Open mike 07/05/2024
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6:00 am, May 7th, 2024 - 95 comments
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- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix 6 @ 6:06am on Sunday, May 19
TL;DR: Here’s six links that stood out to me in the last day in Aotearoa’s political economy to 6:06am on Sunday, May 19:Aotearoa-NZ is the seventh worst in the OECD’s homelessness rankings, just behind the United States and just ahead of Australia. BlackRock thinks rate hikes actually worsen inflation because ...15 hours ago - Lords of the flies
15 hours ago - Fact Brief – Does breathing contribute to CO2 buildup in the atmosphere?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does breathing contribute to CO2 ...1 day ago - Is it time to take the Interislander away from Kiwirail?
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: KiwiRail’s seemingly endless requests for more money is damning. At one point, KiwiRail assured Robertson when he was the Finance Minister that the worst-case scenario would be an extra $300 million before requesting $1.2 billion a few months later. Not what most people ...1 day ago - Behind Blue Eyes.
No one knows what it's likeTo be the bad manTo be the sad manBehind blue eyesNo one knows what it's likeTo be hatedTo be fatedTo telling only liesHave you ever wondered what life must be like for Mike Hosking? Seeing things in black and white through blue tinted specs? In ...1 day ago - Road food
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two week’s editions.Share More Than A FeildingBike bling, London Read more ...2 days ago - Some Reader Feedback For Your Weekend
Hi,I think we all made it through another week — congratulations. I’ve been digesting the new Arab Strap record, which is astonishing. In other news, I’m going to be doing a Webworm popup in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday July 13. I’ll bring a bunch of merch, and some other ...2 days ago - Thinking About the Property Rights in Resource Decisions As Well As Transaction Costs.
The Fast-Track Approvals Bill enables cabinet ministers to circumvent key environmental planning and protection processes for infrastructure projects. Its difficulties have been well canvassed. This column suggests a different way of thinking about the proposal. I am going to explore the Bill from the perspective of its proponents with their ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Can Shane Jones be trusted in making Fast-track decisions?
New Zealand First Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has become the best advertisement against the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill. In selling the radical new resource consenting processes, in which ministers can green light any mine, dam, or other major development, Jones seems to be shooting the proposal in the foot. ...2 days ago - Seymour appeals to PPTA to call off meetings on charter schools – but does he seriously believe he...
Buzz from the Beehive Associate Education Minister David Seymour is urging the PostPrimary Teachers Association to put learning ahead of ideology. He wants the union leaders to call off their teachers meetings around the country where they hope to muster the strength to undo the government’s plans to establish several ...2 days ago - Police don’t fight crime
What are police for? "Fighting crime" is the obvious answer. If there's a burglary, they should show up and investigate. Ditto if there's a murder or sexual assault. Speeding or drunk or dangerous driving is a crime, so obviously they should respond to that. And obviously, they should respond to ...2 days ago - Two central banksMichael Reddell writes – I got curious yesterday about how the Australia/New Zealand real exchange rate had changed over the last decade, and so dug out the data on the changes in the two countries’ CPIs. Over the 10 years from March 2014 to March 2024, New Zealand’s ...2 days ago
- TVNZ hīkoi documentary needs a sequel
Graham Adams writes that 20 years after the land march, judges are quietly awarding a swathe of coastal rights to iwi. Early this month, an hour-long documentary was released by TVNZ to mark the 20th anniversary of the land-rights march to oppose Helen Clark’s Foreshore and Seabed Act. The account ...2 days ago - The missing Green MPDavid Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana has passed an unpleasant milestone: she has now been absent for as many parliamentary sitting days as she has been present for this year. Tana is on full pay while she is suspended, and will benefit from a ...2 days ago
- The contest for the future heart and soul of the Labour PartyPeter Dunne writes – It is no coincidence that two Labour should-have-been MPs are making the most noise about public sector cuts. As assistant general secretary of the Public Service Association, Fleur Fitzsimons has been at the forefront of revealing where the next round of state sector job ...2 days ago
- Lobbying for Waikato’s Medical School causing problems for the GovtBryce Edwards writes – It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the psychological horror film Possession
This is one of the (extra) weekly columns on music or movies. Plenty of solid analyses of Possession exist online and most of them – inevitably – contain spoilers. This column is more in the way of a first-timer’s aid to getting your initial bearings. You don’t need to have ...2 days ago - Portrait of a Man.
I am painting in oil, a portrait of a manWho has taken all the heart aches,And all the pain he can stand.I am using all the colors of blue,I have here on my stand.I am painting in oil, a portrait of a man.This has been an interesting week for me. ...3 days ago - The Hoon around the week to May 17Helen Clark joins the Hoon as a special guest talking whether Aotearoa should join Aukus II, and her views on the fast track legislation and how Luxon and the new Government are performing. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts ...3 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 17-May-2024
We’re at the end of another week. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked if the Herald’s poor journalism will cost lives On Tuesday Matt covered Wayne Brown’s proposal for public transport in the Long ...3 days ago - Rishi’s relaunch
With an election due in less than nine months, Britain’s embattled PM, Rishi Sunak, gave a useful speech earlier this week. He made a substantial case for his government, perhaps as compelling as is possible in the current environment. Quite an achievement. His overall theme was security, first pulling ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #20 2024Open access notables Publicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions, Pearson et al., Climatic Change: We analysed a recently released corpus of climate-related tweets to examine the macro-level factors associated with public declarations of climate change scepticism. Analyses of over 2 million geo-located tweets in the U.S. showed that climate ...3 days ago
- The thrilling possibilities of charter schools
You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...3 days ago - This Unreasonable Government.
Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...3 days ago - Supreme Court weighs in on name suppression
Name suppression decisions can be tough sometimes. No matter your views on free speech, you have to be hard-hearted not to be torn by the tug of the competing arguments. I think you can feel the Supreme Court wrestling with that in M v The King. The case for ...3 days ago - Is This A “Merchants” Government?The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...3 days ago
- This is what corruption looks likeWhen National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants: On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...3 days ago
- Take that, Vladimir – and be warned: we have plenty more sanctions (at least, we hope so) in our ...Buzz from the Beehive One day – hopefully – we will push that Russian rascal, Vladimir Putin, beyond breaking point. Perhaps it will happen today, when he learns that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again tightening the thumbscrews. Peters announced further sanctions, this time on 28 individuals and 14 entities ...3 days ago
- More Harm Than Good.How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought New Zealand to the brink of economic and cultural chaos.TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition Government’s failure to retain, and build upon, the public ...3 days ago
- The Ombudsman fails againIn 2020, the Operation Burnham inquiry reported back, finding that NZDF had lied to Ministers and the New Zealand public about its actions in Afghanistan. The inquiry saw a large number of documents declassified and released, which raised another problem: whether they had also lied to the Ombudsman in his ...3 days ago
- No Time To Think: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.“Members of Parliament don’t work for us, they represent us, an entirely different thing. As with so much that has turned out badly, the re-organising of MPs’ responsibilities began with the Fourth Labour Government. That’s when they began to be treated like employees – public servants – whose diaries had ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Lobbying for Waikato’s Medical School causing problems for the GovtIt’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...3 days ago
- Picking Sides.3 days ago
- Universities offer course in self-serving cowardiceHenry Ergas writes – When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...3 days ago
- The teacher trainee challengeDavid Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...3 days ago
- Words and (in)actionsNew Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision Michael Reddell writes – When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...3 days ago
- What do you hope for/fear from the budget?
Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell on ACT’s charter schools experimentIf there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...3 days ago
- Drought fuels wildfire concerns as Canada braces for another intense summerThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...4 days ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 16
Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...4 days ago - Controversial proposal could threaten coalitionThe University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...4 days ago
- Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...4 days ago - The future of Nick's Kōrero.
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...4 days ago - The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...4 days ago
- Fucking uselessYesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...4 days ago
- Setting things straight.
Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading ...4 days ago - Far too light a sentenceDavid Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...4 days ago
- Unwinding Labour’s AgendaMuriel Newman writes – Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...4 days ago
- Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...4 days ago
- The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to ParliamentBryce Edwards writes – The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...4 days ago
- A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day4 days ago
- NZUP RORS back to lifeThe government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...5 days ago
- School Is Out.
School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...5 days ago - How Are You Doing?
Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...5 days ago - The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...5 days ago - At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...5 days ago
- Talking Reo with the PM
“The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...5 days ago - Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...5 days ago
- Australia jails another whistleblowerIn 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...5 days ago
- Some “scrutiny”!Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...5 days ago
- TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidatedRob MacCulloch writes – According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...5 days ago
- The conflicted Covid ChairDavid Farrar writes – Kata MacNamara reports: Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...5 days ago
- Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good ideaChris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...5 days ago
- A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer comingRNZ reports – It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...5 days ago
- The climate battleground heats up
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...5 days ago - Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-SemiticTo be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...6 days ago
- Climate change is making hurricanes more destructiveThis is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...6 days ago
- Wayne Brown’s PT PlanYesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...6 days ago
- Potaka's Private Universe.
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...6 days ago - Our slow regional councilsThe Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...6 days ago
- Ministers are not above the law after allBack in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...6 days ago
- NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...Buzz from the Beehive Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...6 days ago
- Change in Catalonia?or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...6 days ago
- Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a voteDavid Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...6 days ago
- State of the Planet: Government must be guided by values not money
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...10 hours ago - Release: Chris Hipkins’ speech: New Zealand in 2040 – A vision worth fighting for
...1 day ago - Release: 4,500 jobs lost – and countingMore than 4,500 jobs are set to go as the National Government continues its deep cuts to services to pay for irresponsible and ill-timed tax cuts. ...3 days ago
- No-cause evictions leave no hope for rentersThe Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...3 days ago
- Release: National winding back mental health workThe Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...4 days ago
- Government ignorant of evidence in neglect of tamarikiToday’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...5 days ago
- Gang policy setting communities up for failureThe Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...5 days ago
- Statement from police spokesperson Ginny Andersen“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...5 days ago
- Charter schools not a serious solutionWe need serious investment and solutions into our education system, not a vanity project from David Seymour. ...5 days ago
- Release: Ideological charter schools won’t increase achievementThe Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visas needed for Palestinians with family in New ZealandThe Government must show some compassion and create a special visa to allow Palestinians with family in New Zealand to be reunited with them here. ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt’s stubbornness will harm Māori childrenGovernment has remained stubborn and is ramming its Bill into the House today, which the Waitangi Tribunal has said will hurt vulnerable children. ...6 days ago
- ‘Lucky dip’ process too casual for hearing critical submissions on Fast Track approvals billTe Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...6 days ago
- New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect women’s spaces
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...1 week ago - Release: Support for climate adaptation inquiryLabour supports a Notice of Motion in the House today to move the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct an inquiry on climate adaptation. ...1 week ago
- Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptationThe Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...1 week ago
- Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACCThe National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...1 week ago
- Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdownThe Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...1 week ago
- Minister of Finance reheats austerity politicsThis morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...2 weeks ago
- A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housingThe Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kidsDavid Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford UnionHon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...2 weeks ago
- Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscationsGreen Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...2 weeks ago
- TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgradeThe Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be releasedMinisters must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal payNational has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under NationalThe Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cutsWith Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert MartinThe Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live exportLabour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...3 weeks ago
- Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fireToday’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...3 weeks ago
- New unemployment figures paint bleak pictureThe Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment risesUnemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New ZealandersWeekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreementThe New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...3 weeks ago
- Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle downThe Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicineThe National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...3 weeks ago
- New measures to protect powerlines from trees
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...1 day ago - Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani win top Māori dairy farming awardWairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...2 days ago
- DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...2 days ago
- District Court Judges appointedAttorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...2 days ago
- Unions should put learning ahead of ideologyAssociate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...2 days ago
- Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMACommerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...2 days ago
- Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguardSurf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...2 days ago
- New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationshipNew Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...3 days ago
- New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New CaledoniaNew Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...3 days ago
- New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of StatePrime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...3 days ago
- Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card fundingTransport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...3 days ago
- Further sanctions against RussiaForeign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...3 days ago
- One year on from Loafers LodgeA year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...4 days ago
- Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business ChamberKa nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...4 days ago
- New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaborationNew Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...4 days ago
- Penk travels to Peru for trade meetingsMinister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...4 days ago
- Minister attends global education conferencesMinister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...4 days ago
- Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA ChairMinister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...4 days ago
- Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call FoundationNew Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...5 days ago
- Panel announced for review into disability servicesDistinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...5 days ago
- Minister welcomes Police gang unitToday’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...5 days ago
- New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoricForeign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...5 days ago
- New Chief of Defence Force appointedAir Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...5 days ago
- Government puts children first by repealing 7AALegislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...5 days ago
- Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, ItalyDefence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...5 days ago
- Charter schools to lift educational outcomesThe upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...5 days ago
- COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...6 days ago
- The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlookForeign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...6 days ago
- NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely togetherHealth, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...6 days ago
- Driving ahead with Roads of Regional SignificanceThe coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...6 days ago
- New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands governmentA high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...1 week ago
- New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolutionNew Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...1 week ago
- Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure SymposiumIntroduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...1 week ago
- $571 million for Defence pay and projectsDefence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...1 week ago
- Climate change – mitigating the risks and costsNew Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...1 week ago
- Getting new job seekers on the pathway to workJobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...1 week ago
- Accelerating Social InvestmentA new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...2 weeks ago
- Getting Back on TrackCheck against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...2 weeks ago
- NZ – European Union ties more critical than everYour Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...2 weeks ago
- Therapeutic Products Act to be repealedThe Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...2 weeks ago
- Taiwanese Community in Christchurch Rallies for Taiwan's WHO Participation
On May 18, the Taiwanese community in Christchurch came together for the "Health for All, Taiwan Can Help" march, urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to grant Taiwan participation. ...5 hours ago - Govt policies tailored for the wealthy, not the people – Greens
The Greens are taking aim at the coalition government 's policies, saying they lack genuine care. ...5 hours ago - What Is Behind The Turmoil In The New Zealand Green Party?The instability comes as the party tries to refresh its brand after six years of being part of a right-wing, pro-imperialist government with both the Labour Party and, from 2017-2020, the far-right NZ First Party. ...8 hours ago
- Wake Up Call: Government Debt Hits $90,000 Per Household Today – “$90k Debt Day”Based on the latest Treasury forecasts, New Zealand Government debt will tick above $90,000 per household for the first time ever at 10pm today, Sunday 19 May 2024. The Taxpayers’ Union is calling it “$90k Debt Day”. Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ ...8 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon speaks at National Party conferencePrime Minister Christopher Luxon will be talking at the Palmerston North Function Centre on Sunday morning. ...11 hours ago
- Iwi Leaders Group united against Oranga Tamariki scrapping Treaty obligationsIf the government really wants Oranga Tamariki to continue working with Māori groups, it should leave the law as it is, leader says. ...14 hours ago
- Government IT Systems Need A $800 Million OverhaulThe government is facing a bill of more than $800 million to overhaul back-office IT systems, and attempts to lessen its impact have hit delays. ...15 hours ago
- Bolstering support for Asian personnel in the NZ Defence ForceThe founder of a Pan-Asian network in the New Zealand Defence Force hopes to support Asian personnel in their defence careers. ...15 hours ago
- 'Increasingly Activist' Waitangi Tribunal Faces Its Future Under Renewed Attack From Senio...David Seymour has renewed attacks on what he says is an 'increasingly activist' Tribunal as it faces questions about its future. ...15 hours ago
- An Ode to .. Shane Jones
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...15 hours ago - Fiji’s Jo Nata reflects on the 2000 coup: ‘We let the racism genie out of the bottle’
SPECIAL REPORT: Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...20 hours ago - Rule change to protect powerlines from being hit by treesEnergy Minister Simeon Brown wants a 'clear to the sky' zone to prevent vegetation hanging over lines. ...1 day ago
- New Caledonia riots: Tear gas, stun grenades used as protesters swarm airport runwayBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...1 day ago
- Government faces further legal action over Māori Health Authority axingIt is the second High Court action into the government's policies affecting Māori. ...1 day ago
- Kanaky New Caledonia: Amnesty calls on France to ‘uphold rights’ of indigenous peopleAsia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...1 day ago
- Revamped school lunches may be less healthy – principalA major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...1 day ago
- ‘Stop laughing, I’m trying to kill someone’: Cohen Holloway on playing a serial murderer
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...2 days ago - A life storyDavid Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...2 days ago
- Do you recognise anybody in these 150-year-old photographs?Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery. What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...2 days ago
- The indie books fest bringing big ideas to small town WairarapaSince its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...2 days ago
- Enduring the voyage of the tatauAfter 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...2 days ago
- Bearing witness to a confession of murderNearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...2 days ago
- The Weekend: A landmark case for trans rights in AotearoaEditor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...2 days ago
- Tourists trapped by New Caledonia unrest feel ‘abandoned’ by NZBy Lauren Crimp , RNZ News reporter New Zealanders stuck among riots and civil unrest in New Caledonia’s capital say they feel abandoned by their own country, having received little help from the government. Nouméa descended into chaos on Monday, with clashes between indigenous Kanak pro-independence protesters and French security ...2 days ago
- Kanaky in flames: Five takeaways from the New Caledonia independence riotsANALYSIS: By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...2 days ago
- When body positivity becomes problematicForget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...2 days ago
- Short story: Ruin, by Ockham winner Emma HislopGrace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...2 days ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Sheriff Mark MitchellMONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...2 days ago
- The Boy in the Water: A forensic examination, at lastThe first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...2 days ago
- How Many Public Sector Roles Are Going, And From Where?Public servants' jobs are on the chopping block as the sector scrambles to meet the Finance Minister's cost-cutting targets. ...2 days ago
- Can you control your image? Gina Rinehart, King Charles and ‘moral portraits’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...2 days ago
- Government plans for Māori wards breach The Treaty of Waitangi -TribunalGovernment plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...2 days ago
- Threatened species have declined 2% a year since 2000. Nature positive? Far from it.Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, School of Business, UNSW Sydney Martin Tobias Aakesson/Shutterstock Our government has great aspirations. It has committed to end extinctions and expand our protected areas to cover 30% of every Australian ecosystem by 2030. ...2 days ago
- Rugby league in Perth and Papua New Guinea? Here’s what could be next for the NRLSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...2 days ago
- The budget has earmarked $8.6 million for live music. Is it enough to save the flailing industry?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...2 days ago
- The Week in Politics: Charter schools, special police units and a tricky problem for the governmentThe Week in Politics: ACT brings back a signature policy, while NZ First mulls how to fulfil a promise. ...2 days ago
- There’s $110 million for Indigenous education in the budget. But where’s the evidence it will wo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...2 days ago
- New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New ZealandAir New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...2 days ago
- Cameras reveal wombat burrows can be safe havens after fire and waterholes after rainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...2 days ago
- ChatGPT is now better than ever at faking human emotion and behaviourSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o. OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...2 days ago
- Menopause can bring increased cholesterol levels and other heart risks. Here’s why and what to do ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Xiāng’ by Hannah PattersonA new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...2 days ago
- Cycle lanes are good for business, actually‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 17The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40) Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...2 days ago
- Nuclear subs are coming to Australia. Now the Coalition wants reactors, too. We’re not ready for i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...2 days ago
- After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anaesthesia works in the brainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research fellow, Queensland University of Technology Sergey Mironov/Shutterstock Over 350 million surgeries are performed globally each year. For most of us, it’s likely at some point in our lives we’ll have to undergo a procedure that needs general ...2 days ago
- 'I can do much better': Green MP Julie Anne Genter promises to improve conduct"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...2 days ago
- Call to protect asylum seekers who may arrive in New Zealand by boatA group of more than 40 refugees, charities and advocates want better protections for asylum seekers arriving by boat. ...2 days ago
- Homo Pentecostus: on queer intimacies, religion, ancestry and the human need for connectionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...2 days ago
- Want to be buried on your own land, at sea or in a forest? A guide to unconventional send-offsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...2 days ago
- Vanuatu, MSG chief reaffirms support for FLNKS, blames France over unrestAsia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...2 days ago
- Blazing a trail: the Leonard family legacy in Māori televisionProducer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders. My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...2 days ago
- Home detention for New Caledonia’s unrest ringleaders, Tiktok bannedBy Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...2 days ago
- Review finds big increase in multi-year government spends, use not always justifiedMulti-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...2 days ago
- $63.6m for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...2 days ago
- Dr. Eric Chuah Standing For Mayor Of TaurangaDr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...2 days ago
- How to enjoy a comedy festival in your own loungeIf you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...2 days ago
- Poll Shows Three Quarters Of Wellingtonians Oppose Airport SaleA new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...2 days ago
- $63.6m boost for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...2 days ago
- Nearly 1300 homes on hold amid government reviewNewly released documents show building has been paused on 690 KiwiBuild homes and 593 market homes. ...2 days ago
- At the heart of the budget is the sad truth the economy is weak. That’s one reason inflation will ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...2 days ago
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It is particularly weird and unsafe for one side to advise the media that they have reached agreement on a ceasefire without the other side at the same media conference agreeing to those same terms.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/hamas-accepts-qatari-egyptian-proposal-for-gaza-ceasefire#:~:text=The%20proposal%20includes%20a%20three,exchange%20of%20captives%20and%20prisoners.
"The proposal includes a three-stage truce, each phase lasting 42 days, according to al-Hayya. In the first phase, indirect negotiations through mediators would resume on the exchange of captives and prisoners."
Why Netanyahu thinks he can eke out slightly more gains out of Hamas at this point is mind boggling.
Not condoning the massive deaths of innocent Palestinians, but why would Isreal call truce while hamas is still an entity,?
Maybe because he's drowning in so much blood he should stop? Or that even his enablers in the US are starting to get a bad taste in their mouths? There is an election later this year dont ya know?
If you look into the peace process longer term you will find this is not really about Hamas. You can take any leadership of Palestine, be that the PLO, PA or Hamas and Israel has been playing divide and rule between Gaza and the West Bank and (almost certainly in all cases) assainating the leadership when they approach any kind of settlement. This includes the Israeli government funding Hamas (via Jordan) as recently as 2022. The basis for any ceasefire will be US pressure. Probably the US could get a settlement process completed but it would have to really want that outcome and force Israel into something Palestinians can accept.
I don't think Israel will accept any terms that leaves Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya as a functioning organisation.
Phew!
"We are focused on the outcomes here" [from @27:45 minutes on]
"We will stop dumb stuff."
"It’s just naturally what you do as a CEO."
Stand up for Julie Anne Genter!
She’s obviously being harassed by two triumphalist right wingers, who despite their people skills and having made public how much they disliked the Green Party, unaccountably are having business problems in Wellington.
Nothing like working hard for something for over a decade and someone moves in and trashes both your years of work and then lies about what you did. Almost enough to want to stuff a prefu down his throat. Much like the last lot of polls.
It was so odd listening to people who just wanted business to perk up on the Golden Mile on RNZ , then also turning their triumphalist tone to the failure of Wellington council to provide enough corporate welfare for Reading Cinemas. Everyone knows the only way to spark business is to stop cycling! Silly Greens.
So stand up for the Greens I say. It’s hardly John Presscot.
"Nothing like working hard for something for over a decade and someone moves in and trashes both your years of work and then lies about what you did. ".
That isn't a very nice thing to say about Genter, even if she has led to the wrecking of both those peoples' businesses that they spent so long building up.
Can’t remember what kind of coward you are- the ones who take kids lunches or the kind who sells single smokes outside schools or the kind who gets large sums of grants to give to their mates while kicking other people out of their houses and jobs…
which one was it now?
The one who’s so hard on crime that’d they’d rather pay 1.9 million each on tough on crime crime beds than read inquiries into state care and state wards? Sergeant Ballsack himself? He’s hard and tough. Hard on crime. Despite his ESP being numbers they’re a bit flaky though…
Are you always like this?
Ask a stupid question comes to mind…
Probably Newsense has just temporarily forgotten what a sanctified place business owners occupy within the right-wing mind. So sanctified, that any perturbation of their divine mission is a sin.
You invited it with your even if … cast it, receive it in kind.
That isn't a very nice thing to say about Genter, even if she has led to the wrecking of both those peoples' businesses that they spent so long building up.
So, even if the development of cycleways is the right thing to do (for the safety of cyclists), we should not develop them? I think the florist's business has been "wrecked" by circumstances rather than by Genter. Presumably when the street in question was first put in place, perhaps as much as century ago, nobody envisaged this sort of problem arising; however, many suffer shocks to their mode of making a living, (layoffs etc.), but most just take it in their stride, and get on with things.
Really? Just roll over…yes 'Master, yes master' because our so called Green betters have spoken,?
Like those who don't have access to a garage on their sections because: too small, too steep an aspect etc.
They/we just roll over & let a cycle lane be put in, apply for a Residents park at $200 apx pa (Noting that there are not enough residents parks being made available for the numbers of homes that will be affected)
So then, because you need a car to get to work, kids to sport or whatever you look around neighbouring streets and they have parks but you are limited to 3 hours only. So its a merry old merry go round multiplied by two if you happen to be part of the demographic where both parents work and manage split second timing covering child care, being at home and working to raise $$$$ to live on.
What has happened to us? Have we all become so upwardly mobile that we don't care any more and so we pull the ladders up all round.
I for one put people, any people, ahead of cycle ways. If we have spare money we should enhance our public transport and, in Wellington, our water.
We should not spend money on 'nice to haves' (one bike with one person) that achieve a 1:1 change to car driving ratios/use of fossil fuels ahead of an investment in electric public transport with its 1:80 (one car replaced by one bus carrying up to 80 people using the big double deckers)
If we have spare money once we have improved our public transport, and our water supply, then sure cycle lanes…..
Absolute hogwash from the dimwit once again.
You didn't put cyclists lives ahead of little miss private loading zone and her reeking weeds.
"Garages on their sections"!?!!? 😀😀😀😀
1962 called, I told them you were busy talking shit again.
Oh dear the
expletive deletedagain.I am astounded that you don't know what a garage is?
'a building for housing a motor vehicle or vehicles.'
From Oxford Dictionary
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
Modern subdivisions have room on the section (ie the plot of land that the house is built on) for a garage. Sections on subdivisions dating back, say to the early 1900s, not so much. Though if a section has room, people around our area have been able to build either a concrete pad or even a garage to house their vehicle (a vehicle included a car or motorbike) Some people use them for storage too or even a workshop.
Other people have no room ie section is not wide enough, at the front, to put even a concrete pad pull-on (many of those people are the ones on the eastern side of Rintoul street where WCC thinks it would be great to put a cycle way for ghost cycles)
In Luxford street some of the houses have space but the houses are along a ridge and to make a concrete pad or garage would involve substantial earth works.
If you lived/live in Newtown I am surprised you don't know this? Most odd.
I really don't care what you think of flowers. Flowers are as legitimate to sell as bike pumps, electricity or fossil fuels or even the high end decorating stuff that the Cranfield's owner sells.
You seem bitter about something? Can anyone help? It is not good for health and humour to be bitter.
So no points made, nothing to add to the discussion, just abuse.
I'd hate to see what yr two ugly step-sisters are like.
Thank you gsays.
I've been trying to get some of the more florid posts and worrying to me personally looked at but no luck yet.
A news agency has now contacted me with my The Standard nom de plum and personal email address. To say I am worried, coupled with the abuse from this poster is an understatement.
You.
Attacked.
Me
First.
Grow up and stop gaslighting people.
And if you were mature enough to understand that language is both a tool and a way of gatekeeping you'd wouldn't be bothered by swearing.
But you're so dense light bends around you.
And I swear at you because you're about as ideologically coherent as David Seymour. IE: Selfish to a fault.
Every single "Ill" you describe is a symptom of decades of car dependency (and capitalism, you're soaking in it Jan), And you just want to perpetuate that.
[deleted for implicitly outing someone based on a accidental reveal by another commenter]
You stated "you put people ahead of cycle lanes" and are too stupid to see the connection between the two. But put one person in particular ahead of the many cyclists and the multitude of bus users she would piss all over if she got her way. You can' even acknowledge what her private loading zone could do to ambulance movements.
I laugh at your garage and section comment because all the roads, garages and car parks in Wellington are already full and we don't have enough sections for out population If you looked beyond Berhampore you would have realised that.
I don't know if your comment about the press is a threat or whatever – but go for your life. I have noticed someone has been checking up me on Linkedin using a private account, which is a bit weird.
[lprent: this appears to be a paranoid delusion. On average I get several ‘private’ clicks on my linked in account per week even when I am not job-hunting. ]
But if its one of the admins here then they can tell you I used to work with TV3 News for a long time and am on first name terms with Mark Jennings and many of their current and former journalists. Who still work in their profession.
[lprent: we really couldn’t give a shit about you (or virtually any other commenter) apart from looking at your content, ability to contribute to a robust debate and behaviour – all three of which appear to be inadequate in your case having reviewed your comments. ]
I'm sure Carol Hirschfeld would love to do an expose on The Standard becoming Turf Digest with a level of vileness to rival Mumsnet – Would you like to do an interview?
As for swearing – I swear at you because you're like a puppy that can't stop shitting on the rug. Except the rug is a cycleway.
Its also fucking great and its good for you!
And everything you learned about swearing in 1282 was wrong.
"Instead, swearing appears to be a feature of language that an articulate speaker can use in order to communicate with maximum effectiveness. And actually, some uses of swearing go beyond just communication."
.https://www.sciencealert.com/swearing-is-a-sign-of-more-intelligence-not-less-say-scientists
[lprent: At this point it is clear that you have gone beyond robust debate and are indulging in cyber-stalking that contributes absolutely nothing to a robust debate and not allowed here (or almost anywhere on the net).
The appropriate response on the net and on this site when seeing that someone on site has obviously accidentally released personal information like emails is not to pry into their life and publish details to win an argument.
In my opinion you appear to have been starting to adopt a similar same lack of morality that characterised Cameron Slater. That of a stupid arsehole who mostly invents stories based on small levels of fact and a lot of lying or speculation . Someone who prefers to always want to present themselves as a victim as they cowardly run away from the consequences of their actions. My opinion is based entirely on reading 5 pages of your comments on this site.
Banned for 2 months, and that is only because I can’t see that you have only been warned about behaviour previously. here, here, here, and have had an explanation about robust debate here.
I’d also ask people to take care about not putting personal information (like their email addresses) accidentally into the URL field on comments.
Whatever is on that field is assumed to be a website that people want to be public. I’m adding some code to prevent that for e-mails]
See my moderation notes.
Only just caught up with this and other happenings here on TS as for the last few days I have been otherwise engaged with my "second home" in Newtown. Shocked at the comments and developments and share your concerns. Suggest you use the email contacts in the "Contact" link at top of Home page – right side under the Standard banner.
A reading of individual commenter's comments history is available using the Search function above the Comments list and could also be of interest for patterns of behaviour, moderation history etc. Projection springs to mind.
Hang in there.
VV I have used the contacts but no response and no action.
No sign of weka here today – no comments. but was here 9/10am and then 7.45pm yesterday. So weka may appear later …
Incognito hasn't commented since 12 April … Ad is an author but not a moderator. lprent – rarely comments and last comment was 27 April.
I have only recently come back here after a long break. IMO the mood here in recent months has definitely become more confrontational /less tolerant; but I consider that this is true right across NZ – not just on TS – in view of the changed political/ economic situation. This then encourages more extreme behaviour from some commenters so inclined.
weka seems to carry the most moderation workload here these days and I have absolute admiration for her for the work she puts in here. I am hoping moderation action will be taken but would not blame weka if she said she has had enough.
On a lighter note, your last comment to me re John G's house made me have a mind blow-out back to c1994 and a wonderful film re a trip across the Australian desert in a bus to Alice Springs, and the three main characters – and one in particular.
I have been seeing this too, here and on twitter especially. This is why I critique the left a lot over how we engage and our unwillingness to talk across difference.
My own stress point is that people here would rather bitch about National than talk about climate transition strategy. OM has often had bigger comment counts than posts for quite some time now. What do people think will happen if authors get sick of the place?
Contacts is more relevant when noticing a problem with the site functionality that needs urgent attention.
only just seen this and yes I would absolutely have stepped in if I had seen it.
If there is an issue a mod should look at, the fastest way to get a mod attention is to reply to them in a comment anywhere on site, asking them to take a look (and preferably providing a link). We use the Replies tab to see who is talking to us.
Shanreagh did the right thing by emailing because that can include detail that can't be posted in a comment. It's just going to take more time so replying to a mod is a good first step.
Cycle lanes are usually placed in main thoroughfares where houses do have offstreet parking, not on backstreets, where the houses without offstreet parking are located. And families who park their cars at the kerb are usually two (or more) car families anyway.
Cyclists are people too, or hadn't you noticed. It's generally agreed that they have as much right to use the roads as motorists, which implies that they have a right to use the roads in safety. Roads are public spaces, so what gives motorists the right to use public land as their own private carpark.
PS: there are many roads around Wellington where parked cars impede the flow of traffic, and these are roads which do not have cycle lanes installed.
Really do you think people would be as concerned if they had off street parking? Have you read any of the posts from Kay or myself supported by others.
Luxford Street and Rintoul Streets are two main street streets in Berhampore and the majority of houses there do not have off street parking. On both streets there are limitations by aspect and section size that mean that even if the residents had the $$$$ they may not be able to make a pull off concrete pad.
On Rintoul Street one side is going to be cycle lane and the other side is having a residents park provided. Parking spaces will be taken from both sides of Luxford street. There are not enough parks on the other side of Rintoul St for all of those displaced from parking outside their homes to find a place to park. WCC has also made it difficult for displaced residents to find a park by making 3 hour parking in adjacent streets.
You do not seem to be aware of the concerns of residents or of the Berhampore proposals and I think that your views need to be tempered by looking at what is proposed.
Berhampore is a not a rich listers suburb, far from it. Some residents are elderly or disabled and need to have elder/health/home support eg district nurses, meals on wheels. These people are usually 'time hungry' ie multiple clients. Thye go in and away. Others are refugees/immigrants making every hour count for every dollar and two parents are working multiple jobs. It is unrealistic for these families to travel by bike or bus to a cleaning job starting at 11.00pm. They often have two cars to be able to each hold down a job.
Berhampore also is a great place for those starting or doing up old homes. To do this bins are often required by tradies/families. Cycle lanes prevent this. If there was a concrete pad or on site access a tradies could use this.
All along Berhampore and Newtown residents have sought to temper the propsals so that they actual would work for all.
It is interesting that Berhampore and Newtown residents find that they are not alone in decrying the lack of, or predetermined nature of the WCC consultation
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350267619/residents-boycott-council-consultation-saying-outcomes-pre-determined?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0cSMHFPBVl5gpsH7r5y6cqWanW8KYS-mztimnC7mrbX2BCJNNnolnj6Hk_aem_AUKE3Sz45d3Zh0qN1_Eb4a5e3jD08-hCE6eu96Qh2ulu0Id3e4EoOI19kyy5TnhEbEAD1lUkqyQMbdKpVPEBfaUb
I understand that the Greater Brooklyn Residents Association has also pushed back because of the lack of meaningful consultation.
Many residents of Wellington, are seeing a pattern.
I wouldn't regard Luxford Street or Rintoul Street main roads; most traffic between Island Bay and the city would take the Adelaide Road route. However I think Rintoul Street, because of its lower gradient would be a better route for cyclists.
So some people need cars for night shift work. Jeepers. how unlucky is that. There are many who don’t, but park their second cars on the road anyway.
People going east don't travel up Adelaide Road. Many going west don't either. Contrary to what you think both Luxford/Rintoul are main traffic roads, particularly to the hospital, Drs/specialists surgeries around the hospital/Wakefield area, Newtown shops etc, east Lyall bay, airport
We are talking about people who have NO off street parking so this does not arise: ie they have no on section parking at all. So no concrete pad or garage on the same section that their house is. Do you understand this?
This what I mean that it is geting so middle class and these let 'them eat cake' attitudes are far too common.
You haven't made any comment about the elderly or disabled – is it just 'tough', who cares about them?
As for gradients, when I was a kid we had bikes with gears, now we have electric bikes etc as well. Gradients are a pitiful excuse for doing this to a community. Why don't they learn to use a geared bike? or 'shock, horror' get off the bike if it is too steep, which it is not.
Why are whole streets needed? We have very few cyclists now even after Island Bay has been opened for years. IB has retained some of its casual, unpaid off street parking. This enables visitors incl health workers to park outside/near a clients house. This is not possible, or WCC has not made it possible, on the Berhampore /Newtown routes
Why do people think that it is economically better to transport people on bikes rather than pouring whatever $$$$ of public money we have into getting the best public transport we can afford.
After all one car is replaced by one bike, up to 80 cars are replaced by one double decker bus. Are we catering for public transport snobs? (There are such people, believe it or not, who would rather bike or car than take a bus).
Between Luxford and Riddiford, how many residential properties are there, after one has fitted in Wakefield Hospital, what used to be Athletic Park, an Intermediate school, a couple of churches, and shops at the Northern end. What residences there are probably have offstreet parking anyway.
mikesh,
Luxford St is mainly housing – a mix of older single houses and a block of townhouses where the old Anglican Church was. Luxford is reasonably wide with parking on both sides,currently.
As you say, the south end of Rintoul St which adjoins Luxford has a mix of shops, church, SWIS, Village on the Park retirement village on the old Athletic Park site but still contains a fair number of residential properties without on property parking.
However, when Rintoul St drops down from Wakefield Hospital to the junction with Riddiford St (the longest part) it is almost all housing with many incapable of onsite parking – and a very narrow road where currently, without a cycle lane, the many buses using the road have trouble passing each other when going in opposite directions.
One very popular well attended church close to the Top End dairy in Berhampore, no parking though the Vicar's house next door has a daylighted concrete pad.
Why not have the cycle way only in front of the houses that do have off street parking?
From my reckoning from the junction of Rintoul and Riddiford to the Drs' surgery
Starts at No 11 (concrete pull off), 13-25 none, 27- 31 none, 33-35 Drs surgery with 8 Drs practising, no patient off st parking but 2 on street parks allowed (finally). 37 access to space behind, 39 may use space behind 37, but has no gge, 41 none, 43 none, 45 none, but I think shares a park around the corner, 47 none – access steep, 49 none – access steep, 51 none – access steep, 53 new & has gge, ROW, 57 new with 2 gges, 59 none, 61 concrete pad, 63 gge, 65 gge.
Old people's home with limited off street access, in practice visitors and some staff park on the street, 77 – 83 Rintoul st large section with on site parking and 4 ramshackle/derelict gges not used, 85 1 gge, 87 1gge, 89 nil & steep, 91 1 gge with concrete pad 93 1, 95 1 Wakefield hospital. New buildings have seriously diminished parking for staff, on site parking for specialist appt is split second depending on times spent at appt.
Many, including me, think there is no problem in having a cycle way in front of those houses that have existing off street spaces/garages even if they are not used currently because of being derelict or small. Daylighting the small garages so they are a concrete pad will cater for the larger cars some have now.
It should have been possibly with a will, thought, care to fix a problem. I think this type of compromise was expected and would have gone a long way to meeting the needs of residents.
As a fellow Wellington South poster has said…this type of action from WCC may/could lead to the possibility of a change to the right in Council. If this happens is a salutary lesson, perhaps similar to Labour last year, that a big chance to act for all is squandered.
NB any suggestions of compromise were not accepted at any time during the 'Claytons' consultations. Our Labour Cnclr took a last ditch plan to the last meeting but was defeated by party block voting though, to his credit, he was able to persuade two of the thinkers on Council to his side.
It is pretty wally-ish behaviour of WCC to expect a resthome and the Dr's surgery to suddenly find space on already constrained and building consented sites.
Surely the cycle way could have started south of the homes with no off street parking and no chance of putting it in, come in for the houses where there is space – perhaps acting as slow lane/refuges for cycles, then allowing for spaces for the Dr's and Alexandra resthome.
This is the type of house that has no gge and no chance for one.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/15+Rintoul+Street,+Newtown,+Wellington+6021/@-41.3127152,174.776441,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x6d38afe4ae89bdaf:0xab0944f0e04a8780!8m2!3d-41.3127193!4d174.7790213!16s%2Fg%2F11kprxcl52?entry=ttu
https://www.google.com/maps/place/25+Rintoul+Street,+Newtown,+Wellington+6021/@-41.3130633,174.7763594,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x6d38afe4accb9005:0x1b6d45046d23dc1e!8m2!3d-41.3130674!4d174.7789397!16s%2Fg%2F11jj777xnb?entry=ttu
Turning to Luxford st where parking on both sides of the street will go
2 Luxford no space but uses land down a ROW
4 Luxford no gge 6-8 Luxford large semi industrial yard belonging to Satan's Slaves, 10 no gge, 12 carport, 14 has pull off, 16 no gge is part access to social housing behind, 18 no gge, 20 front room turned into gge, 22 no gge, 24 no gge, 26 no gge 30 gge.
1,2,5 two pull offs & one garage, 7 garage, 9 no gge steep section, 11-13 no gges steep sections, 15-19 no gges steep sections, 21 new units on large section all with pull off areas, 25-27 no room but owners have space* between houses that they have communally built shared access to sections behind, 29 no gge.
This is the aspect for those without gges and unrealistic ability to put a concrete pad down.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/15+Luxford+Street,+Berhampore,+Wellington+6023/@-41.3200437,174.7742797,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3
Once again on this flat area, was it any skin off anyone's nose to have placed a Residents parking area outside these ones and had the cycle lane go along past the houses where there is off street parking?
The same idea of penalising those without current off street parking and particularly those who have the combo of no off street parking and no realistic ability to place one there has also occurred in Adelaide road south of Britomart street through to the old Granville flats.
* For the small houses in Rintoul st many of these are less than 2m apart so this idea would not work.
I am currently exploring via OIA the costs to residents who may decide to put in a pull off concrete pad. I am having a less than clear response to my query as to whether these residents, already penalised by having their parking removed and kerbing etc put there for the cycle lanes, will have to pay for this kerbing to be removed/reinstated. Hopefully they won't, but it would not surprise me if they do judging by the WCC actions to date. I note that in the 'olden days' when WCC was keen to help residents park off street they used to meet the costs of a lowered kerbing to allow access to the new pad or garage. This seems to have been deleted but I am clarifying.
The excavation costs for some sections in Luxford st are likely to limit more off street parking/garages. Berhampore is not a wealthy suburb. I am toying with the idea of trying to find if there are funds that can be tapped into to help, even community working bees with people plus shovels to help those daunted by the earthmoving costs.
Sorry for length
the many buses using the road have trouble passing each other when going in opposite directions.
With kerbside parking available I'm not surprised.
So no thanks for the work that both Veutoviper and I did to explain the situation in lower Rintoul Street – just continued sniping from the sidelines from a no-local!
Here is what you do
1 Hit the reply button under your name – RHS bottom of post
2 Write 'Thanks for the work you both have done, I appreciate it and will read it with care.'
3 Click on the blue 'submit comment' button.
NB you have 10 minutes to make any further comments should you want to thank us in detail.
This is a particularly odd comment.
The kerbside parking will be replaced by fenced off cycleways so there will be no vacant spaces for the bus drivers to poke the buses' 'nose' into as part of the backing and filling that sometimes goes on.
Off course absolute priority should be given to making the journey of buses easier as they are more efficient people movers both transport and $$$-wise.
That is why the reasoning of having on street parking for the homes without parks and no ability to build one, is a thoughtful and logical one. From my comment
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-05-2024/#comment-1999242
Talking of the buses perhaps I could insert the words 'slow lane/refuge for cycles and buses'
Then we wake up to the latest plan from WCC and that is to allow cyclists to travel on 18m of the most constrained footpath in the Berhampore shops area. Room exists on the road but……well you know 'cyclists'
And they'll probably wonder why they won't get any feedback. But never mind their predetermination policy is 'good to go' and will be a reliable fall back. After all 'It's how we (WCC) roll'
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350267619/residents-boycott-council-consultation-saying-outcomes-pre-determined
just continued sniping from the sidelines from a no-local!
I don't live in that area now, but I have lived in both Island Bay and Newtown in the past, so I know the area quite well.
When traveling to Island Bay these days I travel via Adelaide Road so I don't travel much in Rintoul Street; However recently I had to make a number of visits to Wakefield Hospital, and I must say that driving in Rintoul Street was not a pleasant experience – and I don’t have a large car.
By way of a final comment on this topic I would ask why cyclists should be denied their cycle lanes simply because there are some who do not have off street parking on their property. In time these persons will either sell up or die off, and with their properties not having off street parking, persons who need this will not be willing to purchase them. However this presumably desirable state of affairs won't happen unless we 'bite the bullet' and put in the cycle lanes without waiting until circumstances are right. If we wait for that circumstances will never be right.
We cannot have it both ways.
Of course we can have a road that caters for both. It requires good will, a spirit of compromise and a willingess to be aware of the different parts of a human community that and what they bring.
Your assumption that these houses are owned by oldies is also typical of the stereotypical views that have been manifested in this. I am struggling to think of there being oldies being the majority in these houses.
So in a one short post your thoughts have exemplifed what has been so worrying about whole roll out
1 complete unwillingness to see the points of view of others, especially if these others are residents
2 complete unwillingness to compromise on any design features at all even if these would help sell the concept, make the reality better.
3 complete unwillingness to consider the idea of review to ensure that both parties are catered for
4 misinterpretation of the views of others eg there is no suggestion that the complete length not go ahead. Just a length that caters for those who live there, who go the to resthome or who visit one of the 8 doctors who practice in the medical centre.
5 ageist
6 'middle classist' failing to see the lives of those who live there who don't work in the CBD, at office jobs from 9-5
Those of us who have been on fora about this have seen this all before. It typifies a sad part of our community life. A 'my way or the highway' approach that forgets about people. Don't worry we see these comments for what they are.
Is it any wonder people are puzzled saying 'I thought the left was about people'. It may be but it is clearly only certain people.
Is it any wonder that some in this Left community are pondering whether to vote at all or to vote for people who are not from the left? or does this not matter……?
Should all 'eat cake' somewhere? or grass as some in the area parts of my family came from in Ireland had to do? (funny that it was in the times of the Tories that this happened how the parties have changed sides over the intervening years) We have parties of the left treating others with complete and utter disdain.
And you still have not thanked either Veutoviper or myself for bringing information to you. My response to this lack is covered by the short word 'rude'.
This also has been a typical part of the process.
Further to get out of the way of what policy analysts call TINA thinking ie there is no alternative, which is a regrettable/sterile state of mind to be in you can do exercises to warm up your brain to open it up to different thinking. These are like the free flow, say quick line drawing, that artists use to warm up.
They really free and open your mind to the possibility of other options. The exercises are fun to do as well.
To add to what Shanreagh has said, all buses to/from Island Bay except peak hour Express buses travel via Luxford Street and Rintoul Street. – ie two storey monsters every 10 minutes each way which block the view for -and of – cyclists on some very narrow spots on Rintoul Street.
Most of the many school buses early morning and mid afternoon also travel via Luxford and Rintoul St.
The only buses that travel via Adelaide Rd from Berhampore to John St are the No 4 and 32 peak hour buses from/to Island Bay.
Tried to correct the above, but timed out, to change the word "all" in line 1 to "most" and add that buses to and from Island Bay also run long rambling routes via:
– Southgate and along Buckley Road down to Russell Tce, Riddiford St in Newtown then Adelaide St to Courtnay Place and town
-via the waterfront to Owhiro Bay and then circuitous routes via Frobisher St etc and up Happy Valley to Brooklyn and down Brooklyn hill to Willis St to Railway Station.
Yes the buses travel the old tram routes and so were/are heavily gradient sensitive. When I first decided to walk to work I just followed the bus route. Then I got on Google and did some map work and found there were much quicker ways that did not involve following the long slow bus routes.
When my sister rode to work (here in Wgtn) she followed the main bus route a couple of times before deciding on a quicker route,…..back in the days of bikes with gears…..mumble mumble years ago. If I was riding today I'd probably do the same route I followed when walking, if that had an opportunity to go off road through a park or other interesting way I'd incorporate that too.
You know the more I read your comments, esp about those living in houses with no ability to have a car pad, and those of cycling fraternity and the 'to hell with all others message' the more I am reminded that we on the left have been decrying the concept, at least I have been, of 'bottom feeders' as advanced by Luxon.
To me the 'to hell with them' concept and that of 'bottom feeders', esp as some would be of that demographic ie poor, are just different words to slam the poor, the stuck in jobs or housing or the just plain poor.
I didn't think we were agreeing with this concept…
Clearly I've missed some left wing nuance that says it is Ok to treat others poorly (by refusing to advance compromise, seek a way through), who 'get in the way of a middle class guy riding to a safe job in the Wellington CBD'. Not my idea of the left I'm afraid.
Shame.
I return to what I said originally, i.e. Rintoul Street is not a main route, not even to the Eastern suburbs. Most persons traveling to the Eastern suburbs would travel only as far as Waripori Street, which they would turn into and then travel down Russel Terrace to Riddiford Street. Just because buses travel this route does not make it the sort of road which one would want to install cycle lanes.
even if … inferring blame to a person who has only been local MP for a few months for historic policy in the area (and by council decisions) is a contribution, as ridiculous, as it is unwelcome.
I don't think the comment was meant to be interpreted so narrowly.
JAG is part of a political party that has a majority in WCC. She must at some stage have been involved in policy formulation about putting cycle ways ahead of residents and shops. She certainly has not, to my knowledge anyway, evinced the slightest concern while a list MP for the plight of residents or shop owners.
As an electorate MP though she is expected to fulfill a different role. She works with people no matter what party she thinks they may support, whether she perceives them to be wealthy or poor. If she believes her role is only to support those who support her then she has misinterpreted the role. I sense she may have.
Certainly you raised this before
https://thestandard.org.nz/in-defence-of-julie-anne-genter/#comment-1998543
to which I responded
https://thestandard.org.nz/in-defence-of-julie-anne-genter/#comment-1998553
I think she needs help on the electorate front. I hope she gets this help.
The most surprising MPs (if you look at their public persona) turn out to be great electorate MPs, usually unsung, head down, bottom up helping their constituents negotiate through all manner of problems.
The details
Being approached by those with a grievance about council policy and Greens and engaging is not the best reaction, handing a card with contact details (for correspondence or making an appointment) and walking away is the correct response.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/05/07/julie-anne-genter-breaks-silence-and-offers-three-more-apologies/
I am aware of the circumstances.
Yes she is not used to the hurly burly of life as an elctorate MP, and that is not her fault.
The reality is that electorate MPs do get approached while out and about and anything short of real, possibly short, conversation will be seen as a fob off.
I am hoping she does get some help in managing an electorate so that she is able to go about her daily life and others are able to engage with their electorate MP. In this electorate previous MPs have often been seen out and about, say wandering round the local Saturday market or being seen at kindy galas etc, and these are ways of meeting people, providing a meeting place for a quick conversation.
Certainly our own electorate MP is a regular attendee at a whole range of community events – frequently not as a speaker/presenter – but just being there, and being approachable. It's a very common occurrence for someone to raise an issue in person, rather than making an appointment.
Some, MPs, as you say, are considerably better than others as electorate MPs. I've heard mixed reports about Swarbrick as an electorate MP (thinking about in house support in the GP for scaffolding Genter into her new role). From the outside, it seems as though she responds more positively to those on the Left than to those on the Right. Of course, now as Leader, she'll have less time for electorate concerns.
It is easier to be an electorate MP if from a centre left or centre-right party and these are the bread and butter of the major parties.
Other parties are activist seeking change. And there is also a reaction from those resistant to that.
That said, TPM would have no problem with it and obviously the seats ACT and Greens would win will be different to others.
I think it is highly unlikely that the electorate seats the GP are winning are markedly different to others.
Certainly in Auckland Central – which is the GP electorate I'm most familiar with – there is a very substantial cohort of National and Labour party voters, with a minority of ACT party voters. Indeed the three major parties are pretty evenly split.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Central_(New_Zealand_electorate)#2023_election
If Swarbrick can't effectively work as an electorate MP for those whose politics she disagrees with (which is what you seem to be implying), then she has no business to stand as an electorate MP. If the GP want only to be activists – then they need to be list only.
I think an electorate that is 2/3rd Labour or Green is fairly untypical. It like some Wellington electorates has a larger Green vote than average and Labour would win the seat, if the Greens were not standing a candidate. The same applies as per Epsom and Tamaki for ACT.
If you change the word Swarbrick to Genter then many in Ronogtai would agree with this view. Electorate MPs work for everybody, or should, and not just with those that support them party-wise.
Going back a few years and before being 4 years working in parliament back in the day, there was one person who was known as being a good electorate MP and that was Muldoon. This was told to me by a Labour Minister. Also Jenny Shipley by the same Minister. From memory he had time for the electorate work of Anne Collins/Cullen who worked hard in the East Cape electorate.
Auckland Central is 33% National party vote – 10% higher than the 23% GP party vote in the electorate at the last election.
The point is – that this should not matter. As an electorate MP you are there for all of your constituents – not just the ones that voted for your party, or who agree with your party philosophy.
If you have evidence that the Epsom or Tamaki MPs are not working well on behalf of constituents from different political parties/philosophies – then feel free to share it. I have to say that Seymour has the reputation of being an excellent local MP. Haven't heard anything one way or the other about Van Velden.
Check out Nicks Kōrero, the one about the florist. Gives you some insight into the “business owner “
No one has pulled up Doocey’s failure to read a document, and his sweeping mistruths.
I am really surprised at this.
Since when does it rely on someone being a 'nice person' to expect being treated well by WCC or an MP?
If this is where we are going as a country it is a ghastly prospect to look forward to.
So let me get this straight:
Repeatedly impolite to Local & Central Government staff = acceptable.
Repeatedly impolite to someone on the internet who hasn't the foggiest on transport issues = ALARMING! I'm in touch with the media!!!
I believe I used the word hyperbole with regards to you recently. I stand by that.
I also note little miss private loading zone lies about "getting rid of all the carparks in the precinct" in the audio on Nick's korero.
Car parks are still there, just across the road, about 10 seconds walk away – except you'd be killed by the traffic, so call it a 30 second walk and a 2 minute wait at the lights. Or you could take your pick at the free supermarket parking which is signposted outside her shop – once again, about a 30 second walk and a 2 minute wait…
Unless you're feeling lucky and want to take your chances – at least there's a hospital nearby.
Pray that the ambulance isn't held up by the traffic being impeded by someone parked in a loading zone though..
Yes Alwyn who is the poster talking about…..?
The silence out of Tory Whanau – whose city and project it actually is – must be unnerving since they are both out of the same party.
Where is Tamatha Paul on Genter, since she's just come from the City Council and gone into Parliament, within the same party?
Genter is the best left urban transport person in Parliament by a long long way, and this is way too small an issue to lose her on.
I agree with this. The correct way, imo, is to let the privileges Cttee deal with the House happenings and for JAG to be counselled, possibly buddied by an experienced electorate MP or former electorate MP or to have someone who knows how this things to 'shadow' her, act as a sounding in working out how to manage an electorate
The Chathams is part of the Rongotai Electorate. JAG is our electorate MP. .
What are you referring to? eg who are the so-called ‘triumphalist’ right wingers?
Newsense at 11:46 am
Have you any links or is this something that only the 'in' crowd can understand?
Plenty of money for a prison extension that warranted an announcement that was embarrassing to say the least. Mitchell is all bombast but not very bright. On the other hand hospital builds are on the deferral list.
No one is defending Julie Ann Genter's recent behaviour in the debating chamber. However the florist who was quick to contact the media about her opinion of J-AG has some history herself. Nick Rockel's column yesterday covered several complaints about this florist, as in being a very difficult person to deal with. But not a peep from the media with another context.
The announcement was done terribly. Mitchell and Luxon had obviously not discussed beforehand, thus the quickly released memo (or whatever) after the announcement.
As for JAG, she was out of line in parliament, and I don't think the Greens leaders are too impressed with her behaviour. Thus the now laying low to wait for it to all blow over. Firstly working from home then a trip to Chatam Islands (which we will never know if it was hastily arranged or had been pre-planned).
I would imagine that if you really wanted to know a couple of OIA requests would do it.
Well we do actually know….
The Chatham trip was not hastily arranged ..it was pre-planned..
But do you believe them? Like Cricklewood says, an OIA would confirm or deny but would take months to get the answer.
So it's not Genter's first visit to the Chathams since she was elected MP for Rongotai, and the electorate's former (Labour) MP, Paul Eagle, is now the CEO of the Chatham Islands.
Of course that forum could have been staged, and/or Genter could be attending because it’s convenient – people will believe what they want to believe.
Luxon will (or should) soon pay the price of talking up a big game on crime during the election campaign and then 'delivering' an inevitable failure – where the failure is baked in to the way they're approaching the problem. Give it another 6 months and all journalists should be asking whether it's time for Mitchell to go, and noting that not only has Luxon not got his "aces in the right places", but he has no aces and what's left are all in the wrong conceptual places.
“Nick Rockel’s column yesterday covered several complaints about this florist, as in being a very difficult person to deal with. But not a peep from the media with another context” (Reality)
Just because a person may be ‘difficult’ does not mean they are not entitled to a fair go.
One's character does not determine whther you are treated fairly legally, or should not.
Or have we moved into some new sort of NZ version of law/behaviour that only applies to those we like? I can think of several historic 'country' versions of this and several current versions. In none of these cases could they be thought of as being a democracy
Surprise! Auckland Watercare Dodgy. Brenard Hickey On the ball again:
Simeon Brown's deal to carve Watercare out of Auckland Council is vague about the Crown's backing of Watercare's bonds & S&P is warning of rating downgrades costing Aucklanders many millions each year.
thekaka@substack.com
Primary health care, supplemented by Pharmac and ACC (funds health care to get people back to work and save the scheme money doing so) essentials of the health care system.
The irony of the need for some to be able to afford the GP visit is that others do not have one – so we need to increase the availability as well.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/05/02/opinion-why-free-gp-visits-for-everyone-should-be-a-budget-priority/
Good luck with actually getting a timely GP visit now (even if you're willing to pay).
There is a regular theme on our local (inner Auckland suburb) community Facebook of 'which local GP is accepting new registrations'. The answer is 'none'.
This is continuing to get worse as GPs age out of the profession and retire. Which has been signaled by the GP association for at least 20 years. And the governments of the day have done zip about addressing.
All making GP visits 'free' will do is load more stress onto an already overloaded system. It won't magically make more GP consultations available. The number of GPs sitting twiddling their thumbs waiting for a fee-paying patient, is zero.
This is the same argument which was made for 'free' dental care. With proponents apparently believing they can wave a magic wand and have the dentists descend from on high to deliver the service.
The axe falls on ACC tomorrow.
Most staff have today received an email to attend a meeting tomorrow 8 May.
The cuts are really heating up now.
The decision of the government to be the party of landlords and business interest has its consequences for tenants, workers and the provision of public service to the people.
Managing down cost of ACC levy on business – includes stress on the ACC workforce and cuts in provision to injured workers (and who knows what to ACC fund management).
All OECD nations bar one have either a CGT and or estate tax to fully staff and fund public service delivery.
In the stand up yesterday (the corrections stand up announcement shambles of Luxon & Mitchell) they were so excited to announce about the 100s (or was it 1000s?) that are applying for the upcoming correction jobs & what an amazing job National are doing with recruitment, & I figured it's more to do with the fact that 1000s of people have lost or are about to lose their jobs is the reason 100s (or 1000s) are applying for the jobs.
Things are getting really desperate out there, & worse.
"really desperate out there, & worse"
160 people turned up to view an apartment for that is for rent in my street yesterday.
6 vehicles housing 9 people are parked in my street as of an hour ago.
The house down the road from me has been for sale for over a month. They cancelled the auction that was supposed to be a week ago because there were no registered bidders.
Difficult to tell if it's a one off or reflective of broader trends.
Volumes of houses for sale continue to remain high:
However prices, on average,are still trending upwards.
https://www.barfoot.co.nz/market-reports/2024/april/market-update
Results are, of course, averaged across the whole city – and strong growth in middle-low suburbs may be camouflaging a drop in either price of sales volume in wealthy suburbs.
Blinken and Romney at the McCain Institute’s 2024 Forum.
@wideofthepost
“Why has the PR been so awful?… typically the Israelis are good at PR—what’s happened here, how have they and we been so ineffective at communicating the realities and our POV?… some wonder why there was such overwhelming support for us to shut down potentially TikTok.”
[…]
@wideofthepost
Blinken says explicitly that the shift in news diet from major newspapers and cable news to a continuous feed has been very challenging for the narrative; and Romney follows up explicitly that this is why congress moved so fast to ban TikTok –– after pondering Israel's PR woes.
https://twitter.com/wideofthepost/status/1787104142982283587
Just seen Maki Sherman doing a piece to camera about JAG and the Greens. The woman’s nearly hysterical!
Link please Stephen
Here you go.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/10/01/live-stream-6pm-weekends/
Thanks
This is a link directly to the piece on You Tube (without all the other news):
Green MP Julie Anne Genter breaks silence | 1News – YouTube.
Thanks
Sherman also spouted a load of drivel about how the green party leaders were failing in their duties to somehow punish genter ..
She really likes to over-egg things..that maiki Sherman..
..you feel like telling her to take a deep breath..and to just take a moment..
The tradwife lark wasn't quite what Lauren imagined it to be.
/
There were warning signs from early on. “If I ever disagreed with him in any capacity he’d just disappear, for days at a time. I remember there were nights where he’d call me worthless and pathetic, then get in this car and leave.” But she didn’t see them, thanks to the simplified anti-feminist ideology she’d absorbed and promoted: “I had this delusional view of relationships: that only women could be the ones that make or break them, and men can do no wrong.” So she didn’t spot the red flags, even as they grew more extreme. “He’d lock me out of the house. I remember having to knock on the neighbour’s door on rainy nights, because he’d get upset and drive off without unlocking the house. It was very strange, to go from being this public figure on stage with people clapping, to the girl crying, knocking on someone’s door with no home to get into, being abandoned with a baby.”
[…]
Then, thousands of miles from friends and family, she reports becoming “the closest thing to a modern day, Western slave”. With no income of her own, she had to do everything: “The lawns, the house, the cooking, the baby care, his university homework. And I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have any support. There was no help changing diapers, there was no help waking up in the night with the baby. I’d still have to get up, to make breakfast before work. I’d be shaking and nervous, for fear I’m gonna get yelled at.” Then he’d berate her for spending all her time on tasks other than earning money: “I was told daily that I was worthless, pathetic. Deadweight. All you do is sit around and take care of the baby and do chores.” When Covid shut down all real-world public life, her situation became “hell on earth”. It was, she said, “the only time in my life where I idealised dying.”
https://unherd.com/2024/05/lauren-southern-the-tradlife-influencer-filled-with-regret/
Could a moderator please tell me where the two comments I posted to daily review have gone..
Could a moderator please tell me where the two comments I posted to daily review have gone..
My name may have been altered..again ..
Btw..how/why is that happening..?
you have 3 comments caught in the filter because of a typo in your username (which means the system treats you as a new commenter and holds back the comments for manual release). You need to check your name and email field when you post a comment.
Ok…ta…