‘Controversial application to pull millions of litres a day from Blue Spring withdrawn’
The company behind a controversial application to take 6.9 million litres of water a day from Putaruru’s Blue Spring to send offshore has withdrawn its application.
The company, owned by a majority of overseas investors, had ambitions to be the largest bottling plant in the Southern Hemisphere and applied for a 15-year consent with the hope of opening the bottling plant by 2019.’
Does anyone know the name of this company?
Oravida?
Coca Cola?
Nongfu Spring?
Turns out that Blue Water Springs is owned by a trust which is in turn owned by WALKER DAVEY SEARELLS LIMITED.
Share holder listings of said company are a bunch of people from canterbury by the looks of it, and if you go even deeper those people appear to have their fingers in many pies.
Looks like they’ve abandoned their latest get rich quick scheme, good job, sick of dodgy dealings like the water exporting, the current laws surrounding it are criminal.
That is actually quite a thoughtful piece from Simon Wilson on The Spinoff. The Herald have repackaged it with a headline more in keeping with the editorial line they taken since the election. if you read through the article it actually takes a pretty different tack than the headline would suggest.
Got to say the longer the talks go on the more confident I am that National will be returned to power, it almost seems like it was a done deal from the get go
I think that the best the left can hope for is Lab/NZFirst and the Greens doing C & S but thats a very long shot
By crikey, chris73 is right; it almost does seem like it was a done deal from the get go!!!! I too am more confident!!!! ‘Cause the talks!!! They’re going on longer!!!! Yeah, the best the left can hope for, even hope for when hoping real hard is you know, A VERY LONG SHOT!!!
Crikey!!! Got to say!!! Cheers Chris73. Keep your chin up!
Well one of us is going to be right and one of us is going to be wrong but I promise that I’ll be humble in victory…well until someone from the left posts something mean
Considering the back and forth negotiations between NZF and Nats and Labour: I’m thinking that Labour is pushing on NZF so that an NZF-Nat government will have to include a lot of the policies that are shared between NZF & Labour.
Then, once in government, if the Nats try to pull back, there will always be the possibility of NZF voting with Labour and the GP against the Nats.
So, a Nat-NZF government could be good for the left in the medium to long term.
…it almost seems like it was a done deal from the get go
Well, duh. The people who voted NZ First imagining they were voting for a change of government have to be the most self-delusional voters in the country.
“Got to say the longer the talks go on the more confident I am that National will be returned to power, it almost seems like it was a done deal from the get go”
That is what I have been saying for ages – well before the election.
Yeh! Rain on the roof tonight.
Been awhile…. was thinking it might be heading for a la nina summer…. so Great to get some juice in the tank before hand!
Probably because there are much much more cars on the road than in 2014. I read somewhere that there were in excess of 150,000 more registered cars this year than last and I know new and used sales have been through the roof in the last 3-5 years. So its not really surprising.
Speaking of police and road tolls… this year has seen a huge jump in deaths during police pursuits.
2008 was the highest with 6 deaths, this year we are at 16 deaths so far.
My contribution is this: lowering the alcohol limit was another cynical cheap manoeuvre by the Govt to make it look like they were doing something. The stats they used were all bullshit, because if you checked out the places they took the stats from, the accidents never lowered in number after the change of alcohol limit. In all those countries they also increased the number of checkpoints. It was that increase in checkpoints that brought about the lower accident rates, not the change in alcohol limit.
Good old NZ has not only lowered the alcohol limits: by underfunding the Police, NZ has also lowered the number of alcohol checkpoints for drivers.
How bloody stupid can any one country get?
We know that there have been fewer checkpoints – those stats have been released.
When will they release the stats about alcohol in relation to fatalities? I bet alcohol has not diminished as a factor. It has probably increased. That would be such a surprise, but it will probably be brushed under the carpet rather than publicised.
I don’t pretend to know the outcome of these so-called negotiations but with comments from Peters such as “For months and months, in fact for years, they all campaigned together, hugging each other, embracing each other, and loving each other. We didn’t.”, one gets the feeling such public displays of contempt for the Greens and Labour do not bode well for anything but NZ First and National.
In fact Labour may well be better throwing the prick to the National Party wolves by denouncing any further talks deflating his bargaining power to nil and leaving Winston to be their poodle.
“Had Enough” looks like it meant same old same old!
That’s probably why he hates the Greens they make a mockery out of what MMP’s supposed to be all about.
Within reason every party should be flexible enough to be able to work with any other party in the political spectrum, if you cant do that you have no place in an MMP environment.
No they dont – ffs you are a spinner. Why do you hate the greens? Is it their love of the environment and papatūānuku, is it their opposition to inequality and promotion of fairness – only the mad bad and sad hate the greens – what are you?
No BM is being quite honest. I interpret his comment above as a good example of the difference between interest and values driven politics.
Right wingers (ACToids and Libertarians aside) tend to be quite pragmatic about their politics; prioritising things according to what will maximise their personal interests. And in most instances they’ll be interested in protecting systems and privileges they know already work for them.
The Greens by contrast tend to frame their politics much more in terms of broad ideas and collective values. Greenies have a vision of a different, hopefully better world. For them it’s an article of faith that their values driven policies are a good thing, even if they cannot point to any proven existing examples of them working in action.
Therefore it’s quite reasonable for BM to look from where he stands, and think he’s seeing a ‘religion’.
For them it’s an article of faith that their values driven policies are a good thing, even if they cannot point to any proven existing examples of them working in action.
And yet your dislike of them is not so strong that you wouldn’t welcome them in government if that was to help National get themselves out of a hole of their own making? Do you think they’ll just be doormats in a National Green government? Easy pushovers that will just be there to provide National with voting fodder in the House and let them carry on their merry way in government?
BM is confusing the Greens with the Con jobs. Speaking of ones faith, BM take a line from Joyce and his thumbs up. That was a significant indication Joyce has got this.
Yeah every party should be flexible enough to be able to work with any other party even if that meant working with the Khmer Rouge… sometimes BM ,… you really just don’t GET IT , …. do you.
On a lighter note ,… one of my fav bird-songs out in the wops.
New Zealand Birds: Grey Warbler singing in a tree – YouTube
Video for grey warbler song you tube▶ 0:19
Yes! – as a kid I used to fish in the rivers and these little fellas would be a cheerful sound during those long hot summers with the bees and cicadas high up in the Tea trees,..
Ever seen a poor little warbler frantically darting back and forward feeding a huge shining cuckoo chick relentlessly demanding more?
I often wonder, when will the warbler get wise?
Such a beautiful song.I had a cat I called the grey warbler after I heard my mother exclaiming to a friend on the phone about the grey warblers singing
“That’s probably why he hates the Greens they make a mockery out of what MMP’s supposed to be all about.
Within reason every party should be flexible enough to be able to work with any other party in the political spectrum, if you cant do that you have no place in an MMP environment.”
What are you on about? The Greens have always said they’d work with any party on policy. And have done exactly that.
Well, one way of looking at the relative levels of dislike is that Winston is negotiating with National, but not with the Greens. And he is not exactly being complimentary about the Greens at the moment.
You may recall that Winston said there would be consequences for the Greens calling him a racist. That is not to say he won’t go left. He may well do so. But I would say it will be essentially with Labour, with the Greens on a confidence and supply deal.
I guess the Greens would have to get something for confidence and supply, but it will be small beer. The dripping of such morsels can be be done because the Greens are essentially locked into a left government. They have to support whatever Labour and New Zealand First agree on, because the alternative is a National New Zealand First government.
However, none of this might happen. Winston might decide that his best deal is with National in any event.
The left should not think in that case 2020 is automatically in the bag. If a National New Zealand First government is seen to do well, then they could get another term.
I personally think Winston will stay in Parliament till 2023, so he will want another win. In 2023 Winston will be 78, pretty much as Sir Walter Nash was when he retired.
Winston has said he doesnt hold grudges so holding one against the greens is nonsense. He’d have plently against the gnats if he was going that way. No, just more spin in afraid.
” The dripping of such morsels can be be done because the Greens are essentially locked into a left government ”
…………………………………..
Yes , – but come on Wayne – the same principle could just as easily be applied to ACT being locked into a right govt , – could you really picture ACT going into coalition with Labour ?!!?
Of course not ! – or even NZ First for that matter.
And speaking of ACT ,… that coat tailing one man band party at what is it 0.7 % of the vote? ,…. I notice Peters doesn’t particularly like the little degraded neo liberal party one bit …
And if Peters goes with National,… with his latest of change on how this country has been run for the last 30 years both economically and socially,…
Somehow I don’t think even National gets out alive this time round.
The neo liberal hegemony is shattered as of Thursday , 12 / 10 /2017.
No, in fact the “neo-liberalism hegemony” is here to stay for a good deal longer. New Zealand, irrespective of who is the govt, is not going to going to withdraw from all its international commitments in trade, investment, etc. The changes will be on the margins.
In fact neither governing option is going to increase taxes or nationalise anything. They are locked into a govt that is around 30% of GDP, with local govt adding another 5%. So “neo-liberalism” as you put it, is here to say under any likely govt come Friday.
If you want the end of neo-liberalism, you need the Greens to get at least 20%, probably more.
From the margins. Doesn’t matter if you slice that pie down the middle , its always the margins. Now when Jeremy Corbyn presented his manifesto , and articulated in the slogan ‘ for the many , not the few’…
Just what do you think that was alluding to ?
More privatization , more low wages , more foreign ownership , more under-funding of infrastructure , more flat tax rates and lower wage earners paying disproportionately more ?
Come on Wayne,… stop hedging ,… you jolly well know whats coming as do the rest of us who can see the writing on the wall.
Oh ,… and btw , … I support the Greens because I was brought up in the rural , Labour because in general I’ve always been a worker and NZ First because I believe in balanced nationalism.
Add all that together ?
And you’ve got quite an eclectic stance for various reasons. One of them being egalitarianism .
Finally Wayne says something I can agree with.
None of the parties in parliament are really looking to end neo-liberalism – at best the Greens want to soften its nastiest bits.
None of the parties are really proposing a responsible government like northern European-style social democracy with top tax rates around 50%, removal of GST, comprehensive taxes on capital, and a comprehensive fully state-funded social welfare, health and education system.
True and its the long haul for us after 3 decades of crap. As well , those Scandinavian country’s never really rushed headlong into neo liberalism , then again ,… they wouldn’t have trucked the same sort of lying deceit in bringing it in , either.
They have to support whatever Labour and New Zealand First agree on, because the alternative is a National New Zealand First government.
No we don’t even if we do end up with National/NZ1st government.
Winston might decide that his best deal is with National in any event.
The left should not think in that case 2020 is automatically in the bag.
If NZ1st goes with National the election will most probably be in 2018 and we’ll most likely end up with a Labour majority government. That’s how bad National and NZ1st get along.
Best shot for the Greens is to stay out and regroup on C&S. If the Greens don’t get C&S they will struggle in 2020 because they will have no media oxygen for the term.
Best shot for NZF on straight political grounds is to get as many Cabinet seats they can and gut National by going into coalition with them and making National look more and more like a nationalist version of Labour.
The NZF task is to recover, supplant Labour, and kill the Greens inside one term. They can only do that if they go with National and score massive policy goals.
Nah, the Greens are best off in a formal coalition, with 1-2 ministers and a further 1-2 associate ministers getting screen time and getting things done. The Greens are better off doing that than confidence and supply, as in coalition they will get more of their policy enacted, and show that they really have been the most competent party all along.
Is there really any party, apart from NZF, that Peters hasn’t had a few sharp words for? Neither ACT nor the MP received ringing endorsements that I recall. Maybe Dunne escaped his ire – and maybe not.
Don’t know if Peters said anything but he didn’t like Dunne at all apparently – part of the reason Dunne said he retired is that based on the polls, whatever happened, Peters would freeze him out of government.
Yeah, like we can see the great attempts that Act made to be friendly to the Alliance.
You are just being political fool. There are plainly some divides that are far too wide to cross.
In the case of National, there is the basic argument that they have NEVER managed to initiate moves to improve or even attempted to improve the general environment in NZ in any meaningful way. Instead this last National government has presided over attempts to mine National parks, swap pristine forest for cutover crap, made a mockery of most of the environmental standards by redefining them to worse levels being acceptable, given as much help as possible to the most polluting industries in NZ, deliberately sabotaged the already inadequate ETS, and attempted several times to remove the restraints of the RMA on polluters. I’m not even going to go near their track record on climate change apart from saying that National lies about what they intended to do becasue their actions don’t go anywhere near even their pitiful backtracking on their undertakings in the previous National government.
And those are just the ones I remember in the time it took me to tap that out…
What track record is there for a green party to trust? Perhaps if National get back into power again, they could try to think about what they need to do to make other parties to trust them at all. Because they look to me to be just about the most untrustworthy pack of arseholes in politics when it comes to the environment.
That is interesting for astrological purposes, but if the embryo isn’t biologically attached to the wall of the womb… …futures-market tax-revenue should not be registerable. Bible-classes back in schools but with the Canons the Catholics ditched – the Wisdom of King Solomon should be supported from the womb-cell-wall and beyond.
Green Charter suits cross-bench support. While many or most Green policy workers would support the general gist of TOP policy on tax etc, the consensus requirement dilutes the policy down to main-stream-digestible. The policy roll of Green Caucus is to play the inter-party cooperation-card, overruling the internal-policy-consensus-barrier. Good luck, Caucus.
It’s a significant leap in the dark to presume Green policy workers support TOP tax policy. That tax policy is designed to be flat, Green policy is more likely to be progressive.
Could be tough ride if Winston were to decide to go with National.I get the feeling National might “quietly” still try to continue to fight hammer and tong to not need to re-enter Pike River mine.There’s so many questions that i feel remain unanswered in regard to why it’s hasn’t happened already?.In this sense, its also good that Winston isn’t the type of person to quickly rush-in in choosing who to decide to form the next government with.Pike River family feelings demand that Winston wouldn’t dare to be irresponsibly careless
Tough decision.Seem to me on the one side,in regard to National Winston must know he’s dealing with politicians some of which are perhaps bloody hard to trust.With Labour and the Greens it seems,to me, that there’s people who don’t bother to even hide disdain of Winston.
If Winston wont hurry,the media is right there,busily trying their best to make it seem real bad that he wont rush the job.If Winston did rush-in, and as such ended up making a real boo boo in doing so,soon enough the media would also still be double quick to report how bloody stupid that was
Reading what WILD KATIPO said above. I also feel Winston at least helps to provide our NZ Government some sort of balance.Sad that sometimes we New Zealander wont give any credit, where perhaps at least “some” credit is due
I feel some Labour/ Green supporters don’t “help” to make it such an easy choice,for Winston either, in regard to making a decision of running-in with the left side.Some folk sometimes seem (to me) mad as hell that Winston isn’t quick to throw his whole hand over toward their corners Christmas wish-list
‘It’s World Homeless Day and as the housing crisis grips the country, emergency housing providers are popping up around the country to meet soaring demand.
One Auckland church, Faith Family Connect, is even converting offices into bedrooms and says a growing number of homeless have high mental health needs.
They’ve been full up since early last year, so they’re doubling capacity to 30.
They’ve even rented a house across the street, but are still forced to turn desperate people away.
Senior Pastor Carla Perese says there are “families that are living in the parks just down the road”.
The church has always offered refuge to the homeless, but Pastor Perese says demand has never been so great.
“Our hearts are broken over this situation and that’s why we continue to do this,” she told Newshub.
Pastor Perese has even opened up her own home and has people staying in the spare room.
The church says the removal of state homes at nearby Glenn Innes and soaring rental costs are big contributors.’
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The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian men’s cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
‘Controversial application to pull millions of litres a day from Blue Spring withdrawn’
The company behind a controversial application to take 6.9 million litres of water a day from Putaruru’s Blue Spring to send offshore has withdrawn its application.
The company, owned by a majority of overseas investors, had ambitions to be the largest bottling plant in the Southern Hemisphere and applied for a 15-year consent with the hope of opening the bottling plant by 2019.’
Does anyone know the name of this company?
Oravida?
Coca Cola?
Nongfu Spring?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11931545
Mwhahahahahaaa……
The warning shots across the bows has started to be heeded.
BEFORE the new govt has been formed.
You don’t come here to this country and start thinking you can just help yourself, mate….
Turns out that Blue Water Springs is owned by a trust which is in turn owned by WALKER DAVEY SEARELLS LIMITED.
Share holder listings of said company are a bunch of people from canterbury by the looks of it, and if you go even deeper those people appear to have their fingers in many pies.
Looks like they’ve abandoned their latest get rich quick scheme, good job, sick of dodgy dealings like the water exporting, the current laws surrounding it are criminal.
https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/954339/shareholdings
Far out access to information in the digital age is so freaking awesome 😀
You beauty!
More aimless speculation from right wing writers on the Herald.
What would a Greens-National deal mean for New Zealand?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11931383
That is actually quite a thoughtful piece from Simon Wilson on The Spinoff. The Herald have repackaged it with a headline more in keeping with the editorial line they taken since the election. if you read through the article it actually takes a pretty different tack than the headline would suggest.
Ok..will do
🙂
Got to say the longer the talks go on the more confident I am that National will be returned to power, it almost seems like it was a done deal from the get go
I think that the best the left can hope for is Lab/NZFirst and the Greens doing C & S but thats a very long shot
I am confident that a Labour Greens NZ First Coalition will happen…. Relentlessly Positive 🙂
By crikey, chris73 is right; it almost does seem like it was a done deal from the get go!!!! I too am more confident!!!! ‘Cause the talks!!! They’re going on longer!!!! Yeah, the best the left can hope for, even hope for when hoping real hard is you know, A VERY LONG SHOT!!!
Crikey!!! Got to say!!! Cheers Chris73. Keep your chin up!
Well one of us is going to be right and one of us is going to be wrong but I promise that I’ll be humble in victory…well until someone from the left posts something mean
You’ll be needing this, chris:
http://www.crowbusters.com/recipes.html
This sounds a bit more palatable: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/humble-pie-191988
“one of us is going to be right and one of us is going to be wrong”
Funnily enough you’re right, and therefore always wrong, both at the same time. lol
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/312/563/05d.jpg
Considering the back and forth negotiations between NZF and Nats and Labour: I’m thinking that Labour is pushing on NZF so that an NZF-Nat government will have to include a lot of the policies that are shared between NZF & Labour.
Then, once in government, if the Nats try to pull back, there will always be the possibility of NZF voting with Labour and the GP against the Nats.
So, a Nat-NZF government could be good for the left in the medium to long term.
Interesting tactical approach …. could work nicely.
…it almost seems like it was a done deal from the get go
Well, duh. The people who voted NZ First imagining they were voting for a change of government have to be the most self-delusional voters in the country.
National/NZFirst would be a change of government
“Got to say the longer the talks go on the more confident I am that National will be returned to power, it almost seems like it was a done deal from the get go”
That is what I have been saying for ages – well before the election.
Fascinating!!!
Yeh! Rain on the roof tonight.
Been awhile…. was thinking it might be heading for a la nina summer…. so Great to get some juice in the tank before hand!
Chris how about we make a bet. Loser makes a donation of $100 to the Salvation Army for Auckland’s homeless and presents proof.
I bet Labour will form the next Government.
And the longer it has gone on the more convinced I am that this will happen.;
Tell you what, if you’re right I’ll do that and if I’m right you donate $100 to these guys: http://www.dogwatch.nz/
What about a human charity. I’m ok about dogs but there are so many people with significant needs right now.
Arn’t you certain Labour will form the next government? If you are then the Salvation Army will get $100 so no problem
Unless you have doubts…
Careful your $100 could be the kiss of death. That is if Labour actually want it??
In my experience, done deals from the get-go are over almost immediately because there’s nothing to discuss.
In 2014 the road toll was dropping.
It has since strted to climb again.
Why?
These were articles in 2014.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11283173
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11283273
http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Research/Documents/The-road-toll-2014Q2-v2-final.pdf
Probably because there are much much more cars on the road than in 2014. I read somewhere that there were in excess of 150,000 more registered cars this year than last and I know new and used sales have been through the roof in the last 3-5 years. So its not really surprising.
Checkpoint covering it now
Less police resources being allocated.
More blood on this government’s hands.
Yeah – no [personal responsibility for the people speeding or drink driving etc
Yes ,… and speaking of ‘ personal responsibility ‘ ,.. where is this govts sense of that regards Police numbers , huh ?
Speaking of police and road tolls… this year has seen a huge jump in deaths during police pursuits.
2008 was the highest with 6 deaths, this year we are at 16 deaths so far.
http://www.transport.govt.nz/research/roadtoll/annualroadtollhistoricalinformation/
A bit of perspective.
The per-capita figure shows it’s not falling. The raw-numbers increase is another reflection of National’s insane immigration policy.
What part of those statistics are you looking at?
My contribution is this: lowering the alcohol limit was another cynical cheap manoeuvre by the Govt to make it look like they were doing something. The stats they used were all bullshit, because if you checked out the places they took the stats from, the accidents never lowered in number after the change of alcohol limit. In all those countries they also increased the number of checkpoints. It was that increase in checkpoints that brought about the lower accident rates, not the change in alcohol limit.
Good old NZ has not only lowered the alcohol limits: by underfunding the Police, NZ has also lowered the number of alcohol checkpoints for drivers.
How bloody stupid can any one country get?
We know that there have been fewer checkpoints – those stats have been released.
When will they release the stats about alcohol in relation to fatalities? I bet alcohol has not diminished as a factor. It has probably increased. That would be such a surprise, but it will probably be brushed under the carpet rather than publicised.
The deaths-per-100,000 population and per-10,000 vehicles columns. Looking at those, the low 2013-2014 figures are a blip.
I don’t pretend to know the outcome of these so-called negotiations but with comments from Peters such as “For months and months, in fact for years, they all campaigned together, hugging each other, embracing each other, and loving each other. We didn’t.”, one gets the feeling such public displays of contempt for the Greens and Labour do not bode well for anything but NZ First and National.
In fact Labour may well be better throwing the prick to the National Party wolves by denouncing any further talks deflating his bargaining power to nil and leaving Winston to be their poodle.
“Had Enough” looks like it meant same old same old!
That’s probably why he hates the Greens they make a mockery out of what MMP’s supposed to be all about.
Within reason every party should be flexible enough to be able to work with any other party in the political spectrum, if you cant do that you have no place in an MMP environment.
You are not making sense.
No they dont – ffs you are a spinner. Why do you hate the greens? Is it their love of the environment and papatūānuku, is it their opposition to inequality and promotion of fairness – only the mad bad and sad hate the greens – what are you?
Edit added your wee reason did you – how cute.
It is that they challenge his privilege and wealth.
They make him look and feel useless – hes just a knocker, not a positive person or someone who adds value. Sad.
I dislike the Greens because they’re a religious movement, and not a political party.
🙄
BM disapproves of a political party not doing what he wants so he closes his eyes and lo, it’s not a political party any more.
No BM is being quite honest. I interpret his comment above as a good example of the difference between interest and values driven politics.
Right wingers (ACToids and Libertarians aside) tend to be quite pragmatic about their politics; prioritising things according to what will maximise their personal interests. And in most instances they’ll be interested in protecting systems and privileges they know already work for them.
The Greens by contrast tend to frame their politics much more in terms of broad ideas and collective values. Greenies have a vision of a different, hopefully better world. For them it’s an article of faith that their values driven policies are a good thing, even if they cannot point to any proven existing examples of them working in action.
Therefore it’s quite reasonable for BM to look from where he stands, and think he’s seeing a ‘religion’.
I don’t have a problem with him expressing his personal views on religion. The statement that the Greens aren’t a political party is daft.
Redlogix’s statement that Green policies are an article of faith without evidence of success, is also batty.
True, I just couldn’t be bothered going there again 😉
Except that we can.
They arent and your fear is unfounded. I don’t believe thats the real reason anyway – come on be brave tell the truth bm.
And yet your dislike of them is not so strong that you wouldn’t welcome them in government if that was to help National get themselves out of a hole of their own making? Do you think they’ll just be doormats in a National Green government? Easy pushovers that will just be there to provide National with voting fodder in the House and let them carry on their merry way in government?
BM 5.1.2.2
10 October 2017 at 6:29 pm
I dislike the Greens because they’re a religious movement, and not a political party.
Really ? Oh , you mean all the Wicca and the pagan stuff ?
A bit like the National party and ACT whose God is Mammon ?
BM is confusing the Greens with the Con jobs. Speaking of ones faith, BM take a line from Joyce and his thumbs up. That was a significant indication Joyce has got this.
It’s National that are the religious movement. They believe that greed, usury, lies and corruption are actually good.
om mani padmi hom ..
Yeah every party should be flexible enough to be able to work with any other party even if that meant working with the Khmer Rouge… sometimes BM ,… you really just don’t GET IT , …. do you.
On a lighter note ,… one of my fav bird-songs out in the wops.
New Zealand Birds: Grey Warbler singing in a tree – YouTube
Video for grey warbler song you tube▶ 0:19
These delicate little birds warble and nest in my garden. I watched one today for as long as it let me – they move about constantly. Magic.
Yes! – as a kid I used to fish in the rivers and these little fellas would be a cheerful sound during those long hot summers with the bees and cicadas high up in the Tea trees,..
They were really as you say , magic ! 🙂
They’ve started singing in my garden in central Wellington the last couple of years. That’s a cheer to the soul.
Ever seen a poor little warbler frantically darting back and forward feeding a huge shining cuckoo chick relentlessly demanding more?
I often wonder, when will the warbler get wise?
Such a beautiful song.I had a cat I called the grey warbler after I heard my mother exclaiming to a friend on the phone about the grey warblers singing
The grey Warbler got my vote today. I love them.Had a fledgling Shining cookoo for a couple of days down in the wetland. Absolute magic.
🙂
“That’s probably why he hates the Greens they make a mockery out of what MMP’s supposed to be all about.
Within reason every party should be flexible enough to be able to work with any other party in the political spectrum, if you cant do that you have no place in an MMP environment.”
What are you on about? The Greens have always said they’d work with any party on policy. And have done exactly that.
Why do you think Winston Peters dislikes the Greens?
You are talking nonsense……
Why do you think Winston loathes National?
Because he doesn’t like their policies, or positioning. He’s a conservative. Left wing is always going to be a problem for him.
although, I’d add, he’s a centrist too, so anything from the edge is going to challenge his basic position and beliefs.
So hows this coalition supposed to work?
Lots of people know how to work with people who are different than them.
According to Maharey the other day, last time Peters was in coalition with Labour he was good at his job.
Its pretty obvious ,.. there was a question put to Peters and he more or less ‘lumped the Greens in with Labour’ because of the MOU.
Its a right wingy thingy to try and create a wedge here and twist reality.
“How does the coalition work”
With Clendon and Kennedy as translators between the two parties.
Well, one way of looking at the relative levels of dislike is that Winston is negotiating with National, but not with the Greens. And he is not exactly being complimentary about the Greens at the moment.
You may recall that Winston said there would be consequences for the Greens calling him a racist. That is not to say he won’t go left. He may well do so. But I would say it will be essentially with Labour, with the Greens on a confidence and supply deal.
I guess the Greens would have to get something for confidence and supply, but it will be small beer. The dripping of such morsels can be be done because the Greens are essentially locked into a left government. They have to support whatever Labour and New Zealand First agree on, because the alternative is a National New Zealand First government.
However, none of this might happen. Winston might decide that his best deal is with National in any event.
The left should not think in that case 2020 is automatically in the bag. If a National New Zealand First government is seen to do well, then they could get another term.
I personally think Winston will stay in Parliament till 2023, so he will want another win. In 2023 Winston will be 78, pretty much as Sir Walter Nash was when he retired.
Winston has said he doesnt hold grudges so holding one against the greens is nonsense. He’d have plently against the gnats if he was going that way. No, just more spin in afraid.
” The dripping of such morsels can be be done because the Greens are essentially locked into a left government ”
…………………………………..
Yes , – but come on Wayne – the same principle could just as easily be applied to ACT being locked into a right govt , – could you really picture ACT going into coalition with Labour ?!!?
Of course not ! – or even NZ First for that matter.
And speaking of ACT ,… that coat tailing one man band party at what is it 0.7 % of the vote? ,…. I notice Peters doesn’t particularly like the little degraded neo liberal party one bit …
And if Peters goes with National,… with his latest of change on how this country has been run for the last 30 years both economically and socially,…
Somehow I don’t think even National gets out alive this time round.
The neo liberal hegemony is shattered as of Thursday , 12 / 10 /2017.
Wild Katipo,
No, in fact the “neo-liberalism hegemony” is here to stay for a good deal longer. New Zealand, irrespective of who is the govt, is not going to going to withdraw from all its international commitments in trade, investment, etc. The changes will be on the margins.
In fact neither governing option is going to increase taxes or nationalise anything. They are locked into a govt that is around 30% of GDP, with local govt adding another 5%. So “neo-liberalism” as you put it, is here to say under any likely govt come Friday.
If you want the end of neo-liberalism, you need the Greens to get at least 20%, probably more.
How do you eat a pie , Wayne?
From the margins. Doesn’t matter if you slice that pie down the middle , its always the margins. Now when Jeremy Corbyn presented his manifesto , and articulated in the slogan ‘ for the many , not the few’…
Just what do you think that was alluding to ?
More privatization , more low wages , more foreign ownership , more under-funding of infrastructure , more flat tax rates and lower wage earners paying disproportionately more ?
Come on Wayne,… stop hedging ,… you jolly well know whats coming as do the rest of us who can see the writing on the wall.
Oh ,… and btw , … I support the Greens because I was brought up in the rural , Labour because in general I’ve always been a worker and NZ First because I believe in balanced nationalism.
Add all that together ?
And you’ve got quite an eclectic stance for various reasons. One of them being egalitarianism .
Don’t even try to pigeon hole me.
Finally Wayne says something I can agree with.
None of the parties in parliament are really looking to end neo-liberalism – at best the Greens want to soften its nastiest bits.
None of the parties are really proposing a responsible government like northern European-style social democracy with top tax rates around 50%, removal of GST, comprehensive taxes on capital, and a comprehensive fully state-funded social welfare, health and education system.
True and its the long haul for us after 3 decades of crap. As well , those Scandinavian country’s never really rushed headlong into neo liberalism , then again ,… they wouldn’t have trucked the same sort of lying deceit in bringing it in , either.
New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html
No we don’t even if we do end up with National/NZ1st government.
If NZ1st goes with National the election will most probably be in 2018 and we’ll most likely end up with a Labour majority government. That’s how bad National and NZ1st get along.
Best shot for Labour is coalition with NZFirst.
Best shot for the Greens is to stay out and regroup on C&S. If the Greens don’t get C&S they will struggle in 2020 because they will have no media oxygen for the term.
Best shot for NZF on straight political grounds is to get as many Cabinet seats they can and gut National by going into coalition with them and making National look more and more like a nationalist version of Labour.
The NZF task is to recover, supplant Labour, and kill the Greens inside one term. They can only do that if they go with National and score massive policy goals.
Nah, the Greens are best off in a formal coalition, with 1-2 ministers and a further 1-2 associate ministers getting screen time and getting things done. The Greens are better off doing that than confidence and supply, as in coalition they will get more of their policy enacted, and show that they really have been the most competent party all along.
Is there really any party, apart from NZF, that Peters hasn’t had a few sharp words for? Neither ACT nor the MP received ringing endorsements that I recall. Maybe Dunne escaped his ire – and maybe not.
Don’t know if Peters said anything but he didn’t like Dunne at all apparently – part of the reason Dunne said he retired is that based on the polls, whatever happened, Peters would freeze him out of government.
Yeah, like we can see the great attempts that Act made to be friendly to the Alliance.
You are just being political fool. There are plainly some divides that are far too wide to cross.
In the case of National, there is the basic argument that they have NEVER managed to initiate moves to improve or even attempted to improve the general environment in NZ in any meaningful way. Instead this last National government has presided over attempts to mine National parks, swap pristine forest for cutover crap, made a mockery of most of the environmental standards by redefining them to worse levels being acceptable, given as much help as possible to the most polluting industries in NZ, deliberately sabotaged the already inadequate ETS, and attempted several times to remove the restraints of the RMA on polluters. I’m not even going to go near their track record on climate change apart from saying that National lies about what they intended to do becasue their actions don’t go anywhere near even their pitiful backtracking on their undertakings in the previous National government.
And those are just the ones I remember in the time it took me to tap that out…
What track record is there for a green party to trust? Perhaps if National get back into power again, they could try to think about what they need to do to make other parties to trust them at all. Because they look to me to be just about the most untrustworthy pack of arseholes in politics when it comes to the environment.
Winston dosen’t hate the Greens, one only needs to watch Parliament to know that.
Sure their views differ on ‘extraction’ but he dosen’t hate them, media have sowed that seed.
Was he not talking about both major parties? Nats, ACT, UF and the Maori Party on one side and Labs and Greens on the other?
And there goes reproductive autonomy.
/
https://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2017/10/09/health-and-human-services-wants-to-defined-life-as-beginning-at-conception/
That is interesting for astrological purposes, but if the embryo isn’t biologically attached to the wall of the womb… …futures-market tax-revenue should not be registerable. Bible-classes back in schools but with the Canons the Catholics ditched – the Wisdom of King Solomon should be supported from the womb-cell-wall and beyond.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11931383
good read on the greens and the nats and other things
He got TOP’s tax wrong though.
Green Charter suits cross-bench support. While many or most Green policy workers would support the general gist of TOP policy on tax etc, the consensus requirement dilutes the policy down to main-stream-digestible. The policy roll of Green Caucus is to play the inter-party cooperation-card, overruling the internal-policy-consensus-barrier. Good luck, Caucus.
It’s a significant leap in the dark to presume Green policy workers support TOP tax policy. That tax policy is designed to be flat, Green policy is more likely to be progressive.
Budget Debate Flashback from 24 May this year…. Winstons speech… food for thought and entertaining as
Woohooo ! – Go Winnie !!! Sock it to them !!!
Well, I feel better after that. Winston really showed his grasp of the fundamentals of good governance. I will sleep more hopefully tonight..
Could be tough ride if Winston were to decide to go with National.I get the feeling National might “quietly” still try to continue to fight hammer and tong to not need to re-enter Pike River mine.There’s so many questions that i feel remain unanswered in regard to why it’s hasn’t happened already?.In this sense, its also good that Winston isn’t the type of person to quickly rush-in in choosing who to decide to form the next government with.Pike River family feelings demand that Winston wouldn’t dare to be irresponsibly careless
Tough decision.Seem to me on the one side,in regard to National Winston must know he’s dealing with politicians some of which are perhaps bloody hard to trust.With Labour and the Greens it seems,to me, that there’s people who don’t bother to even hide disdain of Winston.
If Winston wont hurry,the media is right there,busily trying their best to make it seem real bad that he wont rush the job.If Winston did rush-in, and as such ended up making a real boo boo in doing so,soon enough the media would also still be double quick to report how bloody stupid that was
Reading what WILD KATIPO said above. I also feel Winston at least helps to provide our NZ Government some sort of balance.Sad that sometimes we New Zealander wont give any credit, where perhaps at least “some” credit is due
I feel some Labour/ Green supporters don’t “help” to make it such an easy choice,for Winston either, in regard to making a decision of running-in with the left side.Some folk sometimes seem (to me) mad as hell that Winston isn’t quick to throw his whole hand over toward their corners Christmas wish-list
‘It’s World Homeless Day and as the housing crisis grips the country, emergency housing providers are popping up around the country to meet soaring demand.
One Auckland church, Faith Family Connect, is even converting offices into bedrooms and says a growing number of homeless have high mental health needs.
They’ve been full up since early last year, so they’re doubling capacity to 30.
They’ve even rented a house across the street, but are still forced to turn desperate people away.
Senior Pastor Carla Perese says there are “families that are living in the parks just down the road”.
The church has always offered refuge to the homeless, but Pastor Perese says demand has never been so great.
“Our hearts are broken over this situation and that’s why we continue to do this,” she told Newshub.
Pastor Perese has even opened up her own home and has people staying in the spare room.
The church says the removal of state homes at nearby Glenn Innes and soaring rental costs are big contributors.’
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/10/church-full-to-bursting-with-homeless-as-demand-soars.html
New figures show 98 free-market affordable homes have been built under the government’s Auckland Housing Accord.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/341219/auckland-housing-accord-dismal-failure-on-affordability
What a farce!
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/10/a-dismal-failure.html
Yes , saw that today … that’s just disgusting.
Absolutely disgusting.