‘Controversial application to pull millions of litres a day from Blue Spring withdrawn’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a controversial application to take 6.9 million litres of water a day from Putaruru’s Blue Spring to send offshore has withdrawn its application.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.
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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Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
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‘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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXASY20KvhI
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18-jmEqeTCY
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.