Dams have not been above average storage since March 19, and when were restrictions put in place ? post lock down. After high water usage as every water blaster was utilised in the lock down period washing down paths etc. every car was washed and swimming pools were continually been topped up. Where was the leadership around Christmas/January when lower than average rainfall was being forecast ? But don't let facts get in the way ….🤬
It was in response to Indiana and the Auckland councils $750m financial hole ($250m Watercare), and the apparent need for this rates increase. And how with any leadership, this financial crisis would have been reduced.
Jeery Browneye got quite cross when Lisa Owen repeatedly interrupted him while he was answering the question he wanted her to have asked.
[You have used the same infantile name-calling of Brownlee 12 times on TS, not counting the one that I deleted yesterday, but you may have missed it. Here it is for your convenience: https://thestandard.org.nz/if-judith-and-gerry-are-the-answer-it-must-have-been-a-desperate-question/#comment-1730344. I think it’s time you grow up and call people by their proper names starting with Gerry Brownlee. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in advance – Incognito]
I have done a preliminary search and it doesn’t look so good for you. It seems to support my initial suspicion. I have been quite busy lately and have not had time to wrap it up. Do you still maintain your innocence or do you want to change your plea after I have presented the evidence to you? Good behaviour is taken into consideration when sentencing. I’m serious, BTW, as I intend to start a Pre-Election Clear-Out here.
You're being too hard on Gabby. I had a similar battle with weka over trans rights and no evidence was found to ban me so I think you should just drop it if it's too complicated.
Only difference is I didn’t keep prodding weka about it…Gabby.
I appreciate you putting in a good word for Gabby but there is evidence, as I said, I just haven’t found the right time to collate it. I’ve also mentioned previously to Gabby that I cannot stand dishonesty and that’s the real ‘crime’ as far as I’m concerned, the TERF issue is secondary. I don’t mind being reminded but please don’t start crying then when it comes to crunch time. Best not to get in the way when it comes to that 🙂
No, you’re right, it isn’t, but it is a matter of principle that commenters don’t lie here. Almost nobody will come clean, confess, and apologise when caught out and many a ban is because of a lie of some kind AKA making up shit and/or not providing supporting info to show that their ‘fact’ or assertion is nothing more than their opinion, for example. If one word captures or describes behaviour that is associated with bans here, it is dishonesty.
PS I cannot be 100% certain that none of the commenters here is paid.
Muttonbird your comment that Incognito keeping matters on an even keel and reasonably sane as we discuss this most important and contentious of topics, politics, "doesn’t seem to be a great use of your time" shows what seems youthful carelessness about the quality of our lives. He/she is doing a difficult job out of principle, as you say unpaid, and we who think and yearn for better-thinking, discussing and debating and civilised society and conditions thank this person for it. (Even when it annoys us personally by calling taihoa on a tirade. By the way sorry if this is tl:dr Gabby.)
I always enjoy Gabby's irreverent comments and the titles she bestows. She's/he's cheeky, not snide, imo, but I do recognise that tone is hard to gauge and once you feel someone's unkind, it's hard to un-feel that. I don't think Gabby's unkind at all (but wouldn't like to be the target of her attentions
Thanks Robert. I find that Gabby’s comment range from infantile crude shit (AKA poppycock) to hilarious and some are even a contribution to ‘normal’ conversation. I didn’t dig the hole and I didn’t remind that the hole needed to be filled and covered. I will close this chapter soon and then we can move on to the Election, one way or another.
It's your call (you wield the Sword of Righteousness – perhaps your de-scabarding will be enough to rein in Gabby's gabiosity without having to lop off her head). She will be sorely tempted though, by the characters in the latest Punch'n'Judy Show; Gerry's a big target and lampooning the Creature from the Kauri Swamp seems irresistible.
I know it can be a fine line between witty and crude. I’ve asked nicely to stop the crudeness; I don’t find “Browneye” funny, personally. When the same word(s) becomes over-used (e.g. “neocon Den” six times), it becomes tedious even if it was funny the first time. Other blog sites are much worse than TS when it comes to bad name-calling, infantile labelling/mocking, and bullying & intimidating of targets (victims). Social media are full of it too. If people feel the need to express themselves in these kinds of manners and use language from and fit for the gutter then they know where to go. If people come here to be entertained by third grade crass comedy then they have come to the wrong place too. There’s a place & audience for all occasions but TS is not that. IMHO.
I'm starting to think you may have 'erected' this hole in your mind. You'd like this terf thing to be recurring so you've decided it is. I look forward to seeing the results of your quest.
The above are the ones in which you’re directly linked to the acronym. In addition, many other commentaries use, explain, or discuss the acronym that you would have seen although you didn’t contribute directly to those specific discussion threads.
You like word-plays and joking around and you seem to be generally very well informed.
Overall, I think it is beyond reasonable doubt that you knew the meaning of the acronym on 6 July and, therefore, that you repeatedly lied about it.
I look forward to your response. It better be good.
One thread on terfs with a definition given by Matthew Whitehead in a loong jargon ridden post I doubt I made it to the end of, a couple of Open Mike comments on a day when some people were commenting upthread, and a SPOTY post that mentions 'terf' and I comment on Bridges' croaking? And this is all from 2018. About a fairly niche issue of little interest to people not directly involved. You are drawing a very long bow. I guess your persistence is admirable but it's slim, slim pickings. And what's this 'repeatedly lied' nonsense?
You’re on a bit of a crusade, aren’t you.
Ok, let me get this straight: you still deny that you did not know the meaning on 6 July when you had your contemptuous outburst? That’s “the lie”. It was less than 20 months ago and it has appeared many times since here on TS but never triggered an irreverent comment from you. Why might that be? I don’t believe you and I’ve already stated that I cannot stand dishonesty. Are you deliberately acting thick again or do you hold me for an old senile fool? Do you want me to drop this now?
What are you talking about? Deny that I did NOT know?? It's patently obvious that I did NOT know. Evidently it was an insult, but I did NOT know what terf stood for. It was well over 19 months ago, which is a very long time. As for it never triggering an irreverent comment in the interim, why, it might be that I didn't notice, or didn't care, or didn't read that thread or any number of things. I'm sure you're not senile.
I guess I will have to take your word for it then, won’t I? Such a shame of all the effort I put it into it. Never mind, it wasn’t all wasted. You never answered my question at the end though; maybe you don’t trust me 😉
BTW, “well over 19 months ago” is almost as good as “less than 20 months ago”. Well done!
What question? I'm sure you're not senile. It might be because I didn't notice etc etc. Denying I did not know something? I'd have to know what you meant by that, ie that you intended the double negative, before an answer would mean the same thing to both of us. I can certainly say that when I asked wtf terf was, I was unaware of what words the letters stood for though obviously it was an insult. Matthew Whitehead spelling it out at great length many moons ago doesn't equal me retaining the info.
Never mind, I dropped it anyway for your and my sake, but you seem very keen to waste more time on this!?
The double negative was my bad, sorry; this “not” should not have been there. It was many moons ago, more than 20 months, when I was taught English at school and I must have forgotten to retain the info. Shit happens.
I'll bring this up now, but it should get much more attention as we get closer to the election. Two things will be consistently, annoyingly misleading in coverage of the campaign: the words "Election day" and "Election night".
Advance voting begins on Sept 5, two weeks before "Election day". This year there will probably be more advance voting than ever before. Polls will be published after many people have already voted.
After "Election night", we wait for the special votes. In 2017 they totalled 446,287 or 17% of total votes cast. That includes 61,524 overseas votes. (source: official site).
Given the nature of special voters (late enrolments, especially students, and Kiwis overseas) I would not be at all surprised if they swing heavily Ardern's way, and seats change hands.
The no. of overseas votes may not be as high as we've seen in the past because many of those voters have returned to NZ or are preparing to return to NZ soon due to C19.
Labour is vulnerable in two areas, Kiwibuild and Auckland light rail.
Labour is going to have to present policy on these two areas and it had better be good.
I'd like to see compulsory acquisition of large tracts of land north and south of Drury close to rail. Take land speculators out of it because they are the very definition of inefficient. Finish the electrification gap. Use this newly redundant workforce we have to build, build, build without the obsession with profit. Clearly the private sector is both unwilling and unable to do this.
Drop light rail for the moment and just do the Puhinui spur. That is what is needed for people movement to and from Auckland International Airport. Future tourists actually pay for this so it's a no-brainer! The light rail concept was trying to do too many things at once and became confused. It’s quite a long way from the bottom of Dominion Road to the airport, not so far from the airport to the main trunk line.
Along with Law & Order the Nats under Collins will be targeting Labour on Kiwibuild and light rail and Labour had better be ready for it.
Given the importance of health at the moment a couple of attack ads highlighting National’s legacy of shit dripping out of the walls at Middlemore Hospital might go some way to squaring up balance don’t you think?
ScottGN – It came through the ceiling, not the walls. Get it right, or you will be accused of lying, just as Jacinda Ardern was earlier on, when she made the same minor error…
Judith will attack these areas because that's been her job on TV over the last three years and because Twyford has not been good at all*. Those spots on the AM show have literally paved the way for her resurrection. Without them she would be a distant memory right now.
She will also attack on Law & Order – she was in the thick of that policy area when she forced the Police to under report crime when the Nats were last in government so she knows all the tricks. Also National Party pollster and blogger, David Farrar, has built his blog on Maori bashing as it relates to Law & Order.
*Hard to blame Twyford too much on light rail because that concept was not at all thought though when it was floated. It’s simply not what we need right now. In 10 or 20 years, maybe.
*Hard to blame Twyford too much on light rail because that concept was not at all thought though when it was floated. It’s simply not what we need right now. In 10 or 20 years, maybe.
We needed it a hundred years ago when it was first proposed as a subway.
That horse has bolted. Nothing to be done about it now.
What is required is clear thinking about what Auckland will look like in 20 years. The essential bones of it must be built first, the rest of it can wait.
Did you know you have to walk between Auckland International and Domestic? Put a rail line in, ffs.
Not so sure National would be stupid enough to launch an attack re KiwiBuild. To do so would mean they would have to have a better proposition for achieving the same goals. That would imply there was an affordable housing problem that they denied when last in Government. As for Auckland Light Rail, discretion would be needed there too. They know damned well that NZ First stuffed that. To attack would imply they would be able to succeed in getting Auckland moving if in Government – possibly with having to have Winston in tow. How would they do that? Cover the city in tarseal?
Violent gang crime is up in people's minds if not actually in statistics. We know why this is – 501s – but the general voting public might not understand as much, so Farrar and Collins will push gang and Maori related crime stories in front of the media for full effect.
Don't agree about Kiwibuild. As I have been saying Kiwibuild is last years story. People don't give a f..k about it. They care of course about housing and Labour has made good progress, particularly on social housing. National made none. Everybody knows it………
Its Covid and the economy. That's all that is in peoples minds now. The question is do people want a competent well tested decisive leader that has saved us all from the ravaged of Covid. Or do the want a Donald Trump version of a leader. I actually trust NZders on this.
There's all that but Kiwibuild remains something which Labour can be attacked on. And rightly so, it was and is a complete failure because they bottled the balance between government and private sector. The government should have taken a much, much bigger role.
According to that pathetic excuse for shithouse paper called the Herald. Another up and coming bit of odious bit of shit that has risen to the surface in the National sewer called Goldsmith has wonderous solutions to the economical recovery of this country, like freezing contributions to the Cullen fund what he calls the Supernation Fund, plus a freeze on the April planned minimum wages increase. In other words same old failed Tory fuck you Jack policies that have almost destroyed this country,
Who the fuck would want to vote for this pack of crap. Yesterdays failed policies in today's "completely" different world I just don't believe that these fuckwits are so fucking brain dead to suggest policies like that.
Doubt those earning the minimum wage would regard the raise as a mistake "in the current economic situation." Can only conclude that you're not on the minimum wage.
This is entirely the right time to increase the minimum wage towards the living wage. The fiction called the economy needs simulating. Putting money into hands of those with less is the best way to do this.
It really is so terrible that some seem to have missed the 'be kind' memo.
I like it though when nasties remind victims that they're meant to play nice when the supposed-to-be-nice-ones who missed the memo reciprocate as they've been treated. The umbrage taken at not acting on the memo is quite lovely.
Of course you do, you're part of the subset that thinks screwing over the majority of people and destroying the economy to make a few rich people richer is great.
Knew our Gov were long on rhetoric and extremely short on action but didnt realise quitr how missing in action we have been…
"That means over the next decade we need to find 93.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent to cut out to meet our targets – more than the entire country's gross annual emissions. Even if we took every car in Auckland off the road for the entirety of the next decade, that would only close the gap by 35 Mt CO2e."
"So how has a supposedly transformational Government led by a Prime Minister who has pledged to treat climate change as her prime focus failed to meaningfully implement emissions-reducing policies? How can Jacinda Ardern promise to treat emissions as her generation's nuclear-free moment without consequence?
Simple: New Zealand is letting her get away with it."
And with National self destructing the political motivation to move has disappeared….perhaps the self destruction serves a purpose after all.
What crazy effing logic – how do you expect the PM to cut the emissions? To help achieve the goal, join the others who are getting off their backsides and walk, bike or use public transport. It's time for the team of 5 million to carry the load again!
Hi James How are you doing? I hope life is treating you well better than some of the unfortunates that are struggling on low wages having to pay for things like Cheese that has risen by nearly 30 % in price. in the last few weeks, That is if they have any money after paying rent to some parasitical property owner
It is a different world now pal they are failed yesterdays policies and unless the right realises that there is going to be one hell of an "adjustment" something I would hate to see.
Hi Mutton Nice to see that, We told the local veggie shop to shove them. But they do have an excuse I understand that they are imported from Queensland and because of the virus etc etc etc we have to expect those prices.
But what I cannot accept is the winging farmers who are always bleating how hard done they are expecting us(New Zealanders), to pay through the nose for their product because
Yep, there's always something involved in keeping vegetable prices at stratospheric heights. Yet it's all out of their control according to the power players.
I'd rather see no fucking courgettes at all in the supermarket than seeing them for an obscene $28/kg…
My understanding is it's not the farmers & growers setting the prices, but the supermarkets (I guess they would argue they ship and package etc). If something is too expensive, I just don't buy it, as protest & necessity.
Obviously the things will sit and start to rot, then be fed to the pigs.
Who will buy them at that price? (Although they are not heavy, and how many of them make a kilogram? But why buy them? They desperately need added flavours.)
Am looking at way to promote New Zealand's Covid response and Covid-free status. Sanzaar hopes to hold the entire Rugby Championship in Covid free New Zealand.
Unlike most other countries we have free association and the ability to pack Eden Park with 50,000 people for the very first, and probably only, international rugby matches in 2020, full stop.
Imagine the scenes on TV for those less fortunate, watching the only international test matches in front of a full stadium when they are struggling to even open pubs let alone gather in crowds.
Grant Roberston should make this a priority as it builds on New Zealand's international reputation in pandemic management.
If the flood of returning Kiwis has slowed enough that there's room in isolation and quarantine facilities for the players, and the players are OK with spending two weeks in managed isolation (while NZ players get to train as much as they want), and they pay for the managed isolation, and they're OK with the idea that very few if any of their supporters will be able to come and the crowds will be entirely kiwi, plus a bunch of other restrictions that are likely needed for safety that I haven't thought of, then sure, go nuts.
Yes, there's a few things to be addressed, chiefly how SA, AUS and Argentina will train. Athletes at the highest level are on a program and two weeks watching Netflix in your room is not part of that program.
If it's deemed important enough the other considerations can be overcome. A full Rugby Championship has got to be worth quite a bit locally and globally in the absence of any other rugby altogether. I'm sure quarantine costs can be dealt with in this context.
The players, the fans, the Unions, and Sanzaar will not be too worried about offshore fans not being able to attend.
I'm not that bothered about the rugby itself, but proposing it is brilliant politics.
What are National going to do, oppose the All Blacks playing? The timetable works very well – get it in the headlines between now and the election, and have the games (and any stuff-ups) after the election.
It was the lead story on TV3 news tonight. Score one for the comms team.
I'm thinking about the wider benefits of having this comp up and running. We look like a country which gets things done in a Covid world. Our Sanzaar partners and their players will be gagging to come here for two months to showcase the game to the rest of the world. We as a country would gain huge benefits from that exposure.
The Alex Salmond Show interviews top public health academic, Professor Michael Baker of Otago University, who details the reasons for New Zealand’s success in eliminating Covid-19 and warns of the worldwide dangers yet to come. Meanwhile the author of ‘Pandemic Century’, Dr Mark Honigsbaum, explains why some countries have succeeded in taming the coronavirus when so many others have struggled.
Let me get this straight. Simon Bridges has used an interview to take a swipe at his own front bench colleague Todd Muller who is no doubt still on health leave.
United caucus? Nope. Considerate of mental health? Nope. Same old National Party brutality.
I was not impressed with the statement by Winston Peters about Todd Muller's health issue. Especially as Winston demands privacy and keeps very tight lipped about his own medical issues.
Loyalty is sadly missing in the National caucus ; leaks to Tova just after Judith Collins won the leadership and now Simon Bridge's little dig at Todd Muller. Not looking good for the party if this is how they plan to build up to the election.
Peters might demand privacy and to be treated with respect. That didn't happen before the last election when some minion decided that his personal information held by a Ministry should be handed to politicians with no reasonable justification.
Sacha, it was the headline, I too thought the comments fairly tame, it is curious that the Newshub/ Herald (?) guys spun it as such, coz it prob would have passed unnoticed really. I missed the Peters bit.
A desperate journo trying to spin a story out of nothing is sadly to be expected; and by now we ought to be able to distinguish that from the underlying facts – hence me quoting what Bridges said, not what the writer said he did.
Absolutely, I've said here many times, Collins, Brownlee etc will say some barmy things, will do dirty politics, they can't help themselves. I was just surprised to see the headline.
Australia is now clocking up Covid deaths. They'd stopped at about 102 when we also eradicated. Now they are up to 113 which when they passed 110 is officially more than NZ in deaths/capita.
Australia's covid response once vaunted by Mike Hosking and his followers Simon Bridges and and the rest of NZ's rump-right seems to be unravelling.
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And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
What happens when cash is king – and then your bank leaves. A businessman in a town that hasn’t had a bank for three years says the Reserve Bank’s plans to put more cash in the hands of its people and introduce digital cash could save hours of time. John ...
The people have spoken, in their hundreds. Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton has been overwhelmingly voted the favourite New Zealand book of 2023 as nominated by ReadingRoom readers. The vote can informally be regarded as the People’s Choice award – ahead of tonight’s Ockham book awards, where Catton’s novel is competing ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Garrow, Editorial Web Developer The government has handed down its budget for 2024–25. It’s delivered a $9.3 billion surplus for the financial year just about to finish but is forecasting a $28.3 billion deficit for next year. Here’s the key points: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jim Chalmers has produced a benign third budget aimed at soothing hard-pressed voters agitated about their high cost of living and punishing interest rates. At the same time he has walked a tightrope, trying ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND A $300 energy rebate for all households from July 1 and a 10% increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance are key measures in a budget targeting cost-of-living relief that put ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised an “inflation-fighting and future-making budget” and he has delivered by introducing measures aimed at directly bringing down inflation. Combined, his A$300-per-household energy rebate and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised an “inflation-fighting and future-making budget” and he has delivered by introducing measures aimed at directly bringing down inflation. Combined, his A$300-per-household energy rebate and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been bitten by the giveaway bug. This budget contains not only the well-foreshadowed tax cuts for all taxpayers, but a range of new spending measures in health, education, infrastructure, aged ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews French authorities have imposed a curfew on New Caledonia’s capital Nouméa and banned public gatherings after supporters of the Pacific territory’s independence movement blocked roads, set fire to buildings and clashed with security forces. Tensions in New Caledonia have been inflamed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Greste, Professor of Journalism and Communications, Macquarie University Governments and their agencies wield awesome power. At times, it is quite literally the power over life and death. That is why in any functioning democracy, we have robust checks and balances designed ...
As the world commemorates the 71st Everest Day, it's not just a celebration of human achievement but also a reflection of the enduring bond between New Zealand and Nepal. This day marks the historic feat of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa ...
Individuals in Wellington, led by City Councillor Nīkau Wi Neera, are working to use the ‘hecklers veto’ to shut down Inflection Point , a gender-critical event to be held at a Te Papa venue this weekend featuring speakers such as Bob McCoskrie ...
The transgender community, whānau & allies will rally outside Tākina/Wellington Convention Centre against anti-trans confederation “Inflection Point NZ,” who are hosting a conference to encourage parliamentarians to restrict trans people’s ...
A strategic asset for Auckland that has been fought over for years as either sacrosanct or a sacred cow looks certain to be sold and the proceeds of around $1.3 billion put in a new investment fund. A year after bitter political struggle ended in a compromise in which Auckland ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – the Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the ...
RNZ Pacific New Caledonians lined up in long queues outside shopping centres to buy supplies in the capital Nouméa today amid political unrest in the French territory Demonstrations, marches and clashes with security forces erupted yesterday and French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc told the public broadcaster he had called ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Chalmers, Senior Lecturer in Human Movement, University of South Australia The tragic death of Manly rugby league player Keith Titmuss in 2020 due to exertional heat stroke is a reminder of the life-threatening nature of the condition. Titmuss died after ...
Internet Governance Project founder Milton Mueller asked “is the Christchurch Call accomplishing anything?” Increasingly it seems the only thing it hopes to achieve is killing off free expression. ...
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has cancelled his visit to New Caledonia due to pro-independence unrest throughout the French Pacific territory. Peters and a delegation of other ministers was due to visit the capital Nouméa later this week. Nouméa’s La Tontouta International Airport is expected to remain closed ...
Audition by Pip Adam and Lioness by Emily Perkins are both shortlisted for the fiction award at the 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Here the authors discuss awards, writing, Selling Sunset, review culture, Zoolander and more.Pip Adam: Whenever I think about writers and our ambitions, I can’t help ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Broomhall, Director, Gender and Women’s History Research Centre, Australian Catholic University Andrea Mantegna, Minerva (Athena) expelling Vices from the Garden of Virtue, from the Studiolo of Isabella d’Este, Palazzo Ducale, Mantua (c. 1499–1502).Louvre Museum/Wikimedia Commons Wartime has often presented opportunities ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images The stories Aotearoa New Zealand tells itself about the history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi have evolved considerably over time. For many decades, starting with the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Carter, Associate Professor, RMIT University Aurora visible from Cope Cope, Victoria on May 11 2024.cafuego/Flickr, CC BY-SA On Saturday evening before Mother’s Day, Australians witnessed a rare celestial spectacle: a breathtaking display of aurora australis, also known as the southern ...
Tara Ward watches as TVNZ’s long-running current affairs show bows out with humility and grace.We have just 12 days left to view the final episode of Sunday on TVNZ+. In just over a week, there will be no more evidence of the award-winning current affairs show on the digital ...
To celebrate New Zealand Music Month, Sophie Ricketts wears a different band T-shirt every day. Here she picks her top 20. I love music. I love listening to it, I love seeing it live, and I love buying a T-shirt from the band or artist I’ve enjoyed. Every year, during ...
Research from AA Insurance reveals more and more people are taking pride in their garage. Meet three New Zealanders using their space in creative ways.If you think of a garage, you might picture a dark room with a parked car. There might be some tools on the wall, or ...
Government spending cuts have forced Scion, the dedicated Crown research institute charged with growing forestry exports, to propose shedding a significant number of scientists. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yasir Arafat, Senior Research Associate, Edith Cowan University asharkyu, Shutterstock As electric vehicle (EV) demand accelerates, so does the need for lithium batteries. But these batteries contain valuable critical minerals, as well as toxic materials, so they should not be treated ...
NZDF personnel will support the New Zealand National Commemorative Service at the Cassino War Cemetery and a New Zealand Service of Remembrance at the Cassino Railway Station, next week. ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a masseuse tells us how much she earns and where she spends it. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 33 Ethnicity: NZ EuropeanRole: ...
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/122116574/auckland-council-budget-rates-up-35-per-cent-and-more-than-500-jobs-to-go
If found it strange that if you were asked if you'd like a 3.5% increase or a 2.5% increase…where was the option for no increase?
that was on Planet Key.
“…where was the option for no increase?”
They may have had to cut executives salaries and bonuses for that to happen.
Ah, yes, the delusional idea that governments can always do more with less.
Dams have not been above average storage since March 19, and when were restrictions put in place ? post lock down. After high water usage as every water blaster was utilised in the lock down period washing down paths etc. every car was washed and swimming pools were continually been topped up. Where was the leadership around Christmas/January when lower than average rainfall was being forecast ? But don't let facts get in the way ….🤬
https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/news/2020/05/council-to-make-decision-on-water-restrictions/
WTF has that got to do with what I said?
It was in response to Indiana and the Auckland councils $750m financial hole ($250m Watercare), and the apparent need for this rates increase. And how with any leadership, this financial crisis would have been reduced.
It's difficult to get good financial leadership when all the politicians are following the same, failed, economic ideology.
The latest opposition National party ‘reshuffle‘:
Got to admit – that was funny.
well played.
Jeery Browneye got quite cross when Lisa Owen repeatedly interrupted him while he was answering the question he wanted her to have asked.
[You have used the same infantile name-calling of Brownlee 12 times on TS, not counting the one that I deleted yesterday, but you may have missed it. Here it is for your convenience: https://thestandard.org.nz/if-judith-and-gerry-are-the-answer-it-must-have-been-a-desperate-question/#comment-1730344. I think it’s time you grow up and call people by their proper names starting with Gerry Brownlee. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in advance – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 6:16 PM.
How did that other search go? Any luck?
I have done a preliminary search and it doesn’t look so good for you. It seems to support my initial suspicion. I have been quite busy lately and have not had time to wrap it up. Do you still maintain your innocence or do you want to change your plea after I have presented the evidence to you? Good behaviour is taken into consideration when sentencing. I’m serious, BTW, as I intend to start a Pre-Election Clear-Out here.
You're being too hard on Gabby. I had a similar battle with weka over trans rights and no evidence was found to ban me so I think you should just drop it if it's too complicated.
Only difference is I didn’t keep prodding weka about it…Gabby.
I appreciate you putting in a good word for Gabby but there is evidence, as I said, I just haven’t found the right time to collate it. I’ve also mentioned previously to Gabby that I cannot stand dishonesty and that’s the real ‘crime’ as far as I’m concerned, the TERF issue is secondary. I don’t mind being reminded but please don’t start crying then when it comes to crunch time. Best not to get in the way when it comes to that 🙂
I get that you are unpaid. We all are.
But you searching for evidence of Gabby’s alleged indiscretions doesn’t seem to be a great use of your time.
No, you’re right, it isn’t, but it is a matter of principle that commenters don’t lie here. Almost nobody will come clean, confess, and apologise when caught out and many a ban is because of a lie of some kind AKA making up shit and/or not providing supporting info to show that their ‘fact’ or assertion is nothing more than their opinion, for example. If one word captures or describes behaviour that is associated with bans here, it is dishonesty.
PS I cannot be 100% certain that none of the commenters here is paid.
Muttonbird your comment that Incognito keeping matters on an even keel and reasonably sane as we discuss this most important and contentious of topics, politics, "doesn’t seem to be a great use of your time" shows what seems youthful carelessness about the quality of our lives. He/she is doing a difficult job out of principle, as you say unpaid, and we who think and yearn for better-thinking, discussing and debating and civilised society and conditions thank this person for it. (Even when it annoys us personally by calling taihoa on a tirade. By the way sorry if this is tl:dr Gabby.)
I always enjoy Gabby's irreverent comments and the titles she bestows. She's/he's cheeky, not snide, imo, but I do recognise that tone is hard to gauge and once you feel someone's unkind, it's hard to un-feel that. I don't think Gabby's unkind at all (but wouldn't like to be the target of her attentions
Thanks Robert. I find that Gabby’s comment range from infantile crude shit (AKA poppycock) to hilarious and some are even a contribution to ‘normal’ conversation. I didn’t dig the hole and I didn’t remind that the hole needed to be filled and covered. I will close this chapter soon and then we can move on to the Election, one way or another.
It's your call (you wield the Sword of Righteousness – perhaps your de-scabarding will be enough to rein in Gabby's gabiosity without having to lop off her head). She will be sorely tempted though, by the characters in the latest Punch'n'Judy Show; Gerry's a big target and lampooning the Creature from the Kauri Swamp seems irresistible.
I know it can be a fine line between witty and crude. I’ve asked nicely to stop the crudeness; I don’t find “Browneye” funny, personally. When the same word(s) becomes over-used (e.g. “neocon Den” six times), it becomes tedious even if it was funny the first time. Other blog sites are much worse than TS when it comes to bad name-calling, infantile labelling/mocking, and bullying & intimidating of targets (victims). Social media are full of it too. If people feel the need to express themselves in these kinds of manners and use language from and fit for the gutter then they know where to go. If people come here to be entertained by third grade crass comedy then they have come to the wrong place too. There’s a place & audience for all occasions but TS is not that. IMHO.
BTW That was a funny comment 🙂
I really enjoy Gabby's comment, but respect moderators decision. Would miss Gabby very much
Gabby is not going anywhere. Gabby is just going to do a bit of growing up and become even wittier and sharper as a result.
I'm starting to think you may have 'erected' this hole in your mind. You'd like this terf thing to be recurring so you've decided it is. I look forward to seeing the results of your quest.
You’re stiff competition but I’m up for it.
Dear Gabby,
My apologies for the delay but you did remind me and asked for an update and I felt I had to keep my promise and oblige.
Here are the results of my search as to whether you, in all probability, knew the meaning of TERF, which you denied. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-07-2020/#comment-1726241
You commented under this post, less than two years ago – the title alone is telling enough: https://thestandard.org.nz/terfed-out/
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-11-2018/#comment-1555214
You commented under this post: https://thestandard.org.nz/the-spotys-2018/
The above are the ones in which you’re directly linked to the acronym. In addition, many other commentaries use, explain, or discuss the acronym that you would have seen although you didn’t contribute directly to those specific discussion threads.
You like word-plays and joking around and you seem to be generally very well informed.
Overall, I think it is beyond reasonable doubt that you knew the meaning of the acronym on 6 July and, therefore, that you repeatedly lied about it.
I look forward to your response. It better be good.
One thread on terfs with a definition given by Matthew Whitehead in a loong jargon ridden post I doubt I made it to the end of, a couple of Open Mike comments on a day when some people were commenting upthread, and a SPOTY post that mentions 'terf' and I comment on Bridges' croaking? And this is all from 2018. About a fairly niche issue of little interest to people not directly involved. You are drawing a very long bow. I guess your persistence is admirable but it's slim, slim pickings. And what's this 'repeatedly lied' nonsense?
You’re on a bit of a crusade, aren’t you.
Ok, let me get this straight: you still deny that you did not know the meaning on 6 July when you had your contemptuous outburst? That’s “the lie”. It was less than 20 months ago and it has appeared many times since here on TS but never triggered an irreverent comment from you. Why might that be? I don’t believe you and I’ve already stated that I cannot stand dishonesty. Are you deliberately acting thick again or do you hold me for an old senile fool? Do you want me to drop this now?
What are you talking about? Deny that I did NOT know?? It's patently obvious that I did NOT know. Evidently it was an insult, but I did NOT know what terf stood for. It was well over 19 months ago, which is a very long time. As for it never triggering an irreverent comment in the interim, why, it might be that I didn't notice, or didn't care, or didn't read that thread or any number of things. I'm sure you're not senile.
I guess I will have to take your word for it then, won’t I? Such a shame of all the effort I put it into it. Never mind, it wasn’t all wasted. You never answered my question at the end though; maybe you don’t trust me 😉
BTW, “well over 19 months ago” is almost as good as “less than 20 months ago”. Well done!
What question? I'm sure you're not senile. It might be because I didn't notice etc etc. Denying I did not know something? I'd have to know what you meant by that, ie that you intended the double negative, before an answer would mean the same thing to both of us. I can certainly say that when I asked wtf terf was, I was unaware of what words the letters stood for though obviously it was an insult. Matthew Whitehead spelling it out at great length many moons ago doesn't equal me retaining the info.
What question? This question:
Never mind, I dropped it anyway for your and my sake, but you seem very keen to waste more time on this!?
The double negative was my bad, sorry; this “not” should not have been there. It was many moons ago, more than 20 months, when I was taught English at school and I must have forgotten to retain the info. Shit happens.
.
Post a link as well please.
I'll bring this up now, but it should get much more attention as we get closer to the election. Two things will be consistently, annoyingly misleading in coverage of the campaign: the words "Election day" and "Election night".
Advance voting begins on Sept 5, two weeks before "Election day". This year there will probably be more advance voting than ever before. Polls will be published after many people have already voted.
After "Election night", we wait for the special votes. In 2017 they totalled 446,287 or 17% of total votes cast. That includes 61,524 overseas votes. (source: official site).
Given the nature of special voters (late enrolments, especially students, and Kiwis overseas) I would not be at all surprised if they swing heavily Ardern's way, and seats change hands.
The no. of overseas votes may not be as high as we've seen in the past because many of those voters have returned to NZ or are preparing to return to NZ soon due to C19.
Good point. I wonder if they will have ballot boxes in all the isolation hotels …
I imagine they would be duty bound to, because every NZer regardless of circumstances has a right to vote.
And yes, imo, that includes those in prison. The right to vote should be above the laws of the land.
I think people overseas will vote Ardern for all the obvious reasons. Time to email friends and loved ones!
Labour is vulnerable in two areas, Kiwibuild and Auckland light rail.
Labour is going to have to present policy on these two areas and it had better be good.
I'd like to see compulsory acquisition of large tracts of land north and south of Drury close to rail. Take land speculators out of it because they are the very definition of inefficient. Finish the electrification gap. Use this newly redundant workforce we have to build, build, build without the obsession with profit. Clearly the private sector is both unwilling and unable to do this.
Drop light rail for the moment and just do the Puhinui spur. That is what is needed for people movement to and from Auckland International Airport. Future tourists actually pay for this so it's a no-brainer! The light rail concept was trying to do too many things at once and became confused. It’s quite a long way from the bottom of Dominion Road to the airport, not so far from the airport to the main trunk line.
Along with Law & Order the Nats under Collins will be targeting Labour on Kiwibuild and light rail and Labour had better be ready for it.
Labour is vulnerable in two areas, Kiwibuild and Auckland light rail.
those two areas being over promising and failing to deliver.
I think you can be confident that’s where National will attack – and for good reason.
National have been attacking on many fronts, putting out press releases, making speeches, announcing roads.
For some reason these don't seem to be the stories making the news headlines. Wonder why?
Given the importance of health at the moment a couple of attack ads highlighting National’s legacy of shit dripping out of the walls at Middlemore Hospital might go some way to squaring up balance don’t you think?
ScottGN – It came through the ceiling, not the walls. Get it right, or you will be accused of lying, just as Jacinda Ardern was earlier on, when she made the same minor error…
Judith will attack these areas because that's been her job on TV over the last three years and because Twyford has not been good at all*. Those spots on the AM show have literally paved the way for her resurrection. Without them she would be a distant memory right now.
She will also attack on Law & Order – she was in the thick of that policy area when she forced the Police to under report crime when the Nats were last in government so she knows all the tricks. Also National Party pollster and blogger, David Farrar, has built his blog on Maori bashing as it relates to Law & Order.
*Hard to blame Twyford too much on light rail because that concept was not at all thought though when it was floated. It’s simply not what we need right now. In 10 or 20 years, maybe.
We needed it a hundred years ago when it was first proposed as a subway.
That horse has bolted. Nothing to be done about it now.
What is required is clear thinking about what Auckland will look like in 20 years. The essential bones of it must be built first, the rest of it can wait.
Did you know you have to walk between Auckland International and Domestic? Put a rail line in, ffs.
Put a rail line in for a 5 minute walk ?
Not really as we still need it. Cities really don't do well with personal cars as the main transport system.
Of course, with the better technology available to day and better planning techniques we'd probably end up with a better system.
Not so sure National would be stupid enough to launch an attack re KiwiBuild. To do so would mean they would have to have a better proposition for achieving the same goals. That would imply there was an affordable housing problem that they denied when last in Government. As for Auckland Light Rail, discretion would be needed there too. They know damned well that NZ First stuffed that. To attack would imply they would be able to succeed in getting Auckland moving if in Government – possibly with having to have Winston in tow. How would they do that? Cover the city in tarseal?
I’m not sure Law & Order is going to be particularly fertile for National this election cycle.
Violent gang crime is up in people's minds if not actually in statistics. We know why this is – 501s – but the general voting public might not understand as much, so Farrar and Collins will push gang and Maori related crime stories in front of the media for full effect.
Don't agree about Kiwibuild. As I have been saying Kiwibuild is last years story. People don't give a f..k about it. They care of course about housing and Labour has made good progress, particularly on social housing. National made none. Everybody knows it………
Its Covid and the economy. That's all that is in peoples minds now. The question is do people want a competent well tested decisive leader that has saved us all from the ravaged of Covid. Or do the want a Donald Trump version of a leader. I actually trust NZders on this.
We've got this
There's all that but Kiwibuild remains something which Labour can be attacked on. And rightly so, it was and is a complete failure because they bottled the balance between government and private sector. The government should have taken a much, much bigger role.
According to that pathetic excuse for shithouse paper called the Herald. Another up and coming bit of odious bit of shit that has risen to the surface in the National sewer called Goldsmith has wonderous solutions to the economical recovery of this country, like freezing contributions to the Cullen fund what he calls the Supernation Fund, plus a freeze on the April planned minimum wages increase. In other words same old failed Tory fuck you Jack policies that have almost destroyed this country,
Who the fuck would want to vote for this pack of crap. Yesterdays failed policies in today's "completely" different world I just don't believe that these fuckwits are so fucking brain dead to suggest policies like that.
I get the feeling you missed the be kind memo.
and I think they are good suggestions.
Raising the minimum wage was a mistake when last done and it’s a mistake to do it again in the current economic situation.
It's still not a LIVING wage yet, James.
James comes to troll. Not worth responding to
Agreed Anker…sometimes can't help myself.
Doubt those earning the minimum wage would regard the raise as a mistake "in the current economic situation." Can only conclude that you're not on the minimum wage.
This is entirely the right time to increase the minimum wage towards the living wage. The fiction called the economy needs simulating. Putting money into hands of those with less is the best way to do this.
It really is so terrible that some seem to have missed the 'be kind' memo.
I like it though when nasties remind victims that they're meant to play nice when the supposed-to-be-nice-ones who missed the memo reciprocate as they've been treated. The umbrage taken at not acting on the memo is quite lovely.
Of course you do, you're part of the subset that thinks screwing over the majority of people and destroying the economy to make a few rich people richer is great.
Knew our Gov were long on rhetoric and extremely short on action but didnt realise quitr how missing in action we have been…
"That means over the next decade we need to find 93.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent to cut out to meet our targets – more than the entire country's gross annual emissions. Even if we took every car in Auckland off the road for the entirety of the next decade, that would only close the gap by 35 Mt CO2e."
and our infrastructure spend is on……roads!
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/boris-johnson-has-done-more-for-the-climate-than-jacinda-ardern
"So how has a supposedly transformational Government led by a Prime Minister who has pledged to treat climate change as her prime focus failed to meaningfully implement emissions-reducing policies? How can Jacinda Ardern promise to treat emissions as her generation's nuclear-free moment without consequence?
Simple: New Zealand is letting her get away with it."
And with National self destructing the political motivation to move has disappeared….perhaps the self destruction serves a purpose after all.
What crazy effing logic – how do you expect the PM to cut the emissions? To help achieve the goal, join the others who are getting off their backsides and walk, bike or use public transport. It's time for the team of 5 million to carry the load again!
care to name any gov actions that have reduced our emissions?
How has it happened?
Uh, the Winston veto..
answer to James @6.1
Hi James How are you doing? I hope life is treating you well better than some of the unfortunates that are struggling on low wages having to pay for things like Cheese that has risen by nearly 30 % in price. in the last few weeks, That is if they have any money after paying rent to some parasitical property owner
It is a different world now pal they are failed yesterdays policies and unless the right realises that there is going to be one hell of an "adjustment" something I would hate to see.
Went to the supermarket today and saw the glistening green courgettes sitting lonely and untouched at $28/kg. They’ll have to be thrown out.
Broken neoliberalism.
Hi Mutton Nice to see that, We told the local veggie shop to shove them. But they do have an excuse I understand that they are imported from Queensland and because of the virus etc etc etc we have to expect those prices.
But what I cannot accept is the winging farmers who are always bleating how hard done they are expecting us(New Zealanders), to pay through the nose for their product because
A. Prices have fallen overseas or
B Prices are so buoyant overseas.
Yep, there's always something involved in keeping vegetable prices at stratospheric heights. Yet it's all out of their control according to the power players.
I'd rather see no fucking courgettes at all in the supermarket than seeing them for an obscene $28/kg…
Agree Mutton 200%
My understanding is it's not the farmers & growers setting the prices, but the supermarkets (I guess they would argue they ship and package etc). If something is too expensive, I just don't buy it, as protest & necessity.
Obviously the things will sit and start to rot, then be fed to the pigs.
Who will buy them at that price? (Although they are not heavy, and how many of them make a kilogram? But why buy them? They desperately need added flavours.)
Am looking at way to promote New Zealand's Covid response and Covid-free status. Sanzaar hopes to hold the entire Rugby Championship in Covid free New Zealand.
Unlike most other countries we have free association and the ability to pack Eden Park with 50,000 people for the very first, and probably only, international rugby matches in 2020, full stop.
Imagine the scenes on TV for those less fortunate, watching the only international test matches in front of a full stadium when they are struggling to even open pubs let alone gather in crowds.
Grant Roberston should make this a priority as it builds on New Zealand's international reputation in pandemic management.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12348506
If the flood of returning Kiwis has slowed enough that there's room in isolation and quarantine facilities for the players, and the players are OK with spending two weeks in managed isolation (while NZ players get to train as much as they want), and they pay for the managed isolation, and they're OK with the idea that very few if any of their supporters will be able to come and the crowds will be entirely kiwi, plus a bunch of other restrictions that are likely needed for safety that I haven't thought of, then sure, go nuts.
People used to go to the commonwealth/olympic games/rugby/cricket tours by boat. That was a 6 week trip. Two weeks in isolation is not that much.
Great idea! Come to NZ on a Covid-19 floating incubation chamber to watch a rugby game or two and expect to not be quarantined?
Yes, there's a few things to be addressed, chiefly how SA, AUS and Argentina will train. Athletes at the highest level are on a program and two weeks watching Netflix in your room is not part of that program.
If it's deemed important enough the other considerations can be overcome. A full Rugby Championship has got to be worth quite a bit locally and globally in the absence of any other rugby altogether. I'm sure quarantine costs can be dealt with in this context.
The players, the fans, the Unions, and Sanzaar will not be too worried about offshore fans not being able to attend.
I'm not that bothered about the rugby itself, but proposing it is brilliant politics.
What are National going to do, oppose the All Blacks playing? The timetable works very well – get it in the headlines between now and the election, and have the games (and any stuff-ups) after the election.
It was the lead story on TV3 news tonight. Score one for the comms team.
I'm thinking about the wider benefits of having this comp up and running. We look like a country which gets things done in a Covid world. Our Sanzaar partners and their players will be gagging to come here for two months to showcase the game to the rest of the world. We as a country would gain huge benefits from that exposure.
Oh, I agree. Brand NZ is strong internationally, and this is one more possible plus.
Or, just ask a bit more for the tv rights, and nobody has to travel.
The Alex Salmond Show interviews top public health academic, Professor Michael Baker of Otago University, who details the reasons for New Zealand’s success in eliminating Covid-19 and warns of the worldwide dangers yet to come. Meanwhile the author of ‘Pandemic Century’, Dr Mark Honigsbaum, explains why some countries have succeeded in taming the coronavirus when so many others have struggled.
https://www.rt.com/shows/alex-salmond-show/494810-new-zealand-coronavirus-measures/
Let me get this straight. Simon Bridges has used an interview to take a swipe at his own front bench colleague Todd Muller who is no doubt still on health leave.
United caucus? Nope. Considerate of mental health? Nope. Same old National Party brutality.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12348674
After the Brownlee interviews (Garner & Owen) they really will say some barmy stuff, their confidence is so exuberant!
I was not impressed with the statement by Winston Peters about Todd Muller's health issue. Especially as Winston demands privacy and keeps very tight lipped about his own medical issues.
Loyalty is sadly missing in the National caucus ; leaks to Tova just after Judith Collins won the leadership and now Simon Bridge's little dig at Todd Muller. Not looking good for the party if this is how they plan to build up to the election.
We might as well add Winston Peters to the National Party now because there's no way NZF will be in a Labour led government.
He only went with Labour for personal reasons – that much is widely suspected.
I thought his comment on Muller was a serious breach of good conduct which he himself pretends to subscribe to.
I do hope NZF is finished on September 19, I really do. They are such a pathetic waste of space.
I get it about Peters and Muller.
Peters might demand privacy and to be treated with respect. That didn't happen before the last election when some minion decided that his personal information held by a Ministry should be handed to politicians with no reasonable justification.
Oh that's so savage. I'm off to clutch my pearls and sniff my salts. Call me when civility reached acceptable levels again.
You can trivialise it if you want but the point is that the National Party is not even remotely united as they now profess to be.
You do not need to wildly over-egg comments here to make that point. They are enough of a trainwreck without our help.
Sacha, it was the headline, I too thought the comments fairly tame, it is curious that the Newshub/ Herald (?) guys spun it as such, coz it prob would have passed unnoticed really. I missed the Peters bit.
A desperate journo trying to spin a story out of nothing is sadly to be expected; and by now we ought to be able to distinguish that from the underlying facts – hence me quoting what Bridges said, not what the writer said he did.
Absolutely, I've said here many times, Collins, Brownlee etc will say some barmy things, will do dirty politics, they can't help themselves. I was just surprised to see the headline.
Australia is now clocking up Covid deaths. They'd stopped at about 102 when we also eradicated. Now they are up to 113 which when they passed 110 is officially more than NZ in deaths/capita.
Australia's covid response once vaunted by Mike Hosking and his followers Simon Bridges and and the rest of NZ's rump-right seems to be unravelling.
It's sort of like Christmas when you were a kid. You go to bed on Christmas Eve expectant and excitef about what the next day will bring.
Who will be National's big player of the day when you wake up the next morning!
Some wit on Twitter, "more people have escaped the National Party in the last month than have escaped quarantine".
Some value in Twitter after all?