Daily review 16/09/2019

Written By: - Date published: 6:01 pm, September 16th, 2019 - 73 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

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

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

73 comments on “Daily review 16/09/2019 ”

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  1. Kat 1
    16 September 2019 at 6:13 pm

    Good press conference from the PM this afternoon.

    The 'backfire' fuse has been lit………………

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115837166/labour-lawyer-i-wasnt-told-of-sexual-assault-claims

    • greywarshark 1.1
      16 September 2019 at 6:34 pm

      After reading that I feel confused. But I would have expected those on the panel to have been experienced and followed through slowly and thoroughly through the matters raised. The woman read out an email that hadn't been received by some of the panel. So everything stops while a copy is made for each person. Then it is numbered and that is placed on a list of documents that accompanies the notes for that meeting.

      So a complete record is held, and the complainant also numbers her email so it can be referenced when referred to. And so on.

      The way it has been written in the stuff article makes it sound very amateurish. (And Anne is not referring to me in her annoyed comment below.)

      • Dukeofurl 1.1.1
        16 September 2019 at 7:01 pm

        Where does it say that

        "So everything stops while a copy is made for each person. Then it is numbered and that is placed on a list of documents that accompanies the notes for that meeting.'

        when he says this

        "Mitchell met again with the woman on May 29 "to clarify the allegations and the matters that we were investigating," his statement says."At no time during that meeting did she say that she had been sexually assaulted by the subject of the complaint…"

  2. Anne 2
    16 September 2019 at 6:23 pm

    After this is all over, I hope the Labour Party (or someone in it) takes that piece of stinking offal above to court. No not Kat.

    • Dukeofurl 2.1
      16 September 2019 at 6:36 pm

      What if the forensics supports his claim about the emails ?

      plus
      “Mitchell said that she emailed him on June 17 and thanked the panel for their hard work.”

      • Anne 2.1.1
        16 September 2019 at 6:51 pm

        Duke, I was referring to today's DR image at the top.

        My understanding is; the forensic scientist has supported Mitchell’s claim which adds even further intrigue to the story.

        • Dukeofurl 2.1.1.1
          16 September 2019 at 7:04 pm

          I believe her story completely but I have experience of emails and such not going where you think they did.

          Today an email I thought I sent my brother had gone somewhere complely different but was super sure I did sent it too him

          • Dennis Frank 2.1.1.1.1
            16 September 2019 at 7:11 pm

            Yeah, exactly what I'm now wondering. She does seem to be telling the truth, and believes she sent them that email, but if she sent more than one she may have gotten confused about the details. Memory does that.

            • SHG 2.1.1.1.1.1
              16 September 2019 at 7:21 pm

              she may have gotten confused about the details

              when in doubt, gaslight the victim

              • Dukeofurl …
                16 September 2019 at 7:36 pm

                Not at all . Theres another link in the story, and it makes sense if you believe the victim and the panel.

                There is a something unusual about The Spinoff that doesnt pass the sniff test

                The business is owned by Greive and his wife Niki, a lawyer at the Serious Fraud Office, and has two parts – the website and a copywriting agency. Spinoff staff writers are both journalists and copywriters for paying businesses…

                https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/83588346/duncan-greive-and-the-rise-of-the-spinoff

                A strange arrangement where your staff are both journalists and creative writers…at the same time maybe .

                • SHG …
                  16 September 2019 at 7:48 pm

                  when in doubt, insinuate that the young woman who helped "Sarah" tell her story isn't a real journalist

                  • Dukeofurl …
                    16 September 2019 at 8:13 pm

                    The young woman is Alex Casey of course, Grieve was also on the byline and his her Editor and the site Publisher.

                    As for whether she is a real journalist linkedin gives some clues

                    "Celebrity treasure Island Power Rankings.To the Victor go the Toasties

                    Hard hitting stuff or fluff pieces for when Alex had her copywriters hat on. Spinoff has a political tab and its stories barely feature their Hard hitting writer TV reviewer

                    "The Batchelor Australia is Absolutely out of this world"

                    "How to Find the most Cursed Shit on Trademe

                    The tribute to the Pie Shop that saved my Terrible Soul"

                    The Spinoff better have some really good lawyers

                    • SHG …
                      16 September 2019 at 8:38 pm

                      Exactly. If the work Ms Casey has done to date isn't exclusively rape investigations, is the complaint even real?

                    • Dukeofurl …
                      16 September 2019 at 9:26 pm

                      I said Political stories show a complete absence of Alex Casey until now .

                      These things are mostly Toby Manhire ..Duncan Grieve and a few others.

                      For some reason Grieve and Manhires byline has disappeared from the story next to Caseys now

          • Anne 2.1.1.1.2
            16 September 2019 at 7:13 pm

            Yes. It's starting to look like something along those lines has happened. I've had emails disappear into the ether or they haven't arrived for a day or two after they were sent.

          • McFlock 2.1.1.1.3
            16 September 2019 at 9:40 pm

            Except if she hadn't sent it, she wouldn't have been able to read it out to the committee.

            This is such a load of half-arsed shite.

            Firstly, hiring your own person to "forensically examine" your computer and pronounce it clean? At least tell us he had them make a forensic copy of his machine to give to the latest investigators.

            Secondly, scanning one of probably several devices for emails rather than contacting the email provider[edit: as in service, not sender]? Even if the messages aren't archived out of your control, they might store metadata (including attachment names).

            Thirdly, the secretary of the committee should have been storing copies of all correspondence, including electronic. If something gets sent to a committee member, they forward it to the secretary. That's literally their job.

            Fourthly, the head of a committee having an informal, unrecorded (even after the fact via an "thanks for meeting with me at HH:MM DD MM YY at [location]. The main points I have taken from our discussion are…") discussion with a complainant/witness? FFS.

            It might not have been an official criminal investigation, but lawyers should have known that if serious shit came up, their actions might have been reviewable in a court. Heck, any employer handling an issue this lazily would get their arse handed to them on a plate.

            I know who I think has more credibility, that's for sure.

        • Naki man 2.1.1.2
          16 September 2019 at 7:24 pm

          Andrew Little??

      • Rapunzel 2.1.2
        16 September 2019 at 8:14 pm

        No one would say that if they don't have an email to show, not at this stage of what has happened. Victim support can be necessary as a safety measure for a number of reasons not just the obvious.

    • Dennis Frank 2.2
      16 September 2019 at 7:00 pm

      Court action does seem likely but now that the plot has thickened, it's too murky to see who will be involved. I wonder if the Spinoff has a good lawyer and/or a good computer forensic specialist. I wonder if they validate their reports sufficiently.

      Here's Spinoff editor Toby Manhire on Saturday, discussing "the Labour Party, and that’s a party where a poison has clearly seeped in – within Young Labour especially, unequivocally and horribly. We knew already about the Summer Camp scandal; The Spinoff has been contacted over the last few days with other stories that would chill you to the bone." https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/14-09-2019/on-the-labour-party-crisis-and-jacinda-ardern/

      So, as-yet unpublished stories that will spook readers, in their pipeline. Fact-checked?? If aggrieved Labour members tell tales to them, does investigative journalism validate the tales, or do they go with the current media trend toward sensationalism. Will the news be fake? Or will it be validated by a Spinoff forensic examination of emails?

      Next step: their source Sarah will have to establish credibility. Computer forensic proof that she sent Labour the email seems required…

      • Sacha 2.2.1
        16 September 2019 at 7:12 pm

        Relying on an old-fashioned medium like email may be part of the party's problem. Must seem quaint to the young people.

        • weka 2.2.1.1
          16 September 2019 at 7:27 pm

          What should have been used instead of email? Because I'm thinking go old school and have someone sit and take dictation, write it up afterwards, and then give everyone a copy. Also needs someone to manage the information flows, and track who sends and receives what.

          Never go into a meeting without a support person, preferably one who can take good notes (not that vulnerable people always have someone who can do that, but that's another thing that could be mended).

        • Graeme 2.2.1.2
          16 September 2019 at 9:26 pm

          Also, using medium that most likely goes through multiple content (spam, explicit content etc) filters between sender and recipient.

          Reasonable likelihood that the email contained multiple words or phrases that would have triggered these filters and led to it's disappearance.

          I'm quite a bit older and really from the paper age, but wouldn't you establish contact to say you have a complaint, then reply providing the details in a second correspondence, and then follow up to check it had been received if you didn't get and acknowledgment.

      • weka 2.2.2
        16 September 2019 at 7:24 pm

        "Next step: their source Sarah will have to establish credibility. Computer forensic proof that she sent Labour the email seems required…"

        I don't think so. Labour aren't on trial here, no matter what the right are trying to do. We already know that Labour have an internal problem with rape culture, and that were obviously not equipped to handle these investigations internally. I think it's important to remember here that this is true of lots of organisations, and the solution here isn't to prove accusations to the nth degree, it's for Labour to change its internal culture.

        Making this a she said/he said, adversarial situation doesn't help. We don't have to know the full truth of the situation for things to change for the better. The point isn't t find out who is innocent or guilty, it's to made redress to the people harmed, and to change things so it doesn't happen again.

        • Dennis Frank 2.2.2.1
          16 September 2019 at 7:33 pm

          Well, I haven't read the terms of reference that the QC is using but lawyers are required by the judicial process to establish facts, so I'm assuming she will attempt that, and if so the factual basis of Sarah's complaint will be established as far as possible.

          However the evening news reported that several other enquiries have now been launched to accompany the QC's, so I will await clarification…

          • weka 2.2.2.1.1
            16 September 2019 at 8:56 pm

            I was thinking of the public debate now rather than the QC investigation going forward (I haven't seen the terms of reference, process etc for that).

        • Pat 2.2.2.2
          16 September 2019 at 8:07 pm

          "I don't think so. Labour aren't on trial here,.."

          seriously?…at the very least they are on trial by media…and the penalty could be considered somewhat more serious than home detention

          • weka 2.2.2.2.1
            16 September 2019 at 8:55 pm

            Full sentence: "Labour aren't on trial here, no matter what the right are trying to do."

            The left might want to look at why some people want Labour on trial instead of addressing rape culture.

            • Pat 2.2.2.2.1.1
              16 September 2019 at 9:08 pm

              Labour are very much on trial here…and 'the right' may well be a cause but they are ably assisted by elements of the left who appear to have forgotten the principle of innocent until proven otherwise….like everyone else I have no knowledge of what has or hasnt occurred but Im buggered if I will leap to uninformed conclusions/accusations especially on the back of statements by the likes of PB and a media of dubious competency/motivation

              • weka …
                16 September 2019 at 9:19 pm

                I don't know what you are referring to there, but my own focus is on rape culture and what can be done about it. If you pick a side, it implies the other side is lying, and that is what is creating a trial atmosphere. Imo this is unnecessary and unhelpful.

            • Drowsy M. Kram 2.2.2.2.1.2
              16 September 2019 at 9:29 pm

              Who Bennefit’s from the Labour party's current trial by media? If it's not antisemitism, then it's a failure to adequately address endemic rape culture!

              Don't for a moment think that the NZ Labour party's rape culture issues are any more serious than the NZ National party's – but the NZ media seem to ‘think’ so. A rather cunning strategy to use against a political party that was led to power by a charismatic young woman.

              Dirty Politics 101, IMHO.

      • Psycho Milt 2.2.3
        16 September 2019 at 9:33 pm

        Next step: their source Sarah will have to establish credibility.

        Oh yeah, that would really show all those doubters that Labour's got this rape culture stuff sorted, right?

        Pretty much the last outcome any of us should want from this is that a 19-year-old ends up getting a performance review of how she submitted a complaint about that sexual assault she was subjected to.

    • weka 2.3
      16 September 2019 at 7:11 pm

      Take Hoskings to court for what?

      • Anne 2.3.1
        16 September 2019 at 7:18 pm

        Defamation… misinformation and possibly even slander. It's been ongoing since the day the Labour led govt. was elected to power. David Lange did it back in the day and won. Least I think he did.

        • weka 2.3.1.1
          16 September 2019 at 7:29 pm

          I almost never read or listen to him. I'm guessing his boss' lawyers are keeping an eye on what he says and he is staking within the law?

          • Anne 2.3.1.1.1
            16 September 2019 at 7:59 pm

            I was actually thinking in terms of the current attacks on Labour and Jacinda Arden in particular. The waters are getting decidedly murky with the revelation that at least one of the Council members did not receive the email.

            If it transpires that none of the recipients received it and knew nothing of the sexual abuse claims then they have done nothing wrong. How could they act on something they had no knowledge of.

            The searchlight will then be on Bennett and the more vociferous journos who have been revelling in the smearing activity – particularly of Jacinda. It's been a horrible sight to behold.

            • weka 2.3.1.1.1.1
              16 September 2019 at 8:59 pm

              I think that angle is a red herring, and not particularly relevant unless one thinks the point is to bash Labour. The QC can look at those kind of details I guess. I'm more interested in what gets made right. National and the RW MSM as far as I can tell don't care about that, appear to not care about the Young Labour people affected, and are making this all about party politics.

        • Naki man 2.3.1.2
          16 September 2019 at 8:10 pm

          " David Lange did it back in the day and won. Least I think he did"

          This might help your memory

          Lange burned financially by libel battle

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=165066

          • alwyn 2.3.1.2.1
            16 September 2019 at 9:30 pm

            I understand Lange made quite a nice little income suing various publications for libel. They would often pay up because defending the actions cost more than simply paying him out.

            N & S defended this one to the end and one. Note that it supposedly cost them about $500,000 to do so and come out victorious and Lange only had to pay them $6,000.

            The victory was such, I believe, that it is almost impossible for anyone in the public spotlight, and politicians in particular, to win such a case. A Lawyer reading may be able to give a more accurate, expert, opinion of the outcome of this case.

            Certainly I don't think that Ardern would get anywhere at all if she sued Hoskings. The law, thank God doesn't allow the Singapore situation to occur here where the Government sue and bankrupt their opponents.

    • Kat 2.4
      16 September 2019 at 7:24 pm

      Anne, the almost complete right wing bias in the media is the real offal, the out of service picture on the back of the bus is a rather complimentary caricature of a maggot belonging to the aforementioned offal.

  3. In Vino 3
    16 September 2019 at 6:57 pm

    Inclined to agree about Hosking, Anne. He wrote such drivel today about how all Ardern's capital has now been destroyed. Has he ever thought about what minimal 'capital' he himself has?

    • greywarshark 3.1
      16 September 2019 at 9:34 pm

      Capital, the folding sort is all he cares about. And his employers are the same. What outfit are they by the way, so I can make sure I avoid them.

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    16 September 2019 at 7:08 pm

    Gordon Campbell points to apparent evidence that Sarah is telling the truth about her email: "A month after the alleged assault, the [Maria] Berryman review into the Labour camp assaults invited others who had experiences of sexual misconduct to come forward. “I thought I might as well deal with it with people I know and trust, and that was through the party.”She made contact with Berryman in April 2018, and, in an email shown to The Spinoff, described the incident on the party trip in detail…" http://werewolf.co.nz/2019/09/gordon-campbell-on-labours-mishandling-of-the-alleged-sexual-assault/

    So it's a duel, in which an email sent is clashing with an email that didn't arrive. Forensics will have to discern which computer the email was sent to, and establish if it was a Labour Party computer, or belongs to the Labour lawyer.

    • Sacha 4.1
      16 September 2019 at 7:15 pm

      It is not unusual for an email to be sent but not received. Do not need forensics to show that at the sender's end.

      • Dennis Frank 4.1.1
        16 September 2019 at 7:27 pm

        Yes, I just posted to that effect before I saw your comment, due to an inane claim by lawyers reported by Newsroom.

      • ianmac 4.1.2
        16 September 2019 at 8:58 pm

        But Sarah said that she had told the Panel and then supplemented it with the e-mail. The panel say that they did not receive a spoken complaint or the email.

        • Dennis Frank 4.1.2.1
          17 September 2019 at 5:07 am

          Good point, Ian. So, if she's telling the truth, everyone will learn that it's unwise to complain to any Labour investigative panel unless accompanied by their own lawyer (or independent eyewitness)…

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    16 September 2019 at 7:25 pm

    Hey, check this out: ""Regrettably the statements by the complainant that Mr Mitchell received such information are untrue,” the letter from Mitchell’s lawyers said." https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@politics/2019/09/16/811922/labour-party-doubles-down-on-its-version-of-events

    I bet the complainant made no such statement!! Media reports of what she told them refer to her saying she sent such an email. How could she possibly know if he received it or not?? Lawyers live in la la land…

  6. mauī 6
    16 September 2019 at 7:37 pm

    Haworth needs to be reinstated. He cannot resign for mishandling allegations that in large part might not have ever existed!

    Labour were cowed by the neoliberals… yet again. They should have front footed the odious media and sent the spin-f-off packing.

    • Dennis Frank 6.1
      16 September 2019 at 7:49 pm

      Only if he's innocent. Careful reading of Sarah's statements to the Spinoff reveal that she reported the sexual assault to him via email in May last year, after reporting it to the panel in April via an earlier email. He didn't deny receiving his!

      • mauī 6.1.1
        16 September 2019 at 8:18 pm

        From what I gather Haworth has denied that allegations of sexual assault were bought to him at all. 2 of the 3 panel members also deny those allegations were made to them. That's quite a comprehensive denial.

        • Dennis Frank 6.1.1.1
          17 September 2019 at 4:52 am

          Okay, I must have missed that bit. I agree, it is comprehensive. I’ve not seen a report of the acting president (female, apparently) joining the denial, having been the third member of the panel, but if that has indeed happened then it is fully comprehensive.

          • lprent 6.1.1.1.1
            17 September 2019 at 8:30 am

            One of those is Simon Mitchell. I've known him for about 25 or so years on a moderately casual basis. He is a lawyer, so knows exactly the consequences of any outright shading of the facts if it heads to court. He has a pretty good reputation in the employment law area.

            Personally I have never known him to lie or even to be particularly evasive – which has always been welcome (I'm kind of blunt). Might not tell you everything he knows.

            In this case the framing from one of the complainants is that he was informed of a sexual complaint and is lying – which is a direct attack on his reputation. So it appears that he has decided to put his position in public. Probably to the concern of the parliamentary wing.

            The spinoff has his full statement

            I have to say that is a clear and direct statement targeted specifically at matters of fact that can be determined. As is the response from the complainants lawyer which is a direct refutation of Simon Mitchells statement of facts. Obviously both cannot be correct and are diametrically opposite.

            The complainants are hugely disappointed that Mr Mitchell has come forward with his statement just as the complainants and the Labour Party are making some positive progress.

            I would anticipate that they are. I can't imagine Simon Mitchell making a statement like that without having the required evidence to back it up. It is way easier to make accusations against a organisation than it is against individuals.

            By effectively targeting the members of the panel with statements about the individual volunteers on it saying they are lying, they have just hit the issue of making statements of fact about individuals and the personal liability that goes with it. Also moves it well past the limits of the parliamentary side to control it.

            I would say that this will be heading towards court.

            And I reiterate my original point – there is no way that the Labour Party should get involved in these kinds of disputes about bullying or sexual misconduct. They are legal matters and have specific remedies inside the legal system.

            That being said, if you were involved in a bullying situation, then Simon would be exactly the person you’d want to determine and resolve it. He would also be the first to point any claim or sexual assault directly to the police as the only avenue of redress. As well as being a lawyer and required to do that, I don’t think that he’d ethically do anything else.

            • lprent 6.1.1.1.1.1
              17 September 2019 at 8:52 am

              https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/09/16/811922/labour-party-doubles-down-on-its-version-of-events

              National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett, who has been advocating on behalf of some of the complainants, said Mitchell's decision to release a legal letter and media statement showed that Ardern had "no control of the process".

              "On the very afternoon that the Prime Minister has gone out and just announced that she's got these two processes underway and that she's going to show all of this respect to the victims, one of her own council members that was involved in those decisions has made a statement that is very much victim-blaming, and yet again hangs those victims out like that."

              What does this arsehole think people are – self-interested drones like her?

              This does start to explain why she has been making statements about individuals only under parliamentary privilege. Weak evidence and effectively attacks outside of the politicians on individuals. Ok if you can keep everyone behind a faceless curtain like 'the labour party' – which can't effectively fight back.

              Jacinda Ardern doesn't have as much 'control' over members of the NZ Council. The council itself doesn't have much control. They are all volunteers with expenses covered at the most. The council itself is the ruling body of the NZLP. Ardern is a member of the council and leader of the parliamentary wing of MPs

              This isn't like the National party. The Labour party is almost entirely volunteers

              Paula Bennett really is a complete arsehole. A contemptible politician playing this while aware of the facts. Ducking under parliamentary privilege to avoid being a party to the evntual litigation.

              You can see why Simon Bridges isn't involved in this. As a lawyer he'd probably be looking at the questions of evidence and liability and getting terrified.

            • weka 6.1.1.1.1.2
              17 September 2019 at 9:00 am

              Hypothetically, if both sides were telling the truth as they understand it, is it possible that with the emails this is a technical issue? Emails were sent but not received?

              In terms of accusations against Mitchell, did the main complainant say he had received the emails? Or just that she had sent them?

      • Pat 6.1.2
        16 September 2019 at 8:36 pm

        he has..as have both other members of the panel

    • Dennis Frank 7.1
      17 September 2019 at 5:14 am

      "Ardern said a third party review would look at the paper evidence provided to the Labour Party, including whether complainants' evidence included a sexual assault complaint."

      Only the paper evidence? Electronic file info doesn't qualify as evidence? Let's hope the emails get printed then…

  8. Sacha 8
    16 September 2019 at 8:31 pm

    Beige Badger claims conspiracy: https://yournz.org/2019/09/16/labour-behaviour-problem-deeper-and-wider-than-leadership/

    What followed looked like a planned and coordinated plan to shut me up. I don’t think all involved were working together, but that’s how it looks to me, and I have seen these executions often in the past.

    • Anne 8.1
      16 September 2019 at 8:53 pm

      That's interesting. I listened to Ardern's post cabinet conference this afternoon and there was a noisy journo (sounded like Newshub's Tova O'Brien) attempting to ask her questions about a supposed witch-hunt being conducted by Labour. From memory, Ardern brushed her aside as not worthy of a response.

      I immediately thought of PG running to the journos complaining bitterly about his supposed ill treatment on TS over the weekend, and how we were all running down the complainants (big lie) and all he was trying to do was be fair and reasonable (even bigger lie) blah blah blah.

      • Kat 8.1.1
        16 September 2019 at 8:58 pm

        Winston is back and calls it all a "disgraceful orgy of speculation"…..expect some colourful exchange across the floor in the house.

      • Anne 8.1.2
        16 September 2019 at 9:14 pm

        Addendum to 8.1

        And sure enough:

        The Standard blog is strongly (but not exclusively) aligned with Labour. The way the issue has been dealt with there is a sign that the culture of bullying, and of burying bad news, runs deeper in the party than party and parliamentary leadership.

        There was nothing mentioned about last Mondays biggest political story until I posted about it here.

        I kept posting comments about it through the week, and it was well discussed.

        It wasn’t until Thursday until the first and only post, by Te Reo Putake – Accused Labour Party Staffer Resigns

        It was a light week for posts at The Standard, with Labour stalwart mickysavage doing his best to divert to National bashing and trying to portray National as worse at dealing with scandals.

        Saves people having to read all of the rubbish.

        • Anne 8.1.2.1
          16 September 2019 at 9:22 pm

          And look… Sacha n me got a mention :

          Sacha and Anne immediately started to niggle at me (Anne is a long time Labour supporter, Sacha leans further left). Earlier in the week Anne had told me to eff off from responding to her comments, so ironic. She had called on moderators to deal to me more than once.

          lprent started to give me lectures, like

          Perhaps you and the idiot who wrote that quoted piece should engage your brain rather than your lust for gossip and consider what options gets killed if that kind of report gets released. For a start, just think of the consequences for victims.

          Sometimes you are just an idiot.

          Yeah and it goes on in that vein. (snore)

          • Sacha 8.1.2.1.1
            16 September 2019 at 10:16 pm

            Yeah, I didn't want to give that tosh more oxygen here, just let people see the tone of what was being said.

        • Incognito 8.1.2.2
          16 September 2019 at 10:51 pm

          Petulant Pete started with this https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09-09-2019/#comment-1653247 @ 11:53 AM on Monday. He’s obviously in awe of his own self-importance and he overlooked the fact that the same topic was already discussed the day before and also after Petulant Pete was banned for a whole week (!) for sloppy and selective quoting (as well as having a go to another commenter for the same offence despite that commenter being innocent).

          Petulant Pete’s Magnum Opus entitled Copying, Pasting and Linking for Dummies is a yawn-fest of the first order. Instead of crying in his soup about being “shut down” he could spare a moment of his thoughts for people who are feeling real stress about and because of the situation. His petulant pining for attention is cringy.

    • Psycho Milt 8.2
      16 September 2019 at 9:28 pm

      Beige Badger claims conspiracy:

      I see he's still under the impression that the lengthy discussions of the subject on this blog constitute an attempt to shut down discussion.

      • JohnP 8.2.1
        17 September 2019 at 6:06 am

        It's well known that the best way to suppress someone's speech is to give them the opportunity to talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk about the issue and their freedom of speech being curtailed as they talk and talk and talk and talk, eventually completely robbing them of any speech whatsoever by surrounding and suffocating it with all of the words they've said.

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    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    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
    17 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 ...
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    1 day ago
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