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.
Anna Källén, Stockholm University and Daniel Strand, Uppsala University A middle-aged white man raises his sword to the skies and roars to the gods. The results of his genetic ancestry test have just arrived in his suburban mailbox. His eyes fill with tears as he learns that he is “0.012% ...
March 2021 The housing crisis right now in New Zealand is one of our biggest contributors to income and wealth inequality. “With the explosive increase in sales and prices, those with houses have their income and/or wealth rapidly increasing, and those who are not on the property ladder are falling ...
Samoans went to the polls on Friday, and delivered a stinging blow to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi one-party state. Pre-election Malielegaoi's Human Rights Protection Party had controlled 44 of 49 seats in Parliament, while using restrictive standing orders to prevent there from even being a recognised opposition in ...
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael BakerIn this blog we briefly consider a new Report from a European think tank that aims to identify an optimal COVID-19 response strategy. It considers mortality data, GDP impacts, and mobility data and suggests that COVID-19 elimination appears to be superior ...
Something I missed on Friday: the Māori Party has been referred to police over failure to disclose donations over $30,000. Looking at the updated return of large donations, this is about $320,000 donated to them by three donors - John Tamihere, the National Urban Māori Authority, and Aotearoa Te Kahu ...
Stormy Seas: Will Jacinda Ardern's Labour Government stand behind the revolutionary proposals contained in He Puapua – the 20-year plan devised by a government appointed working group to realise the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Aotearoa/New Zealand?“GETTING AHEAD of the story” is one of the most ...
For several decades under Labour and National-led governments New Zealand has claimed to have an independent (and sometimes autonomous) foreign policy. This foreign policy independence is said to be gained by having a “principled but pragmatic” approach to international relations: principled when possible, pragmatic when necessary. More recently NZ foreign ...
This video produced in Seattle looks at the gender identity curriculum used in schools in the US. A thin veneer of pseudoscience is being used to indoctrinate children with an ideology based on scientific and medical inaccuracies. ...
For once, I have written my submission on a bill with enough time to spare to both enocurage any of you who wants to make a submission to do so as well, and to give you time to spot the typos in mine.Louisa Wall's Harmful Digital Communications (Unauthorised Posting of Intimate ...
A friend found a concerning FB post (see below – this is a public post & so I have not redacted the name) & – as you do – immediately queried it with Southern Cross Life & Health Insurance as well as sending the screenshot to me¹. We both read ...
Judith Collins’ National Party leadership is under more scrutiny, with increased talk in the media of her being replaced by brand new MP Christopher Luxon. For many commentators it’s just a question of “when” rather than “if” Collins is replaced. While others ponder whether Luxon really has what it takes ...
‘Tis the season for unearthing the rarest gems in Tolkien adaptation – which, considering that the fandom has been dominated by Peter Jackson for nigh on two decades, is a positively heart-warming development. It is why I have devoted so much blog space to the obscure and weirdly wonderful ...
Whatever the damage, especially to the British economy, Brexit has done us a service by illustrating the complexity of trade.Brexit is the only example we have of two closely integrated sophisticated economies severing trading ties. The European Union and Britain still do not have tariffs or import quotas between them ...
The Palmerston North City Council has voted for Māori wards: Palmerston North Māori will be guaranteed one or two seats on the city council from 2022, and this time, there is nothing opponents can do about it. The council decided by an 11-5 vote at its monthly meeting this ...
Kids are striking for the climate today, demanding a decent, liveable future. Meanwhile, the National Party, the reliable servant of the farm lobby and other polluting businesses, is calling for action to be delayed: National has written to Climate Change Minister James Shaw calling for him to extend the ...
Today tens of thousands of schoolkids have walked out of school to strike for a future free from climate change. And tens of thousands of older New Zealanders have joined them. Their demands are clear: eliminate fossil fuels, implement 100% renewable energy with a just transition, and support our Pacific ...
The Gods That Failed.We studied the dialecticRead the whole of ‘Capital’So we could follow youSo we could follow youHow we shoutedHow we scrawledPainted slogans on city wallsOn prison wallsProof we had followed youBut, we still didn’t find what we’re looking forAnd we still haven’t found what we’re looking forWhen they ...
Conventional Wisdom? The Republican Right is convinced that to “go woke” is to “go broke”. It simply does not believe sufficient Americans feel strongly enough about social justice to make any kind of boycott remotely effective. Clearly, the Boards of Directors of more and more American corporations disagree. RECENT MOVES by ...
On November 25, 2020 Skeptical Science Inc. became a registered nonprofit organization and on March 17, 2021 our application to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) status was approved. In this blog post, we’ll explain why we went down this path and what will come next. Since its ...
Blowing Hot And Cold: Mike Hosking’s bosses should, perhaps, ask themselves what message Newstalk-ZB (and NZME) is sending to the people of New Zealand if Mike Hosking, their self-appointed “People’s Prosecutor”, is accorded bragging rights for “cancelling” the democratically-elected Prime Minister of New Zealand. Especially when said Prime Minister’s only ...
Ali Boyle, University of CambridgeIf you ask people to list the most intelligent animals, they’ll name a few usual suspects. Chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants are often mentioned, as are crows, dogs and occasionally pigs. Horses don’t usually get a look in. So it might come as a surprise that ...
Selwyn Manning and I dedicated this week’s video podcast to the potential emergence of rival blocs within the transitional process involved in the move from a unipolar to a multipolar international system currently underway. However one characterises the phenomenon–autocracies versus democracies, East versus West, colonial versus post-colonial–the global order is ...
With the rediscovery of the lost Soviet Lord of the Rings, the time has come for the important things in life. Specifically, compiling the Tom Bombadil scenes from the three known screen adaptations that feature him: This is a collection of scenes from:– Sagan om Ringen (1971: ...
Back in February the Climate Change Commission recommended a ban on new coal-fired boilers, and a phase out of existing ones by 2037. And today, the government has said they will implement that policy, and backed it up with funding to help transition some of our large pollution sources: ...
Back in 2014, the police raided and searched journalist Nicky Hager's home over his book Dirty Politics, seizing his journalistic work in an effort to identify his sources to please their political masters in the National party. The raid - and much of the police's related investigative work - was ...
By Professor Tony Blakely, Dr Tim Wilson, Luke Thorburn and Professor Nathan Grills, University of MelbourneA new web tool, COVID-19 Pandemic Trade-offs, allows people to weigh the costs and benefits of different policy responses as Australia rolls out vaccines and considers opening borders.See here for an associated explanatory ...
This evening I was engaging in polite conversation (well, I was polite, anyway) on an RNZ Facebook post about – you guessed it! – the covid19 vaccination program. One of those present offered up a link to a blog post by Joseph Mercola to support a claim he was making ...
by Jordan Levi (Contributed) I don’t remember when I first came across the concept of gender identity, but it was definitely before Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) came out as transgender because I’m sure that would’ve confused me way more if it was my first acquaintance with the phenomenon. The ...
The fact that the much vaunted “most advanced, richest Nation on the planet, ever”, that being America, ran into a brick wall in its responses to the problems across the world of late is because, at its heart, of the economic system that we’ve all been largely forced to ...
The EPA has commenced the 2021 “denewing” of new organisms. Their New Organisms team explain what this means, and ask you to put forward your proposals. The places we inhabit are shared with thousands of different kinds of organisms. They’re in the trees, flying in the sky, in our yoghurt, ...
As we roll out the COVID-19 vaccine across NZ there will inevitably be people who experience adverse events after getting their jab. Here are some super important things to keep in mind about adverse events following immunisation. Terminology – words matter Any event that is undesirable and follows administration of ...
Nature Climate Change celebrates 10 years of obfuscation The Nature Publishing Group is distinguished not only by what we're told (most of us must take somebody's word for it) are exceptionally high quality research publications but also by what some might term an outlier, extremist policy on locked-down content. In many ...
How can we stop the Ministry of Health censoring and sanitising vital mental health statistics to make themselves (and Ministers) look good? Legislate for annual reporting: Green Party mental health spokeswoman Chlöe Swarbrick says the Ministry of Health should be legally required to produce a wide range of mental ...
Here’s a few short interesting developments or discussions I’ve seen recently. Loosely bundled together in a theme of “values.” Irregular labour Is the private sector the best provider and facilitator of “gig work”? That’s challenged in a New Yorker profile of Wingham Rowan, an English social entrepreneur. For many years ...
In 1997 the Law Commission reviewed the OIA. In the process, they identified a problem: decisions to transfer a request could not be investigated by the Ombudsman under the Act. They also identified a workaround: transfer decisions by agencies subject to the Ombudsmen Act could be investigated under that Act, ...
The area of mental health has been a key strength for Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Government over the last few years. They campaigned strongly in 2017 on fixing up the dysfunctional system, and initially they made some vital strides forward in reforming the sector. An in-depth inquiry was instigated ...
By Jamie Stewart, Federated Mountain ClubsFederated Mountain Clubs (FMC), founded in 1931, represents 96 clubs, 22,000 members and 300,000 people that regularly recreate in the New Zealand backcountry. This article first appeared in the June 2020 issue of Backcountry magazine and is reproduced with permission. (Read the original article). ...
Stuff had an appalling story on Sunday about the Ministry of Health's attempts to hide unflattering mental health statistics and sanitise a regular report. The report came out last week, and showed a massive increase in the use of "seclusion", a practice which has been condemned by the UN Committee ...
Another unpleasant surprise at Tiwai Point: in addition to the declared stockpiles of toxic waste, they may have tens of thousands of tons secretly buried in the early 1990's to avoid the RMA: Investigators are looking into claims highly toxic waste has been buried in unmapped sites at Tiwai ...
This morning the government is deciding on the start-date for a trans-Tasman travel bubble. Note the way that that's phrased: the existence of such a bubble is taken as a given, and the only question is how to implement it. Obviously, we're going to have to re-open the borders eventually, ...
Qualified To Give - And Take - Advice: Most Labour MPs are self-conscious members of the meritocracy, meaning they have succeeded where the vast majority of their fellow citizens have failed. The primary political obligation, understood by all members of the First Labour Government, was to listen to the people. ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD A critical global shipping node – Egypt’s Suez Canal – was reopened on Monday, March 29, six days after being shut down when the 400-meter-long container ship Ever Given became lodged in the canal. A statement by the Suez ...
Red, red whines.That’s all you’ll hear.Not like those glory daysWhen we would cheer. Red, red whines.If it were up to us,We'd make a proper jobOf transforming the world. We would beMore than kind.Offer so much more than spin.Makes us sadWhen we findThere’s so much you won’t begin. Red, red whines.Now ...
Worlds Apart: According to the report of the British Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: “family structure and social class had a bigger impact than race on how people’s lives turned out”. These are not the sort of findings that New Zealand fighters against "White Supremacy" and "Colonisation" are eager ...
Caitlin Clark, Colorado State UniversityWhether baked as chips into a cookie, melted into a sweet warm drink or molded into the shape of a smiling bunny, chocolate is one of the world’s most universally consumed foods. Even the biggest chocolate lovers, though, might not recognize what this ancient food ...
Since December 2020, I have been working my way through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s corpus of Sherlock Holmes stories, in order of publication. As of today I have managed to finish this adventure ...
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 28, 2021 through Sat, Apr 3, 2021 The three apparently most popular posts on our Facebook page this week were John Cook's 23 Ways to Mislead (and how to spot them), Stanton Glantz' blog post ...
The Inward Journey: Indeed, this would appear to constitute the essence of the Gospel of Mary. That the teachings of the Christ are not to be read as a promise of victory over Death; but as an invitation to explore ever more fearlessly the manifold mysteries of Life.THE EASTER STORY is ...
It has never ceased to surprise me that those who profit at the expense of others are so unaware of the harm suffered by those they exploit, and are so convinced that they have a right to do the exploiting and that their profit is a proper and justifiable reward ...
The government’s recent housing package may work; will it do enough?Trick Question: Does New Zealand have a capital gains tax on housing? If you ask the Prime Minister she will say not. It is true that her government is increasing the scope of the ‘bright-line test’ on non-family homes to ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Kristen Pope Trees and other plants have been critical in helping to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. But newly published scientific findings suggest the clock may be running on vegetation’s forever continuing at the same carbon sink efficiency rate currently ...
Today is the goodest of Fridays. What better way to celebrate a day off work when everything is closed to honour one of the greatest minds ever to nestle his parliamentary buttocks one of those gigantic green seats in the debating chamber. Ladies and gentlement I give you… Mr David ...
Below, for those interested, I copy my submission on the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification (Urgent Interim Classification of Publications and Prevention of Online Harm) Amendment Bill.This is the government bill aiming to create a mandatory Internet filter. The bill is largely unnecessary, but in parts not as bad as people ...
Matt Parker, University of PortsmouthYou’ve probably heard that fish have a three-second memory, or that they’re incapable of feeling pain. Neither of these statements is true, but it’s telling that these misconceptions don’t crop up for other vertebrates. Perhaps it’s because fish appear so different from us. They don’t ...
So, corporate pillager Ron Brierley has plead guilty to possession of child pornography, and there are obvious calls for him to be stripped of his feudal honour (awarded in the 80's for services to his own banak balance). When faced with such calls in the past, the government has hidden ...
Rage, Rage, And The Crying Of The Right: Retributive populism is founded on the principle that the past was better than the present: and that unless there is a strong and unapologetic reassertion of the values and policies that dignified the past, then the nation’s steady decline will persist into ...
Jacinda Ardern can essentially say “kia kaha” as much as she wants to those at the bottom of the housing market, but it won’t help their plight. Eventually her government is going to have to take state housing seriously as a tool for helping solve the housing crisis – especially ...
Completed reads for March: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Another quiet month ...
It might just be me, but there are few things more exciting than the rediscovery of art previously thought lost. Even if it isn’t particularly great art, there is still the thrill of notching up a victory for human knowledge against the inevitable sands of time. There is a ...
Autotomy. There’s a word you don’t see every day – but those familiar with lizards may well have seen the result. For autotomy is the scientific name for what I suppose we could also call “self-amputation”: the process whereby an animal deliberately sheds a part of its body (a tail, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Ben Santer, and Richard Richels Governing from the White House by executive actions – whether by executive orders or variations thereon – has its pluses and minuses. Executive orders, for instance, can help get past rigid partisan opposition and ...
Massey's Cossacks: New Zealand's employer class didn't need the services of a Pinkerton Detective Agency – strike-breakers par excellence in the service of US industrial titans like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Not when the strapping sons of Waikato and Wairarapa cockies could be quietly trained and organised by ...
The Green Party supports the open letter released today by a cross-sector coalition calling for the Government to treat all drug use as a health issue, to repeal and replace the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. ...
Small businesses are not only the heart of our economy – they’re also the heart of our communities. They provide important goods and services, as well as great employment opportunities. They know and love their locals. And after a tough year, they need our support! ...
Green Party spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Teanau Tuiono MP, supports the demand from Pasifika communities fighting for climate action as their homelands are more at risk in the Pacific region. ...
The Green Party supports the six demands for climate action put forward by School Strike for Climate NZ, who are striking across the country today. ...
The Ministry of Justice Māori victimisation report, released today, reinforces what we already know about the impact of systemic racism in Aotearoa and that urgent action is needed. ...
Ricardo Menéndez March’s Members Bill to ensure that disabled New Zealanders do not face discrimination for having a disability assist dog was today pulled from the biscuit tin to be debated in Parliament. ...
More than one million people will be better off from today, thanks to our Government’s changes to the minimum wage, main benefits and superannuation. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to do more for New Zealanders who continue to miss out, as main benefits are set to rise by less than $8 a week tomorrow, Thursday 1 April (at the start of the financial year). ...
Sunday 28th March 70 Rongomaiwahine descendants welcomed members of the Green Party’s Māori Caucus, Te Mātāwaka, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and Teanau Tuiono, to discuss concerns about RocketLab’s operations on the Mahia Peninsula. ...
Applications are now invited from all councils for a slice of government funding aimed at improving tourism infrastructure, especially in areas under pressure given the size of their rating bases. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has already signalled that five South Island regions will be given priority to reflect that jobs ...
The Construction Skills Action Plan has delivered early on its overall target of supporting an additional 4,000 people into construction-related education and employment, says Minister for Building and Construction Poto Williams. Since the Plan was launched in 2018, more than 9,300 people have taken up education or employment opportunities in ...
An innovative new Youth Justice residence designed in partnership with Māori will provide prevention, healing, and rehabilitation services for both young people and their whānau, Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Whakatakapokai is located in South Auckland and will provide care and support for up to 15 rangatahi remanded or ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today expressed New Zealand’s sorrow at the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. “Our thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen at this profoundly sad time. On behalf of the New Zealand people and the Government, I would like to express ...
We, the Home Affairs, Interior, Security and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (the ‘Five Countries’) met via video conference on 7/8 April 2021, just over a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Guided by our shared ...
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni has today announced the opening of the first round of Ngā Puninga Toi ā-Ahurea me ngā Kaupapa Cultural Installations and Events. “Creating jobs and helping the arts sector rebuild and recover continues to be a key part of the Government’s COVID-19 response,” Carmel ...
Interim legislation that is already proving to keep people safer from drugs will be made permanent, Health Minister Andrew Little says. Research by Victoria University, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, shows that the Government’s decision in December to make it legal for drug-checking services to operate at festivals ...
Public consultation launched on ways to improve behaviour and reduce damage Tighter rules proposed for either camping vehicles or camping locations Increased penalties proposed, such as $1,000 fines or vehicle confiscation Rental companies may be required to collect fines from campers who hire vehicles Public feedback is sought on proposals ...
The Government is continuing to support Air New Zealand while aviation markets stabilise and the world moves towards more normal border operations. The Crown loan facility made available to Air New Zealand in March 2020 has been extended to a debt facility of up to $1.5 billion (an additional $600 ...
Christchurch’s Richmond suburb will soon have a new community hub, following the gifting of a red-zoned property by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to the Richmond Community Gardens Trust. The Minister for Land Information, Damien O’Connor said that LINZ, on behalf of the Crown, will gift a Vogel Street house ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the reopening of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ (MPP) Languages Funding in 2021 will make sure there is a future for Pacific languages. “Language is the key to the wellbeing for Pacific people. It affirms our identity as Pasifika and ...
It is a pleasure to be here tonight. Thank you Cameron for the introduction and thank you for ERANZ for also hosting this event. Last week in fact, we had one of the largest gatherings in our sector, Downstream 2021. I have heard from my officials that the discussion on ...
Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods has today announced the 16 projects that will together get $3.9 million through the 2021 round of Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund, further strengthening the Government’s commitment to Māori knowledge in science and innovation. “We received 78 proposals - the highest ...
The Government is delivering on a key election commitment to tackle climate change, by banning new low and medium temperature coal-fired boilers and partnering with the private sector to help it transition away from fossil fuels. This is the first major announcement to follow the release of the Climate Commission’s ...
Six projects, collectively valued at over $70 million are delivering new schools, classrooms and refurbished buildings across Central Otago and are helping to ease the pressure of growing rolls in the area, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins. The National Education Growth Plan is making sure that sufficient capacity in the ...
Two more schools are now complete as part of the Christchurch Schools Rebuild Programme, with work about to get under way on another, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins. Te Ara Koropiko – West Spreydon School will welcome students to their new buildings for the start of Term 2. The newly ...
The Government is acting to ensure decisions on responding to the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are informed by the best available scientific evidence and strategic public health advice. “New Zealand has worked towards an elimination strategy which has been successful in keeping our people safe and our economy ...
Six Māori scholars have been awarded Ngārimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial scholarships for 2021, Associate Education Minister and Ngārimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The prestigious Manakura Award was also presented for the first time since 2018. “These awards are a tribute to the heroes of the 28th ...
New Zealand’s aerospace industry is getting a boost through the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), to grow the capability of the sector and potentially lead to joint space missions, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods has announced. 12 New Zealand organisations have been chosen to work with world-leading experts at ...
The Government is backing more initiatives to boost New Zealand’s food and fibre sector workforce, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “The Government and the food and fibres sector have been working hard to fill critical workforce needs. We've committed to getting 10,000 more Kiwis into the sector over the ...
Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the Social Security (Subsequent Child Policy Removal) Amendment Bill in the House this evening. “Tonight’s first reading is another step on the way to removing excessive sanctions and obligations for people receiving a Main Benefit,” says ...
The Government has taken a significant step towards delivering on its commitment to improve the legislation around mental health as recommended by He Ara Oranga – the report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment ...
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has welcomed the Local Government (Rating of Whenua Māori) Amendment Bill passing its third reading today. “After nearly 100 years of a system that was not fit for Māori and did not reflect the partnership we have come to expect between Māori and the Crown, ...
New Zealand’s successful management of COVID means quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on Monday 19 April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the conditions for starting to open up quarantine free travel with Australia have ...
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little welcomed ngā uri o Ngāti Hinerangi to Parliament today to witness the third reading of their Treaty settlement legislation, the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill. “I want to acknowledge ngā uri o Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown negotiations teams for working tirelessly ...
Minister of Police Poto Williams has announced the members of the Ministers Arms Advisory Group, established to ensure balanced advice to Government on firearms that is independent of Police. “The Ministers Arms Advisory Group is an important part of delivering on the Government’s commitment to ensure we maintain the balance ...
Kiri Allan, Minister of Conservation and Emergency Management will undertake a leave of absence while she undergoes medical treatment for cervical cancer, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “I consider Kiri not just a colleague, but a friend. This news has been devastating. But I also know that Kiri is ...
Excellent progress has been made at the new prison development at Waikeria, which will boost mental health services and improve rehabilitation opportunities for people in prison, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. Kelvin Davis was onsite at the new build to meet with staff and see the construction first-hand, following a ...
To reduce the trauma of road crashes caused by drug impaired drivers, an Independent Expert Panel on Drug Driving has proposed criminal limits and blood infringement thresholds for 25 impairing drugs, Minister of Police Poto Williams and Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. The Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill ...
Temporary COVID-19 immigration powers will be extended to May 2023, providing continued flexibility to support migrants, manage the border, and help industries facing labour shortages, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Over the past year, we have had to make rapid decisions to vary visa conditions, extend expiry dates, and ...
Temporary COVID-19 immigration powers will be extended to May 2023, providing continued flexibility to support migrants, manage the border, and help industries facing labour shortages, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Over the past year, we have had to make rapid decisions to vary visa conditions, extend expiry dates, and ...
The Government is expanding its Pregnancy and Parenting Programme so more women and whānau can access specialist support to minimise harm from alcohol and other drugs, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “We know these supports help improve wellbeing and have helped to reduce addiction, reduced risk for children, and helped ...
*** Please check against delivery *** It’s an honour to be here in Rūātoki today, a rohe with such a proud and dynamic history of resilience, excellence and mana. Tūhoe moumou kai, moumou taonga, moumou tangata ki te pō. The Ahuwhenua Trophy competition is the legacy of a seed planted ...
The economic recovery from COVID-19 continues to be reflected in the Government’s books, which are again better than expected. The Crown accounts for the eight months to the end of February 2021 showed both OBEGAL and the operating balance remain better than forecast in the Half Year Economic and Fiscal ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson and Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash have welcomed confirmation New Zealand will host the opening ceremony and match, and one of the semi-finals, of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023. Grant Robertson says matches will be held in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin, ...
Changes to the minimum wage, main benefit levels and superannuation rates that come into force today will raise the incomes for around 1.4 million New Zealanders. “This Government is committed to raising the incomes for all New Zealanders as part of laying the foundations for a better future,” Minister for ...
The New Dunedin Hospital – Whakatuputupu has been approved for consideration under the fast track consenting legislation. The decision by Environment Minister David Parker signifies the importance of the project to the health of the people of Otago-Southland and to the economy of the region. “This project ticks all the ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood is getting Auckland light rail back on track with the announcement of an establishment unit to progress this important city-shaping project and engage with Aucklanders. Michael Wood said the previous process didn’t involve Aucklanders enough. ...
The Minister of Tourism is to re-open a government fund that supports councils to build infrastructure for visitors, with a specific focus on regions hardest hit by the loss of overseas tourists. “Round Five of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund will open for applications next month,” said Stuart Nash. It ...
A Governance Group of eight experts has been appointed to lead the next phase of work on a potential new public media entity, Minister for Broadcasting and Media Kris Faafoi announced today. “The Governance Group will oversee the development of a business case to consider the viability of a new ...
News highlights: Majority of experts expect rents to increase due to higher investor costs 57% disagree with extending the bright-line test All experts predict the OCR to hold at 0.25% in April Experts are concerned that tenants will cop higher rents ...
When local authorities tighten gambling regulations, player losses at the pokie machines are reduced. Around 10 percent of the New Zealand population is impacted by problem gambling. Those impacts include poor health, psychological distress, financial ...
From humble beginnings in Siberia, Taupo teenager Annabel Francis has taken the New Zealand showjumping world by storm and is on the verge of her first Olympics. There’s a couple of things which make Annabel Francis stand out in her world of showjumping. The first is physical. As her coach, ...
The government's move to make it mandatory for all testing of border workers to be recorded in a central register is being derided as months too late. ...
WATCH: Silver Ferns manager Esther Molloy talks about the stem cell transplant that saved her young daughter's life. Esther Molloy's dedication to the Silver Ferns is second only to her devotion to her family. And she knows the Silver Ferns always have Team Molloy's back, especially through the very tough times. ...
As QAnon adherents and Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, officials in New Zealand kept a close eye on how our alt-right community was responding and sharing content Government officials closely monitored the online activity of New Zealand's alt-right community as their American counterparts stormed the US Capitol building, as ...
Basic information on is missing, our screening programmes aren't up to scratch, and people are dying unnecessarily. Dr Peter Saxton lays out the problems with sexual health in this country. Sexual health has been making headlines. The spotlight has been on human papillomavirus (HPV), our most common sexually transmitted infection ...
The future of Samoa’s next government remains in the balance as the final election votes are counted, with a weeks-long wait for a definitive result - or a legal challenge - among the possible outcomes After 39 years of one-party rule, Samoan voters may - just - have finally looked ...
Eden Park thanks Auckland councillors for their supposed 'support' for concerts at the venue, offering them free hospitality to watch the first concert. But the invite hasn't gone down well with some, as Matthew Scott reports.An offer of a free ticket for councillors to the first concert at Eden ...
We resume our series on Charlotte Grimshaw's memoir. Today: ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias on navigating a friendship The fact that I'm friends with Charlotte Grimshaw as well as her parents Karl and Kay Stead, who she lovingly, persistently and ferociously hauls over the coals in her new memoir The ...
Vaccinations are up and running, but are they happening fast enough, why haven’t all frontline workers had their first shot, and what about the stats? Justin Giovannetti outlines the concerns being aired.While New Zealand’s Covid-19 vaccination programme is under way, it’s already hitting some bumps on the road to July ...
News of the travel suspension on flights from India resurrects uncomfortable memories for Melanie Sharma-Barrow – and other women of Indian descent like her, she writes.Twenty-two years ago, at university, I studied “citizenship and ideology”, a course exploring how ideology feeds the principles underpinning citizenship. When I learned about the ...
No one would argue against a Child Protection Act - but is a register for child sex abusers actually protecting children? Urgent changes to the law on the child sex offender register mean that hundreds of convicted offenders are back on the list. But one justice rights advocate says it doesn't ...
COMMENT: The Royals have repeatedly indicated NZ’s constitutional future is a matter for NZ to decide. They are not afraid of the conversation – but we are. The Public Trust Office constantly reminds us of the importance of leaving our affairs in order. Can the same be said of New Zealand, as ...
While some Green MPs are enjoying their newfound political freedom, co-leader Marama Davidson is fighting the restraints that come with holding ministerial office. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Nott, Professor of Physical Geography, James Cook University Tropical Cyclone Seroja battered parts of Western Australia’s coast on Sunday night, badly damaging buildings and leaving thousands of people without power. While the full extent of the damage caused by the Category ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tamasailau Suaalii Sauni, Associate Professor in Criminology Programme, University of Auckland Samoan politics is on a knife edge. After the country voted in general elections on April 9, counting so far has resulted in a dead heat between the two major parties. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Wellington, Senior Lecturer, Art History and Visual Culture, Australian National University In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted. If you are a country house fanatic ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane E Frawley, NHMRC Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney The federal government’s recommendation last week that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now the preferred vaccine for adults under 50 has shaken public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The Australian Technical ...
Health Minister Andrew Little has shot down calls for a swift overhaul of drug laws, saying any major change would first have to go back to a referendum. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bela Stantic, Professor, Director of Big data and smart analytics lab – IIIS, Griffith University Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout has hit yet another crossroads. Public confidence has wavered following the federal government’s announcement last week that the Pfizer vaccine was the preferred ...
“It’s unacceptable the Government won’t play hardball with unions and force those employees unwilling to get a COVID vaccine to vacate MIQ premises for another 18 days,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Stop pussyfooting about and take the ...
A year after MIQ was established, 86 percent of workers there have been vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says, while also signalling a state memorial service for Prince Philip. ...
New Zealand’s Ministerial engagement in the Trans Tasman GE Food Standards approval process has been silenced. The Conran review of the Council of Australian Governments COAG fora has recommended the dismantling of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is about to give an update following a Cabinet meeting this afternoon as more cases emerge from an Auckland managed isolation facility. ...
Our Beehive bulletin Has anyone been keeping tabs on the number of race-based “partnerships” established by the Ardern government? Another one popped up today, proudly announced by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis. It’s an “innovative’ as well as new Youth Justice residence “designed in partnership with Māori” to provide “prevention, healing, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Nott, Professor of Physical Geography, James Cook University Tropical Cyclone Seroja battered parts of Western Australia’s coast on Sunday night, badly damaging buildings and leaving thousands of people without power. While the full extent of the damage caused by the Category ...
A leading vaping advocate has joined mounting pressure on the Government to take all the necessary steps available to achieve the country’s decade-old smokefree ambition. This comes as Associate Health Minster Dr Ayesha Verrall prepares to release ...
News the Ministry of Education is bringing back a Provider Assessment Group, a ‘surprise visit’ investigation unit that shut down 17 early learning services will only add to providers’ woes. There’s no question safety and quality comes first, and we ...
With Popstars returning to our screens tonight, we turn back the clock and relive some of New Zealand’s most memorable talent show stars.Being the country that essentially invented the reality talent show, New Zealand has no shortage of memorable performers from the last 22 years of the genre. Ben Lummis. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Norman Gemmell, Chair in Public Finance, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Economists like to talk about “optimal policy instruments” — essentially, policies that achieve their objectives more effectively or efficiently than the alternatives, and have minimal unintended consequences. Judged ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yun Jiang, Managing Editor, Australian National University A powerful and assertive China poses significant policy challenges for Australia. Many of our most pressing policy issues have crucially important China angles, from freedom of speech on university campuses to scientific research collaboration and ...
The battle for political control is not yet resolved, but what is clear is this is the dawn of a new chapter for Sāmoan parliamentary democracy, writes Mata’afa Keni Lesa from Apia.Nobody could have scripted the preliminary results. Although the signs had been ominous for the powerful Human Rights Protection ...
As New Zealand’s community and voluntary sector played a street-by-street, home-by-home role in our COVID-19 response, the sector came under more pressure than ever before. Growing threats to the sector’s sustainability, and new insights on how Government ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is stunned a Hamilton City Councillor is using inflated official information costs to pursue ‘utu’ on the Union for a series of exposés relating to the Council. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said: “There ...
The current government needs to instigate far stricter controls on foreigners buying up New Zealand’s countryside says the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations as well as keeping the New Zealand public informed of the extent of outsiders buying ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s contentCovid: India travel ban Sandeep Singh (RNZ): Indian travel ban leaves Kiwis stateless Audrey ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Gorman, Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies, Flinders University Sixty years ago, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel in space when he completed his historic orbit of Earth on April 12, 1961. Out of respect for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University Among many surprising things about 2020 was how a novel coronavirus drove an equally novel upending of Australia’s political orthodoxy. The hackneyed election straightener, “it’s the economy, stupid”, got shoved aside for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Last week’s Essential poll, conducted March 24-28 from a sample of 1,100, showed a striking difference by gender over approval of Scott Morrison. With men, Morrison’s approval since February ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Ha, Associate, Grattan Institute The big question facing Australia’s National Electricity Market is how to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 without disrupted energy supplies or skyrocketing prices. Some say coal-fired power will be needed. Others say 100% renewable electricity is the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Apisalome Movono, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, Massey University In the world of research and scholarship, being published in academic journals is crucial to both the advancement of knowledge and the careers of those involved. In particular, the peer review process that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Spears, Director: Wellbeing Research Group, Centre for Research in Education School of Education, University of South Australia In an online petition launched by Chanel Contos in February, thousands of women have now disclosed instances of sexual harrassment and assault when at ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Meyrick, Professor of Creative Arts, Griffith University In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted.The Chichu Art Museum is located on the tiny island of ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for April 12, bringing you the latest news throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nzThe Spinoff can’t exist without our members. If you want to help us stay curious and keep our team across New Zealand’s breaking stories, please donate today. 8.00am: ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Change looms in Samoa after knife-edge election, another border worker has tested positive for Covid-19, and dozens of organisations call for Misuse of Drugs Act to be scrapped.The balance of power could be shifting in an important country in our ...
Business & Investing: Fear levels are down and optimism up in the US markets, Plus: Kiwi cancer diagnostic company Pacific Edge boosted by approval from US insurer ...
Just because you don't have to know the origin of your food doesn't mean you shouldn’t. Veronica Rotman provides a guide on what decisions we can make at the supermarket to avoid harming the oceans. Fifty years ago, we understood the ocean to be an infinite bowl of sashimi and snapper. The ...
We devote much of this week to the Charlotte Grimshaw memoir that everyone is talking about. Today: an excerpt from The Mirror BookIt was those banal, mundane life events that changed everything for me. My marriage blew up, I found myself alone, and in the aftermath I lost some ...
One of the most capped Black Sticks players in history, Sam Charlton, is seeing her hockey career through fresh eyes. It wouldn’t have been a shock had Sam Charlton decided to wind up her Black Sticks career a few months ago. So much has happened in the 251-test defender’s life since the ...
The nationwide rallies of students and other New Zealanders are showing the Government there's a mandate for climate action and changing the strikers themselves. ...
Decision-makers faced with environmental issues now have an artificial intelligence tool to make the science more accessible than ever Jim McLeod first used aerial images to see what was happening in the bush in 1995. “You could probably make out a house on it, but nothing smaller,” said the Waikato Regional ...
“A flood of stories about the likely impacts of new interest deductibility rules has necessitated a new website to hear them all,” says ACT Housing spokesperson Brooke van Velden. “Labour’s interest deductibility changes represent a stealth ...
Watching from the other side of the Tasman as housing back home goes from bad to worse, Paul Davies has one thing to say to his fellow New Zealanders: where the bloody hell are ya?It’s impossible to ignore the headlines. They keep revolving but seldom evolving. Derelict houses selling for ...
Instagram was once a place for holiday snaps and influencers’ brunch pics. These days, accounts galore are dedicated to drug dealing – and they’re advertising to the masses.Dealing drugs online is not new. The dark web has been a hive of illicit content for years: hosting child pornography, as a ...
Pokémon Go it’s not. But from swirly success icons and live stats to a flashlight option, Andrew Chen explains what’s changed, and why.Lastweek, theMinistryofHealthreleased a newversionofthe NZ Covid Tracerapp. After a lotofpublicdebate and discussionin ...
The temporary halt on travel from India to New Zealand is unprecedented. But so is the state of Covid-19 in India, writes Siouxsie Wiles.As of yesterday, travellers from India are prohibited from entering Aotearoa New Zealand. The ban is temporary and due to be lifted at the end of April. ...
Comment: The Government’s much-touted Kāinga Ora First Home Loan scheme is all-but-useless in many parts of the country because unrealistic house price caps mean buyers can’t find a house cheap enough to qualify. It’s nuts. ...
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.