do you know what it is? Because if the Crown had kept it’s end of the Treati, much of the present socio economic problems might not have been such of an issue for Maori as the Tribes adapted rapidly in peace time to providing a large volume to trade to European settlements.
Would there still be poverty? Of course, because current economic systems presently guarantee it, but with ownership maintained over their lands and resources, Maori would obviously be in a much better situation than today. Not that I’m idealising here, because of issues of slavery in tribes and tribal warfare have feed into some of the current issues.
Umm. You seem to be ignoring the fact I have mentioned that THERE WAS A WAR FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY.
Which you didn’t think about the reasons for, let alone deal with the historical context and legal and constitutional rulings since then. So perhaps you could try thinking?
lawl, I do love it when people make statements utterly divorced from reality, but just for fun, would kindly outline your reasons and facts supporting your claim? Because at present I don’t quite get how Maori nationalism is going to be a trigger for a civil war without having to ignore quite a few bits of the present reality of the state of NZ…
No, I’m saying. What are you gonna do about it? Are Maoris gonna start taking their land back if we don’t give it back? Let them try. Come back to reality where the British Empire could do what they want.
Are Maoris gonna start taking their land back if we don’t give it back? Let them try.(1) Come back to reality where the British Empire could do what they want.(2)
(1) And if they try, then what? Fine them? Imprison them? Shoot them? Not really helpful to any one; I guess you are taking the standpoint that no Maori in NZ has any legitimate grievances or claims to NZ land.
(2) You understand the the British empire lost its grip on many territories because the “natives” decided that they had enough of colonial injustices and that the British were not welcome or needed any more?
I wonder, is what you are saying descriptive of core NZ First policy around Maori and around the Treaty?
What would you do to me if I tried to take some land back from you that my Great-grandfather was forced to hand over to another farmer for some reason?
Get over it. I don’t own any land. Should I go back to Britain and Holland and spout my historical grievances?
If I sign a treaty with you, and then you break the deal… Why should I abide by the agreement?
What would you do to me if I tried to take some land back from you that my Great-grandfather was forced to hand over to another farmer for some reason?
Ummmm…it would depend how you tried to take the land back. If you turned up with mates and baseball bats that’s clearly a police matter. However if you were following a process in the courts, thats another issue.
In NZ, providing a process is one reason that the Waitangi Tribunal was set up.
And to answer your question – if one side of a treaty or agreement breaks that treaty or agreement, there is still legal due process to follow. That’s another reason that the Waitangi Tribunal was set up. Acting out wildly just because the other party has broken the agreement is very likely to cause your own legal position to degrade.
Many contracts state that the breaking of one clause of a contract does not make null and void the rest of the clauses of the contract.
It seems to me like you just want to screw due process and go straight to guns. But that’s not what we do very much in civil society today, although your great grandfather might have done that in the late 1800’s.
You could go back to Britain and Holland and spout historical grievances. Of course, unless there was a process and mechanism all set up ready to receive you, you are not likely to get very far.
In NZ we have those processes and mechanisms already well established.
Thank you Colonial Viper for engaging with me without getting emotional.
What I want for this country is to move forward together. Now if people are coming out speaking in favour of separatism, then I am not interested. If we are going to continue along the path of legally getting land back to Maori, thats fine.
But when will it end?
Do you not see the frustration of people who simply want to get NZ moving forward. What is happening in this country today is going to see not only Maori land sold to foreign corporates, but the land of ALL New Zealanders.
I see October 28 1835 as the day New Zealanders should recognise as the starting date of this country. Not February 6 1840.
It’s not “softer” as it changes the focus away from users to the suppliers, thus leading to lower wastage on court costs etc, potentially providing more resources to be put towards going after black market suppliers and actually making much greater gains against Class A (and B) drug suppliers. However, given the police’s attitudes towards arming them, instead of making sure there’s two cops in every police car, it comes as not much of a surprise they can’t get their heads around such a simple idea.
Though personally the reform suggestions should also extend to medical usage of cannabis for long term pain and terminal illness suffers as synthetic cannabinoids for strong pain relief are still in the human testing stage. While some have been cleared for human use, they’re more targeted towards anti-emetics and controlling spasticity and though they do reduce pain they are not yet as effective as the rather addictive opiates or plain old cannabis. Thus I find it ethically a colossal douchebag move to deny those with serious pain a potent and rather less addictive means of controlling pain that opiate pain killers on the basis of cannabis being a “drug”, especially in contrast when considering harm levels to already legal non prescription drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco.
As for Family First’s claim cannabis is a “gateway drug” a quick perusal of wikipedia shows that they have no fucking idea what they’re talking about as per usual, as the role of cannabis in leading to harder drugs is not clear cut. Of course it’s Family First, who couldn’t science to save their patriarchy loving, child thrashing lives.
John Key put on a terrible show in parliament yesterday.
Fumbling his words, talking too fast, tripping himself up and admitting to things he didn’t mean to, whining voice getting ever higher and more shrill.
In short he was scared. Totally defensive. His only attempt to give some back fell flat.
His leadership has been called into question by having Brash calling the shots in his cabinet. He looked weak. He felt weak.
Yeah I got e-mailed about that yesterday. They were on Mac/Safari. Looks like something broke and it isn’t obvious. I’ll be trying to look at it again tonight.
You can e-mail me at lprent [at] primary.geek.nz as well
While they both scored some hits and had some strong points there were weaknesses and duds as well.
Brash has to lean not to slouch and back away, Harawira looked skyward with seeming disinterest.
I didn’t learn much new from the “debate”, except that Harawira talks with passion about Maori issues but talks in slogans when he switches to the activism of convenience, helping the poor and the workers (and I have no idea how he will help them).
Brash seemed to tack on the ETS as an afterthought, maybe he didn’t have the time or opportunity but it is something he didn’t try and explain at all.
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Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
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‘
Hone Harawira and Hone Heke.
John Key and Arnold Schwarzenegger
When Arnold Schwarzenegger became the governor of a bankrupt California. This widely popular actor, but conservative politician was expected to choose one of two options, either raise taxes or cut services.
Schwarzenegger caught everyone by surprise by going for a surprise third option. Borrowing heavily to keep the State running.
The same tactic is being followed by the widely populist John Key like Swartzeneger Key refuses to tax the wealthy, and like swartzeneger he has got into power on his populist image, which he doesn’t want to dent.
But sooner or later the Nats will have to make the hard decision to reverse this cop out.
At present John Key is borrowing $300 million a week from overseas rather than make the hard decision between taxing the rich or cutting services, and he will keep doing this until National gets their second term. Then they will feel they have the mandate to make the choice either way, on how to address this deficit.
The Harawira Hone Heke Tax
The Key Arnold Schwarzenegger borrowing plan
But at least these two leaders have a plan.
So we re introduce the 39% tax bracket. Now if there are opportunities left open (just like Lab did last time) for the targeted wealthy to redivert their earnings to some other vehicle to miminise tax then we do not achieve the desired results. But that aside the result would be instead of borrowing $300m/mth we borrow $290-295m. That also does not take into consideration GST on F&V and the $5k tax free income. Does not change the issue that with all this debt something will have to give, be it reduced govt services, asset sales (But this does not solve the problem) or further tax changes. Under the current financial philosphy we operate under only options as you mentioned cut or increase revenue. Less stressful is to increase NZ ltd GDP. But as we have seen under Lab this in optium times is difficult, especially as this growth was not based on continual substainable growth.
Something dramatic has to occur.
There was a table produced by income bands and no of earners within the band sometime ago on this site. Also looked in Treasuy/Dept Stats and IRD could not locate.
Joky Hen was so keen to get on our screens and tell New Zealand that the world is now a safer place because of the assassination. Seems today’s online poll in the Herald suggests that a massive 77 percent don’t believe him (and that is on 14,000 respondents).
Yeah, this man really has a handle on international affairs. Wonder when his next around-the-barbecue-discussion is scheduled so he can formulate more foreign policy expertise.
Maybe he didn’t hear the news correctly and thought his “advisory paper” was referring to Brash’s disposal of Hide. Yeah that’s it.
He flip-flopped on that particular piece of wisdom within 24 hours, Logie97.
What I noticed was that we kept getting the flip-flopped version repeated to us by the media and no-one was willing to pick up on the fact that he had contradicted himself. There was a moment there that I experienced a degree of doubt as to whether I’d picked up his screamingly ludicrous initial ‘assessment’ correctly.
Joky Hen! luv it logue, inspires Honky Je (sus?)
Thin end of the wedge?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4957994/Public-private-deal-struck-to-repair-services
Profit rules, yeah we are all safe, in the market we trust. (which translates to saying we are totally fekked).
Just wondering if the North Shore might come under a state of emergency, the law suspended and the whole rebuild of tornado damage given to Bechtel Corp or similar?
To be fair, Carol, a certain government that shall remain nameless decided in their infinte wisdom to kill the old Ministry of Works, and wipe out the engineering and construction expertise that had been built up since 1870. The following decade, local bodies euthanised their public works departments as well.
The reality is, that we have no option but to go cap in hand to the private sector for the aforementioned expertise as we decided that we didnt need them any more, and now it is too late to get them back without paying *a lot* of money.
Come now it’s not that difficult, just requires a bit of imagination. Here is one scenario out of a million:
1) Government starts up a highly independent works business unit under the auspices of an existing SOE. Hires new staff, gives it new budget, brings in experienced managers from around the public and private sector. Might even pull back a few specialist Kiwis from Australia *gasp*.
2) Announce that there is $2B of work to be done in Christchurch. Any private sector firm which wants a piece of it needs to enter into joint venture with the SOE’s new works business unit, and agree to share knowledge, technology, methods, etc.
3) Do the work in Christchurch. Massive work, essentially building a new city from the foundations up. Over the next 5 years rapidly build up the capabilities and staffing of this “Works Business Unit” and its Christchurch rebuilding joint venture.
4) Finish building Christchurch, collapse the massive experience, expertise hardware etc from the joint venture back into the SOE business unit, the private sector elements can go on their merry way, then spin the business unit off into a standalone publicly owned Works, Environmental and Advanced Developments SOE.
Voilà a fully reformed Government infrastructure arm based on money that you mostly would have had to spend any way to rebuild Christchurch.
Only takes 5 years and $3B-$4B.
A complete bargain at that price.
…a certain government that shall remain nameless decided in their infinte wisdom to kill the old Ministry of Works…
Corporatised in 1988 by Douglas and Prebble.
Assets sold in 1996 under a National government.
The government still owns the Works and Development Services Corporation, which is the shell company that owned the construction arm and the design and management arm of the Ministry of Works.
R corporation Ltd (Works and Development Services Corp) was struck off in 2005, after 4 years in liquidation – I presume that it was wound up after historical ‘loose ends’ were tied up.
OK – not enough googling on my part.
Not google, old chap – Coys.co.nz
Information on all registered and unregistered companies in NZ, and their shareholders.
Yeah, I know, you’ll find me in there if you look hard enough.
A classy, diplomatic way for the Brits to get out of the constitutional nightmare of Key’s invitation to visit in an election year (bet William doesn’t go to the Falklands, but)
How long is it going to take the police to make decisions in the Darren Hughes investigation.
Dunno, with any luck they will arrest Goff for aiding and abetting by dint of bad management practices.
Hell, I said I would sleep through this Goff business, apologies, back to soporific viewing of paint drying.
What’s the update on the privacy case against darling Paula Bennett?
The last that I heard many moons ago, the Director of Human Rights Proceedings was supposed to make a call on that?
RWNJobbery of the day. A coup made him do it.
The comment from one that implied that Obama didn’t want to take out bin Laden because he was a “brother” Muslim. Wonder if there is any truth in the coup report? A bit dodgy?
Even if Obama secretly felt that he was a “brother Muslim” and therefore shouldn’t be killed, there’s no way he’d ever ever say that to anyone else, either in public or private, simply because of the amount of shit it would stir up should it become known (he’d come up with some other reason). Obama isn’t an idiot.
Therefore, it’s just a crank story by the birthers who are wildly trying to latch on to their next conspiracy theory.
I reckon they’re so fearful and/or outraged that a black man from a single parent family was actually elected to high office and they so much want to believe that it’s all a bad dream, ‘a black man as our president’, noooo…., anything goes and the nuttier the better.
It’s on atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com so it must be true!
I’m off to the KB sewer to see if Fletch has posted:
“Whitehouse Coup”,
….see, I was right, the military always knew he was a secret mooslem
If Obama has managed to retain a moral compass, despite the nature of his job, he may well have argued in favour of capturing Osama and bringing him before the courts. However, this too seems unlikely. As Fisk puts it, “But a court would have worried more people than Bin Laden. After all, he might have talked about his contacts with the CIA during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, or about his cosy meetings in Islamabad with Prince Turki, Saudi Arabia’s head of intelligence. Just as Saddam – who was tried for the murder of a mere 153 people rather than thousands of gassed Kurds – was hanged before he had the chance to tell us about the gas components that came from America, his friendship with Donald Rumsfeld, the US military assistance he received when he invaded Iran in 1980.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-was-he-betrayed-of-course-pakistan-knew-bin-ladens-hiding-place-all
Still no word from Mana as to whether they stand for a separate Maori Parliament, or setting up separate Maori states for the likes of Tuhoe. For me personally this is unacceptable. These lands should never have more than one state, and in realistic terms, it should be unacceptable for NZ to have a neighbouring state on it’s border.
I think we should also make our National Day October 28, as it was on this day that New Zealand’s independence was declared in 1835 (He Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tirene).
Where do you get the “separate Maori Parliament” or “separate Maori states for the likes of Tuhoe,” from Samuel? Nothing like what the Mana Party stands for. Not very helpful old chap.
Hone Harawira is the leader of the party is he not? I have already posted links up here in the last couple of day’s where he has been quoted in the past making these kind of statements. Now if you want me to post it again I will, but I will ask you this question. If we are to forget what Harawira has said in the past, should we give Don Brash the same lee-way as to what he said in the past whilst leader of the National Party?
I don’t think so.
I really hope you guys who are supporting Mana wake up and smell the coffee.
Sorry mate what Hone said before does not make it Mana policy today, nor did it make it Maori Party policy when he was with them.
Could easily take the same tack with Winston where he said a lot of shit before but that does not mean that it is NZ First policy for this election.
I still think you are being disingenuous with this tack.
For fuck’s sake, if you makes factual claims it is entirely up to you to provide teh evidence, not anyone else’s, especially given the search function on this site is pretty good.
Alright calm down NickS.
Tino Rangatiratanga insists on Maori governance.
From a 2005 article in the Northern Advocate;
“Meanwhile, Mr Harawira has already broken ranks, saying during Saturday’s victory speech he wanted to reinstate a separate Maori Parliament.”
http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/from-maori-radical-to-key-player-in-parliament/3653236/
Watch this, Harawira says that a separate government has been the “dream of our tipuna for a long time”
http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=WIftCtWNSEM
And I quote this from a conversation I had with ‘Te Mana’ on Facebook. Its on their wall for everyone to see.
“Constitutional transformation consistent with Te Tiriti guarantees and he whakaputanga”
“Specific issues of institutional reform of parliamentary system is part of larger debate”
“We have asked Moana Jackson and group lead by him to develop a paper to be discussed at inaugural conference after hone confirms his mandate to lead MANA after by election”
So? Mana makes me sick. I have no doubt their rallies will include people waving Tino Rangatiratanga flags. As a New Zealander I find their Maori populist rhetoric only causes more racism and scepticism. Wake up.
Translation: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, teh Maori’s are gettn upitty! Waaaaaaaaaaa*.
Because pointing out the Crown still has obligations to fulfil under Te Treati O Waitangi = racism. Instead of say a factual statement, driven by long term socio-economic issues stemming from colonialism and Crown reluctance to honour their legal Treati obligations.
Shit, you’d think that people might be able to realise that it’s quite possible to move beyond semi-racist mainstream NZ nationalism that tells Maori to effectively ignore their Treati rights to a mind set that sees Maori nationalism as just a movement within NZ that seeks to deal with historical wounds that despite myths otherwise, are still yet to fully heal.
___________________________________________________________
*Nothing like my fellow Pakeha’s whinging over someone pointing out their privileges involve shitting on others.
We should ignore the treaty, it is a load of fucking shit. They had a war for 20 years after that.
And then there are those who say they didn’t sign the treaty.
I know my privileges involved not only shitting on others, but raping and killing them. But what privileges do I have that Maori don’t? My ancestors came here in the 1880s, what privileges do I have that Maori don’t? My great-great grandfather put in railroads and then cut down forest to have his own farm. 110 years later I was being raised by a solo mother subject to the whims of Roger Douglas and Ruth Richardson’s welfare cuts.
You tell me what privileges I have that Maori don’t?
Ye Eldar Things, The Stupid, It Burns.
So much so, I think I’m going to get off my well padded arse and get some thankfully non-stupid infested air…
As for white dude privileges, I’ve given more than a few blunt hints so make use of your brain and work it out.
Except of course the major conflicts with in that time frame where pretty much all to do with treaty violations and the Crown seizing land illegally, as documented under later Waitangi Tribunals. Along with the usual ethnic tensions that come from colonisation and white dudes thinking they have a god-given right to teh land.
@Samuel: “You tell me what privileges I have that Maori don’t?”
You tell me what privileges Maori have that I don’t Samuel?
I have asked before but it seems to be taken for granted that they do have plenty. (One chap told me that Maori are accepted into Medical School over the heads of those with higher quals and could qualify as Doctors with lower rquals.. But it turns out that the Selection process has flexibility in choosing students who show promise but have had fewer opportunities. eg Pakeha girl from Rangitata District High. But once in they all have to pass the grade.
So you tell me what privileges Maori have that I don’t Samuel?
I don’t know. I don’t think they have any. Maybe if they are like some of my friends they get cash injections from tribes such as Tainui to go to University. But thats the tribes money, I have no problem with that.
This isn’t an issue over what Maori have that I don’t, this is about Maori saying that they don’t have the same rights as Pakeha.
Maori have privileges to the beaches for free, fresh country ear, oodles of prime beachside property, first dibs on any resource consent application, cushy contracts with the local councils which mean you can’t really do anything without the blessing of kaumatua when it comes to anything political, more weight when it comes to protesting against the rape and pillage of our seabed, a deeper connection with the earth, a great collective culture, wonderful stories, a beautiful unique language (when it’s not being shouted and mangled).
If you want to go on about so called “special treatment” we’ve all got our own sectors. Everyone is accepted to university on their own merits. People that selectors know will eventually end up supporting the family financially, the last thing they need to hinder them in supporting anyone other than just themselves, is a crippling loan.
It’s a two way street.That being said, we have had an increasing talent in making things as complex as possible for ourselves. It doesn’t have to be.
I am calm you douchebag, and you have no right to police my state of mind, especially when you should be more focused on arguing your points more effectively.
/sigh
Aside from the fact they’re drawing off the Maori version of Te Treati O Waitangi, which iirc did allow for Maori self-governance, which is the legal basis for the make do Maori Seats in Parliament if memory serves me right. So Hone was, and still is fully reasonable to be after a separate Maori Parliament, which would probably work alongside the one in Wellington given Te Treati, that is unless it proves constitutionally unworkable. However, that’s a future goal, rather than a current one. And besides that, NZ is overdue for a much more in depth discussion of the role of Te Treati in terms of shaping NZ’s constitution, instead of sorting out land seizures in the hope questions of Maori sovereignty slide beneath the surface.
Besides, that is only one aspect of Mana’s platform, and a myopic focus on it seems a mite trite and somewhat narrow focused, on top of appearing rather ignorant about the Crown’s obligations under Te Treati O Waitangi. Then again, there’s nothing like uppity minorities to get teh middle and lower classes all worked up and making twits out of themselves. Per all the “fun” over beach access…
Lastly, given what the Crown has done to Tuhoe, they’re fully within their moral rights to withdraw and create a separate microstate. However they what they’ve made clear is that they don’t really want that, and rather what they want is greater rights and responsibilities to do with Te Urewera National Park and former lands not inside there returned to them. Hardly asking for all that much, and well within their rights under Te Treati.
Don’t be so pathetic.
Oh the crown is so bad. How did these Maori tribes get there land in the first place? Oh thats right, they fought, killed, and ate people. British colonisation is just a natural progression of humanity. There was no such thing as ‘Maori’ until the tribes realised that those muskets they had received in exchange for land weren’t as valuable as they first hoped.
Maori Parliament? Are you crazy.
They should be worrying about getting a sustainable economy where skills and education for out youth are our priority, increasing our ability for innovation and research which will create new jobs.
But I’m sure they had it all sussed before the white man arrived.
Sorry, what did you say? Because all I can see is a bunch of racist bullshit that denies the well documented past douchebaggery by the Crown over Te Treati that could be summarised in one line of*;
Instead of say a reasoned counter argument that outlines why the Crown perhaps doesn’t have to deal with the issue of Maori Sovereignty via creating a new House of Parliament on the basis of Land ownership and “self determination”. For example. Which I just thought up. In less time that it took you type the above tripe.
As for this:
Te Treati O Waitangi mo-fo, do you know what it is? Because if the Crown had kept it’s end of the Treati, much of the present socio economic problems might not have been such of an issue for Maori as the Tribes adapted rapidly in peace time to providing a large volume to trade to European settlements.
Would there still be poverty? Of course, because current economic systems presently guarantee it, but with ownership maintained over their lands and resources, Maori would obviously be in a much better situation than today. Not that I’m idealising here, because of issues of slavery in tribes and tribal warfare have feed into some of the current issues.
____________
* please note this is satire,
Umm. You seem to be ignoring the fact I have mentioned that THERE WAS A WAR FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY.
Do you want another one?
It takes time to think and type you fool.
Which you didn’t think about the reasons for, let alone deal with the historical context and legal and constitutional rulings since then. So perhaps you could try thinking?
LOL WUT?
lawl, I do love it when people make statements utterly divorced from reality, but just for fun, would kindly outline your reasons and facts supporting your claim? Because at present I don’t quite get how Maori nationalism is going to be a trigger for a civil war without having to ignore quite a few bits of the present reality of the state of NZ…
No, I’m saying. What are you gonna do about it? Are Maoris gonna start taking their land back if we don’t give it back? Let them try. Come back to reality where the British Empire could do what they want.
(1) And if they try, then what? Fine them? Imprison them? Shoot them? Not really helpful to any one; I guess you are taking the standpoint that no Maori in NZ has any legitimate grievances or claims to NZ land.
(2) You understand the the British empire lost its grip on many territories because the “natives” decided that they had enough of colonial injustices and that the British were not welcome or needed any more?
I wonder, is what you are saying descriptive of core NZ First policy around Maori and around the Treaty?
No this is my personal view.
Fine them? Imprison them? Shoot them?
What would you do to me if I tried to take some land back from you that my Great-grandfather was forced to hand over to another farmer for some reason?
Get over it. I don’t own any land. Should I go back to Britain and Holland and spout my historical grievances?
If I sign a treaty with you, and then you break the deal… Why should I abide by the agreement?
Ummmm…it would depend how you tried to take the land back. If you turned up with mates and baseball bats that’s clearly a police matter. However if you were following a process in the courts, thats another issue.
In NZ, providing a process is one reason that the Waitangi Tribunal was set up.
And to answer your question – if one side of a treaty or agreement breaks that treaty or agreement, there is still legal due process to follow. That’s another reason that the Waitangi Tribunal was set up. Acting out wildly just because the other party has broken the agreement is very likely to cause your own legal position to degrade.
Many contracts state that the breaking of one clause of a contract does not make null and void the rest of the clauses of the contract.
It seems to me like you just want to screw due process and go straight to guns. But that’s not what we do very much in civil society today, although your great grandfather might have done that in the late 1800’s.
You could go back to Britain and Holland and spout historical grievances. Of course, unless there was a process and mechanism all set up ready to receive you, you are not likely to get very far.
In NZ we have those processes and mechanisms already well established.
Thank you Colonial Viper for engaging with me without getting emotional.
What I want for this country is to move forward together. Now if people are coming out speaking in favour of separatism, then I am not interested. If we are going to continue along the path of legally getting land back to Maori, thats fine.
But when will it end?
Do you not see the frustration of people who simply want to get NZ moving forward. What is happening in this country today is going to see not only Maori land sold to foreign corporates, but the land of ALL New Zealanders.
I see October 28 1835 as the day New Zealanders should recognise as the starting date of this country. Not February 6 1840.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/police-against-softer-drugs-approach-4153968
It’s not “softer” as it changes the focus away from users to the suppliers, thus leading to lower wastage on court costs etc, potentially providing more resources to be put towards going after black market suppliers and actually making much greater gains against Class A (and B) drug suppliers. However, given the police’s attitudes towards arming them, instead of making sure there’s two cops in every police car, it comes as not much of a surprise they can’t get their heads around such a simple idea.
Though personally the reform suggestions should also extend to medical usage of cannabis for long term pain and terminal illness suffers as synthetic cannabinoids for strong pain relief are still in the human testing stage. While some have been cleared for human use, they’re more targeted towards anti-emetics and controlling spasticity and though they do reduce pain they are not yet as effective as the rather addictive opiates or plain old cannabis. Thus I find it ethically a colossal douchebag move to deny those with serious pain a potent and rather less addictive means of controlling pain that opiate pain killers on the basis of cannabis being a “drug”, especially in contrast when considering harm levels to already legal non prescription drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco.
As for Family First’s claim cannabis is a “gateway drug” a quick perusal of wikipedia shows that they have no fucking idea what they’re talking about as per usual, as the role of cannabis in leading to harder drugs is not clear cut. Of course it’s Family First, who couldn’t science to save their patriarchy loving, child thrashing lives.
‘The Stroppery’ all stropped out already! Short lived fiesty women blog is no more.
🙁
Bugger.
Yeah I went there too late and missed out on a clean fight with a fiesty sheila meself. Mind you, don’t have to look too far for more ha ha.
John Key put on a terrible show in parliament yesterday.
Fumbling his words, talking too fast, tripping himself up and admitting to things he didn’t mean to, whining voice getting ever higher and more shrill.
In short he was scared. Totally defensive. His only attempt to give some back fell flat.
His leadership has been called into question by having Brash calling the shots in his cabinet. He looked weak. He felt weak.
Smell his fear.
…And yet he keep on smiling for the media about it like nothings wrong.
I think I need a better nerf gun for shooting politician’s images on the TV. However, The Witcher 2 is out this month…
‘Smell his fear’
felix, where can I get this perfume?
Links on Parliament TV up yet?
Wonder what English is thinking?
The rise of Brash – has been engineered by forces in National without Key’s consent???
That would be an interesting development. The struggle within National continues.
‘Wonder what English is thinking?’
Good point CV – was wondering that myself. Bill must be wondering if he’d be safer in Fukushima at the moment.
Can’t decide who’s going to best the other in the ultimate hollow-out.
Look out Key, remember what happened to Rodders when he courted the serpent.
Shonkey going weak at the knees … at the thought that head office might be making up their mind that the time is nigh to move him on.
And it is now reconfirmed. Brash is a climate change denier.
God help New Zealand if he gets his hands on the levers of power.
I wanted to contact you Lynn but send button is stubbornly blocking me.
Yeah I got e-mailed about that yesterday. They were on Mac/Safari. Looks like something broke and it isn’t obvious. I’ll be trying to look at it again tonight.
You can e-mail me at lprent [at] primary.geek.nz as well
John Cole at Balloon Juice is correct insofar that this is pure win:
http://theopeninghours.com.au/2011/05/02/cause-and-effect/
Well I never thought it would happen but compared to the Don and Hone on Closeup, Phil and John are looking quite statesman like.
Fucking politicians in this country what a pack of chimps.
While they both scored some hits and had some strong points there were weaknesses and duds as well.
Brash has to lean not to slouch and back away, Harawira looked skyward with seeming disinterest.
I didn’t learn much new from the “debate”, except that Harawira talks with passion about Maori issues but talks in slogans when he switches to the activism of convenience, helping the poor and the workers (and I have no idea how he will help them).
Brash seemed to tack on the ETS as an afterthought, maybe he didn’t have the time or opportunity but it is something he didn’t try and explain at all.
Brash saying he ‘believes in the Treaty’ and property rights.
Crazy old coot was going nationalise the F&S just because a court said iwi might own some of it.
And that was thing that made him get his precious 39.1 percent of the vote that he’s so proud of.
Shit doesn’t add up.
his precious 39.1 percent
He keeps repeating that as if he earned every one single handed, it’s wearing thinner than a Warehouse négligée.
This has my nomination for The Standard commentator’s metaphor of the month!!!!
“négligée” with all the cute french accents too, what a treat! 😀
Agreed. I’ve never seen one. But knowing what some of their other products are like…
PeteG
Your bon mots gem is much appreciated by this word-addled Celt.
Finance Hub worth $B to NZ
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10723244
What a joke, this takes prostituting ourselves to the financial markets to John Key’s level.
But I guess Ireland has done real well out of it.