Corporate media

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, April 24th, 2011 - 34 comments
Categories: business, disaster, Media - Tags: , ,

How much of the “news” that we consume and the “research” that it is based on is bought, paid for, and subservient to, corporate masters? Historically tobacco and drug companies are well known cases where corporations have poured huge amounts of money and energy into manipulating the news. How much of it is still going on? What other corporations are doing the same?

I doubt that we will ever know the full extent of corporate control of the media. But one thing we can do is raise awareness of the proven cases, such as for example the multi-million dollar ExxonMobil campaign against climate change science. Recently another attempted case has come to light:

Emails expose BP’s attempts to control research into impact of Gulf oil spill

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show BP officials discussing how to influence the work of scientists

BP officials tried to take control of a $500m fund pledged by the oil company for independent research into the consequences of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, it has emerged.

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show BP officials openly discussing how to influence the work of scientists supported by the fund, which was created by the oil company in May last year.

Russell Putt, a BP environmental expert, wrote in an email to colleagues on 24 June 2010: “Can we ‘direct’ GRI [Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative] funding to a specific study (as we now see the governor’s offices trying to do)? What influence do we have over the vessels/equipment driving the studies vs the questions?”.

… The documents are expected to reinforce fears voiced by scientists that BP has too much leverage over studies into the impact of last year’s oil disaster. … There is no evidence in the emails that BP officials were successful in directing research. The fund has since established procedures to protect its independence.

Other documents obtained by Greenpeace suggest that the politics of oil spill science was not confined to BP. The White House clashed with officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last summer when drafting the administration’s account of what has happened to the spilled oil. …

… Kert Davies, Greenpeace US research director, said the oil company had crossed a line. “It’s outrageous to see these BP executives discussing how they might manipulate the science programme,” Davies said. “Their motivation last summer is abundantly clear. They wanted control of the science.” … A number of scientists had earlier expressed concerns that BP would attempt to point scientists to convenient areas of study – or try to suppress research that did not suit its business. …

Of course BP wants to control the “research” and the “news” relating to the spill. Greenpeace obtained these documents relating to one aspect of their efforts. But what else are they trying? Was that the tip of the iceberg? We the public will never know the extent to which BP has been successful in its attempts.

Let’s keep all this in mind as our own government continues to offer utterly meaningless reassurances on the prospect of drilling off shore from New Zealand’s “100% pure” clean and green coastline.

34 comments on “Corporate media ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Afewknowthetruth 1
    24 April 2011 at 11:35 am

    Thanks for highligting this matter.

    It goes much further. We live in an empire in which control of the masses is largely achieved via control of the media. George Orwell pointed it out nearly 70 years ago: the truth was erased, the erasure was forgotten, and the lie became the truth. He also said: ‘I had realised quite early that no incident was ever reported accurately by any newspaper’ (or words to that effect). 

    Mainstream ‘newspapers’ are not newspapers at all: they are privately owned businesses  geared to making profits out of keeping the masses misinformed, and are vehicles for pro-corporate propaganda. That is more so now than in the past, now that the owners of global corporations tell editors what they can or cannot publish, and most community newspapers have no connection whatsoever with the communty they supposedly serve. At least in the past a newspaper was owned by some local person who had a vested interest in the community he lived in. Not so now. It’s all globalised corporatism. A handful of companies own more than 90% of the western mainstream media. So when problems are admitted to, they are downplayed and corporate ‘solutions’ are offered. Of course, most of the time the coprporate ‘solution’ makes matters worse: but hey, who cares? – at least someone made some money implementing it!

    Letters to the editor which challenge what is going on are not published or are heavily edited to remove crucial points (of course). 

    And while we’re on the topic of manipulation, let’s get something quite clear: elections are media-orchestrated circuses, geared to installing puppets and opportunists who won’t rock the boat. So, we are subjected to nearly nonstop mantra relating to economic growth and GDP: in reality, economic growth and GDP are at the heart of the predicament we are in, and are most certainly not the answer: they are what are causing the meltdown of the planet we live on and causing the ever lower quality of life most people are now experiencing; try getting an article that points that out on the fornt page of a ‘newspaper’.

    I recognised how corrupt and manipulative maintream ‘newspapers’ are many years ago when the NZH refused to publish what I had wriiten pointing out irrefutable facts about gobal warming, but the following week published an article denying global warming was a problem at all, written by an NZH business editor. And the community ‘nrewspaper’ for the district I lived in refused to publish the letter I wrote pointing out we needed sustainability, not business as usual. And several years ago I recognised that National Radio is part of the ‘keep the proles misinformed’ system, when Chris Laidlaw held a ‘debate’ on our energy future which never mentioned peak oil in the entire programme. What a joke!  But people still seem to think NR is independent and trustworthy. And if anyone thinks the real issues will be highlighted by TVNZ etc. they are severely deluded. They put so much emphasis on ‘The news you need to know’ -because it isn’t.  
     
    So here we are, with environmental catastrophes occuring on a daily basis (most of them unreported),  the world falling off the oil extraction ‘bumpy plateau’ and headed for economic collapse as extraction goes into severe decline, wars for oil being ramped up all over the place, the ice metling in the Arctic and causing climate instability, the CO2 level in the atmosphere rising out of control and likely to trigger positive feedbacks (if it hasn’t already done so, 392ppm and counting) …. and most people carry on complacently detroying their own futures and their children’s futures  because they are being fed b/s by the government and the media, and do not recognise it.
       
    The future of the world will be determined by ignorance, complacency, denial and corporate control..
     

    • dave brown 1.1
      24 April 2011 at 12:34 pm

      Unless its determined  by knowledge, responsibility, mobilisation and collective control.
      Havnt you noticed that the Arab Spring has nothing to do with what you call corporate media which is still lagging behind in putting its usual spin on events. They are falling over themselves to blog, tweet and have instant talkbacks to catch up. They are even using irony to bridge the generation gap.
      lol profit is a great driver.
      Its the social media and sort-or-weird-semifeudal-medium new kid Al Jazeera that is setting the pace and which has given some voice to the people?
      Emails are a resource for leaking not a social change agent.
      Stop bleating and start tweeting.

  2. Colonial Viper 2
    24 April 2011 at 12:33 pm

    The Left need its own mainstream media channels in NZ.

    • Jimbo 2.2
      24 April 2011 at 1:58 pm

      ? really? TVNZ / TV3 not enough! 🙂

    • terryg 2.3
      24 April 2011 at 2:08 pm

      CV, ignoring the tautology, I dont think thats going to help. The real problem is ignorance, leading to apathy. A LFGBW (yes its derogatory, but the really funny thing is it nicely summarises most of what is really important) media channel wont help there.
      I cant really see a solution, other than waiting for our own Tahrir square-style movement – not that that has really achieved a damn thing so far.
      IOW IMO things have to deteriorate to the point that even the most willfully ignorant can no longer fail to see what is so obvious to those of us with AFKTT’s level of comprehension.
      At which point we can finally respond to the oligarchs a-la RATM – fuck them we wont do what they tell us. whereupon the full force of oppression wll befall us.
      Any blacksmith will agree that you cant work cold metal. People have to be prepared to die, because that is what it will take.
      To those who think I am being overly dramatic – GROW UP! There is NO WAY the oligarchs are going to relinquish control without bloodshed, and it mostly wont be theirs.
      And that is what is required, for humanity to finally throw off the shackles of feudalism/fascism/corporatism (pick an -ism, any -ism).

      • Colonial Viper 2.3.1
        24 April 2011 at 2:21 pm

        Hi terryg, in my mind I think that our current MSM is adding to the ignorance and misinformation in the general populace. A lot of people watch 3-4 hours of TV a day so why not make it good stuff?
         
        Decent interviews and news, historical/social documentaries, good political and investigative current affairs shows could do a lot to push back some of that ignorance you talk about.
         
        I agree, not all the oligarchs and upper elite will let go of their status willingly.
         
        Nevertheless I have no doubt that some will happily make the sacrifice of going from $30,000 p.w. in the pocket income to $26,000 p.w. if they see it is for good reasons.
         
        Yeah the tautology, nice spotting 🙂

        • terryg 2.3.1.1
          24 April 2011 at 3:04 pm

          Hi CV,
          sorry, couldnt resist. to be a good engineer, one must be a fucking pedant.
          (hint: to tell if someone truly is a pedant, accuse them of being “pendantic” – if they correct you, they’re a pedant)
          Agree [10^10^10]!
          MSM seems to do little more than make people stupider, and its not necessary. You can literally count the number of tv shows I watch on one hand, and NONE are fiction (does Bombers work count if I only ever watch it online?)
          Jersey Shore is a microcosm of all that is wrong not just with television, but western society. without exception they are all brainless fucking morons, who’s life expectency could be measured in days sans electricity and petrol.
          My wife complains about me hiding in the laboratory all the time – the real reason is she loves watching that shit, and I hate it. I also hate having ads shouting at me.
          I truly despair, and know not what to do.
          Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage 🙁
          One bright spot – the right must absolutely HATE how those dirty fucking hippies have proven absolutely right in every matter of substance.
          captcha: prepared

          • Colonial Viper 2.3.1.1.1
            24 April 2011 at 3:07 pm

            10^10^10

            Cripes that is a big number 😯

            • terryg 2.3.1.1.1.1
              24 April 2011 at 3:42 pm

              you missed the factorial outside the brackets 🙂

              • Colonial Viper …
                24 April 2011 at 3:56 pm

                You pedant 😀

                • terryg …
                  24 April 2011 at 4:50 pm

                  And proudly so. MATLAB only allows numbers up to 1.77*10^308, which isnt even enough to do (10^10)! or 10^(10^10).
                  I need more bits! 64-bit floating point just doesnt cut the mustard. Roll on 256-bit GPUs

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    24 April 2011 at 4:59 pm

                    Ah, I see now, you’re one of those double precision GPGPU boys.

                    • terryg …
                      24 April 2011 at 5:24 pm

                      modern GPUs easily beat a teraflop. I dont write software anymore though, I just push electrons.
                      Saw a fun picture the other day – a PS3 beside a 1995 supercomputer – the PS3 GPU and the supercomputer both do 1.8Teraflops. But the PS3 CPU adds another 0.2Teraflops.
                      The supercomputer was somewhat bigger, and unlike the PS3 filled the entire room.
                      Thanks mr Moore 🙂
                      CV – proof I really am a pendant: it should be (10^(10^10))! woth with BEDMAS et al. There aint no F in BEDMAS either?!

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      24 April 2011 at 5:40 pm

                      PS3’s are great for this work – until Sony pushes out a firmware update which kills everything 🙁
                       
                      I never buy Sony any more, for the kind of stuff they do.

                      BEDMAS haha, reminds me of primary school.

                    • terryg …
                      24 April 2011 at 6:58 pm

                      46 DC EA D3 17 FE 45 D8 09 23 EB 97 E4 95 64 10 D4 CD B2 C2 (or words to that effect).
                      Apparently that is ASCII for SHITTYSONYENCRYPTION
                      And no, I dont buy any sony (or apple) products for that reason too. I want to BUY things not RENT them.
                      Besides, I long ago used up my lifetime supply of videogaming – I gave my PS2 away years ago.
                      would you believe I do most of my maths with a pen and a 1E5 schoolbook? including actual calculations. BEDMAS and SOHCAHTOA turned out to be two of the most useful things I have ever learned, and I use them both, daily.
                      I LOVE MY JOB. just as well really, cos (har har) I dont know how to do anything else.
                       

                    • lprent …
                      24 April 2011 at 7:32 pm

                      Strayed completely off the topic… Whilst I love talking tech, move it to OpenMike (and thank yourself that I’m relaxed this easter because I have other things to do).

          • Rex Widerstrom 2.3.1.1.2
            24 April 2011 at 3:48 pm

            My wife complains about me hiding in the laboratory all the time – the real reason is she loves watching that shit

            And right there is a larger problem than the occasional attempt by big business to seed the media with a specific set of facts. That’s much, much harder to do – all you need is one leak, or one whistleblower and, as BP have found out in the story quoted in this post, you just end up with the opposite of what you intended.

            Nah, far easier than trying to tell the plebs something you want them to hear is to tell them nothing at all. And you don’t need to apply any pressure to the media to make this happen, you just have to ensure a large pile of reeking manure is available to them and they’ll start shovelling it.

            But the bottom line is, that wouldn’t work without people like Mrs g (sorry, I don’t mean to pick on her but since you’ve raised it. If it’s any consolation, my partner is distraught now “Neighbours” have moved to digital TV and she has only an analogue set).

            So long as enough people are prepared to wallow in the manure, the media will keep shovelling it. It’s kind of a conspiracy, but not of BP oil spill kind, because it wouldn’t have a hope of success without the complicity ot a majority of our fellow citizens.

            So before we expend our energy railing against the evil corpporate oligarchies, perhaps we need to turn our attention to their co-conspirators sitting beside us on the couch.

            But how…?

            • terryg 2.3.1.1.2.1
              24 April 2011 at 5:03 pm

              Hi Rex,
              yup, you’ve nailed it. Soma + Circuses = pliant plebs.
              I have tried to interest her in geopolitics and current events, to no avail. She is the Yang to my Yin, wo suoyi ai ta hen duo (therefore I love her very much (apologies for grammatical errors (and nested parentheses (which are indicative of geekiness (OK I’ll stop now))))).
              its the paparazzo thing again – that exists because people keep buying their shit (and it really is shit).
              Personally I try to avoid reading/watching/listening to anything that will make me stupider than I already am.
              My compromise is to lie with my head in her lap, eyes closed, and ignore the acoustic excreta – bliss, when she runs her fingers through my hair. Hmm, earplugs would help – thanks Rex, I hadn’t thought of them before!
              As to how? hopefully minds far in excess of my feeble abilities will solve that one. let me know when you do 🙂

  3. ak 3
    24 April 2011 at 2:00 pm

    The near total lack of media scrutiny of Mediaworksgate tells us all we never really needed to know r0b – compare both the seriousness of the issues and players, with the treatment, column inches and airtime given to Winnie’s alleged fib: say what you like about NACT, they know how to invest.  

    • PeteG 3.1
      24 April 2011 at 4:40 pm

      The near total lack of media scrutiny of Mediaworksgate

      Not true, some of the opposition media tried to do a bit on this story but it fizzled because there was bugger all to it. For the conspiracy theorists it was Wishfulthinkinggate.
       
      Rex, hard to know what can be done about media appealing to the moron masses, there is something similar in my household, I get very bored with most TV on here. I just find something else to do that interests me more and save my credits for when there’s something I really want to watch. At least we are in unison on ignoring commercialism.

      • freedom 3.1.1
        24 April 2011 at 5:20 pm

        Please educate us all as to which media outlets you are referring to,
        I for one am intrigued as to what you, PeteG, would class as opposition media

        • PeteG 3.1.1.1
          24 April 2011 at 5:39 pm

          There is competition between Mediaworks, Radio NZ, TVNZ, Fairfax and APN, plus other smaller media outlets. I saw multiple items on the Mediaworks payment arrangement from TVNZ, the Herald and Stuff.

          • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1.1
            24 April 2011 at 5:44 pm

            There is competition between Mediaworks, Radio NZ, TVNZ, Fairfax and APN, plus other smaller media outlets.

            You gotta be joking. The appearance of competition is not the same thing as actual competition.
             
            Neither is a race to the bottom where both RNZ and TVNZ have been hamstrung by this loser Government.

            At the end of the day competition is not what the mass media market requires, it is a strong public broadcasting option which sets the baseline standard that everyone else has to work to.

          • freedom 3.1.1.1.2
            24 April 2011 at 6:36 pm

            too funny Pete, boy you got some great material, do you do kid’s parties?

            you do realize they are the same Hydra

            • PeteG 3.1.1.1.2.1
              24 April 2011 at 7:13 pm

              When you think the whole world is against you and won’t buy into your crap you might see it that way. There are some on the right who also think the media is all stacked against them. If they aren’t buying your stories there is a chance your stories are too trite.
               
              “The media” is everyone’s worst friend and best enemy.

              • Colonial Viper …
                24 April 2011 at 7:29 pm

                There are some on the right who also think the media is all stacked against them.

                Don’t make me laugh, any editor or journalist that billionaire Murdoch doesn’t like doesn’t make it back into work the next morning.
                 
                You are so full of shit.

                • PeteG …
                  24 April 2011 at 7:50 pm

                  Ah, Murdoch doesn’t employ every journalist. You’re a bit like a blocked bovine bum yourself.

                  • RedLogix …
                    24 April 2011 at 8:08 pm

                    The man at the top sets the tone in any organisation. Murdoch does not have to personally vet every line written by every one of his flunkies to keep them in line. That’s what his corporate hierarchy is for.

                    The fact that you might imagine differently, that you think for an instant that any of his employees could for any length of time, in any meaningful way, say anything that offends Murdoch ….tells me how little experience of real life you have.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    24 April 2011 at 10:33 pm

                    Companies like News Corp and Fairfax hold dominating control over the news industry.
                     
                    You get a bad name for not towing the line – even if you are not working directly for them – and your career prospects quickly get curtailed.
                     
                    Which is one reason why Al Jazeera does so well recruiting top notch journalists who refuse to put up with that shit any more.

                    Further the copy that the big media conglomerates put out is reported ad nauseum through the rest of the media.

                    • terryg …
                      25 April 2011 at 8:48 am

                      oddly enough RT has some really good stuff too. I haven’t seen any good stuff about Russia, but wont be surprised if I do – or dont (hows that for cynicism)

                    • Smoko Joe …
                      26 April 2011 at 3:06 pm

                      REally?  Al-Jazeera seems pretty mainstream to me, most of the time. I suspect it’s the fantastic salaries in the UAE that attract those top notch journos to the channel, along with a bit of faux jihadist street cred for some.

  4. Smoko Joe 4
    26 April 2011 at 3:05 pm

    The Sunday Star-Times published the result of a poll by Colmar Brunton for WWF-NZ which asked whether people preferred oil and gas exploration be prioritised over pursuing renewable energy options. Surprise, surprise, the majority said no to this twisted question – from an NGO.  Too easy just to say the news and research is manufactured by corporate interests.  A hell of a lot of equally questionable spin comes from NGOs, which are generally far more trusted organisations than corporates.

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    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    6 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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