Daily review 16/06/2022

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, June 16th, 2022 - 72 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

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Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

72 comments on “Daily review 16/06/2022 ”

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  1. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 1
    16 June 2022 at 6:02 pm

    OMG – it seems the two gangs at war have, with the help of the police and others, negotiated a truce!

    Mercenary Mitchell will be so disappointed – the police didn’t shoot anyone, didn’t set up roadblocks, didn’t arrest gang members by the cartload!

    A calm and sensible outcome which Coster and the police should (but won’t from the right whingers) get full credit.

  2. Jester 2
    16 June 2022 at 6:04 pm

    Andrew Little was saying the hospitals were coping fine. Who to believe? Him or the numerous doctors.

    A woman left ED because of long waits. Hours later she had a fatal brain haemorrhage | Stuff.co.nz

  3. Belladonna 3
    16 June 2022 at 6:25 pm

    Gosh, this attitude is not exactly likely to encourage donations of clothing to op shops.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/charity-organisations-need-high-quality-clothing-not-rubbish/6PYPJSDMXL4RQGLXB655GKBAOI/?c_id=1&objectid=12531742&ref=rss

    Quality second-hand clothing is becoming too expensive for low-income families as op-shopping becomes more popular, says a marketing expert at the University of Otago

    Associate Professor Lisa McNeill, who specialises in innovation and new product development, says the quality of donated clothing at charity shops such as The Salvation Army and the Red Cross is often poor and not particularly functional for people who need it. However, the prices of clothing that last longer have increased, becoming more exclusive to high-end thrift store and is a "middle-class luxury".

    "Take an analogy of a family with three school-aged children; they need quality clothing like jerseys or shoes, but these products aren't necessarily available because we tend to donate clothing to charities that is of a low quality," she says.

    Not many families can afford to buy 'high-quality' children's clothes to start with (and, if they do donate them – they'll be priced out of the range that ordinary families can afford, by the op-shops – who price by label).

    Having done a lot of op shopping over the years – and especially when I had a small child and very little money – I can tell you that there is a very small amount of kids clothing donated at all – let alone worrying over how 'high quality' it is.

    Most families don't donate 'good quality' children's clothes to the op shop – they donate through social connections, instead. I have several friends/acquaintances where the oldest child is 3/4 years younger than mine, to whom I donate outgrown, but still highly-wearable kids clothes. And I suspect that most families do the same.

    Also, many poor families don't want woollen jumpers etc – they need special washing, or quickly become unwearable. Polar fleece is much more desirable (just bung it in with the rest of the wash).

    "She would like to see New Zealand consumers be considerate and conscious when donating items. She says consumers should be encouraged to buy New Zealand-made, sustainable and quality clothing if they are buying brand new and donate clothes to charity if they no longer have any use for them."

    It's a nice theory for an academic with a K$100+ salary to espouse. But not exactly realistic for an ordinary family.

    What there is an outrageous amount of is skimpy, poor quality size 8-12 women's low-end fashion clothes. The kind of thing that's fashionable one season, and dead as a doornail forever after. That's the kind of rubbish that gets donated to op shops – and should go straight in the ragbag.

    I actually find the tone of the whole article quite insulting. And much more likely to put people off donating at all. After all it’s actually easier to just toss it in the rubbish bin, than to go to the trouble of taking it to the op shop.

    • joe90 3.1
      16 June 2022 at 6:37 pm

      Like the shanks, shoulder, shin, ox tail, tongue and assorted offal I grew up on. It ain't poor people's food anymore.

      Mind, nor are the bones and flap I once fed the dog on. Now they're flogged as boil-up and lamb mini-roasts.

      • Poission 3.1.1
        16 June 2022 at 6:49 pm

        Now they're flogged as boil-up

        Dublin st butcher shop still going strong?

        • joe90 3.1.1.1
          16 June 2022 at 6:58 pm

          Yup. Still beating the Mad Butcher in the meaty pork bones war. Although a few years back they did have a wee legal problem involving small fishy things.

      • Belladonna 3.1.2
        16 June 2022 at 7:46 pm

        And — (setting aside mutton flaps) – shin, gravy beef, kidney, liver, etc. are all good healthy, high-flavour, low-fat, cuts of meat, which go a long way in a stew or casserole to feed a family of 6 (I speak from experience).

        Now all the poor can afford is the lowest grade of (high fat) mince (where you have no idea of actually what the butcher has put into it) – which is nothing like as healthy.

        • Populuxe1 3.1.2.1
          17 June 2022 at 4:08 pm

          You drain the fat. And given we have laws around food standards, what the butcher has put into it is meat.

    • Sacha 3.2
      16 June 2022 at 7:38 pm

      Most families don't donate 'good quality' children's clothes to the op shop – they donate through social connections, instead.

      Look, you should see the underground market in y-fronts

    • pat 3.3
      16 June 2022 at 7:40 pm

      The model is no longer what it was….I imagine people using them as rubbish disposal has played a part in the change.

      • Belladonna 3.3.1
        16 June 2022 at 7:52 pm

        So when do you think they changed?

        I've been op-shopping for over 40 years (family tradition) – and the only noticeable change has been the rise in the volume of poor-quality women's clothing (matching the high-street, low-cost, fashion which arrived here in the 80s).

        We never really had the high-fashion 'bargains' in NZ (you're not likely to have found Dior or Armani – even in the 70s) – it was all very middle of the road.

        I think the major shift to the model has been the change from the primary focus of the op shop being to provide cheap clothes to poor people, to the primary focus being to make money for the charity. Which drives the whole middle-class op shopping experience (and the trade-me sales).

        • pat 3.3.1.1
          16 June 2022 at 8:14 pm

          Ive never frequented Op Shops to any great degree but from what Ive heard the change started around the time TradeMe took off….people buying in Op shops to list for profit…and it gradually forced the model to change, the dumping I imagine although increased was no longer able to be supported by decreased profit…and there is likely running cost inflation.

          • Belladonna 3.3.1.1.1
            16 June 2022 at 9:17 pm

            We have a heck of a lot of op shops in our local shopping centre – certainly more than 6.
            Observationally, all of them have an issue with 'dumping' (as in stuff dumped outside, after hours – usually getting ruined in the rain).

            This tends not to be clothes – but more mattresses, furniture and household goods.

            I'm quite sure that a significant amount of the clothes that are donated (especially the fashion tat in smaller sizes), is effectively useless – and should just go straight into the ragbag.

            When we had clothing dump bins – in the shopping centre, they were well used. But they've gradually disappeared over time (get removed and not replaced). So I suspect that some people now 'donate' less than useful clothing, where previously they'd dump it in the bins. But, really, most will just put it out with the rubbish, into landfill. You have to actually make an effort to donate clothes; a much greater one than to just throw them away.

    • Robert Guyton 3.4
      16 June 2022 at 8:42 pm

      "Quality second-hand clothing "

      By whose measure?

      Is it clothing with …labels?

      Are you sure this claim makes … sense?

      • Belladonna 3.4.1
        16 June 2022 at 9:10 pm

        I don't know, Robert. The original author appears to believe that it's whatever is not currently in op shops.

        How do you define quality?

        And does it differ for kids and adults clothing?

        As far as 'labels' go – anything from a 'good' brand (which basically means expensive) is automatically diverted to the expensive racks – or even to a different store or online sale.

        • Robert Guyton 3.4.1.1
          16 June 2022 at 9:13 pm

          I never fail to find the clothes I need in oppity-shops.

          I have one "label" failing – I love Dickies pants!

          They are The Best. Not because they are labeled, but because They Are The Best 🙂
          My grandchildren are dressed in op-shop clothes, or those sewn by their (extraordinarily talented) seamstress parent and they look fabulous, always!

    • Ric 3.5
      16 June 2022 at 9:15 pm

      "That's the kind of rubbish that gets donated to op shops – and should go straight in the ragbag."

      No, most of it is made of nylon and makes useless rags which absorb nothing and catch fire if your not very careful.

    • Populuxe1 3.6
      17 June 2022 at 4:03 pm

      Also, many poor families don't want woollen jumpers etc – they need special washing, or quickly become unwearable. Polar fleece is much more desirable (just bung it in with the rest of the wash).

      Not sure what you're doing with your woollens, but they shouldn't need washing that often. If they get dirty you give them a hand wash in the skink and stick them out flat somewhere to dry. The wisdom of a mother who grew up rural before washing machines were invented (and no, it doesn't take that long either).

      • Belladonna 3.6.1
        17 June 2022 at 6:01 pm

        I know that, and you know that.
        However, anyone with young kids also knows that chocolate, sauce and other (less savoury) messes – frequently decorate the front of their clothes.
        Any clothing for small children (and some for not-so small ones) needs to be easily washable. Something requiring hand-washing is just another thing that a busy Mum (and it almost always is a Mum) needs to cope with.
        It's a heck of a lot easier to just put everything in the wash, than to have to pre-sort and wash separately. Especially if they haven’t grown up around wool clothing – and aren’t aware of the ‘treat differently’ message.

  4. joe90 4
    16 June 2022 at 6:47 pm

    Neal Katyal on the future criminal case against TFG.

    Critics of the hearings who say they are too detailed and dry miss the multiple intended audiences. When I argue before the United States Supreme Court, there are several audiences. One is the nine justices. Another audience is the public — both in the courtroom and listeners online. And there’s a third audience: history.

    Whatever the immediate outcome, history can render a different judgment. The same is true for this committee. Twenty million people watched the first hearing, but the other two audiences — the immediate decision makers and the eyes of history — potentially will have an even more profound impact on our democracy.

    https://archive.ph/UKNox (nyt)

  5. Anne 5
    16 June 2022 at 7:07 pm

    I have been saying for years that she is a woman of considerable substance but nah… not possible. She's Maori.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/128972790/mahuta-is-doing-a-good-job-but-this-is-why-she-wont-get-the-credit

    Never mind that the Three Waters reforms do no more than secure what the Treaty of Waitangi promises to iwi and hapū – a stake in the governance and management of resources. If the MP is Māori, something fishy must be happening.

    Note its "governance" not government. Of course her opponents would not know the difference.

    • Ad 5.1
      16 June 2022 at 8:10 pm

      Once the reforms are baked in her legacy will be assured.

      In fact even if National tosses out the structural separation in a future term, the Drinking Water Standards and its regulator, together with the water price regulator, are just going to smash whoever is polluting water and whoever is supplying water.

      That mean farmers, milk companies, and the regional councils.

      And there's nothing they can do about it.

    • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 5.2
      16 June 2022 at 8:47 pm

      Quite right Anne.

      Nanaia has 4 xs against her (in the eyes of right whingers [and fundamentalists] ) –

      x she's female

      x she's Maori

      x she wears a moko

      x she’s' Labour.

      • Blade 5.2.1
        16 June 2022 at 9:50 pm

        X- she's a sop to the MC.

        X- the job is beyond her.

        X – she does not present well in the eyes of many.

        X- she is a magnet for the anti Maori vote.

        X – the PERCEPTION of nepotism swirls around her.

        X- she should have been moved on during the reshuffle…but Jacinda was to scared in my OPINION.

        • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 5.2.1.1
          16 June 2022 at 10:07 pm

          lol.

          My xs are facts – yours are just opinions!

          I rest my case.

          • Blade 5.2.1.1.1
            16 June 2022 at 10:15 pm

            No, Tony, no…yours are opinions too. Any honest commentator will tell you that.

            • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 5.2.1.1.1.1
              16 June 2022 at 10:24 pm

              Opinion 1 – she's a woman.

              Opinion 2 – she's Maori.

              Opinion 3 – she wears a moko.

              Opinion 4 – she's Labour.

              Yes, I can see where you're coming from Blade.

              I think Robert rather nicely summed up your opinions yesterday.

              I too will exit stage left, whistling nonchantly.

              • Blade …
                16 June 2022 at 10:30 pm

                I guess my opinion rests on the word ''honest.'' I'm a goner!

                • In Vino …
                  16 June 2022 at 10:55 pm

                  Have the grace to admit when you are utterly wrong, Blade.

                  Festina lente. You rushed in without thinking.

                  • Blade …
                    16 June 2022 at 11:00 pm

                    I'm not wrong for fuggs sake:

                    ''Nanaia has 4 xs against her (in the eyes of right whingers [and fundamentalists] ) ''

                    That's an opinion. Fullstop.

                  • Anne …
                    16 June 2022 at 11:02 pm

                    Don't wait up for a answer In Vino. Leave it til the morn.

                    He's got to find out what "Festina lente" means first so he will have to learn how to do Google. Could take some time. 😉

                    • Blade …
                      16 June 2022 at 11:19 pm

                      Why would I want to find out what ''Festina lente" means. It's not necessary.

                      ''I have been saying for years that she is a woman of considerable substance but nah… not possible. She's Maori.''sadfrownlaugh

                      Ye shall know them by their fruits….not by their race!

                    • In Vino …
                      17 June 2022 at 12:16 am

                      For Heaven's sake, Blade – Tony's 4 points were all facts, and you called them opinions. Go back and check it for yourself. 5.2.1.1.1.1

                  • Blade …
                    16 June 2022 at 11:23 pm

                    No, changing a word to not look like a fool ain't gonna cut it. He doesn't see where I'm coming from. He's not interested.

                    • In Vino …
                      17 June 2022 at 12:21 am

                      "By their deeds shall ye know them" Good biblical quote.

                      Where did you get fruits from, Blade?

              • RedLogix …
                16 June 2022 at 11:17 pm

                Your four points may well be facts – but they are only relevant because people have opinions about them. Rightly or wrongly.

                • In Vino …
                  17 June 2022 at 12:25 am

                  Oh, so we should all restrict ourselves to facts that somebody like you considers to be relevant?

                  • RedLogix …
                    17 June 2022 at 9:34 am

                    Not at all – but facts also carry emotional baggage, and are often carefully selected for that purpose.

              • Tony Veitch (not etc.) …
                17 June 2022 at 4:57 am

                My apologies for the 'nonchalantly.' A little bit of the 'festina lente' on my part! angry

              • newsense …
                17 June 2022 at 11:33 am

                Doesn’t present well?

                The prosecution rests.

      • mary_a 5.2.2
        17 June 2022 at 1:59 pm

        Yes indeed Tony. Not only all that, but Nanaia has remarkable dignity. No wonder the righties don't like her.

    • newsense 5.3
      17 June 2022 at 11:04 am

      Watch as they froth and don’t even read the article.
      What’s the point of NZ if it can’t respect a woman like Nanaia? I’d rather turn NZ over to the Chinese than allow the likes of Brash and that racist rump to have another go. Stuff it. 180 years is enough time surely. There’s gotta be some Maori looking at the Solomons and Fiji and wondering why they still putting up with this colonial crap.

  6. joe90 6
    16 June 2022 at 7:29 pm

    Inter-generational pain, misery, and perhaps death, courtesy of Russia.

    https://twitter.com/falconua/status/1537038093420740613

  7. Poission 7
    16 June 2022 at 7:40 pm

    Market bakes in .75 for next RBNZ ocr review with wholesale 90 day at 2.76.

    https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/series/exchange-and-interest-rates/wholesale-interest-rates

  8. pat 8
    16 June 2022 at 7:42 pm

    1%….shock and awe?

    • Poission 8.1
      16 June 2022 at 7:50 pm

      With the FMA survey showing 10% of kiwis with exposure to crypto in their investments,a great unwinding is more then necessary

      • pat 8.1.1
        16 June 2022 at 8:10 pm

        10% wasnt a surprise…its how deep that matters.

        • Poission 8.1.1.1
          16 June 2022 at 9:03 pm

          How much leverage on assets would be the question,so many failed to understand that crypto (whilst marketed as such) is not a hedge as it has no yield,as seen when share prices fail it had little liquidity.

    • joe90 9.1
      16 June 2022 at 8:22 pm

      The Man Who Fell To Earth

      – episode 3:

      Okay. And you're talking about liberating the planet Earth from oil forever.

      Do you know what that looks like?

      In the first 30 days, the exchanges collapse.

      Nobody has any security from anything.

      Policing is gone.

      People are jumping off of buildings.

      It makes 1929 look like fսck¡ng Christmas.

      It's an addicted planet going cold turkey.

      There's lots of riots.

      Power grids go obsolete.

      I mean, a massive devaluation of land.

      I mean, I could buy a fսck¡ng 747 for two Pokemon cards.

      Millions of people are gonna lose their jobs in the gas and oil sector alone.

      Governments slash funding to everything.

      Okay.

      Everybody withdraws their troops from everywhere, because there's nothing left to fight for.

      https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?f=1314&t=52956

  10. Poission 10
    16 June 2022 at 11:03 pm

    Swiss rb hikes 1/2 per cent,Bank of England .25 per cent.

    https://twitter.com/fwred/status/1537352360556650497?cxt=HHwWgoCzmfT04tUqAAAA

    • pat 10.1
      17 June 2022 at 8:58 am

      But ( there it is again)…

      "The ECB said it would speed development of “a new anti-fragmentation instrument” that could be reviewed for approval by the governing council. Its statement didn’t say what that instrument would be.

      The bank also said it could use money it gets from maturing bonds it holds to make new purchases and fight excessive borrowing costs if individual countries face market pressure.

      The ECB already has an emergency bond-market backstop that could allow it to step in and buy the debt of a troubled country. That tool helped calm the 2010-2012 debt crisis after the bank announced it as part of then-President Mario Draghi’s promise to do “whatever it takes” to keep the eurozone from breaking up.

      But that program, which never actually had to be used, can come with tough conditions for reform and governments may be reluctant to turn to it."

      https://apnews.com/article/politics-business-italy-european-central-bank-cc03c3b6ad11a6944bf28485250f21d4

      Spain, a prime candidate along with the other PIIG has a current unemployment rate of 14%….will they volunteer to return to 25% unemployment to save the German and French banks?

      • Poission 10.1.1
        17 June 2022 at 10:52 am

        The ECB has made a deeper problem then it needed,with QE still in place till next week (it was to extend to July) across the whole eurozone.They also had a fall back position with negative interest rates,where it is unwinding up to zero with no intervention.

        The signalling is very confusing both for markets and consumers,and the plays in place seem to be to protect the Euro (and fr / de ) banks.

        Greece repaid its IMF loan,with an ECB facility,but the problems with the Piigs will arise again.The other difference from the GFC is though like most economy's there was in Europe a substantive saving component over lockdown,if it gets blown on the summer holidays etc is an open problem.

          • Poission 10.1.1.1.1
            17 June 2022 at 11:35 am

            It is more directed at the high yield economy's (yield = liquidity) however it will be inflationary,and works against the interest tightning.Only the EU could come up with this,and it seems more to do with trying to increase the euro value( to decrease energy debt)

            Here the RBNZ got ahead by one cycle in nov,however the depreciating dollar will keep interest rates up for longer.

            • pat 10.1.1.1.1.1
              17 June 2022 at 12:12 pm

              Obviously directed at the 'high yield' (indebted) economies, but requires the eurozone to accept accelerating inflation in contrast to the FED which will weaken the Euro, not strengthen it..all they are doing is making the loses bigger, but I guess they may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb.

              • Poission …
                17 June 2022 at 12:37 pm

                The existing mechanism is the outright monetary transaction,brought in to alleviate the debt problems with the euro south.It came with conditions for fiscal responsibility and the south did not like conditions.

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outright_Monetary_Transactions

                The euro problem is now worse as gas prices have risen by 80% this week,due to a US outage in LNG,and problems with North stream deliveries due to replacement turbines not being able to be supplied to Russia due to sanctions made by the EU.

                Too many wires in the loop,and complexity ( read technocracy) has made Europe too big to manage.

                • pat …
                  17 June 2022 at 12:53 pm

                  Yes eurozone incomplete and therefore too big to manage…singular monetary policy with multiple fiscal…and that fiscal control (agreement in dispute) was lifted for covid and will be further resisted by the populations of the indebted member states even more than it was ignored or circumvented previously in the face of inflation.

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    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    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 icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

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