Daily Review 25/07/2017
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5:30 pm, July 25th, 2017 - 37 comments
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- The 1 Good Thing Left In Journalism
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...2 hours ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, December 23
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...2 hours ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51
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Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...22 hours ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...22 hours ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
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The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...2 days ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...7 days ago
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
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It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...4 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...6 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...6 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...7 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
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“but, but, but, – if I don’t see it, it isn’t happening” – favorite quote of right wingers
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/homelessness-manurewa-reaches-epic-proportions
and amazingly the right and this government don’t want people to know about this – if they did they would record the information
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/07/data-gaps-and-social-murder.html
You could build 2 or 3 decent tiny homes for $140,000. Or after a week you could build a couple of macro houses.
What National are doing is profligate waste and gross incompetency, but as micky pointed out today it’s also about where their values are at. They. just. don’t. care.
weka, check the Hosking discussion – phone number?
25 July 2017 at 6:52 pm
Mike Hosking: Narcissistic prig:
prig noun
a self-righteously moralistic person who behaves as if they are superior to others.
sorry, only just seen this and didn’t realise it was urgent. Next time throw the word MODERATOR in, and then any of us will pick it up. Cheers.
Okay, Lynn picked it up eventually. It just looked like you were on board as you had made the last comment.
replying to me or one of the other moderator’s recent comments is a good idea.
Of course they care – just not about poor people.
They care about rich people getting higher profits for doing even less work.
If you standardised you could probably build half a dozen for that – sites would be extra though. I have a feeling that’s going to have to be part of the solution because of the scale of the problem. A pretty safe job creation & skills training scheme for any government that means to actually do its job.
“If you standardised you could probably build half a dozen for that”
True, although in smaller spaces I think you need to take more care not using materials that offgas too much, which can move the price up.
I really like the training/job creation potential, as well as owner/builder potential.
I could see tiny homes being stepping stones for some people/families, and long term for others.
NZ is blessed with a wealth of macrocarpa – lovely stuff – good weather qualities without chemical preservatives. Now if we could get Tesla’s tiles or equivalent, https://www.tesla.com/en_NZ/solarroof, a micro solid fuel stove for cold weather events like these http://blazingstoves.wixsite.com/blazingstoves, proper double glazing or shoji panels instead of the rubbish ‘two panes in one conductive aluminium frame’, and euro level insulation and ventilation we’d almost be ready to roll them out.
Sounds bloody good to me. I love macrocarpa, we should be planting shitloads of it. Some passive solar, composting toilets, and grey water gardens too.
Interesting tiny stove. I’ve seen these ones in house trucks,
http://www.littlecracker.co.nz/
Tnx – Looks great – back when I was crayfishing we had a tiny coal stove between the bunks – only lit it when it was absolutely freezing. One small scoop of coal & it’d get so hot we had to open a couple of hatches. The Greens as a community have the knowledge to make something like this work really well. A lot of other practical kiwis could help too.
So many good creative things NZ could be doing.
I thought that macrocarpa was only good under cover, didn’t weather well. Was I told wrong?
You can use macro outside. It’s one of the timbers we should be using instead of tantalised pine.
http://www.nzwood.co.nz/forestry-2/macrocarpa/
tantalised pine.
God bless typos. I’m imagining a pine tree pining because it’s been tantalised 🙂
McFlock
Haha. VG
rofl. We should definitely leave the tantalised pine alone from now on.
Our house is clad with macrocarpa. We painted it but I wish we’d left it bare as macrocarpa ages to silver and is long-lasting if it isn’t touching the ground. Oiling makes it even better. Beautiful scent when cut.
Under cover is best.
Up to 20-30 years as decking, gets slippery though.
Probably go a lot longer as a cladding if painted/sealed, even better under a verandah.
Be great framing too if seasoned.
I don’t know if there is all that much left.
Here in the manawatu it is getting harder to get trees as firewood and I am not sure if it is getting planted anything like it was 80-100years ago.
“Probably go a lot longer as a cladding if painted/sealed, even better under a verandah.”
Ae, appropriate design is imperative with natural materials.
I believe so – you’d probably want to oil it if its exterior, but it’s superior framing, stronger and more rot resistant than PR. I wouldn’t use it for piles untreated, but that’s what concrete’s for.
There are places overseas where they build entire houses with windows, plumbing, and electrical wiring inside of factories and then ship out the final house in modules to be assembled in one to two day depending on the size on a concrete base already put in.
This production line method greatly reduces the build time and over all cost with builders, plumbers, and electricians all on staff. Building inspectors can easily check all the work as they head along the lines.
We need such a factory here in New Zealand.
For tiny houses you could have a yard doing them in each region – they don’t need crazy amounts of space. A separate crew doing foundations and utilities and you could get numbers up and occupied pdq.
Exactly, Stuart. Yurts too. They’re elegant.
NZJester
+100
The really crazy thing about the government buying up motels is they displaced families that were living there. Net effect was zero. Better that they actually build new houses.
Ok, that’s really bad 🙁
Now, watch Labor make a pigs ear of any advantage.
History repeats itself, but always with variations on the theme.
Sixty-odd years ago, a group of mostly religious social conservatives led by a Catholic zealot divided the Labor Party and condemned it to a protracted term in opposition.
Now a bunch of mostly religious social conservatives led by a couple of Catholic zealots seem to be doing their best to make it happen again. But this time they’re doing it to the Liberal Party.
Last time the main wrecker was Bartholomew Augustine Santamaria, better known as B. A. Santamaria. This time, it’s Tony Abbott and Cory Bernardi. But the war is being fought on much of the same ground and the tactics are much the same, too.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2017/07/22/how-the-church-splitting-the-liberal-party/15006456004959
Tony Abbott – got called The Mad Monk!
Brilliant article by Dr Liz Gordon.
Well worth a read.
‘We had been preparing the story for weeks. A huge research project, a scholarly article in a good journal, a well-known charity behind us. It was our “I, Daniel Blake” story for New Zealand.
Grandparents, forced to take on the care of often damaged and vulnerable grandchildren, arriving at Work and Income for some financial assistance, get… nothing. In 85% of cases, they were not told they were eligible for the Unsupported Child Benefit, a lifeline to help with the costs of bringing up other people’s children.’
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/07/25/guest-blog-dr-liz-gordon-epic-media-fail-in-nz/
Barry Soper is really quite a nasty piece of work.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11895020
He was ‘singing for my supper in Singapore’ only the other day…..
https://twitter.com/barrysoper?lang=en
A nasty piece of work alright.
It amazes me how selective people are in their interpretation of which laws are ok to break, and which aren’t.
Dirty filthy bennies failing to declare = not ok.
Driving pissed ?
Wife beating ?
Cashy jobs mmmmm maybe just don’t get caught
Metiria’s critics are just so pure and perfect (especially Soper) i’m SO in awe
If you’re on twitter, there’s a left wing chat happening tonight at 8.30pm
https://twitter.com/MaryStGeorge/status/889752089034764288
Anyone can follow the hashtag #LeftWithEnough here,
https://twitter.com/hashtag/leftwithenough?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash
Weka. I am unfamiliar with the process bu a signal comes up “sorry something went wrong.”
just checked not logged in and the link works. I get the ‘something went wrong’ message at the top but all the tweets are still visible.