Daily review 05/03/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:28 pm, March 5th, 2020 - 55 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

55 comments on “Daily review 05/03/2020 ”

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  1. Pete George 1
    5 March 2020 at 6:36 pm

    Newshub: Non-ministerial Green MPs' average flight-spending trumps other backbenchers

    <Davidson, who co-leads the party with James Shaw, who is a minister, said because the Greens only have eight MPs, "we always tried to get out and about, but certainly with eight MPs it's quite tough and we have to try and spread ourselves as much as possible".

    The latest parliamentary expense disclosure shows that, on average, Green Party list MPs are outspending Labour, National and New Zealand First list MPs on air travel.

    The average air travel spending for non-ministerial Green Party list MPs was $9816, compared to New Zealand First's $8059, and National's $7332, and Labour's $6499.

    David Seymour, MP for Epsom, told Newshub: "The Green Party has always specialised in air travel and hypocrisy – in that order."

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/03/non-ministerial-green-mps-average-flight-spending-trumps-other-backbenchers.html

    Air travel can depend on where list MPs are based, but this does look a bit hypocritical, especially at the same time as this:

    “New Zealanders want to know that the Government is taking action to prevent a climate crisis. But despite strong evidence that we cannot afford to keep burning coal, oil and gas, billions of dollars in public money is still being invested in fossil fuel industries.

    “The Green Party in government has achieved default KiwiSavers divestment from fossil fuels, but we know we need to go further and faster to truly address the climate change challenge.

    “That’s why today we are announcing legislation that will see all public funds divested from fossil fuel industries. Leadership starts at the top, and if our government cannot begin to move away from these industries, how can we expect the rest of New Zealand to?

    https://www.greens.org.nz/greens_celebrate_kiwisaver_divestment_win_call_for_further_and_faster_action

    Leadership should start at the top, but sometimes leaders just try to force things on those lower down.

    • Andre 1.1
      5 March 2020 at 6:42 pm

      Is a few thousand bucks of air travel by a few MPs in the course of their work really something we need to be all that concerned about?

    • Muttonbird 1.2
      5 March 2020 at 6:50 pm

      You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, Humpty.

    • I Feel Love 1.3
      5 March 2020 at 6:53 pm

      Wow, those Green MPs sure work very hard, good on them.

    • Incognito 1.4
      5 March 2020 at 6:53 pm

      So, your only contribution here is to quote and also parrot David Seymour’s line?

      If you were a journalist, I’d call this lazy journalism. As it is, it is wasting TS bandwidth.

      And no, I’m not addressing this any further and waste more time on it.

      • Pete George 1.4.1
        5 March 2020 at 7:37 pm

        Of course I'm not being a journalist when I comment here.

        Again you're diverting from the issue. I'd call this lazy blogging.

        • Robert Guyton 1.4.1.1
          5 March 2020 at 7:42 pm

          "The issue"?

          The JLR story is "the issue", Pete – what ya got for us on that juicy reveal? National and the Chinese Communist Party!! Not healthy for our democracy, Pete, is it!!

        • Incognito 1.4.1.2
          5 March 2020 at 9:59 pm

          Of course I'm not being a journalist when I comment here.

          QED

          You were wearing your MAGA cap (Make ACT Great Again).

          Just make sure you take screenshots of your comments here and to send them to David.

          • Pete George 1.4.1.2.1
            6 March 2020 at 8:02 am

            Funny you accusing me of having a cap. False implication there. I quote MPs from all parties at various times. So do authors here. It's sort of common on political blogs.

            I included Seymour's quote because I think that's how quite a few people will the Green MP use of air travel. And to see what reaction it got here. Expected.

            I don't send screenshots of anything to MPs. Do you?

            You seem to be still wearing your 'diversion from things you want to discredit' hat. Why don't you try to discuss the matters raised instead of just drawing attention to them with lame diversions?

            • Incognito 1.4.1.2.1.1
              6 March 2020 at 8:27 am

              You’re not getting it, Pete.

              When you and others (e.g. David Seymour of all) use hypocrisy against CC activists, for example, you’re attacking the messenger and diverting away from the issue that these activists are trying to tackle. It is that simple. It’s like you’re accusing the surgeon of hurting you and making you bleed when they’re supposed to make you better. The hypocrisy accusation is the one you’d expect from a child. Expected.

              So, you’re the one that keeps bringing up these lame diversions and when I point them out to you, you accuse me of … wait for it … diverting 😉

              Don’t send screenshots, send links; much easier.

      • Wayne 1.4.2
        6 March 2020 at 7:54 am

        The amount of air travel by Green MP's is a reasonable comment point. If they were around the average of other list MP's, it wouldn't be an issue. But being at the top is not what should be expected.

        They could for instance use their MP's from specific regions to do the things in their region. But it looks like they all fly everywhere, criss crossing the country. They can expect to be called on that.

        • Incognito 1.4.2.1
          6 March 2020 at 8:01 am

          They could for instance use their MP's from specific regions to do the things in their region. But it looks like they all fly everywhere, criss crossing the country. [my italics]

          There’s a good headline in there, Wayne 😉

        • observer 1.4.2.2
          6 March 2020 at 8:06 am

          I'd rather they spent taxpayers' money than a corrupt dictatorship's money.

        • solkta 1.4.2.3
          6 March 2020 at 8:15 am

          Yes that's right, it is ridiculous that the Greens have spokespeople. How silly. As they are so much more intelligent than MPs from other parties they should all be experts on every subject and communicate telepathically.

    • Ad 1.5
      5 March 2020 at 8:26 pm

      They will get pinged for that closer to the election.

      At very least they should be publishing their Air NZ carbon offsets.

      Back in the day this government were promising to convert the entire government fleet to electric. Plus ca change.

      • Sacha 1.5.1
        6 March 2020 at 12:16 am

        And which part of this govt torpedoed that plan?

      • bwaghorn 1.5.2
        6 March 2020 at 5:20 am

        Offsetting you say .

        You mean destroying rural communities by funding the planting of trees while achieving fuck all around reducing carbon emissions

    • Psycho Milt 1.6
      5 March 2020 at 9:46 pm

      Non-ministerial Green MPs' average flight-spending trumps other backbencher

      Jesus Fucking H Christ Pete, "Green MPs fly around the country, lol hypocrites" was some pretty lame bullshit to run with 15 years ago, let alone now.

    • mikesh 1.7
      5 March 2020 at 10:45 pm

      I guess when David Seymour needs to travel he thumbs a lift.

      • Incognito 1.7.1
        5 March 2020 at 10:54 pm

        Nope, he gets his lift from the slipstream of hot air coming from National. They’re hoping that others can fly in on his coat-tails.

  2. Cinny 2
    5 March 2020 at 6:49 pm

    Jami lee had a few words to say in Parliament regarding $150k 💰 in donations to the nats, straight out of China. 🇨🇳

    https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=211353

    Dodgy as dealings… Professor Anne-Marie Brady kindly sheds some more light on the subject via twitter.
    https://twitter.com/Anne_MarieBrady/status/1235425637378097155

    • Muttonbird 2.1
      5 March 2020 at 6:55 pm

      Yeah, the reason the Nats split $200K of donations (that we know about, because the truth is probably in the millions ever single year) is because they were afraid of being seen as the Party doing China's bidding.

      Unfortunately for New Zealand I think the problem with National taking money from China is a lot deeper than first thought. Despite their best efforts to distance themselves from the China link they will be tied to it for the foreseeable future.

      Sunlight is the best disinfectant and all that.

    • Robert Guyton 2.2
      5 March 2020 at 7:40 pm

      Calling Pete George! Here's the issue for you, Pete; let's hear what you make of JLR's expose regarding the Chinese Communist Party and the National Party; it's a story you can really get your teeth into!

      • Muttonbird 2.2.1
        5 March 2020 at 7:48 pm

        But a Green MP took a plane when Greta Thunberg says we should all be taking boats.

        That is concerning.

      • Pete George 2.2.2
        5 March 2020 at 8:00 pm

        I've responded above where you also asked.

        I am just in from splitting wood and haven't been pouring over Parliament. if you want to put together a summary I will post it on KB and see what they say about it there.

        See: “Ross also sought to make public two flow-charts prepared by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) which he said showed the flow of money, but was blocked by the Speaker due to legal concerns.”

        So Ross seems to be trying to use court documents in the SFO prosecution he is facing.

        Do you think what he claims is trustworthy? He has come up short in delivering on accusations in the past.

        • Cinny 2.2.2.1
          5 March 2020 at 8:16 pm

          He didn't say they were court documents, that’s merely your own spin petegeorge.

          What he did say was that he couldn't assure the speaker that the charts weren't intergral in any matter currently before the courts. Fair enough too, as how would he know exactly which documents would be before the court at this stage? 10:10 onwards, fascinating.

          • Muttonbird 2.2.2.1.1
            5 March 2020 at 8:29 pm

            Thanks Cinny – it was fascinating.

            I'm guessing the flow chart and associated evidence against the National Party will have its day in the sun, in court, eventually.

            However, that will be after the election and I'm sure it is in the interest of the New Zealand public to have that information before the election.

            I wonder if a decent journalist might be able to help the New Zealand public on this?

            • Cinny 2.2.2.1.1.1
              5 March 2020 at 8:47 pm

              I wonder if a decent journalist might be able to help the New Zealand public on this?

              Hope so.

        • Muttonbird 2.2.2.2
          5 March 2020 at 9:28 pm

          I am just in from splitting wood.

          What is this a euphemism for?

          Pete, you should contribute to my "Farrar watch:" initiative.

          All are welcome.

          I think it's important to keep a close eye on the National Party funded spin doctor. Could use your formidable forensic analysis which seeks out hypocrisy wherever it may reside.

        • Robert Guyton 2.2.2.3
          5 March 2020 at 10:08 pm

          " if you want to put together a summary I will post it on KB and see what they say about it there."

          Truly stunned by that proposal from you, Pete; you want me to do what, so that you could do what so that they could do what???

          WHY???

          Perhaps a stick of kindling flew up from the axe and struck you on the brain, is all I can think!

          • Incognito 2.2.2.3.1
            5 March 2020 at 10:16 pm

            I think you misread Pete’s offer, Robert. Pete’s MO is to quote ad nauseam stuff written by others and then adding some comment, often a one-liner. He seems to call that “journalism”, which is actually a fairly accurate description of NZ journalism in its present state.

            • Sacha 2.2.2.3.1.1
              6 March 2020 at 12:19 am

              Indeed

            • Pete George 2.2.2.3.1.2
              6 March 2020 at 8:43 am

              You seem to have an obsession with making false assertions about me and journalism.

              Have you noticed that posts here often extensively quote from other sources and add their own comments? It's sort of quite common on blogs. Journalists even do it sometimes too, actually quite often.

              I'm not sure why you seem to think it's a bad thing (but it seems only when I do it).

              • Incognito …
                7 March 2020 at 2:25 pm

                Actually, I'm fairly sure some of what I have done qualifies as journalism …

                https://thestandard.org.nz/what-was-winston-thinking/#comment-1685353

                Your words, Pete.

                Do you drop your journalistic standards when you comment here? Do you swap virtual hats?

                Real professional (i.e. the good ones) journalists use data, facts, information from reliable sources, do background checks, et cetera. They don’t just copy & paste (AKA quoting) or parrot lines from others (yes, this happens all the time in MSM, literally). They don’t make up stories about perceived collusion or conspiracy based on innuendo and watching clips of Parliamentary debates when they have nothing else to write about and in absence of any substantial evidence (i.e. when they’ve got nothing on the real story).

                IMO

                I’d be most interested if you could point out the “false assertions” I’ve made about you and journalism, according to you. In fact, you seem to repeat and agree with my “assertions”!? Your blogsite would seem to lend further support.

                If you feel singled out, Pete, it is because you’re not just any commenter here and the style and content of your comments attract attention, not just mine, which is how you want it, apparently.

  3. Cricklewood 3
    5 March 2020 at 7:10 pm

    Wow this is disappointing…

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119931204/rome-continues-to-burn-fourteen-new-mines-being-built-on-conservation-land

    NZ First's influence again? Shit like this gets damaging.

    • Cinny 4.1
      5 March 2020 at 8:53 pm

      Yeah !!!!! bibi didn't crack the numbers, again lololz Hahahahahahahahaaaa!

      There's a large arab population in Israel, it's plain out nasty that bibi's in denial over their democratically won seats.

      bibi's in court in two weeks time and it can't come soon enough.

    • Psycho Milt 4.2
      5 March 2020 at 9:48 pm

      Racists gonna racist.

  5. Muttonbird 5
    5 March 2020 at 9:17 pm

    It is amusing watching Natshub trying to concoct an anti-government story in the face of National Party MPs losing the plot by politicising Coronavirus, and the revelation that CCP money is funding the Nats’ 2020 campaign.

  7. McFlock 7
    5 March 2020 at 10:29 pm

    Stuff article on what the govt is actually doing.

    My only query would be leaving USians to use the customs e-gates. Not sure the yank policy of bullshit&pray is an effective containment measure. For a supposedly developed nation, they have a lot of self-built hurdles between them and not being completely in the toilet.