The triple parentheses are used by neo-nazis to indicate likely Jewish names or organisations and is used as an anti-semitic slur. It would be a good idea to avoid giving the impression that you share their sympathies.
Exactly Pete. It an honest world English would be punished for lying.
A brave journalist would say, “Since you lied about the Hole and about Tax hikes why would anyone believe a word you said Mr PM?”
Yep the news was not leaked. The media had a really good guess or maybe the news came to them in a dream. Nothing to see here. Ministers who are the biggest gossips in the country did not tell anyone else. Move on nothing to see.
Exactly. Since that scandal erupted, I have noticed a caginess from all the main political suspects. Six weeks out from an election and you can’t tell me the ministers involved managed to resist the temptation to gossip outside of the inner circle. Of course they did.
The anonymous caller to Newsroom was apparently a man and according to an article I read online this morning (can’t remember where it was) he was “well informed”.
Has anyone had the call traced? It might lead to nowhere but you would think someone would have tried.
NZ First is further left than Labour? I find that dubious. TOP also isn’t neoliberal, in my view.
Political parties are complex, so it is difficult to place them at some point on such a chart. Perhaps it would make more sense to draw a region where the policies more or less fit — some parties are focused, while others have divergent ideas.
But when you look at policies like what NZ1 even did with National from 1996, and compare it with Clark’s Labour, it’s definitely an arguable position. Things like free GP visits for <4 year olds and the super goldcard.
Especially when things like kiwirail and kiwibank were Alliance policies.
On the flipside, NZ1 has strong social conservatism themes and tolerated Prosser's statements (well, until he started talking tactics and renationalisation, lol).
And the blackmailers are out in force, from checkbooks being put away to concerns about the effect on the economy – the news are drumming up the beat in big letters everywhere. Just so that we all have a moment of angst so that we duly say hurray when National is selected to govern.
The longer these negotiations go the more pity I have for the party being the final winner(s). Why? Because in a few weeks time those hysterical soothsayers will have talked NZ economy into a severe downturn. Let Mr English get this round because with his friends fanning the fire it will be his last hurray and Mrs Ardern has time to really get her ducks into a row. Mr Peters by association will be gone too (I am 100% sure he will go with Nat) and Bob is your Uncle.
‘Winston Peters could be out for revenge against National over their attempts to take him down during the campaign.
A New Zealand First source has told Newshub Peters is particularly resentful towards Steven Joyce, whom he personally detests.
The Newshub tip-off
The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.’
‘Video footage has emerged of Winston Peters making a scathing attack on Bill English and a number of other MPs – saying they have created an unstable government that has exacerbated poverty.’
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
Utter bullshit and fake news, there was no co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters. going on, the whole thing appeared out of nowhere.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
‘New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has lashed out at a media report tonight alleging he was out for “utu” against the National Party.
The report on Newshub said National launched a “four-pronged attack” on Peters – and now the kingmaker was out for revenge.
Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider.
However, Peters hit back quickly, saying “whatever Patrick Gower and the Newshub producers are on, they should get off it”.
“Their TV news broadcasts the last two nights have been fiction, and grossly misleading. I will not be explaining what parts are fictional. Some of it is barefaced lies.
“This news broadcaster is claiming sources that don’t exist. It’s the very worst form of journalism,” he said.
“Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider”.
I will no doubt be considered as being excessively cynical but I have always thought that the leak was from the ultimate “New Zealand First insider”.
I think it came from Winston himself. Probably one of his acolytes as his own voice is far too whisky hardened and recognisable to dare make the call himself.
I suspect he thought it would get him some welcome publicity when he was being ignored by all the reporters.
He would stand out in contrast to Turei as someone who had immediately repaid the money and could make a plausible case that it was an accident.
I notice he still won’t release the original application he put in though. Now if that ever genuinely leaked it might be explosive.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
They certainly did a very poor job of exposing National’s lies during the election campaign. However, the liars have even less credibility than the people who failed to expose their lies, so, on the whole, I’d take journos’ word for it over National’s.
BM’s right hand makes “scissors”, his left chooses “paper”. Next up, right plays “rock”, BM’s left tries “scissors”. In a final effort BM’s left hand goes first, plumps for “paper”, only to be met by the right hand’s elegant “scissor”!!; is it any wonder BM’s a bit jaded about the left???
That would be good to see but I think we’ll need a seismic shift in the whole political system before we can hope for an independent media. Or at least some form of transparency so they can be seen for what they are, mostly fanboys and girls for neoliberalism and underminers of democracy.
I pine though for a NZ media and commentariat free from Hosking, Williams, Garner, Richardson, Gower, Young, Trevett, Armstrong, Watkins, HDP, Hooten, Boag, …… The roll of dishonour is long and undistinguished.
Would you regard it as acceptable if a right-wing Government should be allowed to shut down news sites like this one? I certainly hope not.
I suppose you would only silence people you don’t like.
Nationalising the airwaves and restoring the commons, taking them back from corporations.
Setting them up for grassroots local organisations.
Thereby organising a democratic media, not one run for big business interests.
Am sick of the gossipy news, we can find that in the womans day, facebook, entertainment websites or whatever, I just want decent credible journalism, that is investigated rather than perpetuated gossip all over the telly, in the printed media and on their websites, click bait gossip central. Opinions on politics from sports presenters, sick of that shite.
And the real kicker is, as soon as we have some decent investigated journalism, it’s slammed. Like JC going off air etc.
I am grateful for my weekly dose of international media scruitney, via The Listening Post.
Here we are post-election getting our attention and energy taken up by another round of bullshit. (have to say Clifton’s joining the dots is useful though). Maybe it’s just me feeling overloaded with things to push back against and still the left is just not that willing to work together (although parts of it do obviously).
I’m in the middle of writing a Guest Post about the Green Party and all the BS that blows around. I hope you will like it enough to post it here when it is finished 😉
Tell me BM, in the 9 years National have been in government what have they done to cultivate the relationships that MMP demands?
If they come up short in the next few weeks they’ll have only themselves to blame.
Why would the Greens or any other party for that matter sign up to the same fate that has befallen ACT and the Māori Party?
The word has become a rhetorical weapon, but it properly names the reigning ideology of our era – one that venerates the logic of the market and strips away the things that make us human.
By Stephen Metcalf
So? That has nothing to do with what Carolyn posted, or what Jane Clifton tweeted. I see no reason to disbelieve her and the fact that there are a bunch of National voters who want their conscience’s salved over the environment, or who just can’t stand Peters doesn’t change that.
Basically all you are doing is saying you want National to have as much power as possible. No shit. Just be honest about it.
BM, Maybe that large chunk of national voters should have voted for the Greens if they really care about the environment. Rather than wanting the Greens with national because all they really care about is national holding power.
Yes National’s policies over the past 9 years have really prioritised the environment. Our waterways are pristine, we are reducing the cow herd to tackle climate change, we are spending much more on DOC to protect our wilderness areas…..
there’s a large chunk of National voters who’d prefer the Greens to Peters if that option was on the table.
I’d say a pretty small minority of Nats – based on Polling over recent years
In 2014 for instance National voters preferred the Conservatives as Coalition Partners (54% Reid Research 47% DigiPoll) followed by NZF (36% RR 38% DP) with the Greens way back
Doubt things have changed much
More to the point an overwhelming majority of Green voters prefer a Labour Coalition partner
I was going to post something last night after I heard Bolger on Checkpoint have a sly little dig that the Greens should consider going with National because there is no left or right when it came to the environment and advising JC to “watch that space”.
I thought maybe he was just being mischievous but then I noted all the other places this suggestion had popped up over recent days. I wondered if the whole thing was deliberate and being managed.
In many cases I thought the people suggesting it being a real option should have known better, particularly when any such coalition would need to ratified by 75% of Green Party members. So I thought they were either ill-informed, mischievous or worse.
Its “utu” time according to Mr Paddy Gower……….Mike, all over in a minute, Hosking declares NZ First holding country to ransom…………… the media are in a spin.
Oh for the sounds of silence after the ensuing media death rattle.
Hi weka – what do you mean when you say Gower is manipulating NZ politics “now”. Surely the elections been had and voters no longer have any influence. Surely Gower can only ever influence voters, rather than politicians? Is Peters’ decision likely to be guided by Gower’s effusions?
Robert, I suspect Mr Gower is pushing the line “you heard it here first” and that he is “privy” to “inside” information from “powerful” informants who call up on “blocked” phone numbers “telling all”.
The media in this country are being exposed for the poor little sycophants they are. Sadly a fair number of a certain 46% buy into it.
I guess, Kat, but I don’t see how anything Gower says will influence the formation of the new Government. He can cant all he wishes but Winston will make his own call.
He wants to up his ratings though and he may have some delusional fog similar to Hosking that what he says certain politicians may actually listen too. Since Key left there is an apparent vacuum between the media and politicians generally.
Although having said that Jacinda seems to have the measure of all of them, which is fascinating to observe.
Joke’s on him when you consider that Russell Norman went on to head Greenpeace and Kevin Hague heads Forest and Bird, two of the most effective progressive lobbying/activist groups we have in NZ now. I’m betting the Greens shedding some MPs just seeded some more great activism.
Absolutely weka. Kevin Hague is dong a sensational job at F & B, not least because it has stepped up to do some of the work that DoC has long since given up on.
I had a great admiration for Kevin Hague. He stood for what I thought a Green Party should be. When he didn’t win the leadership position I was greatly surprised, and disappointed.
He had also done something before he entered Parliament. He wasn’t just one of the career Pol Sci idiots who haven’t actually done anything in the real world. I’ll admit they are mostly in the Labour Party, rather than the Greens of course.
Russel Norman? Forget it. He hasn’t changed since he left Parliament. Look at the story this Blog covered where he tried to smear the Government just before Election Day.
How is his Court case going by the way? I wonder if Greenpeace will pay the fine?
I realise that Gareth Hughes is still in Parliament. However were he not, and it was quite close to happening, what would he do to support his family?
Go on a benefit?
The only thing I have seen him do, apart from being a joke as an MP was to dress up in a Star Trek uniform and pretend he was fighting the Klingons, or to have somewhat earlier been a stand-in in for Ronald McDonald. Has he done anything that has been useful to the world?
“I have heard myself called a pessimist, and perhaps I have written some words of ill omen in my books … and perhaps I have spoken tonight some words of ill omen – but they are not words of despair. If we conjecture the decline and fall of this civilisation, it is because we hope for a better one. We are a tough race, we human beings; we have lived through an ice age and many ages of barbarism; we can live through this age of civilisation; and when at length it wears out and crumbles under us, we can “plot our agony of resurrection” and make a new age. Our business is to live. To live through… anything. And to keep alive, through everything, our ideal values, of freedom and courage, and mercy and tolerance.”
apparently more voted for National as they are perceived as superior managers of the economy…..perception is not reality.
“To sum up, New Zealand has lagged a bit behind the median advanced country since 2007/08, and has had no productivity growth at all for the last five years. We continue to drift further behind our closest neighbour, Australia, and now face the likelihood that before too long we’ll be overtaken by countries that, throughout modern history, were never previously as productive as New Zealand was, and which 30 years ago we’d have looked on as pretty hopeless cases.”
Even the Aussies can see it…..God alone knows why 46% of NZ voters cant
“With at least 15,000 new homes needing to be built (not consented) in the city each year – more than double the current build rate – it is obvious that the housing situation in Auckland will continue to worsen as dwelling supply falls well short of rapid immigration-fueled population growth.
New Zealand needs genuine action on both the demand and supply-sides. And only Labour seems to have comprehensive policies (see here and here)”
Some are fools who believe the spin.
Some are cowards who believe the lies and scare stories.
Some are too lazy to research the issues.
And some pretend they care about child poverty, but their greed and selfishness trumps that when push comes to shove.
And finally there are the sociopaths.
The researchers at New York University named Eminen’s Lose Yourself and Backstreet’s No Diggity as two favourites amongst those with the highest psychopath scores, The Guardian reports…
…“You don’t want to have these people in positions where they can cause a lot of harm,” he added. “We need a tool to identify them without their cooperation or consent.”
(Been AFK from a couple of days before election, and trying to catch up)
I’ve been looking closely at the astounding destruction. What stuns me is how anyone survived at all. And pictures of yachts in known hurricane holes that are usually safe, just piled up over each other in tangled wrecks.
Cat 5’s used to be a once in a generation event; now we get several every year. Irma sustained winds over 270 km/hr for more than 24 hrs … that’s a grim statistic which bodes very ill for any nation within striking reach of these monsters.
An unusual convergence for the weather this time which hopefully won’t get repeated for at least 5 years.
But it will repeat. In the hurricane and typhoon areas it has been obvious for decades that with more energy, higher heat differentials, and above all else the ability to hoist more water into the atmosphere from climate change that there would be more intense storms rather than just more storms in those latitudes. Just as in our latitudes we’re going to get weather patterns lasting long and going further north from the pole and south from the sub-tropics.
Had to knock TeWhareWhero off the rss feed for badly formed feed for the second time in as many months. It was breaking the display off all the other sources in their latest post “The Neo-Libs’ Charter”
It can stay off now unless it gets fixed and I can be assured I don’t have to fix it another time.
What an amazing election we had on the weekend! Can’t wait for the special votes to come in and be confirmed on the 7th October (Am I correct with that date). I have enjoyed reading some the threads and once I pull my out my digit out my ass I’ll comment on a few things like the Nelson electorate which in my view Labour can win. It good to see Chris Carter pop in for his take of the Auckland seats and how to fix the problem there in regards to the various ethnic groups in NZ.
Anyway I thought I’ll post this from the ABC about our record breaking temperatures over here in Oz ATM. In the southern states it’s dryer than a pub with no beer and up here in the top end a very early build up which is slowly driving everyone bat shit crazy ATM with a lot of fires in between a lot of drinking with all bugger all else getting done because it too bloody hot to do anything else.
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"I saw a newspaper picture,From the political campaignA woman was kissing a child,Who was obviously in pain.She spills with compassion,As that young child'sFace in her hands she gripsCan you imagine all that greed and avariceComing down on that child's lips?" ...
Dr Matt Boyd, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick WilsonThe Global Health Security Index which considers pandemic threats has just been published. Unfortunately, NZ scores approximately half marks (54/100), coming in 35th in the world rankings – far behind Australia. This poor result suggests that the NZ Government needs to ...
The Zero Carbon Act is inadequate, with a weak methane target designed to give farmers a free ride. But it turns out it could have been worse: Climate Change Minister James Shaw was so desperate to get National on board, he wanted to gut that target, and leave it in ...
The Herald reprints an Australian story on a couple of tragic deaths in Bali from drinking cocktails that had methanol in them. The story argues that methanol is likely the result of home distillation. But what the young tourists were experiencing was far from a hangover. They’d consumed a toxic cocktail ...
Last month, the police announced a trial of specialist roaming armed units, which would drive round (poor, brown) areas in armoured SUVs, armed to the teeth. When they announced the trial, they told us it was about having armed police "ready to attend major incidents at any time if needed". ...
Spain went to the polls today in the second elections this year, after the Socialists (who had come to power in a confidence vote, then gone to the polls in April) rejected the offer of a coalition with the left-wing PoDemos, and instead decided to gamble n a better outcome ...
A couple of days ago I attended (and spoke at) the University of Waikato’s “LearnFest” event. There were lots of talks and sessions on very diverse aspects of teaching, mostly at tertiary level. One was by Myra Williamson from Te Piringa Faculty of Law here at Waikato, on Contract Cheating ...
There will be a transit of Mercury – the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the Sun – taking place at sunrise in New Zealand on Tuesday, 12th November. It was by observing such an event 250 years ago that James Cook and his scientist colleagues were able ...
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ...
National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
New Zealand First are celebrating the announcement of an investment of $3.5 million into five new trapping devices. These are a range of bait and trap devices, all designed to be left unattended for long periods of time. NZ First conservation spokesperson Jenny Marcroft says that this latest development will ...
Clayton Mitchell, Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs The ‘wheel clamping’ Bill that will cap clamper fees to $100 passed its third readinginParliament today. New Zealand First welcomes The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill to combat predatory wheel clamping behaviour in what is currently a largely unregulated business. Cowboy clampers are: gouging ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its first reading in Parliament. “Today’s progress takes serious action on the mental health and addiction crisis the country is facing,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Jenny Marcroft. “The re-establishment ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries Today the Government announced the delivery of the promise to protect New Zealand interests by applying a new National Interest Test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. This further strengthening of the Overseas Investment Act will ...
The Coalition Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high-risk assets to overseas buyers. Under current Overseas Investment Act (OIA) rules, assets such as ports and airports, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity and ...
Rt Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Allegations raised this morning by Stuff Limited / Fairfax concern a party matter but I am confident that New Zealand First has operated within electoral laws, now and for the last 27 years. Declarable donations were declared to the Electoral Commission. Our ...
The chairman of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy (UNISCS) working group, Wayne Brown, has hit back at critics of his group’s recommendations to relocate the Ports of Auckland cargo operations to Whangarei’s deepwater port of Northport. The working group's recommendation to close Auckland waterfront to all but cruise ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
The Coalition commitment to add 1800 new Police officers to frontline policing has been achieved with the graduation of 59 constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters say today’s graduation means 1825 new Police have been deployed all ...
Ensuring APEC work gets input from diverse New Zealand business and trade interests is behind three new appointments to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. Rachel Taulelei, Malcolm Johns and Toni Moyes have been appointed to represent New Zealand on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ...
Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa. Thank you for having me to speak today. To start, I’d like to acknowledge Sharron Lloyd, the General Manager of the Trans–Tasman Business Circle, the partners for this event Westpac’s David McLean, and Derek McCormack from AUT, and, of course ...
A four-month investigation by former Environment Court judge Professor Peter Skelton found that Otago’s freshwater planning system is not fit for purpose to manage the region’s rivers, lakes and aquifers and that the Council has inadequate rules for the taking of water and the discharge of nutrients. “Existing planning provisions ...
Introduction Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to speak to an LGNZ meeting since the local elections, and I’m delighted to see the fresh faces of newly elected mayors. To returning mayors here today, as well as chief ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters departs New Zealand today to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nagoya at the invitation of this year’s G20 President, Japan. “This is the first time New Zealand will attend a G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and we are deeply honoured that it is at ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of diplomat Carl Reaich as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the European Union. “The Ambassador to the EU is one of the most important and senior roles in New Zealand’s foreign service, advocating for New Zealand’s interests with the EU institutions,” Mr ...
Innovation and technology are behind five new tools to give nature a helping hand by helping eliminate predators, funded through the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “The new tools will be trialled in ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 2021 (APEC 2021) Bill in Parliament today. The temporary bill supports New Zealand’s security preparations for hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in 2021. “APEC is the leading economic and trade forum ...
The Government is making progress on improving the wellbeing of the one million New Zealanders under the age of 18,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on World Children’s Day. The Government has today recommitted to the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history – the United Nation’s Convention on ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter has released a new report celebrating the contribution of Māori women in business across Aotearoa New Zealand. “Māori women are leaders in our communities, they employ many people and support our economy and our communities,” Julie Anne Genter said. The report, Ngā wāhine kaipakihi: ...
Four parcels of land have been bought in Omokoroa, in the Western Bay of Plenty District, for an education facility that will accommodate both a primary and secondary school on a campus-like facility, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Two parcels were acquired from private land owners and two were ...
1 million New Zealanders warmed by the Winter Energy Payment 36,000 families bank the Best Start Payment in first year 6,000 more families received the Family Tax Credit, 220,600 in total They receive an increase too – from an average of $117 to $157 a week for Inland Revenue clients, ...
New rules to clamp down on overzealous wheel clamping and extortionate fees charged in order to release a vehicle have passed their final stage in Parliament today. The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill has now passed its third reading. “These changes mean $100 will be the maximum wheel clamping ...
An independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is a step closer after it unanimously passed its first vote in Parliament today. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill lays the groundwork for establishing the Commission as a fully independent crown entity – delivering on a key recommendation of He Ara ...
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to screen travellers for border and immigration risks off-shore before they travel to New Zealand. It was launched in August and became mandatory on 1 October 2019. More than 500,000 NZeTAs have been issued since ...
A proposed national plan of action to reduce the number of seabirds caught in fisheries is being circulated for public feedback. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage say New Zealand is a global centre of seabird diversity with about 145 species in our waters. It has more ...
The Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. Associate Finance Minister David Parker said under current Overseas Investment Act rules, assets such as ports and ...
The Government is building special housing to accommodate one of Aotearoa’s greatest taonga- our kaumātua, says the Minister for Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Speaking at a National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference in Rotorua today, the Minister reinforced the importance kaumātua play in maintaining and passing on mātauranga Māori, knowledge, ...
Eleven men from a pilot forestry training programme for prisoners in Northland now have full time jobs or job offers upon release, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis and Forestry Minister Shane Jones announced today. The ‘release to work’ programme was a collaboration between Te Uru Rākau and the Department of Corrections, ...
Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins today introduced into Parliament a Bill that will make it easier for the public service to tackle the biggest challenges facing Governments. The Bill represents the most significant change in the public service in 30 years. The State Sector Act 1988 will be repealed ...
The families of more than 416,000 students will be better off next year as their schools have signed up to the Government’s donations scheme, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. The scheme will see almost $62.5 million in additional Government funding go to schools nationwide next year. “I’m really pleased ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced further support as the Government of Samoa responds to a serious measles outbreak. “New Zealand will deploy a further 18 vaccination nurses, bringing the total to 30 working in Samoa over the next four weeks,” Mr Peters said. “A New Zealand Medical Assistance ...
Fa’atalofa atu, malo e lelei, Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you to the Child Poverty Action Group for asking me to be here today to provide an update on some of the things that have been happening across my the social development portfolio. Can I firstly acknowledge the vast ...
***Please check against delivery*** Good morning everyone. It is a pleasure to be with you this morning to open this year’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Conference and AGM. Firstly, thank you Dr Alan Jackson, NZTR Chair for your introduction. And let us acknowledge also: The NZTR Board; Dean McKenzie, Chair ...
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer and more secure, Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Kris Faafoi has announced today. Both renters and landlords will benefit from the suite of practical changes to the Residential ...
A marine conservation milestone - the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve - is being celebrated today at a community event in Tairāwhiti/East Coast attended by the Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “The creation of this marine reserve in November 1999 was a game ...
The Government is asking the food industry to step up work to tackle obesity including reducing sugar, fat and salt in their products, better information for consumers, and tighter restrictions on advertising to children. Health Minister David Clark and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor have responded to a ...
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter says today’s release of sexual and reproductive health data reinforces the significance of the Government’s commitment to providing free or very low-cost contraception. The Ministry of Health today published statistics from the Ministry of Health’s 2014/15 Health Survey. “It is important people can make ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that at the request of the Samoan Government, New Zealand will be providing further support to Samoa as it faces a worsening measles outbreak. “In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3000 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s government is heading to the end of 2019 amid a debate about its economic judgement and with a number of substantial policy moves started but not completed. Morrison this week delivered to an ...
Newsroom's major investigations into Oranga Tamariki and a Fijian resort development have won us the award for best current affairs programme at the NZ TV awards. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Christoff, Associate Professor, School of Geography, University of Melbourne A new United Nations report shows the world’s major fossil fuel producing countries, including Australia, plan to dig up far more coal, oil and gas than can be burned if the world ...
New Zealand First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters with Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.New Zealand is officially one of the least corrupt countries in the world. But it could be argued that our political system is still biased in favour of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Hamilton, Strategic Advisory Panel Member, Australian-German Energy Transition Hub, University of Melbourne The possibilities presented by hydrogen are the subject of excited discussion across the world – and across Australia’s political divide, notoriously at war over energy policy. Read more: Hydrogen ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.We’re still buzzing after the rip-roaring success of the Corny Christmas party this week and we won’t even let a rogue earwig in the studio dampen our spirits. There’s a lot of exciting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains images and names of deceased people.Review: Linear, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney The value of Australian First Peoples’ scientific ...
Sam Brooks reviews the latest generation of the Pokémon games which finally hits the big-ish screen.“I love Pokémon but I wish I could play it on my TV.”I’ve been playing Pokémon for 20 years and that’s been the main thing I’ve heard from my fellow Pokémon friends/fans. The games have been engrossing, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Minister Stuart Robert this month announced a number of “practical changes” to the scheme. Acknowledging the NDIS is not consistently living up to expectations, he said these improvements will put ...
The trustee of the New Zealand First Foundation and Winston Peters' personal lawyer has threatened a $30 million lawsuit against a National MP, in the latest twist of the donations scandal. ...
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum based in the Asia-Pacific Region. New Zealand will host APEC 2021 in November 2021, with related events running for a year from December 2020 until November 2021. ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Dr Brian Ward of soft-tissue repair company Aroa.Dr Paul Callaghan, who inspired Callaghan ...
Emerging political leaders from 15 Pacific countries and territories will be in New Zealand next week to meet with one and other, and their New Zealand counterparts, to discuss major challenges and opportunities in the Pacific. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Billingsley, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, UNSW The small number of Australians being held in prison camps in northern Syria has been an ongoing, albeit low-level, challenge for the Australian government. There are believed to be eight Australian fighters for ...
Louise Mensch is set to hit New Zealand airwaves this evening. Who is this conspiracy theorist and what could she possibly be saying to Lisa Owen?Who is Louise Mensch?She’s a former Tory MP, founder of the Rupert Murdoch-funded “no safe spaces” website Heat Street, a romance novelist, and a conspiracy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis McNevin, Professor of Forensic Genetics, University of Technology Sydney Designer baby, anyone? A New Jersey startup company, Genomic Prediction, might be able to help you. Genomic Prediction claims to be able to use DNA testing to predict disease risk in an ...
Marion McLeod revels in the return of Olive Kitteridge, the compassionate curmudgeon who won Elizabeth Strout a Pulitzer Prize. It’s the year of the sequel: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Toy Story 4, Rambo 5 … Do movies ever make it to double figures? Books and miniseries certainly do. Genre ...
National is questioning those in charge of the Provincial Growth Fund after it was revealed a NZ First-linked forestry company made an application to the fund, headed by NZ First MP Shane Jones. ...
James Borrowdale spent the last cricket season examining Neil Wagner and his unique approach to bowling. Today, in the first test of the Black Caps’ summer, Wagner returns.Neil Wagner has a wicket. He freezes mid-pitch, fists clenched at his side, knees slightly bent, a roar on his lips. His brows ...
A record volume of resales of units in its retirement villages has boosted Ryman's first half profit with the second half expected to be stronger than the first, the company says. ...
The main problem with HIV today is stigma – and it is almost entirely based on outdated information and fear, says Mark Fisher of HIV+ support organisation Body Positive ahead of the World AIDS Day Festival which opens in Auckland tomorrow.A person living with HIV on effective treatment cannot pass ...
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is hoping floating platforms will help to keep the chicks of a central Christchurch colony of critically endangered tarāpuka/black-billed gulls from drowning this breeding season. ...
The Foundation Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR) is a newly formed NZ-based independent Muslim human rights advocacy organisation. One of the key projects of FAIR is to provide a Report Islamophobia ( http://report.islamophobia. ) portal where ...
The Royal Commission held its fourth hui with the Muslim Community Reference Group in Christchurch this month as part of an ongoing discussion with Muslim communities. ...
The Spinoff presents the premiere of buzzed-about Auckland post-punk band Daffodils’ new music video ‘Boys’.Theo Spike Salmon says:I wrote ‘Boys’ two years ago, around the end of high school. We’ve revised stuff, and played around with slightly different structuring, but it’s honestly not changed much at all. When I wrote ...
A Waikato stud owner Garry Chittick reveals as a New Zealand First donor says he doesn't care how the money got to the party, as long as it was used to benefit it. ...
In the wake of Wellington City Councillors voting for a 28 per cent increase in their base salaries , the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning Iona Pannett’s decision to take a second salary. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams ...
For nearly six years, Laura Giddey has been a permanent house sitter in Auckland. Here, she explains why she does it and how it’s changed her life for the better. It all began in December 2013. I had a friend whose husband was in the navy and was going away for ...
A Waikato stud owner revealed as a New Zealand First donor says he doesn't care how the money got there, as long as it was used to benefit the party. ...
The Point of Order Trough Monitor, programmed to alert us to ministerial handouts, nevertheless sounded the alarm when the latest Provincial Growth Fund spending was announced by a politician further down in the pecking order. Accordingly we have learned that the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has allocated $3.5 million to develop ...
Fonterra’s farmer shareholders might have been stung by pangs of envy as they looked into the next paddock, and discovered how another company in the same industry is racking up huge revenue gains from the same markets in which their co-op is competing. But A2 Milk, a company founded in ...
In the 1970s, agriculture made the largest single contribution to New Zealand’s economy, but other industries, especially services, have become more dominant in recent years, Stats NZ said today. ...
Government finance statistics (general government) gives an economic representation of New Zealand's central and local government financial activity. ...
The government should look at an unemployment insurance scheme and add new benefits to help support people who lose their jobs, the Productivity Commission suggests. ...
Today Hāpai Te Hauora’s Māori Public Health Team launches "Tobacco is Not Our whakapapa" a series of video clips which seeks to re-center whakapapa in the narrative of tobacco harm minimisation. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.NZ First Matt Shand (Stuff): Who are the donors behind the NZ First Foundation? Matt ...
A leaked email from prominent share broking firm Forsyth Barr perpetuates a tediously old-fashioned idea of the way people think – and it isn’t even salvaged by wit or originality, writes business editor Maria Slade.Investment manager Forsyth Barr’s daily market commentary came with a seasonal extra on November 1. Atop ...
Newly released documents reveal Cabinet considered whether immigrants should be forced to take their elderly parents with them if they leave the country. ...
More than 640 letters in parcels filled with nonrecyclable single-use plastics have been mailed to MPs in Parliament via freepost since the plastic2parliament initiative started in mid-October. Another 125 plastic-stuffed letters were directed to National ...
Agrochemical company Ravensdown is risking potentially disruptive direct action by refusing to allow port workers to register their protest at the importing of Blood Phosphate from the Western Sahara, says the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU). ...
A few days ago, Fanimals announced it would not be returning for another season. Emily Writes, and her kids, are heartbroken.On my list of things I might write about one day it simply said ‘Fanimals’ sandwiched between ‘How old is BeckBroJack?’ and ‘Is Peter Krause the most dad-like dad on television?’I ...
Family First says that the trend to extend daycare times, and its role to be virtually de facto parents, is concerning, ignores the real needs of children, and reinforces the need for more support to be given to parents with young children. “Babies are ...
Donors to NZ First’s slush fund believed they were making political donations to the party itself in accordance with the law – especially as an NZ First MP organised some of the donations. ...
When the current coalition government was formed, there was some comment that this was perhaps New Zealand First's last chance at political redemption. The party's two previous stints in government had failed to last three years. The 1996-98 coalition ...
Newly released documents reveal the cabinet considered whether immigrants should be forced to take their elderly parents with them if they leave the country. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gavin Rowell, Associate Professor in High Energy Astrophyics, University of Adelaide The brightest fireworks in the universe are called gamma-ray bursts and are created by the death throes of certain kinds of stars. These intense blasts release as much energy in one ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McPhee, Emeritus professor, University of Melbourne We live in a world of violent challenges to the status quo, from Chile and Iraq to Hong Kong, Catalonia and the Extinction Rebellion. These protests are usually presented in the media simply as expressions ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Sadler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne A career in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), or the armed forces in any country, can be rewarding, but also demanding. Challenges include the rigorous training, frequent moves, and maintaining social connections. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aniko Blanka Toth, Postdoctoral Fellow, Macquarie University As the world grapples with an extinction crisis, our large mammals are among the most endangered. These threatened species – rhinos, pandas, tigers, polar bears and the like – greatly influence their ecosystems. So what ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Nickl, Lecturer in International Comparative Literature and Translation Studies, University of Sydney In September, the Fair Work commission rejected an unfair dismissal claim by a BP worker who made a Downfall video meme about his boss. Fair Work called it “inappropriate ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Dozens of electorates will have boundary changes, Zespri launches legal action over special kiwifruit, and more tumbles out of NZ First Foundation.Dozens of electorates will see their boundaries change, and a whole new electorate will be created in Auckland, if ...
On a farm near Rotorua, breeding rams are having their methane-laced burps measured - so the next generation of lambs can be bred from climate-friendlier fathers. ...
Back from a freak injury, White Ferns quick bowler Lea Tahuhu continues to make the most of her "gift" as the world's fastest woman with a cricket ball ...
NZ phone companies and the government are setting up a system that will identify scam callers within hours and, they hope, stop them in their tracks, the Spinoff can reveal.We’ve all received them. The calls from strange corners of the world at odd times of the day. After I made ...
The process to appoint Steve Hansen looks increasingly like a farce as quality candidate after quality candidate rule themselves out. Was it all preordained, asks Jamie Wall.For an awful lot of 2019, I was one of the select few that sat in a room with Steve Hansen several times a ...
News that one big publisher wants to buy the other, giving the state a Kiwishare to avoid regulatory objections, complicates a media crisis the government hasn't yet addressed. ...
Daily Review 26/09/2017 
Apparently, some people enjoy washing their cars. Each to his or her own, I suppose. I mean, some people like duck shooting, some people follow Coronation Street, and some people’s idea of a good day out is to sit on a grass bank at Seddon Park and watch cricket all ...7 hours ago
Last week we learned that New Zealand First had apparently tried to enrich itself from public office, with a dodgy forestry company linked to a number of NZ First figures sticking its hand out repeatedly for government money. Today in Question Time Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had his ...8 hours ago
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The Council of Disobedient Women has learned that the Prefect of Aro Valley has been promoted to a new role with the blessing of the Pope of Wellington. Softy Jejune Parson has been appointed Mother Superior of Woke Wellington for the work she has been doing calling out heretics, ...1 day ago
On both sides of the Atlantic, some purportedly “contentious” and “difficult to deal with” leadership contenders to lead the US and UK, as President and Prime Minister respectively, seem to have thrown a few spanners into the works of the normal messaging most are used to hearing constantly. Except they’re ...1 day ago
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Marcon is a anti worker scum bag. Only up side is he is showing us all that socialism is the only real alternative to this beige revolution.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/macron-labour-laws-reforms-new-france-union-protests-a7962141.html
The anti-(((globalist))) movement is global, apparently.
/
The triple parentheses are used by neo-nazis to indicate likely Jewish names or organisations and is used as an anti-semitic slur. It would be a good idea to avoid giving the impression that you share their sympathies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_parentheses
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2016/jun/12/echoes-beating-the-far-right-two-triple-brackets-at-a-time
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/triple-parentheses-echo
Thought the / would do the trick, but yeah.
That’s tricky. People have been using double and triple parentheses for a lot longer than that to signify hugging someone online.
Another one of their appropriations, like Pepe.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ywwxj7/pepe-the-frogs-creator-gets-alt-right-childrens-book-pulled-vows-to-aggressively-enforce-his-intellectual-property
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8x8gaa/pepe-the-frogs-creator-lawsuits-dmca-matt-furie-alt-right
HugsHugsHugs(((Palestine)))HugsHugsHugs
Just saw bill English on the news after hearing him earlier on the radio.
He was give us a categorical assurance the Winston Peters’ leak didn’t come from his lot.
Yes Bill, we hear you, and we all know how honest you are.
Exactly Pete. It an honest world English would be punished for lying.
A brave journalist would say, “Since you lied about the Hole and about Tax hikes why would anyone believe a word you said Mr PM?”
Well I can just see Hosking doing that……
And the media go on about the Nat’s ‘moral authority’ without a trace of irony.
But, but .. I take people at their word, no one ever lies to me, I’m a very important caretaker – sarc as
Yep the news was not leaked. The media had a really good guess or maybe the news came to them in a dream. Nothing to see here. Ministers who are the biggest gossips in the country did not tell anyone else. Move on nothing to see.
Great guessing skills too what with the $18,000 punt.
Exactly. Since that scandal erupted, I have noticed a caginess from all the main political suspects. Six weeks out from an election and you can’t tell me the ministers involved managed to resist the temptation to gossip outside of the inner circle. Of course they did.
The anonymous caller to Newsroom was apparently a man and according to an article I read online this morning (can’t remember where it was) he was “well informed”.
Has anyone had the call traced? It might lead to nowhere but you would think someone would have tried.
Btw, where’s Jason Ede?
With all the Nats & Greens getting together conjecture and folks saying how they can do it in Germany, it’s interesting to see where our respective Green Parties sit in on the political compass…
In NZ…
https://www.politicalcompass.org/nz2017
and in Germany..
https://www.politicalcompass.org/germany2017
A different shade of green maybe?
NZ First is further left than Labour? I find that dubious. TOP also isn’t neoliberal, in my view.
Political parties are complex, so it is difficult to place them at some point on such a chart. Perhaps it would make more sense to draw a region where the policies more or less fit — some parties are focused, while others have divergent ideas.
Economically further left
Because they oppose TPPA?
I think people are confusing Muldoon style protectionism with economics more typical of the left. The clue is in the party name, really.
Norman Kirk-style, as well.
But when you look at policies like what NZ1 even did with National from 1996, and compare it with Clark’s Labour, it’s definitely an arguable position. Things like free GP visits for <4 year olds and the super goldcard.
Especially when things like kiwirail and kiwibank were Alliance policies.
On the flipside, NZ1 has strong social conservatism themes and tolerated Prosser's statements (well, until he started talking tactics and renationalisation, lol).
And the blackmailers are out in force, from checkbooks being put away to concerns about the effect on the economy – the news are drumming up the beat in big letters everywhere. Just so that we all have a moment of angst so that we duly say hurray when National is selected to govern.
The longer these negotiations go the more pity I have for the party being the final winner(s). Why? Because in a few weeks time those hysterical soothsayers will have talked NZ economy into a severe downturn. Let Mr English get this round because with his friends fanning the fire it will be his last hurray and Mrs Ardern has time to really get her ducks into a row. Mr Peters by association will be gone too (I am 100% sure he will go with Nat) and Bob is your Uncle.
Last time Winston Peters held the balance of power and kept everyone waiting, business ticked along without a bat of an eyelid.
The more politicians can stay out of business (even if it’s just being caught up in their own affairs), the more businesses like it.
Utu.
Best served cold.
‘Winston Peters could be out for revenge against National over their attempts to take him down during the campaign.
A New Zealand First source has told Newshub Peters is particularly resentful towards Steven Joyce, whom he personally detests.
The Newshub tip-off
The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.’
Lots more here……
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/patrick-gower-winston-peters-wants-utu-from-steven-joyce.html
More here…
‘Video footage has emerged of Winston Peters making a scathing attack on Bill English and a number of other MPs – saying they have created an unstable government that has exacerbated poverty.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11926450
The media seems intent on trying to sink any chance of a Lab/Green/NZ First coalition.
The Nats tried and failed to take out New Zealand First.
Joyce is a piece of work.
The media are simply reporting facts.
Got a problem with that?
Peters hates the media, they’re trying to manipulate him into going with Labour and the Greens.
So the dirty politics reported is a fiction?
Probably, media just make up shit they have no credibility.
So this is a lie?
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
It was an anonymous phone call, from a blocked number, from a man who knew lots of details.
It could have been a public servant.
But investigations by the Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue and Ministerial Services, which manages staff in the Beehive, have all failed to find the leaker.
That leaves a senior crew as suspects – two ministers, Anne Tolley and Paula Bennett, as well as the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff Wayne Eagleson.
‘The tip was given to Newshub on the Friday six weeks out from the election just as National was undertaking its co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters.
Utter bullshit and fake news, there was no co-ordinated attack on Winston Peters. going on, the whole thing appeared out of nowhere.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
Sounds like you may be correct.
‘New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has lashed out at a media report tonight alleging he was out for “utu” against the National Party.
The report on Newshub said National launched a “four-pronged attack” on Peters – and now the kingmaker was out for revenge.
Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider.
However, Peters hit back quickly, saying “whatever Patrick Gower and the Newshub producers are on, they should get off it”.
“Their TV news broadcasts the last two nights have been fiction, and grossly misleading. I will not be explaining what parts are fictional. Some of it is barefaced lies.
“This news broadcaster is claiming sources that don’t exist. It’s the very worst form of journalism,” he said.
“Newshub political editor Patrick Gower claimed his source was a New Zealand First party insider”.
I will no doubt be considered as being excessively cynical but I have always thought that the leak was from the ultimate “New Zealand First insider”.
I think it came from Winston himself. Probably one of his acolytes as his own voice is far too whisky hardened and recognisable to dare make the call himself.
I suspect he thought it would get him some welcome publicity when he was being ignored by all the reporters.
He would stand out in contrast to Turei as someone who had immediately repaid the money and could make a plausible case that it was an accident.
I notice he still won’t release the original application he put in though. Now if that ever genuinely leaked it might be explosive.
I really doubt that.
Fuck the media, they’re a fucking joke, they have no credibility.
They certainly did a very poor job of exposing National’s lies during the election campaign. However, the liars have even less credibility than the people who failed to expose their lies, so, on the whole, I’d take journos’ word for it over National’s.
That’s a pretty sad indictment of the state of the nation. True though.
BM
” just make up shit they have no credibility.” This is surely an accurate description of your beloved Party
They’re not trying to manipulate him. They have no hope of doing that.
So they’re trolling him then? again bad for the left.
The sun comes up in the morning.
BM: “That’s bad for the Left.”
yep – oh dear rain – bad for the left that one says BM sagely
BM’s right hand makes “scissors”, his left chooses “paper”. Next up, right plays “rock”, BM’s left tries “scissors”. In a final effort BM’s left hand goes first, plumps for “paper”, only to be met by the right hand’s elegant “scissor”!!; is it any wonder BM’s a bit jaded about the left???
Maybe Paddy should have added that Winston detests the media the most, especially when they spin shite.
I hope that he reforms the media when in power.
+ infinity and beyond
That would be good to see but I think we’ll need a seismic shift in the whole political system before we can hope for an independent media. Or at least some form of transparency so they can be seen for what they are, mostly fanboys and girls for neoliberalism and underminers of democracy.
I pine though for a NZ media and commentariat free from Hosking, Williams, Garner, Richardson, Gower, Young, Trevett, Armstrong, Watkins, HDP, Hooten, Boag, …… The roll of dishonour is long and undistinguished.
Would you regard it as acceptable if a right-wing Government should be allowed to shut down news sites like this one? I certainly hope not.
I suppose you would only silence people you don’t like.
Who said anything about shutting down blogs? I think that’s your authoritarian imagination running away with itself there.
Nationalising the airwaves and restoring the commons, taking them back from corporations.
Setting them up for grassroots local organisations.
Thereby organising a democratic media, not one run for big business interests.
Ed, yes please and thank you
Those with more money should not have a louder voice.
Am sick of the gossipy news, we can find that in the womans day, facebook, entertainment websites or whatever, I just want decent credible journalism, that is investigated rather than perpetuated gossip all over the telly, in the printed media and on their websites, click bait gossip central. Opinions on politics from sports presenters, sick of that shite.
And the real kicker is, as soon as we have some decent investigated journalism, it’s slammed. Like JC going off air etc.
I am grateful for my weekly dose of international media scruitney, via The Listening Post.
Grey .. Fortunately now there are others beyond the dishonoured, and undistinguished …
Their time may well come, but at least there are alternatives!
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@boardroom/2017/09/26/49345/productivity-growth-still-missing-in-action
OK lefites – this is a BIG warning sign not to jump on the Nat-Green alliance band wagon.
Jane Clifton tweeted that, with respect to the floated Nat-Green alliance:
This floated scenario is not in the Lab-Green interest.
It’s in the Nat’s interest to have another party to play off against NZ First.
Yep. If only the left had the resources to have people run disruption lines in the media …
We could organise instead, just saying .
Here we are post-election getting our attention and energy taken up by another round of bullshit. (have to say Clifton’s joining the dots is useful though). Maybe it’s just me feeling overloaded with things to push back against and still the left is just not that willing to work together (although parts of it do obviously).
I’m in the middle of writing a Guest Post about the Green Party and all the BS that blows around. I hope you will like it enough to post it here when it is finished 😉
Excellent. Do you want me to put it up? I can flick you an email via the address you comment with.
I think I already have your e-mail address from a previous Guest Post 😉
If not, I know where to find you 😉
Lol, true. Drop me a note here too, might be an old address I don’t use often.
More fake news don’t be so gullible.
Don’t troll.
+100
I’m not trolling there’s a large chunk of National voters who’d prefer the Greens to Peters if that option was on the table.
Personally, I’d prefer the Greens, Peters is a yesterday’s man, his time has pretty much been and gone,
But if Peters is the only option, then Peters it is.
There’s also a large chunk of Green voters who would probably consider that option the worst outcome they could imagine.
Funny thing is I consider the Greens more of a religious movement than a political party.
From what I’ve seen of most religious organisations I’d expect the Greens to jump at the opportunity to convert the non-green heathen
Currently, they treat the right in the same way the US treats Muslims, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Lol, ok at least you’re trying in your trolling now.
Tell me BM, in the 9 years National have been in government what have they done to cultivate the relationships that MMP demands?
If they come up short in the next few weeks they’ll have only themselves to blame.
Why would the Greens or any other party for that matter sign up to the same fate that has befallen ACT and the Māori Party?
Many would describe neoliberalism as a cult.
Neoliberalism has brought out the worst in us
Paul Verhaeghe
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/29/neoliberalism-economic-system-ethics-personality-psychopathicsthic
Neoliberalism: the idea that swallowed the world
The word has become a rhetorical weapon, but it properly names the reigning ideology of our era – one that venerates the logic of the market and strips away the things that make us human.
By Stephen Metcalf
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/aug/18/neoliberalism-the-idea-that-changed-the-world
…. “From what I’ve seen” How many eyes do you have B.
Sounds like One to me!
So? That has nothing to do with what Carolyn posted, or what Jane Clifton tweeted. I see no reason to disbelieve her and the fact that there are a bunch of National voters who want their conscience’s salved over the environment, or who just can’t stand Peters doesn’t change that.
Basically all you are doing is saying you want National to have as much power as possible. No shit. Just be honest about it.
The world does not revolve around the whims of Gnat voters.
Gnats’ve had power for 9 years – if they’d done a halfway decent job they’d have an outright majority.
BM, Maybe that large chunk of national voters should have voted for the Greens if they really care about the environment. Rather than wanting the Greens with national because all they really care about is national holding power.
Given that National voters are actually environmentalists, especially the farmers. We are told.
lmao Robert 😀
Priceless Robert!! How are the trees??
Yes National’s policies over the past 9 years have really prioritised the environment. Our waterways are pristine, we are reducing the cow herd to tackle climate change, we are spending much more on DOC to protect our wilderness areas…..
I’d say a pretty small minority of Nats – based on Polling over recent years
In 2014 for instance National voters preferred the Conservatives as Coalition Partners (54% Reid Research 47% DigiPoll) followed by NZF (36% RR 38% DP) with the Greens way back
Doubt things have changed much
More to the point an overwhelming majority of Green voters prefer a Labour Coalition partner
Fake news from Jane Clifton?
I was going to post something last night after I heard Bolger on Checkpoint have a sly little dig that the Greens should consider going with National because there is no left or right when it came to the environment and advising JC to “watch that space”.
I thought maybe he was just being mischievous but then I noted all the other places this suggestion had popped up over recent days. I wondered if the whole thing was deliberate and being managed.
In many cases I thought the people suggesting it being a real option should have known better, particularly when any such coalition would need to ratified by 75% of Green Party members. So I thought they were either ill-informed, mischievous or worse.
Grey, Others are onto it!
There’s no need to have to listen to those has beens any more ..
Hooten has been pushing this barrel for some time now…that should be reason enough to dismiss it out of hand
Its “utu” time according to Mr Paddy Gower……….Mike, all over in a minute, Hosking declares NZ First holding country to ransom…………… the media are in a spin.
Oh for the sounds of silence after the ensuing media death rattle.
Paddy Gower is a fuckwit. He misuses his power to manipulate NZ politics. He does it during elections, and it’s what he’s doing this week too.
Hi weka – what do you mean when you say Gower is manipulating NZ politics “now”. Surely the elections been had and voters no longer have any influence. Surely Gower can only ever influence voters, rather than politicians? Is Peters’ decision likely to be guided by Gower’s effusions?
Lol, exactly.
Dirty Politics got normalised at the last election, they don’t even need a special hit team now.
Robert, I suspect Mr Gower is pushing the line “you heard it here first” and that he is “privy” to “inside” information from “powerful” informants who call up on “blocked” phone numbers “telling all”.
The media in this country are being exposed for the poor little sycophants they are. Sadly a fair number of a certain 46% buy into it.
I guess, Kat, but I don’t see how anything Gower says will influence the formation of the new Government. He can cant all he wishes but Winston will make his own call.
He wants to up his ratings though and he may have some delusional fog similar to Hosking that what he says certain politicians may actually listen too. Since Key left there is an apparent vacuum between the media and politicians generally.
Although having said that Jacinda seems to have the measure of all of them, which is fascinating to observe.
Good to see businesses taking the initiative and adapting.
Kiwi businesses commit to ‘no qualifications required’ hiring
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/97253320
They are being kind. There are a bunch of former Green MPs who will be looking for work.
Troll alert!
Joke’s on him when you consider that Russell Norman went on to head Greenpeace and Kevin Hague heads Forest and Bird, two of the most effective progressive lobbying/activist groups we have in NZ now. I’m betting the Greens shedding some MPs just seeded some more great activism.
Absolutely weka. Kevin Hague is dong a sensational job at F & B, not least because it has stepped up to do some of the work that DoC has long since given up on.
ScottGN – that’s funny also 🙂
I had a great admiration for Kevin Hague. He stood for what I thought a Green Party should be. When he didn’t win the leadership position I was greatly surprised, and disappointed.
He had also done something before he entered Parliament. He wasn’t just one of the career Pol Sci idiots who haven’t actually done anything in the real world. I’ll admit they are mostly in the Labour Party, rather than the Greens of course.
Russel Norman? Forget it. He hasn’t changed since he left Parliament. Look at the story this Blog covered where he tried to smear the Government just before Election Day.
How is his Court case going by the way? I wonder if Greenpeace will pay the fine?
I realise that Gareth Hughes is still in Parliament. However were he not, and it was quite close to happening, what would he do to support his family?
Go on a benefit?
The only thing I have seen him do, apart from being a joke as an MP was to dress up in a Star Trek uniform and pretend he was fighting the Klingons, or to have somewhat earlier been a stand-in in for Ronald McDonald. Has he done anything that has been useful to the world?
@alwyn
Cheeky bugger.
Alwyn – that’s funny!
To whomsoever it may concern:
“I have heard myself called a pessimist, and perhaps I have written some words of ill omen in my books … and perhaps I have spoken tonight some words of ill omen – but they are not words of despair. If we conjecture the decline and fall of this civilisation, it is because we hope for a better one. We are a tough race, we human beings; we have lived through an ice age and many ages of barbarism; we can live through this age of civilisation; and when at length it wears out and crumbles under us, we can “plot our agony of resurrection” and make a new age. Our business is to live. To live through… anything. And to keep alive, through everything, our ideal values, of freedom and courage, and mercy and tolerance.”
http://dark-mountain.net/blog/coming-down-the-mountain-a-farewell/
apparently more voted for National as they are perceived as superior managers of the economy…..perception is not reality.
“To sum up, New Zealand has lagged a bit behind the median advanced country since 2007/08, and has had no productivity growth at all for the last five years. We continue to drift further behind our closest neighbour, Australia, and now face the likelihood that before too long we’ll be overtaken by countries that, throughout modern history, were never previously as productive as New Zealand was, and which 30 years ago we’d have looked on as pretty hopeless cases.”
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/26/49345/productivity-growth-still-missing-in-action
Even the Aussies can see it…..God alone knows why 46% of NZ voters cant
“With at least 15,000 new homes needing to be built (not consented) in the city each year – more than double the current build rate – it is obvious that the housing situation in Auckland will continue to worsen as dwelling supply falls well short of rapid immigration-fueled population growth.
New Zealand needs genuine action on both the demand and supply-sides. And only Labour seems to have comprehensive policies (see here and here)”
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2017/09/nz-prime-minister-fails-badly-housing-defence/
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2017/09/nz-votes-yes-housing-ponzi/
I worry for many of those 46%.
Some are fools who believe the spin.
Some are cowards who believe the lies and scare stories.
Some are too lazy to research the issues.
And some pretend they care about child poverty, but their greed and selfishness trumps that when push comes to shove.
And finally there are the sociopaths.
maybe its “primarily there are the sociopaths”….the ones setting the agenda,writing the script and pulling the strings
Too true
… what was that tune National was in court for using during the last election campaign…?
(Been AFK from a couple of days before election, and trying to catch up)
Prime Minister of hurricane-hit Dominica: “To deny climate change is to deny a truth we have just lived”
I’ve been looking closely at the astounding destruction. What stuns me is how anyone survived at all. And pictures of yachts in known hurricane holes that are usually safe, just piled up over each other in tangled wrecks.
Cat 5’s used to be a once in a generation event; now we get several every year. Irma sustained winds over 270 km/hr for more than 24 hrs … that’s a grim statistic which bodes very ill for any nation within striking reach of these monsters.
An unusual convergence for the weather this time which hopefully won’t get repeated for at least 5 years.
But it will repeat. In the hurricane and typhoon areas it has been obvious for decades that with more energy, higher heat differentials, and above all else the ability to hoist more water into the atmosphere from climate change that there would be more intense storms rather than just more storms in those latitudes. Just as in our latitudes we’re going to get weather patterns lasting long and going further north from the pole and south from the sub-tropics.
Booth by booth – provincial South Taranaki lumps Whanganui city with National and their idiot.
http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017_preliminary/statistics/pdf/62_ElectionDay.pdf
Had to knock TeWhareWhero off the rss feed for badly formed feed for the second time in as many months. It was breaking the display off all the other sources in their latest post “The Neo-Libs’ Charter”
It can stay off now unless it gets fixed and I can be assured I don’t have to fix it another time.
Hmmm https://publicaddress.net website is offline
Someone with an email and or twitter to russell brown might like to tell him. I’m not sure that I have that stashed.
back now.
What an amazing election we had on the weekend! Can’t wait for the special votes to come in and be confirmed on the 7th October (Am I correct with that date). I have enjoyed reading some the threads and once I pull my out my digit out my ass I’ll comment on a few things like the Nelson electorate which in my view Labour can win. It good to see Chris Carter pop in for his take of the Auckland seats and how to fix the problem there in regards to the various ethnic groups in NZ.
Anyway I thought I’ll post this from the ABC about our record breaking temperatures over here in Oz ATM. In the southern states it’s dryer than a pub with no beer and up here in the top end a very early build up which is slowly driving everyone bat shit crazy ATM with a lot of fires in between a lot of drinking with all bugger all else getting done because it too bloody hot to do anything else.
Here’s the ABC link:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-26/bom-records-will-fall-as-eastern-australia-braces-for-heatwave/8988650
Here in Ballarat it’s been a long cold wet winter. 0 deg this morning and the heat pump is on again this evening. Crazy country.