I'm not blaming the residents. I'm blaming the developer and the local council which signed off on it. Risk reporting has come a long way since the mid 19th century. I naturally assumed such risk is taken into account these days. Obviously not.
What evidence do you have of negligence on anyone's part? Not even the local lines company is prepared to rise to that inhuman bait. Maybe you could wait until the ashes cooled down before pointing the fingerbone.
By your measure of blaming Councils and developers for fire risk to property, QueenstownLakes should be liable for fire risk from Queenstown's own pine forests with homes subdivided right beside them or for subdivision around Wanaka's Mt Iron
But then you'd have to do the same shitty blame game for … Te Anau, Hawea, Makaora, all towns on the West Coast from south to north, Chrischurch's Port Hills, Golden Bay, any settlement near any national park, Taupo, Tokoroa, Kinleith, Gisborne, Auckland suburbs like Titirangi and Glen Eden and Albany … in fact anywhere with a stand of trees.
Fed Farmers and the local mayor have already been casting blame around. They of course want to see DoC and any other environmental conscience gone from the region so they can plant green dairy circles across the region.
Yes, I've been to Ohau lodge. Very nice and it too might be at risk but from memory it is hard up against the ranges. The affected settlement seemed to be out on the flat with dry pines and grasses in and around it.
Someone didn't do their risk assessments properly. Insurance companies must be fuming.
While both the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes occurred on "blind" or unknown faults, New Zealand's Earthquake Commission had, in a 1991 report, predicted moderate earthquakes in Canterbury with the likelihood of associated liquefaction.
They had a huge flood in Brisbane I think, on a flood plain, known, and still built there. The temptation is too great, wow a spare bit of land I can build something there and make a quid or whatever.
People in the Brisbane valley flood plain also successfully lobbied against a large set of protective stopbanks just five years ago, after intensive consultation and engagement.
The most effective guide is insurance premiums responding to risk, but even then people just hold out, get devastated, and cry foul to GoFundMe or whatever.
Are they? I thought they were talking about recent years with the DoC issues. There are communities all over NZ built in what are now higher fire risk areas, but they weren't so high when first built. Central Otago, North Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson. Basically half the South Island has areas of increased risk now.
The landscape has changed and climate change is pushing the boundaries. It's a potent mix of nature and human's ignoring the problem. People are still building in daft places. NZ doesn't have a bushfire mentality, yet. But we will.
Fed Farmers are trying to blame it on DoC. I just feel that if developers are going to build it is up to them and the local council to have a plan to make the development safe. The district mayor is also laying the blame at the feet of DoC. Well sorry mate, it's your council.
I suspect that as well as the obvious advantages of voting without those other disease laden wretches, that there is a strong element of 'I already know who I'm voting for' that wasn't present in the last two elections.
I suspect that isn't going to be good for the right. It means that each day that these kinds of rates persist, the smaller the group that is available to convince otherwise shrinks.
It's also the first time early voting has opened with two full weekend days for voting. So it might have been a bit easier for wannabe early voters to actually do it this year.
If early voting keeps trending the way it has this opening weekend then I reckon National has got another 2 or 3 days max to pull off the game-changer they need if they’re going to come back from the dead. They are really running out of road now.
Labour and the Greens have so far run an extraordinarily disciplined campaign. Apart from the odd candidate getting on the wrong side of fact-checking there has literally been nothing to upset the apple cart.
Nah. The behaviour exposed by that e-mail is totally on-brand for Judthulhu. Any votes that might be changed by shit like that have already been changed. In both directions.
I suspect that the only reason why Collins went for AT is because they're actually doing a good job in getting public transport working and building cycleways.
Yeah. New carriages. Electrification. Loads of young people and students use them. Journeys are way up. And they are fixing the lines as we speak.
Cycle ridership has tripled on the NW cycleway between 2012 and 2018 due to major upgrades between Lincoln Rd and the CBD including Lightpath, the Grafton Gulley cycleway, and the Waterview path.
Well, that's one way to ensure even more Aucklanders don't vote for National. We remember, quite clearly, how they fucked Auckland last time they pulled this shit.
Collins comment at the end speaking about housing, "We cannot afford to go another three years waiting for something to happen". Yeah indeed, it was 9 years last time she was in power waiting for something to happen
It’s not the behaviour that’s the problem here. We all know what National’s like. It’s the fact of the leak itself. Now? At the crucial point in an election campaign? Are they mad? Could be like a dam bursting. Looks like more than a few National MPs are already eyeing up the lifeboats.
Interesting Judith Collins' unpopularity within the caucus has been exposed by one of their own MPs. What a laugh. And it is likely Denise Lee is not the only MP upset at Collins' behaviour.
looks like a $16 billion fiscal hole coming out of Epsom now.
Not content with Goldsmith miscalculating to the tune of $8 billion
Seems David Seymour has decided to join the club with his own $8 billion fiscal hole
As Niles Standish of Crank Yanker fame would say, "Take your $8 billion fiscal hole and DOUBLE it". That might explain the recent crank yanking we are seeing from both Goldsmith and Seymour.
When two black holes collide – or is it cannibalise each other? – it sends gravitational shock waves through the whole Universe. Many years from now some distant civilization might detect a short sharp spike and they’ll go “WTF!!” and then trace its origin back to the joining of two giant fiscal holes in the year 2020 AD on a small scorched planet orbiting a dwarf star. I’ll bet they’ll never figure out it the holes were man-made because they’ll have no record of our civilization, of course.
If I was optimistic, I would suggest that Judith knows that this election is lost for her, and with it the centre ground. She also know that her career is probably finished after the election, as well. So, she is just going all out Crusher, one final nothing-to-lose flurry before she bows out and goes back to the law chambers, you can tell she is just enjoying just being herself.
But, Im not going to get too carried away just yet.
Not quite this I don't think. I suspect she feels if Nats can get 35-37% in defeat it will be enough for her to stay on as leader. And in her mind, get another crack in 2023, maybe in a more suitable electoral climate. The Nats caucus might have other ideas.
Anybody else think that it’s either a very lucky break or great campaign strategy that saw Labour release its LGBTQI policy today, amongst other things banning conversion therapy, after the country spent the weekend cringing at the sight of the National Party leader humiliating herself trying to curry favour with the conservative religious right.
She didn't invite the media in there, and it would have been worse if she had sought to ban them from the scene. She was invited to pray by the priest of the church.
I'm surprised you have fallen for Judith's version of events so easily. There are ways a proper practicing Christian could politely ask the media for some level of privacy while she "spoke to god". A proper practicing Christian would be at home asking for such a simple request. She didn't even bother.
The very core of being Anglican is the central act of the community coming together at Mass to celebrate the Eucharist. It is that continued 'act of faith' that makes one a practising Anglican, not a baptisimal certificate.
Judith missed the St. Thomas service by two hours. Following the liturgy is morning tea so Judith also missed a mix and mingle with that parish community.
There is no special loss or gain of the power of a prayer by kneeling, posing hands or praying elsewhere.
She could have prayed at a local park, in a haybarn or in her car. She was very aware of the cameras as she played to them blatantly when posing in different directions while voting.
There was no need for such a 'charlatan' type display in church other than political posturing . Pretty sure on the campaign trail followed relentlessly by media in all these weeks it would have been news if she just popped into a church to pray around the country.???
That Judith just popped over to another electorate missing many, many polling booths to be at the one with an Anglican church was a staged theatrical stunt. She was voting in another electorate and had to use the special vote box as per rules.
Public acts of praying are explicitly condemned as unnecessary and possibly hypocritical by the Big Man himself. From the Sermon on the Mount:
5 And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, because they would be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
6 But when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber: and when thou hast shut thy door, pray unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
7 Also when ye pray, use no vain repetitions as the Heathen: for they think to be heard for their much babbling.
8 Be ye not like them therefore: for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need, before ye ask of him.
A leader casting a vote is always an election photo-op. That's why the cameras were there (as they are for all major leaders). She chose to cast her vote at a church, knowing that the cameras would be there. She chose to go into a church to "pray" (pose), again in full knowledge and expectation.
“Collins didn’t seek privacy as she led the media pack into the building and a media handler checked with church staff that it was okay for cameras to enter.”
In the Herald video clip she stated to reporters when asked, that no she had not been at that church before. So somehow between her Papakura home and St. Thomas Tamaki it was just a bloody miracle that the media were there.
To reporters she also in a most unChristian way said after saying she doesn't judge others ,
" I could have turned around and said 'get out of this house of worship you evil media', or I could have just done exactly what I was going to do in the first place. I would have thought they would have expected it was a private moment but they came charging in."
The church is as much the media persons' place to be as the hypocrite’s while praying in public.
And what else would you call a person who set those policies that killed children, showed no guilt for doing so and would do it again in the blink of an eye?
The Greens in Canada have elected a new leader to replace long-serving, outgoing leader Elizabeth May. Paul will be standing in the by-election scheduled for the downtown Toronto riding just vacated by outgoing Liberal Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
Apparently it wasn’t Denise Lee who leaked her email to Jenna Lynch. Auckland Council and AT and their relative friendless-ness are incidental to the shit that’s about to hit the fan in the National Party.
Judith Collins drove herself across the isthmus to a church outside of her electorate where she had to cast a special vote in order to get a photo op. All just to try and mop up a few supporters who are straying to the loony Christian fringe parties that have cropped up on her right flank.
I’m not sure that this is quite correct. Stuff reported her saying she’d voted for Simon O’Connor – ie she must be enrolled in Tamaki, not Papakura. Which is odd, but allowed. But then she was photographed posting a ballot into a special votes box, so that’s confusing.
The whole bloody country was embarrassed for her. It was a set up for crying out loud. Maybe it will achieve what the National Party wants it to achieve. Who knows? But one thing’s for sure it’s just another sign that National has had to abandon the centre in a mad scramble to shore up its rapidly disintegrating right flank.
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
This Ohau thing is weird. Everyone now says it's always been a risk yet they still built there.
Christchurch was like that.
I'd be interested to read the info saying Christchurch specifically was an earthquake risk before the city was founded.
Before Christchurch or Wellington or Napier was founded there were no geotech reports done.
Before Invercargill or Greytown or Queenstown was founded there were no flooding assessments done.
Before Auckland was founded there were no volcano risk or sea level rise reports reports done.
I'm not even sure Maui had any sense either.
Blaming people when their life has just literally gone up in flames is just so shitty.
I'm not blaming the residents. I'm blaming the developer and the local council which signed off on it. Risk reporting has come a long way since the mid 19th century. I naturally assumed such risk is taken into account these days. Obviously not.
What evidence do you have of negligence on anyone's part? Not even the local lines company is prepared to rise to that inhuman bait. Maybe you could wait until the ashes cooled down before pointing the fingerbone.
By your measure of blaming Councils and developers for fire risk to property, QueenstownLakes should be liable for fire risk from Queenstown's own pine forests with homes subdivided right beside them or for subdivision around Wanaka's Mt Iron
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/wildfire-2/
But then you'd have to do the same shitty blame game for … Te Anau, Hawea, Makaora, all towns on the West Coast from south to north, Chrischurch's Port Hills, Golden Bay, any settlement near any national park, Taupo, Tokoroa, Kinleith, Gisborne, Auckland suburbs like Titirangi and Glen Eden and Albany … in fact anywhere with a stand of trees.
Hold your breath and wait for the inquiry.
Fed Farmers and the local mayor have already been casting blame around. They of course want to see DoC and any other environmental conscience gone from the region so they can plant green dairy circles across the region.
You seem to want the same which is disappointing.
Maybe you could wait until the ashes cooled down before pointing the fingerbone.
You mean this isn't a time to ask questions, but a time to offer thoughts and prayers?
Christchurch was considered a low earthquake risk …until 2010
This area is know for high winds and dry conditions. It's never been built on before.
???
The Mackenzie Basin.
plenty of building there…Twizel, Tekapo etc…even Ohau has had a Lodge since the early fifties
Yes, I've been to Ohau lodge. Very nice and it too might be at risk but from memory it is hard up against the ranges. The affected settlement seemed to be out on the flat with dry pines and grasses in and around it.
Someone didn't do their risk assessments properly. Insurance companies must be fuming.
Let them fume…theyre quick enough to take the premiums…and from reports not all were insured.
If some weren't insured, that is sad for them. I wonder if the Waitaki District Council and Fed Farmers will step up.
There was a significant quake in 1869
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1869_Christchurch_earthquake
also
https://web.archive.org/web/20101225184414/http://eqc.govt.nz/home/research/researchpapers/p_105.aspx
Joel Cayford did a series of posts on Christchurch seismic activity back in 2011.
A good post to start is Faulty Thinking about Christchurch.
A month later he followed it up with Councils Fudge Christchurch Seismicity, which goes over the records and risk estimates.
They had a huge flood in Brisbane I think, on a flood plain, known, and still built there. The temptation is too great, wow a spare bit of land I can build something there and make a quid or whatever.
Food 2011 was last big apparently. https://actioninspections.com.au/im-buying-a-home-in-the-flood-zone-in-brisbane/
Some tips: We might have to build on this sort of land in say Christchurch Dunedin at some time. https://www.empiredesigns.com.au/tips-for-building-or-rebuilding-in-flood-zones
People in the Brisbane valley flood plain also successfully lobbied against a large set of protective stopbanks just five years ago, after intensive consultation and engagement.
The most effective guide is insurance premiums responding to risk, but even then people just hold out, get devastated, and cry foul to GoFundMe or whatever.
Are they? I thought they were talking about recent years with the DoC issues. There are communities all over NZ built in what are now higher fire risk areas, but they weren't so high when first built. Central Otago, North Otago, Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson. Basically half the South Island has areas of increased risk now.
The landscape has changed and climate change is pushing the boundaries. It's a potent mix of nature and human's ignoring the problem. People are still building in daft places. NZ doesn't have a bushfire mentality, yet. But we will.
Fed Farmers are trying to blame it on DoC. I just feel that if developers are going to build it is up to them and the local council to have a plan to make the development safe. The district mayor is also laying the blame at the feet of DoC. Well sorry mate, it's your council.
would have to look at when tenure review happened on those stations relative to when the houses were built. Are they new houses?
We still build in Wellington, so what's your point.
Indeed we still build in Wellington. The risk is high.
My point is those that build in places like Ohau are responsible for minimising risk.
No poll tonight?
No idea.
Early voting numbers are really high. So far about 165,000 people have already voted in the 2 days booths have been open.
Oh yeah – look at that rise… That really has gone mainstream behaviour now.
https://elections.nz/stats-and-research/2020-general-election-advance-voting-statistics/
I suspect that as well as the obvious advantages of voting without those other disease laden wretches, that there is a strong element of 'I already know who I'm voting for' that wasn't present in the last two elections.
I suspect that isn't going to be good for the right. It means that each day that these kinds of rates persist, the smaller the group that is available to convince otherwise shrinks.
It's also the first time early voting has opened with two full weekend days for voting. So it might have been a bit easier for wannabe early voters to actually do it this year.
Talking to a returning officer and it sounds like things were just as busy today….they astounded at how many have been through.
I heard that too Pat that today was really busy.
Tomorrow night for the Colmar-Brunton. Not sure when we’ll see another Reid Research, or a Roy Morgan for that matter.
Fingers and toes crossed the news is good.
The wheels can still fall off. The next 2 weeks is crucial. Jacinda cannot fuck this one up.
If early voting keeps trending the way it has this opening weekend then I reckon National has got another 2 or 3 days max to pull off the game-changer they need if they’re going to come back from the dead. They are really running out of road now.
Labour and the Greens have so far run an extraordinarily disciplined campaign. Apart from the odd candidate getting on the wrong side of fact-checking there has literally been nothing to upset the apple cart.
Where do you get early voting data from please tell?
https://elections.nz/stats-and-research/2020-general-election-advance-voting-statistics/
Things may be about to go spectacularly bad for National.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/leaked-email-national-mp-criticises-judith-collins-highly-problematic-idea-of-reviewing-auckland-council.html
Nah. The behaviour exposed by that e-mail is totally on-brand for Judthulhu. Any votes that might be changed by shit like that have already been changed. In both directions.
It's the continued leaking which is the problem. The Nats didn't like her before and nothing has changed.
Denise Lee just drew a political target on her forehead and told Judith to aim straight.
Auckland Council has very few friends left and Auckland Transport has even fewer.
I suspect that the only reason why Collins went for AT is because they're actually doing a good job in getting public transport working and building cycleways.
Taken a train recently?
How many kms of cycleway in a decade on AT network?
Yeah. New carriages. Electrification. Loads of young people and students use them. Journeys are way up. And they are fixing the lines as we speak.
Cycle ridership has tripled on the NW cycleway between 2012 and 2018 due to major upgrades between Lincoln Rd and the CBD including Lightpath, the Grafton Gulley cycleway, and the Waterview path.
Yes. Gets better nearly every time.
Well, that's one way to ensure even more Aucklanders don't vote for National. We remember, quite clearly, how they fucked Auckland last time they pulled this shit.
Collins comment at the end speaking about housing, "We cannot afford to go another three years waiting for something to happen". Yeah indeed, it was 9 years last time she was in power waiting for something to happen
@Andre 8.1
It’s not the behaviour that’s the problem here. We all know what National’s like. It’s the fact of the leak itself. Now? At the crucial point in an election campaign? Are they mad? Could be like a dam bursting. Looks like more than a few National MPs are already eyeing up the lifeboats.
That photo in the Herald over the weekend with the knives….
It wouldn't have been published without reason, and probably set up as well.
Whether the dam bursts after 17 Oct or before…
Interesting Judith Collins' unpopularity within the caucus has been exposed by one of their own MPs. What a laugh. And it is likely Denise Lee is not the only MP upset at Collins' behaviour.
Her popping her friend Maureen Pugh in at 19 has to have gotten a few backs up
looks like a $16 billion fiscal hole coming out of Epsom now.
Not content with Goldsmith miscalculating to the tune of $8 billion
Seems David Seymour has decided to join the club with his own $8 billion fiscal hole
As Niles Standish of Crank Yanker fame would say, "Take your $8 billion fiscal hole and DOUBLE it". That might explain the recent crank yanking we are seeing from both Goldsmith and Seymour.
When two black holes collide – or is it cannibalise each other? – it sends gravitational shock waves through the whole Universe. Many years from now some distant civilization might detect a short sharp spike and they’ll go “WTF!!” and then trace its origin back to the joining of two giant fiscal holes in the year 2020 AD on a small scorched planet orbiting a dwarf star. I’ll bet they’ll never figure out it the holes were man-made because they’ll have no record of our civilization, of course.
Your theory of everything is up to making predictions now?
Not just any predictions but miracles.
If I was optimistic, I would suggest that Judith knows that this election is lost for her, and with it the centre ground. She also know that her career is probably finished after the election, as well. So, she is just going all out Crusher, one final nothing-to-lose flurry before she bows out and goes back to the law chambers, you can tell she is just enjoying just being herself.
But, Im not going to get too carried away just yet.
Not quite this I don't think. I suspect she feels if Nats can get 35-37% in defeat it will be enough for her to stay on as leader. And in her mind, get another crack in 2023, maybe in a more suitable electoral climate. The Nats caucus might have other ideas.
+1
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/427651/legal-battle-forecast-over-drury-plan-changes
Is this good planning? Will there be some factories there or is it all for the dainty seat-fillers and consumers, shop, shop, shopping.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/424525/drury-development-feedback-sought-on-plans-to-transform-area-south-of-auckland
Anybody else think that it’s either a very lucky break or great campaign strategy that saw Labour release its LGBTQI policy today, amongst other things banning conversion therapy, after the country spent the weekend cringing at the sight of the National Party leader humiliating herself trying to curry favour with the conservative religious right.
Judith Collins proclaimed herself a longstanding Anglican and prayed in an Anglican church.
The New Zealand Anglican Church is one of the most thoroughly liberal and politically correct institutions in the entire country.
So, no, she didn't humiliate herself. She supported an exceedingly tolerant and inclusive institution.
What Labour did was announce a set of things any of which they could have done in the previous term – and didn't even try.
She prayed like a child in a Disney movie for political effect. It was embarrassing. Practicing Anglicans are most likely appalled.
They’ll probably do what the Catholics do though and accept that any new recruit is not to be turned away.
You were embarrassed. She wasn't.
She didn't invite the media in there, and it would have been worse if she had sought to ban them from the scene. She was invited to pray by the priest of the church.
She's not a new recruit to the Anglican church.
I'm surprised you have fallen for Judith's version of events so easily. There are ways a proper practicing Christian could politely ask the media for some level of privacy while she "spoke to god". A proper practicing Christian would be at home asking for such a simple request. She didn't even bother.
The very core of being Anglican is the central act of the community coming together at Mass to celebrate the Eucharist. It is that continued 'act of faith' that makes one a practising Anglican, not a baptisimal certificate.
Judith missed the St. Thomas service by two hours. Following the liturgy is morning tea so Judith also missed a mix and mingle with that parish community.
There is no special loss or gain of the power of a prayer by kneeling, posing hands or praying elsewhere.
She could have prayed at a local park, in a haybarn or in her car. She was very aware of the cameras as she played to them blatantly when posing in different directions while voting.
There was no need for such a 'charlatan' type display in church other than political posturing . Pretty sure on the campaign trail followed relentlessly by media in all these weeks it would have been news if she just popped into a church to pray around the country.???
That Judith just popped over to another electorate missing many, many polling booths to be at the one with an Anglican church was a staged theatrical stunt. She was voting in another electorate and had to use the special vote box as per rules.
Public acts of praying are explicitly condemned as unnecessary and possibly hypocritical by the Big Man himself. From the Sermon on the Mount:
5 And when thou prayest, be not as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, because they would be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
6 But when thou prayest, enter into thy chamber: and when thou hast shut thy door, pray unto thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
7 Also when ye pray, use no vain repetitions as the Heathen: for they think to be heard for their much babbling.
8 Be ye not like them therefore: for your Father knoweth whereof ye have need, before ye ask of him.
(Geneva translation, for Bible spods.)
Collins certainly did invite the media there.
A leader casting a vote is always an election photo-op. That's why the cameras were there (as they are for all major leaders). She chose to cast her vote at a church, knowing that the cameras would be there. She chose to go into a church to "pray" (pose), again in full knowledge and expectation.
“Collins didn’t seek privacy as she led the media pack into the building and a media handler checked with church staff that it was okay for cameras to enter.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122976973/election-2020-judith-collins-keeps-the-faith-with-two-weeks-to-go-as-she-votes-and-prays
Only the staggeringly naive would think this was some accident.
Great observation .
In the Herald video clip she stated to reporters when asked, that no she had not been at that church before. So somehow between her Papakura home and St. Thomas Tamaki it was just a bloody miracle that the media were there.
To reporters she also in a most unChristian way said after saying she doesn't judge others ,
" I could have turned around and said 'get out of this house of worship you evil media', or I could have just done exactly what I was going to do in the first place. I would have thought they would have expected it was a private moment but they came charging in."
The church is as much the media persons' place to be as the hypocrite’s while praying in public.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/nz-election-2020-judith-collins-insists-support-for-abortion-euthanasia-entirely-consistent-with-her-christian-faith.html
Of course she wasn't. Psychopaths don't feel embarrassment.
That's a big call DTB.
I called hypocrite because the report card scores on the enactment of the gospels showed very unchristian results after 9 years.
" Unicef executive director Vivien Maidaborn said the report proved that New Zealand policy was killing children."
https://educationcentral.co.nz/unicef-report-reveals-new-zealands-poor-scores-for-child-wellbeing/
I called hypocrite too because it's easy for JC to pray and slang Labour for not instantly fixing their deadly sins.
And what else would you call a person who set those policies that killed children, showed no guilt for doing so and would do it again in the blink of an eye?
The Greens in Canada have elected a new leader to replace long-serving, outgoing leader Elizabeth May. Paul will be standing in the by-election scheduled for the downtown Toronto riding just vacated by outgoing Liberal Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/annamie-paul-says-greens-needed-for-this-moment-1.5750187
@Ad 8.2
Apparently it wasn’t Denise Lee who leaked her email to Jenna Lynch. Auckland Council and AT and their relative friendless-ness are incidental to the shit that’s about to hit the fan in the National Party.
@Ad 14.1
Judith Collins drove herself across the isthmus to a church outside of her electorate where she had to cast a special vote in order to get a photo op. All just to try and mop up a few supporters who are straying to the loony Christian fringe parties that have cropped up on her right flank.
I’m not sure that this is quite correct. Stuff reported her saying she’d voted for Simon O’Connor – ie she must be enrolled in Tamaki, not Papakura. Which is odd, but allowed. But then she was photographed posting a ballot into a special votes box, so that’s confusing.
Looks like the National Party hit job on Jake Bezzant is winding back up again.
@Ad 14.1.1.1
The whole bloody country was embarrassed for her. It was a set up for crying out loud. Maybe it will achieve what the National Party wants it to achieve. Who knows? But one thing’s for sure it’s just another sign that National has had to abandon the centre in a mad scramble to shore up its rapidly disintegrating right flank.