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Daily Review 22/11/2016

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, November 22nd, 2016 - 76 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

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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 …

76 comments on “Daily Review 22/11/2016 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Paul 1
    22 November 2016 at 6:31 pm

    Love the image

  2. halfcrown 2
    22 November 2016 at 7:14 pm

    With respect, but I think today is the 22nd. Easily done though and I have done similar things many a time.

  3. Cinny 3
    22 November 2016 at 7:30 pm

    Jeepers, Culverden had another quake an hour ago, shout out to all those in Canterbury, thinking of you’s. Cool photo and text on DR, timing huh? Dang

    Intensity severe
    Region intensity strong
    NZDT Tue, Nov 22 2016, 6:13:34 pm
    Depth 7 km
    Magnitude 5.7
    Location 15 km south-east of Culverden

  4. ianmac 4
    22 November 2016 at 8:51 pm

    Wonder if they could extend the Kaikoura airfield runway to take say 20 seater aircraft?

  5. Jenny Kirk 5
    22 November 2016 at 9:06 pm

    Great image. Hope its okay that I copied it to share with some friends !

  6. Muttonbird 6
    22 November 2016 at 9:40 pm

    Ug, it gets worse. We are now paying to have Duterte stay here.

    “He’s a tough guy but he was warm, courteous and actually quite charming,” McCully told the Herald afterwards.

    Where McCully comes from, Hitler would be charming.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11752972

    • In Vino 6.1
      22 November 2016 at 9:46 pm

      Hitler was charming. How do you think he sucked so many people in? More so than McCully, I would think.

      • Muttonbird 6.1.1
        22 November 2016 at 9:54 pm

        Can see why they are running to his hotel and sucking up to this guy yet won’t meet Hong Kong democracy leaders.

        These idiots Key and McCully are strengthening Duterte’s megalomania by inviting him here. Perhaps Key admires him for his actions.

        • James 6.1.1.1
          22 November 2016 at 10:09 pm

          Invited him here ??? I call bullshit on that.

          Making shit up again.

          • Muttonbird 6.1.1.1.1
            22 November 2016 at 10:24 pm

            What, he turned up here unannounced and McCully just happened to drop by to see if he was ok? Righto.

            Since we hard-working Kiwi taxpayers are paying for this monster’s buffet, I’m sure some half decent journalist will OIA the relevant information.

            • James 6.1.1.1.1.1
              23 November 2016 at 8:27 am

              You said it as a statement of fact – you cannot because he wasn’t invited and you are just pushing a bullshit lie.

              How about a citation on you claim – or admit your bullshit.

              • Muttonbird …
                23 November 2016 at 8:31 am

                Calm down, petal. The information will come out eventually.

                • james …
                  23 November 2016 at 10:09 am

                  So nothing – nothing at all.

                  So you lied.

                  • Muttonbird …
                    23 November 2016 at 10:23 am

                    Jaysus, you are more naive than I thought.

                    • james …
                      23 November 2016 at 10:35 am

                      Yeah – You posted a comment – it was a bullshit lie.

                      Yet you say “it will come out”, or someone could do an OIA and that will prove what you said was fact, without anything to prove it.

                      So my questioning unsubstainated comments presented as fact is “naive”

                      I think that your tin foil hat is a little tight.

                    • Muttonbird …
                      23 November 2016 at 10:50 am

                      We’ll see.

                      Duterte’s people signalled before APEC that he’d be coming to NZ so there’s certainly a sanctioning of the visit gone on, by McCully I presume – he’s that stupid.

                      I’d be interested how you intend to defend John Key’s government hosting Duterte and paying for his visit with our money…

        • One Two 6.1.1.2
          22 November 2016 at 11:23 pm

          Which Hong Kong ‘democracy leaders’ are you referring to?

          • Muttonbird 6.1.1.2.1
            22 November 2016 at 11:50 pm

            Former colonial chief secretary Anson Chan and Democratic Party founder Martin Lee.

            • One Two 6.1.1.2.1.1
              23 November 2016 at 12:04 am

              Martin Lee is linked with Joshua Wong and Benny Tai

              Still they use the word ‘democracy’

              Must be all above board then!

              • Muttonbird …
                23 November 2016 at 10:30 am

                Not sure what you are getting at. I’m just an ordinary punter and don’t know too much about the Hong Kong situation. What I do know is that Blinglish cancelled his meeting with Anson and Lee at 11:00pm the night before after being pressured by Beijing. The same Beijing which doesn’t allow its 1 Billion plus citizens the right to vote.

                • One Two …
                  23 November 2016 at 5:28 pm

                  Yes, sure

                  However you used Martin Lee and Anson Chan as way to somehow illustrate the current govt were ignoring ‘democracy seekers’ while “sucking up” to Durterte, who in your opinion is a [what]?

                  Then you say you don’t know much about the HK ‘situation’, yet you had used it anyway..

                  The HK ‘situation’ and primary actors are likely not what they sell themselves as

                  Funding sources are ‘well known’

                  • Muttonbird …
                    23 November 2016 at 7:24 pm

                    As far as I’m aware Anson and Lee haven’t carried out extra-judicial killings, and commanded a megalomaniacal breakdown in justice, in the name of a war on drugs like Duterte has.

                    Perhaps you have more information on this than I do?

                  • Muttonbird …
                    23 November 2016 at 9:28 pm

                    Here’s a piece on Duterte, who you didn’t like me referring to when I contrasted the way the current government treated him and Anson and Lee.

                    In it he talks of admiring New Zealanders for following the law, which is surprising because he does not.

                    Without elaborating much you claimed dark forces were behind Anson and Lee and Blinglish presumably was warranted in snubbing them at the request of the Chinese Embassy.

                    I know about as much of Phillipines history as I do Hong Kong’s, but I know a bit and was interested in Duterte’s backers – the family of the late, brutal, and overthrown former president Ferdinand Marcos.

                    I do hope you will let the forum know what similar dark forces are behind Anson and Lee.

                    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11753819

                    You asked what my opinion of Duterte was and I think he’s a dangerous man who will do a lot of damage to his country before being overthrown by popular uprising.

                    In short he is Marcos 2.0.

      • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2
        23 November 2016 at 7:34 pm

        Hitler was charming.

        Psychopaths are. Despite not understanding social relations they can fake them very well.

    • marty mars 6.2
      22 November 2016 at 9:54 pm

      Yep all the dictators have been wonderful people, very misunderstood – sure they were selfish small handed idiots but hey at least they patted dogs and made the trains run on time //sarc

      some actually believe that and guess what? They ain’t from the LEFT.

  7. Peter Swift 7
    22 November 2016 at 10:18 pm

    One day back, one more day of divisive misdirection and predictable antagonism.
    I appreciate the notion of a melting pot of ideas and conversation, but clearly the situation with CV has reached an impasse and there can be no positive outcome. Someone has to make the call and stick by it.
    [deleted] is now just a troll, offering nothing but disunity and loaded, fractured soundbites, with even a moderator openly criticizing the exporting of ” lazily embraced ‘vile’” as a modus operandi.
    Someone, for sanity’s sake, make the fucking call. Either CV goes forever or you ban every one else. There is no third way here. The way I see it, these are the only choices.

    Fingers crossed for the sake of the site and it’s diminishing reputation the call gets made either way. This is nuts at the best of times, and suicide leading up to an election

    [see moderator note below]

    • Gabby 7.1
      22 November 2016 at 11:25 pm

      You’ll be sure to mark clearly the party line that is to be toed? Wouldn’t want to get toes trodden on.

      • Peter Swift 7.1.1
        22 November 2016 at 11:39 pm

        Nothing to do with party lines, it’s all about why you are here and what you hope to achieve by doing so, and CV clearly has nothing to offer anyone but the shittiest end of the ugly stick. You feel free to dab yourself with it, but I’m expecting, hoping, someone somewhere will take the long term view and be brave in making the correct decision.
        The half dozen suck ups and sycophants will just have to suck it up, get with the program or take the righteous way and fall on their +100 fuckwit swords.

    • One Two 7.2
      22 November 2016 at 11:30 pm

      As your comments appear to be tolerated…..

      Example being the repetitive projection tactics you seem incapable of developing any further

      A sure sign of an internet juvenile pushing a trolley of arrested development

      Were you attempting to be ironic?

      • One Two 7.2.1
        22 November 2016 at 11:37 pm

        Leaving aside you have replied to the wrong comment…

        Why are you here spouting nothing but vitriol to the same few commentators?

        Clearly you have an axe to grind, which given your comment would make you a hypocrite

        One of the very worst traits a human being can have!

      • Peter Swift 7.2.2
        22 November 2016 at 11:44 pm

        You can lick and slurp ’til your hearts content, but it doesn’t mean I’m not 100% spot on.
        All it really shows is your lips are accustomed to kissing that which I keep under wraps. 😀

    • gsays 7.3
      23 November 2016 at 7:46 am

      hi peter, unless i have missed something, i haven’t seen you author a post.
      do you do behind the scenes work?
      do you contribute meaningfully, beyond commenting?

      i get you may not like what cv posts, however that ain’t good enough for you to get your wish of a ban.

      offence is only ever offered, it is up to you to accept it or not.

      i am surprised that there wasn’t a big metaphorical uppercut coming at you, with telling the moderators what to do, how to run the site and attacking an author.

      perhaps we all follow recent urgings and be a little kinder to each other.

      • weka 7.3.1
        23 November 2016 at 10:50 am

        The irony there is that while CV himself has authored posts (and done that well in the not-recent past), this year he has been one of the biggest net drains on the site. Rather than helping do the behind the scenes work, he’s been on various crusades of his own making that have not only obviously disrupted the front end, but have resulted in people leaving, created a huge amount of stress for the other authors, and created a large amount of extra work for moderators (which equates to posts not written).

        As someone who writes posts, is active in the behind the scenes work and who has done the bulk of the moderating in the past month, I can state categorically that CV has a large negative influence on what happens here and that I am now at the point of seriously wondering wtf we are even doing here. More and more I see this as the point of what CV is doing.

        This is not about not ‘liking’ what someone posts. Nor is it about taking offence. It’s about to what degree a community or website remains viable in the presence of someone who is hellbent on ignoring the wellbeing of the place and instead is incessantly destructive. Here I am talking about behaviour, although obviously CV’s recent politics contribute to that. I’ve been in enough groups (online and offline) to recognise what is going on here, the dynamics at play, and it’s a cluster fuck. Yes, the site will carry on (unless Lynn gets sick of the drama and pulls the plug), but it won’t be the vibrant, intellectually stimulating, progressive place it could be. Worse, it may well end up contributing to the demise of the left.

        And yes, there is the huge problem of having had an author promote fascism on this site. Now that CV’s authoring rights have been dropped to Contributor (his posts will be vetted, but I don’t know by who), it leaves us with a complex problem in that people are actively avoiding the site because it is now perceived as supporting not robust debate but alt-right ideology, and see the same person is still spamming the site with his proto-fascist views. Why would progressives and lefties want to be here? Why would we want to write? Why would be try and get new authors or moderators?

        Look at how many posts going up at the moment are Notices and Features. Look at who is not writing. Look at which commenters are no longer here. What do you think is going to happen here next year in the lead up to the election? It’s a hard enough place to be at the best of times. Currently I see it as untenable for many, and while I will continue to be an author I am seriously considering whether there is any point in putting effort into the running of the site when at the same time it’s being destroyed. No single person is worth that.

        • joe90 7.3.1.2
          23 November 2016 at 11:15 am

          What marty said.

        • One Two 7.3.1.3
          24 November 2016 at 1:50 am

          Note: Response to Weka but is not aimed at you specifically where it could be read as such…this is a general observation sent to you as a moderator

          Without knowing the levels of awareness or content involved in backend conversation it’s not possible to gauge the veracity of your comment

          If the drip drip of perception forming tid bits is going to continue to filter into the front end then there is unlikely to be ‘improvement’ and will continue to read like personal vendettas all round

          I see no problem with CVs commentary, it is ‘no better or worse’ than any other here, yet in recent times has attracted a shameful amount of abuse from multiple handles, which have veered into negative relms far surpassing claims of CV being ‘responsible’ for degrading and denerating the site

          The forked tongues and hypocrisy have stooped to levels which should have been contained instead of tacitly encouraged and cheered on (by the general audience)

          Is there a way the back end opinions can be translated into appropriate front end response by way of enabling CV to share and clarify his position? I don’t see why he should need to, but as he has become such a ‘targetted focus’ on the blog, it seems like he should be given that option (if not already offered)

          There are only a small number of outcomes and solutions available, and the current approach is blatantly not working, because the drip drip is still active and the insults are still flying in a unilateral direction (overwhelmingly) by commentators

        • gsays 7.3.1.4
          24 November 2016 at 7:41 am

          hi weka, thanks for your considered response.

          like a few others here, i haven’t read anything too outrageous written by cv. sure i get that others have been mightily upset, i also think a lot of those were looking for upset.
          t.b.h. many times i read a lot of provocation, which i don’t think was meritted.

          in respect to front/back end goings-on, i have to plead ignorance and just once again thank-you for your labours.

          this ‘cv scenario’ typifies for me a big problem for the left.
          you and i, i assume, would stand shoulder to shoulder on many issues, however bring up cats and the protection of native birds, geckos, skinks etc and we would be on opposite sides of the battle lines.

          rather than focus on where we are divided, what are our common causes, how do we bring change?, when do we bring change?

          i enjoy having my beliefs, attitudes and opinions challenged, some of the rwnj can do this but not many.
          the bigger threat to this site is having a homogenised, centre-left only dialogue occuring.
          once again, thanks for your mahi, when not off grid, i am here most days.

      • weka 7.3.2
        23 November 2016 at 10:54 am

        “i am surprised that there wasn’t a big metaphorical uppercut coming at you, with telling the moderators what to do, how to run the site and attacking an author.”

        Two things. One is that most authors probably agree with Peter’s assessment. Certainly in the backend most authors see CV as a huge problem.

        Two, it’s fine to talk about the site and how people want it to be. Yes, there is a line re not telling authors what to do, or how the site should be run, but personally I welcome people talking about what the problems are, because that’s how we know.

        • Peter Swift 7.3.2.1
          23 November 2016 at 1:26 pm

          I agree with your assessment above and appreciate there are now many here with a finger on the pulse of the CV situation and what it could mean long term for the standard.

        • Anne 7.3.2.2
          23 November 2016 at 7:07 pm

          It saddens me to say it but here’s my penny’s worth:

          I have come to the conclusion that CV is deliberately trying to destroy this site. Once upon a time I held him in high regard but in recent times he has lost much of his credibility. A lot of regulars seem to have walked in the past six months or so, and it includes some of our best contributors. I refer to people like Pascal’s bookie, Felix, Gobsmacked and Puddleglum. BLiP is also conspicuous by his absence. It doesn’t follow they have all dropped out because of CV, but the very negative atmosphere that has been created is (imo) taking its toll.

          • Clump_AKA Sam 7.3.2.2.1
            23 November 2016 at 7:39 pm

            All this butt hurt is irrelevant because Trump fucken won. That means every one failed. Short term winners will be short bond sellers, medium term manufacturing, long term those that can dominate the content wars will be the owners of the new world.

            Thatcherism is official dead now that the 30 year bond which neoliberalism was financed on, has exploded.

            Keep up love. It’s a brave new world. The factories are coming

            • McFlock 7.3.2.2.1.1
              24 November 2016 at 11:50 am

              You do realise that your comment was completely irrelevant to what Anne actually wrote? Did you mean to reply to another comment, maybe?

              clue: the comment was about the the recent nature of TS (especially CV’s contributions) and the corresponding disappearance of long term contributors, and had nothing to do with trump.

              • Clump_AKA Sam …
                24 November 2016 at 12:05 pm

                The meme wars are over because trump won. Stop trying to breath life into a dead corps. Every one but the 50 million Americans got it all wrong, every ones well laid out globalism plans have been smashed. It’s no wonder people are hiding from this market, you just have to live and learn my boy

                • McFlock …
                  24 November 2016 at 12:21 pm

                  Go outside.
                  Look up.
                  If it’s a clear day, with very few clouds, you might see a small speck far up in the sky.
                  That’s the point going way over your head because you still seem to think the conversation is about Trump.

                  • Clump_AKA Sam …
                    24 November 2016 at 12:38 pm

                    Grow up boy

                    • McFlock …
                      24 November 2016 at 2:34 pm

                      plank from your own eye, and all that

                    • Clump_AKA Sam …
                      24 November 2016 at 4:04 pm

                      Back to the conversation. What Trump has done is pushed the left back over to the left. We use to say trade is bad, Trump literally destroyed the old rulz based idea of global trade. Another traditional left idea Trump took off the left is anti war, by anti war I mean anti Russian sentiment no longer exists. So the left is getting pushed over to issues of identity ie sexual behaviour, Trans/gay, workers rights as opposed to worker subsidies.

                      You just have to have a good honest look at the state of things my boy, rather than trying to deny the existance of trump.

  8. McFlock 8
    22 November 2016 at 11:40 pm

    lol

    It was worth a try, I suppose.

    I have a certain morbid fascination with just what depths CV will plumb – he’s currently writing off extrajudicial killings along the lines of some sort of cultural relativism, in a couple of years will he be excusing concentration camps or nuclear war?

    Lord, save us from everyone who thinks they receive personal messages from the universe…

    • Peter Swift 8.1
      22 November 2016 at 11:49 pm

      He’s a gone burger. A flame grilled whopper with extra cheese. Tasty, but full of nasty sh1t hidden on the inside.
      When the pickle is the sweetener, it shows how bad it’s got.

      A Muck nasty with sweet and sour sauce, hold the sweet. lol

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1
        23 November 2016 at 12:10 am

        Personal attacks disguised as humour?

        Really?

        Is that the best you can muster now Peter Swift? Gawd I hope Labour has a better chance next year. But I don’t think so. 4 to 1 against, verging on a guaranteed GR2020.

        Intellectually moribund disguised as clever and witty. Just like you.

      • marty mars 8.1.2
        23 November 2016 at 5:58 am

        good one Peter – yep the mouthpiece is foul – needs a bloody good rinse with disinfectant because, my gods, it is infected all right!

        But like that elusive last dag it might take a few passes of the comb to get it off.

    • ropata 8.2
      23 November 2016 at 5:41 pm

      I hope CV sticks around to keep things lively. He’s a lot smarter than the predictable RW trolls, I will go to sleep if this place becomes an echo chamber like TDB or boringly mediocre like PublicAddress

  9. Garibaldi 9
    23 November 2016 at 6:18 am

    Peter Swift – what do you want this site to be? An echo chamber for the neolib National lite Party? Surely we need the variety of ideas and opinions to flourish and not be stomped on? If you are going to ban CV why not ban the likes of Peter George and PR?

    • Peter Swift 9.1
      23 November 2016 at 6:55 am

      I don’t know if it’s deliberate, but you’re ignoring what’s being written. It’s a diversion tactic, but never mind, I have it covered.

      Simple reply is that it’s not about what I want the site to be, but rather what it already is. CV offers nothing with his contributions, unless getting a reaction is the goal, in which case my view of him being nothing more than a troll figure is accurate enough.

      I don’t take your point about echo chambers, especially about the neo lib lite party, especially when you’re supporting someone who is self proclaimed non left, so don’t make me laugh, slogan boy.

      As for banning, the way I look at it is that it will happen sooner or later. There’s been enough negative examples to expose the trend. I say just bite the bullet and put us out of his misery.
      And the funny thing about your last point is that PR is much less offensive to read that [deleted] is, and when the right wing trolls make less of an impact than he does, it’s sort of highlighting the narrative for us all.

      [please don’t use someone’s RL name here if they themselves don’t. That’s a general principle designed to protect us all. If you have instances of behaviour or posts that definitely need a moderator’s attention, drop a note in front of an author/moderator. thanks – weka]

      • Garibaldi 9.1.1
        23 November 2016 at 8:06 am

        Sorry, I disagree. The rightwing trolls are more of a problem here than CV .Sure CV has ramped things up a lot, but that is mainly because of deliberate baiting. He used to be a real breath of fresh air, however I take your point of him heading into a ban if he doesn’t cool it considerably. Thanks for replying Peter.

      • Peter Swift 9.1.2
        23 November 2016 at 1:09 pm

        @Weka I wouldn’t have used his name, wouldn’t have even known it, if he hadn’t have shared it with us all in the first place, but sure, I’ll put his genie back in the bottle and won’t ever do it again.

        [deleted]

        [he is posting under a pseudonym and that needs to be respected, not least because none of us can know the reasons for that at any given time – some pseudonyms aren’t absolutely private, but people still have a right to them. Otherwise anyone with a pseudonym becomes fair game. This isn’t about CV, it’s about the general principle as I already said. – weka]

        • In Vino 9.1.2.1
          23 November 2016 at 6:48 pm

          Peter Swift – you apparently cannot stomach anything written by Chris Trotter, and now CV is in the same category? What is it about your nature that makes it so Stalinist?
          I agree with Garibaldi that PR, Chuck, James, etc are a far worse distraction to debate on this site.

          • Peter Swift 9.1.2.1.1
            23 November 2016 at 7:05 pm

            What’s that about Trotter? That’s not an opinion I’ve expressed, though of course, like most pundits, he’s written his fair share of sh1t.

            And I wouldn’t put CV anywhere close to Trotters level of integrity and professionalism.

            • In Vino 9.1.2.1.1.1
              23 November 2016 at 8:58 pm

              Just about any time Trotter posts on Daily Blog, you take to him with a cleaver. Not here on the Standard – but you have impressed me as a Lefty with a mind so narrow it could pass through the eye of a needle.
              (You may make it to heaven!)

              • Peter Swift …
                23 November 2016 at 9:32 pm

                I request you link to those cleaver comments please. I’ve made less that a handful of comments there over the years, and from memory, none about Trotter and more importantly none under this handle.

                Shouldn’t be as hard to do as the apology I’m expecting you’ll have to make.

                • In Vino …
                  23 November 2016 at 11:26 pm

                  You are right- on checking those TDB posts, I find that the guy I objected to was a Peter Wheeler, not you at all. Apology freely given – I must make doubly sure about surnames in future. This may increase your chances of getting to heaven..

                  • Peter Swift …
                    23 November 2016 at 11:29 pm

                    I imagined there was no heaven. It’s easy if you try.
                    Apology accepted with almost 100% good grace. :polished halo:

        • Peter Swift 9.1.2.2
          23 November 2016 at 7:08 pm

          First time I’ve seen a link to an actual ‘The Standard’ topic censored. Interesting times.

          • weka 9.1.2.2.1
            24 November 2016 at 12:47 am

            I’m sure you can figure out why it was deleted.

            • Peter Swift 9.1.2.2.1.1
              24 November 2016 at 12:52 am

              Well yeah, obviously, but even so, it’s in the standard archive and all. It’s hardly a a secret, especially when posted by the person in question in the first place.
              But I’m not questioning the ruling. Voldermort it is from now on. lol

  10. James 10
    23 November 2016 at 8:33 am

    Yes God forbid people post something peter swift disagrees with. All deserting post and comments must be purged to make the standard a safe place for him.

    With that or ban every other person.

    Really there is no possible option that you just ignore what you don’t like? Or perhaps attack his argument as opposed to the person.

    Also – isn’t there some rule about naming people on this blog – I understand he is known by many – but is it right to put his name into this ??

    • ropata 10.1
      23 November 2016 at 5:45 pm

      Hell’s bells, James wrote a comment I agree with!
      Something weird is going on around here…

    • Chris 10.2
      23 November 2016 at 6:39 pm

      You gotta admire the guy’s use of adjectives. Think he must’ve just started a creative writing course, or perhaps he’s just finished one. Either way it’s pretty damn funny.

    • Peter Swift 10.3
      23 November 2016 at 7:29 pm

      What’s with you three monkeys? Up thread you have a moderator clearly outlining the present troubles on this site, writing about boycotts, contributors not submitting topics and you post like the stereotypical don’t see, hear or speak trio. And I’m having my capabilities questioned 🙄

      We’re so lucky to have such astute chumps like you around to save the day lol

      • ropata 10.3.1
        24 November 2016 at 12:07 pm

        is CV really as annoying / destructive to this community as someone like the despicable dirty politics merchant Matthew Hooten? Or a boring threadjacker like Pete George?

        CV obviously has issues with the current form of the political Left, his criticism can be cutting, but I haven’t seen him personally attack anyone, or indulge in Hooten like trolling.

        • peter Swift 10.3.1.1
          24 November 2016 at 12:35 pm

          Yes, he’s quite the spoiler, and by the looks of it, an increasing number of people view him not only as an agenda driven malcontent on a revenge mission, but a genuine threat to the long term well being and effectiveness of the standard.

          That makes him much worse than a tory tool and a silly old man.

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    The National Party’s campaign has gone from bad to worse with a further two large miscalculations being uncovered in their alternative fiscal plan. Firstly, National’s economic spokesperson and list MP, Paul Goldsmith, used May's Budget figures instead of last week's PREFU numbers, and came up with a whopping $4.3 billion ...
    The Jackal
    6 hours ago

  • The Adventures of Annalax: Part IX
    The initial session was a struggle. Annalax and Magni tried sorting out the details with the Isaac twins (the people pursuing the mountain trip). Annalax happened to mention his devotion to Lolth… whom the Isaacs, being ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 hours ago

  • This is bullshit
    On March 13, three plainclothes police officers kicked in Breonna Taylor's door under a no-knock warrant targeting another person. When a person inside reasonably assumed they were home invaders and (this being America) started shooting, they shot up the place and everyone around them - killing Taylor. Today, one of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 hours ago

  • Arctic sea ice is being increasingly melted from below by warming Atlantic water
    Tom Rippeth, Bangor University Arctic sea ice today (white) is covering a much smaller area than in 1980-2010 (orange line). National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CC BY-SA Each September, scientists like me look out for the point when the Arctic’s meagre summer fizzles out and ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    10 hours ago

  • The long-term health burden of COVID-19: further justification for NZ’s elimination strategy
    Prof John D. Potter* This blog briefly surveys the emerging scientific evidence on the longer-term burden of symptoms and disease in survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these symptoms point to damage in the brain and heart. These long-term harms add to the wide range of other reasons for ...
    SciBlogsBy Public Health Expert
    11 hours ago

  • Going High, Going Low: An Assessment Of The First Leaders’ Debate.
    Uncrushed: Jacinda Ardern knew exactly what was expected of her in the first Leaders' Debate. Labour’s dominant position, three weeks out from the general election, is constructed out of the admiration and gratitude of hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who, more often than not, vote National.  Nothing she said ...
    Bowalley Road
    12 hours ago

  • The smokefree policies of political parties: Do they care about people who smoke?
    George Thomson*, Nick Wilson, Janet Hoek, Andrew Waa, Richard Edwards In this time of Covid-19, helping people who smoke to quit their addiction has an even greater importance. Smokers are more vulnerable to many harmful health effects, including severe effects from the virus. Policies that support people who smoke to ...
    SciBlogsBy Public Health Expert
    12 hours ago

  • The Fog Of Economic Policy Is Starting To Clear…
    Bryan Bruce, https://www.facebook.com/www.redsky.tv, 19 September 2020 National’s economic policy of temporary tax cuts yesterday proved, if proof be needed, that they are unapologetic neoliberals. While their claim that with more money in their pockets people will spend more might sound attractive, the reality is that tax cuts always benefit the ...
    Closing the GapBy Tracey Sharp
    20 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38, 2020
    Highlighted article: Carbon pricing and planetary boundaries  Engström et al take what might be called a systems approach to evaluating carbon pricing, taking into a account various economic sectors affected by and affecting paying for emissions. The conclusions are overall a rare pleasant surprise— a feature predicated on cooperation.  Abstract: ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Humans ignite almost every wildfire that threatens homes
    Nathan Mietkiewicz, National Ecological Observatory Network and Jennifer Balch, University of Colorado Boulder CC BY-ND Summer and fall are wildfire season across the western U.S. In recent years, wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes, forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and exposed tens of millions to harmful ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: China steps up
    China has increased its climate change ambition, and set a target to be carbon-neutral by 2060: China will reach carbon neutrality before 2060 and ensure its greenhouse gas emissions peak in the next decade, Xi Jinping has told the UN general assembly. “China will scale up its intended nationally ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Humans have dealt with plenty of climate variability
    Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz How much climate variability have humans dealt with since we ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    1 day ago

  • Indigenous perspectives on unrestricted access to genomic data
    By Genomics Aotearoa researcher Maui Hudson, University of Waikato It is vital that genomics research respects genomic data and genetic heritage from indigenous communities. Genomics research is a rapidly growing field of study, and there is a strong push to make the huge amount of data being produced open ...
    SciBlogsBy Genomics Aotearoa
    1 day ago

  • Terrible luck: lockdowns on learning and youth job prospects
    What is bad luck? Bad luck is spilling spaghetti sauce down your shirt right before an important meeting. When the person in front of you gets the last seat on the bus, that’s bad luck. Bad luck is when it’s sunny outside, so you leave the house without a coat, ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    1 day ago

  • Ian Powell: Does private healthcare threaten public healthcare in New Zealand?
    Is the private health system impacting negatively on the public health system? Health commentator Ian Powell evaluates a recent NZ Herald article by Natalie Akoorie (“Public v private healthcare: Moonlighting, skimming, duplication – should NZ do better”), and looks at how the dual system works, and concludes that the answer ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • A rabbit-hole election debate: So do you want more avocado orchards?
    We live in strange and unusual times. It’s been a century since we’ve endured a global pandemic like this, more than half a century since we’ve had economic woes like this. So maybe we got an opening election debate for the times - because that was a strange and unusual ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    2 days ago

  • LIVE: Jacinda Ardern vs. Judith Collins, First Debate
    Tonight, The Civilian will be live-blogging the first of too many debates between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins, and also the last fifteen minutes of the news. Be sure to tune in from 6:45pm for regular updates, which can be accessed by refreshing this page ...
    The CivilianBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Hundreds of Aucklanders arrested after illegal mass gathering on Harbour Bridge
    An enormous drive-in party, shown here, was held this morning on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, where police were forced to intervene. Hundreds of Aucklanders were arrested this morning on public health grounds, after an apparent illegal mass gathering on the city’s Harbour Bridge. Police say hundreds of Aucklanders gathered in their ...
    The CivilianBy admin
    2 days ago

  • The Looming Fight.
    Social Distancing Be Damned - It's Jacinda! Shortly after ascending to Labour’s leadership, Jacinda described herself as a “pragmatic idealist”. It was an inspired oxymoron – packing into just two words the essence of the social-democrat’s dilemma. It was good to know that she knew what lay ahead of her. ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: Moving faster
    Back in 2017, the UK announced that it would ban the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles by 2040. Its a basic climate change measure, aimed at reducing emissions by shifting the vehicle fleet to cleaner technologies. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, they're planning to bring it forward ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • The Australian courts have had enough of refugee detention
    For the past decade, Australia has had a racist, anti-refugee policy. Those claiming refugee status are imprisoned without trial and left to rot in the hope they would "voluntarily" return to be tortured and murdered. When the courts have granted them visas, the government has immediately revoked them on racial ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Friction and the Anti-lock Braking System
    Yesterday afternoon I had to call on my car’s anti-lock braking system (ABS). For reasons best known to its driver, a car pulled out of a side road right in front of me while I was driving home after work, and I needed to stop in a hurry. I rather ...
    SciBlogsBy Marcus Wilson
    2 days ago

  • The Inside Word: New Zealand Quarantine
    There are a fair few misconceptions about conditions within New Zealand’s Quarantine Hotels. Madeline Grant’s misplaced accusations being one prominent example, though she is not alone. Today, I thought I’d share the inside word, so to speak. A friend of mine has recently returned to New Zealand from overseas, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Hard News: ASA: Let’s not talk about this
    Last week, major newspapers carried a full-page ad as part of the campaign for a "No" vote to the referendum question about supporting the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. The ad was authorised by the SAM NZ Coalition, which takes its name from a controversial American anti-cannabis group and includes ...
    Public Address
    2 days ago

  • This is not kind
    New Zealand has a serious homelessness problem, due to skyrocketing rents and a lack of state houses. One of the ways we stick a band-aid on it is to put people up in motels. Previously, they were charged full commercial rates, saddled with odious debt due to the government's failure ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Wokies are the establishment
    by Ani O’Brien In the absence of a better word with which to refer to the rabid activists who claim progressivism while demanding adherence to an increasingly prescriptive set of political beliefs, I call them “woke”. With its roots in Black American slang, the term originally denoted a person or ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    3 days ago

  • How to strengthen the post-isolation Covid rules
    Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health reported a case of Covid-19 in Auckland that is not related to the current Auckland cluster. Before we start to panic, here’s how I think the case happened and how we can strengthen our current border controls. The new Covid-19 case is someone ...
    SciBlogsBy Siouxsie Wiles
    3 days ago

  • Neuralink and You: A Human-AI Symbiosis
    Becky Casale Elon Musk reckons his Neuralink brain implant is much more than a medical device–that one day it will drive a symbiosis between humans and artificial intelligence. “Good morning! I’m Dr Benedict Egg and I’ll be supervising your Neuralink insertion today. Do you have any questions?” “Yes, Doc. ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    3 days ago

  • Liam Hehir: Our obsession with American politics
    Many New Zealanders take a strong interest in US politics, with the death of Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg being the latest example. Liam Hehir wonders if it very wise for New Zealanders to get so worked about it.   Many politically engaged New Zealanders are now furiously ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • COVID: Back to Level 1
    After stamping the Coronavirus out via strict lockdown between March and May, New Zealand went through a good three months without any community cases. Then a local outbreak in Auckland rather buggered things up last month. Auckland’s been in level 3 and level 2.5 for the past six weeks. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Climate injustice
    Who's causing our skyrocketing emissions? As with most of our other problems, It's the rich: The wealthiest 1% of the world’s population were responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of the world from 1990 to 2015, according to new ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Good riddance
    The border closure and resulting lack of foreign slave-workers is driving the fishing industry out of business: One fishing company is effectively out of business while others are bracing for large financial hits as the deepwater New Zealand industry, unable to get skilled foreign workers into the country, have ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #38
    Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... The tipping points at the heart of the climate crisis Many parts of the Earth’s climate system have been destabilised by ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Anyone for Collins?
    In the absence of national public opinion polls, we have had to make do in recent weeks with other guides to voter intentions. Those guides, such as the Auckland Central poll, the incidence of google enquiries and the responses to Vote Compass questions, have suggested, not unexpectedly, that Labour is ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    3 days ago

  • Crusher’s fiscal malfunction
    Crusher Collins - National Party leaderWe all know that the National Party is desperate to gain some traction during this election campaign and have been throwing pretty much everything at the Labour Party in order to try and undermine Jacinda Ardern and what the Coalition Government has achieved. But unfortunately ...
    The Jackal
    4 days ago

  • Much of the commentariat’s reporting of the most recent GDP figure was misleading and unhelpful. The prize for the stupidest remark about the GDP figure for second quarter 2020 (2020Q2) released on Thursday (17 Sept) goes to Judith Collins, whose response to Grant Robertson’s comments indicated she did not ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago

  • Love and Hate as Complementary Revolutionary Acts
    by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh goloing@gmail.com (19/09/2020) Che Guevara said that a true revolutionary is motivated by love i.e. love of the oppressed, the poor, the children dying from preventable illnesses. This phrase of his is true but has been used by reformists and their more hippy wing have taken advantage ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    4 days ago

  • 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 13, 2020 through Sat, Sep 19, 2020 Editor's Choice Get to Net-Zero by Mid-Century? Even Some Global Oil and Gas Giants Think it Can Be Done A report by a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Tax cuts for all!!! (except you, you, and you)
    With the National Party this week announcing a new policy of tax cuts to spice up the election campagin. MyThinks went along to the launch and afterwards we spoke to the party’s finance spokesperson Paul “Golden Touch” Goldsmith. MT: Thanks for speaking to us Mr Goldsmith. PG: No. Thank you. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    5 days ago

  • Great Waves Washing Over New Zealand
    Always to islanders danger Is what comes over the seas ‘Landfall in Unknown Seas’ (Allen Curnow)Six economic issues external to New Zealand, which will greatly impact upon us. 1.         The Diminishing Global Dominance of the US. Since 1941 America has dominated the world economically and politically. Probably it could ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • New Zealand has role to play in resolving crisis on ‘geopolitical fault line’, Helen Clark says
    By Geoffrey Miller New Zealand should continue to champion human rights in Belarus amidst an ongoing crackdown on protests by the country’s regime, former Prime Minister Helen Clark says. Protests in the country often referred to as ‘Europe’s last dictatorship’ erupted after the country’s disputed presidential elections on August 9 ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago

  • Euthanasia referendum: How to cut through the emotions
    Jacqui Maguire, registered clinical psychologist This podcast episode highlights how difficult it is to have effective conversations about euthanasia due to how polarised people’s views are. I’m a clinical psychologist, with a passion for science communication. In early 2020 I founded the podcast Mind Brew, with an aim to make psychological ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    6 days ago

  • Why we need cameras on boats
    In case anyone needed further convincing, there's another example today of why we need cameras on fishing boats: reported seabird bycatch doubled during a camera trial: Commercial fishers operating off Auckland's coast around vulnerable seabirds are twice as likely to report accidentally capturing them when cameras are on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Graham Adams: The religious right’s campaign to spike the euthanasia referendum
    In the leadup to the euthanasia referendum, an array of conservative Christian political organisations is running an expensive campaign to sow doubt about the safety of assisted dying. Graham Adams argues that these religious forces know that Christian arguments aren’t convincing the public, but that it is in the public ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • Opportunistic looting
    The National Party has spent the last six months acting horrified at the cost of supporting people through the pandemic and banging on about how the debt must be repaid. So what was their economic policy released today? Massive tax-cuts for the rich, of course! National has walked back ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Uncomfortable Choices.
    Dangerous Times: This will be the choice confronting those coming of age in the 2020s. Embrace Neoliberalism’s belief in racial and sexual equality; adopt its secular and scientific world view; and cultivate the technocratic, multicultural, global outlook required of those who keep the machinery of hyper-capitalism humming. Or, throw your ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Tony Burton: Covid and benefit payments
    It would be a great time to reform the benefit system, according to former Deputy Chief Economic Advisor at the Treasury, Tony Burton. He argues the complexity of benefit system means that it’s failing to achieve its difficult three core objectives, which form an “iron triangle”.   New Zealand’s benefit ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • Talking tax: How to win support for taxing wealth
    Tax Justice UK, September 2020 Serious tax reform is on the political agenda for the first time in decades due to the coronavirus crisis. As this debate hots up it is important to understand what people think about public spending, wealth and tax. Tax Justice UK, along with Survation and ...
    Closing the GapBy Tracey Sharp
    6 days ago

  • Getting Tough.
    Not Mucking Around: With upwards of 800 dead from the virus’s resurgence in the Australian state of Victoria, leniency is not on Premier Daniel Andrews’ agenda. The Victorian Police are cracking down hard on the protesters the Australian press has labelled "Covidiots".IMAGES OF POLICE, some in riot gear, others on ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • Media Link: Nuclear strategy, then and now.
    Although I had the fortune of being a graduate student of some of the foremost US nuclear strategists of the day (1970s) and later rubbed shoulders with Air Force and Naval officers who were entrusted with parts of the US nuclear arsenal, I seldom get to write or speak about ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago

  • The Chinese List.
    News that Zhenhua Data, an arm of China Zhenhua Electronics Group, a subsidiary of the military-connected China Electronic Information Industry Group (CETC), maintains a list of 800 New Zealanders on a “Overseas Key Information Database” that contains personal information on more than 2.4 million foreign individuals, has caused some consternation ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago

  • Things that grow fast, and things that surprise us
    Marie Becdelievre January 2020. The number of news article mentioning coronavirus exploded and anxious voices whispered about a global pandemic. Whisper? To me, it was only a whisper. I tend to learn about the world through non-fiction books, conferences, and academic research rather than news and social media, so ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    1 week ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37, 2020
    2,082,476,000,000,000 Viability of greenhouse gas removal via the artificial addition of volcanic ash to the ocean  (not open access, unfortunately) walks us through the numbers on a particular means of CO2 removal, addition of volcanic tephra to the ocean. The mechanism is straight chemistry and the cost is fully an order of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Barbados to become a republic
    Barbados is planning to remove the queen as head of state and become a republic in time for the 55th anniversary of its independence in 2021: Barbados has announced its intention to remove the Queen as its head of state and become a republic by November 2021. [...] Reading ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Party Like It’s 1989: Bait and Switch is a Bad Look, Mr Hipkins
    At the 2017 election, the New Zealand Labour Party promised a Fees Free Policy for tertiary students. Basically, it would make the first year of university education free in 2018, with a second year in 2021, and a third in 2024. It also promised to restore Post-Graduate access to the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Will the tropics eventually become uninhabitable?
    Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz What is the impact of temperature increases in the tropics? ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    1 week ago

  • A first-hand look: What it’s like to live in a 2020 California wildfire evacuation zone
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons It felt like 100 degrees in my in-laws’ Grass Valley, California, kitchen, but at least the lights were on and for the moment we were safely “distanced” from the Jones Fire. We’d just finished dessert, after pizza and a movie ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • COVID-19 is not the only infectious disease New Zealand wants to eliminate, and genome sequencing is...
    Nigel French, Massey University Genome sequencing — the mapping of the genetic sequences of an organism — has helped track the spread of COVID-19 cases in Auckland, but it also plays an important role in the control of other infectious diseases in New Zealand. One example is Mycoplasma bovis, a ...
    SciBlogsBy Guest Author
    1 week ago

  • A flaw in our electoral transparency regime
    A key part of our electoral funding regime is a requirement for some transparency around donations, on the basis that if we can find out who has bought our politicians (typically after we have voted for them) then everything is alright. There are a lot of problems with that regime ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Don’t Steal This Book
    On “In Defense of Looting” Matt Taibibi takes an entertaining look at this generation of woke activists and how they compare with Abbie Hoffman the iconic anti-Vietnam war counter-culture figure of the 1960s On Thursday, August 27th, the same day Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination, National Public Radio ...
    RedlineBy Daphna
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: Carbon prices must rise
    When Parliament introduced the Emissions Trading Scheme, it was worried that carbon prices might get too high. So it introduced a "fixed price option", allowing polluters to pay the government $25 in the place of surrendering credits. The result was predictable: after we were thrown out of international carbon markets ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: Disclosure
    The government will finally be requiring large New Zealand companies to disclose their climate change risks: New Zealand finance companies will be made to report on climate change risk, Climate Change Minister James Shaw has announced. The policy will force around 200 large financial organisations in New Zealand to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Tackling the hard issues – trust and relationships
    By Claire Grant, Genomics Aotearoa Communications Manager Community consultation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of research programmes in New Zealand, and with that comes the art of relationship building. Engagement between scientists and user-groups is certainly nothing new. But as stakeholder involvement becomes more of a requirement for science, ...
    SciBlogsBy Genomics Aotearoa
    1 week ago

  • Equality Network – September Newsletter
    Read the Equality Network newsletter here ...
    Closing the GapBy Tracey Sharp
    1 week ago

  • The Left’s Lost Allies.
    Rebels In A Wrong Cause: The truly frightening thing about Jami-Lee Ross’s and Billy Te Kahika’s success in persuading thousands of New Zealanders that Covid-19 is just another trick, just another way of stealing away their power, is realising just how many of them once marched at the Left’s side. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Legal Beagle: Low-Hanging Fruit
    In a couple of months, the 53rd Parliament will meet in Wellington, and approximately 120 MPs will be sworn in, many of them for the first time.They will all have political goals, some aligning with their party platforms, some not, some complex, and some simple, but they will gain one ...
    Public Address
    1 week ago

  • Closing the Gap thinks that Labour’s proposal to raise the top tax rate is great but………
    Media Statement For Immediate Release 10th September 2020 The income and wealth inequality lobby group, “Closing the Gap” thinks the Labour proposal a great start says Peter Malcolm, a spokesperson for the group. But they need to be aware of what many of the rich do and of what do ...
    Closing the GapBy Tracey Sharp
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: No nonsense
    ACT is pushing a "no-nonsense climate change plan". What does it involve? Repealing the Zero Carbon Act and Emissions Trading Scheme, reversing the fossil-fuel exploration ban, and allowing mining on conservation land. In other words, repealing any policy which might actually reduce emissions. Which is the very definition of nonsensical. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • My Climate Story: Coming full Circle
    This blog post is a follow up to my recap of Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Training I recently participated in. One of the exercises we were asked to complete was to write about our respective "Climate Story". This is a slightly updated version to the one I had submitted during ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • A bill to criminalise wage theft
    Wage theft is a problem in New Zealand, with a widespread practice of forcing employees to work without pay, and regular cases of underpayment and exploitation. One reason why its such a widespread problem is impunity: rather than a crime, wage theft is merely a tort, dealt with by the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

Older posts

  • Primary sector exports and jobs up again
    Primary sector exports and jobs are up again, demonstrating the sector’s underlying strength amid the COVID-19 global pandemic and US-China trade war, and supporting New Zealand’s economic recovery. Stats NZ today reported New Zealand’s merchandise exports in August were up 8.6% on a year ago, driven by an increase in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Clean energy future for more schools
    Schools across Aotearoa New Zealand will be supported by the Government to upgrade to run on clean energy, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. The Minister has allocated $50 million from the Clean Powered Public Service Fund to replace, or convert, coal boilers in schools with clean ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Building business strength with digital tools
    New training and tools for digital commerce will give small businesses, especially in the tourism sector, the support they need to adapt and innovate in a COVID world. Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash have announced details of how $20 million digital capability funding set aside ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • New pest lures to protect nature
    The Department of Conservation (DOC) is investing $1.4 million to develop new predator lures that would be game-changers for trapping and surveillance towards a predator-free Aotearoa, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage, announced in Christchurch today. The proposal is to develop long-life lures attractive to a range of predators—rats, mustelids ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

  • Support for innovative Pacific education responses to COVID-19 needs
    Supporting new and creative Pacific education practices as part of our COVID-19 response and recovery is the focus of a new $28.5 million Pacific Education Innovation Fund announced today by Associate Minister of Education Jenny Salesa.  “There is already an incredible amount of innovative and creative work going on in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Eligibility expanded for COVID-19 leave support
    The expanded scheme will cover: People who have COVID-19 like symptoms and meet the Ministry of Health’s criteria, and need to self-isolate while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test. People who are directed to self-isolate by a Medical Officer of Health or their delegate or on advice of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Seasonal work visa available to more people
    The Government is putting in place a range of immigration policy changes to help fill labour shortages in key industries while ensuring New Zealanders, who have lost jobs due to COVID-19, have the chance to find new employment. “Two key sectors we are moving to help are horticulture and wine ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • More border exceptions for critical roles
    The Government has established class exceptions for border entry for a limited number of veterinarians, deep sea fishing crew, as well as agricultural and horticultural machinery operators. “Tight border restrictions remain the backbone of the Government’s border strategy to protect New Zealand against COVID-19 and ensure New Zealand citizens and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Crown will not appeal Dodds v Southern Response decision
    The Crown will not appeal the Court of Appeal decision in the Dodds v Southern Response case, Grant Robertson announced today. “Southern Response will be paying the damages awarded by the Court to Mr and Mrs Dodds shortly. The Crown was already meeting their legal costs for this appeal. “The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Crucial PGF investments for Northland
    The Provincial Growth Fund is investing nearly $30 million in a diverse range of projects that will create immediate and long-term jobs and lift economic and social outcomes for Northland and its people. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones made the announcement today in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • $27million investment in global vaccine facility
    The Coalition Government has committed to invest $27 million in COVID-19 vaccine development through the global COVAX Facility, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today. “The COVAX Facility is a key part of our COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy to obtain safe and effective vaccines. It allows us to invest in a high-quality, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government backing Māori landowners
    The Government will provide up to $1.69 million through the One Billion Trees programme to Māori landowners to make their whenua more productive through the planting of forests, both native and exotic, and improve economic and environmental outcomes, Forestry Minister Shane Jones has announced. “Around 1.5 million ha of land ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New tools to make nature more accessible
    People planning to head outdoors now have a resource that lets them know how accessible an area is for people with varying levels of mobility, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The Halberg Foundation, Sensibel, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) have launched Accessibel, a new tool which helps ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • PGF makes Māori history more accessible
    One of the most significant battle sites of the 1860s Land Wars will receive $2.96 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to improve the site and help tell the New Zealand story to visitors, Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. Nanaia Mahuta ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Making it official: The journey of te reo Māori | Kia whakapūmautia: Ngā piki me ngā heke o te r...
    The journey towards recognising Māori as an official language and taonga has been captured as a web series and launched today during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, announced Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni. “Te reo Māori is a living language, and understanding its significance, and pathways to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Better-than-forecast GDP reflects decision to protect New Zealand
    Today’s better-than-forecast GDP figures show the expected impact of the decision to act quickly to protect New Zealanders from the global COVID-19 pandemic. GDP fell 12.2% in the June quarter from March, reflecting decisions to close New Zealand’s borders and enter Alert Level 4. “This result was better than the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boost for COVID-19 related Pacific education needs
    The Government is investing $39.7 Million over four years to support the educational needs of Pacific learners and families in the regions hardest hit by COVID-19, with Auckland getting an immediate boost, Associate Minister of Education Jenny Salesa says.   “Like all New Zealanders Pacific families want learners to do well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • More resources for kiwi conservation
    New Zealand’s goal of 100,000 kiwi by 2030 is being helped by an extra $19.7 million in funding to accelerate iwi and community efforts to protect kiwi, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced. “$19.7 million of Jobs for Nature funding is being invested in kiwi conservation activities including increased predator ...
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    1 week ago

  • Improving access to affordable electricity
    Ensuring New Zealanders can get the best deal on their electricity takes a step in the right direction today with the South Island launch of the EnergyMate pilot run by the Electricity Retailers’ Association, says Minister of Energy and Resources, Dr Megan Woods. EnergyMate is an industry-led programme providing coaching ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government achieves 50 percent women on state boards
    Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter announced today that the Government has reached its target of 50 percent on women on state sector board and committees – setting a new record level of women on state sector boards. “This Government is committed to having more women in leadership roles - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Record transport investment to help economic recovery and save lives
    Transport Minister Phil Twyford released today the final Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) 2021 which outlines the planned $48 billion investment in services and infrastructure over the next decade. “The final GPS supports our Government’s five-point plan for economic recovery by confirming our record investments in transport infrastructure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Advancing clean energy technology
    Three ambitious and cutting-edge research programmes that will lift New Zealand’s advanced energy technology research capability over seven years, have been supported by Government today, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. The projects will each receive a share of $40.7 million investment from the Strategic Science Investment Fund. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Major milestone reached in Pike River Re-entry
    The critical area for forensic examination known as Pit Bottom in Stone has been reached in what is a major milestone for the Pike River re-entry project, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little announced. “The infrastructure located in Pit Bottom in Stone is of very significant interest in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Economic recovery guides Govt response to retirement income policy review
    The Government is working on how New Zealand’s retirement income policies and settings can best support Kiwis in light of the COVID-19 economic recovery, with the help of the Retirement Commissioner’s latest review, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said. “The Retirement Commissioner’s three-yearly review into New Zealand’s retirement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Iwi community hub opens in Murupara
    A new digital hub and development centre in Murupara will be instrumental in growing the region’s productivity, said Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau at the official opening of two community initiatives today. “I’m pleased to be here celebrating a significant milestone for two projects set to make a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PREFU shows economy doing better than forecast
    PREFU shows economy doing better than forecast Unemployment to peak at 7.8%, down from 9.8% forecast in the Budget Year-to-June accounts show tax revenue, debt and OBEGAL better than forecast Global forecast downgraded as COVID-19 second waves and uncertainty grows Balanced plan to support critical public services, manage debt and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Spruce-up for Ōtaki community facilities
    The Kāpiti Coast town of Ōtaki will receive $1.4 million in Government funding for two projects providing scores of jobs for locals while improving community facilities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Māoriland Charitable Trust will receive a $900,000 Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) grant to upgrade the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PGF funding for Jobs for Nature programme
    The Provincial Growth Fund will provide $11.88 million to fund fencing and waterway projects nationwide that will improve the environment and create jobs in their communities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. “These projects will create more than 100 jobs nationwide with work starting within the next couple ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Procurement to promote jobs, Māori and Pasifika businesses and sustainability
    As part of the COVID-19 recovery, the Government has strengthened its procurement rules to ensure its annual $42 billion spend creates more jobs, uses more sustainable construction practices and results in better outcomes for Māori and Pasifika, Government Ministers announced today.   Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford says the $42 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Timaru’s Theatre Royal to be upgraded and new heritage facility built
    The Government is supporting a major upgrade of Timaru’s iconic Theatre Royal and the construction of a new connected Heritage Facility museum and exhibition space with $11.6 million from the Government’s Infrastructure Fund, Jacinda Ardern announced today. “We heard the call from the community and the council. The Theatre Royal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • District Court judge appointed
    Chrissy Montague (formerly Armstrong), barrister of Auckland has been appointed as a District Court Judge with Family Court jurisdiction to be based in Wellington, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Ms Montague commenced practice in Auckland in 1987 and went into general practice dealing with Wills, Estates, Trusts, Conveyancing, Relationship Property ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Approval given to Commercial Film and Video Production Proposal
      A Proposal to provide for the development and operation of commercial film and video production facilities in areas of Christchurch has been given the go ahead. Hon Poto Williams, Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, has approved the Proposal, which was prepared and submitted by Regenerate Christchurch. Minister Williams ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Supporting a thriving wānanga sector to benefit Māori learners
    As part of the Government’s focus on building closer partnerships with Māori and enhancing the quality of, and access to, Māori medium education, a payment of $8 million will be made to Te Wānanga o Raukawa in partial recognition of its Waitangi Tribunal claim (WAI 2698), Associate Education Minister Kelvin ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Jobs for Nature boosts efforts to restore Kaimai-Mamaku
    The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced a $19 million investment over four years in an important forest restoration project involving a partnership between the Department of Conservation, iwi/hapū, the Bay of Plenty and Waikato Regional Councils, community conservation groups and organisations such as Forest and Bird across the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand first in the world to require climate risk reporting
    New Zealand will be the first country in the world to require the financial sector to report on climate risks, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. The changes build on the huge progress this Government has made to tackle the climate crisis. “Today is another step on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Economic data highlights impact of Auckland moving out of Level 3
    Economic activity across the Auckland region and the country bounced back to levels experienced under Alert Level 1 following Auckland’s move out of Alert Level 3, analysis in the Treasury’s latest Weekly Economic Update shows. The analysis of economic data since Auckland’s move out of Level 3 shows: Auckland card ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PM statement on Cabinet COVID-19 Alert Level review
    Takiri mai te ata, ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea, tihei mauriora! Tātou katoa ngā iwi o Aotearoa, tēnā koutou! Tēnā tātou e whakanuia ana i te wiki nei, te wiki o te reo Māori Greeting to you all from Otepoti, Dunedin.  This week is the Māori Language week and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • More mental wellbeing services for young people in regions
    More mental health and addiction services are available for young New Zealanders in Rotorua and Taupō, Wairarapa, South Canterbury, Dunedin and Southland from next month, Health Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter say. “The Government is serious about making sure New Zealanders struggling with mental health ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government joins forces with Central Otago communities to clean up waterways
    The Manuherekia catchment in Central Otago is the third exemplar catchment to be targeted as part of the Government’s plan to clean up waterways by supporting community-led programmes.   Environment Minister David Parker said the Manuherekia catchment is vitally important to the people of Central Otago.  “The Manuherekia rises in the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government confirms new Dunedin Hospital design
    The Government has agreed on a preferred design for the new Dunedin Hospital featuring two separate buildings, and has provided funding for the next stages of work.   Minister of Health Chris Hipkins says Cabinet has approved in principle the detailed business case for the new hospital, giving people in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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