Daily Review 28/11/2016
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5:30 pm, November 28th, 2016 - 22 comments
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- This is bad news
The speech yesterday by Treasury’s Chief Economic Advisor warning that the books are in worse shape than forecasted looks like it’s part of a softening-up process for either more cuts or a longer wait to get back into surplus. The speech was a highly unusual public preview of Treasury’s Half-Yearly ...2 hours ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2024
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Today, Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Wellington, with thousands gathering to march in unity against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
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Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...1 week ago
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- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
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Kia ora koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai, piki mai. Ki te mihi atu ahau, ki te manwhenua nei, Te Atiawa, Ngāti toa rangatira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you, Andy, for your introduction. Let me acknowledge you as the new Chief Executive of the Social Investment ...7 days ago
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 22 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 hours ago
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Disappointed to see Phil Goff’s proposed visitor bed tax proposal for Auckland.
Given the terrible state of inequality in NZ, the primary consideration for any change in tax should be who will pay it – the top end of town, or everyone else? We desperately need the rich to pay more. Goff’s tax simply targets head count, rather than wealth, and given that by the numbers the majority are poor compared to the few very rich, will result in a broad tax on everybody (albeit indirectly, via the impact on tourist spend).
It will give tourists less to spend, including the numerous poorer tourists who frequent lower-cost NZ establishments.
Why not a mansion tax instead?
He campaigned on a clear rates platform of rises no more than 2.5%. So he’s delivering what he said.
I am not saying Goff should not limit rate rises (at least on the poorer majority), or that he should not raise more money from levies and taxes.
I am saying that any increased levies and taxes should be sourced from the wealthy, who in New Zealand have amassed most of the wealth and who contribute far less to the public purse than NZ needs them to.
Property owners ARE the wealthy now. Especially in Auckland.
Ahh tax the rich pricks.
Yeah – we are kinda sick of that being the the go to answer.
“We”?
Can you say who “we” are, James?
Why is that, James? You aren’t providing a reason for your view, a suspicious Troll-like symptom.
Also – I did not call them pricks. There is a body of evidence that the rich tend to be more antisocial (and you can ask yourself – is this the type of person we want to give enormous power in our society and politics?), but on the other hand some rich people agree the system should require them to pay more tax.
Some more about your heroes James:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/1/16/1269980/-The-rich-really-are-different
No problem for the cheapy independent traveler…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11755411
“Freedom campers might be able to pitch their tents across more of Auckland this summer.
Under current bylaws freedom camping is only allowed at 12 sites in three parts of the city – the Franklin, Hibiscus and Bays and Rodney local board areas.
However, under a new proposed trial that could start in February campers would be able to set up for the night in many other parts of the city too.
The pilot aims to double capacity for freedom campers to sleep in designated areas – and to encourage them to see more of the city.
It said freedom campers “are spending as much as $1.2 million in Auckland”, and they “spend more and stay longer than other tourists”.
Auckland Council social policy and bylaws manager Mike Sinclair said about 60 sites that might be suitable for the pilot had been identified during the investigation phase. It is expected those would reduce to between 15 and 20 following consultation at local board workshops next month.”
Being a regular vehicle based freedom camper (CSC) ,I can see this going down like a cup of cold sick with the locals.
Acknowledging that I muttered “rotten little shits” to myself, there really is some crap going on here. Some official from Rainbows End tweets that the ride was stopped “due” to children spitting.
What? It was stopped ‘because’ someone made the decision to stop it. Mechanical failure? No. Official’s tweet expressly negatives that.
Beats me that sophisticated machinery like that isn’t able to turn already electronically swivelled seats any which way. So that everyones’ head can be pointing upwards if/when needed.
But it doesn’t obviously. So no. Someone made the decision to leave people hanging for inordinately long, ‘because’ children were spitting.
That’s a piss poor ‘because’ in my book. Slow the ride. Call the cops. They’re only 200 metres away (mall or station).
And very strange shit happening in Horowhenua….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/86951454/woman-registers-online-support-for-underfire-mayor-gets-call-from-police
“Clapperton said staff spoke with police about the protest to ensure public safety, “and for the protest to be carried out peacefully and without incident”.
“Police indicated they would contact protest organisers,” he said.
Horowhenua relieving senior sergeant Sam Gilpin said it was common for police to make contact with people involved in protests and “identify their intentions, obtain the correct information and ensure planned protests are carried out in a peaceful manner”.”
Hmmm…she just signed an on line petition and gets harassed by the cops…wtf?
So can anybody tell me what the “correct information” that the police are seeking actually is?
Here is the latest and a bit of background
A Horowhenua woman planning to attend a protest in Levin next week has complained to the police watchdog about what she says was an intimidating phone call from an officer.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/319151/protester-complains-to-ipca-over-'threatening'-phone-call
Horowhenua residents oppose council rolling deputy mayor
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/86632090/horowhenua-residents-oppose-council-rolling-deputy-mayor
Feyen to drive change in Horowhenua
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/elections/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503523&objectid=11726197
This popped up on Natrad this morning….http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201825687/police-complaint-over-pre-protest-phone-calls
My radar tells me that this is the biggest story of the week…politicswise.
Scary that merely signing a petition brings one to the attention of the Police.
The people are on the march and the establishment is fighting back.
By rolling the newly selected Deputy, it seems we have a council trying to undermine a new Mayor who campaigned (and was voted in) on representing the people.
Resulting in a protest being formed.
Love the photo. Says it all. At least for those whose eyes are wide open and can see…
A National relative sent me a John Key clip to explain how good he is to the Earthquake victims. Very smooth.
But a little blond girl in a red top looks very anxious as he talks to her. She is checking her pony tail for some reason.
Can’t copy a pic from early part of the clip, but if you are an expert…. 3 seconds in.
Was that Our Leader with his hands in his groin while speaking with the worried ponytailed girls? ( He really needs to work on the hands thing…has no one told him?)
Was that Our Leader handing out furry blue thingies passed to him by BGB?
And…why didn’t the diplomatic protection squad remove that woman in red from the ‘furry blue thingy hand’ out shot?
All in all, and all things considered, a pretty poor photo op effort.
How cute!
What are the chances that those furry blue thingies are made in China and have the National Party logo on the label?
I think the woman in red was perhaps concerned for the safety of the children, which is a big no-no for the DPS as they get easily confused about who is protecting whom from whom …
Pauline Hanson goes snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef to prove that Climate Change is a lie and the reef isn’t damaged. Problem is, she goes diving at the wrong end of the reef – the end which is not yet damaged.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=11755446
A 1 to 2 deg C increase in sea temperatures for just a few days in a row is enough to kill coral dead.
I’m impressed that some parts of the Great Barrier Reef survive. For now.
Great video article on this topic at the Guardian a couple of weeks ago by Naomi Klein: Climate change is intergenerational theft. That’s why my son is part of this story
Why no leftie fake news?
It could be that the right is better at targeting it’s base
Here is an essential body of research on the topography of fake news, right wing propaganda, and Facebook:
https://medium.com/@d1gi/whats-missing-from-the-trump-election-equation-let-s-start-with-military-grade-psyops-fa22090c8c17#.nfngb3lr9