The most stunning moment in the Greek referendum result was the immediate resignation of Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis. He had already said he would quit if the referendum was lost; nobody expected that he would go after such a convincing win.
But Varoufakis is not a normal politician. His humility and loyalty are exceptional traits, almost unknown in any Parliament. It would be a wonderful thing if his drive to put the party and people first was adopted by some long serving MP’s in the NZ Labour Party.
Varoufakis has recognised that progress requires constant refreshment and timely changes in personnel inside the team. If the Syriza leadership do manage to extract meaningful concessions from the financial fascists in Brussels, it will be in no small part because of selfless attitude of Yanis Varoufakis. There’s a lesson there for the learning.
Varoufakis announced his resignation in the modern way, on twitter and his personal blog. It’s worth a read:
The referendum of 5th July will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage.
Like all struggles for democratic rights, so too this historic rejection of the Eurogroup’s 25th June ultimatum comes with a large price tag attached. It is, therefore, essential that the great capital bestowed upon our government by the splendid NO vote be invested immediately into a YES to a proper resolution – to an agreement that involves debt restructuring, less austerity, redistribution in favour of the needy, and real reforms.
Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted ‘partners’, for my… ‘absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today.
I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday’s referendum.
And I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride.
I shall support fully Prime Minister Tsipras, the new Minister of Finance, and our government.
The superhuman effort to honour the brave people of Greece, and the famous OXI (NO) that they granted to democrats the world over, is just beginning.
Look at the concepts he cites: duty, pride, collective action. They’re values, markers of class. The most quoted line is ‘I shall wear the wear the creditor’s loathing with pride’, but the most important sentence is this:
“We of the Left know how to act collectively with no care for the privileges of office.”
That should be the driving force for our Labour MP’s; putting the party and the people before the pleasures of a comfortable gig with ego fluffing status and gold standard pension rights. There aren’t many MP’s, let alone Ministers, in NZ who would turn down a limo and instead ride their motorbike to work meetings. Why is that? Why isn’t that modesty and the common touch the mark of all of our Labour MP’s?
Varoufakis describes himself as an erratic Marxist. But he is not a inflexible demagogue:
To me, the answer is clear. Europe’s crisis is far less likely to give birth to a better alternative to capitalism than it is to unleash dangerously regressive forces that have the capacity to cause a humanitarian bloodbath, while extinguishing the hope for any progressive moves for generations to come.
For this view I have been accused, by well-meaning radical voices, of being “defeatist” and of trying to save an indefensible European socioeconomic system. This criticism, I confess, hurts. And it hurts because it contains more than a kernel of truth.
I share the view that this European Union is typified by a large democratic deficit that, in combination with the denial of the faulty architecture of its monetary union, has put Europe’s peoples on a path to permanent recession. And I also bow to the criticism that I have campaigned on an agenda founded on the assumption that the left was, and remains, squarely defeated. I confess I would much rather be promoting a radical agenda, the raison d’être of which is to replace European capitalism with a different system.
That quote above shows Varoufakis is able to synthesise radical economics with practical reality. Too many of our MP’s are not willing to even acknowledge that there are alternatives. I doubt that many have even read Marx, let alone understood his writings. Certainly, I don’t imagine any have the personal insight Varoufakis shows here:
My personal nadir came at an airport. Some moneyed outfit had invited me to give a keynote speech on the European crisis and had forked out the ludicrous sum necessary to buy me a first-class ticket. On my way back home, tired and with several flights under my belt, I was making my way past the long queue of economy passengers, to get to my gate. Suddenly I noticed, with horror, how easy it was for my mind to be infected with the sense that I was entitled to bypass the hoi polloi. I realised how readily I could forget that which my leftwing mind had always known: that nothing succeeds in reproducing itself better than a false sense of entitlement. Forging alliances with reactionary forces, as I think we should do to stabilise Europe today, brings us up against the risk of becoming co-opted, of shedding our radicalism through the warm glow of having “arrived” in the corridors of power.
Labour MP’s: If you’ve done 3 or 4 terms, it’s probably time to go. If you haven’t achieved what you set out to do by now, chances are, you’re never going to do it. If you’re a list MP, put the party first and let the leader know you’re not going to be around next election. If you’re an electorate MP, a winnable by-election in late 2016 or early 2017 would get the ball rolling for Labour going into the next election.
Quit. Put the party and people first. Take the pension; you’ve earned it. Take the praise; you’ve earned that too. But for the sake of the party and for the future of New Zealand, go.
Postscript: Why Common People? In a poptastic quirk of fate, it seems likely that Yanis Varoufakis’s wife, Danae Stratou, an amazing person in her own right, was the inspiration for the wonderful Pulp song Common People. You couldn’t make this stuff up!
Everybody hates a tourist, especially one who thinks it’s all such a laugh.
Thanks for this post and highlighting this guy’s stance. For me there is no right or wrong answer in this crisis and those who think there is, are, imo, too focused on their own need to be right than on how to begin a resolution that works for ALL.
I remain hopeful that some Labour MPs will resign or be asked to resign in the 18 months leading up to the election so that new candidates can be selected and get a decent run at the campaign trail.
Why 18 months? To get the most mileage out of the refreshing and restructure.
Look at how National managed to hide some internal problems by the notion of culling deadwood, and the reportage regurgitated it nicely for them.
For me it is NOT about getting more youth per se, but freshness, re-invigoration.
I think Labour needs to move sooner than the suggested 18 months. Most of a year has passed already since the new Parliamentary term started. They might have been able to afford that time in a second term in opposition, but coming back from the thrashing that they got handed – I was going to say “helped themselves to”, noting how much of their 2014 disaster was their own fault – 18 months is cutting it really fine.
Well, they had toe elect a new leader, carry out a review and, I suspect buthave no knolwedge< that most of this time has been spent either clamping down on some MPs or some"biding" their time.
It's hard to know if the new anonymity of some (Cosgrove for example) is due to a stronger hand or a sulk.
Labour has been trying out new leaders, but it does need to refresh the front bench. At the minimum, Goff, King, and Mallard all need to start acting as mentors rather than senior caucus members, and start training people to replace them at the next term.
Redline blog regularly receives reports from friends within Syriza. We received the following communique from our friends, one of the left currents in Syriza, yesterday:
1) We are in front of a great NO by the Greek People, who stands defiant and fighting against the ultimatums and the destructive policies imposed on Greece by the troika and its local supporters. Today’s NO has a pan-hellenic, national, popular, democratic character. It proves once again that the Greek People has a great reserve of courage and resisting spirit, and storms the political scene, as it has always happened in critical moments of our History.
2) This great NO, around 61,5%, comes despite the (unforeseen in post-war Europe) terror campaign and direct threats by all the systemic reactionary forces on European and international level. Moreover, it has been achieved despite the manifest weaknesses of the Greek Left’s forces. It is a result that was not expected by all those who underestimate the Greek people’s courage, and this remark is valid no matter how huge difficulties we shall face tomorrow (literally!).
3) The referendum’s result represents a crushing defeat of the pro-troika internal opposition, which, in vain, spared no effort to distort the meaning of the referendum and to multiply the fear amongst the Greek society. It represents a crushing defeat of the whole old political, business and media system. Already. . . .
Indeed.
But their sacrifice bought three days of defensive line preparations on the isthmus of Corinth and evacuation of Athens, which was why only a few thousand Greeks were there to hold the pass in the first place. Everyone else bailed to the planned fall back position.
But I’d never expect you to understand either the point of self sacrifice for others, or the value of thinking strategically rather than tactically.
Shame about the movie. Although it should be pointed out that most of the best lines said by the Spartans (except I think the Gerard Butler “this is Sparta”) were actually said by Spartans. Not all at Thermopylae (e.g. I think the “Sparta is the only state that sent soldiers” line comes from the Anabassis), but yeah, one of the few movies where the best bits of the script comes from the historical figures. That line about “the skies will darken with our arrows / good, so we will fight you in the shade” was apparently said at the time.
Totalitarian swine, but shit they could talk a good game.
Except the plan was never that the action at Thermopylae was meant to be merely a delaying tactic. The population of Athens had already largely been evacuated. The aim was to hold them at the pass hence why the Greek Fleet was sent forward with the army under Leonidas command.
🙄
Yes, the plan to hold the pass with 7,000-odd failed. After a few days. A few days of evacuation and preparation elsewhere.
So Leonidas (seeing you spelled his name correctly this time, I’m assuming you’ve decided to jump onto wikipedia to find out what you were talking about) fought a holding action to protect the retreat of the bulk of the defenders, and the fleet then went and completed the evacuation of Athens.
Pretty much what I said, only from memory I thought it was 300 Spartans and a couple thousand others, rather than only a thousand or so others.
But then you need to argue that Thermopylae had no purpose, because if your Greek economic doomsday predictions do actually come true their still might be some point to telling the IMF to go fuck themselves even if it makes them worse off. It might still encourage others to do the same.
See, you imperialists need a Roman outcome: complete devasation and then salt the earth, without the merest hint of hope or inspiration. As soon as your victim shows dignity in the face of that, they become a martyr and a rallying cry for others.
And then later Greece won a crucial sea battle, then defeated a numerically superior force at Plataea, driving out the Persians. But I suspect that doesn’t fit your narrative, so you’ve ignored it as usual, Gosman.
“In five months of being Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis proved himself to be a tough negotiator who was not going to concede even a bit to Greece’s creditors, as well as a political ‘rock star’ who wins hearts and minds from atop his motorcycle.
Varoufakis never showed that he was ready to accept all the demands Greece creditors put towards the debt-stricken nation. He repeatedly refused bailout plan offered by the troika of international creditors, calling it “a committee built on rotten foundations.”
The self-declared “erratic Marxist” was apparently ready to mutilate himself rather than agree to current terms of bailout presented to Athens by its international creditors….
“What they are doing with Greece has a name: terrorism,” Varoufakis told Spain’s El Mundo daily. “Why have they forced us to close the banks? To make people frightened. And when it comes to spreading terror, this phenomenon is called terrorism.”
Come on, Tracey. Varoufakis failed, the European ministers could not stand his “negotiation” style, so Mr Tsipras pushed and sacrificed him with the usual propaganda of calling him a hero. He did not resign, he was pushed. The erratic Marxist can go back to his pastime of riding bikes made in capitalist countries.
In my view Varoufakis has probably been the worst Finance Minister in a western country in recent years.
He didn’t even succeed in his own specialty of game theory. Well, perhaps he did – he won the referendum, though probably at the cost of the Greek economy. And maybe Angela Merkel will buckle.
However, when one of the outcomes of your work is bank closures for the whole country for two weeks, with the consequential wreckage in the economy, that is a huge fail.
Imagine if all the banks closed in New Zealand for two weeks. How do wages get paid? How does business continue? Exactly how is this a good thing?
Unless wrecking your own economy is one of your objectives, and for many on the Hard Left that is exactly what they want. Street theatre is much more fun than hard graft.
And I guess that is why the Hard Left love him so much.
based on 6 months in office and you blame him for everything today?. By june 2009 if english were to be judged as though he was totally responsible for everything at that time he was an idiot right? ? you called for his resignation right? this is probably your most ridiculous post Wayne. an impartial person could argue the GFM has presided over an opportunity for a better deal than any of his predecessors. .. merkel says the door is still open… greece still in eu.
you think the economy wasnt in tatters when he was appointed?.
when your mask slips it reveals quite a nasty streak.
The test is whether ones own actions have resulted in an economy in much worse tatters than when becoming Finance Minister. In the case of Varoufakis, the answer is clearly “yes”, and in the case of Bill English the answer is clearly “no”.
Presiding, or actually precipitating bank closures is evidence enough of failure.
But hey, if the Greeks want to go for a Chavista style govt they are free to do so. They just have to bear the consequences. After all enough New Zealanders could have voted for Hone Harawria, John Minto et al to lead the govt. And if they had have done so, we would have had much the same style of govt as Greece or Venezuela.
Ahhh no Finance company collapses does not count as enforced closure of the entire banking system and the imposition of economy wide capital controls. The fact you might even think that is rather illustrative of your general understanding of economics and finance.
I never said it did, you moron. I asked if it counted as evidence of government failure.
Alongside, of course, the massively-increasing government debt. Did you also think I thought that increasing government debt counts as a collapse of the entire banking system? No, of course you didn’t.
By the way, Amnesty International called: they want to start a letter-writing campaign against your frequent “enhanced interrogation” of the English language, but the only postal address they have for you is “c/o Satan’s Anus”.
Bill English inherited a healthy and prepared economy and allowed it to whittle down through the recession with little to no intervention to mitigate its affects. Varoufakis inherited an economy already decimated by IMF and eurozone demands and didn’t hack moving it away from their paradigm.
Failing is one thing, and potentially excusable. Not even trying is contemptible, Bill English is likely to be judged harshly by history, perhaps not so harshly as people like Douglas or Richardson, but I doubt he will be viewed as a competent economic steward by anyone except the commercial news media.
“much worse tatters” – at least you seem to be admitting that the previous finance ministers of non left wing parties just left the Greek economy in “tatters”.
Phew.
Vote for the Right. They will only leave your economy in tatters – Wayne Mapp former Minister of Defence.
Bill English harmed our economy majorly when he gave tax cuts to a group of kiwis that were known by the majority of economists to not stimulate the economy during a recession but to see money withdrawn from it. But he owed it to those who voted for him right? So bad economics for political expediency is… oh wait, that’s what you say the Greek FM has done!
Actually I can’t remember him ever advocating a bailout? He has an extensive comment history here. Search engine is good and so is google. It pays to look that kind of stuff up before asserting it as a statement of fact.
In other words, you are walking close to a pattern that I’d have to note as a moderator, and start getting you to substantiate while I hang a honking great club over your fingers. This is a friendly warning.
They were being offered a further bailout. The deal involved lending the Greeks more money. They are now seeing the cost of not getting more money.
In my view view Angela Merkel will probably relent a little on the terms initially offered. The outcome will possibly be close to the deal that Tsipras was offering last Tuesday.
That’s an interesting position. I’m not sure I entirely agree but I get where you’re coming from that two bailouts is significantly different than one.
The issue is essentially that the Greeks needed to take a bailout deal, and they didn’t have a more reasonable government in power at the time who negotiate terms that wouldn’t cause the economy to fail. If you pick up the economy after the previous bailout has already been taken, and don’t have the ability to renegotiate bailout terms, is it really your fault if the economy fails due in large part to the terms of the previous bailout?
It’s possible that there’s more that could have been done. But his hands were somewhat tied.
well, you say that now you have caught up on Merkel saying the door is open Wayne, something I stated in my comment to you.
You wrote at 145pm
“He didn’t even succeed in his own specialty of game theory. Well, perhaps he did – he won the referendum, though probably at the cost of the Greek economy. And maybe Angela Merkel will buckle.”
then later at 244pm
“In my view view Angela Merkel will probably relent a little on the terms initially offered. The outcome will possibly be close to the deal that Tsipras was offering last Tuesday.”
So you now seem to be suggesting the NO vote, in your opinion, will result in Tsipras getting the deal he sought last week? And yet you say his finance minister, who was part of that strategy and negotiation is, the worst Finance Minister in a western country in recent years?
I know there is no right or wrong answer to the Greek crisis but your rhetoric “hard left” and so on is just ridiculous.
As for the banks collapsing being a “good thing”. You might want to spend some time on the streets of Greece with people living this crisis (not those presiding over it from the comfort of their high incomes and luxury homes). That they would essentially vote for something like that MUST indicate to you how desperate they feel and how much more of the last 5 year plan they can take?
The Greek economy is already wrecked. Not by Varoufakis hand.
Germany has a 200 odd billion surplus…how does that surplus get recycled? That is the crux.
China recycles it surplus into US debt instruments so the game continues….Germany bleeds the rest of Europe dry. Zero sum game.
Gawd here we go, wasn’t the Greece economy already in ruins? 25% adult unemployment bears little resemblance to NZ doesn’t it. The fact that 60% of their people voted to not accept an EU deal while banking restrictions were in place shows you they want economic freedom and can put up with the pain. I’m sure they’ve got some choice words for your ideology too.
it makes sense if you are not looking at this from an ideological/spreadsheet perspective and considering the human element as well as the economic/ideological.
This notion that the Greeks who voted NO think that there are no consequences to their decision, that tomorrow will suddenly dawn brighter are patronising or being deliberately obtuse.
The recurring theme seems to be that Greece should be lauded for standing up to the “evil bankers”. In reality, Greece should be condemned for getting itself into so much debt. I know that if I lent someone $100k and they refused to pay it back, I’d be very angry if all his friends started defending him and painting me as the bad one.
They stiffed the unsecured lenders when GM went under . It was $27 bill and they got 10% of shares in ‘new GM’ which was worth abouth 1/10th of face value of bonds.
NZ Banks write off 10s millions of loans every year, in bad years it gets into 100s millions.
You are forgetting a thing called ‘risk’, its why some interest rates are higher than others, its because you may not get your money back
Kevin,
Yes, exactly.
Those debts, indeed the debts of every western country will never be repaid.
The question is how they wont be repaid.
Greece is by no means the worst offender, just small enough to bully.
Varoufakis himself agrees Marxists are not ready to run an alternative to Capitalism. The crisis of 2008 is deepening and nobody has any answers. Laying that at the doorstep of non-existent (in the west) left wing governments is laughable.
Believe it or not I sympathise and maybe the debt should be forgiven but not for the same reasons as you.
Case in point – Germany after WW1. Because other countries weren’t willing to help Germany out, and in fact made it unnecessarily worse for them, it led to the rise of the Nazi party and WW2.
Question is though, can Greece be trusted not to squander the help they get? Or is it simply a case of the world not having a choice but to bail the country out?
To get back to my analogy it would be like if forcing the person to give me back my $100K meant making him homeless and so depressed that he commits suicide, and in turn his kids end up trying to kill me to get revenge.
You probably dont realise that you are repeating nazi propaganda about the effect of reparations on Germany. because that exactly what the poor Germany after WW1 story is.
Rightly so, Germany militarism was largely responsible for WW1, this was also responsible for the militarism that led to WW2.
Reparations were for the damage to Northern France and Belgium, Germany itself being untouched, some one had to pay to restore the farms, villages, and industries. Because a lot of money wasnt repaid, the French and Belgians had to cover it themselves.
So please no sob stories for poor Germany after WW1.
fair point but it did cripple Germany economically and that gave rise to similar conditions to Greece today which , as in Greece, is fertile ground for facsist groups.
Everyone has to face the consequences of their decision-making, not just Greece.
After all the area WAS rebuilt, just that France and Belgium ended up paying themselves.
Politically, for France it was impossible for them not to ask for reparations, as thats what Germany did to France when they were defeated in 1871, and Prussian troops stayed in occupation till the French paid ( they suprised everyone by paying fairly quickly)
Iraq had to pay reparations to Kuwait after Gulf War 1. That wasnt easy for them either but they did it
case in point – Germany 1953. HUGE debt. Given MAJOR DEBT RELIEF by 20 nations including Greece. It enabled them to build the powerhouse economy they have today. Why wouldn’t Greece want that too?
If you lent your $100k in increments, and saw that each increment, in your opinion, was being misspent, foolishly used, you’d stop lending, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t lend 10k more, same result, 10K more same result, all the way up to 100K. Or would you?
Greece didn’t become the basket case of helpless childlike money handlers that many are painting them as, it happened over time, and banks and countries kept “enabling” (even rewarding them) them, presumably cos they enjoyed the interest they were getting, or other flow on effects (whether trade or EU stability or whatever) but all considered of benefit to those lending… They would have factored in the risk of non payment, wouldn’t they? Or were they stupid through the goodness of their collective hearts?
The blame is many, including Greece’s but it is not greece’s alone.
This is inspiring stuff for those who aspire to a truly democratic society. When I first saw Varoufakis’s statement in The Guardian, I printed it out and thought that is worth framing for the living room wall. He has set the bar high for politicians of the left in the future. No wonder the Troika loanshark elites cannot cope with him!
Really interesting to get some insight into Varoufakis’ reasoning and values, and I think standing down was strategically smart. I do take issue with your idea that a politician who’s served 3-4 terms has done their time, though. How do you imagine a caucus made up entirely of newbies would operate? The intricacies of parliamentary process and the range of expertise that a functioning caucus needs shouldn’t be overlooked. Perhaps there are some long-term MPs you don’t value, personally. That doesn’t mean that their caucus colleagues don’t value them or that they don’t have a place in the party they’ve made the focus of their lives for so many years.
I’m not saying that we don’t need regular intakes of new talent, or that all MPs have the right to continue in that role indefinitely, but that an over-generalised comment like, “If you’ve done 3 or 4 terms, it’s probably time to go. If you haven’t achieved what you set out to do by now, chances are, you’re never going to do it” ignores the realities of working in a team and in a challenging, multi-faceted role like an MP.
Who would ever become a Minister if they all left after 3-4 terms?
Good questions, red-blooded. There are MP’s I don’t rate, for sure. But their length of tenure isn’t the determining factor. Things like loyalty, competence and discipline feature way more heavily.
The Syriza government is chock full of ministers with only one term’s experience, but they seem to be making a fist of it. And I think MP’s, like football managers and All Black coaches, should be expected to have a reasonably short tenure. So if they don’t make to Minister, tough. The Labour party needs to continually refresh and last election, we didn’t get that opportunity. So, we need to tap a few on the shoulder, thank ’em for their efforts and move ’em on. And let some else have a crack.
A few observations in reply:
1) I think it’s too early to judge whether the Syriza government is going to make a fist of it. They’re well-motivated and are trying to do things differently from the last lot. Good luck to them, and to the people of Greece. Don’t let’s try too hard to emulate them, though. They’re in an extreme situation and their constituents are ready for extreme measures because they feel they have very little left to lose. They’re taking a punt. And let’s remember they’ve only been there a few months…
2) When I asked who would become a Minister, it wasn’t because I was worried about the career prospects of individual MPs – it was more a question about who would have had a chance to have built up the institutional knowledge and experience to make a strong Minister. We don’t want them all to learn on the job at the same time, and especially if there’s a lack of experienced people in the caucus to help mentor them.
3) The short-tenure approach has advantages (staying in touch with the electorate) but also limitations. When the Labour next gets to head a government, we’ll want some people who have governed before to still be in the ranks. After all, the Greens have never held that responsibility; there needs to be an anchor point.
I agree with you about things like loyalty, competence and discipline. Those weren’t the focus of your comments in this post, though. I think it’s easy to include throw-away lines like your comments about length of service (which was the focus of the commentary related to NZ) and sometimes we need to slow down and think things through a bit more clearly.
Greece did not fail on its own. It was made to fail.
In summary, the banks wrecked the Greek government, and then deliberately pushed it into unsustainable debt … while revenue-generating public assets were sold off to oligarchs and international corporations. The rest of the article is about how and why.
If you are a fan of mafia movies, you know how the mafia would take over a popular restaurant. First, they would do something to disrupt the business – stage a murder at the restaurant or start a fire. When the business starts to suffer, the Godfather would generously offer some money as a token of friendship. In return, Greasy Thumb takes over the restaurant’s accounting, Big Joey is put in charge of procurement, and so on. Needless to say, it’s a journey down a spiral of misery for the owner who will soon be broke and, if lucky, alive.
As a matter of comparison, wonder how far down this path Key and English have taken us.
They have certainly built up a large public debt of nearly $100 million since taking over. And Key has his mates in the banking world.
Damn good comments and I agree wholeheartedly. Rejuvenation is vital for Labour well before the next election and the sense of entitlement b.s really has to go sooner rather than later.
Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted ‘partners’, for my… ‘absence’ from its meetings
Translates as: You show your face, you gonna have an accident with that motor bike of yours real soon.
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Hi,Thanks for all your feedback to Hayden Donnell’s fantasy of communal living. “Camping in summer is really the only time I get to experience village life and I love it so much,” said Michelle. “You’ve infuriated me by writing the article that’s been in my head only much better than ...
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:A study looking at psychological distress associated with climate change has stimulated discussion about the insistent demands for ‘hope’ ...
New Zealand’s new free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council is a major win for both sides. Todd McClay, New Zealand’s trade minister, announced the long-awaited deal on Thursday with his counterparts in Doha, Qatar. It is a remarkable, yet also surprising sudden success: the genesis of the agreement ...
In a major international breakthrough, New Zealand has negotiated a free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia and other Arabian Peninsula countries, which includes a provision requiring them to uphold the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Trade Minister Todd McClay signed the agreement in Doha overnight. The ...
Mike King’s latest comments about the relationship between alcohol and mental health – according to King, alcohol does more good than harm – raises red flags once again about this organisation, and the quality of the “counselling” it provides. Here’s what the scientific research says. The latest example of King’s ...
This afternoon, I turned to the fellow sitting near me and called out:“Guess what? A guy who runs a charity for mental health just said alcohol is a solution!”And his eyes popped out…his mouth opened ajar.That gave me some satisfaction - only because this person has zero care when it ...
Day after day of David Seymour being accorded media time and attention like he’s doing this stuff in good faith and advancing these ideas in earnest. Come on. He’s a cosplaying libertarian who is really just a glove puppet for anti-democratic capitalist pigs. Read more ...
Last week, the government had a big wank about police raids in Ōpōtiki, crowing about "gangs" and "drugs" and "law and order". Unfortunately the police did exactly the same shit they did in the Urewera terror raids 17 years ago, dragging people off in front of their kids and terrorising ...
No, I haven’t vanished from the Internet. Or died. Completed reads for October: The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole The Sidereal Messenger of Galileo Galilei, by Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler Jurgen, by James Branch Cabell A very quiet reading month, and a very quiet writing month ...
Our suicide rates are skyrocketing again, and I’m going to spare you the faux-shock I could put on here, given that it would be frankly more surprising to me if our death toll had gone in the other direction. Preliminary data from 2023-24 shows that our annual suicide deaths have ...
Difficult Questions: Does denying human equality and rejecting the principles of colour-blind citizenship place you among the baddies? Yes, I’m afraid it does.THE DEMON OF UNREST documents the descent of the United States into civil war. The primary focus of its author, Erik Larson, is the period of roughly five months ...
Health and safety campaigner Sonya Rockhouse has come out in support of the joint open letter from the NZCTU, Business NZ and others. A new Xero Small Business Insights report shows that small businesses are cutting staff and keeping wages low, while the Salvation Army’s State of the Pacific Peoples ...
The focus on budgets is "going to cripple the health system".1. Cardiac specialist quits, saying Dr Lester Levy, the Part Time Health Commissioner, is "living in La La Land" and has no idea what's happening on the groundDr Dean BoddingtonDr Boddington, an electrical cardiologist, was the only person who did ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, October 31: US and European GDP growth figures overnight show the world’s largest economies, along with that of our nearest neighbour Australia, ...
Race hatred cannot stop usThis one thing we knowYour poll tax and Donald TrumpGreed has got to go!You’re bound to loseYou fascists bound to lose.Original Lyrics: Woody GuthrieThere are a lot of things this government doesn’t like. Te Reo - got to go, they said, it’s too confusing for our ...
Health and safety is core union mahi. Unions recognise that health and safety is a fundamental aspect of good work, and that every worker has the right to work that is safe and healthy, and to have a voice on the operation of their work. In this submission on MBIE’s ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Neha PathakDisasters can disrupt medical care both during and long after the event. (Photo credit: U.S. Air National Guard / Sgt. Jorge Intriago) Weeks after Hurricanes Milton and Helene tore paths of destruction across the Southeast, pictures of communities ...
When Nicola Willis gave the annual Finance Minister’s speech to the country’s top public servants last week, what she said must have landed like a bomb. “Now is the time for your best and boldest ideas,” she said at the Institute of Public Administration (IPANZ) event. Coming from a minister ...
Reader Jeff Howell is the best kind of social media friend to have. When there's outrage and denunciation needed he’s in there dishing it with verve; and when those storms pass you get happy Jeff, sharing his projects. His projects are awesome.Until a week or so ago it was a ...
Unsympathetic Characters: Christopher Luxon should be grateful that his principal opponent, Chris Hipkins, is as out of sympathy with the temper of the times as he is.CHRIS HIPKINS had both a good week and a bad week. He and his team were able to press home Labour’s attack on the ...
My Enemy’s Enemy Is My Friend: Mohammad Amin al-Husseini, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, at the opening of the Islamic Central Institute in Berlin, December 19, 1942. The elimination of the Jewish state has been the unwavering ambition of successive generations of Palestinian leaders.AMIDST ALL THE HORROR of the Israel-Hamas War, ...
Watching a Christopher Luxon press conference is a masterclass in gaslighting. You just know what he’s saying is disingenuous - if not outright deceptive and lies - but out he comes - with confidence and vigour - telling me black is white, and white is red.According to the Prime Minister, ...
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, October 30: The Government’s move to allow qualified builders, plumbers and drainlayers to self-consent their work faces potential hurdles from reluctant insurers and bankers wanting protection against ...
We are blessed in Aotearoa with certain people that you might call National Treasures—those with great talents and a strong affinity for this place they are the custodians of. It’s not an official list; the people you think of might differ from those I think of.What are the attributes of ...
Over the long weekend rail shutdown a new project got underway, an upgrade to Henderson station but the plans highlight that improving the customer experience by making it easier to use public transport is not a part of Auckland Transport’s agenda. ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From hurricanes like Helene and Milton, to typhoons like Gaemi, vast storms are causing devastation: destroying cities and tearing up lives. ...
For the State Highway One traveller, some sights remain dramatic no matter how many times you see them: Wellington harbour opening out at the bottom of Ngauranga Gorge; the first glimpse of Ruapehu; three quarters of the South Island. Also: the moment when you reach the top of the Brynderwyns and ...
Remember Casey Costello? The government's most ignorant Minister? First she was referred to the Chief Archivist after claiming that key advice on her cancer promotion policy had simply magically appeared on her desk one day, and that she had no idea where it came from. Then, when the Ministry of ...
Monthly employment data released today by Statistics New Zealand showed our continuing labour market weakness, and particularly challenging conditions for young working people, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “There are 21,000 fewer filled jobs than this time last year, and the fall has been led by those ...
Is Rwanda turning into a country that seeks regional dominance and exterminates its rivals? This is a contention examined by Dr Michela Wrong, and Dr Maria Armoudian Dr Wrong is a journalist who has written best-selling books on Africa. Her latest, Do Not Disturb. The story of a political murder ...
'Cause I got issues, but you got 'em tooSo give 'em all to me, and I'll give mine to youBask in the glory of all our problems'Cause we got the kind of love it takes to solve 'emYeah, I got issuesAnd one of them is how bad I need yaSongwriters: ...
Globally, NZ has the second-highest share of its population living overseas permanently, many of them now permanently in Australia. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, October 29: A ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet again as a whole for the first time in two months. AT note: Members of the public are welcome to join the meeting via Teams. Please note, due to technical difficulties, the video feed will be unavailable. However, attendees will still be able to view ...
While Parliament struggles with David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, a Christian scholar and some heavyweight mainstream church leaders have developed a different perspective on the Treaty of Waitangi. Theologian Alistair Reese presented a petition to Parliament’s Petitions Committee on Thursday asking Parliament to legislate to recognise the oral agreement “4th ...
To foreigners, the fact that so many millions of Americans are buying the used and poisonous goods that Donald Trump is selling is an unfathomable mystery. However, some clues to the allure of Trumpism can be found in the gender gap of unprecedented size that has opened up between those ...
Every New Zealander deserves a workplace that puts safety and wellbeing first. Too often, we’ve seen the real cost of a system that doesn’t fully protect workers. Lives are lost, families grieving, and communities bearing the burden of preventable tragedies. That’s why, alongside Business New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute ...
A few days ago I responded to a post about Trump being a fascist on one of my friend’s social media page, then made a few comments on the consultancy social media page by way of follow up. Given the … Continue reading → ...
I'll protect you from the hooded clawKeep the vampires from your doorWhen the chips are down I'll be aroundWith my undying, death-defying love for youEnvy will hurt itselfLet yourself be beautifulSparkling love, flowersAnd pearls and pretty girlsLove is like an energyRushin' an' rushin' inside of me, ehSongwriters: Brian Philip Nash ...
Strange Political Bedfellows: Matthew Hooton’s support for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund reflects the Radical Right’s newfound reluctance to bet everything on the efficacy of market forces.AS IF HE WASN’T IN ENOUGH TROUBLE, Matthew Hooton has now come out for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund (NZFF). Not only ...
Hi,I’ll never forget the time the guy next to me on the plane got really angry because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. Here we were, 40,000 feet in the air, and he couldn’t get Facebook. He was huffing, he was puffing. He was insufferable.I’m constantly amazed you can get the internet ...
A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 20, 2024 thru Sat, October 26, 2024. Story of the week As an experiment, we asked Google's Gemini for help categorizing the articles we shared during the week. ...
Stand up all victims of oppressionFor the tyrants fear your mightDon't cling so hard to your possessionsFor you have nothing if you have no rightsLet racist ignorance be endedFor respect makes the empires fallFreedom is merely privilege extendedUnless enjoyed by one and allSongwriters: Eugene Edme Pottier / Petrus Christianus De ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do volcanoes emit ...
Today, news broke that Jeff Bezos, the American billionaire with a net worth of $206 B (NZ $344B), personally vetoed Washington Post’s Editorial Team from endorsing Kamala Harris.That stops the decades-old tradition of the Wapo for endorsing Presidential candidates. And editors have resigned - that includes Editor at large Robert ...
Can't we talk about anything else but love?Love that launched a thousand shipsPlease! Let's talk about anything else but loveLove that causes war and famineCan't we speak about real estate?Love of wifeWatergate?Love of children!Seasonal fluctuations in the prime interest rate?Love of chocolate, you must love chocolate, everybody loves chocolate, say ...
This year’s Nobel awards in economics raise critical issues about the future of the world.I was not alone with high hopes when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has been good to see various nations leave the yoke of the Soviet Empire and move towards liberal democracies with thriving economies although ...
1. Who played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street?a. Kenny Gb. Lisa Simpsonc. Bill Clintond. Raphael Ravenscroft2. What did Nicola Willis, addressing a large gathering of senior public servants this week, ask them to do?a. Come up with fresh ideas and innovative audacious out of the box thinking b. ...
The Waitangi Tribunal has been one of the most effective critics of the National government and its racist, anti-Māori agenda. So naturally, they're sabotaging it with a crony appointment: Former ACT Party leader Richard Prebble has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. Prebble, a Commander of the British Empire, ...
How can that dog be barkin' in the backyard?We ran over him years agoHow can that dog be runnin' by the backfence?We ran over him years agoGhost of a dogBarkin' in the backyardSongwriters: Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow.I have to say this one caught me by surprise. I had to check ...
Yesterday, I looked into Seymour’s school lunch provider and found out it was Compass Group - a group that has had a long list of food quality issues and settled out of court for corruption and bribery of officials.Never mind the food looked like slop - heavy, process laden food ...
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:Gas is worse for the climate than coal, over any timeframe that is relevant for a ‘bridging strategy’. The ...
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, October 25: Scoop of the day: Oliver Lewis reported for BusinessDesk-$$$ this morning that Transport Minister Simeon Brown ordered construction to start on the four-lane Hawkes Bay ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including another extreme climate event in the United States; on the escalating conflict between Israel, Iran ...
Happy Friday, even more so as we’re head to a long weekend, so welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...
Open access notables The rate of global sea level rise doubled during the past three decades, Hamlington et al., Communications Earth & Environment:The rise in globally averaged sea level—or global mean sea level—is one of the most unambiguous indicators of climate change. Over the past three decades, satellites have ...
There’s a reason why people are supposed to stay on the Strip when they go to Las Vegas, and it’s not just proximity to the best attractions. This city of fluorescent lights and gambling halls extends in all directions across the Nevada landscape, for as far as the eye can ...
Wrong Turn:Labour and National can only reduce the toxic influence of their electoral competitors by rejecting their extremism.“NO ENEMIES TO THE LEFT” has always been Labour’s rule-of-thumb. What, after all, does a moderate, left-of-centre party gain by allowing its electoral rivals to become repositories for every radical (i.e. congenitally dissatisfied) ...
The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in international waters, prompting the suspension of all fishing in the area until 2026. ...
Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...
The Government has very conveniently cherry-picked data from the latest MSD projections to justify its cruel agenda and punch-down policy when it comes to people living in poverty. ...
The Green Party was appalled to hear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon claim we are “doing everything we can” on climate change, while his government does nothing to address emissions in our most polluting sector. ...
Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for their inaction and disgraceful downplaying of the impact caused by the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa. “We demand the Government move without further delay to clean up its shit from the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa,” said co-leader Debbie ...
This week was the start of the bank inquiry hearings into banking competition. The inquiry was confirmed in the NZ First/National Coalition agreement. 140 submissions were received on the inquiry, and we will hear from over 60 submitters including all the major banks. ANZ, New Zealand's largest bank, was first ...
There is one topic that is the great human leveller, and that is of death and dying. One day, we will all have to face it, and I am of the belief that being able to pass away with grace and dignity is a vital, basic, human right. How we ...
Labour is backing Christchurch City Council’s decision not to do business with firms involved in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories. ...
The Green Party acknowledges the historical importance of MP Teanau Tuiono’s Member’s Bill, Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill, passing its second reading in Parliament today. ...
Te Pāti Māori is enraged at the National government’s ruthless punishment of beneficiaries, all while jobs are disappearing. MSD data shows a 133% increase in sanctions over the past year, with over 14,000 sanctions in just three months. The kicker? The jobs this government insists people should find are nowhere ...
Te Pāti Māori MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, says today’s police-sponsored terrorism in Ōpōtiki is a continuation of the State’s predatory behaviour towards the iwi of Te Whakatōhea. "Ōpōtiki is once again being intentionally targeted and is the direct byproduct of this Government’s 'tough on crime' legislative changes,” said MP ...
The Green Party is calling for Youth Justice Residences to close, following a protest in which a group of young people spent the night on the roof of an Oranga Tamariki justice facility. ...
The Government’s decision to award a $216 million tax break for Philip Morris’ heated tobacco products reeks of tobacco industry interference and needs to be thoroughly investigated. ...
The National Government is treading water on a much-needed review of the Retirement Villages Act, kicking any amendments down the road till the next parliamentary term in 2027. ...
Despite resounding public opposition, the fast-track legislation is being pushed through Parliament with provisions that could have real consequences for people and planet. ...
Labour welcomes the National Government’s decision to further pursue our access to the Canadian dairy market under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill which aims to improve access to palliative care for all New Zealanders, ensuring kiwis have better access to the compassionate palliative support they may need. The ‘Improving Access to Palliative Care Bill’ seeks to guarantee that every New Zealander has the right ...
Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer welcome today’s ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which found that a Hobson's Pledge advertisement regarding customary marine titles was misleading and socially irresponsible. The two-page wraparound ad, published in The New Zealand Herald, suggested that nearly the entire coastline ...
Entering politics is a privilege afforded to very few and, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Being an MP is a call to service. Whatever your politics you have a duty to show up. Whatever your party's policy, you have made a promise to those who ...
Changes to outdated relationships legislation has passed its third reading giving family violence survivors the power to quickly dissolve abusive marriages. ...
The Government’s cuts to the Apprenticeship Boost programme will leave New Zealand without the workforce it needs to build homes, schools and hospitals. ...
While today’s inflation numbers are good news for Kiwis, there are still struggles ahead with rising rents, rates, insurance and high unemployment. ...
Stats NZ has confirmed that higher rent prices were the biggest contributor to the annual inflation rate. Almost a fifth of the 2.2 per cent annual increase in the CPI was due to rent prices. ...
Minister for Hunting and Fishing Todd McClay has today launched an Access Charter (the Charter) to ensure better access for recreational hunting and fishing on public conservation land (PCL) across New Zealand. “This Charter establishes guiding principles for the Department of Conservation (DOC) to provide clear and transparent decisions on ...
A beautiful new Pou Whenua at the beginning of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing will introduce visitors to the sacred landscape they are entering, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. Mr Potaka attended a blessing for the specially carved Pou Whenua at Mangatepopo, at the start of the track on 1 November. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today announced two new appointments to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Board. Mary-Anne Macleod and Mike Rudge have both been appointed as members for three-year terms commencing 1 November 2024 and ending 31 October 2027. “Transport is a critical part of our Government’s plan ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming Pharmac’s funding of oestradiol gel, following global shortages of oestradiol patches earlier this year. “I’m well aware of the stress caused by the global shortage earlier this year. At the time I said I was confident Pharmac was working hard to find a ...
Foreign Minister and Racing Minister Winston Peters will visit Australia next week. “Australia is New Zealand’s closest partner, and we are pleased to make this second official visit there for 2024 following the first ever Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Meeting between our two countries in Melbourne in January,” ...
Applications have now opened for tertiary education organisations to seek Government funding to develop New Zealand’s first postgraduate diploma programme for associate psychologists, Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced today. “Investment in this new training pathway supports the Government’s target to grow our mental health and addiction workforce and ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see further increased availability of medicines for Kiwis following the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this Government assumed office, ...
New Zealand and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement that will open up significant opportunities for New Zealand exporters in the Gulf region, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay announced from Doha today. Today’s announcement follows significant reengagement with the GCC following meetings ...
The Government is exploring how to modernise the law around people attending court remotely, to support access to justice and enhance court performance. Courts Minister Nicole McKee says the current law has not kept up with evolving court practices and public attitudes to the use of remote technology, nor been ...
Free breast screening has been extended for 70 to 74-year-old women living in the Nelson Marlborough district, ahead of a national roll-out late next year, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand with about 3,400 women diagnosed with the disease ...
He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. The reappointment of one trustee and the appointment of four new trustees to the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board will enable the legacy of Te Māori to be carried forward into the future, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith ...
Up to 300 affordable, healthy, community-tailored homes helping to support home ownership are set to be built in eastern Porirua, supported by Government funding for Our Whare Our Fale through the Building Homes for Pacific in Porirua initiative, Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti and Associate Housing Minister Tama ...
A new report that forecasts young people on benefits will spend an average of 20 more years relying on welfare underscores the need for the Government’s reforms, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. MSD’s latest Benefit System Insights report, released today, which estimates how many future years different ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay will hold trade discussions with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) trade ministers in Doha this week. Minister McClay will meet with all six GCC Trade Ministers, as well as the GCC Secretary General. “This will be my seventh visit to the region this year including two Ministerial ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister David Seymour say it’s great news that podiatrists will soon be able to prescribe medicines, meaning patients with painful foot and leg conditions don’t have to make a separate trip to the doctor. “This simple step means a big change for people ...
The Government is addressing historic redress inequities for some survivors abused at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit. In 2001, the Crown reached a $6.5 million group settlement with 95 survivors subjected to abuse at the Lake Alice Unit. Law firm Grant Cameron & Associates (now GCA Lawyers) represented ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Education Review Office’s (ERO) timely report on chronic school absence released today is further evidence of a truancy crisis. “Chronic absence has doubled since 2015. This report reinforces that action is needed to ensure this generation reaches its full potential,” says Associate ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee welcomes BusinessNZ’s report which addresses reducing the compliance burden on small businesses. “The challenges outlined in the report released today echo many of the concerns I have heard from businesses, which have informed my Anti Money Laundering/Countering Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) priorities,” she says. “I have ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge will be open for Christmas, with critical work currently underway to clear the large slips and dropouts that have caused significant disruption for Northlanders trying to get where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Mangamuka Gorge ...
The Government is proposing further significant action to reform the building and construction sector to support more affordable homes and a stronger economy, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “If we want to grow the economy, lift incomes, create jobs and build more affordable, quality homes we need a ...
Dr Alan Bollard CNZM and Mr Bharat Guha have been appointed to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) board, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “I would like to welcome the two new members joining the TEC board,” Ms Simmonds says. “Dr Alan Bollard CNZM is an experienced public ...
Fast tracking applications for registration by eligible specialist doctors wanting to practice in New Zealand is in line with the Government’s push to improve the health outcomes for New Zealanders, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. This fast-track pathway applies to specialists trained in anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, ...
Tēnā koutou Nau mai haere mai ki tenei hui Thank you to Vice Chancellor Williams, and the University of Western Sydney, for inviting me to speak today. I speak to you today in my capacity as Attorney-General – the New Zealand Crown’s Senior Law Officer. In this capacity, I serve ...
Minister responsible for the security and intelligence agencies Judith Collins has welcomed new guidance that aims to protect New Zealand’s start-up and emerging technology sector from the threat of economic espionage. “We are a nation well-known for our ingenuity, and our willingness to openly collaborate in the spirit of enterprise ...
The Government has approved $23.1 million for four critical frontline volunteer service organisations to replace storm-damaged assets and provide training and equipment to improve New Zealand’s response to future emergency events, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey says. $14.6 million for Surf Life Saving New ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones will speak at Australia's largest annual mining event in Sydney this week to mark New Zealand’s return to the international industry stage. Mr Jones will attend the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) where he will update the sector’s most influential players on the work the ...
New Zealand will contribute $20 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters have announced. “The Pacific Islands region faces severe challenges from natural disasters and climate change impacts and New Zealand is committed to doing its part to help meet them,” ...
Aucklanders will see a greater Police presence on public transport services to boost safety and reassure public transport workers and passengers, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. “Minister Brown and I are working together, alongside Police and Auckland Transport in response to the horrific ...
The Government is investing in eight new emergency helicopters to replace some of New Zealand’s ageing air ambulance fleet, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and ACC Minister Matt Doocey announced today. “Our air ambulance helicopters play a vital role in saving lives around New Zealand,” Casey Costello says. “This is ...
An uplift to New Zealand’s organic product trade is expected through a new upgraded arrangement with China, Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard says.“The upgraded Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for organic products will deliver opportunities for our organic export sector.”The upgraded MRA was signed in Central Otago today by Andrew Hoggard ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced two Court of Appeal and two High Court appointments. The four appointments will take effect on 21 November 2024 and are: Justice Christine French Justice French, who has been appointed President of the Court of Appeal, graduated with an LLB (Honours) from the University of Otago ...
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka joined tangata whenua from Ngāi Tahu and local community members today to celebrate the opening of New Zealand’s eleventh Great Walk – the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track. “The 60km upgraded track provides the opportunity to do one of New Zealand’s world-class multi-day walks, and will bring ...
The Honourable Denis Clifford has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. Hon Clifford brings a wealth of expertise and experience that will prove invaluable to the Commission. “He has served as a judge at both the Court of Appeal and High ...
The Government is progressing changes to better protect Kiwis and their property from fires, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Following the tragic Loafer’s Lodge fire in 2023, 37 boardings houses across the country were assessed and I am pleased to say that all fire safety recommendations from the ...
New Zealand and Germany have announced the official start of a partnership aimed at supporting the agriculture sector and tackle global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The partnership, called the Alliance for the Climate – Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project), ...
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka today confirmed the appointment of two new members to the Waitangi Tribunal, as well as the reappointment of Kevin Prime. The members appointed and reappointed are: Hon Richard Prebble (CBE). Mr Prebble is a former Cabinet Minister where he held a broad range of portfolios. ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has today announced the reappointment of the current Chair and the appointment of a temporary member to the Local Government Commission.Current Chair Brendan Duffy ONZM has been reappointed as Chair for a one-year term ending 23 October 2025, while Gwen Bull CNZM will be joining ...
Today the House agreed to Justice Simon Moore KC being appointed chair of the Electoral Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Justice Moore brings with him a high level of legal acumen and decision-making ability, strategic planning skills and unquestionable personal integrity and independence. “He retired from the High Court ...
The Education Minister is travelling to Australia today to attend the 23rd edition of public policy conference, Consilium. “New Zealand and Australia share common challenges and aspirations for education. New South Wales has recently introduced a new curriculum that is explicit, sequenced and knowledge based while Victoria is requiring structured ...
The launch of new community advocacy group VisAble signals an important development in community advocacy to achieve more focus on the needs and rights of disabled people in the family violence and sexual violence system. Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, and Disabilities Issues Minister, ...
Opinion: Recent Census data highlights our increasingly secular and multi-faith context. More than half of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population does not identify with any particular faith tradition, and just 32 percent are Christian, down from 36.5 percent in 2018.For people whose spirituality is not associated with a faith or belief ...
For just a few weeks shy of eight years now, a certain class of Americans have been walking around in something close to a daze. The election of Donald Trump in 2016 blew to smithereens decades of conventional wisdom about the way many Americans view politics.The ensuing years have seen ...
By Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Palau’s largest newspaper is being sued for defamation by the company of President Surangel Whipps Jr’s father, just days ahead of general elections in the Pacific nation. Surangel and Sons alleges “negligence and defamation” by the Island Times and its editor Leilani Reklai for an ...
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TRP
Thanks for this post and highlighting this guy’s stance. For me there is no right or wrong answer in this crisis and those who think there is, are, imo, too focused on their own need to be right than on how to begin a resolution that works for ALL.
I remain hopeful that some Labour MPs will resign or be asked to resign in the 18 months leading up to the election so that new candidates can be selected and get a decent run at the campaign trail.
Why 18 months? To get the most mileage out of the refreshing and restructure.
Look at how National managed to hide some internal problems by the notion of culling deadwood, and the reportage regurgitated it nicely for them.
For me it is NOT about getting more youth per se, but freshness, re-invigoration.
I think Labour needs to move sooner than the suggested 18 months. Most of a year has passed already since the new Parliamentary term started. They might have been able to afford that time in a second term in opposition, but coming back from the thrashing that they got handed – I was going to say “helped themselves to”, noting how much of their 2014 disaster was their own fault – 18 months is cutting it really fine.
Who would have guessed – some purges are the answer- from the people who have been doing it since 1922!
Well, they had toe elect a new leader, carry out a review and, I suspect buthave no knolwedge< that most of this time has been spent either clamping down on some MPs or some"biding" their time.
It's hard to know if the new anonymity of some (Cosgrove for example) is due to a stronger hand or a sulk.
Labour has been trying out new leaders, but it does need to refresh the front bench. At the minimum, Goff, King, and Mallard all need to start acting as mentors rather than senior caucus members, and start training people to replace them at the next term.
Hero. (Another old Greek concept)
Redline blog regularly receives reports from friends within Syriza. We received the following communique from our friends, one of the left currents in Syriza, yesterday:
1) We are in front of a great NO by the Greek People, who stands defiant and fighting against the ultimatums and the destructive policies imposed on Greece by the troika and its local supporters. Today’s NO has a pan-hellenic, national, popular, democratic character. It proves once again that the Greek People has a great reserve of courage and resisting spirit, and storms the political scene, as it has always happened in critical moments of our History.
2) This great NO, around 61,5%, comes despite the (unforeseen in post-war Europe) terror campaign and direct threats by all the systemic reactionary forces on European and international level. Moreover, it has been achieved despite the manifest weaknesses of the Greek Left’s forces. It is a result that was not expected by all those who underestimate the Greek people’s courage, and this remark is valid no matter how huge difficulties we shall face tomorrow (literally!).
3) The referendum’s result represents a crushing defeat of the pro-troika internal opposition, which, in vain, spared no effort to distort the meaning of the referendum and to multiply the fear amongst the Greek society. It represents a crushing defeat of the whole old political, business and media system. Already. . . .
full at: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/a-great-no-by-the-greek-people/
Do your ‘friends within Syriza’ have any idea of what they will do next ?
Many have been the times a battle has been won but the war is lost- the Greek left should know that.
Thermopylae…
Romantic tosh if you like. But I suspect many Greeks still remember it and the rest of the war against Xerxes as their greatest moment.
Ummm… Leonidas and his fellow Spartan’s all died and the Persian’s went on to occupy and sack Athens.
Indeed.
But their sacrifice bought three days of defensive line preparations on the isthmus of Corinth and evacuation of Athens, which was why only a few thousand Greeks were there to hold the pass in the first place. Everyone else bailed to the planned fall back position.
But I’d never expect you to understand either the point of self sacrifice for others, or the value of thinking strategically rather than tactically.
@McF
Respect.
Value of a well-rounded education 🙂
Shame about the movie. Although it should be pointed out that most of the best lines said by the Spartans (except I think the Gerard Butler “this is Sparta”) were actually said by Spartans. Not all at Thermopylae (e.g. I think the “Sparta is the only state that sent soldiers” line comes from the Anabassis), but yeah, one of the few movies where the best bits of the script comes from the historical figures. That line about “the skies will darken with our arrows / good, so we will fight you in the shade” was apparently said at the time.
Totalitarian swine, but shit they could talk a good game.
Except the plan was never that the action at Thermopylae was meant to be merely a delaying tactic. The population of Athens had already largely been evacuated. The aim was to hold them at the pass hence why the Greek Fleet was sent forward with the army under Leonidas command.
🙄
Yes, the plan to hold the pass with 7,000-odd failed. After a few days. A few days of evacuation and preparation elsewhere.
So Leonidas (seeing you spelled his name correctly this time, I’m assuming you’ve decided to jump onto wikipedia to find out what you were talking about) fought a holding action to protect the retreat of the bulk of the defenders, and the fleet then went and completed the evacuation of Athens.
Pretty much what I said, only from memory I thought it was 300 Spartans and a couple thousand others, rather than only a thousand or so others.
But then you need to argue that Thermopylae had no purpose, because if your Greek economic doomsday predictions do actually come true their still might be some point to telling the IMF to go fuck themselves even if it makes them worse off. It might still encourage others to do the same.
See, you imperialists need a Roman outcome: complete devasation and then salt the earth, without the merest hint of hope or inspiration. As soon as your victim shows dignity in the face of that, they become a martyr and a rallying cry for others.
You don’t know much history at all do you?
he does like to rewrite it on occasion, though 🙂
I’ve noticed.
And then later Greece won a crucial sea battle, then defeated a numerically superior force at Plataea, driving out the Persians. But I suspect that doesn’t fit your narrative, so you’ve ignored it as usual, Gosman.
Re : Varoufakis…God I wish we had some more like him on the Left opposition in New Zealand
…( Russel Norman and Hone Harawira and Laila Harre and Annette Sykes and Sue Bradford come closest)
‘He doesn’t negotiate, he kicks ass!’ Why Varoufakis was the coolest finance minister ever’
http://rt.com/news/272008-varoufakis-coolest-finance-minister/
“In five months of being Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis proved himself to be a tough negotiator who was not going to concede even a bit to Greece’s creditors, as well as a political ‘rock star’ who wins hearts and minds from atop his motorcycle.
Varoufakis never showed that he was ready to accept all the demands Greece creditors put towards the debt-stricken nation. He repeatedly refused bailout plan offered by the troika of international creditors, calling it “a committee built on rotten foundations.”
The self-declared “erratic Marxist” was apparently ready to mutilate himself rather than agree to current terms of bailout presented to Athens by its international creditors….
“What they are doing with Greece has a name: terrorism,” Varoufakis told Spain’s El Mundo daily. “Why have they forced us to close the banks? To make people frightened. And when it comes to spreading terror, this phenomenon is called terrorism.”
Yes, Varoufakis was good, I mean excellent. Look at the results.
Was that a BMW motorcycle ?
Looks like a Yamaha XJR 1300 to me, duke.
Yes , its a Yamaha
Lol…Yamaha. Maybe assembled in China?
More likely Yamaha’s French assembly line.
how long was he finance minister? name the 10 finance ministers before him and their party?
Come on, Tracey. Varoufakis failed, the European ministers could not stand his “negotiation” style, so Mr Tsipras pushed and sacrificed him with the usual propaganda of calling him a hero. He did not resign, he was pushed. The erratic Marxist can go back to his pastime of riding bikes made in capitalist countries.
“Failed”? Resigning is a v clever move that will take even more wind out of the Eurocrats’ sails – he’s run rings around them.
In my view Varoufakis has probably been the worst Finance Minister in a western country in recent years.
He didn’t even succeed in his own specialty of game theory. Well, perhaps he did – he won the referendum, though probably at the cost of the Greek economy. And maybe Angela Merkel will buckle.
However, when one of the outcomes of your work is bank closures for the whole country for two weeks, with the consequential wreckage in the economy, that is a huge fail.
Imagine if all the banks closed in New Zealand for two weeks. How do wages get paid? How does business continue? Exactly how is this a good thing?
Unless wrecking your own economy is one of your objectives, and for many on the Hard Left that is exactly what they want. Street theatre is much more fun than hard graft.
And I guess that is why the Hard Left love him so much.
based on 6 months in office and you blame him for everything today?. By june 2009 if english were to be judged as though he was totally responsible for everything at that time he was an idiot right? ? you called for his resignation right? this is probably your most ridiculous post Wayne. an impartial person could argue the GFM has presided over an opportunity for a better deal than any of his predecessors. .. merkel says the door is still open… greece still in eu.
you think the economy wasnt in tatters when he was appointed?.
when your mask slips it reveals quite a nasty streak.
Tracey,
The test is whether ones own actions have resulted in an economy in much worse tatters than when becoming Finance Minister. In the case of Varoufakis, the answer is clearly “yes”, and in the case of Bill English the answer is clearly “no”.
Presiding, or actually precipitating bank closures is evidence enough of failure.
But hey, if the Greeks want to go for a Chavista style govt they are free to do so. They just have to bear the consequences. After all enough New Zealanders could have voted for Hone Harawria, John Minto et al to lead the govt. And if they had have done so, we would have had much the same style of govt as Greece or Venezuela.
What about massively increasing government debt – is that evidence of failure?
Bank closures count – what about finance companies?
“Clearly” – as viewed through blue-tinted welding goggles, maybe.
Ahhh no Finance company collapses does not count as enforced closure of the entire banking system and the imposition of economy wide capital controls. The fact you might even think that is rather illustrative of your general understanding of economics and finance.
I never said it did, you moron. I asked if it counted as evidence of government failure.
Alongside, of course, the massively-increasing government debt. Did you also think I thought that increasing government debt counts as a collapse of the entire banking system? No, of course you didn’t.
By the way, Amnesty International called: they want to start a letter-writing campaign against your frequent “enhanced interrogation” of the English language, but the only postal address they have for you is “c/o Satan’s Anus”.
Surely you would know the inflation adjusted GDP per capita for NZ only exceeded that of 2008 last year!
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/gdp-per-capita
And if it wasnt for Christchurch earthquakes it still wouldnt exceed 2008 this year as well.
Bill English after 6-7 years has not left NZ in a better place
Bill English inherited a healthy and prepared economy and allowed it to whittle down through the recession with little to no intervention to mitigate its affects. Varoufakis inherited an economy already decimated by IMF and eurozone demands and didn’t hack moving it away from their paradigm.
Failing is one thing, and potentially excusable. Not even trying is contemptible, Bill English is likely to be judged harshly by history, perhaps not so harshly as people like Douglas or Richardson, but I doubt he will be viewed as a competent economic steward by anyone except the commercial news media.
“much worse tatters” – at least you seem to be admitting that the previous finance ministers of non left wing parties just left the Greek economy in “tatters”.
Phew.
Vote for the Right. They will only leave your economy in tatters – Wayne Mapp former Minister of Defence.
Bill English harmed our economy majorly when he gave tax cuts to a group of kiwis that were known by the majority of economists to not stimulate the economy during a recession but to see money withdrawn from it. But he owed it to those who voted for him right? So bad economics for political expediency is… oh wait, that’s what you say the Greek FM has done!
zzzzzzzz
Wayne , I would have thought bailouts were popular with ‘your’ crowd.
Remember South Canterbury Finance!
and then AMI Insurance ?
You only have the change Greece for Canterbury and you have it in a nutshell.
SCF alone was about 1% of GDP at the time
Wayne only like likes bailouts for his corporate overlords.
Actually I can’t remember him ever advocating a bailout? He has an extensive comment history here. Search engine is good and so is google. It pays to look that kind of stuff up before asserting it as a statement of fact.
In other words, you are walking close to a pattern that I’d have to note as a moderator, and start getting you to substantiate while I hang a honking great club over your fingers. This is a friendly warning.
dukeofurl,
They were being offered a further bailout. The deal involved lending the Greeks more money. They are now seeing the cost of not getting more money.
In my view view Angela Merkel will probably relent a little on the terms initially offered. The outcome will possibly be close to the deal that Tsipras was offering last Tuesday.
That’s an interesting position. I’m not sure I entirely agree but I get where you’re coming from that two bailouts is significantly different than one.
The issue is essentially that the Greeks needed to take a bailout deal, and they didn’t have a more reasonable government in power at the time who negotiate terms that wouldn’t cause the economy to fail. If you pick up the economy after the previous bailout has already been taken, and don’t have the ability to renegotiate bailout terms, is it really your fault if the economy fails due in large part to the terms of the previous bailout?
It’s possible that there’s more that could have been done. But his hands were somewhat tied.
well, you say that now you have caught up on Merkel saying the door is open Wayne, something I stated in my comment to you.
You wrote at 145pm
“He didn’t even succeed in his own specialty of game theory. Well, perhaps he did – he won the referendum, though probably at the cost of the Greek economy. And maybe Angela Merkel will buckle.”
then later at 244pm
“In my view view Angela Merkel will probably relent a little on the terms initially offered. The outcome will possibly be close to the deal that Tsipras was offering last Tuesday.”
So you now seem to be suggesting the NO vote, in your opinion, will result in Tsipras getting the deal he sought last week? And yet you say his finance minister, who was part of that strategy and negotiation is, the worst Finance Minister in a western country in recent years?
I know there is no right or wrong answer to the Greek crisis but your rhetoric “hard left” and so on is just ridiculous.
As for the banks collapsing being a “good thing”. You might want to spend some time on the streets of Greece with people living this crisis (not those presiding over it from the comfort of their high incomes and luxury homes). That they would essentially vote for something like that MUST indicate to you how desperate they feel and how much more of the last 5 year plan they can take?
The Greek economy is already wrecked. Not by Varoufakis hand.
Germany has a 200 odd billion surplus…how does that surplus get recycled? That is the crux.
China recycles it surplus into US debt instruments so the game continues….Germany bleeds the rest of Europe dry. Zero sum game.
Gawd here we go, wasn’t the Greece economy already in ruins? 25% adult unemployment bears little resemblance to NZ doesn’t it. The fact that 60% of their people voted to not accept an EU deal while banking restrictions were in place shows you they want economic freedom and can put up with the pain. I’m sure they’ve got some choice words for your ideology too.
Exactly.
it makes sense if you are not looking at this from an ideological/spreadsheet perspective and considering the human element as well as the economic/ideological.
This notion that the Greeks who voted NO think that there are no consequences to their decision, that tomorrow will suddenly dawn brighter are patronising or being deliberately obtuse.
The recurring theme seems to be that Greece should be lauded for standing up to the “evil bankers”. In reality, Greece should be condemned for getting itself into so much debt. I know that if I lent someone $100k and they refused to pay it back, I’d be very angry if all his friends started defending him and painting me as the bad one.
They stiffed the unsecured lenders when GM went under . It was $27 bill and they got 10% of shares in ‘new GM’ which was worth abouth 1/10th of face value of bonds.
NZ Banks write off 10s millions of loans every year, in bad years it gets into 100s millions.
You are forgetting a thing called ‘risk’, its why some interest rates are higher than others, its because you may not get your money back
So just to be clear are you saying Greece’s debt should just be forgiven?
Kevin,
Yes, exactly.
Those debts, indeed the debts of every western country will never be repaid.
The question is how they wont be repaid.
Greece is by no means the worst offender, just small enough to bully.
Varoufakis himself agrees Marxists are not ready to run an alternative to Capitalism. The crisis of 2008 is deepening and nobody has any answers. Laying that at the doorstep of non-existent (in the west) left wing governments is laughable.
Believe it or not I sympathise and maybe the debt should be forgiven but not for the same reasons as you.
Case in point – Germany after WW1. Because other countries weren’t willing to help Germany out, and in fact made it unnecessarily worse for them, it led to the rise of the Nazi party and WW2.
Question is though, can Greece be trusted not to squander the help they get? Or is it simply a case of the world not having a choice but to bail the country out?
To get back to my analogy it would be like if forcing the person to give me back my $100K meant making him homeless and so depressed that he commits suicide, and in turn his kids end up trying to kill me to get revenge.
You probably dont realise that you are repeating nazi propaganda about the effect of reparations on Germany. because that exactly what the poor Germany after WW1 story is.
Rightly so, Germany militarism was largely responsible for WW1, this was also responsible for the militarism that led to WW2.
Reparations were for the damage to Northern France and Belgium, Germany itself being untouched, some one had to pay to restore the farms, villages, and industries. Because a lot of money wasnt repaid, the French and Belgians had to cover it themselves.
So please no sob stories for poor Germany after WW1.
Have you read Ben Eltons book, Time and Time Again, not a bad read.
Point noted.
fair point but it did cripple Germany economically and that gave rise to similar conditions to Greece today which , as in Greece, is fertile ground for facsist groups.
Everyone has to face the consequences of their decision-making, not just Greece.
Thats overstated that they were crippled.
After all the area WAS rebuilt, just that France and Belgium ended up paying themselves.
Politically, for France it was impossible for them not to ask for reparations, as thats what Germany did to France when they were defeated in 1871, and Prussian troops stayed in occupation till the French paid ( they suprised everyone by paying fairly quickly)
Iraq had to pay reparations to Kuwait after Gulf War 1. That wasnt easy for them either but they did it
case in point – Germany 1953. HUGE debt. Given MAJOR DEBT RELIEF by 20 nations including Greece. It enabled them to build the powerhouse economy they have today. Why wouldn’t Greece want that too?
If you lent your $100k in increments, and saw that each increment, in your opinion, was being misspent, foolishly used, you’d stop lending, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t lend 10k more, same result, 10K more same result, all the way up to 100K. Or would you?
Greece didn’t become the basket case of helpless childlike money handlers that many are painting them as, it happened over time, and banks and countries kept “enabling” (even rewarding them) them, presumably cos they enjoyed the interest they were getting, or other flow on effects (whether trade or EU stability or whatever) but all considered of benefit to those lending… They would have factored in the risk of non payment, wouldn’t they? Or were they stupid through the goodness of their collective hearts?
The blame is many, including Greece’s but it is not greece’s alone.
An alternative look at the Greek situation: http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2015/07/loansharking-greece-and-odious-debt/
Varoufakis called bullsh&t on the troika, they dont appreciate it.
He also leaves with his dignity intact.
and “…wearing their loathing with pride.” The Eurocrats aren’t used to dealing with people who mean what they say.
This is inspiring stuff for those who aspire to a truly democratic society. When I first saw Varoufakis’s statement in The Guardian, I printed it out and thought that is worth framing for the living room wall. He has set the bar high for politicians of the left in the future. No wonder the Troika loanshark elites cannot cope with him!
+1000 – Varoufakis has shown courage, resolve and humility, and am I am filled with admiration for him.
+10,000
He doesn’t negotiate, he kicks ass!
The coolest finance minister ever.
https://youtu.be/Afl9WFGJE0M
Great post trp, thanks 🙂
100% agree with weka. One of your best te reo putake – great read.
Thx, guys. It’s such a strong narrative it pretty much wrote itself. And that photo of the woman touching his face … wow!
Really interesting to get some insight into Varoufakis’ reasoning and values, and I think standing down was strategically smart. I do take issue with your idea that a politician who’s served 3-4 terms has done their time, though. How do you imagine a caucus made up entirely of newbies would operate? The intricacies of parliamentary process and the range of expertise that a functioning caucus needs shouldn’t be overlooked. Perhaps there are some long-term MPs you don’t value, personally. That doesn’t mean that their caucus colleagues don’t value them or that they don’t have a place in the party they’ve made the focus of their lives for so many years.
I’m not saying that we don’t need regular intakes of new talent, or that all MPs have the right to continue in that role indefinitely, but that an over-generalised comment like, “If you’ve done 3 or 4 terms, it’s probably time to go. If you haven’t achieved what you set out to do by now, chances are, you’re never going to do it” ignores the realities of working in a team and in a challenging, multi-faceted role like an MP.
Who would ever become a Minister if they all left after 3-4 terms?
Good questions, red-blooded. There are MP’s I don’t rate, for sure. But their length of tenure isn’t the determining factor. Things like loyalty, competence and discipline feature way more heavily.
The Syriza government is chock full of ministers with only one term’s experience, but they seem to be making a fist of it. And I think MP’s, like football managers and All Black coaches, should be expected to have a reasonably short tenure. So if they don’t make to Minister, tough. The Labour party needs to continually refresh and last election, we didn’t get that opportunity. So, we need to tap a few on the shoulder, thank ’em for their efforts and move ’em on. And let some else have a crack.
A few observations in reply:
1) I think it’s too early to judge whether the Syriza government is going to make a fist of it. They’re well-motivated and are trying to do things differently from the last lot. Good luck to them, and to the people of Greece. Don’t let’s try too hard to emulate them, though. They’re in an extreme situation and their constituents are ready for extreme measures because they feel they have very little left to lose. They’re taking a punt. And let’s remember they’ve only been there a few months…
2) When I asked who would become a Minister, it wasn’t because I was worried about the career prospects of individual MPs – it was more a question about who would have had a chance to have built up the institutional knowledge and experience to make a strong Minister. We don’t want them all to learn on the job at the same time, and especially if there’s a lack of experienced people in the caucus to help mentor them.
3) The short-tenure approach has advantages (staying in touch with the electorate) but also limitations. When the Labour next gets to head a government, we’ll want some people who have governed before to still be in the ranks. After all, the Greens have never held that responsibility; there needs to be an anchor point.
I agree with you about things like loyalty, competence and discipline. Those weren’t the focus of your comments in this post, though. I think it’s easy to include throw-away lines like your comments about length of service (which was the focus of the commentary related to NZ) and sometimes we need to slow down and think things through a bit more clearly.
Greece — The One Biggest Lie You Are Being Told By The Media – See more at: http://www.globalresearch.ca/greece-the-one-biggest-lie-you-are-being-told-by-the-media/5460508#sthash.JeKGt2vy.dpuf
Greece did not fail on its own. It was made to fail.
In summary, the banks wrecked the Greek government, and then deliberately pushed it into unsustainable debt … while revenue-generating public assets were sold off to oligarchs and international corporations. The rest of the article is about how and why.
If you are a fan of mafia movies, you know how the mafia would take over a popular restaurant. First, they would do something to disrupt the business – stage a murder at the restaurant or start a fire. When the business starts to suffer, the Godfather would generously offer some money as a token of friendship. In return, Greasy Thumb takes over the restaurant’s accounting, Big Joey is put in charge of procurement, and so on. Needless to say, it’s a journey down a spiral of misery for the owner who will soon be broke and, if lucky, alive.
Now, let’s map the mafia story to international finance in four stages.
– See more at: http://www.globalresearch.ca/greece-the-one-biggest-lie-you-are-being-told-by-the-media/5460508#sthash.JeKGt2vy.dpuf
As a matter of comparison, wonder how far down this path Key and English have taken us.
They have certainly built up a large public debt of nearly $100 million since taking over. And Key has his mates in the banking world.
I don’t think we are anywhere near Greece’s situation. of course all countries sit on a continuum.
Nevertheless our public debt has soared under this government’s sound financial stewardship.
The IMF and its banking pals routinely screw over African economies without anyone batting an eye.
Yanis Varoufakis’s speeches are the finest I have read in my lifetime. Here is a collection of them.
http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/
Yanis dismembers neo-liberalism with insights that lead the reader to only one possible conclusion: economic revolution NOW.
I often wondered how Lenin’s speeches could have roused the masses to revolution. Reading Yanis, I now know.
Damn good comments and I agree wholeheartedly. Rejuvenation is vital for Labour well before the next election and the sense of entitlement b.s really has to go sooner rather than later.
Translates as: You show your face, you gonna have an accident with that motor bike of yours real soon.