Oh look! Another attempt to discredit Labour. Whatever arrangement the Hutt South LP has with Parliamentary Services it is legit and has been going on for decades. And it can be said with certainty that other political parties will be doing it too.
If they want to end this sort of thing then the only option is for parliament to own the building and make it available to the local electorate MP.
That'd upset National because then they wouldn't be able to make government guaranteed profits on buildings that the government has effectively paid for but doesn't own.
BREAKING – Damien is temporarily stopping all live stock exports and applications until they find out what happened regarding the ship of live cattle sailing into a typhoon and sinking.
Much love to the families of the 41 crew who are missing. One person has been found, hopefully they will find some more survivors.
Is part of the problem with live exports that stock can't be kept longer on the ship? This means navigating around a Typhoon is not possible. I would have thought most shipping would avoid such weather systems.
Maybe Master miscalculated typhoon trajectory, or maybe he hoped the ship will overtake it. Whatever were the reasons, the ship sailed straight into the typhoon.
Largely speaking, large modern ships can ignore bad weather. But taifun are an exception. What the survivor describes is the ship broaching (https://www.wartsila.com/encyclopedia/term/broaching-to-phenomenon) – caught abeam by the seas and rolled over – the way square riggers used to go down in the southern latitudes.
Although there probably wasn't a handy port to offload the stock, had the master avoided/waited out the storm, he'd have saved his ship and most of the stock. No doubt he was under pressure to make the quickest voyage possible.
Plus ca change – the Dutchman had sold his soul for a faster voyage.
Yup. 2-3 days delay tops, the storms move or dissipate quite quickly – neither fuel nor animal starvation would have been a factor – though lengthening the voyage would likely increase stock mortality, and with rough weather stress, perhaps considerably.
The captain does not own the boat though, and these days it's unlikely the owners were mariners. There's a good chance he was ordered to push on through – going into what is essentially a hurricane in a not very weatherly vessel is otherwise difficult to explain.
The ship, Gulf Livestock 1, carrying about 5867 cattle left Napier on August 14.
The ship was en route to the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China, with an estimated journey of approximately 17 days.
The continued export of cattle may be a risk to New Zealand’s brand.
Bet they were dairy cattle.
As I say, the problem with being a farm for the world is that everyone else can also produce food.
If we really want to become wealthy then we have to develop our economy away from its reliance upon agricultural exports and that's going to mean high tech R&D and production.
That doesn't really surprise me. Pork farms have been disappearing from NZ for awhile now but especially as cities have expanded into farmland. Pork farms stink and nobody wants to live near them – especially rich people who want a nice lifestyle block.
In the USA under Bush all the rules about effluent were dropped so end of clean water. Family pig farms were gobbled up and vast pig farms were established. There are very few family pig farms left and the vast corporate pig farms are so big that nobody in towns or countryside can contest the huge flows of pig swill that poison huge rivers.
The story’s points were valid, however, and even more shocking than the photo spread. Aside from the Cuyahoga, in which there were no signs of visible life — “not even low forms such as leeches and sludge worms that usually thrive on wastes” — unregulated dumping befouled nearly every river that passed through a major metropolitan area. The Potomac, TIME noted, left Washington “stinking from the 240 million gallons of wastes that are flushed into it daily” while “Omaha’s meatpackers fill the Missouri River with animal grease balls as big as oranges.”
We've seen it before – unregulated capitalism is purely destructive.
On another topic…Has anyone noticed how very little has been said about Judith's husband ‘s memes on Facebook, by TV1/3 and RNZ?
Has anyone noticed how the press skimmed over Judith's advertisement which broke Parliament's rules?
I see National is offering Mums 3 days in care, $3000 for costs, which is means tested. Do they intend to keep the $60 a week for under threes? Or is this a one off and nothing for year two/three????
Always skeptical of nat policy, they usually give with one hand and take more with the other.
Not much coverage re judiths uncontrollable husband and his obvious lack of class. judith retweeted his meme's. But, but… the school, the school.. distract and delude. Meanwhile the nat's are spending up big on FB advertising.
Could be more coverage in the weekend on the political shows and panels maybe?
"They are exasperated that Shaw has spent three years saying he couldn’t put his foot down over issues such as welfare reform, water-bottling plants or getting agriculture into the ETS – that mean old Winston was bullying him – but found the strength to fight back… on behalf of a private school."
And that says it all about Shaws political judgment…could he have chosen a worse issue to take a stand over?….its difficult to imagine one
He didn't chose this issue to make a stand over. It was part of the ordinary business of Government. Do you really think James thought, "Right! I'll put my foot down on this one! I'm willing to die in a ditch for this!" No, Pat. No.
I'm answering your question, Pat, not trying to convince anyone of anything. James didn't choose this issue to take a stand over. Perhaps you think he did?
For how long did James delay the process, Pat? One day? 3 hours? What's the usual process for gaining the consent of every member of the team? Did James "put his foot down", or did he say, sorry to be a spanner in the works…"?
Your "rrrright" and "good grief" are not very well considered answered to my polite questions, Pat. Perhaps you could string together a few more words and make, you know, sentences.
Nope, Pat, that's not a question I struggle with, ever. I know that at any time, only around 10% of the population will be supportive of the kinds of alternate world-view The Greens champion. It's been this way for minority groups, since forever.
Robert I wish you would give yourself a break. If you think that Pat will ever be able to learn anything he/she doesn't want to know, you are mistaken. You know it is a waste of time.
You are fighting a losing battle Pat. If James Shaw ate a baby live on TV, Robert would be ok with it.
To me the issue is he held up other projects and demanded other ministers agreed to fund it against all advice. Which is why Robertson and Hipkins have not helped him.
Of course, you are jesting anyway. But don't pretend that the little bits we are getting through the media give you any right to announce anything with your assumed certainty.
I doubt that even Pat agrees with you about the eating baby metaphor.
Did James Shaw inform the Green party members on the Zoom meeting last Friday that he had told Government ministers and the Treasury that he wouldn't sign off on other infrastructure projects until the Green School funding was included?
Had he (James Shaw) "told Government ministers and the Treasury that he wouldn't sign off on other infrastructure projects until the Green School funding was included?"
Shaw has been a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights with this. You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out that the zoom commentary was a half arsed attempt to deflect some of the blame. And his standup the other day was cringy really.
When you think of the PM fronting every bloody day, good times and bad, you realise what a totally class act she is.
"You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out that the zoom commentary was a half arsed attempt to deflect some of the blame."
Were you on that call? Because I was, and what I saw was a man who wanted to give an explanation, apologise and make set things right in various ways. He actually went out if his way to not blame others, which is consistent with who he is.
OK so you are telling us he is a great guy, fine we believe you, but no one has answered this simple question…maybe you can help as you where there.
Did James Shaw inform the Green party members on the Zoom meeting last Friday that he had told Government ministers and the Treasury that he wouldn't sign off on other infrastructure projects until the Green School funding was included?
There hasn't been any denials from Shaw or the Greens around the veracity of these emails so we can only assume them to be legitimate.
There hasn’t been any denials from Shaw or the Greens around the veracity of these emails so we can only assume them to be legitimate.
The e-mail came from Shaw’s Ministerial Office, didn’t it? If so, how can the Greens confirm or deny the veracity of it? It is not the Party’s business, at all.
The e-mail is most likely legit but we have only seen selected snippets. Context is important and I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions based on what has been published so far by MSM. Remember this recent Post here: https://thestandard.org.nz/nationals-latest-deception/?
The National tweet was a selective quote of an answer made in Parliament. However, without the context of the full answer provided it was highly misleading. That’s why I find it safer to see the full and complete information before I jump to conclusions.
Very wise and reasonable of you, Incognito. Your is the approach of a reasonable, thoughtful, emotionally-balanced person. You (and some others here) are a great comfort to someone like me who cringes at the comments from knee-jerky, sizzle-headed reactionaries who lack your poise
"I didn't sign off that final list, which included the Green School, until I was satisfied that all of my questions about a range of projects had been answered," he said in a statement.
"The first infrastructure projects were announced over five weeks before I signed the briefing that included the Green School, so to suggest I was holding up the process is absurd."
He later added: "To suggest that by asking questions I was giving an ultimatum is absurd.""
Oh Robert, for crying out loud! Shaw has been nothing but amateur hour since the shit hit the fan. It’s a shame, I really rate him as a minister and thinks he and other Green assoc ministers bring a lot to the government. But it’s the Metiria situation all over again isn’t it? Something goes awry and the Greens simply can’t manage the blowtorch of parliamentary politics and media scrutiny.
James should be able to "manage the blowtorch of parliamentary politics and media scrutiny"?
Really?
The usual methods for doing that, as exemplified by John Key, are obfuscation, blame-shifting, denial, attack, attacking the media, disappearing for the duration etc. You want James to behave in the way the likes of Gerry Brownlee, Judith Collins, Todd Barclay et al have shown? I have more confidence and faith in him that that and give my support to James in a very difficult time, in a way that you do not. Do you reckon it's a breeze, dealing with these attacks? Imagine James' reaction to realising that his own people are not behind him, are willing to snipe and snark alongside of the most witless of the Nats! Gotta feel for the guy (I do).
I think that the Greens should step down and be replaced by all the eminence greasys full of wisdom and clear about the way forward. Why do we waste time with politicians trying to move in any direction when we can have eternal arguments continuing as we walk off the edge of the cliff into space, down to the sea or the rocks, whatever.
As Robert says, his own people are not behind him but that's hardly surprising as he went against Greens policy and may have cost them their seats in Parliament. He really has had a Meteria Tuerei moment and that didn't end well for the Greens.
Even if I wasn't politically aware, I would still be voting for the Green Party because that is the best way to give all the National Party cheerleader broadcasters and journalists the fingers.
Nothing shouts "FUCK YOU HOSKING!" louder than voting Green.
I really feel for him too Robert and I would love to give him my wholehearted support. And I said as much when this shitstorm started to unfold. I pointed out at the time that it was unforgivable for the party membership to humiliate one of their leaders in the public fashion that has happened in the last week and this close to an election (and got dumped on by various commenters in here).
I don’t want James to behave like Key or any of the other National Party people you mention, he doesn’t need to, but I’d settle for him trying to be a bit more like Jacinda actually.
And yet weka he told all 400 odd of you that Hipkins had a-oked the school project? Which Hipkins had no ability to do? And at least one of the 400 zoomers found that statement incongruous enough to send the zoom to newshub?
And please don’t start dumping on me because I’m being critical. I WANT the Greens to be a part of the next government! But whichever way you look at this, it’s a class A fuck up at a terrible point in the electoral cycle.
From memory Shaw has said that Hipkins gave a verbal yes to the project. Pretty sure the Hipkins still has use of his mouth, so this it seems likely he did have the ability to do this.
No-one minds critique. My objection in the past week has been to poorly informed criticism and jumping to conclusions.
The point is though weka, that Hipkins didn’t have any ministerial responsibility to give the project a ‘yes’ regardless of what his mouth might be capable of. And Shaw as an Associate Minister of Finance would know that.
I’m on James Shaw’s side. I think he’s been a really good minister in the coalition government. He may have made a mistake by backing this project but in the matter of the wider fallout he’s been let down by all of you. Clearly there are more than a few of the membership who are not comfortable with the leadership that Shaw provides. But any leader of a political party has some right to expect the membership to line up behind them when the going gets tough. The position is surely untenable otherwise. It’s real politik and one of the trade offs you necessarily make in order to operate at the national level.
Actually I don’t think my statements are at odds really. The hesitant James Shaw that presented at the stand up I watched was a man who’d been through the wringer at that zoom and was maybe left wondering “with friends like these who needs enemies?” It’s obviously hard to present well in public when you’re unsure of the support you have from your team.
Could be. I don't regard James as amateurish at all. He's under immense pressure and handling it very well, despite his drawn look. Other politicians in recent times have collapsed under similar, or less, pressure than he is being subject to; that's the game, in my view; can those who wish the Greens gone, destroy James and render him unable to function, as they did Clare Curran.
I don’t think he’s amateurish either. So in that respect I acknowledge that I haven’t phrased my thinking very well. I just wish the Greens would keep an eye for once on the bigger picture.
one of the key things that stands out for me is that Shaw was bound by confidentiality convention around the budget and couldn't take his thoughts or decisions in that funding process to the GP caucus. That's huge. I'm guessing it's why Catherine Delahunty said that he might have ended up isolated from his own party. Shaw himself referred to the problematic nature of the process. I'm betting there are things he is not saying because of confidentiality, because of respect for the relationships, and because of pragmatics (the GP don't tell everyone everything, that would be electoral suicide in this environment).
What I fund stunning is the degree of perfection that the left expect of the GP. The standard being expected here is different than normal. We're not talking about the right condemning Shaw but the left. This is as big an issue as anything Shaw has done imo.
I'm going to fire my parting shot (knowing how dangerous that is) having contributed more than my share to the "James" debate.
I've come to admire supporters of the National Party. They fight for their leaders, even when those leaders are rat-bags. In James' instance, our leader is a decent man, something those Right-wingers surely would wish for most sincerely, but how do we treat or leader, when he finds himself in strife? We tear at him, like gulls. National party supporters know the value of loyalty, even though they misplace it sometimes. We on the Left seem to despise the very idea of giving our top people the benefit of the doubt and our unflinching loyalty. There's something amiss in the way we behave. In my opinion.
I think the purpose of leadership is (viewed) differently on the Left and Right. Consequently, if a leader ‘fails’ it is a learning experience and almost a badge to wear with pride because it is seen more as a ‘business transaction’ with little personal-individual investment and attachment or it is a ‘mortal sin’ and a ‘fall from Heaven’ because people’s personal hopes and dreams are invested in it and they have now been ‘shattered’. In a nutshell, of course; it requires much more elaboration to tease this out further. Of course, others may completely disagree and have different views 🙂
very well put Robert. My thinking this week has been similar (not so much about Nat, but about how the left treats our leaders when they disappoint us)
Having been in opposition so long, we revile leaders… ?
Or put it this way: We have spent so long in opposition decrying the dishonesty, of Govt that we hate the slightest sign of it in our own?
Be fair, James stuffed up bigly. But he has apologised genuinely to my mind, and probably should have just shut up after that. Politics is not his forte.
I don’t see him as a great future Prime Minister. I see him as someone struggling to cope. But that does not mean that we should not party vote Green.
Regarding James, he appears to have made an error of judgement, apologised, sought to correct it. What more would you like Greens?
National and friends were overjoyed as it detracted from David Wong Tung's memes and Judith Collins twice signing off a lying advert which was stopped by Parliament.
National are delighted to have that diversion supplied.
Labour have not supported James as they can not be seen to be associated with the mistake….sad fact.
Greens are so busy castigating Shaw they are not drawing the electorate’s attention to the perfidy of National.
Is there a Green faction who favour not being part of a Government with all the attendant difficulties? Would they rather sit on the side benches playing referee?
Compromise is a dirty word to some, but often necessary to defeat the actual evil.
Working together requires compromise quite often, otherwise relationships fail through rigid behaviour. Just saying.
James appears a good man.
Judith Collins is a nasty piece, who “doesn’t get angry she gets even.”
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Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title 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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
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There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
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Oh look! Another attempt to discredit Labour. Whatever arrangement the Hutt South LP has with Parliamentary Services it is legit and has been going on for decades. And it can be said with certainty that other political parties will be doing it too.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300098040/taxpayer-foots-bill-for-labour-electorate-funds-in-decadesold-subletting-arrangement
What is more, according to Parliamentary Services, it saves the tax-payer a lot of money.
If they want to end this sort of thing then the only option is for parliament to own the building and make it available to the local electorate MP.
That'd upset National because then they wouldn't be able to make government guaranteed profits on buildings that the government has effectively paid for but doesn't own.
I wonder if Dr custard charges a fee? nick smith often has groups etc meeting at his electorate HQ. For example……
http://www.orchidcouncil.org.nz/societies/southern-region/nelson/
Might ring dr custard tomorrow and find out.
Of course he does and makes a nice profit.
Probably donates to the National Party as well.
This'll be Chris Bishop's office getting increasingly desperate. This is the office which hacked Budget 2019. They love to watch the world burn.
BREAKING – Damien is temporarily stopping all live stock exports and applications until they find out what happened regarding the ship of live cattle sailing into a typhoon and sinking.
Much love to the families of the 41 crew who are missing. One person has been found, hopefully they will find some more survivors.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/122649647/one-person-rescued-from-missing-ship-with-two-new-zealanders-onboard
Some info here – capsized apparently.
Good link, thanks Stuart. What a horrid situation for all.
Is part of the problem with live exports that stock can't be kept longer on the ship? This means navigating around a Typhoon is not possible. I would have thought most shipping would avoid such weather systems.
That makes sense.
The storm went inland then out to sea again.
Maybe Master miscalculated typhoon trajectory, or maybe he hoped the ship will overtake it. Whatever were the reasons, the ship sailed straight into the typhoon.
Largely speaking, large modern ships can ignore bad weather. But taifun are an exception. What the survivor describes is the ship broaching (https://www.wartsila.com/encyclopedia/term/broaching-to-phenomenon) – caught abeam by the seas and rolled over – the way square riggers used to go down in the southern latitudes.
Although there probably wasn't a handy port to offload the stock, had the master avoided/waited out the storm, he'd have saved his ship and most of the stock. No doubt he was under pressure to make the quickest voyage possible.
Plus ca change – the Dutchman had sold his soul for a faster voyage.
They call avoiding bad weather 'dodging' in the fishing industry.
It cut's into profits by costing fuel and time. Can also cost extra food stores depending on how many days they have provisions for.
Yup. 2-3 days delay tops, the storms move or dissipate quite quickly – neither fuel nor animal starvation would have been a factor – though lengthening the voyage would likely increase stock mortality, and with rough weather stress, perhaps considerably.
The captain does not own the boat though, and these days it's unlikely the owners were mariners. There's a good chance he was ordered to push on through – going into what is essentially a hurricane in a not very weatherly vessel is otherwise difficult to explain.
Bet they were dairy cattle.
As I say, the problem with being a farm for the world is that everyone else can also produce food.
If we really want to become wealthy then we have to develop our economy away from its reliance upon agricultural exports and that's going to mean high tech R&D and production.
Hey, we even import pork from China! Go figure.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/113999892/pork-imports-from-countries-hit-by-swine-fever-must-be-stopped
That doesn't really surprise me. Pork farms have been disappearing from NZ for awhile now but especially as cities have expanded into farmland. Pork farms stink and nobody wants to live near them – especially rich people who want a nice lifestyle block.
In the USA under Bush all the rules about effluent were dropped so end of clean water. Family pig farms were gobbled up and vast pig farms were established. There are very few family pig farms left and the vast corporate pig farms are so big that nobody in towns or countryside can contest the huge flows of pig swill that poison huge rivers.
Private ownership is so good!
Sounds like the USA is back to the Good Old Days:
We've seen it before – unregulated capitalism is purely destructive.
Capitalism is death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6wXWxJ2oLo
incredible twitter thread on Chevron's psychopathy
https://twitter.com/panondo/status/1301308039530651649?s=20
Halleluhua
The US has been made Great Again.
Yes We are sad for those families. It is tragic.
On another topic…Has anyone noticed how very little has been said about Judith's husband ‘s memes on Facebook, by TV1/3 and RNZ?
Has anyone noticed how the press skimmed over Judith's advertisement which broke Parliament's rules?
I see National is offering Mums 3 days in care, $3000 for costs, which is means tested. Do they intend to keep the $60 a week for under threes? Or is this a one off and nothing for year two/three????
Always skeptical of nat policy, they usually give with one hand and take more with the other.
Not much coverage re judiths uncontrollable husband and his obvious lack of class. judith retweeted his meme's. But, but… the school, the school.. distract and delude. Meanwhile the nat's are spending up big on FB advertising.
Could be more coverage in the weekend on the political shows and panels maybe?
Tim Watkin's article is good.
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/the-naughty-prefect-amp-the-single-source-of-truth
it is…and I may sue for copyright.
"They are exasperated that Shaw has spent three years saying he couldn’t put his foot down over issues such as welfare reform, water-bottling plants or getting agriculture into the ETS – that mean old Winston was bullying him – but found the strength to fight back… on behalf of a private school."
And that says it all about Shaws political judgment…could he have chosen a worse issue to take a stand over?….its difficult to imagine one
He didn't chose this issue to make a stand over. It was part of the ordinary business of Government. Do you really think James thought, "Right! I'll put my foot down on this one! I'm willing to die in a ditch for this!" No, Pat. No.
carry on Robert….you are convincing no-one…not even I suspect yourself
I'm answering your question, Pat, not trying to convince anyone of anything. James didn't choose this issue to take a stand over. Perhaps you think he did?
rrright
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/425096/james-shaw-held-off-on-approving-44-projects-over-green-school
For how long did James delay the process, Pat? One day? 3 hours? What's the usual process for gaining the consent of every member of the team? Did James "put his foot down", or did he say, sorry to be a spanner in the works…"?
good grief
Your "rrrright" and "good grief" are not very well considered answered to my polite questions, Pat. Perhaps you could string together a few more words and make, you know, sentences.
Have you ever wondered why the Greens struggle to attract anything more than barely above threshold support Robert?
OH, it's because they use sentences!
Nope, Pat, that's not a question I struggle with, ever. I know that at any time, only around 10% of the population will be supportive of the kinds of alternate world-view The Greens champion. It's been this way for minority groups, since forever.
Robert I wish you would give yourself a break. If you think that Pat will ever be able to learn anything he/she doesn't want to know, you are mistaken. You know it is a waste of time.
Pat's sincere and so am I. The actual story will become apparent eventually.
You are fighting a losing battle Pat. If James Shaw ate a baby live on TV, Robert would be ok with it.
To me the issue is he held up other projects and demanded other ministers agreed to fund it against all advice. Which is why Robertson and Hipkins have not helped him.
That is silly, Jester
Of course, you are jesting anyway. But don't pretend that the little bits we are getting through the media give you any right to announce anything with your assumed certainty.
I doubt that even Pat agrees with you about the eating baby metaphor.
So much for Shaw’s mea culpa to the party though eh? He tried to dump it on poor old Chippie.
Shaw's probably telling the truth.
Hipkins dumping on Shaw now
Yeah. Can you blame him?
Yes. James has been quite the restrained gentleman.
OK Robert Guyton maybe you can enlighen us…
A simple yes or no answer will do….
Did James Shaw inform the Green party members on the Zoom meeting last Friday that he had told Government ministers and the Treasury that he wouldn't sign off on other infrastructure projects until the Green School funding was included?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12361614
Had he (James Shaw) "told Government ministers and the Treasury that he wouldn't sign off on other infrastructure projects until the Green School funding was included?"
That's not a 'yes' or a 'no.
It's a different question in case you hadn't noticed. And a better one, again, in case you hadn't noticed
yes I noticed. But he still didn't answer original question
That is a way of pointing out that your original question was stupid anyway, in case you hadn't noticed. A wrong question…
Original question was fine, but he did a Winston Peters and didn't want to answer it so did so with a question.
Shaw has been a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights with this. You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out that the zoom commentary was a half arsed attempt to deflect some of the blame. And his standup the other day was cringy really.
When you think of the PM fronting every bloody day, good times and bad, you realise what a totally class act she is.
"You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out that the zoom commentary was a half arsed attempt to deflect some of the blame."
Were you on that call? Because I was, and what I saw was a man who wanted to give an explanation, apologise and make set things right in various ways. He actually went out if his way to not blame others, which is consistent with who he is.
I wasn't on the call, weka, yet felt confident James would behave exactly as you describe.
OK so you are telling us he is a great guy, fine we believe you, but no one has answered this simple question…maybe you can help as you where there.
Did James Shaw inform the Green party members on the Zoom meeting last Friday that he had told Government ministers and the Treasury that he wouldn't sign off on other infrastructure projects until the Green School funding was included?
There hasn't been any denials from Shaw or the Greens around the veracity of these emails so we can only assume them to be legitimate.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12361614
we believe you
Would that be the royal We?
Adrian: did James send an email?
If so, what did it say?
The e-mail came from Shaw’s Ministerial Office, didn’t it? If so, how can the Greens confirm or deny the veracity of it? It is not the Party’s business, at all.
The e-mail is most likely legit but we have only seen selected snippets. Context is important and I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions based on what has been published so far by MSM. Remember this recent Post here: https://thestandard.org.nz/nationals-latest-deception/?
The National tweet was a selective quote of an answer made in Parliament. However, without the context of the full answer provided it was highly misleading. That’s why I find it safer to see the full and complete information before I jump to conclusions.
Very wise and reasonable of you, Incognito. Your is the approach of a reasonable, thoughtful, emotionally-balanced person. You (and some others here) are a great comfort to someone like me who cringes at the comments from knee-jerky, sizzle-headed reactionaries who lack your poise
Too much praise and some of which is a little, just a little, off the mark 😉
That said, being a Moderator here does temper my knee-jerk urges somewhat lest I’d be accused of being a hypocrite or worse: elite!
Be the change you want to see. I can’t say it is easy because sometimes I want to … scream!!
As you say, Master Jedi
Tova O'Brien seems to have the email. Would be interesting as to who leaked it to her.
James had this to say:
"I didn't sign off that final list, which included the Green School, until I was satisfied that all of my questions about a range of projects had been answered," he said in a statement.
"The first infrastructure projects were announced over five weeks before I signed the briefing that included the Green School, so to suggest I was holding up the process is absurd."
He later added: "To suggest that by asking questions I was giving an ultimatum is absurd.""
My bold.
Link?
In the comment from Adrian that I was responding to
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12361614
Ah, thanks and my apologies.
Not even slightly perturbed
Adrian seems to have ducked-out…
Oh Robert, for crying out loud! Shaw has been nothing but amateur hour since the shit hit the fan. It’s a shame, I really rate him as a minister and thinks he and other Green assoc ministers bring a lot to the government. But it’s the Metiria situation all over again isn’t it? Something goes awry and the Greens simply can’t manage the blowtorch of parliamentary politics and media scrutiny.
James should be able to "manage the blowtorch of parliamentary politics and media scrutiny"?
Really?
The usual methods for doing that, as exemplified by John Key, are obfuscation, blame-shifting, denial, attack, attacking the media, disappearing for the duration etc. You want James to behave in the way the likes of Gerry Brownlee, Judith Collins, Todd Barclay et al have shown? I have more confidence and faith in him that that and give my support to James in a very difficult time, in a way that you do not. Do you reckon it's a breeze, dealing with these attacks? Imagine James' reaction to realising that his own people are not behind him, are willing to snipe and snark alongside of the most witless of the Nats! Gotta feel for the guy (I do).
I want James to behave in a way that strengthens the Green Movement in NZ. Woowoocrystalgate weakens it.
Do you really think you have a credible role in this discussion, Grafton Gully? Yours has a "hired-clown" sort of feel to it.
no sense of irony then GG.
I think that the Greens should step down and be replaced by all the eminence greasys full of wisdom and clear about the way forward. Why do we waste time with politicians trying to move in any direction when we can have eternal arguments continuing as we walk off the edge of the cliff into space, down to the sea or the rocks, whatever.
As Robert says, his own people are not behind him but that's hardly surprising as he went against Greens policy and may have cost them their seats in Parliament. He really has had a Meteria Tuerei moment and that didn't end well for the Greens.
Who are you to comment, Jester? You are a giveaway troll, who never had any Green leanings anyway. Feel free to subside away..
You are correct, I did not vote Green last time and wont be this time either.
Saw this on twitter, quite liked it….
I really feel for him too Robert and I would love to give him my wholehearted support. And I said as much when this shitstorm started to unfold. I pointed out at the time that it was unforgivable for the party membership to humiliate one of their leaders in the public fashion that has happened in the last week and this close to an election (and got dumped on by various commenters in here).
I don’t want James to behave like Key or any of the other National Party people you mention, he doesn’t need to, but I’d settle for him trying to be a bit more like Jacinda actually.
And yet weka he told all 400 odd of you that Hipkins had a-oked the school project? Which Hipkins had no ability to do? And at least one of the 400 zoomers found that statement incongruous enough to send the zoom to newshub?
And please don’t start dumping on me because I’m being critical. I WANT the Greens to be a part of the next government! But whichever way you look at this, it’s a class A fuck up at a terrible point in the electoral cycle.
From memory Shaw has said that Hipkins gave a verbal yes to the project. Pretty sure the Hipkins still has use of his mouth, so this it seems likely he did have the ability to do this.
No-one minds critique. My objection in the past week has been to poorly informed criticism and jumping to conclusions.
"My objection in the past week has been poorly informed criticism and jumping to conclusions."
Amen. And still they come in, those poorly informed criticisms and jumped-to conclusions.
The point is though weka, that Hipkins didn’t have any ministerial responsibility to give the project a ‘yes’ regardless of what his mouth might be capable of. And Shaw as an Associate Minister of Finance would know that.
I’m on James Shaw’s side. I think he’s been a really good minister in the coalition government. He may have made a mistake by backing this project but in the matter of the wider fallout he’s been let down by all of you. Clearly there are more than a few of the membership who are not comfortable with the leadership that Shaw provides. But any leader of a political party has some right to expect the membership to line up behind them when the going gets tough. The position is surely untenable otherwise. It’s real politik and one of the trade offs you necessarily make in order to operate at the national level.
Shaw is a good guy but he's probably been played (or out smarted)
"I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
100% agree, ScottGN.
And yet…”Shaw has been nothing but amateur hour since the shit hit the fan”
Difficult to reconcile your two statements…
James is just National's "Look Over there!!"
Aided by a gaggle of Lefties squawking, "Where? Where! Oh DEAR!!!"
Haha Robert, you edited that comment.
Actually I don’t think my statements are at odds really. The hesitant James Shaw that presented at the stand up I watched was a man who’d been through the wringer at that zoom and was maybe left wondering “with friends like these who needs enemies?” It’s obviously hard to present well in public when you’re unsure of the support you have from your team.
Could be. I don't regard James as amateurish at all. He's under immense pressure and handling it very well, despite his drawn look. Other politicians in recent times have collapsed under similar, or less, pressure than he is being subject to; that's the game, in my view; can those who wish the Greens gone, destroy James and render him unable to function, as they did Clare Curran.
I don’t think he’s amateurish either. So in that respect I acknowledge that I haven’t phrased my thinking very well. I just wish the Greens would keep an eye for once on the bigger picture.
one of the key things that stands out for me is that Shaw was bound by confidentiality convention around the budget and couldn't take his thoughts or decisions in that funding process to the GP caucus. That's huge. I'm guessing it's why Catherine Delahunty said that he might have ended up isolated from his own party. Shaw himself referred to the problematic nature of the process. I'm betting there are things he is not saying because of confidentiality, because of respect for the relationships, and because of pragmatics (the GP don't tell everyone everything, that would be electoral suicide in this environment).
What I fund stunning is the degree of perfection that the left expect of the GP. The standard being expected here is different than normal. We're not talking about the right condemning Shaw but the left. This is as big an issue as anything Shaw has done imo.
I'm going to fire my parting shot (knowing how dangerous that is) having contributed more than my share to the "James" debate.
I've come to admire supporters of the National Party. They fight for their leaders, even when those leaders are rat-bags. In James' instance, our leader is a decent man, something those Right-wingers surely would wish for most sincerely, but how do we treat or leader, when he finds himself in strife? We tear at him, like gulls. National party supporters know the value of loyalty, even though they misplace it sometimes. We on the Left seem to despise the very idea of giving our top people the benefit of the doubt and our unflinching loyalty. There's something amiss in the way we behave. In my opinion.
This could be worth a post on its own!
I think the purpose of leadership is (viewed) differently on the Left and Right. Consequently, if a leader ‘fails’ it is a learning experience and almost a badge to wear with pride because it is seen more as a ‘business transaction’ with little personal-individual investment and attachment or it is a ‘mortal sin’ and a ‘fall from Heaven’ because people’s personal hopes and dreams are invested in it and they have now been ‘shattered’. In a nutshell, of course; it requires much more elaboration to tease this out further. Of course, others may completely disagree and have different views 🙂
very well put Robert. My thinking this week has been similar (not so much about Nat, but about how the left treats our leaders when they disappoint us)
Having been in opposition so long, we revile leaders… ?
Or put it this way: We have spent so long in opposition decrying the dishonesty, of Govt that we hate the slightest sign of it in our own?
Be fair, James stuffed up bigly. But he has apologised genuinely to my mind, and probably should have just shut up after that. Politics is not his forte.
I don’t see him as a great future Prime Minister. I see him as someone struggling to cope. But that does not mean that we should not party vote Green.
I'll be voting Green and Shaw's apology has a large part to play in that as it cements that the leaders of the Greens are honourable people.
Something we never see in National and all to rarely see in Labour.
/agreed
The Left seems to have forgotten the concept of forgiveness for simple human error.
Regarding James, he appears to have made an error of judgement, apologised, sought to correct it. What more would you like Greens?
National and friends were overjoyed as it detracted from David Wong Tung's memes and Judith Collins twice signing off a lying advert which was stopped by Parliament.
National are delighted to have that diversion supplied.
Labour have not supported James as they can not be seen to be associated with the mistake….sad fact.
Greens are so busy castigating Shaw they are not drawing the electorate’s attention to the perfidy of National.
Is there a Green faction who favour not being part of a Government with all the attendant difficulties? Would they rather sit on the side benches playing referee?
Compromise is a dirty word to some, but often necessary to defeat the actual evil.
Working together requires compromise quite often, otherwise relationships fail through rigid behaviour. Just saying.
James appears a good man.
Judith Collins is a nasty piece, who “doesn’t get angry she gets even.”