A family complained to Education Minister Hekia Parata over a year ago about a seclusion room being used to discipline their son.
They’ve released the letter, which advised the Minister of “grave concerns” regarding the treatment of their son at Ruru Specialist School in Invercargill.
Those concerns included alleged “psychological abuse” and “unexplained bruising”.
Sorry about the swearing, I get so angry. kids you know, that’s horrible treatment locking people up like that let alone a kid..it’s past disgusting, it reviles me.
I asked some questions and a reporter kindly replied to me at the Herald, strangely, usually I just get ignored or told to F off pretty much :/
Anyways basically I read something here and asked why the herald wasn’t doing much to keep the government honest when journalism was desimated of quality staff/staff and the dpms had doubled with no budget restrictions.., in that it surely is in their best interests.
So if he’s right you guys stop painting BS pictures too, we DO NOT stoop to their level period.
1. DPMC is not John Key’s personal department. It is the department which acts as the administrative centre for government. It is not a political office.
2. It does have budget restrictions. Those restrictions are in the Budget.
3. Our tax money does go to the PM’s publicity, to a degree, but not through DPMC. There are slush funds for that.
4. Decimated might be accurate but it depends when you take your starting point from.
5. DPMC had 130 staff in 2007 and currently has about 250, having incorporated CERA over the last year. It is projected to level out at 200 staff over the next year. Given the relatively weakened state it had operated in and the extra duties it now carries, that does seem outlandishly staffed.
6. I would think the Herald is concerned with the ethical and other actions of every government. That’s why we staff a Press Gallery and have other reporters – myself included – outside the gallery who also write on political issues.
It is the journalists’ job to hold power to account – to shine light in dark places.
But you can only do so if you have the courage of your convictions – if you have done your journalism properly – and if you are properly able to weigh up the consequences of your actions.
The problem is that the privately owned press actually want to hide that power rather than hold it to account because their owners happen to be that power.
Supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet
The department supports the Prime Minister’s twin roles as leader of the government and chair of Cabinet, and provides three kinds of direct support to the Prime Minister:
Support for constitutional issues, including those associated with the formation of governments; and issues associated with the operation of the Cabinet system.
Overview of government activity and access to information on any and all issues that arise.
Administrative support to the Prime Minister (and also to the Governor-General). This includes services to the Prime Minister – such as preparing replies to Parliamentary questions, and dealing with Official Information Act 1982 requests and other correspondence.
So yes it does work for the PM.
Yes it does control information.
Yes it has expanded (almost doubled in funding and staff) – and not just because of CERA.
And it was from within this Department that the Official information with regards to the “israeli terrorists” (you remember that just before the 2014 election) suddenly reached a certain blogger of ill repute and gave the impression that the now mayor of Auckland was a liar with direct consequences for the election result. (something similar is now occurring over the big pond with the FBI.)
Thanks, I added that to my reply to David Fisher, i’ll be interested in his response specially after he wrote about the Terrorist threat .. evidence shown, but none..
pointing out subtly that there seems to be a pattern of this whenever Nationals in hot water..i’d be interested in his response but I suspect it’ll be how to palm someone off much like a ministerial reply.
Thanks for taking this up R R – It is a concern for me that the number of journalists in this country is steadily decreasing and with that the quality of information available to the general public. Too often journalist now rely on handouts from the PR people rather than to dig deeper and to garner the full facts.
Take the issue of NZ’s GHG emissions – Brian Fallow at the Herald has done some good work on this over the past few years, as has the Morgan Foundation, and a few others, but the concerns raised are just left to dangle in the air. It’s just all to difficult – much better to concentrate on the latest murder trial , or the price of houses. So the government continues to get away with doing nothing much, and the people of NZ are left to sleep on.
It was the former mayor of Palmy that a little while ago Mr Key confidently predicted was going to take Palmerston North off Labour so I doubt that envy is what Labour’s feeling right now.
“When John Key in 2008 established the “Ministry of Truth” aka Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet* (which now receives more funding than National Radio and has doubled its number of “spin doctors”, whilst over the same period, the number of full time journalists in the country has halved) reality went out the window and the majority of NZers now live on Planet Key.
For there to be an ethical judgement, the truth of the matter must be clear and understood, that situation is now beyond the reach of most ordinary citizens in this country who obtain their perception of reality from a daily dose of NZ’s TV “news”, provided mainly from the MoT. It is not surprising that ethics is now consigned to the dustbin of history.
*I know that the DoPMC has “always” been there – it is just that since 2008 – John Key has taken its role to new “heights” (or more correctly depths.) as evidenced by the fact that of all public departments it has never been subject to budgetary restrain or capping of personnel, and its funding has now increased to absurd levels.
Note that it was also involved in the 2014 electoral scam.”
So I wrote to the Herald asking them WTF? Especially the lack of budget constraints etc.
Macro..sort it out dude, it appears your skewed a little off centre pal.
A news item on Prime News 5.30 was about tourist going to Baldwin Street in Dunedin and complaining that there were no toilet facilities. Funny that Baldwin Street is a RESIDENTIAL area.
The tour operators are telling the tourist according to Prime to use people’s front gardens and public gardens as toilets. If I lived there I would invest in a high-pressure fireman’s hose and if I saw any prat using my front garden as a shithouse they would get it full bore. I wonder if the are tours round where the fucking spiv lives and if there are toilet facilities in his street and if not are the tourist told to use the fucking spivs front garden as a shithouse. Mind you if they did it would not make much difference it will just increase the depth of shit that is already there.
This country I love is fast becoming the shithouse for all and sundry created by the policies of this shit government we have.
Tourism is set up to shit in people’s front and backyards. It’s been happening in the roadside wilderness for a long time, including beside lakes and rivers. When transnational corporations are allowed to run van rental companies for tourists and they encourage those tourists to ‘free camp’, then of course those tens of thousands of people are going to shit somewhere we don’t want. This is what we signed up for when we sanctioned industrial tourism as a way for us to make a living.
“This is what we signed up for when we sanctioned industrial tourism as a way for us to make a living.”
You may have signed up for that mate but I haven’t signed up for anyone shitting in people’s gardens. or on the side of the road or in the layby we stopped a few weeks ago and saw it and by the lakes or bush etc etc etc. I am also aware that it has been going on for awhile so you are not telling me something new,
I get the impression that you are in favour of the fucking spiv’s government allowing this. What kind of sewer do you want to turn this country into
With regards to the freedom campers, the government should have BANNED any camper van that did not have contained onboard toilet facilities. But they are not going to do that are they mate, too many fucking potential dollars involved. and we must not stop the flow of dollars. irrespective the harm it is doing to NZ and the people.
This country is fast becoming the sewer of the South Pacific with the over intensive dairying polluting all the streams and rivers and now affecting area’s like the Hauraki Gulf, tourist allowed to shit everywhere and in people’s gardens just, Quote you ” to make a living.”
“Tourism is set up to shit in people’s front and backyards.”
Let me make this absolutely clear mate MY backyard is not set up for anybody to shit in and if they do they will have a high pressure hose set on them.
Mate..it’s fucking horrible but I cannot stop cracking up at the thought of tourists squatting behind the bushes of someone’s front lawn.
and if some bus driver told me to do that i’d question why the fucking toilet in his bus wasn’t working????
I spent 2 days about ish on a bus London to Germany.. all for LUV..had a toilet, though if anyone’s ever tried to crap or piss on a moving bus.., they will know what I mean, good luck to them.
Hey Richard that’s hilarious, had a larf at your use of English. Not the best of terminology “cracking up having a shit”. Possibly the bus didn’t have a shithouse on board except the one in the front telling them to use people’s gardens.
“I get the impression that you are in favour of the fucking spiv’s government allowing this.”
I have not idea what you mean by ‘spiv’, but don’t be a fuckwit. I’m arguing that industrial tourism is hugely damaging to NZ, and that shitting in people’s backyards wherever that may be is a natural consequence of us valuing tourism in the economy. Yes, National are doing this shit on steroids, but Labour are pro-industrial tourism too.
Precisely. Halfcrown – you need to understand more than half of what someone means before you leap in like that. If you look more carefully, you might perceive that Weka was on your side.
Bit late but first chance to reply
Yeah you are so right Vino, that was definitely a shot from the hip on my part, but I was infuriated to think New Zealanders have to and are putting up with this filth for the almighty dollar. Also, I have a soft spot for Dunedin though I would not like to see that done anywhere.
I broke a golden rule a lawyer friend told many many years ago, which is worth repeating here “If you ever get a communication that really angers you put it under your blotter for 48 hrs then re-read it before responding” OK we don’t have blotters in this modern age, and can’t wait 48 hrs but this snippet of wisdom is more valid today with the infernal net.
One of the houses had a landlord present when a tourist took a dump in the yard – landlord bagged it up like dogshit and handed it right back to him.
The biggest hazard is trying to slalom down the hill when tourists don’t get off the fucking road.
On the occasions I go on holiday, living on Baldwin St certainly gave me a lot more consieration for the locals and not being a dickhead.
All because Dunedin has a longstanding tradition of having the dumbest city planners in the world. Seriously, who just draws a straight line across a contour like that? The forebears of those who put a $200million rugby stadium on reclaimed land right next to the harbour, that’s who.
Sometimes I feel like all we are doing is going backwards. I can’t believe that NZ is still like this. Good on the manager for being straight up about how appalling this is. Goff not so much.
The Tuesday evening ceremony was a proud moment for Efeso Collins, who was the first in his family with a university education and was sworn in as one of two representatives in the Manukau Ward in south Auckland.
He was one of those who read his oath in Māori.
But the joy wasn’t fully shared by his wife, daughter and elders, who were refused their allocated seating in the councillor’s family area at the Auckland Town Hall.
“My family was told that they couldn’t sit where they were because that was reserved for council guests, and that’s when my wife said ‘We are council guests’, but no one believed them,” he said.
In the formal atmosphere of a gala-style ceremony, Mr Collins had no doubt as to what happened to his Samoan relatives.
I trust that the ushers are now coming to grips with their staggering racist prejudices. If so, maybe it will help a few more people to do the same. I believe the public deserves informative follow-up reporting. But I guess another All Black will do something saucy.
When you stand back a bit Goff looks like Shane Jones mkII. A government proxy.
I just can’t see Goff achieving anything except for the occupying of the seat. His response to Efeso Collins’ family’s hassle on the day they should have been most proud was weak when it could have been much stronger.
Goff blamed the contractor. Not the management and not the Council, he blamed the the worker, a default position for the current John Key government.
There was a dump of bad news yesterday and today; report on sheep-gate, Novopay still fubar, GCSB overstepping but doesn’t apologise for ‘by catch’, etc.
Of no great surprise then was the interference line run from the ninth floor, a non-story with no specific time relevance; ‘we’ve got terrorists in our midst!’
And not working as well as it used to. Been all about Hekia today anyway. The likelihood of her getting shuffled out of Education in the New Year surely has gone up markedly.
Seriously I think your wrong. I always write to the minister, PM whoever and make my points clear. a lot of the time my abuse of them remains unanswered, and I just don’t know why 🙂
However I do it every time. I won’t be the only one.., that’s all that matters statistically I won’t be alone and as the government becomes more and more inept more will write complaining to. So I doubt very much ignorance is king I suspect they count exactly how many negatives they receive..
Everyone should write BTW.. at least do something as well as moan here.
Of course MB your spot on and if you had seen all the reporters huddled around Findlayson, he could barely contain his grin as they took him for his word, hook line and sinker.. I bet he wandered off chucking his sick little fart out.
Of no great surprise then was the interference line run from the ninth floor, a non-story with no specific time relevance; ‘we’ve got terrorists in our midst!’
McCully repeatedly says that a legal opinion was sought and given. We assumed that the legal opinion was a “go-ahead Murray.” He implies that it was. We know that the legal opinion will not be released.
But what if the legal opinion was, “Murray do not go ahead with your plan. It is a wrong move Murray. Don’t go there!”
You see? A legal opinion was sought and given. Tick.
The legal opinion will never be seen by the public. Tick.
McCully did all the right things. Tick.
Lets all cheer for our Murray!
BTW before it happens I just want to warn the readers here, when key finally does reshuffle and hopefully clears some old oaks from his forest.. there’s a fella called Bridges coming along..
500 000 Kiwis don’t see a doctor because of the cost. These are the families of people who are unable to work and the families of people who are stuck in part time work and low wages. These are the families of people who have been displaced from both state housing and private rental housing.
This underclass is blossoming under the current government.
Question: Is this a strategy by the current government to deliberately unsettle teachers and distract them from the job the love thereby lowering their performance?
We’ve seen the current government degrade once high achieving public services as a pretence to restructuring and the selling of assets.
Conehead (that’s right, Mr dildo) is supposedly one of the three best ministers in the current government and he can’t even control the Australian based and owned payroll system he is in charge of.
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
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David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
FOR FUCKS SAKE
A family complained to Education Minister Hekia Parata over a year ago about a seclusion room being used to discipline their son.
They’ve released the letter, which advised the Minister of “grave concerns” regarding the treatment of their son at Ruru Specialist School in Invercargill.
Those concerns included alleged “psychological abuse” and “unexplained bruising”.
with the FUCKING LETTER..
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/parata-knew-about-seclusion-rooms-a-year-ago—family-2016110313
the LIES are just getting fucking ridiculous from this government..
Do you reckon that will get the rules right, so kids are able to go to the toilet by them selves??
More dicking around by National has caused irreparable harm to NZ children.
Sorry about the swearing, I get so angry. kids you know, that’s horrible treatment locking people up like that let alone a kid..it’s past disgusting, it reviles me.
I asked some questions and a reporter kindly replied to me at the Herald, strangely, usually I just get ignored or told to F off pretty much :/
Anyways basically I read something here and asked why the herald wasn’t doing much to keep the government honest when journalism was desimated of quality staff/staff and the dpms had doubled with no budget restrictions.., in that it surely is in their best interests.
So if he’s right you guys stop painting BS pictures too, we DO NOT stoop to their level period.
1. DPMC is not John Key’s personal department. It is the department which acts as the administrative centre for government. It is not a political office.
2. It does have budget restrictions. Those restrictions are in the Budget.
3. Our tax money does go to the PM’s publicity, to a degree, but not through DPMC. There are slush funds for that.
4. Decimated might be accurate but it depends when you take your starting point from.
5. DPMC had 130 staff in 2007 and currently has about 250, having incorporated CERA over the last year. It is projected to level out at 200 staff over the next year. Given the relatively weakened state it had operated in and the extra duties it now carries, that does seem outlandishly staffed.
6. I would think the Herald is concerned with the ethical and other actions of every government. That’s why we staff a Press Gallery and have other reporters – myself included – outside the gallery who also write on political issues.
I’m struggling to understand what you’re on about there Richard?
Try taking those blue ear plugs out then BM, and use that thing between your ears to work it out using logic and reasoning..
Oh that’s right I forget your at a disadvantage being, Tory.., in all that.
consevatives, pftt throw 30 million at an Arab sheik with more money than sense but moan like fuck at any national expenditure.
Don’t you lot see your own hypocracy?
🙂
I wasn’t trying to be rude, what’s your stuff and what stuff is the reply you got back ?
Also the media isn’t there to “keep the government honest”, they’re there to make money for the stake holders.
Ok, hence my smiley, neither was I.., lower BM, it was something macro had said, but all good, handle the jandal Tory 😉
“Also the media isn’t there to “keep the government honest”, ”
Very true BM…that job is the opposition’s i.e. Labour / Greens / NZF.
Your both wrong, it’s up to everyone to do their part in keeping an honest government, and ethical government a government for all NZ’ers.
Whether by the careful consideration of your vote, and that not being because of ..mmm what’s the word.. because your parents voted that way.
Because they have the best policies ethics, standards and abilities we hope.
I loathed the Lange government as much as I loathe this National government..
have you ever detested a tory government? And refused to vote for it?
Wrong. The job of the press has always been to hold power to account:
The problem is that the privately owned press actually want to hide that power rather than hold it to account because their owners happen to be that power.
The Role of DPMC wrt the PM:
So yes it does work for the PM.
Yes it does control information.
Yes it has expanded (almost doubled in funding and staff) – and not just because of CERA.
And it was from within this Department that the Official information with regards to the “israeli terrorists” (you remember that just before the 2014 election) suddenly reached a certain blogger of ill repute and gave the impression that the now mayor of Auckland was a liar with direct consequences for the election result. (something similar is now occurring over the big pond with the FBI.)
Thanks, I added that to my reply to David Fisher, i’ll be interested in his response specially after he wrote about the Terrorist threat .. evidence shown, but none..
pointing out subtly that there seems to be a pattern of this whenever Nationals in hot water..i’d be interested in his response but I suspect it’ll be how to palm someone off much like a ministerial reply.
Cheers macro.
Thanks for taking this up R R – It is a concern for me that the number of journalists in this country is steadily decreasing and with that the quality of information available to the general public. Too often journalist now rely on handouts from the PR people rather than to dig deeper and to garner the full facts.
Take the issue of NZ’s GHG emissions – Brian Fallow at the Herald has done some good work on this over the past few years, as has the Morgan Foundation, and a few others, but the concerns raised are just left to dangle in the air. It’s just all to difficult – much better to concentrate on the latest murder trial , or the price of houses. So the government continues to get away with doing nothing much, and the people of NZ are left to sleep on.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11741456
Rats deserting a sinking ship?
Nat list mp chucking it in after a year.
Probably told he’s not in the frame for any future advancement.
Dudes got enough brains and options to take the hint and move on.
Labour must just look on in envy.
It was the former mayor of Palmy that a little while ago Mr Key confidently predicted was going to take Palmerston North off Labour so I doubt that envy is what Labour’s feeling right now.
That’s another of Key’s round the barbecue endorsements gone up in smoke.
Yeah remember the great advances National was supposedly making in South Auckland?
Keep up with the program BW I was onto that post about 5 hours ago..ish ly.
🙂
*Macro*
“When John Key in 2008 established the “Ministry of Truth” aka Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet* (which now receives more funding than National Radio and has doubled its number of “spin doctors”, whilst over the same period, the number of full time journalists in the country has halved) reality went out the window and the majority of NZers now live on Planet Key.
For there to be an ethical judgement, the truth of the matter must be clear and understood, that situation is now beyond the reach of most ordinary citizens in this country who obtain their perception of reality from a daily dose of NZ’s TV “news”, provided mainly from the MoT. It is not surprising that ethics is now consigned to the dustbin of history.
*I know that the DoPMC has “always” been there – it is just that since 2008 – John Key has taken its role to new “heights” (or more correctly depths.) as evidenced by the fact that of all public departments it has never been subject to budgetary restrain or capping of personnel, and its funding has now increased to absurd levels.
Note that it was also involved in the 2014 electoral scam.”
So I wrote to the Herald asking them WTF? Especially the lack of budget constraints etc.
Macro..sort it out dude, it appears your skewed a little off centre pal.
A news item on Prime News 5.30 was about tourist going to Baldwin Street in Dunedin and complaining that there were no toilet facilities. Funny that Baldwin Street is a RESIDENTIAL area.
The tour operators are telling the tourist according to Prime to use people’s front gardens and public gardens as toilets. If I lived there I would invest in a high-pressure fireman’s hose and if I saw any prat using my front garden as a shithouse they would get it full bore. I wonder if the are tours round where the fucking spiv lives and if there are toilet facilities in his street and if not are the tourist told to use the fucking spivs front garden as a shithouse. Mind you if they did it would not make much difference it will just increase the depth of shit that is already there.
This country I love is fast becoming the shithouse for all and sundry created by the policies of this shit government we have.
LMFAO…pardon the pun.
Who is the spiv?
Tourism is set up to shit in people’s front and backyards. It’s been happening in the roadside wilderness for a long time, including beside lakes and rivers. When transnational corporations are allowed to run van rental companies for tourists and they encourage those tourists to ‘free camp’, then of course those tens of thousands of people are going to shit somewhere we don’t want. This is what we signed up for when we sanctioned industrial tourism as a way for us to make a living.
“Who is the spiv?”
Go figure your fucking self.
“This is what we signed up for when we sanctioned industrial tourism as a way for us to make a living.”
You may have signed up for that mate but I haven’t signed up for anyone shitting in people’s gardens. or on the side of the road or in the layby we stopped a few weeks ago and saw it and by the lakes or bush etc etc etc. I am also aware that it has been going on for awhile so you are not telling me something new,
I get the impression that you are in favour of the fucking spiv’s government allowing this. What kind of sewer do you want to turn this country into
With regards to the freedom campers, the government should have BANNED any camper van that did not have contained onboard toilet facilities. But they are not going to do that are they mate, too many fucking potential dollars involved. and we must not stop the flow of dollars. irrespective the harm it is doing to NZ and the people.
This country is fast becoming the sewer of the South Pacific with the over intensive dairying polluting all the streams and rivers and now affecting area’s like the Hauraki Gulf, tourist allowed to shit everywhere and in people’s gardens just, Quote you ” to make a living.”
“Tourism is set up to shit in people’s front and backyards.”
Let me make this absolutely clear mate MY backyard is not set up for anybody to shit in and if they do they will have a high pressure hose set on them.
Mate..it’s fucking horrible but I cannot stop cracking up at the thought of tourists squatting behind the bushes of someone’s front lawn.
and if some bus driver told me to do that i’d question why the fucking toilet in his bus wasn’t working????
I spent 2 days about ish on a bus London to Germany.. all for LUV..had a toilet, though if anyone’s ever tried to crap or piss on a moving bus.., they will know what I mean, good luck to them.
These coaches have toilets afaia aware?
Hey Richard that’s hilarious, had a larf at your use of English. Not the best of terminology “cracking up having a shit”. Possibly the bus didn’t have a shithouse on board except the one in the front telling them to use people’s gardens.
“I get the impression that you are in favour of the fucking spiv’s government allowing this.”
I have not idea what you mean by ‘spiv’, but don’t be a fuckwit. I’m arguing that industrial tourism is hugely damaging to NZ, and that shitting in people’s backyards wherever that may be is a natural consequence of us valuing tourism in the economy. Yes, National are doing this shit on steroids, but Labour are pro-industrial tourism too.
Precisely. Halfcrown – you need to understand more than half of what someone means before you leap in like that. If you look more carefully, you might perceive that Weka was on your side.
Bit late but first chance to reply
Yeah you are so right Vino, that was definitely a shot from the hip on my part, but I was infuriated to think New Zealanders have to and are putting up with this filth for the almighty dollar. Also, I have a soft spot for Dunedin though I would not like to see that done anywhere.
I broke a golden rule a lawyer friend told many many years ago, which is worth repeating here “If you ever get a communication that really angers you put it under your blotter for 48 hrs then re-read it before responding” OK we don’t have blotters in this modern age, and can’t wait 48 hrs but this snippet of wisdom is more valid today with the infernal net.
I take back that pal, but that is NOT what you came across about. You appeared to be in favour of it.
Spiv noun :- a man, typically a flashy dresser, who makes a living by disreputable dealings.
Actually, it is London backslang for VIPs
Spiv – cool!
Sometimes it pays to give people the benefit of the doubt and ask for clarification.
Is the spiv Key? I thought you were talking about the tourism operators in Baldwin St.
Yeah but you have to catch ’em at it.
One of the houses had a landlord present when a tourist took a dump in the yard – landlord bagged it up like dogshit and handed it right back to him.
The biggest hazard is trying to slalom down the hill when tourists don’t get off the fucking road.
On the occasions I go on holiday, living on Baldwin St certainly gave me a lot more consieration for the locals and not being a dickhead.
All because Dunedin has a longstanding tradition of having the dumbest city planners in the world. Seriously, who just draws a straight line across a contour like that? The forebears of those who put a $200million rugby stadium on reclaimed land right next to the harbour, that’s who.
rofl. Maybe the rah rah/brighter future brigade should run a national competition – who has the stupidest town planners, with examples?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11741466
jeez..dang and it’s just dandy for some 150k in a day weeeeeeeeee
Sometimes I feel like all we are doing is going backwards. I can’t believe that NZ is still like this. Good on the manager for being straight up about how appalling this is. Goff not so much.
The Tuesday evening ceremony was a proud moment for Efeso Collins, who was the first in his family with a university education and was sworn in as one of two representatives in the Manukau Ward in south Auckland.
He was one of those who read his oath in Māori.
But the joy wasn’t fully shared by his wife, daughter and elders, who were refused their allocated seating in the councillor’s family area at the Auckland Town Hall.
“My family was told that they couldn’t sit where they were because that was reserved for council guests, and that’s when my wife said ‘We are council guests’, but no one believed them,” he said.
In the formal atmosphere of a gala-style ceremony, Mr Collins had no doubt as to what happened to his Samoan relatives.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/317159/'racial-discrimination'-mars-councillor's-swearing-in
That is absolutely despicable.
I trust that the ushers are now coming to grips with their staggering racist prejudices. If so, maybe it will help a few more people to do the same. I believe the public deserves informative follow-up reporting. But I guess another All Black will do something saucy.
When you stand back a bit Goff looks like Shane Jones mkII. A government proxy.
I just can’t see Goff achieving anything except for the occupying of the seat. His response to Efeso Collins’ family’s hassle on the day they should have been most proud was weak when it could have been much stronger.
Goff blamed the contractor. Not the management and not the Council, he blamed the the worker, a default position for the current John Key government.
Goff has left central govt to continue his act styled beliefs as supershity mayor.
Remember Keystone cops… well here in NZ we have Keystone government.. it’s official.
Idiots are in charge of the system
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/minister-backtracks-on-meth-eviction-review-comment/ar-AAjOAVO?li=AA521r&ocid=spartandhp
Bills starts 11am..scans first two cases, quickly realizes he liable for millions in compensation and his election bribes are gone burger..
by 11.15 it’s a yeah , nah wat ch ya.., talkin bout Willis?.
There was a dump of bad news yesterday and today; report on sheep-gate, Novopay still fubar, GCSB overstepping but doesn’t apologise for ‘by catch’, etc.
Of no great surprise then was the interference line run from the ninth floor, a non-story with no specific time relevance; ‘we’ve got terrorists in our midst!’
It is so predictable now.
And not working as well as it used to. Been all about Hekia today anyway. The likelihood of her getting shuffled out of Education in the New Year surely has gone up markedly.
No one cares
Ignorance is king these days, which does make it tough for the opposition, almost impossible to get any cut through.
I care.,..
so, not no one..
at all.
Seriously I think your wrong. I always write to the minister, PM whoever and make my points clear. a lot of the time my abuse of them remains unanswered, and I just don’t know why 🙂
However I do it every time. I won’t be the only one.., that’s all that matters statistically I won’t be alone and as the government becomes more and more inept more will write complaining to. So I doubt very much ignorance is king I suspect they count exactly how many negatives they receive..
Everyone should write BTW.. at least do something as well as moan here.
Ah, is that how you excuse your ongoing ignorance?
Good reply to obvious on-going trolling by BM. Boring Meathead?
I always liked Bowel Motion better!
Ignorance and apathy are hallmarks of kiwi voting patterns. The frog mentality.
Of course MB your spot on and if you had seen all the reporters huddled around Findlayson, he could barely contain his grin as they took him for his word, hook line and sinker.. I bet he wandered off chucking his sick little fart out.
We do though – it’s the National led government.
don’t forget the affiliates Act and ..a vary rarely seen terrorist organization, the UF.
hmm Where is dunny jeez that fuckers never about and then you suddenly remember him, like an old cobweb in the back of your mind.
McCully repeatedly says that a legal opinion was sought and given. We assumed that the legal opinion was a “go-ahead Murray.” He implies that it was. We know that the legal opinion will not be released.
But what if the legal opinion was, “Murray do not go ahead with your plan. It is a wrong move Murray. Don’t go there!”
You see? A legal opinion was sought and given. Tick.
The legal opinion will never be seen by the public. Tick.
McCully did all the right things. Tick.
Lets all cheer for our Murray!
McCully and Smith, quite frankly if national didn’t have them, Labour would be far worse off in the polls.
In a round about way The opposition is lucky to have them.
BTW before it happens I just want to warn the readers here, when key finally does reshuffle and hopefully clears some old oaks from his forest.. there’s a fella called Bridges coming along..
God help the Nation.
someone today lost 2.7 billion dollars in 2 hours on the stock market.
I feel for that man.
I say good job. That man is part of the problem and the sooner his attitude to getting rich in life is extinguished, the better.
email wars
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/28/world/europe/ukraine-russia-emails.html?mabReward=A1&recp=6&action=click&pgtype=Homepage®ion=CColumn&module=Recommendation&src=rechp&WT.nav=RecEngine&_r=0
Time William Gibson updated Neuromancer.
John Key’s brighter future:
500 000 Kiwis don’t see a doctor because of the cost. These are the families of people who are unable to work and the families of people who are stuck in part time work and low wages. These are the families of people who have been displaced from both state housing and private rental housing.
This underclass is blossoming under the current government.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/86049359/half-a-million-kiwis-not-receiving-healthcare-because-of-cost
New tobacco taxes would be a contributing factor.
Has John Key’s GCSB been caught hacking the nurses’ union?
Computer says yes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11741644
Computer says no.
Imputed says that nurses union sent out personal details of thousands of people without even basic safe guards to their personal information.
Conehead is mad. Mr fixit didn’t fix it…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11741431
Question: Is this a strategy by the current government to deliberately unsettle teachers and distract them from the job the love thereby lowering their performance?
We’ve seen the current government degrade once high achieving public services as a pretence to restructuring and the selling of assets.
Conehead (that’s right, Mr dildo) is supposedly one of the three best ministers in the current government and he can’t even control the Australian based and owned payroll system he is in charge of.
#brighterfuture
Mike Hosking’s wingman Toni Street asks Boy George, “do you really want to hurt me?”
Boy George says yes.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/86080883/boy-george-cancels-christchurch-show