The country’s largest insurance company is tipped to be moving more than a hundred jobs overseas.
The Herald understands IAG, which has about 40 per cent of the general insurance market, could be set to shift 55 jobs from its NZI insurance business and a further 77 from the parent company.
The roles are currently based in Christchurch but would be done by overseas partners, according to an unnamed source.
An IAG New Zealand spokesperson said an “operational partnering project” was under way affecting approximately 141 positions involving some parts of its Christchurch operation. Positions affected by the project could be moved to the Philippines.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11979552
“In the UK, a loaf of the bread sells for just over £1.50 ($2.86) at British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and $4.50 on average here in New Zealand. At Countdown a loaf of Vogel’s bread can be bought for $4.50 or $7 for two, and at New World it sells for $4.49.”
“New Zealand Food & Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said the price difference was due to a number of factors, including that there was no tax on bread in the UK.
For a start, there’s no VAT [tax] on bread in the UK, while in New Zealand there’s GST of 15 per cent. That will account for most of the difference,” Rich said.
Note to Katherine GST on a $4.50 loaf of bread is $0.59 so the exclusive price is $3.91 still a difference of $1.05. Me thinks there is something rotten here.
Just confirms our low wage high cost economy.
A bit of a beat-up really, it’s a function of New Zealand being a small country with a really shitty geography for doing things cheaply.
Ms Rich sort of redeemed herself with this,
“”Also, UK Vogel’s is made by a different company to Vogel’s in New Zealand, so there will be different manufacturing cost structures and specifications.
There model of “economies of scale” was also a contributing factor, she said.
“You can produce more items for less in a market of 65 million people, due to longer production runs, than you can in a market of 4.7 million people.”
Pretty much everything I eat has done at least 500 km in the back of a truck, that doesn’t do much good to the price.
I’m really enjoying the intercept it has some really thoughtful pieces. This is a long piece, and is quite involved. But well worth the effort, and the analysis is first class.
I cant agree that it’s first class actually. No where has the author explained where Isis et al got their funding. No where does he give credit to those who have removed (mostly) these head choppers from Iraq and Syria. Are we suppose to believe US,UK, NATO, Saudi, Turkey, Quatar facilitated their removal? They were funding them ffs!!
As one commenter said:
JeffD
15 hours ago
This is such a clueless, superficial, out-of-context column that I stopped reading after a few paragraphs. The Intercept should do a lot better than this.
First and foremost, the tyrannical regimes in the Middle East would have been thrown out of power long ago if not for huge sums of money and military equipment & support, mainly from the U.S. and secondarily from western Europe.
Second, it was the U.S. that created the Islamic fanatic groups, starting with the Mujahideen that they used to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. ISIS and Al Qaeda are their babies and they have no one else to blame for them.
So, when it came to the Arab Spring, the only country where there was any success was the original one, Tunisia. Egypt was the most well-covered one in the U.S., and the U.S. made sure that no one good like Mohamed ElBaradei would take power. The rulers in the Middle East knew that they could count on U.S. support to crush any movement or potential leader who did not fall in line with the U.S./Israel program.
The people who removed ISIS/Isil/Daesh were the Kurds on the whole.
A people more committed to a left wing solution to the problems for people. You know the democratic, freedom embracing, equality and talk about economics crowd.
The group who at this moment are being bombed by the Turks.
Come on are you saying there was no agency in this, that this warped type of Islam that ISIS/Isil/Daesh promoted was/is just a USA creation?
By your summary, and you might just be right, the Kurds are dead. And the USA will make it happen. I’m hoping it is not the case.
‘The people who removed ISIS/Isil/Daesh were the Kurds on the whole.”
Actually no. That isn’t correct. The Kurds, most of whom are immigrants, inhabit the north east of Syria. It was the Syrian, Russian, and Hezbollah armies who removed Isis from Damascas, Aleppo etc.
The Kurds at this time are being funded by the US not realising that they’re only being used by the US to divide Syria.
The US has just instralled some thousand of troops across the border of Syria – which constitutes an invasion.
I suggest you read articles by Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Janice Kortkamp, Tim Anderson, Pierre Le Corf. These are people who actually went to Syria and spent time talking to Syrians and members of the Syrian Arab Army. Not one of them is aligned to any establishment media.
It’s not that I disagree with what the author of this article says, it’s that he chooses to tell only half the story and in satisfying his urge to for intellectual analyses insults the thousands and thousands and thousands of victims of this western created and funded scourge.
“The era of “private good, public bad” is drawing to a close. Unshakeable faith in Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation creed is being killed off not just by counter-ideology, but by the sheer irrationality, expense and failure of so many private contracts. Carillion’s spectacular collapse makes big headlines, but out of the spotlight local councils, under extreme stress from cuts, are cancelling contracted-out services. Why? Because it saves them money and improves services. I have been talking to councils around the country where in-sourcing is how they best cope with savage budget reductions.”
and allowing for the possibility of bias from the Herald…this part of the biography is true…
“In 1988 Harawira, her daughter Hiniwhare, son Arthur and two others were found guilty of beating a Carrington Hospital patient. At the time Harawira was head of the Whare Paia Maori health unit. The jury also found Harawira guilty of a charge of threatening to kill. She was jailed for nine months.
The sentencing judge said that the five had carried out a “vicious and violent” attack on the patient and that the offences were “an arrogant and frightening abuse of authority and power”.
He described Harawira’s role as “outrageous”.Imposing a longer prison sentence on Harawira, the judge told her “You were in a position of authority, you ought to have prevented what occurred.””
I vividly remember this, and vividly remember the member of the whanau I was working with at the time of the investigation into Whare Paia defending Titewhai’s actions claiming it was the Maori way. I was working in the sector at the time.
For shame…and by all rights she should have scuttled off into silent obscurity…
“The plain fact of the matter is that New Zealand as a country has moved on and Jacinda Arden’s pregnancy is a non issue with most people. It is some Labourites, ironically, who have tried to make it an issue. It would be better for all concerned if they turned their attention to the policies that their government is pursuing. Because, whether they care to admit it or not, Jacinda Ardern – even pregnant- is leading a government that is still pursuing the policies of neoliberalism.”
We should be investing heavily in researching Science and Tech renewable energy sector this is one way we could minimise carbon emissions and generate export dollars.
Peter Becks Rocket lab is a Great feet one of the greatest feets of any Kiwi and he respects Maori he got the site blessed by Maori ka pai Peter .
Video Games market is worth 100 billion surely we could easily get a couple of those billions I won’t say too much because I have ideas on this subject
We need big changes in our justice systems Equality will be a starter.
I know most of our civil servants read my posts when I put a good post up the sirens start up lol I feel for my neighbours. Many thanks to all our truck drivers I know a lot of you know about ECO Maori Ka pai.
Civil construction /Road workers Alot of you know about ECO Maori Ka pai don’t listen to the bullshit lies of the sandflys and watch out for there shiney object they will use it and there viruses as that will turn you into the gullable people be warned.
To all our Maori leaders don’t go biting the hand that feeds the people it the people that count in my view Ka pai. Yes WAI/WATER is a very important issue lets make wise choices when dealing with the issue There are many ways to solve the problem the wise people find the best way to a positive answers to our water questions.
To all the that are not Maori cultured you don’t have to worry about Maori getting to much Mana/power with all the treasure of NZ. As when the settlers were in need Maori help them. Maori are a kind caring people who will share with other kiwis. It is neoliberals that one has to be worried about getting control of NZ Treasures they will bleed us dry for there dollar they wership this is fact Ana to kai
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Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will McCallum, PhD Candidate – School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders ...
By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
Publisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...
Those profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...
Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shireen Morris, Associate Professor and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School, Macquarie University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock Foreign interference in Australian democracy poses a growing risk to our national sovereignty. It refers to coercive, corrupt or ...
A defendant charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining by deception in relation to a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for 14 August 2024. ...
What to say when pesky journalists ask gotcha questions like ‘can you name a single book you’ve ever read?’ and ‘did you read it, or did you just see the movie?’This week, Act Party arts spokesperson Todd Stephenson foolishly agreed to an interview with Newsroom’s Steve Braunias regarding his ...
Explainer - What will a ban on cellphones in schools achieve? Can students use them during lunch breaks? And what happens if you need to contact your child? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney Jodi Rowley, CC BY-NC-ND In winter 2021, Australia’s frogs started dropping dead. People began posting images of dead frogs on social media. Unable to travel to investigate the deaths ...
In the year ended March 2024, 0.4 percent of home transfers were to people who didn’t hold New Zealand citizenship or a resident visa, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wasay Majid, Research Assistant , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s accommodation supplement scheme is facing scrutiny, with Social Development Minister Louise Upston recently saying “there is merit in considering whether the current settings are fair and sustainable long-term”. The ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The first prime ministerial candidate has been announced in Solomon Islands and it is not Manasseh Sogavare. The man of the hour is Jeremiah Manele, the MP for Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in Isabel Province, who served as minister of foreign affairs in the last government. ...
Protesting the removal of bins by leaving piles of your dog’s shit for others to deal with doesn’t make you a hero – it’s precious and entitled behaviour. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve stood on the shoreline of Auckland’s Cheltenham beach, desperately trying to scoop increasingly liquid dog shit ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon will be alert to the factors driving the dire polling, but won't be waving the white flag just yet, RNZ political editor Jo Moir writes. ...
Writer, teacher and academic Vincent O’Sullivan died on Sunday 28 April. Here we gather tributes from friends, colleagues, and students who remember his extraordinary contributions. I went down to the garage tonight. There was a bird shrieking out in the bush, in the dark, maybe a kākā. Miraculously, through the ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a burnt-out corporate escapee explains how she gets by ‘working as little as possible’. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 31 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Contractor in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Schmidt, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Albert Russ / Shutterstock The icebreaker of many a barbeque conversation is something like “what do you do for a crust?” “I teach chemistry at university,” is what we usually reply. Then silence. Our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asher Flynn, Associate Professor of Criminology, Monash University Shutterstock Sexual harassment is often considered to be a person-to-person act, but new research shows Australians are also experiencing and perpetrating workplace harassment in large numbers through technology. Our latest study shows one ...
A petition signed by more than 16,500 people, demanding the government take stronger action to halt the genocide of Palestinians by the State of Israel, is being presented to the House of Representatives today by Hon Phil Twyford. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University jenmartin/Shutterstock April has been a bad month for the Australian environment. The Great Barrier Reef was hit, yet again, by intense coral bleaching. And Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek delayed ...
Winston Peters might not give a ‘rat’s derriere’ about last night’s poll, but it revealed the unusual absence of a honeymoon period and little payoff for the government’s action plan approach, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marco de Jong, Lecturer, Law School, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Details released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Official Information Act reveal New Zealand officials have been considering involvement in AUKUS from the outset. ...
The government's treatment of Māori raised eyebrows, with countries saying New Zealand needed to do more to reduce health, education and justice inequities. ...
The age of criminal responsibility was one of numerous human rights issues raised during Aotearoa New Zealand’s UPR. Other key themes were racism and discrimination, the disproportionate representation of Māori in prison, and to uphold the UN Declaration ...
In a sitdown interview ahead of his final day at Parliament this week, the former Green Party co-leader tells RNZ about his lowest point during 2017's rough election campaign. ...
Is the fringe radio station really in a financial crisis, or is it just running a hyped-up donation drive? Fringe internet radio station Reality Check Radio was launched by the anti-vaccine mandates group Voices for Freedom in March 2023. For the next year, it undertook probably the most aggressive promotional ...
Above the Fold: On Monday, the biggest Māori screen production company faced down the biggest funder of Māori content at the High Court. It was an incredibly tense moment – then, just as quickly, it resolved. Duncan Greive breaks down a strange day in the screen sector.Yesterday morning, Māori ...
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It’s a ride that’s lasted almost 30 years for mother and daughter BMX riders Nancy and Toni James, and the next stop is the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Almost 27 years ago, Nancy and her husband Gerrard took their oldest child, Daniel, to the Waitākere BMX Club. ...
When it comes to talking about the Government’s controversial fast-track consenting process, political scientist Richard Shaw refers to the famous Chinese sci-fi novel Three-Body Problem, while RNZ’s In Depth journalist Farah Hancock talks about zombie projects. Shaw is referring to the three-party coalition Government and how the proposed legislation is ...
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“Activist Penny Bright’s house could be sold to recover unpaid rates and penalties on the house.
Auckland Council has asked the High Court to proceed with the sale of her Kingsland house.
The sale would seek to recover unpaid rates and penalties dating back to 2007.”
Oh Penny! You need a roof!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11979811
Not a done deal yet, but yeah – I hope she has a decent contingency plan.
Well if it is sold she’ll still walk away with several hundred thousand dollars in the bank.
Which, even if accurate (e.g. no other personal debt on it) might still get a hefty dent in auckland.
Oh, Penny! You do need a roof, but respect for making a stand.
I began a began a rates strike against the Waikato Regional Council back in 2011…I chickened out, and have regretted it ever since.
I don’t know how you’re going to deal with this, but all the best.
I can’t help but sense a link between these circumstances and Bill’s solidarity post.
Brighter minds than mine will suggest ways that we can assist.
Whether you agree with Penny or not you have to admire her steadfastness in putting her money where her mouth is.
Have to agree with that.
Good on Auckland council bringing her to account.
She could have stopped this years ago – about time she pays her fair share.
With apologies to German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller
First they came for the Socialists, and the middle classes did not speak out—
Because they were not Socialists.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and the middle classes did not speak out—
Because they were not Trade Unionists.
Then they came for the middle classes.
And there was no one left to speak for them.
Because the middle class had betrayed everyone else
And so the plutocrats swallowed them up.
And increased their profits.
Insurer tipped to move more than 100 jobs overseas
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11979552
“In the UK, a loaf of the bread sells for just over £1.50 ($2.86) at British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and $4.50 on average here in New Zealand. At Countdown a loaf of Vogel’s bread can be bought for $4.50 or $7 for two, and at New World it sells for $4.49.”
“New Zealand Food & Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said the price difference was due to a number of factors, including that there was no tax on bread in the UK.
For a start, there’s no VAT [tax] on bread in the UK, while in New Zealand there’s GST of 15 per cent. That will account for most of the difference,” Rich said.
Note to Katherine GST on a $4.50 loaf of bread is $0.59 so the exclusive price is $3.91 still a difference of $1.05. Me thinks there is something rotten here.
Just confirms our low wage high cost economy.
A bit of a beat-up really, it’s a function of New Zealand being a small country with a really shitty geography for doing things cheaply.
Ms Rich sort of redeemed herself with this,
“”Also, UK Vogel’s is made by a different company to Vogel’s in New Zealand, so there will be different manufacturing cost structures and specifications.
There model of “economies of scale” was also a contributing factor, she said.
“You can produce more items for less in a market of 65 million people, due to longer production runs, than you can in a market of 4.7 million people.”
Pretty much everything I eat has done at least 500 km in the back of a truck, that doesn’t do much good to the price.
Testing….
Great image in the post. Really highlights the hypocrisy of privileged whites.
Would crowd funding work?
I’m really enjoying the intercept it has some really thoughtful pieces. This is a long piece, and is quite involved. But well worth the effort, and the analysis is first class.
https://theintercept.com/2018/01/21/isis-defeated-syria-iraq-islamic-state/
I cant agree that it’s first class actually. No where has the author explained where Isis et al got their funding. No where does he give credit to those who have removed (mostly) these head choppers from Iraq and Syria. Are we suppose to believe US,UK, NATO, Saudi, Turkey, Quatar facilitated their removal? They were funding them ffs!!
As one commenter said:
JeffD
15 hours ago
This is such a clueless, superficial, out-of-context column that I stopped reading after a few paragraphs. The Intercept should do a lot better than this.
First and foremost, the tyrannical regimes in the Middle East would have been thrown out of power long ago if not for huge sums of money and military equipment & support, mainly from the U.S. and secondarily from western Europe.
Second, it was the U.S. that created the Islamic fanatic groups, starting with the Mujahideen that they used to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. ISIS and Al Qaeda are their babies and they have no one else to blame for them.
So, when it came to the Arab Spring, the only country where there was any success was the original one, Tunisia. Egypt was the most well-covered one in the U.S., and the U.S. made sure that no one good like Mohamed ElBaradei would take power. The rulers in the Middle East knew that they could count on U.S. support to crush any movement or potential leader who did not fall in line with the U.S./Israel program.
The people who removed ISIS/Isil/Daesh were the Kurds on the whole.
A people more committed to a left wing solution to the problems for people. You know the democratic, freedom embracing, equality and talk about economics crowd.
The group who at this moment are being bombed by the Turks.
Come on are you saying there was no agency in this, that this warped type of Islam that ISIS/Isil/Daesh promoted was/is just a USA creation?
By your summary, and you might just be right, the Kurds are dead. And the USA will make it happen. I’m hoping it is not the case.
‘The people who removed ISIS/Isil/Daesh were the Kurds on the whole.”
Actually no. That isn’t correct. The Kurds, most of whom are immigrants, inhabit the north east of Syria. It was the Syrian, Russian, and Hezbollah armies who removed Isis from Damascas, Aleppo etc.
The Kurds at this time are being funded by the US not realising that they’re only being used by the US to divide Syria.
The US has just instralled some thousand of troops across the border of Syria – which constitutes an invasion.
I suggest you read articles by Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Janice Kortkamp, Tim Anderson, Pierre Le Corf. These are people who actually went to Syria and spent time talking to Syrians and members of the Syrian Arab Army. Not one of them is aligned to any establishment media.
It’s not that I disagree with what the author of this article says, it’s that he chooses to tell only half the story and in satisfying his urge to for intellectual analyses insults the thousands and thousands and thousands of victims of this western created and funded scourge.
“The era of “private good, public bad” is drawing to a close. Unshakeable faith in Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation creed is being killed off not just by counter-ideology, but by the sheer irrationality, expense and failure of so many private contracts. Carillion’s spectacular collapse makes big headlines, but out of the spotlight local councils, under extreme stress from cuts, are cancelling contracted-out services. Why? Because it saves them money and improves services. I have been talking to councils around the country where in-sourcing is how they best cope with savage budget reductions.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/22/carillion-privatisation-myth-councils-pfi-contracts
You can fool some of the people some of the time……..
The Corillion saga suggests finance capitalism, in conjunction with neoliberal politicians, are still fleecing honest, yet naive , citizens.
https://www.rt.com/uk/416113-labour-galloway-carillon-liquidation/amp/
I’ll add another ‘activist’ into tonight’s discussion.
Titewhai Harawira.
Touted to be escorting the PM onto Waitangi this year.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/348656/titewhai-harawira-to-escort-pm-on-waitangi-marae
Now some of us have long memories….http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864470
and allowing for the possibility of bias from the Herald…this part of the biography is true…
“In 1988 Harawira, her daughter Hiniwhare, son Arthur and two others were found guilty of beating a Carrington Hospital patient. At the time Harawira was head of the Whare Paia Maori health unit. The jury also found Harawira guilty of a charge of threatening to kill. She was jailed for nine months.
The sentencing judge said that the five had carried out a “vicious and violent” attack on the patient and that the offences were “an arrogant and frightening abuse of authority and power”.
He described Harawira’s role as “outrageous”.Imposing a longer prison sentence on Harawira, the judge told her “You were in a position of authority, you ought to have prevented what occurred.””
I vividly remember this, and vividly remember the member of the whanau I was working with at the time of the investigation into Whare Paia defending Titewhai’s actions claiming it was the Maori way. I was working in the sector at the time.
For shame…and by all rights she should have scuttled off into silent obscurity…
a case of inmates running the asylum perhaps.
She has/had some ‘interesting’ views on purity of blood also.
Today in the news…..
1% own 30% of NZ’s wealth
Tauranga and Auckland are extremely unaffordable cities.
And now this.
Small town NZ is slowly dying.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/01/are-the-regions-are-dying-in-new-zealand.html
Tinkering won’t end the neoliberal nightmare.
Radical reform will.
Where do you live Ed?
Plain speaking from Steve Cowan
“The plain fact of the matter is that New Zealand as a country has moved on and Jacinda Arden’s pregnancy is a non issue with most people. It is some Labourites, ironically, who have tried to make it an issue. It would be better for all concerned if they turned their attention to the policies that their government is pursuing. Because, whether they care to admit it or not, Jacinda Ardern – even pregnant- is leading a government that is still pursuing the policies of neoliberalism.”
http://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.co.nz/2018/01/baby-talk.html
We should be investing heavily in researching Science and Tech renewable energy sector this is one way we could minimise carbon emissions and generate export dollars.
Peter Becks Rocket lab is a Great feet one of the greatest feets of any Kiwi and he respects Maori he got the site blessed by Maori ka pai Peter .
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/100766610/rocket-lab-will-make-life-on-earth-better-no-need-to-move-to-mars
Video Games market is worth 100 billion surely we could easily get a couple of those billions I won’t say too much because I have ideas on this subject
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjI8vqZluvYAhWHVLwKHW_CBScQFghjMAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FList_of_best-selling_video_games&usg=AOvVaw3xKQ6_PFmhJVQpZtVoegy9
Clean energy sector is 330 billion eazy 5 billion here A if we invest in this we will benefit immensely.
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwio-Z_SmuvYAhXKurwKHewFDicQFghLMAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffortune.com%2F2016%2F01%2F14%2Frecord-funding-clean-energy%2F&usg=AOvVaw3qjw4fr8OkSiOLF-U2XcUn.
We produced Ernest Rutherford it must be in the wai/water Ka pai
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjc3amQnOvYAhUCwbwKHQsyCpcQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FErnest_Rutherford&usg=AOvVaw1DVFpYd3zlxLq215I_dvkJ.
Ka kite ano
Bryan Bruce has started New Zealand Public Television.
http://www.nzptv.org.nz/
Some good stuff there.
Like this.
https://www.facebook.com/www.redsky.tv/photos/a.334553779960314.75108.334536643295361/1582195341862812/?type=3
We need big changes in our justice systems Equality will be a starter.
I know most of our civil servants read my posts when I put a good post up the sirens start up lol I feel for my neighbours. Many thanks to all our truck drivers I know a lot of you know about ECO Maori Ka pai.
Civil construction /Road workers Alot of you know about ECO Maori Ka pai don’t listen to the bullshit lies of the sandflys and watch out for there shiney object they will use it and there viruses as that will turn you into the gullable people be warned.
To all our Maori leaders don’t go biting the hand that feeds the people it the people that count in my view Ka pai. Yes WAI/WATER is a very important issue lets make wise choices when dealing with the issue There are many ways to solve the problem the wise people find the best way to a positive answers to our water questions.
To all the that are not Maori cultured you don’t have to worry about Maori getting to much Mana/power with all the treasure of NZ. As when the settlers were in need Maori help them. Maori are a kind caring people who will share with other kiwis. It is neoliberals that one has to be worried about getting control of NZ Treasures they will bleed us dry for there dollar they wership this is fact Ana to kai