How common is it for National MP’s to have relationships with women staffers in parliament?
Ignoring the extra-marital side of it, is this seen as a perk of the job, to exploit their status as MP’s for sexual advantage?
Most workplaces have rules around this sort of behaviour, whatever the nature of the behaviour of Jamie-Lee Ross in these relationships, the recurring incidence of them speaks to a wider culture.
A Wellington law firm has been in the news for hiring young women laywers to provide eye candy to hard working male staff (then later social company when drunk, then to breed for them when passed over for promotion) – is it the same in parliament?
PS Brett Kavanaugh was outed by tiger mum, a Yale law professor, over his penchant for hiring feminine model types as law interns – she instructed her Yale graduates to dress in a certain way if they wanted to be hired.
Literally- which reminds me as I noticed David Carter skulking in the dimly lit corner of Havana bar, a few weeks back, with a striking wee thing that was neither wife nor daughter. They are all the same.
The problem is when there is a power imbalance and social pressure/alcohol that impairs the ability to consent.
Being an arsehole in your private life is not necessarily a crime or an employment matter. Using power to coerce people in your workplace to have sex is (at the very least) an employment matter.
Haven’t read much about the specific allegations concerning Ross, I expect more will come out soon. It’s fun watching the riot, but the confirmed specifics on all allegations will take weeks to settle out one way or the other.
Well this from David Fisher at the NZH about an hour ago:
A National Party candidate has spoken about a campaign of harassment by rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross which became so severe she sought medical help and intervention by the party hierarchy.
Manurewa candidate Katrina Bungard told the Herald Ross had harassed her in 2016 and 2017.
She said Ross began the campaign to get wife Lucy Schwaner appointed as chair of the Howick Community Board in east Auckland.
…
“(Lusk) rang me and told me I could have a great career in politics, that he would get me this job and that job.
“Then he said he can only do these things if you’re in a good place with Jami-Lee. If you fall out, I can’t do anything.”
…
Collings had complained to National Party general manager Greg Hamilton about Ross’ behaviour over the vote for the chair’s role.
Collings said: “He was being a dickhead and a bit of a prat and I wanted him to stop. Greg said he would have a word to him. But it carried on.”
Bungard said the campaign then became one which was a result of her refusal to do as Ross had wanted.
It included being served a trespass order when she tried to attend a National Party morning tea for senior citizens.
But to be frank, that’s the sort of dirty politics I’d expect to be routine by the nats. And I don’t for one minute believe the comments by people who had been complained to that they were shocked and stunned by the “full extent” of what Ross has been doing – they were in a position to know. Unless there are actual bodies buried, it’s typical dirty politics. Hell, Collins is trying to act shocked about an affair and some bullying, but she cracked jokes about prison rapes resulting from her policies. Suddenly she, like everyone else who would have been well aware of all the complaints, is surprised and concerned. Unbelievable.
He sounds like a manipulative, entitled piece of crap – kind of like most of the young nats I was acquainted with at university.
I think one of the women ‘ who works around parliament’s is a journalist. There was previous reference to this woman getting inside info from Ross for a story.
Strangely this journalist seems to have gone quiet this week on political stories.
Checked out his biography. He’s Matt Doocey, MP for Waimakiriki. Former speaker, David Carter is his uncle. Jobs for the boys by the looks of it. He does look a bit like Muldoon but without his bruising personality and gritty intellect.
It is obvious neither of you watch Question Time. LOL.
Matt is also Junior Whip (since March 2018) and sits immediately behind Paula Bennett (and Simon Bridges) so is in camera range for all questions asked by either of them.
He sits next to Barbara Kuriger who was appointed as Senior Whip in March 2018 in place of JLR, when Bridges moved Ross up the ranks and also appointed him Nat’s Transport Spokesperson.
There have been some claims this week that part of Ross’ antagonism to Bridges is that Ross wanted to retain the Senior Whip position as well as being a Spokesperson (for the extra pay). This combination of Whip/Spokesperson roles is not usual. Its usually one or the other – but in fact Doocey has retained his Mental Health spokesperson* position which he got from English in Nov 2017 as well as being appointed Junior Whip.
Ross had worked his way up from Third Whip in Jan 2013, to Junior Whip in Oct 2014, and then Senior Whip in May 2017.
* Actually Doocey’s professional background is quite interesting. According to Wikipedia, he is a former manager with Canterbury DHB and ” … worked in mental health and health-care management in both New Zealand and the UK. He studied Counselling Psychology at Weltech, has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy, an MA in Healthcare Management from Kingston University in London and an MSc in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London.”
He also did well votewise in increasing his original 2,500 majority in 2014 by over 10,000 in 2017 – the highest personal vote increase in the 2017 election.
Interesting to hear Bridges this PM say that the first he heard of Ross misbehaviour was the day that he acted promptly and called Ross into his office and dealt with him. The journalists were trying to check the timeline. Just in case Bridges was lying.
I imagine that is because you aren’t willing to invest in anything.
FYI. Restaurant Brands is listed in the NZX.
The symbol is RBD and the last sale price was $8.67.
If you had bought them yesterday they would have been about $1.07 cheaper.
So come on. Be a patriotic Kiwi and invest in New Zealand companies.
Then you could say we do own things ourselves.
Fast food isn’t a business I know much about but I wouldn’t think it was one where you could shift all your profits offshore and avoid tax.
The bulk of your costs are going to be things and people that you either purchase or employ here. It isn’t like high-tech concerns which import all the things they sell from other companies in the same group who operate overseas. They also employ very few people who work here and pay a great deal for the intellectual property in the things they sell.
There will be some royalty payments for the use of brand names like KFC and Starbucks but it won’t be anything like the payments that go to companies like Apple.
So no, I don’t see that they could get anywhere by trying to shift all their profits overseas and even if they could they certainly can’t avoid paying a very large amount of GST, can they?
Someone who knows the industry may have a different view of course.
Of course you could join the rush and buy the company if you think it is such a good deal. Just be in and buy your share of them tomorrow.
~2/3rds of ‘income’ from shares is from trading. This income does not go to the company and so buying shares on the share-market is not investing in those companies (Why we can’t afford the rich by by Andrew Sayer, Richard Wilkinson).
The only time that the money goes to the company is when they’re initially offered and they would be better offered as a bond or a loan which does not transfer perpetual ownership or control.
“buying shares on the share-market is not investing in those companies”.
Very good. At least you understand what Investment means in Economics.
You will note, of course, that I never used the word “Invest” in my remarks. I suggested that people should “buy” shares in the company if the don’t want all the shares to be sold to a Mexican based group.
My comment still stands. If enough people buy the shares in Restaurant Brands they can prevent it being taken over by a foreign buyer. If they aren’t willing to do that they can’t really complain about it.
Be a patriotic Kiwi and invest in New Zealand companies.”
So that would be you lying again.
I suggested that people should “buy” shares in the company if the don’t want all the shares to be sold to a Mexican based group.
The problem being that the Mexican company isn’t investing in the NZ company either – it’s just buying it out. The country will lose from such a transaction as all the profits are shipped offshore along with any IP and possibly the company itself.
If enough people buy the shares in Restaurant Brands they can prevent it being taken over by a foreign buyer.
Offshore ownership needs to be banned as it’s bad for the country.
Its actually pretty clever (although I resent the tax).
Companies that sell under 60k to NZ in a year are exempt in the same way NZ companies under 60k turnover don’t gave to sign up for get.
Not sure if used items from eBay are covered, but I think because eBay is a marketplace and the sellers themselves probably won’t meet that criteria should be OK.
Unless Customs pings you for having brought something worth over 400
1 It can make things that are not easily obtainable in NZ even dearer (the freight bills are very high).
2 The suggestion is that the GST should be collected by the seller rather than requiring the work to be done here in NZ. This means that a a lot of sellers will refuse to deal with NZ. This already is happening,; I was surprised when I looked at British alarm clocks on google to see how many sellers would not bother to deal with us at present. I got one and have had difficulties with it.
I think our access for overseas direct purchases will be further limited.
Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the agreement with the operator of Cora signalled a plan to make electric air taxi travel a reality for all New Zealanders.
“Zephyr Airworks is leading the way in re-defining personal mobility to make it easier for all of us to get around,” Mr Luxon said.
“Both companies see the potential for our airspace to free people from the constraints of traffic and its associated social, economic and environmental impacts.”
Relieving the impact of polluting emissions was now “very real”, he said.
“casual racism”.
I suppose you could claim a little bit of that, although it was primarily by Ross.
On the other hand it was a great deal less in what was thought to be a private conversation than the dreadful public “humour” purveyed by the very highest levels of the Coalition of Fools.
Do you prefer the hilarious joke told by a person who thinks that the statement about Chinese that “Two Wongs don’t make a White” was the height of sophisticated humour.
I assume that you are in favour of the current Government?
He is, as you are probably aware the Deputy Prime Minister in a New Zealand First/Labour Government. Remember?
He hasn’t had anything to do with a National led Government since 1998, when Shipley had the sense to dump him.
Then in 2008, before the election, the National Party leader said that they would not go into Government with him because he could not be trusted.
Now he is running the Coalition with Labour who have given him the keys to the piggybank, and God knows what else. Why won’t they let the New Zealand know what he has been given?
Closer connections with National than the idiots in the Labour and Green parties my foot. The are all tucked up in bed together while they rob and ruin the New Zealand economy.
Surely Ad you cant think the years of jaw jaw on the standard have meant one less child in poverty. Famously labour Mps are reputed to not even read it.
It’s social media after all
Surely a local shitshow that eclipses the turd tornado in DC (and hoo boy that’s sayin sumthin) is worth a few days R & R to just enjoy watching the craptacle.
Politicians and dodgy donations go to the heart of the system…
Nah. It only speaks to their corruption. And we’ve known they’re corrupt ‘since forever’.
You want to get anywhere near the heart of the system? (I doubt many do btw – preferring vacuous cheerleading and easy to opine on shit over substance every time). But if you do, then you have to start examining and talking about things like poverty – as Ad suggests.
Looks like more problems brewing for the National Party.
Happy to hush the stories of abuse when it suited them.
Happy to use the stories of abuse when it suited them.
So on top of Filipinos, Indians, Chinese and list MPs, women are also commodities to be exploited by the National Party establishment.
Unbelievable.
“National Party president Peter Goodfellow ‘signed confidentiality agreement’ with woman.
National Party president Peter Goodfellow helped broker a “peace agreement” that included a confidentiality clause between Jami-Lee Ross and a woman who felt threatened by him, a source has told Stuff.
The agreement was signed before Simon Bridges became leader of the party and promoted Ross to the front bench. It is unclear if he was aware of the incident.
Stuff was told by a source close to the woman that the agreement was signed after the she went to Goodfellow and another senior National Party member with complaints about Ross’ threatening and bullying behaviour.”
If a crime has been committed then such a contract exists to hide that crime and that is illegal. Something about perverting the course of justice, conspiracies etcetera.
Looking really bad for National and for Peter Goodfellow.
Goodfellow won’t answer the questions.
All board members won’t answer the questions.
Who is the other National Party member given a trespass notice?
So many questions….
‘The National Party has known for a couple of years about grievances regarding Jami-Lee Ross’ conduct, and got one complainant to sign a confidentiality agreement, sources have told Checkpoint.’
I’ve found that Ross has his own version of events over the party sanctioned one. I’m not sticking up for him but at least Nationals hit job on him via Politik and his supposed power grab was nothing like that.
I’m thinking one of the toxic relationships was with a woman journalist , both benefitted you might say as her name was on an exclusive from him- not that that she gave away the source, but the enquiry pointed to JLR
I seems like the Mayor has a lot explaining to do.
“Tong’s relationship with Zhang has raised a few eyebrows this week in Southland.
Stuff has spoken to many of the district councillors. Few of them had heard of Zhang until the donation scandal erupted on Tuesday. Most knew Tong was in China, but didn’t really know why. They want a full briefing from the mayor when he returns home on October 22.“
I repeat.
“Most knew Tong was in China, but didn’t really know why. They want a full briefing from the mayor when he returns home on October 22.“
Interesting.
“Zhang wanted to know if “there was any way he could help bring people to Southland through immigrants or through promoting some sort of business” in the region,Tong said.
The pair met again later that year at Zhang’s home in Auckland where mayors from across the country had gathered for a “Chinese promotion”.
By that stage a friendship between the pair was developing.”
“The Opposition…” just spent the last few days self destructing. Admittedly a pleasurable spectacle for those of us in the margins, but I’m still in hope that we finally have a Government that can behave…better.
That was classic Peters. Funny. Clever. Perceptive. And though he had a few notes it was otherwise unscripted. Not sure anyone in the House could outclass him.
10/10
Agree 10/10. There is so much mud slung around over time, that pollies can’t be blamed for having a laugh and some digs at the other side when it is so appropriate. The obfuscation that the National Party pollies and their supporters always wallow in is hard to stomach. I am pleased to see Winston jousting so well – he deserves a knighthood.
The National’s knight is but a poor competitor with ideas above his station!
Indeed, hes a rare one of a kind survivor and battler, and does it with panache and wit. National has brought this mess on themselves , after dishing it out to all and sundry for years and now its their turn . So why shouldn’t Peters provide a light hearted batch of comic relief at the absurdity in which National finds itself in.
The spin masters are working hard to portray JLR as ‘a lone wolf’. But JLR denies he’s the leaker and it also conveniently ignores internal polling that Had Simon Bridges down at minus 27%.
I believe there was a pack of wolves but JLR went off the reservation, bigly.
The infamous National Party unity is and always has been a manufactured myth; its united front appears to be based on coercion, threats & intimidation, and fear. Oh, and of course the insatiable hunger for power & control.
It’s interesting how many mainstream journalists are using Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book as a source for explaining JLR’s behaviour, and that of others in the National Party.
I thought David Fisher’s article this morning was an important one in explaining the National Party history and the rise of Dirty Politics and JLR. Hager’s 2 books (Hollow Men and DP), plus the JLR-Bridges saga will be an important part of the historical record of the rise and fall of the National Party.
The National Party machine is the envy of other parties. From its crushing election defeat in 2002, when many believed it a spent force, it was rebuilt brutally, carefully and methodically.
Structures were designed, the board empowered to build longevity, emphasis was placed on calculated and deliberate fundraising. Risk was not tolerated. The party was being built to last a thousand years.
Part of the genius was the courting of the new Chinese-New Zealand community.
…
For those who watched it unfold, it was clear that Ross was still receiving advice from his old mentor, Simon Lusk.
The pacing of the allegations, the timing of the press conferences – it smacked of a carefully planned strategy intended to maximise and prolong coverage.
However, the interesting thing is, how successful has been Lusk in the long term. Some successes in the shortish term, but then more fails,
Was Todd Barclay one of Lusk’s fails?
Sam Lotu-Iiga appears to have not lasted as long as Lusk had hoped.
Yes .. as much as we oppose them, in the long run even in National some actual competency is necessary for long-term success.
For instance Key; for all his skills at working a room or a crowd, and his ability to ruthlessly manage his party … wasn’t much good at anything else. If you look back, it’s the story of his life; a swift climb to the top of the greasy pole, clings on for quite a while and then an abrupt departure. And not much to show for it (at least not what he’d want you to see) when you look back.
Ultimately it comes down to this; for all the power plays, dirty gotcha games … if you want to achieve something in Parliament you need to bring some real ability to the table. Money doesn’t buy this.
When we refer back to ‘Dirty Politics’ in NZ, it’s easy to gloss over the implication of Nicky Hager’s subtitle which emphasised that this transactional, money-driven attack politics is *poisoning* our democratic environment.— Mark Rickerby (@maetl) October 17, 2018
[…]
Secretive, unelected malignancies like Simon Lusk and Peter Goodfellow are at the centre of all these problems.— Mark Rickerby (@maetl) October 17, 2018
When we refer back to ‘Dirty Politics’ in NZ, it’s easy to gloss over the implication of Nicky Hager’s subtitle which emphasised that this transactional, money-driven attack politics is *poisoning* our democratic environment.
Anne-Marie Brady’s Twitter feed worth keeping an eye on.
“At the heart of the bloodbath unfolding @NZNationalParty is an allegation of Beijing-backed political donations being laundered to escape reporting laws. Time to face up to the rot at the heart of our democracy & break the hold of corrosive outside money: Reform electoral finance.”
“The most concerning aspect to the controversy over National’s hidden donations is that the source of the funds is a leader in #CCP united front work activities.”
Yep get stuck in to lobbying as well, I feel it is closely linked to corruption, and un-kiwi behaviour.
Heavy trucks, booze in supermarkets and dairies, direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising….
Seems like the High Commissioner of India to NZ, Sanjiv Kohli, isn’t impressed with Simon Bridges.
“Shocking attitude . Highly inconsistent with nz values. Hopefully an aberration. India and indians respect and admire this country and its people. Not everything is up for sale. Running a country is different from managing David Jones.”
I can’t see the national party leader at the next election walking through a sea of blue turbans when entering Sky City for the after match after this.
“Bravery. You can go a long way on bravery, courage, heart. It can ensure a clarity of thought, and a willingness to embrace what Buddhists have banged on about for millennia. That is, living in the moment.
Instead of staring at screens, and being constantly distracted, now would be a good a time to truly engage with those you love. To be grateful for what you have, and to try not to feel life’s bitter sweetness at every turn. Do the thing that brings you joy.
That’s not fatalism. That’s acceptance. And if it turns out politicians and/or technology save the planet in the nick of time, like in the movies, then what’ve you lost? Indeed, think about how much you will have gained.”
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. . Lock Down: Day 4 – A photo essay with observations . March 29: Usual wake up routine as RNZ snaps on my radio-clock. Jim Mora’s voice slowly enters my conciousness; there’s talk of a second wave of covid19 taking hold in South Korea; the week in Parliament – ...
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... ‘Misinformation kills’: The link between coronavirus conspiracies and climate denialGrist / Rob Kim / Stringer / CSA Images Scientific ...
The kids did surprisingly well today – meltdown count was about 3, and mostly fairly short ones. (And a fourth while I was writing.) Game-wise I had a go at Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. It’s a fairly standard RPG with turn-based combat and what they call a “mature storyline” (it ...
by Don Franks Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I’m glad to hear you’re getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and ...
. . Lock Down: Day 3 – A photo essay with observations . March 28: First day of the first weekend in Lock Down. It feels like it’s been weeks since only Level 3 was declared last Tuesday, only four days ago. Woke up this morning to RNZ; coffee; toast, ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 22, 2020 through Sat, Mar 28, 2020Articles Linked to on FacebookSun, Mar 22, 2020In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of Disasters by Chelsea Harvey, ...
I’m here in lockdown with my flatmate and her two girls (6 and 2) and it. is. a time. They’re usually really active so to start with the only boardgame in the house is the copy of Guess Who that the 6 year old got for her birthday. Flatmate commented ...
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...
. . Lock Down: Day 2 – A photo essay with observations . March 27 – Day 2 of our Strange New World. The Park and Ride near my suburb, usually filled with hundreds of vehicles, had just… four; . . Another drive into Wellington City on a highway nearly ...
Fortune's Children: Under extraordinary pressure, the leader of the Government and the leader of the Opposition will each show us what they are made of. Have they been blessed with intelligence, grace, wit, poise, toughness, empathy and humour – and in what measure? More importantly, to what extent have they ...
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of having to rent a property on the open market in New Zealand, which is one of the most expensive in the entire world, you’ll likely be keenly aware of just how arrogant and entitled landlords and their real estate agents can be.Unfortunately for ...
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights:In this legal blog we outline some ...
by Equipo Jurídico Pueblos and Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (25/03/2020) An escape plan in question On the night of March 21st and the early morning of the 22nd, the forces of the Colombian state stormed into the Modelo prison in Bogotá, murdering 23 prisoners and injuring 83, in response to the ...
When the government banned semi-automatic weapons in response to a terrorist atrocity, gun-nuts were outraged. Mired in toxic American gun culture, they thought owning weapons whose sole purpose was killing people was some sort of "constitutional right", a necessity for "defending themselves" against the government. Now, the Court of Appeal ...
Just before midnight on Wednesday March 25, Aotearoa New Zealand entered a countrywide alert level four lockdown. For at least the next four weeks, everyone who isn’t an essential worker is confined to their bubble. We are doing this to stop the explosive growth in people contracting and dying from ...
. . Lock Down: Day 1 – A photo essay with observations . Day one of the Level 4 nationwide lock-down (or, DefCon 4 as I sometimes cheekily call it) started at 11.59PM on 25 March. For a moment, most of the nation held it’s collective breath. In that brief ...
Broad, Sunlit Uplands: How those words fired my young imagination! Or, perhaps, it is more accurate to say: how those words fused, in my young mind, with the image printed on every packet of Fielder’s Cornflour. Always fascinated by history, especially modern history, I cannot hear Churchill’s wonderfully evocative words, even ...
. . 24 March 2020 9.46AM Number of covid19 cases in Aotearoa New Zealand: 102 . As of 11.59 on Thursday, most of New Zealand will go into “lock down”. People will be expected not to travel to work; not to socialise; and to stay home. I will not be ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A respected research group, Project Drawdown, finds that deploying solutions consistent with meeting the Paris climate targets would cost tens of trillions of dollars globally. But crucially, those outlays would also yield long-term savings many times larger than the up-front costs. The new 2020 Drawdown ...
It will pass. What happens next? Not immediately, but longer term. There are many opinions, fewer certainties. Will it “change everything!” as many confidently, and contradictorily predict? In this post I look at how foresight can help bound some of the uncertainties so you can more objectively consider the future. ...
We’ve been meaning t write something on Cuba and the coronavirus but have just discovered a very good article on the subject in the US left publication Jacobin. The article looks at how Cuba, a poor country but one where capitalism has been done away with, is leading the way ...
In 2018, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey - two British citizens who had purportedly been stripped of their citizenship by the British government - were captured while fighting for Isis in Syria. The British government then conspired to hand them over to the US, and agreed to provide evidence ...
Transformers: The disaster of the Great Depression was transformed into a new and fairer society by the democratic socialism of the First Labour Government. The disaster of the Covid-19 Pandemic offers a similar transformative possibility to the Labour-NZ First-Green Government. Seize the time, Jacinda! You will never have a better ...
Tamper with The System? Well, we already are. But there's a difference between accidentally trickling sand into a precision gearbox versus formulating a plan to alter it on the fly with improvements in mind. One action is more or less innocently unscrupulous, the other amenable to earning an easy ...
Associate Prof George Thomson, Louise Delany, Prof Nick WilsonWhile it is possible that New Zealand can use intense public health controls to eradicate COVID-19 from the country – we must also plan for other scenarios where thousands of New Zealanders are sick – including many urgently hospitalised.1 Better resilience ...
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or being ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world".Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...
The domestic travel ban has been lifted for stranded foreign tourists trying to get to international airports to fly home, after the Coalition Government announced a plan to help the tens of thousands of foreigners stranded here. Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters spoke with RNZ's Susie Ferguson said foreign ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believes the country is rediscovering its resilience and self-reliance through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He says he is heartened that the mass majority of New Zealanders are following lockdown rules and that the government looking at the future, including paying to keep much ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
Ground-breaking law has passed that will decriminalise abortion and ensure women and pregnant people seeking abortions have compassionate healthcare. ...
The Green Party says that the measures announced by the Government today will help families and businesses to prioritise our collective health and wellbeing in the response to COVID-19. ...
As New Zealanders brace for a global downturn due to Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says his Coalition Government’s rescue package "more significant" than any other he's seen around the world. The Coalition is to reveal a multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan on Tuesday afternoon designed to cushion the economic blow ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Parliament has passed amendments to legislation that give the Secretary of Education stronger powers to act in the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “They are part of a suite of changes passed under the COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill,” Chris ...
Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar have joined forces with New Zealand and Singapore by committing to keep supply chains open and remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker today welcomed ...
Immediate freeze on rent increases Tenancies will not be terminated during the lock-down period, unless the parties agree, or in limited circumstances Tenants who had previously given notice can stay in their if they need to stay in the tenancy during the lock-down period Tenants will still be able to ...
As New Zealand unites to lock-down in the fight against COVID-19, the Finance Minister is urging all businesses and workers to stay connected over the next four weeks. “We understand the extreme pressure many businesses are under right now. I know most business owners think of their workers as family ...
A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. “Today we put in place our country’s second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders’ lives and prevent ...
Mr Speaker I wish to make a Ministerial Statement under Standing Order 347 in relation to the recent declaration of a State of National Emergency. Having considered the advice of the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management, the Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency for the whole of ...
People needing to travel on domestic flights, trains and Cook Strait ferries to get home before the country moves into level 4 lock-down tomorrow night will be able to continue using the passenger services until midnight on Friday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, have ...
The Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank are today announcing a major financial support package for home owners and businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers whose incomes have been ...
Like countless New Zealanders stranded overseas, Wellingtonian Rosie O’Hagan will be braving authorities, airlines, airports and uncertainty to make it back from the other side of the world, writes Jim Kayes.Rosie O’Hagan hadn’t stepped outside for three weeks.When she finally did – around midnight on Friday ...
PACIFIC PANDEMIC DIARY:By David Robie A rather beautiful Guåhan legend is rather poignant in these stressed pandemic times. It is one about survival and cooperation. In ancient times, goes the story, a giant fish was eating great chunks out of this western Pacific island. The men used muscle ...
Simon Wren-Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Economics and Fellow of Merton College, University of Oxford, raises good questions about Britain’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Some of them seem germane to this country’s response. Wren-Lewis posted his critique on his Mainly Macro blog under the heading Following the Science or a ...
Alex Casey speaks to a dream expert about why so many people are suddenly remembering their vivid and often horrible dreams. As the days begin to blur together and the only thing we get between sleeps is unimaginably horrible news and an embarrassing tootle around the block, it’s no surprise ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet of ...
Medical centres across the country are condensing services, moving online, and ushering in pandemic plans. Josie Adams assesses what it’s like to access and provide essential medical care under alert level four.On Monday, Sandra Russell woke up before dawn and drove to Milford to get her blood tested. She has ...
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, writer and doctor Glenn Colquhoun, with the second of his Letters to Hone Tūwhare and his Travelling Band of Constant Companions. ...
ANALYSIS:By Haiqing Yu of RMIT University and Michael Keane of Curtin University China has gradually emerged out of its shadow of despair as the epicentre where the coronavirus pandemic started. Now, there is face saving required – as well as agenda-setting in the global power play. China played ...
Tech giant Google has released a giant global data set which shows how different countries are locking down, and which NZ regions are most compliant with its lockdown.A giant set of reports released by Google, created using its anonymised cellphone location data reveals the scale of human behaviour change the ...
Comedian Penny Ashton writes on the necessity of the arts, especially during lockdown.On March 22, everyone’s favourite fiscal bloodhounds, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, sent out a tweet in response to Creative New Zealand’s announcement that it will dedicate an emergency response package to helping New Zealand’s artists, in the ...
Wellington writer Philippa Swan’s new novel TheNight of All Souls is an homage to Pulitzer-winning and all-round fabulous American writer Edith Wharton. Wharton died in 1937 but, Swan writes, she’s very much of the moment. Nobody does social distancing like Wharton did. While Wharton was still comparatively young, she created the ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...
Normally heaving year-round, Queenstown has ground to an eerie halt as Covid-19 cases rise and tourism income plummets, reports Paul Taylor. On a hill behind Queenstown's coronavirus Covid-19 community testing centre, the resort's iconic Skyline gondola sits motionless. More than 17 million people are estimated to have ridden the gondola ...
Are we drinking more in the lockdown? Hard to know, writes David Slack, but we’re certainly having to get creative about it. Almost every phone call I’ve answered this week has begun the same way: “You still off the drink, then?” Fair question. What a time to be not drinking. ...
Kiwi clinical psychologist Desiree Dickerson is stuck with her family in Spain and has written a guide in Nature: "Seven tips to manage your mental health and well-being during the Covid-19 outbreak." It’s Day 17 of the Covid-19 lockdown in Spain. In a small village on the Mediterranean coast, about ...
"Will our ills be cured? Will our feet carry us? For how long?": a short story set in Henderson by West Auckland writer Serie Barford.I learned to drive a tractor when I was a kid feeding out hay with my cousins on a dairy farm down the line. I ...
Without active testing in the community our Covid-19 picture isn’t complete, an epidemiologist says. David Williams reports. There are worse places to be self-isolating than Whakatāne, in the Bay of Plenty, says Bridget Robson, who lives on a two-acre block and keeps chickens. “We live in a beautiful part of ...
How do you hold a funeral service with the country in lockdown? Where there’s a will – and a tech-savvy uncle – there’s a way, Erin Kavanagh-Hall discovered.I was floating somewhere in the Cook Strait when I heard my grandfather’s funeral had been cancelled.I should elaborate. It was a Monday, ...
‘Stay in your bubble’ didn’t exist 100 years ago, but our ancestors would want us to know how essential it is to do so, says Jai Breitnauer.It was a warm but slightly grey January day in 2019 when I pulled the car over to the side of SH1, just south ...
David Clark’s misadventure in mountain biking was a stupid, but ultimately forgivable offence. The bigger problem is the continued uncertainty around what is and isn’t appropriate activity in lockdown, as Sam Sachdeva writes. Given the pressure he and his Cabinet colleagues are under, it is little surprise Health Minister David ...
Assessing the economic impact of Covid-19 requires a new approach to a problem economists have not encountered in modern times, writes Dr Kirdan Lees Covid-19 has presented quite a problem for economists. Containment policies that seek to flatten the Covid-19 curve or eliminate the virus, restrict economic activity. All governments ...
Every day at 1pm New Zealand’s Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announces precise figures on the number of confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 in the country. He is working on the best information available, and during this week the level of community transmission was put at around ...
Most of New Zealand's MPs are in lockdown just like the rest of us, confined to their neighbourhoods and stuck in their bubbles. Checkpoint called a few to ask them what they're doing. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Deery, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, University of Melbourne “Stupid coronavirus!” I heard my six-year-old mumble while talking in her sleep. Earlier that day her swimming and basketball lessons were cancelled, a birthday party postponed, and she had to race with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University “Zoombombing” in case you haven’t heard, is the unsavoury practice of posting distressing comments, pictures or videos after gatecrashing virtual meetings hosted by the videoconferencing app Zoom. With hundreds of millions ...
Analysis - A leading epidemiologist says health authorities 'really have no idea' of the extent of community spread, Parliament's Epidemic Response Committee gets its teeth into what's going on during the lockdown and the horrendous economic imp ...
The fifth in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall, covering the Covid-19 epidemic within New Zealand. We’ll publish the latest set each day on The Spinoff.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersInformation about confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19 ...
The Finance Minister says struggling companies will be able to put some debt into hibernation, under new legislation unveiled today. Watch the latest government update here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Lund, Commissioning Editor, The Conversation Editor’s note: The following is current as at April 3, 2020. Things are changing quickly so best to keep an eye on the latest information from WA Health, as well as the federal government.This article ...
During the challenges associated with lockdown, the Māori Party are congratulating Ngāti Ruanui and South Taranaki on the decision of the Court of Appeal, announced today, to stop Trans-Tasman Resources plans for risky seabed mining off the South ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling What does the COVID-19 pandemic sound like? For this episode, Dallas Rogers – a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney – asked academic colleagues from all over ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sven Gallasch, Lecturer in Law, Swinburne University of Technology “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion,” wrote Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations (published in 1776), “but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the ...
Environment Minister David Parker has directed officials to find ways to fast-track consents for infrastructure and development projects. He says his goal is to help create a pipeline of projects so that some can start immediately once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted “so people can get back into work as fast ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin Spain and Switzerland top cases, countries converging. Chart by Keith Rankin.Spain and Switzerland top cases, countries converging. Chart by Keith Rankin.Of the larger European countries, Italy is now in third place for known cases per person in the population. Spain has overtaken Switzerland for ...
Contact tracing is a crucial part of the Covid-19 puzzle and technology might prove essential to scaling up New Zealand's tracing capacity, Marc Daalder reports With the lockdown reducing physical contact between members of the public and testing ramping up, the only missing piece of the Covid-19 puzzle is contact tracing. ...
Insolvency laws will be temporarily changed to allow troubled companies to trade while technically insolvent Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced changes to the Companies Act to allow companies to put their debts into "hibernation". Robertson said companies facing liquidity problems would have "safe harbour" from their normal insolvency duties ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui and Te Kaahui o Rauru are celebrating the decision of the Court of Appeal, announced today, to stop Trans-Tasman Resources plans for risky seabed mining off the South Taranaki Bight. The Court of Appeal found that there ...
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr about a massive spike in US jobless claims, and they talk about an inspiring Kiwi app to fight Covid-19 globally. Guest, Pie Funds chief executive Mike Taylor also joins them to talk about the massive market swings and hopes for recovery. Bernard zooms out ...
Political commentators from the left and right sides of the political divide are questioning the powers being exercised by police during the nation-wide “lockdown”. The Asian Invasion 2019 blog draws attention to the warning sounded by former UK Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Sumption when he challenged Covid-19 actions by British ...
Pacific Media Watch The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has strongly condemned the shoot-to-kill order by President Rodrigo Duterte this week as a ‘dangerous’ opening to target and kill anyone in a public space. “We are raising the alarm in the international community on President ...
The Reserve Bank looks set to start buying council bonds as well as Government bonds to unfreeze financial markets and allow councils to defer rates and jointly invest in infrastructure with the central Government, Dileepa Fonseka reports In what would be another unprecedented move to calm financial markets and help ...
Four PhD students engaged a clinical psychologist to help them navigate an uncertain time in their studies. They share their findings here.As four PhD students from Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research we, like many others, can’t stop reading and talking about the unfolding events that have gripped our ...
The SpinoffBy Ashleigh Rushton, Lisa McLaren, Marion Tan & Sara Harrison
Covid-19 testing of the wider population is on the cards as World Health Organisation research shows people are most contagious within their first few days of being infected Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says Covid-19 carriers are highly infectious when they show few signs of carrying the virus. People were ...
Z Energy is the latest company to cut its dividend payout and start talking to its banks about strengthening its finances. Chief executive Mike Bennetts said the company, the largest fuel retailer in the country, had been battered by a range of issues over the past 18 months, and was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Kang, Associate professor, University of Technology Sydney Young people in Australia are among the fastest-growing group to contract COVID19. According to the Department of Health, there are now more cases in Australia among people aged 20 – 29 years than any ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Pattinson, Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult at the best of times. But it can be even harder when you’re anxious or have something on your mind – a global pandemic, for example. ...
Journalist and Great Barrier Island resident Lindsay Wright reflects on outer gulf pandemic preparedness. Hardy locals can tough it out but Auckland bach owners and boaties should keep their distance. Aotea Great Barrier, the easternmost island in the Hauraki Gulf, are undergoing a Covid-19-inspired population flood. Great Barrier has scenery that makes ...
The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand is delighted that the government has moved quickly to provide an initial financial support package for pharmacy. The $15 million package was paid this week to pharmacy contract holders. Pharmaceutical Society president ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference and are "as of 9am" of the day. There were 71 new cases of Covid-19 in ...
A new poem by Wellington poet and bookseller Ash Davida Jane. washed up! it gets tiring pushing the fire alarm every nightbut things keep catching on fireor sometimes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Foster, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney Our earliest vertebrate (animals with backbones) ancestors laid eggs, but over millions of years of evolution, some species began to give birth to live young. There is a traditional dichotomy in vertebrate reproduction: species ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Foster, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney Our earliest vertebrate (animals with backbones) ancestors laid eggs, but over millions of years of evolution, some species began to give birth to live young. There is a traditional dichotomy in vertebrate reproduction: species ...
Welcome to the second edition of our lockdown Top 10s. A reminder that this chart has nothing to do with sales or launches or the publishing cycle; these are just books the Unity team love – and this week it’s westerns, full of big skies and long rides and showdowns.AUCKLANDAll ...
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster’s plan to cover revenue shortfalls through borrowing without cutting low priority spending is immoral, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . “Businesses and households across the country are meeting financial challenges ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin John Brophy, Emeritus Professor of Creative writing, University of Melbourne “Katrina, I had in mind a prayer, but only this came,” Bruce Dawe wrote to his infant daughter, new-born, in intensive care, her life in the balance, declaring as poets must ...
The shock closure of Bauer NZ – and with it all of the country’s current affairs magazines – is a stark reminder of the fragile state of local media, writes Mel Bunce, the author of a book on the subject.It is a dark week for journalism in New Zealand, with ...
Join Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy.Rāmere/FridayWe made it to the end of week one e te whānau. It wasn’t that hard! In fact it was… Māori made easy.To end our week of pronunciation practice we’re going to revisit everything we ...
India faces more challenges battling Covid-19 than any other country in the world. With 1.3 billion inhabitants, hundreds of different languages spoken, and an estimated 80% of the workforce daily wage earners currently without jobs, it could be a recipe for disaster.I’ve been living in India for more than three ...
By Sri Krishnamurthi of Pacific Media Watch The Vanuatu government is using the Covid-19 to impose draconian measures and authoritarian rule by end of last month. Wholesale censorship of all Covid-19 related content has been instituted. Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) took the extraordinary step to ...
People with lower credit scores increased their borrowing upon news of the lockdown, while those with higher scores dropped away. March data from the credit-reporting agency Centrix, which runs credit checks on behalf of banks, finance companies, online lenders, and buy now pay later schemes, showed credit inquiries dropped sharply ...
Small business owners say commercial rent relief is desperately needed if they are to survive past the Covid-19 disruptions. While the wage subsidy helped with staff costs, there is currently no government assistance for commercial rent - which typically accounts for 40 percent of a firm's fixed costs. Landlords and ...
SkyCity is making 200 staff redundant as part of cost cutting because of the Covid-19 virus. The casino operator said it had no choice but to cut the size of the workforce given that once business resumes it will be at much reduced level. Chief executive Graeme Stephens said it's ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Glikson, Earth and paleo-climate scientist, Australian National University At several points in the history of our planet, increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have caused extreme global warming, prompting the majority of species on Earth to die out. In ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. Today’s contentMedia Henry Cooke (Stuff): There’s no easy way for Government to save media drowning. But a fast fix is ...
Just after midday a cyclist was killed on a straight road on a clear day, after being hit by a van in North Canterbury. Lucinda Rees from NZ School Speeds is asking for the mandatory cyclist/vulnerable road user passing gap, which is in consultation, ...
By Indra Singh in Suva Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says that if Fijians continue to disregard the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic directives from authorities, a nationwide 24-hour curfew could be imposed. His comments come as Fiji yesterday recorded its two latest coronavirus cases, taking the total to seven. Bainimarama said ...
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, Ōtaki author Renée.Yes, a few cyclists out and about. I remember my first bike bought from Farmers around 1942, five shillings a ...
Internal memos from NZ’s biggest magazine company, which announced its sudden closure yesterday, state they were lobbying to change a ban on publication. But the minister responsible, Kris Faafoi, has doubled down on rejecting that position, calling those internal communications ‘contradictory’ to what they said to him directly.Magazine publishing giant ...
Up to 100,000 foreigners could be seeking to leave the country in coming weeks, now the Government has relaxed domestic travel restrictions for them. ...
The loss of a loved one can be difficult in the best of times. But it’s even more painful when the planes are grounded.Late on Saturday night, three days into New Zealand’s level four lockdown, Harish got a call from his sister in India telling him that his father had ...
Health Minister David Clark has flouted the Government's advice to exercise locally after confirming he drove to a park to go mountain biking on Thursday. ...
Daily Review 18/10/2018 
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...53 mins ago
Redline received this article from the KOE a Marxist party in Greece Our friends in the KOE describe here the mounting crisis in Greece and tensions on the Turkish border. As desperate people flee from their homelands which have been ruined after decades of imperialist wars and interventions the people ...3 hours ago
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We must root out the traitors among us! ...1 day ago
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As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...2 days ago
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I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...2 days ago
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...2 days ago
46 Articles Physical science of global warming & effects Global response of evapotranspiration ratio to climate conditions and watershed characteristics in a changing environment Greenhouse effect: the relative contributions of emission height and total absorption Observations & observational methods of global warming & effects Climate change induced a ...3 days ago
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The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...4 days ago
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...5 days ago
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...1 week ago
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...1 week ago
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights: In this legal blog we outline some ...1 week ago
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Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world". Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...1 day ago
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...1 week ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...1 week ago
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...1 day ago
Like countless New Zealanders stranded overseas, Wellingtonian Rosie O’Hagan will be braving authorities, airlines, airports and uncertainty to make it back from the other side of the world, writes Jim Kayes. Rosie O’Hagan hadn’t stepped outside for three weeks. When she finally did – around midnight on Friday ...4 hours ago
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Simon Wren-Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Economics and Fellow of Merton College, University of Oxford, raises good questions about Britain’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Some of them seem germane to this country’s response. Wren-Lewis posted his critique on his Mainly Macro blog under the heading Following the Science or a ...6 hours ago
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Normally heaving year-round, Queenstown has ground to an eerie halt as Covid-19 cases rise and tourism income plummets, reports Paul Taylor. On a hill behind Queenstown's coronavirus Covid-19 community testing centre, the resort's iconic Skyline gondola sits motionless. More than 17 million people are estimated to have ridden the gondola ...15 hours ago
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How common is it for National MP’s to have relationships with women staffers in parliament?
Ignoring the extra-marital side of it, is this seen as a perk of the job, to exploit their status as MP’s for sexual advantage?
Most workplaces have rules around this sort of behaviour, whatever the nature of the behaviour of Jamie-Lee Ross in these relationships, the recurring incidence of them speaks to a wider culture.
A Wellington law firm has been in the news for hiring young women laywers to provide eye candy to hard working male staff (then later social company when drunk, then to breed for them when passed over for promotion) – is it the same in parliament?
PS Brett Kavanaugh was outed by tiger mum, a Yale law professor, over his penchant for hiring feminine model types as law interns – she instructed her Yale graduates to dress in a certain way if they wanted to be hired.
How common is it for National MP’s to have relationships with women staffers in parliament?
As I said on this site the other day it’s a rite of passage. Once upon a time the pinnacle of success was to… have it off in the Speakers Chair.
Literally- which reminds me as I noticed David Carter skulking in the dimly lit corner of Havana bar, a few weeks back, with a striking wee thing that was neither wife nor daughter. They are all the same.
Adults have relationships.
The problem is when there is a power imbalance and social pressure/alcohol that impairs the ability to consent.
Being an arsehole in your private life is not necessarily a crime or an employment matter. Using power to coerce people in your workplace to have sex is (at the very least) an employment matter.
Haven’t read much about the specific allegations concerning Ross, I expect more will come out soon. It’s fun watching the riot, but the confirmed specifics on all allegations will take weeks to settle out one way or the other.
Well this from David Fisher at the NZH about an hour ago:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12144795
The active role played by Lusk is interesting.
But to be frank, that’s the sort of dirty politics I’d expect to be routine by the nats. And I don’t for one minute believe the comments by people who had been complained to that they were shocked and stunned by the “full extent” of what Ross has been doing – they were in a position to know. Unless there are actual bodies buried, it’s typical dirty politics. Hell, Collins is trying to act shocked about an affair and some bullying, but she cracked jokes about prison rapes resulting from her policies. Suddenly she, like everyone else who would have been well aware of all the complaints, is surprised and concerned. Unbelievable.
He sounds like a manipulative, entitled piece of crap – kind of like most of the young nats I was acquainted with at university.
I think one of the women ‘ who works around parliament’s is a journalist. There was previous reference to this woman getting inside info from Ross for a story.
Strangely this journalist seems to have gone quiet this week on political stories.
Such a loverlee photo. Thanks mickey.
Watching all their tawdry chickens coming home to roost…. 😀
Is it just me or does that prat in the dark blue suit on the right of the front row look like Rob Muldoon?
Checked out his biography. He’s Matt Doocey, MP for Waimakiriki. Former speaker, David Carter is his uncle. Jobs for the boys by the looks of it. He does look a bit like Muldoon but without his bruising personality and gritty intellect.
It is obvious neither of you watch Question Time. LOL.
Matt is also Junior Whip (since March 2018) and sits immediately behind Paula Bennett (and Simon Bridges) so is in camera range for all questions asked by either of them.
He sits next to Barbara Kuriger who was appointed as Senior Whip in March 2018 in place of JLR, when Bridges moved Ross up the ranks and also appointed him Nat’s Transport Spokesperson.
There have been some claims this week that part of Ross’ antagonism to Bridges is that Ross wanted to retain the Senior Whip position as well as being a Spokesperson (for the extra pay). This combination of Whip/Spokesperson roles is not usual. Its usually one or the other – but in fact Doocey has retained his Mental Health spokesperson* position which he got from English in Nov 2017 as well as being appointed Junior Whip.
Ross had worked his way up from Third Whip in Jan 2013, to Junior Whip in Oct 2014, and then Senior Whip in May 2017.
* Actually Doocey’s professional background is quite interesting. According to Wikipedia, he is a former manager with Canterbury DHB and ” … worked in mental health and health-care management in both New Zealand and the UK. He studied Counselling Psychology at Weltech, has a BSc (Hons) in Social Policy, an MA in Healthcare Management from Kingston University in London and an MSc in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London.”
He also did well votewise in increasing his original 2,500 majority in 2014 by over 10,000 in 2017 – the highest personal vote increase in the 2017 election.
Interesting to hear Bridges this PM say that the first he heard of Ross misbehaviour was the day that he acted promptly and called Ross into his office and dealt with him. The journalists were trying to check the timeline. Just in case Bridges was lying.
He’s learnt to lie like a flounder from John Key
We can draw our own conclusions that most of the females in the pic are as far away from JLR as possible
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/businessnews/audio/2018667383/mexican-investment-company-wants-to-buy-restaurant-brands
Where does their investment money come from? Why don’t we own anything ourselves?
We don’t sell enough drugs.
I imagine that is because you aren’t willing to invest in anything.
FYI. Restaurant Brands is listed in the NZX.
The symbol is RBD and the last sale price was $8.67.
If you had bought them yesterday they would have been about $1.07 cheaper.
So come on. Be a patriotic Kiwi and invest in New Zealand companies.
Then you could say we do own things ourselves.
If it goes overseas that will be the last time we get any company tax out of them, as they likely operate out of tax havens
Fast food isn’t a business I know much about but I wouldn’t think it was one where you could shift all your profits offshore and avoid tax.
The bulk of your costs are going to be things and people that you either purchase or employ here. It isn’t like high-tech concerns which import all the things they sell from other companies in the same group who operate overseas. They also employ very few people who work here and pay a great deal for the intellectual property in the things they sell.
There will be some royalty payments for the use of brand names like KFC and Starbucks but it won’t be anything like the payments that go to companies like Apple.
KFC don’t make that much money anyway. Their net profit after tax was about $35m on sales of $740m. That is only about 5%.
http://www.restaurantbrands.co.nz/news/articles/restaurant-brands-2018-annual-result/
So no, I don’t see that they could get anywhere by trying to shift all their profits overseas and even if they could they certainly can’t avoid paying a very large amount of GST, can they?
Someone who knows the industry may have a different view of course.
Of course you could join the rush and buy the company if you think it is such a good deal. Just be in and buy your share of them tomorrow.
Royalty payments and IP even for standard business processes are prime areas for profit shifting.
RB nett profits after tax was said to beb$35 mill
It’s not chicken feed …..hahaha
+111
And something that needs to be made illegal as it’s just a way to steal from those who live here and pay taxes.
~2/3rds of ‘income’ from shares is from trading. This income does not go to the company and so buying shares on the share-market is not investing in those companies (Why we can’t afford the rich by by Andrew Sayer, Richard Wilkinson).
The only time that the money goes to the company is when they’re initially offered and they would be better offered as a bond or a loan which does not transfer perpetual ownership or control.
“buying shares on the share-market is not investing in those companies”.
Very good. At least you understand what Investment means in Economics.
You will note, of course, that I never used the word “Invest” in my remarks. I suggested that people should “buy” shares in the company if the don’t want all the shares to be sold to a Mexican based group.
My comment still stands. If enough people buy the shares in Restaurant Brands they can prevent it being taken over by a foreign buyer. If they aren’t willing to do that they can’t really complain about it.
Right here:
So that would be you lying again.
The problem being that the Mexican company isn’t investing in the NZ company either – it’s just buying it out. The country will lose from such a transaction as all the profits are shipped offshore along with any IP and possibly the company itself.
Offshore ownership needs to be banned as it’s bad for the country.
GST on imported items under $400 going to be charged GST. Has anyone thought through the plans of the effect it will have? I doubt it? I am all for NZ business if possible, but the market is pretty screwed up.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/businessnews/audio/2018667385/government-policy-of-gst-collection-seen-as-savvy-move
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/368915/tax-change-to-soften-online-gst-price-impact
How about used items? They’ll be exempt won’t they.
Its actually pretty clever (although I resent the tax).
Companies that sell under 60k to NZ in a year are exempt in the same way NZ companies under 60k turnover don’t gave to sign up for get.
Not sure if used items from eBay are covered, but I think because eBay is a marketplace and the sellers themselves probably won’t meet that criteria should be OK.
Unless Customs pings you for having brought something worth over 400
What’s the problem with charging gst for the stuff under $400?
1 It can make things that are not easily obtainable in NZ even dearer (the freight bills are very high).
2 The suggestion is that the GST should be collected by the seller rather than requiring the work to be done here in NZ. This means that a a lot of sellers will refuse to deal with NZ. This already is happening,; I was surprised when I looked at British alarm clocks on google to see how many sellers would not bother to deal with us at present. I got one and have had difficulties with it.
I think our access for overseas direct purchases will be further limited.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/368774/electric-air-taxis-on-the-horizon-says-air-nz
The national carrier is working on the project with Zephyr Airworks, who is behind the world’s first self-piloted electric vehicle.
Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the agreement with the operator of Cora signalled a plan to make electric air taxi travel a reality for all New Zealanders.
“Zephyr Airworks is leading the way in re-defining personal mobility to make it easier for all of us to get around,” Mr Luxon said.
“Both companies see the potential for our airspace to free people from the constraints of traffic and its associated social, economic and environmental impacts.”
Relieving the impact of polluting emissions was now “very real”, he said.
hahahahahaha
Obviously they haven’t watched either Back to the Future or Fifth Element.
Putting the cars into the sky doesn’t get rid of ‘lanes’ or congestion. Do none of these people understand how networks work?
This will be aimed at business executives and wealthy individuals. It should read “…free people who can afford it from the constraints…”
And the emissions statement is a last minute thought of benefit. It wouldn’t have been a sought for outcome.
Can we get past this National Party meaningless shenanigans and start getting back to policy and poverty and actual stuff?
+100
You would say that Ad.
Politicians and dodgy donations go to the heart of the system..not meaningless
This story has shown us a lot about right wing politics in New Zealand.
The levels of corruption
Cash for candidates
Casual racism
The ongoing presence of Hager’s Dirty Politics
Anyone voting for National after this signs up to all of the above.
“casual racism”.
I suppose you could claim a little bit of that, although it was primarily by Ross.
On the other hand it was a great deal less in what was thought to be a private conversation than the dreadful public “humour” purveyed by the very highest levels of the Coalition of Fools.
Do you prefer the hilarious joke told by a person who thinks that the statement about Chinese that “Two Wongs don’t make a White” was the height of sophisticated humour.
Do you approve of what your lot think is funny?
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/archive/winston-s-two-wongs-joke-makes-international-headlines-6052994
I’m pretty sure that Winston has closer connections to your lot as far as that type of bollocks go.
I assume that you are in favour of the current Government?
He is, as you are probably aware the Deputy Prime Minister in a New Zealand First/Labour Government. Remember?
He hasn’t had anything to do with a National led Government since 1998, when Shipley had the sense to dump him.
Then in 2008, before the election, the National Party leader said that they would not go into Government with him because he could not be trusted.
Now he is running the Coalition with Labour who have given him the keys to the piggybank, and God knows what else. Why won’t they let the New Zealand know what he has been given?
Closer connections with National than the idiots in the Labour and Green parties my foot. The are all tucked up in bed together while they rob and ruin the New Zealand economy.
He’s a conservative with the old style thinking that goes with it – just like National.
Its 900 comments of salacious beltway crap on this site alone. No one likes watching sausage getting made. But the demand for sausage is high.
27% of our children in poverty.
Labour and mates are working on the other issues aren’t they? Why are you grumpy?
We’re not.
We’re stupidly distracted
For the sake of life balance surely it is worth taking at least a couple of days out to have a good laugh at this.
Bit harsh. Been lots of comment on wide subject matters imo.
Surely Ad you cant think the years of jaw jaw on the standard have meant one less child in poverty. Famously labour Mps are reputed to not even read it.
It’s social media after all
Surely a local shitshow that eclipses the turd tornado in DC (and hoo boy that’s sayin sumthin) is worth a few days R & R to just enjoy watching the craptacle.
and almost all of that poverty caused by the corruption that we see here.
It’s not meaningless. It needs to be thoroughly addressed.
Politicians and dodgy donations go to the heart of the system…
Nah. It only speaks to their corruption. And we’ve known they’re corrupt ‘since forever’.
You want to get anywhere near the heart of the system? (I doubt many do btw – preferring vacuous cheerleading and easy to opine on shit over substance every time). But if you do, then you have to start examining and talking about things like poverty – as Ad suggests.
Looks like more problems brewing for the National Party.
Happy to hush the stories of abuse when it suited them.
Happy to use the stories of abuse when it suited them.
So on top of Filipinos, Indians, Chinese and list MPs, women are also commodities to be exploited by the National Party establishment.
Unbelievable.
“National Party president Peter Goodfellow ‘signed confidentiality agreement’ with woman.
National Party president Peter Goodfellow helped broker a “peace agreement” that included a confidentiality clause between Jami-Lee Ross and a woman who felt threatened by him, a source has told Stuff.
The agreement was signed before Simon Bridges became leader of the party and promoted Ross to the front bench. It is unclear if he was aware of the incident.
Stuff was told by a source close to the woman that the agreement was signed after the she went to Goodfellow and another senior National Party member with complaints about Ross’ threatening and bullying behaviour.”
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107956180/national-party-president-peter-goodfellow-signed-confidentiality-agreement-with-woman
Don’t be an idiot Ed…confidentiality agreements are a two-way street.
Maybe focus back on the Middle East/Russian stuff buddy.
Buddy…..
If a crime has been committed then such a contract exists to hide that crime and that is illegal. Something about perverting the course of justice, conspiracies etcetera.
You cannot contract out of the law.
Looking really bad for National and for Peter Goodfellow.
Goodfellow won’t answer the questions.
All board members won’t answer the questions.
Who is the other National Party member given a trespass notice?
So many questions….
‘The National Party has known for a couple of years about grievances regarding Jami-Lee Ross’ conduct, and got one complainant to sign a confidentiality agreement, sources have told Checkpoint.’
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12144795
All the answers you seek.
Answers ?
I’ve found that Ross has his own version of events over the party sanctioned one. I’m not sticking up for him but at least Nationals hit job on him via Politik and his supposed power grab was nothing like that.
I’m thinking one of the toxic relationships was with a woman journalist , both benefitted you might say as her name was on an exclusive from him- not that that she gave away the source, but the enquiry pointed to JLR
Cheers for the link Ed
Can’t wait to hear from Goodfellas. He’s always so open and honest.
Southland mayor Gary Tong appears to be another shifty politician.
Very dodgy.
His presence in China….
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107942847/chinese-businessman-yikun-zhang-disappointed-in-being-named-in-jamilee-ross-scandal
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/107892441/Southland-mayor-Gary-Tong-in-China-with-businessman-at-the-centre-of-National-Party-allegations?rm=m
I wondered about that, like any Southland businesses changed hands lately.
I seems like the Mayor has a lot explaining to do.
“Tong’s relationship with Zhang has raised a few eyebrows this week in Southland.
Stuff has spoken to many of the district councillors. Few of them had heard of Zhang until the donation scandal erupted on Tuesday. Most knew Tong was in China, but didn’t really know why. They want a full briefing from the mayor when he returns home on October 22.“
I repeat.
“Most knew Tong was in China, but didn’t really know why. They want a full briefing from the mayor when he returns home on October 22.“
Interesting.
“Zhang wanted to know if “there was any way he could help bring people to Southland through immigrants or through promoting some sort of business” in the region,Tong said.
The pair met again later that year at Zhang’s home in Auckland where mayors from across the country had gathered for a “Chinese promotion”.
By that stage a friendship between the pair was developing.”
This sounds very dodgy,
Ha Winston getting owned by Finlayson this afternoon…no doubt Winnie will console himself with a nice Glenlivet single malt or two tonight.
“Mr Finlayson, a former lawyer, has hit back at his comments with a sarcastic post on his official Facebook page.”
“I am humbled by Winston Peters assessment of me as the ‘greatest legal mind the Commonwealth has ever seen’,” he wrote.
“That is high praise indeed from someone who never got any further in the law than being a staff solicitor in a Howick Law Firm.
“If ever he needs me to act for him in, for example, a hearing in the Privileges Committee, he has only to ask,” he continued.
And Finlayson after 25 years practicising only made QC because he was a Mp.
Peters was only a junior lawyer when he became an MP
Am I correct in assuming that Chris Findlayson appointed himself to the elevated position of Queens Counsel?
Either appointed himself or purchased the position.
Finkyson’s certainly the goto guy if you wan money thrown away.
Findlayson and other Nats hurting at the Moment, lashing out
“That was audition number 1.”
Five minutes of fun.
Oh, Winston.
Shakes head, sighs.
You and your rear guard gloating and goading and giggling away like gangling adolescents.
Grow up and show some grace.
We had nine damn years of kick-them-when-they’re-down politics.
We don’t need it from you lot.
You’ve got work to do….
Don’t agree Rosemary. His content was timely and funny. The Opposition would be like you and not amused.
“The Opposition…” just spent the last few days self destructing. Admittedly a pleasurable spectacle for those of us in the margins, but I’m still in hope that we finally have a Government that can behave…better.
i fear Rosemary ‘work’ (for the benefit of the country) is just about the last thing on their minds….sadly
That was classic Peters. Funny. Clever. Perceptive. And though he had a few notes it was otherwise unscripted. Not sure anyone in the House could outclass him.
10/10
Agree 10/10. There is so much mud slung around over time, that pollies can’t be blamed for having a laugh and some digs at the other side when it is so appropriate. The obfuscation that the National Party pollies and their supporters always wallow in is hard to stomach. I am pleased to see Winston jousting so well – he deserves a knighthood.
The National’s knight is but a poor competitor with ideas above his station!
Indeed, hes a rare one of a kind survivor and battler, and does it with panache and wit. National has brought this mess on themselves , after dishing it out to all and sundry for years and now its their turn . So why shouldn’t Peters provide a light hearted batch of comic relief at the absurdity in which National finds itself in.
They brought it on their own heads.
And they deserve to be lampooned.
The spin masters are working hard to portray JLR as ‘a lone wolf’. But JLR denies he’s the leaker and it also conveniently ignores internal polling that Had Simon Bridges down at minus 27%.
I believe there was a pack of wolves but JLR went off the reservation, bigly.
The infamous National Party unity is and always has been a manufactured myth; its united front appears to be based on coercion, threats & intimidation, and fear. Oh, and of course the insatiable hunger for power & control.
Sounds like the Spanish Inquisition.
It’s interesting how many mainstream journalists are using Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book as a source for explaining JLR’s behaviour, and that of others in the National Party.
I thought David Fisher’s article this morning was an important one in explaining the National Party history and the rise of Dirty Politics and JLR. Hager’s 2 books (Hollow Men and DP), plus the JLR-Bridges saga will be an important part of the historical record of the rise and fall of the National Party.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12144204
However, the interesting thing is, how successful has been Lusk in the long term. Some successes in the shortish term, but then more fails,
Was Todd Barclay one of Lusk’s fails?
Sam Lotu-Iiga appears to have not lasted as long as Lusk had hoped.
Simpo Lush, patron saint of fuckknuckles..
Yes .. as much as we oppose them, in the long run even in National some actual competency is necessary for long-term success.
For instance Key; for all his skills at working a room or a crowd, and his ability to ruthlessly manage his party … wasn’t much good at anything else. If you look back, it’s the story of his life; a swift climb to the top of the greasy pole, clings on for quite a while and then an abrupt departure. And not much to show for it (at least not what he’d want you to see) when you look back.
Ultimately it comes down to this; for all the power plays, dirty gotcha games … if you want to achieve something in Parliament you need to bring some real ability to the table. Money doesn’t buy this.
The smiling faces of yesterdays aspirants…
This.
[…]
Is that photo the worse Photo shopped photo ever or is Nathan guys head really that big ?
Wonder how it feels to be an Indian MP in the National Party?
After Simon’s admission.
I wondered that too, all the faces seemed rather unnatural.
Nick Smith’s seems rather detached
Anne-Marie Brady’s Twitter feed worth keeping an eye on.
“At the heart of the bloodbath unfolding @NZNationalParty is an allegation of Beijing-backed political donations being laundered to escape reporting laws. Time to face up to the rot at the heart of our democracy & break the hold of corrosive outside money: Reform electoral finance.”
“The most concerning aspect to the controversy over National’s hidden donations is that the source of the funds is a leader in #CCP united front work activities.”
Much more here.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Anne_MarieBrady
Yep get stuck in to lobbying as well, I feel it is closely linked to corruption, and un-kiwi behaviour.
Heavy trucks, booze in supermarkets and dairies, direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising….
Seems like the High Commissioner of India to NZ, Sanjiv Kohli, isn’t impressed with Simon Bridges.
“Shocking attitude . Highly inconsistent with nz values. Hopefully an aberration. India and indians respect and admire this country and its people. Not everything is up for sale. Running a country is different from managing David Jones.”
https://mobile.twitter.com/kohli_sanjiv
I can’t see the national party leader at the next election walking through a sea of blue turbans when entering Sky City for the after match after this.
India is perpetually enraged that the world fails to acknowledge its magnificence in all things.
Thought for the day from Rachel Stewart.
“Bravery. You can go a long way on bravery, courage, heart. It can ensure a clarity of thought, and a willingness to embrace what Buddhists have banged on about for millennia. That is, living in the moment.
Instead of staring at screens, and being constantly distracted, now would be a good a time to truly engage with those you love. To be grateful for what you have, and to try not to feel life’s bitter sweetness at every turn. Do the thing that brings you joy.
That’s not fatalism. That’s acceptance. And if it turns out politicians and/or technology save the planet in the nick of time, like in the movies, then what’ve you lost? Indeed, think about how much you will have gained.”
https://t.co/uazMsSt2Qt?amp=1
Yes. Those are wise words.
There will be a lot of disappointed people in the Manawatu/Wanganui area with the murder trial of David Lyttle being abandoned.
Could anyone with a knowledge of law tell me if there is a possibility of a retrial?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/107933649/Trial-of-man-accused-of-murdering-Brett-Hall-abandoned
Either incompetence or dodgy shenanigans from the constabulary.