Daily Review 22/02/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, February 22nd, 2018 - 55 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

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

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

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

55 comments on “Daily Review 22/02/2018 ”

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  1. Anne 1
    22 February 2018 at 6:03 pm

    Listen to this and weep:

    https://qz.com/1212751/parklandstudentsspeak-sam-zeif-florida-school-shooting-survivor-confronts-donald-trump-on-gun-control/

    And Trump’s response? Arm the teachers. Arm the security guards. Arm everyone in sight…

    God defend the planet from this ape!

    • Stunned Mullet 1.1
      22 February 2018 at 6:13 pm

      I watched it earlier on this afternoon Anne, I was struck by the grace and eloquence of everyone apart from Trump, unlike those in the room I wouldn’t have been able to control myself, he really is beyond description.

      I can’t imagine any other president in my memory who would’ve been so appalling in a similar situation.

    • joe90 1.2
      22 February 2018 at 6:19 pm

      Everthing’s a photo-op.

      I want to know why Emma Gonzalez and the Parkland students in the national spotlight aren’t at the President’s listening session. The focus seem to be focused on everything but easy access to guns.— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) February 21, 2018

      We uh… were not invited. But we have important things to do and talk about, we don’t have time to thank these people for taking half a step in the right direction. Watch the CNN town hall tonight. Trust me. #NEVERAGAIN #MarchForOurLives https://t.co/tuQdpnbW1T— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) February 21, 2018

  2. joe90 2
    22 February 2018 at 6:56 pm

    But Hillary!

    BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday released the following statement on Russian government interference in U.S. elections:
    “It is now clear to everyone that agents of the Russian government were, in a disgusting and dangerous manner, actively interfering in the 2016 elections in an effort to defeat Secretary Hillary Clinton. Based on media reports they intend to interfere in the mid-term elections of 2018. There has also been extensive reporting on the Russian government’s interference in European elections.
    “All of this conduct taken together is a direct assault on the free democratic systems that stand in contrast to the autocratic, nationalistic kleptocracy of Vladimir Putin and his backers in the Russian oligarchy. Sadly, despite all this evidence, the only person who seems to be unconcerned about the subversion of democracy is our own president Donald Trump. Russian interference in both the 2016 primary and general election is unacceptable and everything possible must be done to ensure it does not happen again. No candidate, whether Secretary Clinton or anyone else, should have to wage an electoral contest in the face of foreign government intervention. The same is true of other kinds of interference the Russians engaged in, including posing as supporters of the social justice movement Black Lives Matter or members of the American Muslim community.
    “Let there be no confusion about my view. What the Russians did in the 2016 election cycle deserves unconditional condemnation. That includes all of their conduct — whether it was active support of any candidate or active opposition to any candidate or the decision to not go after a candidate as a way of hurting or helping another campaign. This is true of any of the 2016 campaigns, including those of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, or my own. As someone who campaigned hard for Secretary Clinton from one end of this country to another, it is an outrage that she had to run against not only Donald Trump but also the Russian government. All Americans rightly expected and deserved a fair election free of foreign governmental intervention. The key issues now are two: how we prevent the unwitting manipulation of the electoral and political system of our country by foreign governments; and exposing who was actively consorting with the Russian government’s attack on our democracy.”

    https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-russian-government-interference-u-s-elections/

  3. weka 3
    22 February 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Lol, Bennett and Collins unfavourable.

  4. AsleepWhileWalking 4
    22 February 2018 at 7:49 pm

    In April last year Evolution 4.0 (predictive software with high accuracy) put the odds of a civil war in the US around 75% and they even highlighted about 20 cities that were most at risk.

    Not surprising when you see the stark contrast in descriptions of what people think is occurring.

    Here is a very different view than that commonly listed here.

    https://youtu.be/m_c8b92y4qo

    • AB 4.1
      22 February 2018 at 11:12 pm

      You really need to define what is meant by ‘civil war’ in a 21st century context.
      The actual 19th century American civil war was a split in the elite ruling class (over slavery and states’ rights), with defined geographical boundaries (secessionist states) and with each side having the industrial capacity to manufacture arms, bring together armies and have set-piece artillery and cavalry battles. It was really like a war between two different countries, the South elected it’s own president and the North inevitably won because of greater population and industrial strength.

      None of these things applies in 21st century USA – at most you could argue that Trump is causing some sort of split in elite opinion but it seems pretty weak in comparison to 1861-64.
      So how does ‘civil war’ even occur under these conditions? You probably mean ‘revolution’ not civil war, but that’s highly implausible too.

  5. AsleepWhileWalking 5
    22 February 2018 at 8:05 pm

    Strippers in China must have extraordinary marketing (funerals, weddings…)

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11999948

  6. Ed 6
    22 February 2018 at 8:56 pm

    Best minister in the government.

    Andrew Little.

    ‘Longer sentences, more prisoners – it doesn’t work and it has to stop

    Minister of Justice Andrew Little has laid out a vision for criminal justice reform which sees sentencing law relaxed and a rejection of “tough on crime”-style politics.
    His comments during an interview with the NZ Herald have been likened by one leading academic as the boldest political move in criminal justice since former Minister of Justice Ralph Hanan, who saw the death penalty abolished in 1961.
    Little said “so-called law-and-order” policies have been a 30-year failure and locking up more people with longer sentences hasn’t made New Zealand safer.
    “New Zealand needs to completely change the way criminal justice works,” he said. “It is a big challenge we are facing. It’s not an issue that’s been a short time in the making.’

    ……And, in an extraordinary statement for a Minister of Justice, he said the imbalance of Maori in prison – 52 per cent of the 10,695 prison population – revealed systemic problems in the criminal justice system,

    “There is a built in systemic bias or prejudice and we’ve got to understand that. We’ve got to something about it.”​

    Read On, McDuff.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11999980

    • The Chairman 6.1
      23 February 2018 at 6:10 pm

      I’m trying to see how that aligns with increasing police numbers, which one assumes will lead to more incarceration. Opposed to further addressing poverty, which, of course, is a driver of crime. And also reflects on the high number of Maori inside.

      • McFlock 6.1.1
        23 February 2018 at 6:21 pm

        Enforcement isn’t necessarily a linear relationship of a fixed volume of crime so more cops = more resolution = more sentences of the same proportions as today.

        E.g. more police = more attention to lower priority crime = more resolution of offenses at lower end = earlier intervention point for people going off the rails. So more offences, but after the initial resolution spike the offences have more community level punishments.

        E.g. more time to think about how to address a recurring problem household before someone gets stabbed.

        E.g. more police = more patrols = more deterrence = less crime

        • The Chairman 6.1.1.1
          23 February 2018 at 8:02 pm

          “Enforcement isn’t necessarily a linear relationship of a fixed volume of crime so more cops = more resolution = more sentences of the same proportions as today.”

          More sentences of the same proportions as today = a larger number (than currently) going to jail.

          And the volume of crime isn’t fixed.

          An increase in police numbers doesn’t necessarily mean more attention will be solely going towards lower priority crime. Especially with all these dairies being robbed.

          More police = more patrols = more deterrence = less crime in the area targeted, perhaps. Fixed it for you.

          • McFlock 6.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2018 at 9:43 pm

            Your determination to construct pessimism with a complete absence of justification once again wins through.

            I didn’t say “solely”. But if you have police availble to arrive on scene when the crime is still “assault” rather than “murder” (which still has a decent clearance rate these days), that’s going to be a maximin seven years rather than a minimum 12, innit.

            • The Chairman 6.1.1.1.1.1
              23 February 2018 at 10:01 pm

              “But if you have police availble to arrive on scene when the crime is still ‘assault’ rather than “murder” (which still has a decent clearance rate these days), that’s going to be a maximin seven years rather than a minimum 12, innit.”

              It still results in time having to be served. As it fails to address the reason for the dispute that led to the confrontation, which in many cases is poverty related.

              The timing of Little’s announcement comes as corrections is at near full capacity. Down to around 300 beds to spare.

              Early releases? More double bunking? Or a new prison?

              What will Labour do?

              • McFlock …
                23 February 2018 at 10:11 pm

                Less prisoners held on remand. More community service sentences. As the current prisoners reach normal parole or release conditions.

                One of the questions it will address is systemic racism in the system. So less tendency to lock up Maori. Less prisoners.

                Again, you want to know what people will do when you don’t know if there’ll be anything they have to do in the first place.

                • The Chairman …
                  23 February 2018 at 10:25 pm

                  Apart from relaxing sentencing law, prisoners held on remand and who is given community service sentences is up to the courts to decide.

                  And will relaxing sentencing law be enough at this stage to meet the urgency?

                  “One of the questions it will address is systemic racism in the system. So less tendency to lock up Maori.”

                  And how exactly will Little ensure that works in day to day policing? And will that systemic change happen fast enough to meet the current urgency?

                  Moreover, will less targeting of Maori merely be offset by the targeting of others? They’ll have to fill their time somehow.

                  • McFlock …
                    23 February 2018 at 10:32 pm

                    🙄 If they’re in on assault rather than murder charges, I suspect the courts might be less likely to hold them on remand until the trial.

                    As for what Little will do, I’ve no idea. But I’m sure you’ll find something in it that will concern you.

                    I think you might have forgotten to criticise the Greens for not issuing a press release about it, too. Slip your mind, concern-o-bot?

                    • The Chairman …
                      23 February 2018 at 10:44 pm

                      “If they’re in on assault rather than murder charges, I suspect the courts might be less likely to hold them on remand until the trial.”

                      Speculation. Each case will be judged on its own standing.

                      “As for what Little will do, I’ve no idea. But I’m sure you’ll find something in it that will concern you.”

                      That all depends on what he decides to do.

                      “I think you might have forgotten to criticise the Greens for not issuing a press release about it, too. Slip your mind, concern-o-bot?”

                      Not at all. As I previously told you, I don’t pull them up every time they fail to gain media cut through by failing to issue a press release.

                      But I would advise them to be more media savvy as part of upping their game.

                      Speaking of the Greens, seen Matthew Whitehead about?

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2018 at 11:17 pm

                      Speculator discounts other people’s speculation. Is easily distracted. lol

            • The Chairman 6.1.1.1.1.2
              23 February 2018 at 10:13 pm

              “I didn’t say ‘solely’.”

              No, you didn’t. But the point is with violent crime on the increase, in reality, what percentage to you envision going on low priority crime?

              • McFlock …
                23 February 2018 at 10:44 pm

                I didn’t “envision” percentages. But if someone calls the cops, I suspect more cops means a quicker response time. Which means the incidents the cops attend will, overall, have a lower level of charges. Yes, there will still be serious crimes. But catching little shits doing beatings before the fuckwit in the group starts jumping on heads is just as likely as simply having a better clearance rate on the exact same level of offences.

                Like I said, your concern about more cops meaning a greater strain on prison capacity is based on nothing.

                You’re simply hypothesising only scenarios that will raise concern points, excluding scenarios that will have positive outcomes. Yet again.

                • The Chairman …
                  23 February 2018 at 11:03 pm

                  I didn’t “envision” percentages.

                  I know. Which is why I asked. Evidently, there is a lot you fail to envision.

                  “I suspect more cops means a quicker response time.”

                  You do know calls are prioritised? And while their all busy dealing with the increase in violent crime, low priority calls get served last.

                  “Like I said, your concern about more cops meaning a greater strain on prison capacity is based on nothing.”

                  No, it’s based on the issues highlighted above, a number of which you have failed to address.

                  “You’re simply hypothesising only scenarios that will raise concern points, excluding scenarios that will have positive outcomes.”

                  What I’m highlighting is the positives are not as great as you imply and the down side may outweigh them. But clearly you don’t want to hear that. It’s all to depressing.

                  • McFlock …
                    23 February 2018 at 11:14 pm

                    You had literally zero positives in your original list of hypothetical concerns. I added some positive hypotheticals. If any of your hypotheticals become actuals, you will have no solutions. Labour will, though. If any of mine become actuals, then gosh, there’s no fucking problem at all.

                    The failure begins and ends with you.

                    • The Chairman …
                      23 February 2018 at 11:29 pm

                      “You had literally zero positives in your original list of hypothetical concerns”.

                      Of course. That’s because more police largely addresses the symptom and not the cause.

                      “ I added some positive hypotheticals”.

                      Which my questioning poked large gaping holes through, leading to them crumbling and you resorting to your usual MO, playing the man and not the ball. Bully boy.

                      Thus the failure is all yours.

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2018 at 11:59 pm

                      Hypotheticals can’t have gaping holes. They’re hypothetical. Your negatives were hypothetical. My positives were hypothetical. But you’re still concerned.

                      Well, nobody else has responded to you, so I might as well leave it, too. You don’t seem to have made anyone else concerned.

                      Failure to concern is all yours.

                    • The Chairman …
                      24 February 2018 at 12:20 am

                      The concerns are there regardless if people fail to see them. Remember, we live in the land of pineapple lumps, thus people aren’t that quick around here, which explains why the country has become such a mess. Most didn’t see it coming.

        • The Chairman 6.1.1.2
          23 February 2018 at 8:26 pm

          As for the perhaps, it could just result in more being caught, thus more being sentenced to jail, depending on the offence committed.

  7. Ed 7
    22 February 2018 at 9:04 pm

    I am starting to think Michael Ruppert was correct.
    Collapse is coming.

    It’s a steamy 80 degrees in New England. In February. That’s bad.
    From the North Pole to New England, the weather this week is far, far out of the ordinary — then again, there isn’t really any such thing as ordinary any more. While the numbers are still rolling in, it looks like Wednesday will be the warmest February day in history for nearly the entire U.S. East Coast.
    An unseasonable heat wave triggered the rare mid-winter melt, when an exaggerated jet stream sent a plume of tropical air from the Caribbean over eastern North America and into the Arctic. These are atmospheric conditions that would be unusual even for mid-summer, and the warming Arctic itself might be making them more likely.
    The result is weather more suited to Memorial Day than Valentine’s Day. In the Northeast, temperatures are as much as 40 degrees higher than normal, with bewildered residents shedding their parkas to hit the beach. Boston hit 70 degrees on Tuesday — a mark not normally reached until May 27th — and then topped that on Wednesday with a June-worthy 72 degrees. It was the first instance of back-to-back 70-degree February days in nearly 150 years of record keeping in that city. Nearby, Fitchburg, Massachusetts hit 80 degrees.
    In Washington, D.C., where some cherry trees have already begun to bloom, thermometers reached 80 degrees for the earliest date in the city’s history. That triggered the National Weather Service to switch into summer mode, calculating a heat index of 83 and warning of high pollen counts. The summery warmth is expected to linger at least through the end of the month.

    https://grist.org/article/its-a-steamy-80-degrees-in-new-england-in-february-thats-bad/

    Most people were first exposed to Michael Ruppert through the 2009 documentary, Collapse. It was one of the scariest documentaries about our world and the fragile the state of our planet.
    What makes it so scary is that Ruppert is correct in his statements.
    As he says,

    “I don’t deal in conspiracy theory, I deal in conspiracy fact”.

  8. Ed 8
    22 February 2018 at 9:11 pm

    I am starting to think Guy McPherson is correct.

    Collapse is coming.

    Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal, flooded by extremely mild air on all sides.

    On Monday and Tuesday, the northernmost weather station in the world, Cape Morris Jesup at the northern tip of Greenland, experienced more than 24 hours of temperatures above freezing according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. “How weird is that?” tweeted Robert Rohde, a physicist at the University of California at Berkeley. “Well it’s Arctic winter. The sun set in October and won’t be seen again until March. Perpetual night, but still above freezing.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/02/21/arctic-temperatures-soar-45-degrees-above-normal-flooded-by-extremely-mild-air-on-all-sides/?utm_term=.10547fe8e770

  9. joe90 9
    22 February 2018 at 9:32 pm

    Sounds familiar.

  10. Matthew Whitehead 10
    22 February 2018 at 10:59 pm

    Oh look, UMR is polling on leaders the correct way, with favourable/unfavourable! Good on them. This is what happens when you give polling to companies who do internals as opposed to just media polls all the time, lol.

  11. Pat 11
    22 February 2018 at 11:58 pm

    A couple of UK based pieces to ponder….

    “How badly all this ends depends crucially on how Trump reacts to a current account which is failing to behave as he would have wished, but is instead obeying basic laws of economics. If he lashes out with a fully fledged Smoot-Hawley type protectionist agenda, then everyone is in real trouble.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11999968

    A looming trade war might just be justification for a multi country trade agreement (flaws and all)

    “World stock markets are in retreat this morning, after America’s central bank dropped a clear hint that interest rates will rise steadily this year.

    In the minutes of its last meeting, released last night, the Federal Reserve revealed that several policymakers are more optimistic about the US economy, and have raised their growth forecasts.

    This suggests they are likely to hike borrowing costs four times this year – more than many in the markets had expected.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2018/feb/22/markets-hit-by-interest-rate-hike-fears-uk-gdp-growth-report-business-live?page=with:block-5a8e6b64e4b05b8a92735aa5#block-5a8e6b64e4b05b8a92735aa5

    the volatility looks set to continue..

  12. eco maori 12
    23 February 2018 at 4:47 am

    I just watched BBC NEWS And the USA
    national rifle association what ever his title is could not look straight he keept moving his head he is worried who’s got the rubber rings for him
    ECO MAORI has some.
    He tries to justify the gun laws in the USA. What about all the needless lives lost because of his organisation he tangata he tangata its the people that count to me.
    Than he makes a statement that they would pay any school to arm the teachers
    OR the security guard. Now that statement let’s everyone know they are the 00.1% Ruling class who don’t care about the people they only care about $$$$$$ and control of the 99.9%.
    Keep protesting against this unhumane organisation this will force changes to the US gun laws Ana to kai Ka kite ano
    Protesters PS I was having a bad day yesterday than I found a article about Changes to Atoearoa policy to a more humane society. Ka pai

  13. Pat 13
    24 February 2018 at 12:03 am

    An intelligent analysis of CPTTP (or whatever its now called)…..although too late now for this agreement the points raised would be well applied to any future agreements (though unlikely considering the religious fervour of those involved)….as we need to trade (wait for it) then at least we should have a rational discussion about the trade offs we are prepared to accept as GC writes…..

    “Where does that leave us? Hopefully, with a more balanced debate on trade, and one that encompasses both its genuine benefits and its equally as real downsides. Otherwise, if we insist on living in denial about the risks that’ free’ trade poses, we will almost certainly be hit by them. Ultimately, why should we trust the same sort of people who told us the 1980s economic reforms would likewise be a win/win for all of us?”

    http://werewolf.co.nz/2018/02/gordon-campbell-on-the-david-parker-and-mfat-claims-about-the-cptpp/

    Sadly, much like the issue of migration I wouldnt advise anyone holding their breath in expectation.

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    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
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