Daily Review 18/02/2016
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6:00 pm, February 18th, 2016 - 16 comments
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- Dance Magic
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...5 hours ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...5 hours ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...1 day ago - Bernard’s last Saturday Soliloquy for 2024
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...1 day ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...5 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...6 days ago
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- Thank You
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...7 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50
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All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...1 week ago - As Our Power Lessens: Accepted
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...2 days ago
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...3 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
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The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...4 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...5 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...5 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...6 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...1 week ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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Whenever questions about surveillance/ spying/ investigation of the population have arisen under this govt, they have quickly suggested that only very few people are being spied on here in nz. I think they even said “Less than ten” one time not long ago. And suggested that these were all ISIS jihadis or their would-be teenage brides, iirc.
Two articles in today’s news paint rather a different picture. In the first, “Thousands” of requests were made by the gov for information about us here in Aotearoa NZ. And almost all of those met with full disclosure – more so than in any other country apparently: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/77024791/Govt-agencies-made-thousands-of-information-requests-to-just-10-companies
So if my bank gives information to IRD or WINZ without any legal onus to do so, they’re not breaking the law? I’m not sure what point the Privacy Commissioner is making.
“According to official documents released to me yesterday, the panel didn’t consult the advice of any vexillologists. Instead, they asked for the ‘expert’ advice of a Nike sportshoe designer who previously designed washing machines.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11510969 from Sept 2015. Wasn’t someone arguing (Alwyn) that the flag process included ‘expert designers’ or something? I can’t find any info to support that.
I, little innocent me, believed what the panel posted on their website.
They said, among a great deal of stuff
“In finalising the long list we invited a number of cultural (including tikanga), vexillology (the study of flags), art and design experts to review the selection, to ensure the designs are workable and there are no known impediments”
From
https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/open-letter/
Was I wrong? I listened once to a politician who said he would beat John Key in an election. I even believed he, initials DC, had a chance. That was something I should have laughed at as being false.
From Gangnam’s link
“Grant McLachlan is a former Parliamentary researcher and a National Party campaign director”.
I wonder if he got fired?
Fair enough Alwyn, its hard to know who to believe with this shambles (& I feel supporters of the flag change have been led up the garden path so to speak.)
Actually McLachlan has been making the same claims for a long time. Here is essentially the same column from 5 months ago.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11514705&ref=rss
and a response to him basically calling him a liar
http://www.changetheflag.nz/responding_to_grant_mclaughlin_s_claims
Personally it doesn’t bother me. I don’t like any of them very much, although I think the one that was chosen was probably the best of the options.
Red Peak on the other hand was crap.
I think they were all terrible, Lazer Kiwi was the best of a very poor lot but Red Peak was utterly awful.
I think Key made a big mistake fronting the issue, he should have stayed out of it, hes tainted the process.
Somebody may have already referred to this Australian Financial Review article about John Key’s upcoming visit but just in case you missed it:
http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/anz-20160217-gmwfz2
Seems there are some murky connections that could be exposed. Loved the intro too:
“New Zealand Prime Minister John Key is in Sydney on Thursday. Lock up your ponytailed daughters!”
Following on from the previous convos on having some additional public holidays, maybe we should try this here.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has introduced a bill in the Senate that would make Election Day a national holiday called “Democracy Day.”
“We should be doing everything possible to make it easier for people to participate in the political process,” Sanders said in statement about the bill. “Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote. While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a vibrant democracy.”
http://mic.com/articles/123713/bernie-sanders-just-introduced-a-bill-that-would-transform-voting-in-america#
ooo that’s a good one
Probably should be midweek, otherwise it would just be a long weekend 😉
Weka
I note your link is from August 2015, which makes sense; as I understood that the senate was in recess, and I imagine Sanders has quite enough on his plate at the moment! The proposal is similar to a notion that Bradbury has been suggesting for a few years now:
– See more at: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/05/29/why-making-the-election-a-public-holiday-would-lift-voting-numbers/#sthash.lUmIQ4fh.dpuf
In the US, Election Day is always the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Ie, the Tuesday that falls between November 2 and November 8.
Some states already make it a civic holiday, government departments are shut and some businesses also close.
Prime Range Meat in Southland, 75% owed by Chinese investor Lianhua cannot be contacted whilst the company has no stock, workers are sent home not knowing whether they will see any money or compensation, there is no right to a benefit either as technically they are not unemployed. No notice was given prior to this situation. What a scandal and no one in Parliament is making a peep – shame on them. There are families with no income and they are just left stranded. What utter disgrace, inhuman really, no culture – like cattle.
Yes, i linked to this the other day.
Foreign investment its good for us, jobs n such. Pretty sad situation all around.