“Our concern with that is the likelihood it would reduce the amount of time that baby has to bond with their primary caregiver,” said Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.”
Yeah I’d be advising Labour to tread very carefully here because its starting to get a bit of traction
Well, in the interests of reciprocal advice, it really looks like National could gain traction on this. Labour look weak, caring about babies and suchlike.
National have a strong track record in this regard to build on, but maybe they could suggest sending babies into Pike River mine as gas canaries, or just get one or two front-benchers photographed using babies as bowling pins?
The question is though what do parents want or think is best for their kids? I personally have no skin in the game so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out
Of course Labour could surprise everyone by batting this away effortlessly but even you would have to admit Labours start hasn’t exactly been a raging success
“The question is though what do parents want or think is best for their kids? I personally have no skin in the game so I’ll desist from offering my opinion”.
fify
I’ll offer mine then. When my partner and I had our youngest daughter our first-born was 3. The rare times (weekends) that we could all spend together in those wonderful first few weeks were hugely rewarding for all of us as a family. Nats initiative is great, it allows choice for parents to make on what works best for them. Hardly surprising then that Labour is against it.
Bondy – isn’t spending time with young sons and daughters (grandsons and granddaughters too!) wonderful!
Do you have any ideas as to why National didn’t bring this in when they were in Government? It seems as though they are just talking big at this point when they have no power to enact the needed legislation.
Cheers.
Yes it is wonderful. Said youngest turns 11 today and happily her & sister are coming to visit for the weekend for birthday celebrations.
We know the Nats did increase parental leave, no doubt they would have further and it would have been well considered as to how it would work and give choice. As we know they were also considering the fairness of the duration to other interested parties not the least of whom were taxpayers and non/parents.
Yes that’s National, delivering babies for New Zealanders since 2015 and beyond:
“I’m naturally disappointed that after battling for three years to extend paid parental leave, my Member’s Bill was defeated,” Ms Moroney says.
“It’s disappointing for these New Zealand families that they will have to wait longer for extended paid parental leave just because National won’t vote for a Labour Bill.
Well, it’s paid by the IRD. I assume that the paperwork to verify a child exists would involve mother and delivery date, but the intricacies are not really my field…
Its not concern trolling I happen to think this is one of those emotive issues that people, especially parents, care quite deeply about and as such its important (imho) that Labour get this right
It’s not really what they talk about, so much as the blatant hypocrisy with which they do it.
I suspect that for the next couple of years any good ideas national suddenly have will be met with the response “well, you should have done it when you were in government. And you might have bothered building the bridges and hospitals you promised, too”.
Oh it won’t bring them down but what may, or may not, be the second cut to be inflicted and like the previous two governments its the amount of cuts that finally ends it
I was going to suggest Hipkins dropping the ball with the speakers vote but lets be honest most people will forget about in a few years time (if not already) so its easily Labour going great guns over the TPPA
When you have Labour needing Nationals support to pass something that Labour protested about I’m going to guess theres going to be a few people slightly ticked off
You and they are ignoring the fact the the fast unraveling TPPA has gone back to negotiation. Negotiation where all manner of modifications might be secured to which the Greens will have input, I’m sure.
Anyone else confused as hell that National’s opposition tactics are to try and show up Labour by being even further left, and placing themselves as the party of the people? I wonder if this National Party knows the National Party of the last 9 yeasts?
Still, if their opposition plan is go hard left, the next 3 years will be awesome 🙂
Looking at that URL, I see Stuff still think that point scoring and the political battle is more important than, you know, actual governing and getting good legislation from the parliamentary process.
I do admit that what fascinates me about politics is what it makes people do in that I’d hazard a guess that most every new mp wants to help, make the country a better place, be honest and truthful etc etc yet somewhere along the way changes happen, in every party
I like the reactions of supporters and while said supporters are very keen to point out errors in the opposition seem blind to the faults of their own party (no I’m not missing the irony)
I like the point scoring, I like (love) the drama, the tit-for-tat, how politicians can all say one thing then another (I couldn’t be a politician) the sheer chutzpah of what it takes
Yet somehow it all seems to combine to make NZ a pretty decent place to live
I think this is so wrong. The court has made a mistake. Māori is an official language. As the mother says if the shoe was on the other foot the outcry would be huge. Shame on the court and the father – disgraceful.
That was bizarre and a classic example of just how much mainstream NZ expects Māori to be assimilated. I hope it gets appealed further.
It’s possible the father has some legitimate issues around involvement, but I think there are far better ways of solving that. I would have thought the family court could have helped with that. (Hard to tell at the distance though).
Sure James – good you’re a mens rights activist now lol but you’re not are you? You’re fake from start to finish – and thick as congealed 3 day old salty porridge.
It took three High Court judges to preside over the case. After 10 weeks of deliberations, the third judge noted, “It is perhaps surprising in 2017, especially given the Māori Language Act, that it is not yet Government policy that all primary schools teach te reo as a compulsory subject.”
The judge effectively overturned the Family Court ruling and enabled the girl to resume her Māori education at a new, bilingual school.
And, yes, it is surprising that Te Reo (sp?) isn’t compulsory in school.
Hey I’m more than willing to give Labour a chance, I mean they really want to sign the TPPA and I want the TPPA signed but that doesn’t mean we should ignore whats happening unless you mean Labour should have a grace period?
Who blocked extending paid parental leave last year chris? Your concerns would have more legitimacy if you weren’t backing a bunch of power-mongering hypocrites who are still blatantly power mongering rather than trying to help NZ.
Thats true however they did campaign at the election for an extension to 22 weeks, which included the ability for parents to choose whether they took that leave at the same time.
“Hey I’m more than willing to give Labour a chance”, says chris73.
He also says,
“you would have to admit Labours start hasn’t exactly been a raging success…”
and
“…the amount of mistakes Labours already made so far isn’t exactly heartening
…”
Showing, to those of us with radar tuned to concern trolling, that you are not “willing to give Labour a chance”, but instead are determined to magnify and broadcast every bump in the road, not because you wish them bon chance but because you wish them ill. Aye.
Wonder if the published commentary from the failed English Government is greater than the published commentary from the present Government by more than 80%.
I reckon that this is an all time record given that Opposition traditionally complains that they cannot get air time.
Ardern is probably the least of Malcolm’s problems right now.
Shorten has pulled a swifty and put up Kristina Keneally, the former Labor Premier of NSW to contest the seat of Bennelong in the upcoming by-election caused when the sitting Liberal MP Alexander was forced to resign because of dual citizenship issues.
Bennelong is a wealthy metro seat on Sydney’s North Shore whose voters have a habit of voting Labor when they’re pissed off with Liberal governments.
Keneally is an American who renounced her US citizenship to become a State MP and then Premier. The contrast with the citizenship omnishambles engulfing the government in Canberra is stark.
If Keneally wins then Turnbull’s government is almost certainly gone… http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-14/kristina-keneally-to-run-in-bennelong-by-election/9147640
I’ve been away for the last month or so.
Can anyone inform me of the progress that the Government has made on the Pike River mine re-entry?
I presume that Little, Andrew has got it well underway although Google didn’t tell me anything about what he must have organised by now.
Just what has he been up to on the matter? Or is this something we are not allowed to ask about?
That is about what I tried.
The most promising statement I could find was at the end of October when Little said
“I would be surprised if we can’t make an entry, provided everything else lines up, by sometime in the early part of next year… March, April I say would be realistic,” he said.”
That hardly seemed to be very certain that it would go ahead though.
The PM seemed to be ticking it off her 100 day list because the Minister in charge had been named. That really didn’t seem very much like the promises from before the election though. At that time we were told
“Jacinda Ardern says a Labour Government would reenter the Pike River Mine.
The leaders of Labour, United Future, the Maori Party and the Green Party signed a commitment in Wellington on Tuesday to reenter the West Coast mine”
This now seems to have become
“She said the incoming government had already ticked off one of its commitments for the first 100 days, with the appointment of Andrew Little as the Minister responsible for Pike River Re-Entry”
A bit rich putting Little in charge. Didn’t he state on more than 1 occasion that he was entirely happy with the H&S & operations at the mine, after the explosion?
Anyhow, I hope any reentry personnel are accompanied by independent observers. Stories I heard from coasters who had worked there suggest that not all evidence of the cause of explosion will be what the families want made public. I hope that’s not the case.
Bondy I’m no friend of the labour party – so I’ll politely ask you to back up that statement you made about Andrew Little. As for the second part you might want to get that sorted as well – as it stands all your doing is ‘making shit up’.
“Following the disaster, Little defended the company’s safety record. He told the New Zealand Herald on November 21, 2010, that the company had an “active health and safety committee” and that there was “nothing unusual about Pike River or this mine that we’ve been particularly concerned about.” (see video) He repeated his comments to Radio NZ the following day, saying the company had taken “great care” with safety.” https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1701/S00183/opposition-parties-feign-support-for-pike-river-families.htm
there’s a difference between not having anything out of the ordinary and someone being “entirely happy” with it and “defending” it.
All Little did was state two facts about the union’s dealings with the mine, a day or two after the first explosion.
“Defending” it would be more like saying their safety record was second to none and they were exceptionally diligent about safety. He didn’t do that: just said the company wasn’t out of the ordinary.
A bit like how the cops saying someone isn’t convicted of or wanted in relation to any serious offences is not a defense of the individual’s character.
Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) national secretary Andrew Little said he had never heard of any Pike mineworker becoming sick from the gas.
“I was told there was a pretty active health and safety committee there. They were meeting on a regular basis,” he said.
“In January 2009, an advisory notice was given to Pike staff after cigarette butts were found in the mine. Two months later, another notice stated the mine had “very strict rules of the taking of contraband items underground that could cause a spark or fire”.
“Everyone’s lives are at stake with the breach of these rules,” the notice stated, which Shortall read.
“Stories I heard from coasters who had worked there suggest that not all evidence of the cause of explosion will be what the families want made public. I hope that’s not the case.”
So a planning meeting is no longer concret action?
A meeting to actually do the reentry happened on the 6th of November. Which included the families to keep them informed of progress, is way more than the previous government did.
You did realise the families did not go out to the media after the meeting and complain about no action. Which was the families did after almost every meeting with the previous government.
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TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
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Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
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Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
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An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
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Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
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 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
The Department of Conservation is in greater need of a commissioner than Health NZ, a veteran scientist says The post The risks and rewards of remaking DoC appeared first on Newsroom. ...
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98871168/national-sets-the-nanny-trap-labour-walks-right-in-over-paid-parental-leave
“Our concern with that is the likelihood it would reduce the amount of time that baby has to bond with their primary caregiver,” said Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway.”
Yeah I’d be advising Labour to tread very carefully here because its starting to get a bit of traction
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/baby/breastfeeding/98877615/labours-parental-leave-policy-puts-babies-health-first–midwives
“Traction”
Oh noes! Wingnuts are repeating it to one another.
Well Labour were warned National won’t make it easy for Labour and nor should they
Go full Tea Party. It’s the right move. You know you want to.
No not at all, I’m center right at best but the amount of mistakes Labours already made so far isn’t exactly heartening
Although knowing they want to sign the TPPA means they’re not all bad
I think you mean centre right at worst 🙂 (or maybe not).
Well, in the interests of reciprocal advice, it really looks like National could gain traction on this. Labour look weak, caring about babies and suchlike.
National have a strong track record in this regard to build on, but maybe they could suggest sending babies into Pike River mine as gas canaries, or just get one or two front-benchers photographed using babies as bowling pins?
The question is though what do parents want or think is best for their kids? I personally have no skin in the game so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out
Of course Labour could surprise everyone by batting this away effortlessly but even you would have to admit Labours start hasn’t exactly been a raging success
“The question is though what do parents want or think is best for their kids? I personally have no skin in the game so I’ll desist from offering my opinion”.
fify
I’ll offer mine then. When my partner and I had our youngest daughter our first-born was 3. The rare times (weekends) that we could all spend together in those wonderful first few weeks were hugely rewarding for all of us as a family. Nats initiative is great, it allows choice for parents to make on what works best for them. Hardly surprising then that Labour is against it.
Bondy – isn’t spending time with young sons and daughters (grandsons and granddaughters too!) wonderful!
Do you have any ideas as to why National didn’t bring this in when they were in Government? It seems as though they are just talking big at this point when they have no power to enact the needed legislation.
Cheers.
Yes it is wonderful. Said youngest turns 11 today and happily her & sister are coming to visit for the weekend for birthday celebrations.
We know the Nats did increase parental leave, no doubt they would have further and it would have been well considered as to how it would work and give choice. As we know they were also considering the fairness of the duration to other interested parties not the least of whom were taxpayers and non/parents.
Yes that’s National, delivering babies for New Zealanders since 2015 and beyond:
“I’m naturally disappointed that after battling for three years to extend paid parental leave, my Member’s Bill was defeated,” Ms Moroney says.
“It’s disappointing for these New Zealand families that they will have to wait longer for extended paid parental leave just because National won’t vote for a Labour Bill.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/sue-moroney-disappointed-paid-parental-bill-voted-down-6242224
Actually, the question is whether you lot will walk over babies to try to get back into government.
Apparently the answer is “yes”.
As to the administrative issue of consecutive vs concurrency in leave allocation… good luck with that.
Yeah, I was wondering about. Hadn’t realised that it was even a thing. How do they manage that?
What, create media mountains out of dust motes?
Tories are just lucky I guess, lol
Lol, not I meant how do they know if two people take PPL at the same time for the same child.
Well, it’s paid by the IRD. I assume that the paperwork to verify a child exists would involve mother and delivery date, but the intricacies are not really my field…
It’s been better than the Nat’s start to opposition. They are so miserable and negative!
chris73
FFS STFU Don’t start all the concern trolling. It doesn’t look nice.
Its not concern trolling I happen to think this is one of those emotive issues that people, especially parents, care quite deeply about and as such its important (imho) that Labour get this right
No, what’s important is that they are an improvement in every respect over the National Party.
Not the self-serving hypocrite hoops you just made up.
You are – your gnat mates are trying to point score as are you and you’re using babies to do it. Concern troll and creep – well done you.
Right so National isn’t allowed to talk about this subject, any others they’re not allowed to talk about?
Yes concern troll your concern for your gnat masters is noted.
It’s not really what they talk about, so much as the blatant hypocrisy with which they do it.
I suspect that for the next couple of years any good ideas national suddenly have will be met with the response “well, you should have done it when you were in government. And you might have bothered building the bridges and hospitals you promised, too”.
I can’t see this being the issue that brings the government down no matter how much Stacey Kirk wants it to be.
It won’t stop baby-hating Nats like her and Amy Adams though. 🙂
Oh it won’t bring them down but what may, or may not, be the second cut to be inflicted and like the previous two governments its the amount of cuts that finally ends it
Oh yes, and what was the first cut?
I was going to suggest Hipkins dropping the ball with the speakers vote but lets be honest most people will forget about in a few years time (if not already) so its easily Labour going great guns over the TPPA
When you have Labour needing Nationals support to pass something that Labour protested about I’m going to guess theres going to be a few people slightly ticked off
Do Labour really need National’s support on this or is that something you’ve read in the RW press?
Well if this is correct: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98830660/greens-wont-support-new-tpp-legislation-as-changes-dont-go-far-enough
then Labour need National
but this is interesting: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98865950/winston-peters-will-get-in-line-and-support-tpp–according-to-national
NZFirst is being very quiet about all this
You and they are ignoring the fact the the fast unraveling TPPA has gone back to negotiation. Negotiation where all manner of modifications might be secured to which the Greens will have input, I’m sure.
Anyone else confused as hell that National’s opposition tactics are to try and show up Labour by being even further left, and placing themselves as the party of the people? I wonder if this National Party knows the National Party of the last 9 yeasts?
Still, if their opposition plan is go hard left, the next 3 years will be awesome 🙂
National going hard left, Labour hard selling the TPPA… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA1SxZoFmOU
Troll
Looking at that URL, I see Stuff still think that point scoring and the political battle is more important than, you know, actual governing and getting good legislation from the parliamentary process.
I’m going to guess you think the same.
I do admit that what fascinates me about politics is what it makes people do in that I’d hazard a guess that most every new mp wants to help, make the country a better place, be honest and truthful etc etc yet somewhere along the way changes happen, in every party
I like the reactions of supporters and while said supporters are very keen to point out errors in the opposition seem blind to the faults of their own party (no I’m not missing the irony)
I like the point scoring, I like (love) the drama, the tit-for-tat, how politicians can all say one thing then another (I couldn’t be a politician) the sheer chutzpah of what it takes
Yet somehow it all seems to combine to make NZ a pretty decent place to live
…unless you’re one of the people the National Party sponsors human rights abuses against, that is.
If National really think this is so important why didn’t they pass it years ago when they were in govt?
methinks they doth protest too much
I think this is so wrong. The court has made a mistake. Māori is an official language. As the mother says if the shoe was on the other foot the outcry would be huge. Shame on the court and the father – disgraceful.
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/national/court-rules-no-maori-immersion-school-child
That was bizarre and a classic example of just how much mainstream NZ expects Māori to be assimilated. I hope it gets appealed further.
It’s possible the father has some legitimate issues around involvement, but I think there are far better ways of solving that. I would have thought the family court could have helped with that. (Hard to tell at the distance though).
“But the father submitted to the family court his daughter was enrolled without his consent and had concerns about her academic progress”
That’s a really valid issue and seems that the court has taken it into account.
There seems to be more at play – and being a family matter I doubt we will know all the story.
There are other ways to solve those issues though.
Play a mindgame James and turn the situation the other way round. You’d be bleating like a paddock full of lonely lambs.
What ? if the mother didn’t give her permission and that she was concerned about the child’s academic performance.
No my view would be the same.
Intentionally obtuse.
Deliberately dickheadish too
No dickheadish is to assume What it is all about and to discount the father’s views and concerns in the matter.
Sure James – good you’re a mens rights activist now lol but you’re not are you? You’re fake from start to finish – and thick as congealed 3 day old salty porridge.
I think deliberately misinterpreting someone’s comment is pretty dickheadish.
It would be if he could actually show reason for those concerns. But then there’s this bit from him:
All he had to do is learn – and he refused.
Seems to me that he’s just being a control freak.
Yep EVERYONE is welcomed to learn the language and culture. Yes it can be scarey but what an opportunity this father missed.
Seems the high court has over turned the family court ruling:
And, yes, it is surprising that Te Reo (sp?) isn’t compulsory in school.
Chris73 – Give us a break from your attempts to erode our feelings of delight around the new Government. You’re coming across as a petty spoiler.
Hey I’m more than willing to give Labour a chance, I mean they really want to sign the TPPA and I want the TPPA signed but that doesn’t mean we should ignore whats happening unless you mean Labour should have a grace period?
Who blocked extending paid parental leave last year chris? Your concerns would have more legitimacy if you weren’t backing a bunch of power-mongering hypocrites who are still blatantly power mongering rather than trying to help NZ.
Here you go, you can refresh your memory.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81138922/Government-has-used-the-financial-veto-to-stop-an-extension-to-paid-parental-leave
Thats true however they did campaign at the election for an extension to 22 weeks, which included the ability for parents to choose whether they took that leave at the same time.
sure, they threw in some liberal/left wing policy when they realised they were at risk of losing the election (August I think).
“Hey I’m more than willing to give Labour a chance”, says chris73.
He also says,
“you would have to admit Labours start hasn’t exactly been a raging success…”
and
“…the amount of mistakes Labours already made so far isn’t exactly heartening
…”
Showing, to those of us with radar tuned to concern trolling, that you are not “willing to give Labour a chance”, but instead are determined to magnify and broadcast every bump in the road, not because you wish them bon chance but because you wish them ill. Aye.
You really are quite a dishonest person .
“I want the tpp signed”….
this Govts biggest screw up is going on about Manus Is refugees,even if its a distraction tactic it could blow up,bigtime.
She’s not a happy camper.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/assets/news/132319/eight_col_000_U810F.jpg?1510632656
what does one say to a mass murderer ?
I know. She doesn’t want to have to meet this man, but did according to her sense of duty.
opinions are like arsehole , every one has one, but unlike your arsehole you should examine your opinion regularly .
stolen from some bloke on fb
Wonder if the published commentary from the failed English Government is greater than the published commentary from the present Government by more than 80%.
I reckon that this is an all time record given that Opposition traditionally complains that they cannot get air time.
Ardern is probably the least of Malcolm’s problems right now.
Shorten has pulled a swifty and put up Kristina Keneally, the former Labor Premier of NSW to contest the seat of Bennelong in the upcoming by-election caused when the sitting Liberal MP Alexander was forced to resign because of dual citizenship issues.
Bennelong is a wealthy metro seat on Sydney’s North Shore whose voters have a habit of voting Labor when they’re pissed off with Liberal governments.
Keneally is an American who renounced her US citizenship to become a State MP and then Premier. The contrast with the citizenship omnishambles engulfing the government in Canberra is stark.
If Keneally wins then Turnbull’s government is almost certainly gone…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-14/kristina-keneally-to-run-in-bennelong-by-election/9147640
She does have some baggage from the Eddie Obeid corrupting saga when she was the NSW State Labor Leader, anyway good luck to her if she pull’s it off.
I’ve been away for the last month or so.
Can anyone inform me of the progress that the Government has made on the Pike River mine re-entry?
I presume that Little, Andrew has got it well underway although Google didn’t tell me anything about what he must have organised by now.
Just what has he been up to on the matter? Or is this something we are not allowed to ask about?
Try google.
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=pike+river&source=lnt&tbs=qdr:m&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjziP_1zb3XAhXJfbwKHcuqAlMQpwUIIA&biw=1768&bih=1315
That is about what I tried.
The most promising statement I could find was at the end of October when Little said
“I would be surprised if we can’t make an entry, provided everything else lines up, by sometime in the early part of next year… March, April I say would be realistic,” he said.”
That hardly seemed to be very certain that it would go ahead though.
The PM seemed to be ticking it off her 100 day list because the Minister in charge had been named. That really didn’t seem very much like the promises from before the election though. At that time we were told
“Jacinda Ardern says a Labour Government would reenter the Pike River Mine.
The leaders of Labour, United Future, the Maori Party and the Green Party signed a commitment in Wellington on Tuesday to reenter the West Coast mine”
This now seems to have become
“She said the incoming government had already ticked off one of its commitments for the first 100 days, with the appointment of Andrew Little as the Minister responsible for Pike River Re-Entry”
A bit rich putting Little in charge. Didn’t he state on more than 1 occasion that he was entirely happy with the H&S & operations at the mine, after the explosion?
Anyhow, I hope any reentry personnel are accompanied by independent observers. Stories I heard from coasters who had worked there suggest that not all evidence of the cause of explosion will be what the families want made public. I hope that’s not the case.
Bondy I’m no friend of the labour party – so I’ll politely ask you to back up that statement you made about Andrew Little. As for the second part you might want to get that sorted as well – as it stands all your doing is ‘making shit up’.
“Following the disaster, Little defended the company’s safety record. He told the New Zealand Herald on November 21, 2010, that the company had an “active health and safety committee” and that there was “nothing unusual about Pike River or this mine that we’ve been particularly concerned about.” (see video) He repeated his comments to Radio NZ the following day, saying the company had taken “great care” with safety.”
https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1701/S00183/opposition-parties-feign-support-for-pike-river-families.htm
I think that’s a bit of a slide.
there’s a difference between not having anything out of the ordinary and someone being “entirely happy” with it and “defending” it.
All Little did was state two facts about the union’s dealings with the mine, a day or two after the first explosion.
“Defending” it would be more like saying their safety record was second to none and they were exceptionally diligent about safety. He didn’t do that: just said the company wasn’t out of the ordinary.
A bit like how the cops saying someone isn’t convicted of or wanted in relation to any serious offences is not a defense of the individual’s character.
And the “active health and safety committee” line is significantly out of context:
“In January 2009, an advisory notice was given to Pike staff after cigarette butts were found in the mine. Two months later, another notice stated the mine had “very strict rules of the taking of contraband items underground that could cause a spark or fire”.
“Everyone’s lives are at stake with the breach of these rules,” the notice stated, which Shortall read.
In December 2009, a cigarette lighter was found underground.”
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/pike-river-mine-disaster/6386869/Methane-lit-by-spark-likely-cause-of-Pike-blast
“Stories I heard from coasters who had worked there suggest that not all evidence of the cause of explosion will be what the families want made public. I hope that’s not the case.”
Why not – it’s about truth is it not ?
Concern trolls out in force.
A clear reminder of the dishonesty and heartlessness of the previous government.
Worst concern troll ever, caught out in your own lie.
Must be tough, not being a the trough at the moment.
Must be tough not being able to read
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/11/pike-river-re-entry-process-gets-underway.html
Nothing in that article gives any indication of concrete action. Must be tough to have such limited skills of comprehension & discernment.
So a planning meeting is no longer concret action?
A meeting to actually do the reentry happened on the 6th of November. Which included the families to keep them informed of progress, is way more than the previous government did.
You did realise the families did not go out to the media after the meeting and complain about no action. Which was the families did after almost every meeting with the previous government.
Yep has been better on the Standard for the last month or so alwyn.
Just wondering if anyone else was freaked out by this.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/poland-defends-weekend-rally-organized-far-right-1.4400147
yes 🙁