Bankers – run the joint.
Bankers – reap the benefits.
Bankers – resist reform and change..
Bankers – win by doing nothing..
Bankers – lie about money and power.
You could substitute “bankers” for “financial institutions” or “corporations”; essentially then, “capitalists”.
How much weight do you place in the claims made in the trailer Ad? It highlights a situation I wasn’t even aware of. 300 bogus companies floating on US stock exchanges? If so, I’d imagine it’s too big to be Triads or consortium of crook bankers, surely the Chinese govt would need to be in on it. Trump will spew….wouldn’t he need to know about it?
Same producers as: Enron – The smartest guys in the room. They seemed to do a pretty good job of dissecting that scam.
Chinese private commercial debt is one of the biggest economic risks still standing for 2018, and would thoroughly shake our own Australian-domiciled banks – and our own ridiculously exposed debt markets – if it deflated quickly.
I don’t view that as a strong possibility because the political economy of China has been shown to be highly responsive. But the risk is still there.
Good to be skeptical about straight anti-Chinese propaganda like this, and I will be waiting for the journals to review the film in depth.
I don’t view that as a strong possibility because the political economy of China has been shown to be highly responsive.
Their politicians do step in fairly quickly to prevent their economy collapsing. They force their currency down against the US$ to improve exports, they print money as needed and generally maintain excessive subsidies.
If that commercial debt is looking to cause problems for the Chinese economy you can be assured that the Chinese government will simply write it off and keep the economy going.
A whole lot of stuff that the rest of the world can make itself. Hell, most of what they make was developed and produced in other countries first. The industry in those other countries disappearing as China produced the same stuff for those other countries.
This would not be happening if China wasn’t manipulating the market for their own benefit in what can only be called mercantilism.
This beggar-thy-neighbour policy is encouraged by the greed of the capitalists in those other countries because they’re doing ok by impoverishing the rest of their country.
The Chinese have a philosophical connection to long-term planning. While we’re jerking along in 3 year bite size pieces they think in generations. I think this has much to do with their fiscal stability.
OK re: the movie trailer. China has so much legitimate financial leverage over the US I struggle to find the reasoning behind running adjacent blatant scams.
> You can figure the shape of power with these few questions:
> – who really runs this town?
> – who benefits right now?
> – who really resists?
> – who needs to do the least to win?
> – Why are they lying?
> Now, name them.
It doesn’t seem like anybody here knows the answers to your questions – do you?
Go right ahead.
Nothing defamatory, but it’s a good exercise to plot a constellation.
Back in the day, Bruce Jesson did a map of New Zealand companies in the 1970s and showed which board Chairs and members were related which other boards.
Who really runs this town?
A group who seem to think we want to increase our rates to build a weird bunch of Sydney Opera House like structures.
Who benefits?
No-one – even the architect should be ashamed.
Who resists?
It’s a flaccid town – exhausted by debt and decades of misgovernance.
Who needs to do the least to win?
The usual suspects.
Lobbyists.
They may not wield ultimate power but they do have inordinate influence on the pollies.
How likely is this mob to reform lobbying?
Highly unlikely as the pollies benefit from lobbying.
Transparent lobbying register for EVERY contact with a lobbyist.
Edit: ahhh, after rereading, I see you meant local rather than national politics.
A bit quick to leap on my hobby horse.
I’m going to refer to a small provincial town we once lived in. I am unsure whether it applies to the village I live in now and rather think it doesn’t altogether.
* Farmers/ property/business owners – the bigger the portfolio the more power – they stacked the council too.
* They benefit.
* Very few – they also own your job and your house.
* Them; they simply need to maintain the status quo.
* They lie because it’s what they do. They even believe some of their lies. If they didn’t lie, if everyone knew and cared how the 1% and the 20% operate, the system would break down.
In that town 1 man owned upwards of 50 rental houses plus several business premises. A couple of real estate agents own much the same numbers of properties between them. Funny that. They’re also town councillors. Funny that too.
As a known Labour supporter I couldn’t get a job locally for love or money despite my excellent references and experience and I was told it was because of my politics … “our clients wouldn’t like it’.
You are progressive and live in a small town and make this views known, you are in serious jeopardy for as long as you live there. Your history tells me a long, hard and pessimistic story.
It’s not hard to remember that we have been living for 9 years under a government and under all local governments except Auckland and Dunedin and a few others in which it is almost illegal to express progressive thought with your actual name attached – or else you will be hunted down.
It is an interesting point that people are more vulnerable politically when dependent on private landlord supplied housing. Unless of course there is more security to tenants.
Little wonder the term property owning democracy is of longstanding.
The same issue may develop with the social media profile being used by employers to screen potential employees for being too free-thinking/whistle-blowers.
It is an interesting point that people are more vulnerable politically when dependent on private landlord supplied housing.
But not surprising when you think about it. It’s just another abuse of power that comes with capitalism and probably the worst aspect of it. It allows the rich to control everyone else through the fear of not having a job.
Of course, that’s what’s behind National’s ongoing attacks on beneficiaries. Power over everyone else for the capitalists.
Capital, and access to finance, is a dominant factor in every town. This can be divided between the established and new. The established will want favour (irrigation projects and lack of regulation of waterway purity – New Zealand), and most towns are seeking fresh capital, renewal/growth in their economy.
Those of the business community benefit.
Community activists who place value on other things.
Those who are established in office, or in their wealth.
They do not always need to lie, and for the most part the lie is inherent in the idea that growth is essential for the town to be successful and growth can only occur by not getting in the way of business.
Capital, and access to finance, is a dominant factor in every town.
And the government could provide that with 0% interest. Do that and the councils would only have to take into account availability of workers and sustainability.
Rule out irrigation and look to high tech development instead. It would be in the countries interest for the government to fund the development and building of some IC fabrication plants. Tie then into a couple of universities for ongoing development and maintenance. Just like the US did in fact.
For a small place like NZ it really needs to be coordinated across the country along with supply chains both internal and offshore.
Auckland : A small clique, it’s a series of fiefdoms of one faction versus every other faction. They do what they want, and every now and again someone will add their name to it. Most of the time, it’s people like you AD and lprent who desperately trying stop the stupid, that is the major by-production of this chaos.
Those with money benefit, because that is the system we have.
The media – killing any voice which opposes the liberal economic dominance.
Working people – just stop! (win for socialism that is 🙂 )
The media – they have a economic system to up hold.
Same graft here in HB and in Napier the realestate industry control the City Council planning; – and are buying up everywhere, and bulldozing what they want now.
I dunno. Auckland is arguably a clique, but it’s the very opposite of small. Urban Auckland has a population of over 1.5 million, out of an estimated 4.8 million kiwis. That’s pretty close to a third of the country living in Auckland alone. When you add Wellington and Christchurch to that, we easily have a straight up majority of New Zealanders living in our largest cities.
The interests of the (other) regions are valid, but let’s not pretend that Auckland is ascendant with no challenger- Wellington gets its own share of the power, and Christchurch eats its own share of the national debate with local issues, not that I think anyone would disagree that they deserve the attention still. (ironically, local Wellington issues are largely ignored in national politics. Good luck discussing public transport to the southern suburbs on National tv, but we frequently talk about issues in as much depth regarding Auckland, Christchurch, or the regions)
Auckland has its own underclasses, its own issues, its own problems, even if certain debates within Auckland, like transport, sometimes sway the conversation on national politics, that is again because they are a large clique. When you think of an elite Aucklander, you are likely thinking of someone on a large salary that lives in central Auckland, not necessarily a pacific person living in southern Auckland who can’t get a job.
The absolute bonkers thing about the effective set-up we have is that although those with extremely large amounts of money absolutely do enjoy a megaphone, they still largely don’t get listened to if they’d like to talk about things that disrupt the paradigm of them getting more money. Gareth Morgan is a rich guy, for instance, but look what happened to TOP after taking on a very similar policy platform to the Greens: it’s languishing in electoral failure, its deputy doesn’t want to step up and be leader, and it has no viable electorate candidate to push it into parliament. The thing about being an elite is that you can’t actually buy your way all the way into it- if you start upsetting things you’re out of favour in a matter of months.
As for the media- I think it’s really worth distinguishing between the highly-paid presenters, especially when they don’t actually challenge anything much like on TV, and the staff that support them doing the actual hard work for at best a middle-class salary. Again, those at the core of the industry are absolutely insufferable, but there are great individuals there doing real work that actually helps people, especially if you look at more alternative media like RNZ, where even the presenters are actually great people even if you disagree with them.
In some smaller towns it’s very easy to see who pulls the strings.
Go to Wanaka and the name Allan Dippie crop up quite quickly. He and Bob Robertson – who has since died – where they are/were the major property developers there and had a special status with the District Council. Look at a town that is doubling in size as all these new subdivisions are bulldozed into shape.
My take is on the Karikari Peninsula, a finger of land in the Far North. About half of it is retained by Ngati Kahu (a branch of Nga Puhi). They trace their occupancy back to Kupe landing at the mouth of the Taipa River. A large portion is a Land Corp farm. This is earmarked to be returned to Nga Puhi in their treaty settlement. The Carrington Resort is on a large piece of coastal land, golf course, working vineyard/winery, 100’s of stagnant subdivided sections. A few farmers with smaller holdings and about 300 sections with dwellings on them: 40% permanents, 60% holiday houses.
Outside of the crazy 3 weeks we’re in the midst of it’s a sleepy, nothing much changes, beautiful beach laden backwater.
About 2 years ago the resort was purchased by the 2nd largest real estate company on the Chinese stock exchange: Shanghai Cred. They drew up plans to build about 600 villas on their property and developed a plan to sell golfing package tours to blossoming Chinese incomes.
No probs with the government and the OIO. No probs with the Far North Council. They’ve encountered a mega hurdle with Ngati Kahu. The 2 parties have been in negotiations for about 2 years. It’s very unclear whether we are going to see strings of tour buses running out the Peninsula or not.
1. I think the 2 Ngati Kahu hapu have the most power on Karikari Peninsula. The council and local businesses can be lobbied, persuaded. As can Ngati Kahu but they’re a much tougher sell. They’re not swayed by flash in the pan profits or another 3 years in office. They’re pondering, ‘What would Kupe have us do?’
2. The hapu benefit right now. They retain their home pretty much as it has been for 700 years. They are having blankets and beads dangled en masse. There are benefits in their letting Shanghai Cred proceed with their plans.
3. Collectively I feel the majority of Ngati Kahu are against it. They fear change that can’t be reversed that alters their way of life forever.
4. I think Ngati Kahu have to do the least to win. They can stand firm with “No” or negotiate an outcome that outweighs a “No” position.
5. I don’t think they’re lying. They’re on a search for clarity and truth. The Chinese company stand to gain the most from gilding the lily. There are few jobs in the region, Shanghai Cred are pumping up the creation of many jobs. Personally, I find it easy to imagine Ngati Kahu filling min wage jobs, under a layer of whip cracking Chinese middle management.
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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. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
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, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
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. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
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 ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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 ...
Bob.
Bankers – run the joint.
Bankers – reap the benefits.
Bankers – resist reform and change..
Bankers – win by doing nothing..
Bankers – lie about money and power.
You could substitute “bankers” for “financial institutions” or “corporations”; essentially then, “capitalists”.
If that is your view you will enjoy this one coming up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUG0U2ClYtM
How much weight do you place in the claims made in the trailer Ad? It highlights a situation I wasn’t even aware of. 300 bogus companies floating on US stock exchanges? If so, I’d imagine it’s too big to be Triads or consortium of crook bankers, surely the Chinese govt would need to be in on it. Trump will spew….wouldn’t he need to know about it?
Same producers as: Enron – The smartest guys in the room. They seemed to do a pretty good job of dissecting that scam.
Chinese private commercial debt is one of the biggest economic risks still standing for 2018, and would thoroughly shake our own Australian-domiciled banks – and our own ridiculously exposed debt markets – if it deflated quickly.
I don’t view that as a strong possibility because the political economy of China has been shown to be highly responsive. But the risk is still there.
Good to be skeptical about straight anti-Chinese propaganda like this, and I will be waiting for the journals to review the film in depth.
Their politicians do step in fairly quickly to prevent their economy collapsing. They force their currency down against the US$ to improve exports, they print money as needed and generally maintain excessive subsidies.
If that commercial debt is looking to cause problems for the Chinese economy you can be assured that the Chinese government will simply write it off and keep the economy going.
Yeah, but the engine room is making and selling a whole lot of stuff the world wants to buy. It’s a seething orgy of capitalism Draco!
A whole lot of stuff that the rest of the world can make itself. Hell, most of what they make was developed and produced in other countries first. The industry in those other countries disappearing as China produced the same stuff for those other countries.
This would not be happening if China wasn’t manipulating the market for their own benefit in what can only be called mercantilism.
This beggar-thy-neighbour policy is encouraged by the greed of the capitalists in those other countries because they’re doing ok by impoverishing the rest of their country.
The Chinese have a philosophical connection to long-term planning. While we’re jerking along in 3 year bite size pieces they think in generations. I think this has much to do with their fiscal stability.
OK re: the movie trailer. China has so much legitimate financial leverage over the US I struggle to find the reasoning behind running adjacent blatant scams.
I agree somewhat with Bill.
The question is how do countries and individuals wean themselves off debt which so many are addicted to as if it’s crack cocaine.
Bill, that is why they questioned the changes Robertson brought in.
They have to consider employment issues along with “financial stability”
Great to see the OIA turning down ANZ’s sale of UDC. Would have been just another name for derivatives, as they divided it up to sell the debt.
Bankers must spend their days trying to rort the system.
Correct, and they do.
Take a read about this poor bugger over in West Australia, but it also can happen here in NZ.
They are an evil lot.
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/massive-bill-leaves-kondinin-farmer-with-just-3-ng-b88697688z
> You can figure the shape of power with these few questions:
> – who really runs this town?
> – who benefits right now?
> – who really resists?
> – who needs to do the least to win?
> – Why are they lying?
> Now, name them.
It doesn’t seem like anybody here knows the answers to your questions – do you?
A.
Agree bit of a sad effort so far.
I’ll stick my own thoughts down at the end of the day once I’ve got to Hawkes Bay.
Go ahead. Give it a go.
I could try and answer the questions re the Standard website, if that would be helpful?
A.
Go right ahead.
Nothing defamatory, but it’s a good exercise to plot a constellation.
Back in the day, Bruce Jesson did a map of New Zealand companies in the 1970s and showed which board Chairs and members were related which other boards.
It was tidy.
I was hoping people would actually answer the questions, about their own town.
Give it a go.
Ahh yes, I’m partly responsible for the detour, sorry.
On a national scale, I end up with 3 score of faceless silver foxes nattering over expensive Scotch in hand-cut crystal glasses.
I’ll scale it down and think about the power plays going down on the Peninsula as I mow.
Who really runs this town?
A group who seem to think we want to increase our rates to build a weird bunch of Sydney Opera House like structures.
Who benefits?
No-one – even the architect should be ashamed.
Who resists?
It’s a flaccid town – exhausted by debt and decades of misgovernance.
Who needs to do the least to win?
The usual suspects.
Lobbyists.
They may not wield ultimate power but they do have inordinate influence on the pollies.
How likely is this mob to reform lobbying?
Highly unlikely as the pollies benefit from lobbying.
Transparent lobbying register for EVERY contact with a lobbyist.
Edit: ahhh, after rereading, I see you meant local rather than national politics.
A bit quick to leap on my hobby horse.
Don’t mind – Wellington-based NZ lobbyists have a part to play in the running of that town.
I’m going to refer to a small provincial town we once lived in. I am unsure whether it applies to the village I live in now and rather think it doesn’t altogether.
* Farmers/ property/business owners – the bigger the portfolio the more power – they stacked the council too.
* They benefit.
* Very few – they also own your job and your house.
* Them; they simply need to maintain the status quo.
* They lie because it’s what they do. They even believe some of their lies. If they didn’t lie, if everyone knew and cared how the 1% and the 20% operate, the system would break down.
In that town 1 man owned upwards of 50 rental houses plus several business premises. A couple of real estate agents own much the same numbers of properties between them. Funny that. They’re also town councillors. Funny that too.
As a known Labour supporter I couldn’t get a job locally for love or money despite my excellent references and experience and I was told it was because of my politics … “our clients wouldn’t like it’.
Good work GoodShepherd.
You are progressive and live in a small town and make this views known, you are in serious jeopardy for as long as you live there. Your history tells me a long, hard and pessimistic story.
It’s not hard to remember that we have been living for 9 years under a government and under all local governments except Auckland and Dunedin and a few others in which it is almost illegal to express progressive thought with your actual name attached – or else you will be hunted down.
It is an interesting point that people are more vulnerable politically when dependent on private landlord supplied housing. Unless of course there is more security to tenants.
Little wonder the term property owning democracy is of longstanding.
The same issue may develop with the social media profile being used by employers to screen potential employees for being too free-thinking/whistle-blowers.
But not surprising when you think about it. It’s just another abuse of power that comes with capitalism and probably the worst aspect of it. It allows the rich to control everyone else through the fear of not having a job.
Of course, that’s what’s behind National’s ongoing attacks on beneficiaries. Power over everyone else for the capitalists.
Capital, and access to finance, is a dominant factor in every town. This can be divided between the established and new. The established will want favour (irrigation projects and lack of regulation of waterway purity – New Zealand), and most towns are seeking fresh capital, renewal/growth in their economy.
Those of the business community benefit.
Community activists who place value on other things.
Those who are established in office, or in their wealth.
They do not always need to lie, and for the most part the lie is inherent in the idea that growth is essential for the town to be successful and growth can only occur by not getting in the way of business.
And the government could provide that with 0% interest. Do that and the councils would only have to take into account availability of workers and sustainability.
Rule out irrigation and look to high tech development instead. It would be in the countries interest for the government to fund the development and building of some IC fabrication plants. Tie then into a couple of universities for ongoing development and maintenance. Just like the US did in fact.
For a small place like NZ it really needs to be coordinated across the country along with supply chains both internal and offshore.
Auckland : A small clique, it’s a series of fiefdoms of one faction versus every other faction. They do what they want, and every now and again someone will add their name to it. Most of the time, it’s people like you AD and lprent who desperately trying stop the stupid, that is the major by-production of this chaos.
Those with money benefit, because that is the system we have.
The media – killing any voice which opposes the liberal economic dominance.
Working people – just stop! (win for socialism that is 🙂 )
The media – they have a economic system to up hold.
“The media – killing any voice which opposes the liberal economic dominance.“
Spot on.
Look how many of the media are on the list.
Richardson is my vote.
A truly obnoxious person.
True words Adam,
Same graft here in HB and in Napier the realestate industry control the City Council planning; – and are buying up everywhere, and bulldozing what they want now.
So real estate is soaring, like Auckland did.
So we are all screwed again here too.
I dunno. Auckland is arguably a clique, but it’s the very opposite of small. Urban Auckland has a population of over 1.5 million, out of an estimated 4.8 million kiwis. That’s pretty close to a third of the country living in Auckland alone. When you add Wellington and Christchurch to that, we easily have a straight up majority of New Zealanders living in our largest cities.
The interests of the (other) regions are valid, but let’s not pretend that Auckland is ascendant with no challenger- Wellington gets its own share of the power, and Christchurch eats its own share of the national debate with local issues, not that I think anyone would disagree that they deserve the attention still. (ironically, local Wellington issues are largely ignored in national politics. Good luck discussing public transport to the southern suburbs on National tv, but we frequently talk about issues in as much depth regarding Auckland, Christchurch, or the regions)
Auckland has its own underclasses, its own issues, its own problems, even if certain debates within Auckland, like transport, sometimes sway the conversation on national politics, that is again because they are a large clique. When you think of an elite Aucklander, you are likely thinking of someone on a large salary that lives in central Auckland, not necessarily a pacific person living in southern Auckland who can’t get a job.
The absolute bonkers thing about the effective set-up we have is that although those with extremely large amounts of money absolutely do enjoy a megaphone, they still largely don’t get listened to if they’d like to talk about things that disrupt the paradigm of them getting more money. Gareth Morgan is a rich guy, for instance, but look what happened to TOP after taking on a very similar policy platform to the Greens: it’s languishing in electoral failure, its deputy doesn’t want to step up and be leader, and it has no viable electorate candidate to push it into parliament. The thing about being an elite is that you can’t actually buy your way all the way into it- if you start upsetting things you’re out of favour in a matter of months.
As for the media- I think it’s really worth distinguishing between the highly-paid presenters, especially when they don’t actually challenge anything much like on TV, and the staff that support them doing the actual hard work for at best a middle-class salary. Again, those at the core of the industry are absolutely insufferable, but there are great individuals there doing real work that actually helps people, especially if you look at more alternative media like RNZ, where even the presenters are actually great people even if you disagree with them.
In some smaller towns it’s very easy to see who pulls the strings.
Go to Wanaka and the name Allan Dippie crop up quite quickly. He and Bob Robertson – who has since died – where they are/were the major property developers there and had a special status with the District Council. Look at a town that is doubling in size as all these new subdivisions are bulldozed into shape.
My take is on the Karikari Peninsula, a finger of land in the Far North. About half of it is retained by Ngati Kahu (a branch of Nga Puhi). They trace their occupancy back to Kupe landing at the mouth of the Taipa River. A large portion is a Land Corp farm. This is earmarked to be returned to Nga Puhi in their treaty settlement. The Carrington Resort is on a large piece of coastal land, golf course, working vineyard/winery, 100’s of stagnant subdivided sections. A few farmers with smaller holdings and about 300 sections with dwellings on them: 40% permanents, 60% holiday houses.
Outside of the crazy 3 weeks we’re in the midst of it’s a sleepy, nothing much changes, beautiful beach laden backwater.
About 2 years ago the resort was purchased by the 2nd largest real estate company on the Chinese stock exchange: Shanghai Cred. They drew up plans to build about 600 villas on their property and developed a plan to sell golfing package tours to blossoming Chinese incomes.
No probs with the government and the OIO. No probs with the Far North Council. They’ve encountered a mega hurdle with Ngati Kahu. The 2 parties have been in negotiations for about 2 years. It’s very unclear whether we are going to see strings of tour buses running out the Peninsula or not.
1. I think the 2 Ngati Kahu hapu have the most power on Karikari Peninsula. The council and local businesses can be lobbied, persuaded. As can Ngati Kahu but they’re a much tougher sell. They’re not swayed by flash in the pan profits or another 3 years in office. They’re pondering, ‘What would Kupe have us do?’
2. The hapu benefit right now. They retain their home pretty much as it has been for 700 years. They are having blankets and beads dangled en masse. There are benefits in their letting Shanghai Cred proceed with their plans.
3. Collectively I feel the majority of Ngati Kahu are against it. They fear change that can’t be reversed that alters their way of life forever.
4. I think Ngati Kahu have to do the least to win. They can stand firm with “No” or negotiate an outcome that outweighs a “No” position.
5. I don’t think they’re lying. They’re on a search for clarity and truth. The Chinese company stand to gain the most from gilding the lily. There are few jobs in the region, Shanghai Cred are pumping up the creation of many jobs. Personally, I find it easy to imagine Ngati Kahu filling min wage jobs, under a layer of whip cracking Chinese middle management.