Sadly, too many people will skip or skim over that Adam.
Reporting on Venezuela, as Abby Martin points out, is coming from the same play-book as that used in the Ukraine and Syria. It’s all fucking fucked and I can’t really see a solution. People ‘don’t want to know’ and immediately go on a kind of rabid offensive against any common sense or any pointing to ‘small t’ truths.
Things are only going to change if or when a critical mass of people hesitate long enough to realise that those who push these “official enemy” lines are the ones who are most assuredly not on our side; that the ones they push these lines against often have interests far more in tune with our own than they do.
Referring to the original use of the screenshot, the Blackadder punchline is something like:
“My husband sits on a spike, and I sit on my husband… because two spikes would be indulgent”.
Anyone else wondering when the Lib Dems will rise up like comic book heroes to “save” Britain from a DUP/Tory deal?
And wondering how many of those liberal lackeys in UK Labour will jump ship and join with them to give the whole shit sandwich a dusting of vomit inducing centrist pragmatism?
The Lib Dems only said they would do no deals…I’m fairly sure they didn’t say they wouldn’t back either party. Two entirely different kettles of fish and deals aren’t necessary under the current UK Parliamentary system.
Yes, the LIb Dems would be dicing with oblivion if they backed the Tories in any way whatsoever after their coalition of the recent past.
But the liberal play book…hold up the fear (DUP + NI hitting the fan) and then the “grown up” solution of heroically disaffected Labour MPs + Lib Dems ride in at the last minute; the lesser evil defeating the fearful one.
What’s the bet when all has been said and done, we will learn that since the advent of this neo-liberal age… the loosening of building regulations, cost cutting measures, poorer quality materials and a lack of fire alarms and sprinklers were the basic cause of this horrific inferno in London:
So, the building was built in 1974. but there’s also this in the article you linked to.
Grenfell Tower underwent a two-year £10m refurbishment as part of a wider transformation of the estate, that was completed last year.
Work included new exterior cladding and a communal heating system.
The 24-storey tower, containing 120 flats, is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) on behalf of the council.
The local Grenfell Action Group had claimed, before and during the refurbishment, the block constituted a fire risk and residents had warned that access to the site for emergency vehicles was “severely restricted”.
The BBC has been unable to contact the property’s management company in the hours since the fire.
The local resident group had a far greater understanding of the risks than the managers/authorities or anyone supposedly in charge. Just one of the damning statements they made. So tragic.
ACM cladding. That stuff is cheap nasty shit. Council fuckwits saving a buck.
Oh ACM is basically two thin layers of ali with polyethylene core. well know for fires. Easy and cheap to use. Looks great too.
by using it as overcladding it sounds like they formed a chimney for the fire to spead up the outside of the building within the cladding, while the fire was feeding on the cladding itself.
I think there is good and bad ACM cladding. The good stuff has a core that is at least a 70% incombustible makimg it hard to burn and the bad stuff like you say.
Could have written this myself; albeit from the pov of a kiwi who has moved to Aus:
I always knew New Zealand was not as economically robust as Australia, and I did expect to experience a slight change in my general financial state of affairs. However, I wasn’t prepared for the poverty and ever-growing inequality that I see around me – in my own backyard and, no doubt, throughout the whole country.
A lot of people do it tough here. Wages are far lower than in Australia – fact – and the cost of living is higher, in my experience. The job market seems tougher and the “assistance” from the Government less effective and harder to obtain for people in genuine need (again, my perception – I’m sure there will be plenty of opposing commenters on this one – judge away!).
The most difficult and bitter pill to swallow for me is the dreadful housing situation and the fact that thousands of New Zealanders do not have a roof over their heads and a place to call home.
Get that … lower wages AND a higher cost of living. That lines up directly with my experience; every trip we make back home is a bit of a shocker in the wallet dept.
It’s not all a whinge .. far from it. The writer also sees some very profound positives that makes it worthwhile:
Before moving here, I idealised New Zealand as an almost-perfect country and thought I knew exactly what it would be like to live here. Whilst this picture-perfect mirage was shattered and my ignorance revealed a beautiful but flawed reality, I would not take back my choice to move here for the world.
I love this country and I am extremely proud to now be a citizen of New Zealand. At the same time, I also acknowledge that it is not perfect and we have a long way to go in some areas to address our social and economic issues.
We Kiwis need to roll our sleeves up – all of us. We have work to do!
The Australian economy isn’t looking too good at the moment though, I reckon the Aussies are about to go through a massive change similar to what we went through in the 1980’s.
Living far beyond their means the Aussies, those halcyon days of the Chinese buying everything Australia could dig out of the ground has finished and they ain’t coming back.
Yes, it’s a trap for governments and individuals. The golden rule is to live within your means and they were. Like an individual, they needed a ‘get out with your shirt if the wheels fall off.” plan. It’s tricky to get that right, to seamlessly scale down. Most of us find preparing for crap times in the future tough. ‘Crack another bottle.’
Dracoland is a great idea, we’ve tried lots of variations, when it’s overlaid with human nature it fails.
The way we’re doing things now is not right either, capitalism is not fabulous Draco, far from it. Looking around the globe, thumbing through the history books, so far it looks like the best of a bad bunch.
We just need to adjust it so that the honey is more widespread. That doesn’t mean chucking it out, it means sculpting it to suit us all.
Instinct does not apply to a species that can make intelligent choices.
The way we’re doing things now is not right either, capitalism is not fabulous Draco, far from it. Looking around the globe, thumbing through the history books, so far it looks like the best of a bad bunch.
You’re obviously not actually reading them. Capitalism, throughout the last 5000 years of recorded history, has destroyed every single society that it arose in and it’s doing the same again because of the greed and hubris of the capitalists – the greed and hubris you display on a daily basis.
We are all tuned into our unique frequency of W11 FM. What’s in it for me? We are all subjected to the pull of greed, it’s just the scale that varies.
I’m sure you can quote passages that support your views all day long Draco, it doesn’t make them the universal truth. If I was so inclined I could provide counter claims and we could bounce other peoples’ opinions between us ad infinitum.
Where and when do you think your model for our society has worked best? Capitalism eventually fails, yes all things have a life span. But jeeez things are crook in Venezuela. I’d suggest we’re seeing human instinct at play.
My greed? Being a capitalist doesn’t make me any more or less greedy than you. Outcomes geared to inputs does not necessarily lead to greed. I haven’t got your money Draco, you’ll need to organise your own, you’ll die waiting for our society to bankroll your ‘nice to haves’.
I reckon that a person living willingly in a capitalist society, behaving as a capitalist is greedier by definition that someone living in certain non-capitalist societies, particularly tribal societies that value sharing highly and actively discourage greedy behaviour.
Yes, I see your point but I wonder if in a tribal setting the outcome sought is more one of survival. Warm clothes, a roof and a full belly. Where as in our society we’re concerned about replacing cambelts and getting to a family Xmas gathering in Wellington.
I suspect tribal communities over the eons have enjoyed far more opportunities for leisure and the pursuit of entertainment than we enjoy now, meaning they could have coveted stuff, but didn’t, as their society was mature and had worked out that greed and acquisition equals eventual destruction. We’ve not cottoned on to that yet, but we will, ’cause, eventual destruction. Some can see it already, but their voices are being drowned out by those with a vested interest and those who have become addicted.
Moderated and regulated ‘ capitalism’ is not an evil , however , neo liberalism / globalism is. And that’s where so much of this division happens.
I prefer moderate nationalism – the bane of both the neo liberal and the extreme left – such as Draco.
And to understand how both camps have been royally played like fools , – perhaps we should be directing our attention towards those who really are the culprits.
This , on an annual meeting of the Bilderbergers in Virginia , USA , for example. Something for everyone here , – both the leftist and the capitalist to take home. Watch and learn.
Bilderberg Elites Panic As Trump Dismantles Climate Change Hoax …
Video for climate change bilderberg you tube▶ 7:48
There are more ways for our nation to plug into vibrant inflation in the housing sector than applying taxes. The word ‘tax’ induces those that could vote left to offer a tiny reflex gasp.
If our government is going to help out those that had no insurance on their place, doesn’t it make sense for them to hold the book on the lot? Another 2 bob in the sock.
Put the house on a massive flip flop by Bling and his zero government cronies on royalties for water exporters.
They are getting a hiding in the polls on this and this government is a poll driven government; always was, and always will be.
I do hope a reporter asks Bling why the massive turn-around in their belief that ‘no-one owns water’. Not holding my breath, in fact Jenna Lynch will probably gush over the government’s rethink, calling it savvy politics.
Muttonhead,
Jenna Lynch, blah,blah,blah, Jenna Lynch blah,blah, blah. This article was not even written by her. You have an uneasy fascination about her, as I said yesterday stop your bullying and grow the fuck up.
People go to university for years to study this stuff so at the risk of being a dummy.
Does the problem shape up like this: We spend our money, it flits offshore and becomes an asset elsewhere.
Do we turn neoliberalism around by making our spend do more for our nation? Is that the issue? Is that why our nation is supposedly travelling really well and we’re all eating dogfood?
It’s really the banks. Inflating the capital value of everything makes us all broke by generations. Farmers are debt slaves to the banks. Fishermen were wiped out by the capitalization of their asset as quota, and even the companies who acquired the asset struggle to pay for it. Ordinary city folk are looking at 30 years of two incomes to pay off a house, when the halflife of a good job is about 18 months. And all the margins on that – the profits – flow overseas – they are not reinvested here except at extractive interest rates.
The cure is Candide’s – il faut cultiver notre jardin. No cut for the neoliberals in that – but good health, local employment, environmental sustainability.
Certainly – restrict the market access of foreign banks & make local ones socially responsible. But the amount of capital rorted out of NZ will take generations to rebuild or replace if more strenuous measures are not taken.
Fascinating story in the Guardian, a study of the distribution of tax evasion according to wealth (something that is inherently difficult to study, but the authors have put some real effort in).
The more wealthy you are, the more you evade tax. While most reports on inequality only look at tax data. So inequality is considerably worse than generally reported, when tax evasion is included in the calculation.
Are we see nation states begin looking at the wealthiest globally and asking why they don’t live where they earn? First they came for the migrants the the rustication for going after the richest?
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This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
Hon Shane Jones, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises A new ‘super depot’ to be built for NZ Post in Wellington will create around 350 jobs during construction, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises Shane Jones says. Shane Jones today attended a ground-breaking and blessing ceremony for the parcel-processing depot ...
Our strong economic management prior to COVID-19 - with surpluses, low debt and near-record-low unemployment - put us in a good position to weather the impact of the virus and start to rebuild our economy much earlier than many other countries.Now we're putting our plan to recover and rebuild ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Law and Order Recently released Police fleeing driver statistics have shown yet another increase in incidents with another record-high in the latest quarter. “This new quarterly record-high is the latest in a string of record-high numbers since 2014. The data shows incidents ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...
Wildlife institutions affected by a loss of visitor revenue during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to receive government support with nearly $15 million of funding available announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Eco-sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and wildlife rescue, hospital and rehabilitation facilities provide crucial support for the recovery ...
The Government is expanding and accelerating frontline mental health and wellbeing services at tertiary education institutes (TEI) to help students manage ongoing stresses related to COVID-19. “The lockdown has been hugely disruptive for students. Many of them have had to relocate and move to online learning, isolating them from their ...
The Minister of Police says a major operation against the Mongrel Mob in Waikato will make a big dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks. “Senior leadership of the Waikato Mongrel Mob has been taken out as a result of Operation Kingsville, which resulted in ...
The Government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on 24 August2020, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly ...
A project to support volunteer efforts to look after streams and rivers is getting a boost thanks to support from DOC’s Community Conservation Fund announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “The government is backing efforts to look after waterways with $199,400 for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust from ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter today announced that funding for the COVID-19 Community Fund for women and girls will be doubled, as the first successful funding applications for the initial $1million were revealed. “Women and girls across the country have suffered because of the effects of COVID-19, and I ...
The Government’s books were better than forecast with a higher GST take as the economy got moving again after lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the 11 months to the end of May indicate the year end results for tax revenue will be stronger than forecast. ...
A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path was unveiled today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The newly-released report - Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector - was developed by the Wool Industry Project Action Group ...
Community efforts to create a Predator Free Whangārei will receive a $6 million boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The new funding, through Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd, will create around 12 jobs while enabling the complete removal of possums over ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that the New Zealand Government is reviewing the settings of its relationship with Hong Kong. “China’s decision to pass a new national security law for Hong Kong has fundamentally changed the environment for international engagement there,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand remains deeply ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced details of a multimillion-dollar investment in Whangārei for infrastructure projects that will help it recover from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created through the $26 million investment from the Government’s rejuvenation package ...
Following a second incident in which a person escaped from a managed isolation facility, security is being enhanced, including more police presence onsite, Minister Megan Woods said. “The actions of some individuals who choose to break the very clear rules to stay within the facilities means that more resourcing is ...
Waste reduction and recycling programmes in Kaipara are set to get a boost with Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announcing a $361,447 grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) Sustainable Kaipara. “The new funding will allow Sustainable Kaipara to partner with local schools, kura, community ...
The Government will support the Southland economy in the wake of multinational mining company Rio Tinto’s decision to follow through with its long signalled closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. “This day has unfortunately been on the cards for some time now, but nevertheless the final decision is a ...
New tools being developed to help boost Aotearoa’s Predator Free 2050 effort were unveiled today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. A new rat poison, a camera with predator recognition software to detect and report predators, a new predator lure and a ...
The Coalition Government has approved the purchase of a fleet of Bushmaster vehicles to replace the New Zealand Army’s armoured Pinzgauers, Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced today. The new fleet of 43 Australian-designed and built Bushmaster NZ5.5 will provide better protection for personnel and improved carrying capacity. “The age ...
The Government’s three prevention frameworks to reduce family violence in Aotearoa were launched this week by Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams. The frameworks were developed in partnership with communities around New Zealand, and build on the work the Government has already begun with its new family violence prevention ...
The Government is pleased to confirm funding for improvements to radiology and surgical services at Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. "The Minister of Finance the Hon Grant Robertson and former Health Minister Dr David Clark approved funding for Hawke's Bay DHB’s redevelopment of their radiology facilities ...
• New funding for four beds at Napier’s Springhill Residential Addiction Centre • A new managed withdrawal home and community service, and peer support before and after residential care at Tairāwhiti DHB • A co-ordinated network of withdrawal management services throughout the South Island • Peer support in Rotorua and ...
Introduction, seafarers and POAL Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be online with you all today. Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that COVID-19 has disrupted the maritime sector on an unprecedented scale. The work of seafarers and the maritime industry is keeping many economies around the world ...
A $13 million investment from Government will create jobs and improve the resilience of the rail connection between Christchurch and the West Coast, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones and Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau say. The funding comes from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2020 for infrastructure projects ...
The Government is investing $761 million to assist local government upgrade under-pressure water services across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The announcement was made at the site of the water bore that was found to be the source of the fatal ...
Recognised Seasonal Employers and migrant seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand will be able to continue working and supporting themselves with more flexible hours and roles, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The time-limited visa changes are: Stranded RSE workers will be able to work part-time (a minimum of 15 hours ...
The Government is making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers, while also ensuring New Zealanders needing work are prioritised, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. We are: Extending temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 ...
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM has been appointed as Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Alternate Environment Court Judge Craig James Thompson as Deputy Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the newly established Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). Environment Minister David Parker today also announced the appointment of Chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook as the ...
Auckland Queen’s Counsel Neil Campbell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Campbell graduated with a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1992. He spent two years with Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Auckland before travelling to the United ...
The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to better enable the development and operation of commercial film and video facilities in Christchurch. The Proposal, developed by Regenerate Christchurch in response to a request from Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section ...
The Government has launched a bold plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade, while protecting the environment and growing jobs. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today released Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential, a 10-year roadmap to unlock greater value ...
A new approach to prevent family harm that encourages greater collaboration across government and community groups is being celebrated at the opening of a new facility in Auckland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today opened the Multi-Disciplinary Family Harm Prevention Hub Te Taanga Manawa in Lambie Road in Manukau. The facility ...
The Government has released a major new report on the options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations while deferring any decision on the issue. “That decision needs to be informed by policy analysis that is still to be completed. As a result it will be up to a ...
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today. “I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti ...
Bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into New Zealand will be managed in the short term to ensure the Government is able to safely place New Zealanders arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility, says Housing Minister Megan Woods. “Last week Air Commodore Darryn Webb and I ...
Grant Robertson has today announced the first major release of funding from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020. “Today we’re setting out how $80 million will be invested, with $54 million of that over the 2020/2021 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite ...
The Government is maintaining current levy rates for the next 2 years, as part of a set of changes to help ease the financial pressures of COVID-19 providing certainty for businesses and New Zealanders, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “New Zealanders and businesses are facing unprecedented financial pressures as a ...
Small businesses are getting greater certainty about access to finance with an extension to the interest-free cashflow loan scheme to the end of the year. The Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has already been extended once, to 24 July. Revenue and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says it will be ...
A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced today. The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara ...
Tena koutou katoa Nga tangata whenua o tenei rohe o Pōneke, tena koutou Nau mai, haere mai ki te hui a tau mo te roopu reipa Ko tatou! Ko to tatou mana! Ko to tatou kaupapa kei te kokiri whakamua Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa Welcome. I ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $1.5 million to ensure QE Health in Rotorua can proceed with its world class health service and save 75 existing jobs, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF funding announced today is in addition to the $8 million ...
A new programme, which sets a firm course for the Building and Construction sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has been announced by the Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. “A significant amount of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from the building and construction sector. If we’re serious ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. This week: disgraced MP Hamish Walker.Showing promise The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is true, post on Facebook that he had been door knocking in Mataura when he hadn’t. He lied. The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is ...
It’s one of the most commonly used weedkillers in the world, but pressure to phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate could force us to come up with alternatives quickly. Listen to the full episode of Two Cents Worth below. Subscribe to Two Cents' Worth for free on Apple ...
The Covid-19 crisis has exposed gaps in the funding of early education that we should be bold in responding to, writes Sue Cherrington of Victoria University of Wellington Early childhood education has been in the media a great deal over recent weeks, initially with positive but increasingly with negative news reports. ...
It’s an economic theory that advocates tout as a solution to governments’ debt crises, but critics warn is a recipe for hyperinflation. Either way, modern monetary theory is getting a lot more attention in the era of Covid-19.Two big economic ideas have captured the popular imagination during the Covid-19 pandemic: ...
For one hour a week the supermarket lights are dimmed and the music stops. And it’s a kind of triumph, writes Michelle Langstone.I thought there’d been a power cut. The lights were out at the entrance, so you arrived into a kind of gloom. There was no music, and no ...
It’s no secret that New Zealand’s Covid-19 response was one of the world’s most effective. But to get an idea of how eagerly parts of our economy have rebounded post lockdown, take a look at our electricity demand data.Despite an impending wave of unemployment and looming fiscal challenges down the ...
In the second in the Spnioff’s Last on the list series, Dave King explains what inspired him to stand for the Act Party in Manurewa. At 20th spot on the list, if David Seymour’s party can win around 16% of the party vote, King is parliament bound.It wasn’t that long ...
Basketball is growing massively in popularity around the country, led by thousands of youngsters picking up the game every day. To The Line looks at what it’s like for New Zealand high school kids with hoop dreams.If there’s been a narrative rumbling away in the sports pages, it’s that of ...
Unbelievable. A first-rank world leader picks a needless fight with blameless allies, thus imperiling their unity. But that’s General de Gaulle for you.Impressive work, even by his standards. In 1967, Canada was to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (their Gallipoli – except that they ...
From RNZ Saturday Morning Described by a Guardian reviewer as “superb hate-reading”, writer and columnist Anand Giridharadas‘s latest book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World investigates the hypocrisy of billionaire “do-gooders”. He questions how and why we have become reliant on the philanthropy of the super-rich ...
The Professional Hunting Guides Association is welcoming the High Court decision on DoC’s controversial tahr campaign. The High Court in Wellington was asked on Wednesday by the Tahr Foundation for a judicial review of DoC’s plan to kill thousands ...
With the 2020 general election nearly three months away, a new campaign is asking voters to vote in line with the future. Vote Climate 2020 aims to highlight the opportunity to build momentum behind climate change, ensuring climate justice is a key election ...
“ACT will target the gangs by hitting them where it hurts – their pockets,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour and Firearms Spokesperson Nicole McKee. “New Zealanders deserve to be safe and secure, but violent gangs are a scourge on our ...
Waffles don’t need to be sweet – these cheese and onion numbers make an excellent savoury breakfast with an egg, or an equally tasty dinner with leftover mince.It’s easy to default to sweet breakfasts without thinking. At least that’s the case in our household, as porridge or bircher muesli is ...
The government is revitalising the wool sector, splashing out on freshwater restoration projects, relieving student stress and showing kindness to Muslims by extending the border exception criteria. It is also increasing its support (in announcements from two separate Green Party Ministers) for women and for wildlife institutions. And it is ...
People have called it for it be pulled from the service, but the escapist fantasy of 365 Days is nothing new, writes Alie Benge.To every generation, a bullish alpha-male psychopath is born, and is for someone reason considered a romantic hero. We’ve been through a lot this year, and instead ...
As Aucklanders reluctantly adjust to the inconvenient practice of water conservation, a drought-savvy Northlander shares the tips and temperament needed to get through the dry times.Auckland’s water shortage was recently reported on The Project, and viewers were earnestly exhorted to fill their dishwashers completely before turning them on. My husband ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk A request by the Philippines’ biggest radio and TV network for a new franchise has been rejected by a congressional committee in a vote that will go down in history as a flagrant violation of the country’s constitution, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Paris-based media ...
Hamish Walker's privacy leak debacle dominated the news this week, but it's not the first time a southern MP has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, writes Daisy Hudson. ...
Let’s not allow the focus on big-budget infrastructure projects to detract from the vital role public transport will play in revitalising our cities in a post-Covid world, says Greg Pollock.The recent match between the Blues and the Hurricanes was one of the world’s first major post-lockdown sporting fixtures. It was ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
In the heart of Christchurch is a Designated Character high school. What makes it unique? And should there be more like it? Frank Film visits Hagley College Paddy Grant was a 27-year-old truck driver when he rocked up to Christchurch’s Hagley High School, as it was then known. It was ...
"After he calms down we share the pie and talk about how hard the years since the show have been for him": a short story by Wellington writer Jordan Hamel. Every morning it’s the same. Cling wrap on the toilet seat, a pop up snake in my can of breakfast ...
Childcare centre closures have left families and staff out in the cold. In some cases, they were given just three days’ notice, Laura Walters reports Staff and families of Auckland’s Discoveries Educare branches feel blindsided by the sudden closure of the early childhood education centres. The Ministry of Education has ...
Controversy and the America's Cup go hand-in-hand and the latest edition is no different with Emirates Team New Zealand at the centre of financial mismanagement allegations. Extra Time unpicks the debate and ponders what does the latest Cup drama mean? And should we care? A study has revealed racial bias ...
Over the decades, Mike Fox has witnessed the housing market progressively tilt towards larger, more expensive homes. Without a major overhaul of the current regulatory processes, he says, things will never change.It’s one of the biggest problems our country faces – we cannot produce the affordable housing that’s so desperately ...
So-called dirty deals have been roundly denounced over the years. Hayden Donnell argues that they need to be normalised, and even embraced, in September’s election.Just before the 2011 general election, Patrick Gower was confronted with a political act so stomach-churning, it forced him to abandon his trademark reserve. John Key ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics, University of South Australia Victoria has recorded 288 new COVID-19 cases since yesterday, the largest daily increase we’ve seen so far. This big jump must have the Victorian government and health authorities very concerned, especially since nearly ...
The controversial 101 East episode Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown on 3 July 2020. Video: Al JazeeraPacific Media Watch Newsdesk Malaysian police summoned six Al Jazeera media workers today for questioning relating to an investigation for defamation and violation of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), reports IFJ Asia-Pacific. ...
Analysis - A National MP destroys his career, the government explains how someone with Covid-19 could walk around a supermarket and the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is announced. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Epidemiologist, UNSW Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly today recommended people in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire wear masks when leaving the house: […] If people have symptoms and they need to go for a test, for example, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rochelle Wynne, Director, Western Sydney Nursing & Midwifery Research Centre, Western Sydney University Over the past week, we’ve seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 infections among health-care workers in Victoria. This includes a doctor at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, one ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the return to lockdown in Victoria, National Cabinet setting to slow the flow of Australian’s ...
We prefer our heroes untarnished. And few match the heroism of Winston Churchill. But a recent report in the Times reminds us of the inevitability of human frailty and the consequences of keeping it under wraps.During the second world war, Britain’s greatest single loss of life at sea was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ou Yang, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Donald Trump has ordered US federal agencies to bypass environmental protection laws and fast-track pipeline, highway and other infrastructure projects. Signing the executive order last month, the US president declared regulatory delays would hinder “our ...
SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says "The NZDIA has done the right thing, and we’re glad to see Bertram has been held to account over his actions. He should take this as an opportunity to right his wrongs and show that he takes animal welfare seriously." ...
Takuta Ferris, Te Tai Tonga candidate for the Māori Party, is urging government to place whānau first in the wake of announcements around Tiwai Point. “The declaration that one of the region's major employers the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is closing ...
Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we’re joined by The Spinoff’s managing editor, mall rat and self-confessed food philistine Duncan Greive.On this month’s Dietary Requirements, the gang’s back in the studio, and ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart 1: United States and Australia rising. Chart by Keith Rankin. These charts look at Covid19 incidence in China (the most important first-wave country, with a limited second wave), Italy (the lead second-wave country), and USA and Australia (second-wave countries – drawing their caseload from Europe ...
The Government must listen to the Muslim community to rectify its failure to act in the past, says the Human Rights Commission. The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry was released this week. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Earlier this week, 150 high-profile authors, commentators and scholars signed an open letter in Harper’s magazine ...
You can’t keep a good woman down and Helen Clark is no exception. Her new appointment, as co-chair of a review of how the World Health Organisation handled the coronavirus pandemic, will test her formidable political skills. Sitting with her is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president, who handled the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Connor, Lecturer, James Cook University While many people may enjoy a game of backyard cricket, only a few go on to become elite professional batsmen in Australia. Cricket batting is example of what human skills can achieve. The fastest bowling delivery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Baumgartner, Professor of Fisheries and River Management, Institute for Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University This article is a preview of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a multimedia project launching on Monday July 13. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native ...
CEAC review of pre-election National’s “outline plan” just sent to us by Todd Muller 9/7/20 was actually his speech about his plan and was described as ‘an outline’. So in our review of National Party response to A Greener, Smarter Future; climate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Podger, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, Australian National University In Hidden Hand, China scholars Clive Hamilton and Marieke Ohlberg examine the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in Europe and North America in a similar way to how Hamilton dissected the CCP’s influence ...
“I can see why people are fed up, many are wondering how to clothe and feed their kids, or how they are going to pay their rent next week and still others are wondering what has happened to our beautiful Kiwi Way of Life. Well no party in parliament ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Sixty press freedom groups and civil society organisations, journalism institutions, filmmakers, and other supporters have formed a coalition in support of Maria Ressa and independent media in the Philippines, united around the call to #HoldTheLine. Today the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Center for ...
National MP Michael Woodhouse also received Covid-19 patient emails from Michelle Boag, and deleted them when he realised she was implicated in a separate email scandal. National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also ...
The government is extending border exceptions to allow overseas victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks and their support people to attend the shooter's sentencing. ...
Ever wanted to be Iron Man? Sam Brooks prefers Pepper Potts, but he had a great time stepping into the iron suit anyway.The first few moments of Iron Man VR are where it plays its hand, confidently and assuredly. You hold your palms out in front of you, and Iron ...
SAP has released to the public a policy paper, “Helping Kiwis get back to work: How data and technology can drive a bigger, better, faster economic recovery.” ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel.Mermaids When you lose grip and start to drift.The first thing you’re supposed to do issteer into it or steer away? Not all mermaids are royaltysomeone needs to audit the oceanprovide cashflow projectionssome mermaids are actuallymiddle-aged accountants named Stephendreaming of a land-view holiday home. I saw a ...
Want to work for The Spinoff? We’re looking for someone to fill an exciting new role based in our Auckland office. We’re looking for a video and podcast content manager: an experienced writer or sub-editor with a strong understanding of social media to manage our video and podcast content across various channels. ...
National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also received four unsolicited emails. ...
By RNZ News Opposition National list MP Dr Jian Yang has announced his retirement from New Zealand politics and says he will not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. He said politics was “demanding” and he wanted to spend more time with his ...
Bayer-Monsanto's June 24 announcement of a US$10.9 billion pay out (1) to people who have been harmed by Glyphosate, is effectively an admission of guilt. Spokesperson for The People’s Inquiry 2020 Asha Andersen says, “The Ministry of Health, The ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has filed a complaint with the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office over Lawrence Yule’s new taxpayer funded billboards promoting Mr Yule as the ‘Voice in Tukituki’. Union spokesman, Louis Houlbrooke ...
Ten points, two plans. Which points are whose? With an election within spitting distance, Aotearoa’s two biggest political parties are all about the plans. “You don’t have a plan!” says one party to the other. “Yes we have a plan, or certainly a plan to have a plan, or a plan ...
Four months after he announced his re-selection, a National Party MP whose links to Chinese spy agencies attracted the interest of New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service has announced he will not stand in the next election A three-term National Party MP who studied at an elite Chinese spy school before moving to ...
National list MP Dr Jian Yang announced his retirement from politics and said he would not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. ...
A new political party, the New Zealand TEA Party, with headquarters in Auckland, has been established. The party aims to contest the queen- or kingmaker position to form a coalition with the largest parliamentary party as part of the general elections ...
A review has determined fish oils are non-hazardous and no longer require oversight by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). We regulate pesticides, household chemicals and other dangerous goods and substances under the Hazardous Substances ...
New Conservative calls on the government to join with our Five Eyes allies and add New Zealand's signature to a joint statement condemning the continued removal of freedoms in Hong Kong. New Conservative also calls on the government to give safe-haven ...
Latest from the Beehive – Hard on the heels of the government promising help for the Southland economy in the wake of Rio Tinto’s decision to close the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, it was announcing the delivery of more money to the North, at the other end of the country. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luciano Beheregaray, Professor in Biodiversity Genomics, Flinders University As the global climate shifts, it’s important to know which species have adaptations to survive. Our research published today in PNAS found it largely depends on where they evolved. We looked at the capacity ...
From eggplant emojis and twerking llamas to sweaty anthropomorphic butts, we present some of the most fascinating, hilarious and outrageous complaints dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) from 2019 to now.Avocadon’t (January 2019)The ad: In this ad from Specsavers, a man gets ready to join a cricket match, but ...
They might sound like the same thing, but light rail is quite different from light metro – the system that transport minister Phil Twyford now favours for Auckland. Katy Wakefield and Jessica Rose of Women in Urbanism explain why the metro option is a poor substitute for LRT. Transport is ...
Daily Review 14/06/2017 
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 5 through Sat, July 11, 2020 Editor's Choice Think Covid-19 Disrupted the Food Chain? Wait and See What Climate Change Will Do The pandemic has revealed deep flaws in the ...27 mins ago
The Council of Disobedient Women There is a regular segment in the Speak Up For Women podcasts called “Absolutely Blasted Mad Moment of the Week”. Each podcast the speaker and the host discuss a recent event that is the most insane thing they have seen in the gender critical space ...15 hours ago
Todd Muller - Dishonest National Party leaderIt seems that dishonest Todd Muller is, like many right-wing politicians, entirely morally bankrupt. I mean just look at the National Party’s leaking omni-shambles over the last week or so. They’ve imploded in a spectacular display of backfiring dirty politics, the likes of which ...21 hours ago
TUESDAY JULY 14Yorkshire Airport (Prime, 7.30pm). Bloomin’ ’eck, behind the scenes at Leeds Bradford Airport. Apparently, there is plenty of “northern charm”, although reaction in the UK ranged from “brilliant” to “patronising”. It is narrated by Hugh Dennis, whose middle name might be “Arch”.WEDNESDAY JULY 15Queen: Live at Wembley (Prime, ...21 hours ago
Simon Bridges must be the unluckiest person in New Zealand politics. When he was elected as leader of the National party, he also became Leader of the Opposition – a position, he was entitled to assume, that would require him to “oppose”. But the government he set out to oppose ...23 hours ago
Check out Speak Up For Women’s new podcasts: Episode 3 In this episode Speak Up For Women spokeswoman Ani O’Brien (@aniobrien) is joined by Beth Johnson (@beth_nosnhoj) to discuss the proposal from Statistics NZ to change standard data collection policy to “gender by default” rather than sex. They discuss why the ...2 days ago
During a recent public consultation on the future of Archives New Zealand, a key report was suppressed. The Ombudsman has ruled that the refusal was unjustified. Sadly, the consultation was over by the time of the the decision has been made. However, the law on the use of the ...2 days ago
Everyone is paying attention today to the Supreme Court ruling that the President is not above the law and that Trump's tax returns can be given to a New York grand jury investigating him. But the Supreme Court decided another, far more important case yesterday, and effectively restored Native American ...2 days ago
Transcript: National Party policy announcement on roads – 8 July, 2020 Muller: Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for coming. Reporter 1: Is Hamish Walker a racist? Muller: Hang on… you haven’t even said good afternoon to me yet. Reporter 1: Good afternoon Mr Muller. Is Hamish Walker a racist? ...2 days ago
Today’s content Tiwai Point to close Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Government subsidising practically everything plays hardball with Rio Tinto (paywalled) Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Sudden closure of aluminium smelter worst outcome for jobs, consumers and the environment Brian Fallow (Herald): Tiwai closure sad news – and an opportunity for the environment (paywalled) Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Rio ...2 days ago
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Anja Mizdrak, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker The pandemic-related lockdown is possibly the most dramatic public health intervention in NZ history. It helped achieve the elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 virus in NZ. But it was also associated with 548 fewer total ...2 days ago
Reprehensible: There is much that could be said about Michael Woodhouse, but what would be the point? Any man who willingly involves himself in a situation as reprehensible as the one depicted in the above photograph has already vouchsafed all that decent people need to know about his character. That there have ...2 days ago
Some are surprised at this sudden brain implosion on the part of both Michelle Boag, former National Party President, and the National Party in general, in exposing the private, confidential details of COVID patients. Others…? Let’s be blunt: not so much. Too many of that Party have long operated with ...4 days ago
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Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, I have landed in hospital so am not able to do a current update on the NZ blog statistics. Let’s hope I can get back to this in good time. ...1 week ago
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...5 days ago
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...7 days ago
The Green Party has opposed the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Bill which shortcuts normal consenting processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA), reduces public participation and narrows environmental considerations. ...1 week ago
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...22 hours ago
Dunedin writer Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. This week: disgraced MP Hamish Walker. Showing promise The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is true, post on Facebook that he had been door knocking in Mataura when he hadn’t. He lied. The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is ...2 hours ago
It’s one of the most commonly used weedkillers in the world, but pressure to phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate could force us to come up with alternatives quickly. Listen to the full episode of Two Cents Worth below. Subscribe to Two Cents' Worth for free on Apple ...3 hours ago
The Covid-19 crisis has exposed gaps in the funding of early education that we should be bold in responding to, writes Sue Cherrington of Victoria University of Wellington Early childhood education has been in the media a great deal over recent weeks, initially with positive but increasingly with negative news reports. ...3 hours ago
It’s an economic theory that advocates tout as a solution to governments’ debt crises, but critics warn is a recipe for hyperinflation. Either way, modern monetary theory is getting a lot more attention in the era of Covid-19.Two big economic ideas have captured the popular imagination during the Covid-19 pandemic: ...4 hours ago
Unbelievable. A first-rank world leader picks a needless fight with blameless allies, thus imperiling their unity. But that’s General de Gaulle for you. Impressive work, even by his standards. In 1967, Canada was to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (their Gallipoli – except that they ...10 hours ago
The Professional Hunting Guides Association is welcoming the High Court decision on DoC’s controversial tahr campaign. The High Court in Wellington was asked on Wednesday by the Tahr Foundation for a judicial review of DoC’s plan to kill thousands ...16 hours ago
The government is revitalising the wool sector, splashing out on freshwater restoration projects, relieving student stress and showing kindness to Muslims by extending the border exception criteria. It is also increasing its support (in announcements from two separate Green Party Ministers) for women and for wildlife institutions. And it is ...19 hours ago
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk A request by the Philippines’ biggest radio and TV network for a new franchise has been rejected by a congressional committee in a vote that will go down in history as a flagrant violation of the country’s constitution, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Paris-based media ...22 hours ago
Hamish Walker's privacy leak debacle dominated the news this week, but it's not the first time a southern MP has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, writes Daisy Hudson. ...22 hours ago
In the heart of Christchurch is a Designated Character high school. What makes it unique? And should there be more like it? Frank Film visits Hagley College Paddy Grant was a 27-year-old truck driver when he rocked up to Christchurch’s Hagley High School, as it was then known. It was ...1 day ago
"After he calms down we share the pie and talk about how hard the years since the show have been for him": a short story by Wellington writer Jordan Hamel. Every morning it’s the same. Cling wrap on the toilet seat, a pop up snake in my can of breakfast ...1 day ago
Childcare centre closures have left families and staff out in the cold. In some cases, they were given just three days’ notice, Laura Walters reports Staff and families of Auckland’s Discoveries Educare branches feel blindsided by the sudden closure of the early childhood education centres. The Ministry of Education has ...1 day ago
Controversy and the America's Cup go hand-in-hand and the latest edition is no different with Emirates Team New Zealand at the centre of financial mismanagement allegations. Extra Time unpicks the debate and ponders what does the latest Cup drama mean? And should we care? A study has revealed racial bias ...1 day ago
You can’t keep a good woman down and Helen Clark is no exception. Her new appointment, as co-chair of a review of how the World Health Organisation handled the coronavirus pandemic, will test her formidable political skills. Sitting with her is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president, who handled the ...2 days ago
National MP Michael Woodhouse also received Covid-19 patient emails from Michelle Boag, and deleted them when he realised she was implicated in a separate email scandal. National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also ...2 days ago
Alan Brent looks at how NZ's solar resources can be used more effectively to address energy demand in our transitioning economy. ...2 days ago
Four months after he announced his re-selection, a National Party MP whose links to Chinese spy agencies attracted the interest of New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service has announced he will not stand in the next election A three-term National Party MP who studied at an elite Chinese spy school before moving to ...2 days ago
This is a very scary piece.
Abby Martin: World Ignores Opposition Violence at Venezuela Protests
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=19279#.WT5LgWzBrWZ.twitter
Sadly, too many people will skip or skim over that Adam.
Reporting on Venezuela, as Abby Martin points out, is coming from the same play-book as that used in the Ukraine and Syria. It’s all fucking fucked and I can’t really see a solution. People ‘don’t want to know’ and immediately go on a kind of rabid offensive against any common sense or any pointing to ‘small t’ truths.
Things are only going to change if or when a critical mass of people hesitate long enough to realise that those who push these “official enemy” lines are the ones who are most assuredly not on our side; that the ones they push these lines against often have interests far more in tune with our own than they do.
Take a deep breath. But don’t hold it.
I won’t hold my breath.
It’s the toilet paper lie gone large.
Referring to the original use of the screenshot, the Blackadder punchline is something like:
“My husband sits on a spike, and I sit on my husband… because two spikes would be indulgent”.
Yep I cracked up when I saw the use of the image.
Someone recently commented that the DUP are the political wing of the 17th century …
“I sit on Nathaniel — two spikes would be an extravagance”. 🙂
Anyone else wondering when the Lib Dems will rise up like comic book heroes to “save” Britain from a DUP/Tory deal?
And wondering how many of those liberal lackeys in UK Labour will jump ship and join with them to give the whole shit sandwich a dusting of vomit inducing centrist pragmatism?
The Lib Dems only said they would do no deals…I’m fairly sure they didn’t say they wouldn’t back either party. Two entirely different kettles of fish and deals aren’t necessary under the current UK Parliamentary system.
Yes, the LIb Dems would be dicing with oblivion if they backed the Tories in any way whatsoever after their coalition of the recent past.
But the liberal play book…hold up the fear (DUP + NI hitting the fan) and then the “grown up” solution of heroically disaffected Labour MPs + Lib Dems ride in at the last minute; the lesser evil defeating the fearful one.
Just a thought….
What’s the bet when all has been said and done, we will learn that since the advent of this neo-liberal age… the loosening of building regulations, cost cutting measures, poorer quality materials and a lack of fire alarms and sprinklers were the basic cause of this horrific inferno in London:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40269625
So, the building was built in 1974. but there’s also this in the article you linked to.
Edit: The Guardian has more on the concerns raised in the last few years about safety , poor management, fire hazards, faulty wiring, and lack of adequate escape routes for tenants.
The local resident group had a far greater understanding of the risks than the managers/authorities or anyone supposedly in charge. Just one of the damning statements they made. So tragic.
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/kctmo-playing-with-fire/
Wow.
Damning.
The power and permanence of blog posts.
Privatisation strikes again.
um no it is a body collective made up resident stakeholders and council.
http://www.kctmo.org.uk/main/8/about-us
That’s absolutely horrendous. No way a regular fire should be able to spread like that in any building, let alone a residential one.
Poor buggers.
ACM cladding. That stuff is cheap nasty shit. Council fuckwits saving a buck.
Oh ACM is basically two thin layers of ali with polyethylene core. well know for fires. Easy and cheap to use. Looks great too.
by using it as overcladding it sounds like they formed a chimney for the fire to spead up the outside of the building within the cladding, while the fire was feeding on the cladding itself.
I think there is good and bad ACM cladding. The good stuff has a core that is at least a 70% incombustible makimg it hard to burn and the bad stuff like you say.
How much money would we be able to tuck into our sock if every mortgage in NZ as of 2019 had to go through Kiwibank?
What direction are you suggesting here?
“Wicked child! Using Mrs implies fornication”.
Brilliant image and caption.
The 17th century quip raised a giggle too.
We certainly live in interesting times.
Edit:oops sausage fingers. This belongs up thread.
Could have written this myself; albeit from the pov of a kiwi who has moved to Aus:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/93441299/moving-to-nz-was-a-culture-shock-even-for-an-aussie
Get that … lower wages AND a higher cost of living. That lines up directly with my experience; every trip we make back home is a bit of a shocker in the wallet dept.
It’s not all a whinge .. far from it. The writer also sees some very profound positives that makes it worthwhile:
Yes Red. “I have a job” used to mean “I’m rising”. For too many “I have a job” now means “I’ve got my nostrils above the waterline.”
It’s not right, it’s not balanced. We’ll get it sorted.
What gets me is that it was all so avoidable.
Not in a capitalist system. In a capitalist system it’s inevitable.
The Australian economy isn’t looking too good at the moment though, I reckon the Aussies are about to go through a massive change similar to what we went through in the 1980’s.
Living far beyond their means the Aussies, those halcyon days of the Chinese buying everything Australia could dig out of the ground has finished and they ain’t coming back.
Yes, it’s a trap for governments and individuals. The golden rule is to live within your means and they were. Like an individual, they needed a ‘get out with your shirt if the wheels fall off.” plan. It’s tricky to get that right, to seamlessly scale down. Most of us find preparing for crap times in the future tough. ‘Crack another bottle.’
Except that they weren’t. They were digging up their means and selling it as fast as they could. Still are and so are we.
So are Venezuela, I’ll stick where I am thanks.
Dracoland is a great idea, we’ve tried lots of variations, when it’s overlaid with human nature it fails.
The way we’re doing things now is not right either, capitalism is not fabulous Draco, far from it. Looking around the globe, thumbing through the history books, so far it looks like the best of a bad bunch.
We just need to adjust it so that the honey is more widespread. That doesn’t mean chucking it out, it means sculpting it to suit us all.
Appeal to Nature
Instinct does not apply to a species that can make intelligent choices.
You’re obviously not actually reading them. Capitalism, throughout the last 5000 years of recorded history, has destroyed every single society that it arose in and it’s doing the same again because of the greed and hubris of the capitalists – the greed and hubris you display on a daily basis.
We are all tuned into our unique frequency of W11 FM. What’s in it for me? We are all subjected to the pull of greed, it’s just the scale that varies.
I’m sure you can quote passages that support your views all day long Draco, it doesn’t make them the universal truth. If I was so inclined I could provide counter claims and we could bounce other peoples’ opinions between us ad infinitum.
Where and when do you think your model for our society has worked best? Capitalism eventually fails, yes all things have a life span. But jeeez things are crook in Venezuela. I’d suggest we’re seeing human instinct at play.
My greed? Being a capitalist doesn’t make me any more or less greedy than you. Outcomes geared to inputs does not necessarily lead to greed. I haven’t got your money Draco, you’ll need to organise your own, you’ll die waiting for our society to bankroll your ‘nice to haves’.
I think I saw capitalism at it’s best when I lived in Sweden in the late 90’s.
I reckon that a person living willingly in a capitalist society, behaving as a capitalist is greedier by definition that someone living in certain non-capitalist societies, particularly tribal societies that value sharing highly and actively discourage greedy behaviour.
Yes, I see your point but I wonder if in a tribal setting the outcome sought is more one of survival. Warm clothes, a roof and a full belly. Where as in our society we’re concerned about replacing cambelts and getting to a family Xmas gathering in Wellington.
I suspect tribal communities over the eons have enjoyed far more opportunities for leisure and the pursuit of entertainment than we enjoy now, meaning they could have coveted stuff, but didn’t, as their society was mature and had worked out that greed and acquisition equals eventual destruction. We’ve not cottoned on to that yet, but we will, ’cause, eventual destruction. Some can see it already, but their voices are being drowned out by those with a vested interest and those who have become addicted.
Moderated and regulated ‘ capitalism’ is not an evil , however , neo liberalism / globalism is. And that’s where so much of this division happens.
I prefer moderate nationalism – the bane of both the neo liberal and the extreme left – such as Draco.
And to understand how both camps have been royally played like fools , – perhaps we should be directing our attention towards those who really are the culprits.
This , on an annual meeting of the Bilderbergers in Virginia , USA , for example. Something for everyone here , – both the leftist and the capitalist to take home. Watch and learn.
Bilderberg Elites Panic As Trump Dismantles Climate Change Hoax …
Video for climate change bilderberg you tube▶ 7:48
Or offer a rate that competitors can’t equal. Govts get $ at a keen %.
There are more ways for our nation to plug into vibrant inflation in the housing sector than applying taxes. The word ‘tax’ induces those that could vote left to offer a tiny reflex gasp.
If our government is going to help out those that had no insurance on their place, doesn’t it make sense for them to hold the book on the lot? Another 2 bob in the sock.
Newshub poll: 87% say charge royalties on water
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/06/newshub-poll-87-say-charge-royalties-on-water.html
I’m not surprised that a majority support it but I am surprised it being so high.
There is a lot to love about spiders
https://www.treehugger.com/animals/spiders-eat-800-million-tons-insects-year.html
personally always been a bit frightened and got through that to loving them – 8 eyes!!! That alone is mega.
Put the house on a massive flip flop by Bling and his zero government cronies on royalties for water exporters.
They are getting a hiding in the polls on this and this government is a poll driven government; always was, and always will be.
I do hope a reporter asks Bling why the massive turn-around in their belief that ‘no-one owns water’. Not holding my breath, in fact Jenna Lynch will probably gush over the government’s rethink, calling it savvy politics.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/06/newshub-poll-87-say-charge-royalties-on-water.html
Until we abandon neo-liberalism, the looting of this country’s resources will continue..
Muttonhead,
Jenna Lynch, blah,blah,blah, Jenna Lynch blah,blah, blah. This article was not even written by her. You have an uneasy fascination about her, as I said yesterday stop your bullying and grow the fuck up.
Free speech, bro. Suck it up.
Muttonhead,
This reminds me of you.
https://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2017/06/official-weak-men-prefer-socialism/
Linking to whale oil. Says it all.
Free speech Bro, suck it up.
People go to university for years to study this stuff so at the risk of being a dummy.
Does the problem shape up like this: We spend our money, it flits offshore and becomes an asset elsewhere.
Do we turn neoliberalism around by making our spend do more for our nation? Is that the issue? Is that why our nation is supposedly travelling really well and we’re all eating dogfood?
It’s really the banks. Inflating the capital value of everything makes us all broke by generations. Farmers are debt slaves to the banks. Fishermen were wiped out by the capitalization of their asset as quota, and even the companies who acquired the asset struggle to pay for it. Ordinary city folk are looking at 30 years of two incomes to pay off a house, when the halflife of a good job is about 18 months. And all the margins on that – the profits – flow overseas – they are not reinvested here except at extractive interest rates.
The cure is Candide’s – il faut cultiver notre jardin. No cut for the neoliberals in that – but good health, local employment, environmental sustainability.
If it’s the banks, is there a way Government leverage and the retail face of Kiwibank could make a difference?
Certainly – restrict the market access of foreign banks & make local ones socially responsible. But the amount of capital rorted out of NZ will take generations to rebuild or replace if more strenuous measures are not taken.
Fascinating story in the Guardian, a study of the distribution of tax evasion according to wealth (something that is inherently difficult to study, but the authors have put some real effort in).
The more wealthy you are, the more you evade tax. While most reports on inequality only look at tax data. So inequality is considerably worse than generally reported, when tax evasion is included in the calculation.
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/jun/14/tax-evaders-exposed-why-super-rich-are-even-richer-than-we-thought
Worth a guest post here, this one.
So, the capitalists are going through their standard motions that destroy society.
I’ll look forward to reading it once you’ve got it put up.
NZ is third on this list.
Given increasing regionism and nationalism over migration. And stories like https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/jun/14/tax-evaders-exposed-why-super-rich-are-even-richer-than-we-thought
Are the Arab countries looking to their own region for wealth centers and does this explain the current regional spat over the regional economic power house?
Are we see nation states begin looking at the wealthiest globally and asking why they don’t live where they earn? First they came for the migrants the the rustication for going after the richest?