Burqa Bob to stand in Tauranga

Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, January 25th, 2008 - 49 comments
Categories: national - Tags: ,

bob65.jpgAfter much speculation, National MP Bob Clarkson has finally announced he will be standing again in Tauranga, apparently to work on housing affordability issues.

What a gift. For those who missed it last time, here’s Bob’s entire contribution to Parliament since August last year:

  • (17 Oct 2007) Interjection : “Bureaucratic!”
  • (10 Oct 2007) Interjection : “Tell us the end of the story.”
  • (19 Sep 2007) Interjection : “Force?”
  • (22 Aug 2007) Interjection : “A bit like the Labour Government.”
  • (21 Aug 2007) Interjection : “Yes, I did, actually.”

I’m sure this will encourage Winston to have another crack. Should be an interesting race.

49 comments on “Burqa Bob to stand in Tauranga ”

  1. Matthew Pilott 1

    I prefer his…’extra-governmental’ quotes, for which he’s justifiably better known.

    However, I’m not a BoP local and will watch this one with interest – I wonder what the perception of old “don’t shove it down my throat” Bob is like up in ‘(07) these days.

    Anyone got some grass-roots feeling they’d care to share?

  2. Tane 2

    Here’s a doozy from 2006:

    Mr Clarkson was hosting a “Good Jokers Unite” meeting in Upper Hutt, and despite being told by his leader Don Brash “to be careful” he was happy to shoot from the hip.

    Last week he attacked the practice of Muslim women wearing burqas, saying if they did not want to fit in they should go back to “Islam or Iraq”.

    He also compared public displays of homosexuality to “picking your nose” in public.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10398953

  3. andy 3

    Don’t forget Clarkson and his balls.

  4. Long time listener 4

    You have to wonder what they’re thinking. Was there just a lack of credible National candidates in Tauranga? I’m not taking the piss here, finding quality candidates is a problem common to all parties.

  5. Phil 5

    His initial election seemed to me to be a) a validation of his work within the local community, and b) a vote of no confidence in Winston.

    I suspect he’ll retain his seat this time around for the same reasons.

  6. rjs131 6

    Who is labour fronting up as a candidate. Surely if both candidates so bad, then the Labour candidate would win in a landslide? Maybe dianne yates can stand considering she was so successful in the hamilton city council elections this year

  7. I agree with phil, this will probably be the most entertaining electoral contest come election time.
    I believe Winston has expended any credibility he had left this term. His slavish adherence to the labour line will see his national NZF vote drop and probably the same in Tauranga.
    I felt he would go this time around. After the ridiculous baubles of office comments to then run gleefully toward those baubles was one of the more disgusting displays of venal self interest we have ever seen in NZ politics.
    I thought he would be in the frame to take over from the Ambassador for hampstead heath? When is hunt due home? It must be soon , if not before the election he will struggle to get another juicy job allocated.

  8. Tane 8

    I don’t think Labour has a chance in this seat and they know it. They’ll probably put someone up anyway to campaign for the party vote, but I suspect there’ll be a lot of tactical voting in this electorate.

  9. andy 9

    Barnsley Bill: Yep, spot on.

    have to say both benches are about as deep as a bird bath. think for Nats there is a problem of looking ‘New’ and ‘better than labour’ when you have:

    N.Smith
    M.McCulley
    M.Williamson
    L.Smith

    who between them have much baggage, and only past failures to hold on to…

  10. agreed, i still think labour will cobble together enough seats after the election but I will bet you a chocolate fish they do it with at least 3 or 4 less electorate seats.
    If anybody who is inclined to want labour back and does not vote for peters (in the electoral tick) the BOP branch of the Labour party should be put down.

    CAPTCHA QUESTION……….
    somebody is definitely taking the piss Tane. Do you guys have any control over what the captcha words are? Why I hear you ask..
    CAPTCHA = well-disguised rant!

  11. Michele Cabiling 11

    “Last week he [Bob Clarkson] attacked the practice of Muslim women wearing burqas, saying if they did not want to fit in they should go back to “Islam or Iraq.”

    Precisely. When in Rome do as Romans do.

    There are two models of multiculturalism. The first is known as “the melting pot.” In this model, a single culture to which all citizens broadly comform occupies the public square. Private cultural observances outside the public square are up to the individuals concerned.

    The leftard model could be termed “the salad basket.” Shake a salad basket as much as you like and its component vegetables will never combine. In this model, a variety of “separate but equal” cultures occupy the public square conjointly.

    Import a small number of immigrants from a particular place at any one time and the community is able to draw them into the existing culture. Bringing in large numbers of one group at one time overloads the assimilative mechanisms of the community.

    The newcomers then have little or no incentive to assimilate, forming instead outposts of foreigh culture in their new land. This has occurred with every migrant group whose numbers have attained a critical mass.

    For example, the first wave of Filipinos (more correctly in this instance “Filipinas”) married Kiwi men, and were thus appropriately acculturated to living in this country. Like my mom, they became “Kiwipinas” at home with both cultures.

    The second wave of Filipino migration consists largely of intact families. In Auckland, there is now a critical mass of Filipinos, who don’t need to assimilate if they don’t want to. Lazy people tend to “ghettoise” into hanging with their own culture rather than making the effort to go outside it. This is exactly what we are now seeing.

    There is a deliberate agenda behind mass immigration. Leftards are not NATIONALISTS, but INTERNATIONALISTS. Their ultimate goal is to erode patriotism and national identity with a view to erecting international socialism on the corpse of the nation state.

    If nobody can agree on a single national identity, if it’s a plurality rather than a commonality, no one will rally to its defence when it is under threat.

    “He [Clarkson] also compared public displays of homosexuality to ‘picking your nose’ in public.”

    I’d be more inclined to say “taking a dump” in public…

  12. Tane 12

    Na we don’t Bill, but some of the stuff captcha throws up is so uncanny I’ve wondered myself at times.

  13. andy 13

    Michelle did you notice how this thread was all polite and interesting till you turned up with things like ‘leftard’, didn’t bother to read your rant…

  14. Uncanny….
    Now if I had made the “taking a dump” comment you would have set your clown like attack dogs on me Tane. I hope you guys are not going easy on Michele because she is a wimmin

  15. Sam Dixon 15

    Do you think if Burqha Bob loses he will emmigrate to Islam?

    Michele: one nation, one country, one leader?

  16. Michele Cabiling 16

    Hoi BB I’m not a “wimmin” but a “WOMAN” that is to say I’m NOT a “roll your own tampons and kick start your own menstrual cycle” brigadista.

    I don’t wear a boiler suit and I shave my legs and armpits thanks very much!

  17. Tane 17

    Hey Bill, as much as we’ve had our differences in the past I know that you’re actually a good dude who’s interested in discussing the issues.

    Michele’s got real social problems, as her tasteless letter in today’s Dom Post showed. Just ignore her and hopefully she’ll go away.

  18. Michele Cabiling 18

    Sam Dixon wrote: “Michele: one nation, one country, one leader?”

    Interesting how leftards invariably equate patriotism and love of country with fascism. Those who won the American War of Independence and faced down Hitler were also patriots.

    When lost for an argument, you can always call your opponent a “fascist.” Know where this tactic came from?

    Moscow Central Committee laid down in 1943. This declaration, right from the horse’s mouth, illustrates exactly what were up against:

    In 1946 the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Central Committee issued this instruction to their stooges and enablers in the West:

    “Members and front organisations must continually embarrass, discredit and degrade our critics. When obstructionists become too irritating, label them as fascist, or Nazi or anti-Semitic…The association will, after enough repetition, become ‘fact’ in the public mind.”

    Cretin.

  19. Matthew Pilott 19

    Tane – I was just thinking that. I disagree with a lot of people here, but it would be pretty boring if I didn’t. Bill – you like tackling an issue, albeit somewhat unconventionally perhaps but there’s nothing wrong with that!

    Sam – zing…

    Michele – “when in Rome, do as Romans do”. This would be your cue…

  20. Michele Cabiling 20

    Oops 1943 … included the preamble to the quote and also re-wrote it beneath.

  21. Monty 21

    Michele – Excellent post at 3.52 and 4.09 pm. I agree with evrything you said and like the little dig at the end.

    I wonder if anyone likes to comment on Chris Trotters comumn in the pDom Post this morning – Bob Clarkson standing is interesting news – but the real news that the Leftards prefer to ignore is when one of their own start sticking the knife in the back as Trotter (or Trotterski as I prefer) .

    I wonder the the Labour Party sponsored Blog “thestandard” would comment on that – or do they keep their fury to themselves.

    Back to Bob Clarkson – I think locally Bob remains very popular and that self serving prick Winston will lose Tauranga and come November will also be unemployed. (along with the rest of Winston First Party MPs)

  22. Matthew Pilott 22

    Yeah Monty, it’s scintillating stuff. I guess the alternative is to only take in one person from every prospective immigrant family, I’m sure that’s also in line with Michele’s idea that the socialists are trying to break up families as mentioned in another thread.

    Hang on – allowing whole families to immigrate is past of the Socailist Masterplan to subjugate nation-states, but the socialists are trying to break up families in order to implement their Master Plan.

    Now I’m confused. Michele, as a socialist trying to implement the Socialist Master Plan – am I trying to break families up, or keep them together? You got me confused as hell, and it’s theoretically my plan!

    *sigh* what’s a commie to do?

  23. Michele Cabiling 23

    Matthew Pillock wrote:

    “Michele – ‘when in Rome, do as Romans do.’ This would be your cue …”

    Just because you (and a number of others on this blog)insist on stroking yourselves in a very small corner, imposes no requirement on others to follow suit.

  24. The Double Standard 24

    Hmm, and how many votes did Clarkson win by last time? The question is, what will Winston promise to Tauranga to buy his way back in?

  25. I commented on the trotter column on my blog this morning. It is a bold move by trotter to come out and brazenly attack H1 in this manner. The usual idiots at trollasic park immediately climbed into him. This attack is unprecedented from an old trot (pun unintended) like trotter, it was only a few months ago that he was making a goose of himself serenading H1 at the party conference. One wonders whether Mike Moore calling Helen out (quite literally) has crossed some modern day rubicon where holding the big job can now be openly called into question?

  26. Tane – if you’re going to tell lies, be prepared to be exposed for them

    http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/mps/bob_clarkson

  27. Matthew Pilott 27

    Alright, I’ll put it somewhat more succinctly Michele.

    99% of people on The Standard do not behave like fuckwits, for want of a better word. They seem to have learned how to interact decently. Why don’t you give it a shot?

  28. And if you want to get into the Missing in Action category, how’s this?

    http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/mps/george_hawkins

  29. michaels 29

    Tane get your facts right before you post such dribble and lies.

  30. Matthew Pilott said “99% of people on The Standard do not behave like fuckwits, for want of a better word. They seem to have learned how to interact decently.”

    I take it you’re including Tane in the 1% Matthew? The man with the wee credibility issue.

  31. You have to hand it to DPF, a mention from him is like being featured on Oprah. Inundated with visitors from his post.

  32. Matthew Pilott 32

    No Inventory2, there’s a difference between your little credibility problem and what I was referring to. But you know that.

    Guess you had to try though, but I’d have shown forebearance if I were you – it was a pretty lame shot, to say the least.

    Keep it up, though, if you want to make the 1% 😉

  33. Mathew, it wasn’t me that tried to make a snide attack on Clarkson – it was your mate Tane. But he got called on it. The bro hasn’t had a good week, has he?

  34. Lisa 34

    I wear a burka and I am deeply offended that someone would make fun of Allah.
    Who is this burqa Bob ? I think he is a nasty Tory chap ?

  35. Santi 35

    “..I am deeply offended that someone would make fun of Allah.”

    I despise Allah and all it represents.

    We live in a democracy and I can say it aloud without fear of being incarcerated/killed as in any Islamic country.

  36. burt 36

    Tane

    You are scraping the bottom of the barrel with lies like this.

    Must say the standard has been loading like a dog since you were biffed off the Labour party server.

  37. Unless Santi of course no party takes a position on that, then you have to register to have your say.

  38. g 38

    Get your facts right before opening you mouth (or keyboard) Tane; instead of attacking people how about analysing some facts:

    The Labour Govt has led NZ down the wrong path, you need look no further than your own website, if Telecom had been correctly managed this site could have been hosted over fibre to the home by now. Don’t get me started on home affordability, inflation, public sector employee numbers, low wages, etc etc etc.

  39. Tane 39

    Update over here:
    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=985

    Seems we didn’t give Bob the full honour he deserves. He also spoke about timber and something else. Oh, and compared homosexuality to picking your nose.

    G, I won’t get you started on those topics because you sound like you’ve got little more than prejudice and second-hand opinions to give me on them. That would be rather boring.

  40. tane said…..”I don’t think Labour has a chance in this seat and they know it. They’ll probably put someone up anyway to campaign for the party vote, but I suspect there’ll be a lot of tactical voting in this electorate.”

    jeez tane. Save us the suspense. just add a post it note with said question with the weekly cheque to Labour HQ and post the response!

    I visit this blog for official Labour releases, not hackneyed faux opinion!

  41. ben 41

    Tane, how about an apology. That would be a decent thing to do.

  42. Rich 42

    The kind of people that live in Tauranga like that sort of thing. How many times did they elect Peters? Three? I actually the place should be made a special territory where you don’t get to vote.

    Seriously, everyone who wants a left government next time should get behind Bollox Bob. On NZF’s current polling they won’t get 5% and are gonna be out if Winston doesn’t win Tauranga. UF will get Dunne back and that’ll be it.

    So we could see a big wasted vote and a Lab/Green/Maori Party government next time, even with a 45% plus Nat vote. Labour would have to repeal the Foreshore & Seabed act to get the Maori Party on board. That would so piss the right off if they get a plurality and an *more* left-wing government gets elected. Rioting in the streets, appeals to the G-G, etc.

  43. outofbed 43

    Jez yes If you think they are angry now another left victory in 08=
    Apoplexy.
    And as the numbers betwixt wining and losing could well be a couple of percent. It is quite concievable that the RWNJ’s such as the farrar/slater combination will be the ones that deliver a few thousabd votes in the lefts direction Hey they have given this site massive publicity it even made the news.

    captcha insignificant signs ( I kid you not)

  44. lprent 44

    To those asking about captcha. I was wondering how that was done myself…

    I had a look at the page source & php. It is just script to another site (recaptcha). Beats me where they get the words from. Probably from scanning a text source somewhere.

    I just clicked through a few (use the double arrow symbol) – I think you’re just getting ‘lucky’ (especially BB)

    Lynn

  45. outofbed 45

    ban morris
    lengthy explanation
    drilling pesentation

    Only three mildly good ones out of twenty

    oh and for this post
    long embracing :-}

  46. Michele Cabiling 46

    Santi wrote:

    “I am deeply offended that someone would make fun of Allah.”

    “I despise Allah and all it represents.”

    Completely agree. As a woman, I also despise Allah (Pigs Be Upon Him) and all he represents.

    Here are some quotes from the Koran and other Islamic scripture showing how Muhammed and his made-up god (note small “g”) view women:

    Koran 4:23 “Prohibited to you are: your mothers, daughters, sisters…. Also (prohibited are) women already married, except slaves who are captives.” 4:24 “Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those (captives and slaves) whom your right hands possess. Thus has Allâh ordained for you. All others are lawful…” 70:28 “Preserve their chastity except with their wives and the slave girls they possess – for which there is no blame.”

    Therefore, having sex with captives/slaves, meaning sex with those who have no right to refuse the advance, aka rape, is OK. And don’t take your neighbor’s wife – unless you conquer/kill him first.

    Women are half as good as men:

    Bukhari:V3B48N826 “The Prophet said, ‘Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind.'”

    Muslim:B1N142 “‘O womenfolk, … …You lack common sense, fail in religion and rob the wisdom of the wise.’ Upon this the woman remarked: What is wrong with our common sense? The Prophet replied, ‘Your lack of common sense can be determined from the fact that the evidence of two women is equal to one man. That is a proof.'”

    It’s hard to refute logic like this. Muhammad certainly was a wise man.

    Koran 24:34 “Force not your slave-girls to whoredom (prostitution) if they desire chastity, that you may seek enjoyment of this life. [And here’s the freedom-to-rape card:] But if anyone forces them, then after such compulsion, Allah is oft-forgiving.”

    Tabari IX:113 “Allah permits you to shut them [women] in separate rooms and to beat them, but not severely. If they abstain, they have the right to food and clothing. Treat women well for they are like domestic animals and they possess nothing themselves. Allah has made the enjoyment of their bodies lawful in his Koran.”

    Tabari IX:128 “When the Prophet married Aisha she very young and not yet ready for consummation.”

    The Koran reports that Aisha was seven when she was married off to Muhammad, a 54 year old man, and nine when he deflowered her. Most of us would call this man a paedophile.

    Tabari I:280 “Allah said, ‘It is My obligation to make Eve bleed once every month as she made this tree bleed. I must also make Eve stupid, although I created her intelligent.’ Because Allah afflicted Eve, all of the women of this world menstruate and are stupid.”

    The Koran reports that the Black Stone of the Ka’ ba (one of Islam’s holiest shrines) was originally clear and transparent, but turned black when touched by menstruating women.

    I assume, Lisa, you are a convert to this crap. You might have investigated what it says about the role of women a little more closely before coming on board.

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    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

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