I’m your nice Uncle Don and I want you to give me all your money and assets so my poor friends don’t starve. P.S. did it have to be such a big scary photo?
sweetd you fucking idiot – it wasn’t just a look there was theft of personal data which was passed around, just because I leave my front door or open or unlocked doesn’t mean some wanker can come in and help himself to any of my personal information or property then spread it around the community.
If this was done to a bank the internet theft rules would apply and whoever did it would be facing a cyber crime charge.
You wouldn’t like it if you personal financial information was plastered all over the internet
Unlike many of the myth making denizens at the sewer we have clear recollections of history. So we tell it as it is. I’m sad that you consider that reality is nasty – but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
IMHO: No man in NZ public life deserves the white pointy hat characterization as much as Brash does.
g_man, you pick a month, I’ll pick a week. You can then choose the open mike thread from here from that week that you think is the nastiest, and I’ll pick the general debate thread from KB. We then play ‘find the wankers’.
Deal? We’ll have to do it on thurs, coz I’m busy with familial stuff over the next coupla days, but I think it would be a fascinating wee exercise.
You guys need to get with the kiwiblog reich right school of race relations.
The new rule is it’s fine to be a racist, but it’s a hanging matter to call someone a racist. Especially if they are a racist, cos it’s like racism. Against racists.
I said that, brash said the Orewa address; mine is on a leftist blog, his was on the 6 O’Clock news. Slight difference – I will continue to be nasty to the affluent until such time as they actually do something constructive to help the poor!
“How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”
Oscar Wilde had it right eh Don. Suck on another lemon Miss Clark! Checkmate nicky.
He actually currently does not have a ban and hasn’t had one for several years. He tends to obey the warnings enough to avoid bans, and I haven’t had to get moderator irritated with him for quite some time. That means he gets to comment here unless he runs afoul of one of the mods.
I don’t think he adds that much to the debate. But he doesn’t seem to limit it anymore either. More like ambient noise?
Thank you Iprent. Bad luck toady and big bruv, oh my, narking is no good here at the standard where demerit narks are not rewarded for their cowardise.
You obviously don’t live around Ponsonby Road. On Fridays and Saturday the ambient noise is often relationship breakups on our street corner…. While we are trying to sleep.
My concept of ambient noise may be different to yours?
Act Leader Don Brash welcomed Alex Fogerty’s decision to leave National to join Act.
“Like Bob Clarkson, John Banks and I, Alex has seen the need to give some backbone to the Government. Like us, he believes in ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer one law for all,” said Dr Brash.
Yes, all palangi should desist from taking photos of me as well – it isn’t the treaty of waitaiinnnggiiiiiii. Neither is the electronics of the standard. Kiwiblog… Oops – umm – aha – sewers were around!!!!!!
…i can actually envision The Don saying that to just about anybody not of his ‘race’, but then again i can picture him in a spandex teddy saying ‘spank me Mistress Odgers’ to Cactus Kate too.
“With its wrinkly pink skin, beady eyes and outsize teeth, the naked mole rat resembles a sabretoothed sausage. But the strange-looking mammal has a secret which is fascinating scientists searching for a cure for diseases of old age, particularly cancer.
“Despite being only four inches long, the rodent lives for 30 years – seven times longer than a normal rat – and appears not to be afflicted with the world’s number one killer disease.
“Researchers have now taken a step towards understanding the extraordinary reason for its longevity and resistance ….. ”
A strategy of denial is now the cornerstone concept for Australia’s National Defence Strategy. The term’s use as an overarching guide to defence policy, however, has led to some confusion on what it actually means ...
The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor publications have come out in the last couple of days. If there is gloom in the GDP numbers (eg this chart for the advanced countries, and we don’t score a lot better on the comparable one for the 2019 to ...
For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...
Cost of living ~1/3 of Kiwis needed help with food as cost of living pressures continue to increase - turning to friends, family, food banks or Work and Income in the past year, to find food. 40% of Kiwis also said they felt schemes offered little or no benefit, according ...
Hi,Perhaps in 2025 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the CEO and owner of Voyager Internet — the major sponsor of the New Zealand Media Awards — has taken to sharing a variety of Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories to his 1.2 million followers.This included sharing a post from ...
In the sprint to deepen Australia-India defence cooperation, navy links have shot ahead of ties between the two countries’ air forces and armies. That’s largely a good thing: maritime security is at the heart of ...
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...
The PSA says a settlement with Health New Zealand over the agency’s proposed restructure of its Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams has saved around 200 roles from being cut. A third of New Zealanders have needed help accessing food in the past year, according to Consumer NZ, and ...
John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. ...
Some argue we still have time, since quantum computing capable of breaking today’s encryption is a decade or more away. But breakthrough capabilities, especially in domains tied to strategic advantage, rarely follow predictable timelines. Just ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Pearl Marvell(Photo credit: Pearl Marvell. Image credit: Samantha Harrington. Dollar bill vector image: by pch.vector on Freepik) Igrew up knowing that when you had extra money, you put it under a bed, stashed it in a book or a clock, or, ...
The political petrified piece of wood, Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest ...
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...
A recurring aspect of the Trump tariff coverage is that it normalises – or even sanctifies – a status quo that in many respects has been a disaster for working class families. No doubt, Donald Trump is an uncertainty machine that is tanking the stock market and the growth prospects ...
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...
Britain once risked a reputation as the weak link in the trilateral AUKUS partnership. But now the appointment of an empowered senior official to drive the project forward and a new burst of British parliamentary ...
Australia’s ability to produce basic metals, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel and construction steel, is in jeopardy, with ageing plants struggling against Chinese competition. The multinational commodities company Trafigura has put its Australian operations under ...
There have been recent PPP debacles, both in New Zealand (think Transmission Gully) and globally, with numerous examples across both Australia and Britain of failed projects and extensive litigation by government agencies seeking redress for the failures.Rob Campbell is one of New Zealand’s sharpest critics of PPPs noting that; "There ...
On Twitter on Saturday I indicated that there had been a mistake in my post from last Thursday in which I attempted to step through the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement issues. Making mistakes (there are two) is annoying and I don’t fully understand how I did it (probably too much ...
Indonesia’s armed forces still have a lot of work to do in making proper use of drones. Two major challenges are pilot training and achieving interoperability between the services. Another is overcoming a predilection for ...
The StrategistBy Sandy Juda Pratama, Curie Maharani and Gautama Adi Kusuma
As a living breathing human being, you’ve likely seen the heart-wrenching images from Gaza...homes reduced to rubble, children burnt to cinders, families displaced, and a death toll that’s beyond comprehension. What is going on in Gaza is most definitely a genocide, the suffering is real, and it’s easy to feel ...
Donald Trump, who has called the Chair of the Federal Reserve “a major loser”. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortest from our political economy on Tuesday, April 22:US markets slump after Donald Trump threatens the Fed’s independence. China warns its trading partners not to side with the US. Trump says some ...
Last night, the news came through that Pope Francis had passed away at 7:35 am in Rome on Monday, the 21st of April, following a reported stroke and heart failure. Pope Francis. Photo: AP.Despite his obvious ill health, it still came as a shock, following so soon after the Easter ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review found the NIC to be highly capable and performing well. So, it is not a surprise that most of the 67 recommendations are incremental adjustments and small but nevertheless important ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkThe world has made real progress toward tacking climate change in recent years, with spending on clean energy technologies skyrocketing from hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars globally over the past decade, and global CO2 emissions plateauing.This has contributed to a reassessment of ...
Hi,I’ve been having a peaceful month of what I’d call “existential dread”, even more aware than usual that — at some point — this all ends.It was very specifically triggered by watching Pantheon, an animated sci-fi show that I’m filing away with all-time greats like Six Feet Under, Watchmen and ...
Once the formalities of honouring the late Pope wrap up in two to three weeks time, the conclave of Cardinals will go into seclusion. Some 253 of the current College of Cardinals can take part in the debate over choosing the next Pope, but only 138 of them are below ...
The National Party government is doubling down on a grim, regressive vision for the future: more prisons, more prisoners, and a society fractured by policies that punish rather than heal. This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate lurch toward a dystopian future where incarceration is the answer to every ...
The audacity of Don Brash never ceases to amaze. The former National Party and Hobson’s Pledge mouthpiece has now sunk his claws into NZME, the media giant behind the New Zealand Herald and half of our commercial radio stations. Don Brash has snapped up shares in NZME, aligning himself with ...
A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 13, 2025 thru Sat, April 19, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
“What I’d say to you is…” our Prime Minister might typically begin a sentence, when he’s about to obfuscate and attempt to derail the question you really, really want him to answer properly (even once would be okay, Christopher). Questions such as “Why is a literal election promise over ...
Ruth IrwinExponential Economic growth is the driver of Ecological degradation. It is driven by CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through fossil fuel extraction and burning for the plethora of polluting industries. Extreme weather disasters and Climate change will continue to get worse because governments subscribe to the current global economic system, ...
A man on telly tries to tell me what is realBut it's alright, I like the way that feelsAnd everybody singsWe are evolving from night to morningAnd I wanna believe in somethingWriter: Adam Duritz.The world is changing rapidly, over the last year or so, it has been out with the ...
MFB Co-Founder Cecilia Robinson runs Tend HealthcareSummary:Kieran McAnulty calls out National on healthcare lies and says Health Minister Simeon Brown is “dishonest and disingenuous”(video below)McAnulty says negotiation with doctors is standard practice, but this level of disrespect is not, especially when we need and want our valued doctors.National’s $20bn ...
Chris Luxon’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been a masterclass in incompetence, marked by coalition chaos, economic lethargy, verbal gaffes, and a moral compass that seems to point wherever political expediency lies. The former Air New Zealand CEO (how could we forget?) was sold as a steady hand, ...
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...
New Zealand’s housing crisis is a sad indictment on the failures of right wing neoliberalism, and the National Party, under Chris Luxon’s shaky leadership, is trying to simply ignore it. The numbers don’t lie: Census data from 2023 revealed 112,496 Kiwis were severely housing deprived...couch-surfing, car-sleeping, or roughing it on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on a global survey of over 3,000 economists and scientists showing a significant divide in views on green growth; and ...
Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing ...
Open access notables Recent intensified riverine CO2 emission across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, Mu et al., Nature Communications:Global warming causes permafrost thawing, transferring large amounts of soil carbon into rivers, which inevitably accelerates riverine CO2 release. However, temporally and spatially explicit variations of riverine CO2 emissions remain unclear, limiting the ...
Once a venomous thorn in New Zealand’s blogosphere, Cathy Odgers, aka Cactus Kate, has slunk into the shadows, her once-sharp quills dulled by the fallout of Dirty Politics.The dishonest attack-blogger, alongside her vile accomplices such as Cameron Slater, were key players in the National Party’s sordid smear campaigns, exposed by Nicky ...
Once upon a time, not so long ago, those who talked of Australian sovereign capability, especially in the technology sector, were generally considered an amusing group of eccentrics. After all, technology ecosystems are global and ...
The ACT Party leader’s latest pet project is bleeding taxpayers dry, with $10 million funneled into seven charter schools for just 215 students. That’s a jaw-dropping $46,500 per student, compared to roughly $9,000 per head in state schools.You’d think Seymour would’ve learned from the last charter school fiasco, but apparently, ...
India navigated relations with the United States quite skilfully during the first Trump administration, better than many other US allies did. Doing so a second time will be more difficult, but India’s strategic awareness and ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from 2.2% in December last year. “The prices of things that people can’t avoid are rising – meaning inflation is rising ...
Last week, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that forestry be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Its an unfortunate but necessary move, required to prevent the ETS's total collapse in a decade or so. So naturally, National has told him to fuck off, and that they won't be ...
China’s recent naval circumnavigation of Australia has highlighted a pressing need to defend Australia’s air and sea approaches more effectively. Potent as nuclear submarines are, the first Australian boats under AUKUS are at least seven ...
In yesterday’s post I tried to present the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement for 2025-30, as approved by the Minister of Finance and the Bank’s Board, in the context of the previous agreement, and the variation to that agreement signed up to by Grant Robertson a few weeks before the last ...
Australia’s bid to co-host the 31st international climate negotiations (COP31) with Pacific island countries in late 2026 is directly in our national interest. But success will require consultation with the Pacific. For that reason, no ...
Old and outdated buildings being demolished at Wellington Hospital in 2018. The new infrastructure being funded today will not be sufficient for future population size and some will not be built by 2035. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Thursday, April 17:Simeon Brown has unveiled ...
Thousands of senior medical doctors have voted to go on strike for 24 hours overpay at the beginning of next month. Callaghan Innovation has confirmed dozens more jobs are on the chopping block as the organisation disestablishes. Palmerston North hospital staff want improved security after a gun-wielding man threatened their ...
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Professor and Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney People who apply for asylum in Australia face significant delays in having their claims processed. These delays undermine the integrity of the asylum system, erode ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Every election cycle the media becomes infatuated, even if temporarily, with preference deals between parties. The 2025 election is no exception, with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania For each Australian federal election, there are two different ways you get to vote. Whether you vote early, by post or on polling day on May 3, each eligible voter will be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Mortimore, Lecturer, Griffith Business School, Griffith University wedmoment.stock/Shutterstock If elected, the Coalition has pledged to end Labor’s substantial tax break for new zero- or low-emissions vehicles. This, combined with an earlier promise to roll back new fuel efficiency standards, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University Once again, housing affordability is at the forefront of an Australian federal election. Both major parties have put housing policies at the centre of their respective campaigns. But there are still ...
After a nearly four year hiatus, New Zealand’s premiere popstar is back with a brand new single. It’s been a thrilling few weeks of breadcrumbing for Lorde fans, as the New Zealand popstar has been teasing her return to the zeitgeist through mysterious silver duct tape on her shoes, rainbow ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Meade, Adjunct Associate Professor, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University Daria Nipot/Shutterstock With ongoing cost of living pressures, the Australian and New Zealand supermarket sectors are attracting renewed political attention on both sides of the Tasman. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erika K. Smith, Associate Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University This article contains mention of racist terms in historical context. Every Anzac Day, Australians are presented with narratives that re-inscribe particular versions of our national story. One such narrative persistently ...
“Anzac Day is portrayed as a day where the country can reflect on the horrors of war, the costs in human lives and commit collectively to never again allowing genocidal mass murder. We have to ask, is that really happening?” said Valerie Morse, member ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University Australian strategic thinking has long struggled to move beyond a narrow view of defence that focuses solely on protecting our shores. However, in today’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University As Australia begins voting in the federal election, we’re awash with political messages. While this of course includes the typical paid ads in newspapers and on TV (those ones ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Peng, Lecturer in Accounting, The University of Queensland Shutterstock For Australians approaching retirement, recent market volatility may feel like more than just a bump in the road. Unlike younger investors, who have time on their side, retirees don’t have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University Beatrice Faust is best remembered as the founder, early in 1972, of the Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL). Women’s Liberation was already well under way. Betty Friedan had published The Feminine Mystique in 1962, ...
The Spinoff’s top picks of events from around the motu. Wow lucky us, it’s time to kiss the wheelie office chairs goodbye and begin another(!) long weekend. As tempting as I know it is to lean into the phone addiction and do just about nothing, you should make the most ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor (Practice), Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University In the past week, at least seven women have been killed in Australia, allegedly by men. These deaths have occurred in different contexts – across state borders, communities and relationships. But ...
National MP and diehard Shihad fan Chris Bishop sings the praises of his favourite band’s classic 1995 album. Last week I went to my first ever Taite Music Prize ceremony, the annual bash to honour independent music in New Zealand. I’d love to say I was invited, but I wasn’t ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wayne Peake, Adjunct research fellow, School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University The story goes that the late billionaire Australian media magnate Kerry Packer once visited a Las Vegas casino, where a Texan was bragging about his ranch and how ...
Coal mine expansion into the West Coast’s Denniston plateau attracted more than 70 protesters over the Easter weekend. Climate activists say this is only the first step in resisting the Bathurst mining company. “Oh yeah – right there is where we’re digging trenches to keep tents from getting flooded,” said ...
The Department of Internal Affairs buys and replaces these cars for ex PMs and/or spouses, with the exception of Chris Hipkins, who wasn’t in the job more than two years, and John Key, who declined the entitlement. ...
Te Pūkenga divisions are going to be trusted to take new apprentices and trainees but the ones they currently care for and teach are going to be ripped away from them in a messy transition. ...
The strike is part of a growing rebellion by health workers internationally against attacks by capitalist governments, led by the US Trump administration, on public health services. ...
Alex Casey talks to Aaron Yap, the New Zealander behind the viral interview format adored by movie fans worldwide. For the last few years, the showbiz publicity circuit has become dominated by novelty interview formats. Celebrities now answer questions while eating increasingly spicy chicken wings, or playing with puppies, or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nazia Pathan, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University Biobanks have become some of the most transformative tools in medical research, enabling scientists to study the relationships between genes, health and disease on an unprecedented scale(Piqsels/Siyya) If there’s a ...
I’ve just realised that I dislike one of my friends. What do I do? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzHi Hera, I have figured out that I just… don’t like someone in my extended friend group. They’re the kind of person who comes with the warning label, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Laurikainen Gaete, PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong Chris Laurikainen Gaete Large kangaroos today roam long distances across the outback, often surviving droughts by moving in mobs to find new food when pickings are slim. But not all kangaroos have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simone McCarthy, Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Commercial Determinants of Health, Deakin University Wpadington/Shutterstock Whatever the code, whatever the season, Australian sports fans are bombarded with gambling ads. Drawing on Australians’ passion, loyalty and pride for sport, the devastating health ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol Johnson, Emerita Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide “Women’s” issues are once again playing a significant role in the election debate as Labor and the Liberals trade barbs over which parties’ policies will benefit women most. In ...
“Braaains…..”
“Braaaains but no morals!”
A window into the heart of darkness
The look of a man expecting a 20-point poll bounce, but getting a 0.2.
Rupert Murdoch’s doppleganger.
I know it looks like I have not shaved, but that is really just the blood of my victims…
I’m saying this honestly, your children will be safe staying over with me
Rilly? Trooley?
Frozen 5000 year old vampire thaws, integrates into society.
John Key snapped by clever Apple Ap called iReal which reveals the actual politician beneath the public facade
Would you like to see some puppies?
nice
Well, you know?…. He does have honest blue eyes….
Now, where did I leave my white robes and pointy hate, I’ve got crucifix’s to burn.
I’m your nice Uncle Don and I want you to give me all your money and assets so my poor friends don’t starve. P.S. did it have to be such a big scary photo?
Would you buy a used car from this man?
Well, You know?….. He’s got honest blue eyes……… . . . .
“Those garlic cloves are not going to help you get equal pay young woman, and neither will I”
“I don’t think my good friend Rodney Hide is feeling at all disappointed or betrayed”
Don Brash as seen by John Key…
You know something? On Kiwiblog, Farrar runs “Caption Contests” and always says “Comments should be amusing, not nasty”.
Here, you have comments like “Now, where did I leave my white robes and pointy hate, I’ve got crucifix’s to burn”.
I’m struggling to understand why people are so nasty here …
And we’re going to get much nastier as the year goes on.
Even so, we won’t break into your PC and distribute your personal and political information like some other people might.
There was no breaking in. The admin left the door unlocked and open encouraging anyone to go have look.
Show us where Labour “encouraged” anyone to download the files.
I suppose if you’re a crook, everything looks like a crime waiting to happen, eh?
sweetd you fucking idiot – it wasn’t just a look there was theft of personal data which was passed around, just because I leave my front door or open or unlocked doesn’t mean some wanker can come in and help himself to any of my personal information or property then spread it around the community.
If this was done to a bank the internet theft rules would apply and whoever did it would be facing a cyber crime charge.
You wouldn’t like it if you personal financial information was plastered all over the internet
another right whiner.
dry your little eyes, g_man. Brash has had worse things said about him than anything here. And that was just by the voices in his head.
It could have something to do with Owera…
Unlike many of the myth making denizens at the sewer we have clear recollections of history. So we tell it as it is. I’m sad that you consider that reality is nasty – but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
IMHO: No man in NZ public life deserves the white pointy hat characterization as much as Brash does.
I’m struggling to understand why people are so nasty here …
Unlike Blue @3.59pm?
g_man, you pick a month, I’ll pick a week. You can then choose the open mike thread from here from that week that you think is the nastiest, and I’ll pick the general debate thread from KB. We then play ‘find the wankers’.
Deal? We’ll have to do it on thurs, coz I’m busy with familial stuff over the next coupla days, but I think it would be a fascinating wee exercise.
You guys need to get with the kiwiblog
reichright school of race relations.The new rule is it’s fine to be a racist, but it’s a hanging matter to call someone a racist. Especially if they are a racist, cos it’s like racism. Against racists.
Descrimination against small minority groups, like the filthy wealthy, is also not allowed.
I said that, brash said the Orewa address; mine is on a leftist blog, his was on the 6 O’Clock news. Slight difference – I will continue to be nasty to the affluent until such time as they actually do something constructive to help the poor!
So Kiwiblog is supposed to be the fucking template and rules of Internet etiquette now?
lol whatever mate.
Helen Clarke goes without make-up, millions terrified. Ginger-headed former MP’s jump for joy.
Blue grasps at out of date misogynist straws, slips
“How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”
Oscar Wilde had it right eh Don. Suck on another lemon Miss Clark! Checkmate nicky.
FFS, who invited you back, d4j?
Who the hell are you to ask you old washed up green fungi. Go on a date with big bruv and get back to me – creep!
He actually currently does not have a ban and hasn’t had one for several years. He tends to obey the warnings enough to avoid bans, and I haven’t had to get moderator irritated with him for quite some time. That means he gets to comment here unless he runs afoul of one of the mods.
I don’t think he adds that much to the debate. But he doesn’t seem to limit it anymore either. More like ambient noise?
Thank you Iprent. Bad luck toady and big bruv, oh my, narking is no good here at the standard where demerit narks are not rewarded for their cowardise.
Isn’t ambient noise supposed to be calming and pleasantly sleep inducing?
No that’s not what it means. Hippie.
You obviously don’t live around Ponsonby Road. On Fridays and Saturday the ambient noise is often relationship breakups on our street corner…. While we are trying to sleep.
My concept of ambient noise may be different to yours?
Blighty lacks sense of humour, gets hysterical and asks “life partner” for genitals back.
“Frankly, I’m looking to old for this job”
Look I told you Garret was innocent.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5237131/Garrett-cleared-of-perjury
“Alright – who made the crack about me running in East Coast Bays?”
Oh dear, that really takes me back. You can understand why this guy never ever stands for electorate seats any more.
National 2002 : 21%
National 2005 : 39%
Bring Back Brash!
Please, pretty please. Look at what he is doing to Act…
Hurry up bansky, annoint either clown to run for the ‘pretending to be central wing’ in Epsom……don’t make me come over
Unknown to the Empire, Palpantine secretly wears spectacles…
OK, its nasty but the resemblance…
It’s not that nasty; Juilia Gillard reminds me of Jar Jar Binks, which is far, far worse, IMHO.
It’s not OK.
Don Brash has suddenly realised that he is being parodied by @DrBrash on twitter and has read some of his tweats.
Geriatric has been superior to current leader of opposition and deputy PM.
NZ public abandons all hope.
What’s that Banksie? You are going to sack me? But but…..
“Eeeeeehhh, the only way for us to catch up to Australia is for New Zealand workers to take massive pay cuts. I am perfectly serious.” *
* No joke. He actually said this.
Act Leader Don Brash welcomed Alex Fogerty’s decision to leave National to join Act.
“Like Bob Clarkson, John Banks and I, Alex has seen the need to give some backbone to the Government. Like us, he believes in
ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führerone law for all,” said Dr Brash.Alex, I am your father.
ROFL!!!
LMAO! Thanks joe90 – gotta be the winner.
Oh that works on so many levels joe.
(And not nasty either….)
Gentleman Don: “There’s no room for vulgarity in plutocracy son”
Do you think botox would pull in the punters for me Duncan.
The body has been discovered of the dead man whose identity was stolen by David Garrett.
Politics aside, that really IS funny.
Many of the other comments wouldn’t make it into a fourth form school mag.
NIGGUH WHUT !!!
Yo, porch monkey, read my speech!
“Well, that’s odd … I’ve just robbed a man of his livelihood, and yet I feel strangely empty. Tell you what, Smithers – have him beaten to a pulp.”
I don’t like you.
Garrets innocent I tell you, innocent.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5237131/Garrett-cleared-of-perjury
You’re not a maaree are you? I don’t see why maarees should have cameras, there’s no mention of photography in the treaty.
Yes, all palangi should desist from taking photos of me as well – it isn’t the treaty of waitaiinnnggiiiiiii. Neither is the electronics of the standard. Kiwiblog… Oops – umm – aha – sewers were around!!!!!!
Promotional Poster for HP and Deathly Hallows 2.
‘
Don’t vote for me.
I don’t need you to vote for me.
I have never needed you to vote for me.
I will never need you to vote for me.
I will get into parliament even if not one person votes for me.
I don’t have a mandate.
I don’t need a mandate.
I don’t want a mandate.
I will determine the direction of the next government, without a mandate.
Pitchforked by rich lobbyists to the head of the National Party, I was unelectable.
Pitchforked to the head of the the ACT Party by wealthy lobbyists, I am still unelectable.
It doesn’t matter that I am unelectable, with big money behind the John Banks campaign I will be pitchforked into parliament on his coat tails.
Beware: I hate and despise you all and when I get into parliament I am determined to demonstrate it.
You have been warned.
Brilliant.
You wanna be a real Mafia Don like Al Capone then you must get shafted by a large nose slippery Key and his fat blob mate Gerry.
“Release the Hounds!”
The triumph of the will.
Luke Skywalker…I am….
I’ve trimmed my eyebrows and now I’m ready to trim you down to size.
He’ll have to swap those blue contact lenses for yellow ones.
Simon Lusk you promised that you could bring ACT’s polling around and all it rose was a paltry 0.2% …
UUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM……. Anyone got some Xlax, I am so full of shit it keeps coming out my mouth.
I wear a suit when I go into WINZ for my superannuation cause I’m in a class of my own.
Who would have an affair with him ..let alone marry him.
can you imagine that bearing down on you!
it’d be like a visitation from an incubus
The DON says: I’m going to make you an offer you caan’t refuse! I’ll cut you in when we loot the public wealth, white collar stuff: big tax cuts!
Quote from the Godfather
Mu-um-umy….. There is a horrible man staring at me.
“It soon became apparent that the alien lizard-men had not quite perfected their human-skin disguise…”
Any one for a pie ? I think cameron left a couple of mince and cheese in my fridge ?
Bob are you sure it wasn’t whalemeat?
Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.
I call this one “Blue Steel”.
My economic theory was blown up in a totally unexpected petrol station accident!
ARE YOU EYBALLIN’ ME ?…NIGGA I WILL FUCK YOU UP !!!
[lprent: That is getting over the edge. Too noisy apart from anything else. And teasing people for being raised in the 19th century is quite unfair. ]
Gee you’re all class aren’t you ‘wog.
Gee you’re all class aren’t you ‘wog.
…i can actually envision The Don saying that to just about anybody not of his ‘race’, but then again i can picture him in a spandex teddy saying ‘spank me Mistress Odgers’ to Cactus Kate too.
now where did I put that spare slice of baloney
I have just had my botox
Is that a camera I see in front of me? Then why can’t I just smile and wave like that other fellow?
” Where’s The CORNED Beef? “
ET, Daddy’s waiting
Damn, why doesn’t all this economic mumbo jumbo I learned in kindergarten work on real people.
hahaha!
Archeologists found something older than the pyramids.
“With its wrinkly pink skin, beady eyes and outsize teeth, the naked mole rat resembles a sabretoothed sausage. But the strange-looking mammal has a secret which is fascinating scientists searching for a cure for diseases of old age, particularly cancer.
“Despite being only four inches long, the rodent lives for 30 years – seven times longer than a normal rat – and appears not to be afflicted with the world’s number one killer disease.
“Researchers have now taken a step towards understanding the extraordinary reason for its longevity and resistance ….. ”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/europe/news/article.cfm?l_id=7&objectid=10736954
oops. sorry. mistaken copy and paste job. wrong post.
Easy mistake Jim.
A much more attractive publicity shot
“Don!!! Where did you put that beneficiary’s baby?!”
“URRRRRRRRRRRP!!!!”