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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Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
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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.