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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Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
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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.