Daily review 27/05/2019

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, May 27th, 2019 - 76 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

 

Daily review is also your post.

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

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

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

76 comments on “Daily review 27/05/2019 ”

  1. CHCoff 1

    Looks like the voters delivered a sensible result, largely ignoring the more radical hype while sensing/going for the need of an general progressive OS Update with the EU.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-26/europe-s-mainstream-holds-as-populists-fail-to-break-through

    https://www.ft.com/content/9733a232-7fe1-11e9-b592-5fe435b57a3b

  2. BM 2

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12234808

    I hope Mallard gets done for this.

    What a sociopathic arsehole.

    • The Al1en 2.1

      Yeah, 'cause alleged sexual predators and rapists always admit their guilt 🙄

      • BM 2.1.1

        Read the article.

        • The Al1en 2.1.1.1

          I did, earlier on, and thought 'well he would say that, wouldn't he?'

          If he's innocent, it'll all come out and you may get your duck trophy, but I'm hardly gonna take the word of the accused in a report by Soper as gospel.

          • BM 2.1.1.1.1

            The guy has already been investigated and the allegations were dismissed.

            For Mallard to call a hug rape is just insanity and just shows how fucked up everything has become.

            Hope he's sued and taken to the cleaners.

            • The Al1en 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Well let us see how it plays out, you may yet be correct, but it is odd how this alleged sexual predator/rapist, with the political connection, gets an interview printed in the herald telling their side of the story. Can't say I've seen that happen before. Is it unprecedented?

              • Muttonbird

                Probably personally known to Soper and the article reeked of the 'boys will be boys' excuse.

                Men like that just can't understand why women don't like a hug from behind with extra penis.

            • McFlock 2.1.1.1.1.2

              If the guy's version is the full and unedited story, then it's personal greivance time for him.

              But three formal complaints for being "old fashioned"? If you have to be told three times that your intimate space compass is broken, you aren't learning.

              • BM

                None of this makes him a rapist though.

                A hug, a peck on the cheek, a compliment.

                Come on people get a bit of fucking perspective, thank fuck I don't work in an office and especially I don't work in a Wellington public service office, Christ what a horrible working environment.

                • McFlock

                  None of this, being an uncritical portrayal of only his version of events, supported by documentation he supplied, makes him a rapist

                  Fixed it for you.

                  • Sam

                    Your mixed review belongs in a high school drama class. People will spend 8 hours a day at work. This old notion that you shouldn't date co-workers was always a ploy to make people work overtime. Of course people should date co-workers. For most people they may not even get a chance to meet and get to know anyone else properly. So go for it I say. Young, viral people struck by the opposite sex shouldn't advice from bitter old spinster veterans.

                    • McFlock

                      Who is talking about dating? That's consensual. At the very least what has been complained about was unwanted intimacy that creeped out the recipient. And that's by the dude's version of events. We didn't hear the other side, other than what Mallard said. The two do not seem to be equivalent, but neither side is talking about colleagues "dating".

                    • Sam

                      then define flirting

                    • McFlock

                      Flirting: Verb. Something not relevant to this thread, nor contained in the linked article.

                      Example:

                      The discussion so far is whether an unwanted hug, if that's all that was done, constitutes a serious sexual assault or even rape. But for some reason Sam wants to know what "flirting" means.

                    • Sam

                      Then any guy admitting to risky sexual advances should not fear rape allegations unless you can define what flirting is or is not.

                    • McFlock

                      This guy isn't admitting to sexual advances of any sort. He says it's three misunderstandings.
                      Your comments have nothing to do with the situation in question.

                    • Sam

                      This is crazy. You're quick to disregard flirtatious behaviour and quicker again to nitpick.

                    • McFlock

                      Did you even read the article or the thread? The only one to say anything was meant to be flirtatious is you.

                      He said it was an innocent hug in celebration. Not flirting. That he wasn't looking at boobs when he complimented a hairstyle. That the kiss was an innocent peck on the cheek after a visit to his home.

                      Flirtation doesn't come into any of that in anyone's imagination but yours.

                    • Sam

                      youre crazy

                    • Muttonbird

                      He's crazy?

                    • Sam

                      Yeah, McFlock (lol) is crazed. He produced a mixed review and you've got to ask why he does that. This can't be allowed to be the public dialogue. What we are doing is we are going to get pushed back by the establishment and attack for wanting change whether it's financially or politically or morally but we've got to carry on.

                      Some one like me shouldn't need monitoring, if you look at what I want politically it's not very controversial. What was supposed to happen post John Key was some kind of neoliberal revolution and all McFlock and people like him is doing, I mean why is McFlock being so radical and what is making him so woke and it is the commercial media.

                      The commercial media is deliberately misrepresenting and deliberately coming along and imagine you're reading the paper and suddenly here's some one you don't know saying you should hate them or love them and that's effectively what the commercial media is doing. And no one should buy into it and as sone as I challenge anyone on a commercial media topic they can't find what Iv said, why Iv said it, what the context was and it all just melts away a week or 2 later when everything has blown over like nothing ever happened. And that's crazy.

                      And everyone understands that woke people like McFlock are these sorts of moral busybodies that feel the need to come over and give you a piece of there mind because they are offended. That kind of tyranny is the sort of political correctness that has to stop, we have to be able to have these tough conversations because these problems are growing like a cancer in our society like, Rapists don't Spring out of parliament fully formed. That's just a ridiculous result of a long process of injustice to get to the point of a serial rapist and we see with McFlock that he is lashing out because the evidence of a long drawn out process of a serial rapist just doesn't exists.

                      And so you've got to just take the bullets and grenades and keep going and I'll keep making my little quips Y'know I'm not going to quit because we've got to keep going.

                    • RedLogix

                      @ Sam

                      From an evolutionary perspective females generally adopt a passive sexual strategy; they typically put most of their effort into making themselves appear attractive in order to gain the attention of the most desirable males. The core problem is that it also attracts attention from unwanted males.

                      The problem for males is that unless they initiate some sexual attention, they cannot test whether the attention is unwanted or not.

                      Societies have solved this problem in various ways; one traditional approach is to segregate the two sexes, another was various forms of courtship rituals and flirtation that placed clear expectations and boundaries on what was acceptable. The general process would be; women would attract, males initiate attention, females select and then males commit.

                      In addition the relative high biological cost of sex for women meant that traditionally there were strong constraints on female sexual freedom and a strong emotional aversion to unwanted sex. This is why rape was usually considered a crime only somewhat less serious than murder. But in the past 50 years the availability of reliable contraception means that the biological cost of sex for women is now a lot different to that of men, at the same time their evolved emotional aversion remains unchanged.

                      Socially this has resulted in a very mixed message; on one hand casual sex is now very commonplace and in particular female sexual freedom has been hugely expanded. At the same time the very high female emotional response to unwanted sex has been unmoored from the biological act of vaginal intercourse and extended to virtually any male sexual attention that is deemed unworthy.

                      In essence this means that any male attention that a woman does not want or later regrets now falls under this extended definition of 'rape'. It may not look like the old world idea of a violent physical coercion, rather what matters now is how the woman feels about what happened.

                      Under this greatly expanded definition all male sexual attention is now potentially rape. Which is why any flirtation, touching or a hug is now a criminal act unless the female first signs a legal document of some kind authorising it. While female sexual freedom is promoted, celebrated and expanded at every opportunity, the opposite is happening to all expressions of male sexuality.

                      In particular this can be seen where anything any women says about any sexual encounter must be intrinsically believed, while anything a male says is always the lies of a self-serving predator. We see this dynamic playing out even on this very thread.

                    • McFlock

                      Holy shit do you two have the wrong end of the stick.

                    • RedLogix

                      @ McF

                      At the very least what has been complained about was unwanted intimacy that creeped out the recipient.

                      I make a coherent case of why both you and Mallard may well be correct in the current social context … and you're still not happy?

                      This may be the reason why aliens don't talk to us. devil

                    • Sam

                      @Redlogix

                      Well I don't think it is wise to select a mate based on how they would satisfy specific traits of ones personality and preferences. My theory is that the perfect mate doesn't exist, at least Iv never seen a perfect relationship in real life.

                      Just arousing the thought of a sexual act, it could be a carton character, everyone is well aware that a cartoon character are not real, but non the less just arousing the fantasy of a sexual act in males and then utterly rejecting that act results in utter psychological devastation. This may be anecdotal because I am speaking from experience. Never the less cases of mental rejection can be worse than physical rejection or fighting.

                      In away we don't quite appreciate the logic of humiliation and rejection. The point is not to be brutal but to be perfectly brutal an honest the point is in away, that him NOT raping her or even making love to her, not doing it makes the humiliation even worse.

                      In my experience of woman who have been raped it is the strong independent woman that take it the hardest. Some woman just find it unbearable to live with the pain. The pain seems to manifest in reality and I am talking about specific woman that I have worked with in the past who was prevented from working in specific situations and I would have to talk to them differently. It's almost like sexual abuse survivors have their own language.

                      The rape victim that can coup with the trauma understands that her terrifying nightmares will not manifest in reality but rape is a tremendous sin in my opinion. The humiliation, the rejection, the utter terror is tremendous and that's the point and my main point is that psychological rape can be worse than physical rape. The body can heal but the mind lingers.

                      I always recommend when selecting the ideal date that putting to one side the sex bit is no good for anyone. Asking for and receiving permission to perform sexual acts is perhaps far more fulfilling than the act itself. Of course apart of the fulfilment is the results itself but again at the same time being aware of how powerful the psychological component of sex can be. So I always recommend approaching potential partners as a way of having a bit of fun. Being in a real relationship you talk, make each other laugh while at the same time being comfy in each other's company and not to take any of this to seriously.

                    • McFlock

                      Another way both Mallard and I could be correct is that Soper's mate isn't telling the full story, or that the Francis report contained different, more serious, information compared to the original investigation. And that doesn't need linguistic gymnastics like:

                      "In essence this means that any male attention that a woman does not want or later regrets now falls under this extended definition of 'rape'.

                    • Sam

                      I think it's best to take this sort of nitpicking up with ones parents. Relying on some self professed single person by choice on the Internet is the wrong type of person to be reading up on sex in general.

                    • McFlock

                      If you think the difference between "flirting" and "sexual assault" is "nitpicking", you've got problems.

                    • Sam

                      The only one with a problem is you, McFlock. Redlogix and I are perfectly capable of having very difficult chit chats.

                    • McFlock

                      lols Dunning-Kruger strikes again

                    • Sam

                      Commentating other people's conversation is not necessary either. This is a public place. Everyone can see the risks.

                    • McFlock

                      Yup, the risk that men can't tell the difference between them "flirting" with someone and them "sexually assaulting" someone.

                    • Sam

                      If it helps you get over it I can apologise for explaining how and why and in which ways you are crazed, McFlock.

                    • McFlock

                      lol

                    • Sam

                      Have a nice day

            • Peter 2.1.1.1.1.3

              Is it fucked up and insanity that you think that all that happened was a hug? I don't know what happened, you don't know what happened. Mallard heard of some behaviour he described as "serious assault."

              Do you think his judgement is so impaired that on hearing of an innocent hug he formed a conclusion with such certainty that he publicly stated his opinions as he did?

              • Anne

                +100

                Mallard will have seen the detail of the Francis report. He is probably the only person other than the author herself who knows those details. It can be assumed his comment is based on what he read in that report.

                I would go so far as to accuse Soper of a malicious attempt to use the untested 'testimony' of an individual to try and undermine Mallard and his parliamentary position.

                And no. I'm not a particular fan of Mallard but I can smell political skulduggery a mile off.

                • James

                  the independent investigation matched his story and he was cleared.

                  The only political skulduggery is Mallard’s.

                  • joe90

                    Nothing in the article about any independent investigation into the alleged incident. And the Speaker understood the same man was responsible for the two other claims of serious sexual assault, so perhaps it's a matter for police.

              • alwyn

                He described it as a great deal more than "serious assault".

                He described it as rape. And yes, I do think his judgement is seriously impaired. Just look at the way he behaves in his role as Speaker. He has no idea at all of correct behavior.

          • Cinny 2.1.1.1.2

            +1 Allan

        • Sam 2.1.1.2

          No BM. We must let The Al1en signal to that it is okay to display feelings and outrage over this most grievousof accusations. Please Al1en, continue.

        • ianmac 2.1.1.3

          I read it BM. I am sure this bloke was not asked to leave without some pretty compelling evidence of serious sexual offending. Trust Barry Soper? Really?

          Prefer to wait and see.

          • Anne 2.1.1.3.1

            Ditto ianmac.

            Harassers, stalkers, hoaxers, sexual predators and pathological liars always admit their guilt? Not on your life. These types are able to convincingly convince themselves (and others) they are the victims and not the perpetrators. It is a well documented part of their varying personality and behavioural disorders.

            This link is about stalkers but since sexual predatory activity usually includes an element of stalking it would apply:

            https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11885134

    • I hope Mallard gets done for this.

      What a sociopathic arsehole.

      Sure, if this guy's claims are 100% factual and if those incidents are the entirety of Mallard's claims of "serious sexual assault," he doesn't come out of it looking too flash. Did you consider even for a second waiting until those aren't "if"s before blathering about sociopathic arseholes? For all we know, the "sociopathic arsehole" is the guy you're defending, or someone else entirely. It doesn't kill you to wait for some facts before blustering away on a comments thread.

      • Wensleydale 2.2.1

        Some people obviously enjoy looking like reactionary knee-jerk weirdos blinded by partisan animosity. Any excuse to put the boot into the 'lefties'. And yes, Mallard's the Speaker now. But he used to be a leftie, the dirty, dirty Communist.

        In his spare time, BM also burns people for witchcraft.

    • Jimmy 2.3

      In my opinion Mallard is an idiot to have used the word "rape" even if he is aware of more facts than the rest of us. He doesn't seem to know when to keep his mouth shut. The guy accused should lawyer up and if the allegations have previously been dismissed, he will probably have a very good case against Mallard. Its ironic that the whole thing has been about bullying, as now this 'accused' man will say he has been bullied by Mallard.

  3. joe90 3

    A rain forest without rain Just fucking peachy.

    Alaska’s wettest region is experiencing an extreme drought for the first time in recorded history, climate scientists say.

    The southernmost portion of Southeast Alaska, including Ketchikan, Prince of Wales Island, Wrangell and Metlakatla, has been in a drought for the last two years, said Rick Thoman, a climatologist at the Fairbanks-based Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.

    Last week, though, the drought was updated to a D3, or “extreme” drought, the second-highest category the U.S. Drought Monitor measures. It’s the first time those conditions have ever been recorded in Alaska, according to the Drought Monitor.

    https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/weather/2019/05/26/in-southeast-alaska-is-seeing-its-first-extreme-drought-ever-recorded-climatologists-say/

    • Poission 3.1

      The US DMI only records data since 2000,since then the areas not in drought have increase from 50-60%.

      https://twitter.com/RogerPielkeJr/status/1129048193319067648

      • joe90 3.1.1

        Yet a rain forest is in drought.

        /

        • Poission 3.1.1.1

          Only 2600 mm last year,bit like fiordland yeh.

          • WeTheBleeple 3.1.1.1.1

            Yeah of no consequence aye.

            Power supply is dwindling, water supplies dwindling, pests rising.

            Everything is connected to everything else's everything.

            How much of the US non-drought areas have been subject to flooding in the last calendar year? Ask Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri… off the top of my head…

            Did you know 40% of the US populated areas are close to levees? OUCH!

            As the planet warms more water is loaded into the atmosphere. Meanwhile weather patterns break down. Some areas will get disproportionately more water, some less.

            Flood and drought are to be new norms. Regular weather not so regular.

            We just had a summer drought, and now, apparently, an Autumn one. A few more seasons like that our farmers will be struggling to feed their stock let alone profit off them. Of course we pump water to them but it will reach a point townspeople have no water and cows do, on that day it will be entirely justifiable to cut off the farmers.

            I have several economic pests still present in my garden, normally winter would have put paid to them. Not this year – they get extra life cycles to populate in greater numbers. It will not take many repeats of this to see plagues of insect pests, especially in areas where we've failed to allow insect diversity, namely, most of NZ.

            Nature lies within a biosphere that encompasses the entire planet (and perhaps beyond). All within this system in some manner affect the rest of the system. Alaska's droughts are our concern. You'll see.

  4. Cinny 4

    Dental care is free to under 18's, so why on earth are toddlers teeth so rotten?

    Are parents not getting reminders/educated on how to care for their little ones teeth?

    Education drive maybe? Sugar tax?

    Something needs to change.

    It's not the toddlers fault. far out the pain…. is it too far to label it child abuse in some instances?

    • Rosemary McDonald 4.1

      Hi Cinny…..if you're referring to this article…

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/390624/toddler-waits-five-months-for-treatment-for-rotten-teeth-abscesses

      …then no, you'll have to hold fire with the accusations of child abuse as the wee mite has a condition known as dental hypoplasia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enamel_hypoplasia)

      We were just discussing over dinner tonight the lengths to which Natrad went to this morning to explain about the hypoplasia and how the inevitable numpties emailled the station full of righteous indignation that an obviously irresponsible mother should be complaining about the wait time for acute pediatric dental treatment.

      Sigh.

      However. It could very well be the case that the parents who wean their wee mites onto flouro green powerade or cola can be held to blame somewhat for the long wait list as their kids are also in the queue. These parents know better…surely…more sighs.

      • Cinny 4.1.1

        I wonder how many have the dental hypoplasia? Poor kids, distressing for the parents too no doubt.

        Thanks heaps for the link Rosemary.

        Was thinking I wonder why my kids teeth didn't go all rotten, but so many many others do. And the only thing I could think of is that fizzy isn't normal at ours, birthdays are exciting cause there is fizzy lolz. We drink milk and water mostly. But then fizzy is cheaper than milk.

        Educational campaign for parents maybes?

        • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1.1

          A friend's twins had hypoplasia…and I'm not sure about the prevalence. According to the wiki page there are a number of 'causes', but the wee lassie this morning has an older brother with the same condition which implies in that family it is the hereditary form.

          There is a huge wait list for pediatric dental treatment and my guess that most of the kiddies are on it because of poor nutrition/sugary drinks and food. I have on more than one occasion seen babes in arms sucking on fizzy and how the hell you get the message through I have no idea. However….the mums of the children with fizzy- rotted teeth will most definitely not be on the wireless complaining about the delay for treatment. Because guilt. And shame.

          Cinny…my youngest is twenty seven and I remember the constant messaging about baby teeth and sugar and fizzy and good nutrition and how it all starts in the womb. And about the drugs and the drink and the smoking. I guess its the same today?

          • Cinny 4.1.1.1.1

            Cinny…my youngest is twenty seven and I remember the constant messaging about baby teeth and sugar and fizzy and good nutrition and how it all starts in the womb. And about the drugs and the drink and the smoking. I guess its the same today?

            Rosemary, it's not, least I'm pretty sure especially with my youngest when she was a toddler that there wasn't as much info/education about it. My girls are now 14 and 11. I remember seeing little posters at the Dr's and at Plunket showing the sugar content of drinks and that was enough to put me off.

            Absolutely convinced it is relative to the cheap cost of sugary drinks v's milk for example. Also all the hidden sugar in muesli bars etc. Reliance on processed food etc. Cheap lollies etc, using sugary food as a reward etc.

            Maybe we need sugar warning labels on products with high sugar content. Seems to work with putting people off smoking…

            Perhaps an intensive education campaign via social media/tv etc plus in schools would help. It's so sad for the little ones.

        • gsays 4.1.1.2

          I vote for any solution that doesn't involve more proliferation of artificial sweeteners.

          A little part of me dies when I hear aspartame talked about as a solution.

          However that's pro plaugers for you.

    • Sabine 4.2

      well these guy seem to be fed up as well,

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/113026512/dentists-fed-up-with-treating-third-world-conditions-call-for-more-funding-for-dental-care

      Dentists fed up with seeing patients suffering unnecessarily from "third world" tooth conditions are pushing for urgent action to make dental care more affordable.

      Dr Assil Russell, the founder of the charity Revive a Smile, said too many people were delaying treatment for preventable dental health problems due to financial barriers.

      The Hamilton-based dentist is the driving force behind a petition signed by 10,000 people calling for the Government to make dental care free for all New Zealanders.

      i think there are different reasons, to expensive for adults, so adults don't have a relationship with a dentist and thus their children aren't taken to one. Childrens teeth, the mistaken believe that it is just 'milk teeth' and thus they regrow, never mind the damage to the gums/bones etc. Lack of transport/childcare etc. For women on a benefit with multiple children regular dental care for the children might fall under 'undesirable for an employement' – same this for regular check ups. Food deserts, places were really the only affordable food is the chinese take away and the 2.5 litre bottle of fizzy for a dollar vs the 4 $+ two litre bottle of milk. Smoking, stress, teeth grinding ( my friends three year old grinds his teeth…!). And then if everyone has no teeth at 45 and lives with a plate, then it also becomes a normal thing.

      But i believe that if we can get the adults back to dental care the kids follow. And the government would save a tidy sum in health care, and illness / early death related benefits, lost productivity and such. Preventative healthcare rather then treating symptoms health care.

    • Are parents not getting reminders/educated on how to care for their little ones teeth?

      One of my neighbours in Kuwait was always taking her little boy back to India to have a dentist sort out his rotten teeth. She couldn't understand why his teeth were so shit. My wife figured it probably had something to do with the baby bottles of fruit juice she gave him to bathe his teeth in all day, but parents tend not to welcome others' thoughts on how ur doin it wrong so we never raised it with her. Seems fairly common in this country too.

  5. joe90 5

    .

    Aww…
    https://twitter.com/ThePoke/status/1132773124045463554

    On a European election night when the Brexit party dominated across the UK, perhaps the most eye-catching story in North West England was the humiliating drubbing suffered by the anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.

    Having claimed for weeks to be on the crest of an international movement – one that elected Donald Trump in the US – the man whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon had expected to “walk into Brussels like Connor McGregor” upon his election.

    In the end, Robinson won only 2.2% of the vote – losing his £5,000 deposit – and sneaked out of the election count in central Manchester barely an hour after he had arrived. He tried to put a brave face on it, claiming the establishment had “arranged and organised” for him to be banned from social media to scupper his election bid, but it was a resounding defeat for the founder of the English Defence League

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/27/humiliated-tommy-robinson-sneaks-out-of-election-count-early

  6. A 6

    This is a disturbing thing…the CPI in the US is chronically under priced. If the same were true in NZ that would mean both interest rates and core benefits that are set off CPI are both incorrect.

    https://talkmarkets.com/content/the-cpi-is-underrepresenting-food-inflation-by-40-heres-the-proof?post=222199

    Or check out this in video form if you prefer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfevciODIE

  7. Ankerrawshark 7

    Saw new leader of the oz Labour Party on Tele tonight Anthony albanese. Very Aussie bloke but seemed very genuine, authentic……..fingers crossed.

    and on a different note what fools those who buy into Barry’s article about the guy stood down at parliament. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the enquiry that cleared him was a white wash (acknowledge I could be wrong). It wouldn’t have been mallard himself who stood him down, but parliamentary services. Debbie Francis found significant examples of abuse, sexual harassment etc.

    btw BM many years ago when I was in my early thirties an older man at work on two occasions came up behind me and bear hugged me……I found it very unpleasant and inappropriate. If it ok for men to do this in the work place, I ask the men on this site what it would be like if a gay bloke (and I say gay, because it then brings the possibility that there is a sexual motivation in it) came up and unexpectedly bear hugged you?

  8. Herodotus 8

    Chris Hipkins should just go and join National. He speaks as one he acts as one. He is well schooled to regurgitate what ever his PR team have been prepping him. There are teachers already below min wage pity that this is is breach of our law

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/some-teachers-paid-less-than-minimum-wage-after-bureaucratic-blunder

    And Hipkins just said this "Strike action is not justified." He is a Labour MP ?? Disgrace IMO for someone from Labour

    • Wayne 8.1

      Do you seriously expect a Minister (irrespective of party) to say, "strike action is justified." He represents the government, not the unions. The job of the government is to keep public services in operation, not encourage strikes.

      • Pierre 8.1.1

        Yes, the Labour Party can and should support strike action, even against its own government.

        The role of the mass party of labour is to act as a political wing of the labour movement. This means the party is not simply a parliamentary faction; it is also a social movement. Government ministers sit within the state machine, the trade unions are outside it, and the party spans the gap between the two. The overall political direction of the party should not be determined by the administrative demands of government, but by the needs of the working class as a whole.

        To be clear, Labour ministers are there to serve the people, it is not their job to discipline the unions. We really need to do away with the idea that a Labour government is Her Majesty's government, or that Labour should be somehow subordinate to the will of the state.

        If a Labour government fails to live up to the expectations of the labour movement, it would be absolutely correct for Labour Party members to hold their ministers accountable. Similarly, if Labour ministers feel that the machinery of state is not responding to their demands, it would be totally acceptable for them to endorse industrial action in order to push aside any resistance to their objectives.

        • CHCoff 8.1.1.1

          These strikes are not in accordance with the democratic processes, which the unions have been woefully deficient, in providing good representation to their constituencies.

          In a political sense, these strikes are of the opposition to the govt. That's not the way to go. Where were they during the previous period?

          The incompetence of Unions politically, using England as an example, was the pre-cursor before the Thatcher govt. kicked off 4+ decades of financial neo-liberalism etc so in a political sense, it does seem that the Govt. is not impressed with counter productive unions to their members’ interests.

      • Herodotus 8.1.2

        Perhaps the minister like others in govt are IMO poorly phrasing their thoughts 🤭

        Perhaps he should have said something like "he was disappointed that the union and its members has resorted to this action" he had the day to prep for the interview, BUT to say Not Justified. Perhaps those making such poorly thought out comments should see what those within the profession are facing. Thanks to many govts; the work loads of teachers have dramatically increased yet pay does not recognise this additional work. I know the same is for many professions (nurse (pity they were the 1st off in the pay review )etc)

        He represents the government, not the unions – So is it the govts "job" to restrict and pay to the min that they can get away ?? That will work for so long and then there is the release of this pent up pressure.

  9. Wayne 9

    It is one thing for activists in Labour to do as you suggest, quite another for Ministers to do so.

    By definition Ministers are Her Majesty's government. Our constitutional government could not operate if it was anything other than that. And you don't want to risk changing that. Which is not the republican issue, but rather that we have a government that acts according to law.

    Your complaint is really about Hipkins (or Robertson) not providing more money to settle the strike. The solution for a Labour government is to provide more money, not encourage strike action.

    But even Labour governments can't just give unions whatever they want. So if they think they are providing enough, naturally they are going to say strike action is not justified.

Recent Posts

  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 hours ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    6 hours ago
  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    7 hours ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    8 hours ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    10 hours ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    11 hours ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    12 hours ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    14 hours ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    16 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    16 hours ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    17 hours ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    17 hours ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    19 hours ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    20 hours ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    22 hours ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    23 hours ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    1 day ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    1 day ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    1 day ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    1 day ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    1 day ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    1 day ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    1 day ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    1 day ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    4 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    5 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-19T14:36:01+00:00