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.
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.
“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).
“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?
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.
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.
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.
Australian senator Pauline Hanson has set out to prove climate change “untruths” on the Great Barrier Reef – by putting on a wetsuit and going for a snorkel 1300km from the centre of the bleaching crisis.
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh 13 August 2022 On Friday 12th, an assailant attacked Salman Rushdie on stage in New York, stabbing him some 15 times. The author was whisked away by helicopter to a hospital and at the time of writing the prognosis is that he will survive though with ...
Even if you only have a cursory interest in politics, it’s likely you’ve heard of an outfit called Counterspin, which is a streaming media outlet that propagates fake news and encourages severe acts of violence. Based along similar lines as Infowars, Counterspin is run by a trumped-up little fascist named ...
He’s got the fire and the furyAt his commandWell, you don’t have to worryIf you hold on to Jesus’ handWe’ll all be safe from SatanWhen the thunder rollsWe just gotta keep the devilWay down in the hole─ Tom Waits, “Way Down In The Hole”WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE about Stuff Circuit’s ...
Back in 2013, the then-National government imposed the public transport operating model, requiring local authorities to contract out their bus services to the lowest bidder. Now, its being reversed: The system that bus drivers and their union say has created the “race to the bottom” is on the out, ...
RNZ had a piece this morning about Waka Kotahi's plans for smart speed cameras allowing things like point-to-point average speed tickets and so on. There are obvious privacy issues here, which waka Kotahi seems to have completely ignored, having signed a contract before they were even investigated, let alone addressed. ...
Gather round the camp-fire, folks. Let me tell you about the Ice Age era of the fourth Labour government, when mean, sabre-toothed tigers like Richard Prebble ranged at large within the Labour caucus. A being so mean and fierce that – legend has it – he once made Michael Cullen ...
Dear Aotearoa, we have a major problem that is inhibiting our success, namely racism. Destroying old and young alike, racism in New Zealand is the silent assassin, a killer that permeates through every facet of our society.On Thursday, the NZ Herald reported:Cricket: Black Caps great Ross Taylor's racism claim outlined ...
CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE IN IMAGES 2022I am just wondering how hot is too hot before we commit to real global action to reduce our emissions and save our climate and natural environment. The images below are what has occurred in the northern hemisphere summer and it is likely we will ...
Salman Rushdie has been stabbed while on stage in New York where he was about to give a talk. He is now undergoing surgery. The British novelist has lived under death threats since the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him in 1989 and put a $3 ...
Two-and-a-half years on, the Government’s merged mega-polytechnic, the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology – Te Pūkenga, is facing a deficit which is double the planned one. Will Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) be facing similar troubles in December 2024?Why did the Government centralise the 20 ...
A couple of months ago, in response to a Newsroom piece about what endemic covid means for Aotearoa, I asked Treasury and the Ministry of Health what advice they'd produced on the impacts of "long covid" on the economy and health system. Treasury responded quickly, admitting that they hadn't been ...
On The Way Out: Gaurav Sharma has clearly had enough of Parliament and is more than ready to return to his life as a medical professional. What he has been willing to do on the way out, however, is draw aside the curtain, if only for a moment, and let ...
The Empire Within Which Bullying Never Ceased: The bitter truth about Great Britain’s “public” schools (and their many imitators in the Empire’s far-flung dominions) is that they were consciously designed to produce a very particular kind of imperial administrator. These men needed to be courageous, but not compassionate; clever, but ...
A most amazingly air-tight conspiracy Not research, but research-related. Skeptical Science reader John G. writes to point out an omission in our collection of rebuttals: "You are failing to rebut a prevailing narrative which blames a Globalist Elite for promoting CC as part of The Great Reset."Thank you John, ...
The travails of National MP Sam Uffindell are bad news for the National party in more ways than one. The obvious question is as to how an applicant with such a disreputable history could have secured the nomination as the National candidate in the Tauranga by-election. National’s vetting procedures seem ...
The “A View from Afar” podcast with Selwyn Manning and I resumed after a months hiatus. We discussed the PRC-Taiwan tensions in the wake of Nancy Pelosi’s visit and what pathways, good and bad, may emerge from the escalation of hostilities between the mainland and island. You can find it ...
A ballot for one member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill (Eugenie Sage) The bill is pitched as protecting conservation land, and it does immediately do that. But it also goes further, doing exactly what it ...
Sam Uffindell’s defenders keep reminding us that he was only 16 at the time of the King’s College incident, and haven’t we all done things in our teens that, as adults, we look back on with shame and embarrassment? True. Let’s be honest. Haven’t we all at one time or ...
Our media insists on telling us that Ukraine is a unified country suffering aggression from its neighbour the Russian Federation. But it is hardly unified. A violent civil war has raged there since the overthrow of the democratically elected government in February 2014. This civil war arose from deep ...
If National causes yet another by-election to be held in Tauranga, not only will it cost the taxpayers another unnecessary $1m for the taxpayers after Simon Bridges called it quits earlier in the year, but National will also pay a big price in terms of its reputation and integrity. A ...
Representing Pakeha Racism: The important thing to remember about Rob Muldoon, and the racist policies with which his name is associated, is that he drew his power from the hundreds-of-thousands of anxious, angry, and yes – racist – Pakeha who voted for him, and that his most effective campaign slogan was: “New Zealand the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act by a single vote on Sunday, August 7. The bill, headed to the House of Representatives within days, includes by far the largest and most consequential measures to reduce domestic climate pollution in the nation’s ...
I remember feeling anxious before making the phone call, although not at anxious I might have expected. But what sticks most in my mind is how the phone call ended. It was the late 1990s. I was deputy editor of the NZ Listener and I had to ring a guy ...
National is dripping “blue blood” again. The revelations over Sam Uffindell’s violent assault indicate that the National Party under Christopher Luxon hasn’t quite shed the toxicity and internal damage of the last few years. The crises besetting the party have recently been well documented in journalist Andrea Vance’s new book ...
Most of us believe in redemption and atonement… But the timing, the nature and the semantics of Sam Uffindell‘s apology for his role in a gang that beat a younger kid (reportedly) with wooden bed legs, has left much to be desired. The victim seems pretty clear about the motivation ...
Yesterday the news broke that newly elected National MP Sam Uffindell was asked to leave private Auckland school King’s College at the end of his fifth form year after being part of a group that viciously beat a younger student one night. There are many elements to this latest political ...
You’ve got to wonder why the National Party knowingly hid information from the public about their newest MP, Sam Uffindell. Surely they must’ve realised that their secret would eventually leak into the public domain. New Zealand is far too small for cover-ups of this kind to be effective.Despite his violent ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk With high energy prices and increasing urgency to reduce fossil fuel burning, it makes sense to get the most out of every gallon of gasoline or kilowatt-hour of electricity. A previous post showed that charging an EV costs around $1.41 per gallon ...
Back in the 1990s, Tony Blair rebranded The British Labour Party as “New Labour”, to try and draw a line under past failures. It’s as if Christopher Luxon is attempting to follow suit, and launch “New National” at the moment – a party that’s fresh-looking, has made some big breaks ...
Back in June Sam Uffindell was elected to parliament in the Tauranga by-election. Turns out he's a bully who beat a kid with a bed-leg at school: The National Party’s newest MP, Sam Uffindell, was asked to leave his exclusive boarding school after viciously beating a younger student late ...
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Electoral Amendment Bill. Submissions are due by Wednesday, 31 August 2022, and can be made at the link above. The bill improves disclosure of party finances, lowering the declaration threshold to $5,000 and requiring parties to disclose their annual financial statements. ...
Laughing With The Poor Folks - Or At Them? Christopher Luxon took rapper LunchMoney Lewis’s lyrics at their face value. “Bills”, as heard by Luxon, is a cri-de-cœur from a hard-working man determined to pull himself and his family up by their own bootstraps. It simply wouldn’t occur to him ...
On the rare occasions when it ever gets asked, the public keeps rejecting tax cuts as such, as a policy priority. It keeps saying it wants tax levels to either stay the same or be increased, so that public services can be maintained, or even (perish the thought) improved. In ...
Europe has been baking in a heatwave, of course. Not so much this part of the world, which benefits by still being in Winter (though let’s just say I am not looking forward to January 2023). Not that it’s been a particularly cold Winter – we haven’t had one ...
The Wagner Group is a private military company – effectively mercenaries. It has been used for the military activity of the Russian Federation in various parts of the world. Currently, it is operating in Ukraine and apparently has a reputation as a very brave and effective force in the ...
I have said this in other forums, but here is the deal: PRC military exercises after Pelosi’s visit are akin to male gorillas who run around thrashing branches and beating their chests when annoyed, disturbed or seeking to show dominance. They are certainly dangerous and not to be ignored, but ...
From July 7 to 26 we tried something new on our Facebook page by sharing one Cranky Uncle cartoon each day for 20 days in a row. There were two reasons for doing this: firstly, we wanted to ensure that at least one post would get published each day while I was ...
Too many commentators on current price pressures have not understood that this time it is very different from the 1970s. Their prescriptions may accelerate inflation.The New Zealand economy is experiencing an external price shock arising from the Covid pandemic and the Ukrainian invasion compounded by related supply chain difficulties. It ...
During the years of the Key government one hardy perennial of political journalism was that whenever the Labour Opposition would suggest a policy alternative to the status quo, the hard bitten response from the Gallery realists would be “But how’re you gonna pay for it?” National in Opposition has been ...
In The Wizard’s Garden: George Dunlop Leslie, 1904IT ALL SEEMS so long ago now, and, to be fair, in human terms, 48 years is a long time. New Zealand was a different country in 1974. Someone unafraid of courting controversy might say it had achieved “Peak Pakeha”. Although the Labour Government of ...
Proximate Cause: Tellingly, it was Helen Clark who was seated close by when, earlier this week, Jacinda Ardern delivered a speech carefully crafted to keep New Zealand’s dairy exports heading China’s way. Photo by PolitikPURISTS WOULD ARGUE that New Zealand’s foreign policy should not be determined by who its Prime Minister ...
We have a new clip out of The Rings of Power. It sees Galadriel and the affectionately nicknamed Gigwit* venturing into dark places in search of evil. At fifty-odd seconds, it also constitutes the longest single piece of show dialogue we have seen thus far. *An acronym. “Galadriel Is ...
Rising To The Challenge: Te Pāti Māori is reassuring the angry and the alienated that in 2023 voting will make a difference. Aotearoa is changing. Pakeha – especially young Pakeha – are changing. The racism is still there, of course, heightened, it would seem, by the prospect of Labour, the ...
"CAGW." A thing? With its provocative title and remarks grounded in respected published research, the perspective Climate Endgame: Exploring catastrophic climate change scenarios just published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has caused a few ripples reaching into popular media. "Endgame" and "catastrophic" lean hard in the direction of "pay ...
In the past there's been a few interesting data points about the New Zealand Intelligence Community's desire to covertly manipulate public opinion through media and academic mouthpieces. In 2015 the Council for Civil Liberties revealed the existence of an NZIC "Strategic Communications Group" tasked with persuading the public that spying ...
Inflation is through the roof, and "coincidentally" so is oil company profiteering. UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls it what it is: grotesque: The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has described the record profits of oil and gas companies as immoral and urged governments to introduce a windfall tax, using ...
What on earth is going on with the main opposition parties at the moment? Both National and ACT have been making numerous flip-flops and miscommunications, clearly indicating that they aren’t a viable alternative to the current Labour led Government.Of particular note is the duplicitous reasoning given for why they support ...
A ballot for two member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Housing Infrastructure (GST-sharing) Bill (Brooke van Velden) Prohibition on Seabed Mining Legislation Amendment Bill (Debbie Ngarewa-Packer) Ngarewa-Packer's bill looks likely to start a shitfight with Labour, and not just because the ...
As you might have noticed, I have an on-going interest in working my way through old and intellectually influential reading material. Occasionally I even share my thoughts on it, which allows me to take a break from my generally-dominant Tolkien analysis. Well, today I thought I would take a ...
Golriz Ghahraman's Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill will probably face its first reading today. And three months after it was introduced - pissing on the "as soon as practicable" requirement of Standing Order 269 - it has received a section 7 report from Attorney-General David Parker stating that its proposed ...
There's an interesting select committee report out today, from the Petitions Committee on the Petition of Conrad Petersen: The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). The petitioner raises some concerns about the slowness of the IPCA process and its lack of oversight, and suggests some solutions. The committee doesn't seem keen ...
Today is a Member's Day, but likely to be a boring one. There's no general debate today, and instead the House will move right into the third reading of the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill, which will add unelected, inherently conflicted Ngai Tahu representatives to ECan. Then there's ...
That gormlessly glum picture of Christopher Luxon in Samoa graphically tells us what kind of image New Zealand would be projecting abroad if there’s a change of government next year. The glumness is understandable. For months, National and ACT had been dog whistling to the bigots who oppose the creation ...
There is no corruption in New Zealand. At least that’s what authorities want the public to believe. For decades now our system of political finance regulation has been portrayed as highly rigorous, ensuring our politicians cannot be bought. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. Although politicians and officials have claimed tight ...
Pundits have come out of the woodwork to defend the Greens co-leader, after he was stripped of his leadership last week by unhappy party members. The defences have all stuck to basically the same script: Shaw is a successful leader and minister who’s handed the party big victories in politics ...
Meghan Murphy talks with Batya Ungar-Sargon the author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy. The book charts the trajectory of journalism in the US as it shifted from being a blue collar occupation producing the penny press for the masses, to a profession for Ivy League university ...
Co-Leaders? The uncomfortable truth is: not the Army, not the Police, not the Spooks, and not even a combination of all three, could defeat the scale and violence of White Supremacist and Māori Nationalist resistance which the imposition of radical decolonisation – or its racism-inspired defeat – would unleash upon ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson and Jeff Masters Torrents of rain that began before dawn on Tuesday, July 26, gave St. Louis, Missouri, its highest calendar-day total since records began in 1873. And the deadly event is just the latest example of a well-established trend ...
Completed reads for July: The Prince, by Niccolo MachiavelliFaust, Part I, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheFaust, Part II, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheParadise Lost, by John MiltonParadise Regained, by John MiltonThe NibelungenliedAgricola, by TacitusGermania, by TacitusDialogue on Orators, by TacitusThe Gods of Pegana, by Lord DunsanyTime and the Gods, ...
A couple of weeks ago the High Court exposed a loophole in our electoral donations law, enabling corrupt parties to take in unlimited amounts of secret money and explicitly sell policy to the rich. Pretty obviously, this is unacceptable in a country which wants to call itself a democracy, and ...
This morning, National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis managed to get top of the bulletin news coverage by pointing out that some Kiwis living abroad might receive the government’s cost of living payment. Quelle horreur. What is the problem here? Inflation is a global problem, and Kiwis living abroad may be ...
Beyond Fixing? The critical question confronting New Zealanders is whether we any longer have the resources to repair our physical and human infrastructure?WHO WILL MAKE the New Zealand of the next 50 years? We had better hope that, whoever they are, they make a better job of it than those ...
Today’s speech by Jacinda Ardern to the China Business Summit in Auckland was full of soothing words for Beijing. The headline-grabber was Ardern’s comment that ‘a few plans are afoot’ for New Zealand ministers to return to China – and that the Prime Minister herself hopes to return to the ...
The Green Party has once again shown that bringing people together to demand change works, with the announcement today that the Government will give communities a greater say over how their local transport services are run. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure that as a nation which produces enough food to feed 40 million people, everyone in New Zealand can put an abundance of nourishing, nutritious kai on the table. ...
Following months of work by the Green Party and community and environmental organisations, Parliament will have the opportunity to pass legislation to protect public conservation land and waters from mining. ...
New evidence released today by Alcohol Healthwatch shows there’s never been a better time for Parliament to pass Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick’s Alcohol Harm Minimisation Bill. ...
We’re helping more Kiwis into work, to help support whānau, grow our skilled workforce and secure our economy for future generations. During our time in Government, we’ve delivered record low unemployment rates, as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit, and we’re ...
The Green Party once again calls on the Government to ban bottom trawling on all seamounts following the release of an industry white paper on so-called ‘sustainable’ trawling. ...
Urgent reform is essential to ensure disabled people have equal access to the care and support they need, the Green Party says in response to a new report that challenges politicians to fix the current system. ...
Emerging from an energetic selection meeting, we’re pleased to announce that Kaydee Zabelin and Brent Barrett are your Green Party candidates for Palmerston North City Council. ...
COVID-19 is here to stay and so the Government needs to put in place long-term protection measures, including mandatory ventilation standards, the Green Party says. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to overhaul the Recognised Seasonal Employers scheme in the wake of revelations of shocking human rights violations. ...
The Green Party is calling for a cross-party commitment to guaranteeing at least a living wage and safe working conditions to people seeking employment, instead of continuing benefit sanctions. ...
The Green Party is once again calling on the Government to announce its support for a moratorium on deep sea mining, and to support a member’s bill going to select committee. ...
The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party said. ...
The Government’s employment initiatives led by the Ministry of Social Development must guarantee liveable incomes and fair working conditions, the Green Party says. ...
New Zealanders deserve a health system that works for everyone, no matter who you are or where you live. Our Government has a plan to make this a reality, and we’re taking the next steps. We now have thousands more health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, working in New ...
During her time as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has navigated New Zealand through unprecedented times. Through it all, she’s become known as someone who leads with kindness, compassion and strength, while keeping the wellbeing of Kiwis at the heart of her approach. To celebrate five years of Jacinda leading the ...
Since taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to grow a secure economy for all. ...
The Government must use the opportunity of the Electoral Amendment Bill in Parliament to close the loophole in the political donations regime, the Green Party says. ...
Thanks to political pressure from the Green Party and the more than 900 personal stories of birth injury and trauma delivered to Minister Sepuloni, more injuries have been added to the ACC birth injuries bill. ...
New Zealand is making a further significant deployment of 120 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to the United Kingdom to help train Ukraine soldiers, as part of an international effort to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia’s illegal war. It follows a completed deployment of 30 NZDF personnel ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will visit Niue and Tonga this week to engage kanohi ki te kanohi with counterparts, and progress work on Aotearoa New Zealand’s Pacific Resilience and climate action priorities. “After the disruption caused by COVID-19 border closures, this is another opportunity to connect in-person with our ...
Our new approach to public transport will: Support ‘on-demand’ public transport services Allow councils to own and operate services in house Improve pay and working conditions Deliver routes and services that reflect community needs Incentivise the decarbonisation of the fleet Workers and public transport users are at the heart of ...
As-salamu alaykum, Tena tatou katoa, Thank you all for being here today. To the Afghan human rights defenders and your family members, welcome to Aotearoa. And thank you Your Excellency for hosting us all here at Government House. We have with us today from Afghanistan, human rights advocates, journalists, judges, ...
It’s my great pleasure to be able to speak with you about a really positive move for the Build-to-Rent sector. As you know, we announced changes last year to help steer property investors way from the existing pool of housing and toward solving New Zealand’s grave housing shortage - by ...
· Tax changes aimed at growing quality, secure rental supply · New and existing build-to-rent developments exempt from interest limitation rules in perpetuity, when offering ten-year tenancies · Exemption to apply from 1 October 2021. The Government is encouraging more long-term rental options by giving developers tax incentives for as ...
The Government has marked another milestone in its push for better rural connectivity, welcoming the delivery of Rural Connectivity Group’s (RCG) 350th tower. Waikato’s Te Ākau, which sits roughly 50 kilometres out of Hamilton is home to the new tower. “The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the ever-increasing importance of ...
Biosecurity co-operation topped the agenda when Australia and New Zealand’s agriculture ministers met yesterday. Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt met with his New Zealand counterpart, Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, and Rural Communities in a conference call, which had particular focus on foot and ...
People could spend less time in hospital, thanks to a smart new remote device that lets patients be monitored at home, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Technology has the potential to really change the way we do things – to do things that are better for patients and at the ...
Concrete steps to clarify inclusive, evidence-informed teaching practices Strengthen capability supports along the professional pathway Enhance partnerships between the education system and whānau, iwi, communities Embed equitable additional learning supports and assessment tools that help teachers effectively notice and respond to the needs of students Improved student achievement is a ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to strengthen global prevention, preparedness and responses to future pandemics with seed funding for a new World Bank initiative, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We cannot afford to wait until the next pandemic. We must all play our part to support developing countries ...
A law change to ensure that forestry conversions by overseas investors benefit New Zealand has passed its final reading in Parliament. Previously, overseas investors wishing to convert land, such as farm land, into forestry only needed to meet the “special forestry test”. This is a streamlined test, designed to encourage ...
International tourism recovery well underway with higher level of overseas visitor arrivals than previously expected UK and US card spend already back at pre-COVID levels Visitors staying in New Zealand longer and spending more compared to 2019 Govt support throughout pandemic helped tourism sector prepare for return of international ...
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities has released its first strategy, setting out the actions it will take over the next few years to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for ethnic communities Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan announced today. “The Strategy that has been released today sets out ...
The Prime Minister has officially opened the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre today saying it is a huge asset to the region and to the country. “This is a world class facility which will be able to host national and international events including the world championships. With a 10-lane Olympic ...
The Associate Minister of Education, Aupito William Sio, has today announced the recipients of the Tulī Takes Flight scholarships which were a key part of last year’s Dawn Raids apology. The scholarships are a part of the goodwill gesture of reconciliation to mark the apology by the New Zealand Government ...
96% of estimated menstruating students receive free period products 2085 schools involved 1200 dispensers installed Supports cost of living, combats child poverty, helps increase attendance Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti today hailed the free period products in schools, Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata, a huge success, acknowledging ...
The Tourism Industry Transformation Plan outlines key actions to improve the sector This includes a Tourism and Hospitality Accord to set employment standards Developing cultural competency within the workforce Improving the education and training system for tourism Equipping business owners and operators with better tools and enabling better work ...
Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications Dr David Clark welcomes Google Cloud’s decision to make New Zealand a cloud region. “This is another major vote of confidence for New Zealand’s growing digital sector, and our economic recovery from COVID 19,” David Clark said. “Becoming a cloud region will mean ...
A package of changes to NCEA and University Entrance announced today recognise the impact COVID-19 has had on senior secondary students’ assessment towards NCEA in 2022, says Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti. “We have heard from schools how significant absences of students and teachers, as a result of COVID-19, ...
Te Reo Māori tauparapara… Tapatapa tū ki te Rangi! Ki te Whei-ao! Ki te Ao-mārama Tihei mauri ora! Stand at the edge of the universe! of the spiritual world! of the physical world! It is the breath of creation Formal acknowledgments… [Your Highness Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Masiofo] ...
The Government’s commitment to combatting firearms violence has reached another significant milestone today with the passage of the Firearms Prohibition Order Legislation Bill, Police Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new law helps to reduce firearm-related crime by targeting possession, use, or carriage of firearms by people whose actions and behaviours ...
Minister for Veterans, Hon Meka Whaitiri sends her condolences to the last Battle for Crete veteran. “I am saddened today to learn of the passing of Cyril Henry Robinson known as Brant Robinson, who is believed to be the last surviving New Zealand veteran of the Battle for Crete, Meka ...
Legislation to repeal the ‘Three Strikes’ law has passed its third reading in Parliament. “The Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill ends an anomaly in New Zealand’s justice system that dictates what sentence judges must hand down irrespective of relevant factors,” Justice Minister Kiri Allan said. “The three strikes law was ...
Work is under way on preliminary steps to improve the Government’s support for survivors of abuse in care while a new, independent redress system is designed, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins says. These steps – recommended by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry – include rapid payments for ...
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki Online Forum 77 years ago today, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Three days earlier, on the 6th of August 1945, the same fate had befallen the people of Hiroshima. Tens of thousands died instantly. In the years that followed 340,000 ...
An agreement signed today between the New Zealand and United States governments will provide new opportunities for our space sector and closer collaboration with NASA, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash said. Stuart Nash signed the Framework Agreement with United States Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman. The signing ...
An agreement signed today between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will strengthen global emergency management capability, says Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty. “The Government is committed to continually strengthening our emergency management system, and this Memorandum of Cooperation ...
New Zealand will remain at the Orange traffic light setting, while hospitalisations remain elevated and pressure on the health system continues through winter. “There’s still significant pressure on hospitals from winter illnesses, so our current measures have an ongoing role to play in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and ...
Streets will soon be able to be transformed from unsafe and inaccessible corridors to vibrant places for all transport modes thanks to new legislation proposed today, announced Transport Minister Michael Wood. “We need to make it safe, quicker and more attractive for people to walk, ride and take public transport ...
More young minds eyeing food and fibre careers is the aim of new Government support for agricultural and horticultural science teachers in secondary schools, Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is committing $1.6 million over five years to the initiative through the Ministry for Primary ...
Kākāpō numbers have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season, and there are now more of the endangered parrots than there have been for almost 50 years, Conservation Minister Poto Williams announced today. The flightless, nocturnal parrot is a taonga of Ngāi Tahu and a species unique ...
The relationship between Aotearoa New Zealand and Malaysia is to be elevated to the status of a Strategic Partnership, to open up opportunities for greater co-operation and connections in areas like regional security and economic development. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta met her Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah today during a ...
With additional trains operating across the network, powered by the Government’s investment in rail, there is need for a renewed focus on rail safety, Transport Minister Michael Wood emphasised at the launch of Rail Safety Week 2022. “Over the last five years the Government has invested significantly to improve level ...
The Foreign Minister has wrapped up a series of meetings with Indo-Pacific partners in Cambodia which reinforced the need for the region to work collectively to deal with security and economic challenges. Nanaia Mahuta travelled to Phnom Penh for a bilateral meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and Aotearoa New Zealand, ...
Kia ora koutou Firstly, thank you to the President of the Criminal Bar Association, Fiona Guy Kidd QC, for her invitation to attend the annual conference this weekend albeit unfortunately she is unable to attend, I’m grateful to the warm welcome both Chris Wilkinson-Smith (Vice-President, Whanganui) and Adam Simperingham (Vice-President, Gisborne) ...
Extension of Aotearoa Touring Programme supporting domestic musicians The Programme has supported more than 1,700 shows and over 250 artists New Zealand Music Commission estimates that around 200,000 Kiwis have been able to attend shows as a result of the programme The Government is hitting a high note, with ...
Minister of Defence Peeni Henare will depart tomorrow for Solomon Islands to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. While in Solomon Islands, Minister Henare will also meet with Solomon Islands Minister of National Security, Correctional Services and Police Anthony Veke to continue cooperation on security ...
The Government is partnering with Ngāi Tahu Farming Limited and Ngāi Tūāhuriri on a whole-farm scale study in North Canterbury to validate the science of regenerative farming, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The programme aims to scientifically evaluate the financial, social and environmental differences between regenerative and conventional practices. ...
52.5% of people on public boards are women Greatest ever percentage of women Improved collection of ethnicity data “Women’s representation on public sector boards and committees is now 52.5 percent, the highest ever level. The facts prove that diverse boards bring a wider range of knowledge, expertise and skill. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The only credible explanation for Scott Morrison personally installing himself, as an undisclosed ministerial partner, in several portfolios is the former prime minister’s passion for control. The fact he didn’t tell senior colleagues, let ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linden Ashcroft, Lecturer in climate science and science communication, The University of Melbourne Mike Marrah/Unsplash, CC BY-SA On August 14 1912, a small New Zealand newspaper published a short article announcing global coal usage was affecting our planet’s temperature. ...
In the wake of the emotionally draining sagas that have dominated the mainstream media for the past week or so — -first the allegations of bullying within Parliament and by parliamentarians, and then the All Blacks’ triumph and turmoil over the coach’s future employment — can any relief be found? ...
Auckland mayoral hopeful Viv Beck should throw in the towel to give rival and former Far North mayor Wayne Brown a better go, says former Auckland mayor and National MP John Banks. ...
The government reduced pay parity funding for early childhood teachers in its May Budget to keep its education spending within agreed limits, briefing documents show. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Lukas Coch/AAP It has been reported that, during the pandemic, the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, swore himself in as a minister to several portfolios, including health, finance and resources. ...
The polytechnic sector has been getting a bad press in recent times. Former Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker has demanded an apology from Education Minister Chris Hipkins for turning the country’s polytechnic education system into “a national disgrace”. The Otago Daily Times has described the centralising of New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University Glen Carrie/Unsplash Social media platforms have had some bad press in recent times, largely prompted by the vast extent of their data collection. Now Meta, the parent company of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sandeman, Honorary Professor, Federation University Australia Shutterstock As a parent, it might feel like you are constantly giving your children worm treatments – usually in the form of chocolate or sweetened chewable tablets. In fact, most kids in ...
New Zealand will send another 120 Defence staff to the UK to help train Ukraine soldiers to defend against Russia after the completion of the previous 30-strong deployment. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Rubenstein, Professor, Academic Director, 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra With more independents, women, Indigenous Australians and MPs from a multicultural background than ever before, federal parliament seems ready to deal with issues that have been lying dormant for years. ...
LGNZ welcomes the Government’s move to allow councils to own bus services. The Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) has been replaced with the new Sustainable Public Transport Framework. The new framework gives councils the ability to own and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia Shutterstock If you wake up in the morning feeling thirsty, you might be dehydrated. There are a few things which might be at play ...
The Free Speech Union has released the first Annual Universities Ranking Report , taking a critical look at the policies and practices of New Zealand’s universities with regards to free speech, and “grading” them on whether they suppress or encourage ...
Buzz from the Beehive The big announcement from the Beehive so far today is that workers and public transport users are at the heart of a new approach to public transport branded the Sustainable Public Transport Framework. This is great news, although when you take workers and public transport users ...
The New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA) is again calling for the government to end COVID-19 mandates for private primary healthcare practices, as the continuing restrictions are unjust and unsubstantiated now that the Omicron variant is at large ...
Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on the use of biometric information in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner today launched its consultation paper, Privacy Regulation of ...
Jacinda Ardern doesn't believe there are widespread issues of bullying across the party, but says employment matters will be raised from time-to-time in a large workplace. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross Pain, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Philosophy, Australian National University Shutterstock In the early 1990s, British neuroscientist Karl Friston was poring over brain scans. The scans produced terabytes of digital output, and Friston had to find new techniques to sort and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amitabh Mattoo, Honorary Professor of International Relations, The University of Melbourne Mohandas Gandhi, who led India’s fight for independence, talks to a crowd in Ahmedabad, India in 1931. AP On this day 75 years ago, after a long battle for self-government, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward C Holmes, ARC Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor, University of Sydney My colleagues and I published the most detailedstudies of the earliest events in the COVID-19 pandemic last month in the journal Science. Together, these papers paint a coherent evidence-based ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Ottenhaus, Lectuer in Structural Timber Engineering, The University of Queensland Developer Thrive Construct recently announced the world’s tallest steel-timber hotel to be built at Victoria Square, Adelaide. Australia has caught onto the trend of building taller in timber, with other plans ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tamara May, Psychologist and Research Associate in the Department of Paediatrics, Monash University HBO While we all like to be prepared for what might happen in the future, like those difficult conversations and life choices, some go to extraordinary lengths ...
Labour MP Gaurav Sharma is doubling down on his claim a colleague misused taxpayers' money despite the Parliamentary Service determining no spending rules were broken. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Big business wants a “catch up boost” to permanent migration, with at least two thirds of the places going to skilled workers, In proposals for next month’s jobs and skills summit, the Business Council ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Australia’s top economists are divided about how to tackle ballooning inflation of 6.1% that’s forecast to climb to a three-decade high of 7.75% by ...
ANALYSIS:By Shailendra Singh of the University of the South Pacific In Fiji’s politically charged context, national elections are historically a risky period. Since the 2022 campaign period was declared open on April 26, the intensity has been increasing. Moreover, with three governments toppled by coups after the 1987, 1999 ...
RNZ Pacific The Queen’s Representative in the Cook Islands, Sir Tom Marsters, has confirmed Mark Brown as the Prime Minister. In a statement issued from Mark Brown’s office, Sir Tom said he was “satisfied” that Mark Brown had the majority of the MPs elected to Parliament. Following the final count ...
Former list MP Aaron Gilmore, who resigned in 2013 after he used his position as a threat to a hotel employee, says there has been "outrageous behaviour" by those in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Education, Southern Cross University Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state colleagues met in Canberra on Friday.Lukas Coch/AAP Last Friday, Australia’s state and federal education ministers met with emotional teachers, who spoke of working on weekends ...
Despite an 11th-hour rush of nominations for this year's local body elections, Local Government New Zealand says the numbers could still be too low. ...
A political analyst says people who would have voted for Leo Molloy in Auckland's mayoral election may now turn to Efeso Collins, because both candidates have working-class appeal. ...
Podcast - After one of the fastest political downfalls in New Zealand's history, Political Reporter Katie Scotcher examines how both major parties now face bullying accusations. ...
The government has unveiled what it is calling a radical plan to overhaul reading, writing and maths teaching after two decades of sliding literacy rates. ...
ANALYSIS:By Russel Norman, executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa Only people power can ensure genuine enduring progress on climate and people need to know the truth if they are to act on it. For that reason greenwashing is the enemy of progress on climate and where you stand on ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says he will seek a further extension from the Governor-General for the return of writ for Southern Highlands provincial seat which has faced protracted delays in counting. He said any discussions and talks of “failing” an election and calling for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Shutterstock Australia’s energy ministers on Friday voted to make emissions reduction a key national energy goal, in a major step forward in the clean energy transition. Federal, state and territory energy ministers agreed to ...
Labour MP Gaurav Sharma has launched another broadside at his own party, posting a lengthy statement on social media that details his interactions with Parliamentary Service and the Labour whips. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wadham, Director, Open Door: Understanding and Supporting Service Personnel and their Families, Flinders University The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has released its interim report after more than 1,900 submissions and 194 witnesses. It includes recommendations considered so urgent ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathieu O’Neil, Associate Professor of Communication, News and Media Research Centre, University of Canberra GettyImages Donald Trump derided any critical news coverage as “fake news” and his unwillingness to concede the 2020 presidential election eventually led to the January 6, 2021 ...
The Government’s esteem for science and science-based research findings can be gauged from a press statement released by the Ministry for Primary Industries. The statement gives a progress report on a New Zealand Forest Services’ partnership with a marae-based tree-growing project and its grant of nearly $500,000 over two years ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stan Karanasios, Associate professor, The University of Queensland Rob Hampson/Unsplash On August 9 2022, Australia’s COVIDSafe app was officially decommissioned, and all its features removed. People were encouraged to uninstall the app. Reports of its closure have made international news. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon talk about this week in politics. They discuss Australia’s relationship with China as tensions rise over Taiwan, the inquiry into ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominique Allen, Associate Professor, Monash University Photo by Sora Shimazaki/Pexels, CC BY You might have heard of jobseekers being asked to complete a “personality test” as part of a job application, or been through the process yourself. The questions can ...
Buzz from the Beehive Some readers might be surprised to learn from Associate Finance Minister David Parker that the law has been changed to ensure forestry conversions by overseas investors benefit New Zealand. Did the law previously allow forestry conversions by overseas investors that would be to ...
The government is giving long-term build-to-rent developments a tax break in a bid to increase secure rental supply for tenants for at least 10 years. ...
Aucklanders now have a clear choice between continuing the failing status quo or choosing a candidate who can fix Auckland, Mayoral candidate Wayne Brown says. “They can choose more of the same from current councillor Efeso Collins, or a new proactive ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk The head of the Solomon Islands state-owned broadcaster has defended its role in the face of the government tightening control — a move that critics say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news. The government said last Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation ...
What a difference less than a week can make: National lurching from success to controversy and Labour facing its own bombshell, Political Editor Jane Patterson writes. ...
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Te Pāti Māori co-leader and list MP based in Te Tai Hauāuru will this weekend share in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Pātea Māori club anthem, Poi E. “Iwi of Taranaki and Ngāti Ruanui will be reminiscing ...
Labour's Whip's office says it has always acted in good faith with Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma, after he made explosive allegations about bullying. ...
Today, XR Whakatū are blocking the Trafalgar St to launch “The People” in the form of Te Tiriti based peoples assemblies as their candidate for this year's local body elections. “The climate and ecological crisis proves our political system ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Mehigan, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images However you look at it, the National Party has selected someone who once committed an act of criminal violence to represent the Tauranga electorate in parliament. It’s an unfortunate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia Davidson, Vice-Chancellor, University of Wollongong Shutterstock Demand for health care is soaring as the population ages, medical treatments become more widely available and more people live with chronic and complex illnesses. However, there is global shortage of health professionals ...
A sexual abuse survivor group SNAP says the Government’s decision to allow faith-based institutions like the Catholic Church to continue providing redress to survivors would just re-traumatise Catholic Church survivors. SNAP’s national leader, Christopher ...
The 2022 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund (RWLF) will see $299,999 in grants being distributed to programmes with a focus on mental health in rainbow communities thanks to a partnership with Foundation North. Foundation North, the community trust ...
The Government continuing to push through a Wairarapa treaty settlement without addressing serious flaws in it, is a slap in the face to natural justice and rank hypocrisy from the Crown. That’s the submission today to Parliament’s Maori Affairs ...
The rental price indexes measure the changes in prices that households pay for housing rentals. Key facts Monthly change In July 2022 compared with June 2022: the index for the stock measure of rental property prices rose 0.2 percent the index for the ...
Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been found wanting, after his response to a letter from Groundswell NZ lacked any evidence that New Zealand agriculture is contributing to climate warming, Groundswell NZ emissions spokesperson Steve Cranston ...
New research from HelloFresh bites into the nation’s changing diets and reveals what’s impacting the way we eat Leading meal-kit provider, HelloFresh serves up fresh research that explores New Zealand’s changing diets, revealing how eating ...
“The marked increase in violent youth crime has been long predicted and is being met by a chorus of excuses instead of admitting the soft youth system is a demonstrable failure,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust. “Its time to ...
Morning Report - This week RNZ and Stuff's political editors Jane Patterson and Luke Malpass discuss the accusations by Labour's Gaurav Sharma, and those against National's Sam Uffindell. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myles Menz, Lecturer, Zoology and Ecology, James Cook University Christian Ziegler Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Author provided Migratory insects number in the trillions. They’re a major part of global ecosystems, helping to transport nutrients and pollen across continents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Toole, Associate Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute As monkeypox vaccination programs roll out and health authorities release information about how to reduce the spread of the virus, progress on another aspect of the outbreak is lagging: its name. On June 14, ...
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