Daily Review 18/09/2015
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6:00 pm, September 18th, 2015 - 43 comments
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When the Government says it has reduced the number of people in emergency housing, what it means is it is stopping people from accessing it in the first place. ...17 hours ago
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The Government has taken a giant step backwards by reinstating live animal exports. ...1 day ago
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National’s repeal of Labour’s smokefree legislation has taken New Zealand further away from achieving a Smokefree 2025 and a smokefree generation. ...2 days ago
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Parliamentarians from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have written an open letter to their respective Prime Ministers calling on them to recognise Palestine. ...2 days ago
- Justice Select Committee opens floor for Treaty Principles submissions
Today, the Justice Select Committee has decided to officially open submissions for the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Power of the people on full display as hīkoi approaches Parliament
Today, Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Wellington, with thousands gathering to march in unity against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Hypocrisy as Te Whatu Ora contractor bill balloons
Te Whatu Ora’s bill for contracting and consulting staff has ballooned by nearly 20 percent under the National Government, breaking a promise they made during the election campaign to cut contractors. ...4 days ago
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The newly released Section 7AA Repeal Bill's select committee report is further evidence that the Government should scrap it. ...4 days ago
- Government’s move to monetise access to nature a slippery slope
The Green Party is voicing serious concerns over the Government’s proposal to charge for access to public conservation land, released today. ...7 days ago
- Green Party condemns the passage of Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party condemns the passing of the Treaty Principles Bill at first reading, and is clear that the fight is not over. ...1 week ago
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Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our country’s founding document. It forms the basis of the relationship between Māori and the Crown – and the Aotearoa New Zealand we live in today. ...1 week ago
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As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
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The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...1 week ago
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The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...1 week ago
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Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...1 week ago
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Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...1 week ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
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The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
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The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
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The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Winston Peters must apologise
The Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to the public servant he named and blamed for something they did not do, and for misusing the rules of Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...10 hours ago - Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
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- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
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- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...12 hours ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
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- First arrests made under gang patch ban
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- Better support for victims of sexual violence
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- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
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- MSA pilot participant update
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- Attendance rates increase, again
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- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
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- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
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- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...2 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
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- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
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- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
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- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
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- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
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- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
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- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
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- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
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- Police stats show promising change
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- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...4 days ago
- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
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- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
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- Launching the White Ribbon Ride
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- Construction to begin on next stage of Papakura to Drury
Construction on the next stage of the SH1 Papakura to Drury project will begin early next month, with the contract for works awarded to Fulton Hogan, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. "SH1 Papakura to Drury is a key project that will drive economic growth and productivity, reduce congestion, and enable people ...6 days ago
- NZ signs trade deal with Costa Rica, Iceland and Switzerland
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has signed a pioneering trade agreement that prioritises New Zealand’s sustainable exports at a ceremony during APEC in Peru today. “The Agreement on Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), between Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland was concluded in July of this year and opens up significant ...6 days ago
- Government and iwi work together on aquaculture
Five new Aquaculture Settlement Areas will help ensure Ngāi Tahu shares in the opportunities aquaculture offers for Southland’s economy, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The Aquaculture Settlement Areas (ASAs) I’m announcing today set aside space so the Crown and Ngāi Tahu can assess their potential for aquaculture development. ...7 days ago
- Government launches review to ensure electricity market is fit-for-purpose
The terms of reference for a review of the performance of the electricity market have been released. The review, initiated by the Coalition Government during the power crisis in winter will look at whether current regulations and market design support economic growth and access to reliable and affordable electricity, Energy Minister ...7 days ago
- Speech to Social Investment Hui: Jack and his whānau need our help
Kia ora koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai, piki mai. Ki te mihi atu ahau, ki te manwhenua nei, Te Atiawa, Ngāti toa rangatira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you, Andy, for your introduction. Let me acknowledge you as the new Chief Executive of the Social Investment ...7 days ago
- Minister of State for Trade heads to Brisbane for PACER Plus meeting
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- Proposals to modernise conservation released
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- Grattan on Friday: Marles plays a defensive bat on nuclear as the government rushes to get though la...
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- The House: Samoan citizenship restoration – ‘It means we belong to this land’
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- Police Minister adamant he wasn’t aware of gang members training at gun clubs
That is despite two papers from police that raised the matter with him. ...9 hours ago
- Shorten declares himself ‘a proud moderate’, saying Australians ‘in the middle’ shouldn’t ...
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- Government accused of betraying Kiwis’ trust over lack of consultation on live exports
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- Phenergan for under 6s is now banned due to hallucination fears. Here’s what to use instead
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- The government has introduced laws for its social media ban. But key details are still missing
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- Archives NZ, National Library to cut 27 roles
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- Gang patch ban: Members warn of potential for violence to ‘erupt’ as new laws enforced
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- ACT leader David Seymour raises doubts about Waikato medical school
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- National’s Erica Stanford allegedly calls Labour’s Jan Tinetti a ‘stupid bitchR...
The Education Minister has apologised in Parliament for her remark. ...11 hours ago
- Labour backs new Police Commissioner – but warns against routine arming
The alternative to policing by consent would be a police state, which New Zealanders don't want, the party says. ...12 hours ago
- Youth on boot camp pilot re-offended five weeks after release
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David Farrar claimed this afternoon that Trump “speaks truth to power”;
But Michele A’Court didn’t acknowledge the exquisite nuttiness of that statement.
Friday 18 September 2015
There are undoubtedly some smart, well informed comedians, such as Frankie Boyle, Steve Coogan, Jon Stewart, John Oliver and John Clarke. Because of the success of The Daily Show, it has often been asserted, with some justification, that the best political commentators are now the comedians. In Australia, Clarke and Dawe are far more honest and incisive than any “serious” commentator on the ABC or SBS. In this country, Jono and Ben (and Guy) are the most credible and intelligent political commentators left on our television screens.
Those few honorable exceptions aside, however, most comedians are in fact no brighter or better informed than the average commentator. To be fair, only a few of them are as depraved as Sacha Baron Cohen or Jerry Seinfeld, or as crude (not to mention unfunny) as Andrew “Dice” Clay. We have already looked at the embarrassingly stupid comments of Andrew “Dire” Clay when he has tried to be serious.[1] Clay, along with fellow comedians Mike King and Jeremy Elwood, has been to Afghanistan ostensibly to “entertain the troops”, but unkind observers noted that sending them over there amounted to three very cost-effective public relations stunts by the army. Ever since, all three of these embedded comedians have been shills for the “great work” that they claim Kiwi troops do over there. U.S. authorities pulled the same trick to co-opt and thereby silence criticism by David Letterman, Louis C.K. and Lewis Black.
This morning another Kiwi comic showed he really doesn’t know much about anything at all. On Kathryn Ryan’s show, Te Radar unwisely decided to try and make a serious comment about the Donald Trump phenomenon….
TE RADAR: He’s Corbyn-esque! I mean he’s a joke candidate who’s getting amazing cut-through!
Damningly for her credibility, the supposedly brilliant Gemma Gracewood failed to react to that foolish statement, as (unsurprisingly) did Kathryn Ryan.
A few hours later, on Jim Mora’s light chat show The Panel, one guest used his “Soapbox” segment to make what he obviously imagined was a witty comment on the “instability” of recent politics….
DAVID FARRAR: Bernie Sanders is a proud socialist and socialism is a dirty word in the United States. He makes Keith Locke look like a neoconservative by comparison.
MICHELE A’COURT: [dutifully but anxiously] Ha ha ha!
A few minutes later came this classic.…
DAVID FARRAR: They like Trump because he speaks his mind, he speaks truth to power. There are five or six plausible Republican candidates, Marco Rubio for instance….
Michele A’Court (another professional comedian) failed to pick up on the absurdity of those two consecutive statements—Trump speaking truth to power, and Marco Rubio being “plausible”—but she did spring to the defense of Madame Mao….
MICHELE A’COURT: I don’t think that Hillary Clinton’s only card to play is that she is not a man….
[1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03122013-2/#comment-738469
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06122014/#comment-936221
I heard and was very disappointed at Te Radar’s comment.
Te radar is way beyond his use by date, overexposed and outta ideas.
David Farrar says:
Crosby/Textor subliminal bullshit speak when trying to pull wool over eyes.
I’m pretty sure I heard Jim Mora call him “David FarrIEr” shortly before those comments, too (wouldn’t be the first NZer to make that mistake). I was genuinely puzzled as to why they would be seeking his input on the Panel.
Then again, I’m equally surprised as to why David Farrar’s input is sought…
Cut through is the new top of mind.
Latest Roy Morgan is out.
National down 6% to 44.5%. Labour up 4% to 31%. Greens up to 15% (fecking good) and NZ First support is down.
Pretty damn good although no doubt the next result will bounce back. But if Labour and the Greens can form a government without NZ first support …
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6456-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-september-2015-201509180721
Wow! These polls are bouncing around all over the place.
RM does seem to have become quite volatile in contrast to the telly and newspaper polls which never seem to change. I do wonder though, if infused still maintains that Key was on the side of the ‘silent majority’ with his (and Cameron, Harper and Abbott’s) flatfooted response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Yep and the sudden change by him, Abbott and Cameron. Initially they were going to accept no more refugees then within a matter of days they had all changed their minds.
The problem is the left has a rough idea of trends in polls whereas the right has a day to day snapshot of what is happening. Seems very unfair …
Also, in spite of what Trevett (and the Herald’s editorial board) and Gower et al have said I think Key’s pretty shameless politicking over the flag has not washed with most NZers. In fact, if anything the whole schemozzle of the flag referendum is starting to weigh heavily on Key.
Yep pushing it while a hemisphere away we are witnessing the biggest refugee crisis the world has seen for many decades makes him look cheap and totally uncaring. Not what Crosby Textor would consider to be an ideal result …
No need for Winston !! Living the dream baby living the dream
Yep that is the baseline for success. If Lab+Green need NZ First then it will be messy. If they can do it by themselves then they can achieve great things. But I am reasonably sure the next poll will bounce back. Makes you really wonder how accurate they are.
I know they bounce around but of all the shitty things keys done I think the flag debacle will be looked back on as the beginning of the end for this government.
Agree b waghorn. He has upset quite a few of his own supporters over this flag debacle and he knows it. Hence the game playing with Labour. He’s hoping by attacking Labour and blaming them for the mess, he will get out of the hole he largely dug himself. It succeeded over ‘Dirty Politics’ so he’s hoping it will do so again.
I know all the maths say that they’re accurate but they seem to always randomly either get a RWNJ over-abundance of people willing to answer to the poll. I suspect that there’s a group of people more willing to answer than any other that the statistics just doesn’t take into account.
“No need for Winston !! Living the dream baby living the dream”
😀
(and let’s not forget that Peters is still capable of forming govt with National in that scenario, which is a message for all left wing voters).
I can’t see how Peters can go with the sale it all party , and while I’m not totally against him in a left block party the thought of “gunner” Marks or
“How great I am” Jones taking over gives me the chills.
Peters will do whatever suits him, that’s what he has always done. The left has made the mistake before of underestimating this.
Key can defer asset sales for a term if it means getting another term.
Winston is king-maker.
National + NZFirst > Labour + Greens.
So it needs to be Labour + Greens + NZFirst > National.
What deal would National do with Winston to stay in power? Could Labour + Greens offer a better deal?
we might get really lucky and NZF drops below 5%. Which would be a shame, but Peters is such a bad influence on NZ politics and it looks like NZF is getting set to follow in his footsteps.
Minister of racing outside of government
23 Polls since the Sep 2014 Election.
First 16 Polls = Govt ahead of the Opposition Bloc in all but 2
Last 7 Polls = Oppo ahead of the Govt in all but 2
Have we reached a tipping point without realising ?
what was it like in the 23 polls after 20ll election
First 23 Polls following 2011 Election:
14 = won by Govt
7 = won by Oppo
2 = Tied on same %
So, in both cases (post-11 and post-14), the Oppo Bloc were ahead of Govt in
7 of the 23 Polls.
But the Oppo wins were very evenly dispersed throughout the 23 following 2011 election – not a clear chronological pattern / apparent turning-point like post-2014.
You certainly didn’t have a whole cluster of Oppo wins like you do at the moment.
Bearing in mind, of course, that the Oppo led the Govt in polls throughout much of 2013, yet still lost the following election. So, you know, I wouldn’t want to get too excited at this stage. Maybe just permit ourselves an enigmatic smile now and then.
What do you mean by Opposition in those figures Swordfish? You’re counting NZF right?
Da
ROY MORGAN NEW ZEALAND POLL
National Party-led Govt* VS Parliamentary Opposition Parties#
2015
August 31 – September 13, 2015— 47 Vs 51.5 [Latest]
August 3-16, 2015 ———————-52.5 Vs 46
June 29 – July 12, 2015—————–45 Vs 52
June 8-21, 2015————————–51.5 Vs 45.5
May 4-17, 2015————————– 56Vs Vs 42
April 6-19, 2015————————- 48 Vs 49.5
March 2-15, 2015———————– 49.5 Vs 48
February 2-15, 2015——————– 50 Vs 48
January 5-18, 2015———————- 54.5 Vs 43
2014
November 24-December 7, 2014—–49.5 Vs 46
October 27-November 9, 2014——–51 Vs 45
September 29-October 12, 2014——46.5 Vs 47
*National-led Government: [Nats Party, Maori Party, ACT and United Future]
#Opposition Parties: [Labour Party, Green Party and New Zealand First]
ACT’s Rimmer and UFUT’s Dunner are probably quite pleased with their party support, each with 0.5%, rather than at 0%! (On dear, ‘half a person’ supports them out of every 100! Ha, ha! Cool bananas, with completely undeserving power of office!)
The good thing about this poll is that both Labour AND the Greens are up. Labour is clearly getting votes off National/NZF, and there isn’t just a redistribution of votes on the left happening.
Radio NZ news is leading with this poll.
The last bastion of independent news reporting …
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72182332/Labours-number-crunch-Hamilton-home-ownership-falling
I’d love to know how stuff thinks Hamilton house ownership and last years election results are related.
DHB told ‘pull head in’ over efforts to discipline doctor for TPPA protest
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/72147480/dhb-told-pull-head-in-over-efforts-to-discipline-doctor-for-tppa-protest
Yep this deserves a post and a whole lot of opprobrium.
The DHB wrote to Creswell expressing concern at his “recent views” which, it said, “could damage the reputation of the Whanganui District Health Board”
Unbelievable lack of insight and irony.
Indeed, Micky.
The forestry industry has unveiled a robotic tree logger to cut deaths and injuries and boost production.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/72179932/remote-tree-logger-aims-to-cut-forestry-deaths
These machines are good if they save lives, we just need a government that’s looking for ways to employ the people who will lose there jobs to them as opposed to a government who will see it as a way to increase profit for forestry’s foreign owners.
Indeed, preventing loss of life or injury is good. Productivity gains are also good. But it wasn’t too clear whether it would cost jobs at this stage. Operators are required.
So the serious political commentators in the land are to be Michele A’Court, Te Radar, Mike Hosking and David Farrar. Two of those are comedians whose talents are limited to limited comedy, one is a political operator whose talents and interests are limited and who is definitely not a comedian, and the other is Mike Hosking.
It’s good that comedians are involved in the scenario, as the acceptance of any of them as serious commentators is a fucking joke. A bad one.