DNC: Bernie Speaks

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, July 26th, 2016 - 184 comments
Categories: capitalism, class war, Hillary Clinton, International, us politics - Tags: ,

Day one of the Democratic Party’s National Convention.

Against a backdrop of controversy  and an apology to Bernie Sanders following the apparently Russian hack of the DNC’s candidate process emails and an unwelcome post conference poll bump for the establishment candidate Donald Trump, the Democrats are struggling to control the message. A small but idiotic minority of delegates are booing every time Hillary Clinton’s name is mentioned. That includes shouting over the speakers so far in the session. Shame that some of Bernie’s supporters don’t seem to be interested in hearing from the women on the stage, nor the black and Hispanic delegates who have struggled to get their stories across.

Bernie Sanders has tweeted the leaders of the delegations from states that supported him asking them to STFU. It seem so to be working, as the booing seems to have subsided. This follows on from Sanders himself being booed at a pre-convention speech.

Sanders is due to speak in a few hours, at roughly 2PM our time.

EDIT: The Sanders speech is here:

 

Here’s the Guardian’s regular update page.

And here’s a live link to the convention:

 

 

UPDATE: Notable Quotes.

Anastasia Somoza:

“I first met Hillary as First Lady on a visit to the White House. I was 9 years old and I listened to her and my mom discuss healthcare and early intervention for children with disabilities. Over the past 23 years, she has continued to serve as a friend and a mentor, championing my inclusion and access to classrooms, higher education and the workforce.

Donald Trump has shown us who he really is. And I honestly feel bad for anyone with that much hate in their heart. I know we will show each other, and the world, who we really are in November – when we choose genuine strength and thoughtful leadership – over fear and division. Donald Trump doesn’t see me, he doesn’t hear me, and he definitely doesn’t speak for me.

I am confident that as president Hillary Clinton will do everything in her power to support the rights… and humanity of all Americans.”

 

Anastasia Somoza speaks during Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 25, 2016.

 

Cheryl Lankford, whose husband, an army sergeant major, died in Baghdad in 2007:

You just saw what happened to me. How Trump University cheated me out of the money I received after my husband’s death. How they broke their promises. How they stopped taking my calls. How the whole thing was a lie…

Conning me out of the money the military gave me after my husband died, I felt he was disrespecting my husband’s memory…

He made millions of dollars off of people like me. Millions. …

Here’s a guy who was born rich and who has all the money in the world, and there’s nothing wrong with that… but then he decided to make himself even richer by cheating working people who had nothing to spare. What kind of man does that?

I’m here because America deserves to know the truth. This election isn’t about Democrat versus Republican. It’s about right versus wrong.

Donald Trump made big promises about Trump University. And I was fooled into believing him. Now he’s making big promises about America. Please don’t make the same mistake.”

Sarah Silverman:

“Some of you my know I support Bernie Sanders and the movement behind him. And Bernie’s already succeeded in so many ways.” She singles out opposition to Citizens United. “I’m very glad

You know my shrink says, we don’t get what we want, we get what we think we deserve. And Bernie Sanders has shown us that all Americans deserve quality health care and education, not just elites.

She says the Democratic primary was so grown up, with omission of details like hand-size or “if they go to the bathroom.”

“Inside secret … they do.”

“That’s four-year-old stuff. That’s calling-people-names-from-inside-my-gold-encrusted-sandbox-because-I-was-given-money-instead-of-human-touch-and-coping-tools.”

“Hillary is our Democratic nominee and I will proudly vote for her.”

Michelle Obama:

I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, beautiful intelligent black young women, playing with their dog on the White House lawn.

And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.

So don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great. That somehow we need to make it great again. Because this right now is the greatest country on earth.

 

184 comments on “DNC: Bernie Speaks ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. adam 1
    26 July 2016 at 10:59 am

    Funny when you rig an election, people get just a little up set. Who would have thought it?

    Oh and how is the whole calling people idiots thing working out?

    Any more gems you want to hand trump and the wingnuts?

  2. John Drinnan 2
    26 July 2016 at 11:12 am

    DWC and staff tried to fix the candidate – and are you saying that Hillary is not an Establishment candidate?

  3. Colonial Viper 3
    26 July 2016 at 11:17 am

    Outgoing head of the Democratic Party and pro-Clinton organiser Debbie Wasserman Schultz tried to speak to Florida’s voting delegates on stage at a pre-convention breakfast event.

    She was booed off stage by Bernie supporters. Security had to escort her out of her own party’s breakfast event.

    Video tweeted from the event:

    https://twitter.com/NDN_BrentBatten/status/757568128419237889

    • dukeofurl 3.1
      26 July 2016 at 5:29 pm

      All the leading participants are ‘escorted by security’ arriving and leaving their events.

      Is that what you call ‘news’.

      I watched the clip and there was cheers too. Thats not really news either

      • dukeofurl 3.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 6:11 pm

        Even Sanders was booed by his own supporters. Which means nothing either.

  4. Hutty 4
    26 July 2016 at 11:30 am

    Must be a typo where Donald Trump is the establishment candidate.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      26 July 2016 at 11:37 am

      I guess that makes Hillary Clinton the fresh edgy anti-establishment choice

      • The Lone Haranguer 4.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 3:22 pm

        And the Protesters were chanting

        “Hell no DNC, We won’t vote for Hillary!”

        While Trump makes up ground. In fact he may be the first ever candidate to gain voter share after both the RNC and the DNC

        The GoP has been toxic since nearly forever, and have no wish to put their house in order, but Trump has (if nothing else) given the little guys a sense of hope that the party WILL be transformed whether they like it or not.

        Whereas the Democrats have been toxic since nearly forever too, but have no wish to put their house in order, and they dont have a candidate who wants to either.

        I reckon Trump will be POTUS if the Democrats stick with Hillary. The tide has already turned.

    • te reo putake 4.2
      26 July 2016 at 11:47 am

      Talk to his bankers, they know exactly how on message he is. Like Reagan, Thatcher and Shipley, he talks as if he wants to help the little guy, but at heart he just wants to see the majority suffer to make himself and his mates richer.

      • Colonial Viper 4.2.1
        26 July 2016 at 11:58 am

        Trump deals with bankers as part of his property empire.

        Hillary gets money from bankers for her politics and her help in office.

        • Lanthanide 4.2.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 12:25 pm

          Trump’s also declared bankruptcy 4 times. I’m sure the banks that were burned by that aren’t particularly happy with him.

          • Colonial Viper 4.2.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 12:34 pm

            Trump’s declared bankruptcy with debts owing 4 times and is still in business?

            Given that the USA has a national debt of $19 trillion dollars and climbing, his experience might come in handy.

            • Lanthanide 4.2.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 1:24 pm

              He’d be the first president under which the US has ever defaulted on its debts. Would seem in keeping with his competence, really.

              • Nic the NZer …
                26 July 2016 at 1:37 pm

                The US defaulted on some of its debts in 1979. So your ‘honour’ goes to President Carter!

                Anyway, Trump has already addressed this, the US govt can’t be forced to default.
                http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/09/politics/donald-trump-national-debt-strategy/

                CV’s comment was quite firmly tongue in cheek. But you have demonstrated that there is always someone for who the joke goes over their head.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  26 July 2016 at 1:42 pm

                  And Nixon going off the gold standard could also be considered the USA defaulting on its debts.

                  • Nic the NZer …
                    26 July 2016 at 1:55 pm

                    Actually my search was a bit superficial,

                    http://www.theglobalist.com/a-brief-history-of-u-s-defaults/

                    but that does not include the US leaving gold convertibility. I don’t think that counts however as the govt didn’t miss any payments (in gold) but legally shut down the exchange facility. The events above include a few where the govt missed payments in gold by comparison.

                  • Phil …
                    26 July 2016 at 2:01 pm

                    Only if you squint really really really hard.

                    Nixon’s policies reduced the value of the US dollar, so any foreign investor who had an unhedged claim on the US government lost out (because a US dollar was now was worth less in foreign currency than before).

                    By the same logic, any government pursuing policies to devalue their currency are defaulting on debt… which would be an extreme and absurd conclusion to draw.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      26 July 2016 at 2:05 pm

                      Ahem. Mexican devaluation. US investors regarded it a significant default.

                      So not that absurd.

                    • Phil …
                      26 July 2016 at 2:32 pm

                      The US in 1971 and Mexico in 1994 are examples of devaluation, not default. In both cases, the government made a commitment to repay government debt in their local currency. They both did repay.

                      If you, as a foreign investor, didn’t hedge against or understand the risk of a falling currency reducing the value of your investment (when converted back to your own currency), that’s on you and you alone. It ain’t a default.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      26 July 2016 at 3:27 pm

                      I’m interested that you don’t think it’s a default Phil.

                      American investors lost a huge amount of money in this deception by the Mexican Govt which had assured investors right to the eleventh hour that there would be no devaluation.

                      Your very description – that Mexican bonds lost a massive amount of value overnight due to direct govt action – is tantamount to a debt default even if you somehow argue via technicalities that it somehow is not.

                    • Phil …
                      26 July 2016 at 5:44 pm

                      Let me be very clear on this: The Mexican government issued debt denominated in Peso’s. The commitment to repay debt was in Peso’s. The Mexican government repaid the debt in Peso’s.

                      Therefore, they did not default on the debt instrument. It’s literally as simple as that.

                      I honestly couldn’t give a flying fuck what else the Mexican Government did or did not do to stave off default. Investors in America shouldn’t be investing in Mexican debt securities if they don’t understand the risks of dealing with emerging markets that have significant capital account outflows and fixed exchange rates.

                      ——

                      Side note: if the Investor-State dispute settlement obligations of the TPPA were in force, then maybe those american investors you appear so very worried about might have been able to sue the Mexican Government and recoupe some of their losses – wouldn’t that be great!

                • Phil …
                  26 July 2016 at 1:53 pm

                  1979 wasn’t a default in the typical/joe-public sense of the word, and no investor lost money.

                  There was a long debate in Congress about raising the debt ceiling, which led to a large increase in the volume of T-bills being traded on the secondary market as investors wanted to get out early. The Treasury got behind in its paperwork and had computer problems, so there was a delay in payments.

                  It was embarrassing, sure, but not a catastrophe.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    26 July 2016 at 1:56 pm

                    Your argument is that it was merely a technical default?

                    You understand that late payment of your mortgage is a default on your obligations to the bank as a borrower right, even if you catch up later?

                    • Lanthanide …
                      26 July 2016 at 3:29 pm

                      And the bank only goes to mortgagee sale after all other avenues have been explored.

                      Kind of like how the treasury was given extra time to get their payments sorted, rather than everyone turning up at fort knox at 9am on the first day and demanding gold bullion.

                      There’s a difference between having the money and not being able to pay because of a dysfunctional congress, and a householder not having the money and no prospects of getting it soon.

                  • Nic the NZer …
                    26 July 2016 at 2:02 pm

                    Not a catastrophe no, but clearly refuting Lanthanides assertion that Trump would mark the first, yes.

                • Bastables …
                  26 July 2016 at 3:17 pm

                  President Carter did not default, not in the manner you’re implying. The Treasury bills were defaulted temporarily due to the US treasury being garrotted by a congress engaged in a debate limit shutdown. The T bill were paid out when congress pulled it’s head out of it’s arse.

                  http://www.forbes.com/sites/beltway/2013/10/08/actually-the-united-states-has-defaulted-before/#18ae73c36e73

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    26 July 2016 at 3:29 pm

                    bastables, you are aware that late payment is defaulting on your obligations as a borrower?

                    You may catch up on payments at some later date, but you have still defaulted on the terms of your borrowing.

                    Just try putting through your mortgage payment a week late and then arguing with the bank that you haven’t incurred a technical (although not ultimate) default on your mortgage agreement.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      26 July 2016 at 10:16 pm

                      If you pay your mortgage a week late, the bank is not likely to foreclose and send your house to mortgagee sale, either.

                      They’ll wrap you over the knuckles, charge penalty interest on the overdue amount and put a black mark in your credit file.

                  • Nic the NZer …
                    26 July 2016 at 3:36 pm

                    “He’d be the first president under which the US has ever defaulted on its debts.” – Lanthanide. That’s the manner in which I am implying the US defaulted, which it did.

        • dukeofurl 4.2.1.2
          26 July 2016 at 2:35 pm

          Clinton raises money for their major charity too.

  5. xanthe 5
    26 July 2016 at 11:53 am

    hangon hangon there is no. i repeat NO creditable evidence that the “russians” had anything to do with this … Please dont repeat that sort of spin !

    “experts have said”
    “FBI are looking into the possibility”
    “bits of code “look like” bits of code used in russian (and other parties) hacks”

    sum of above == ZERO

    Now I am not saying the Russians didnt do it . The point is we dont know and this is such an obvious attempt to deflect from the content of the emails that we (wiser persons !!) should not be falling for it and repeating such an obvious spin

    As well consider that this is also an attack on Wikileaks itself

    I repeat there is NO creditable evedence for the claim that the Russians did it

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      26 July 2016 at 12:01 pm

      As I’ve said, the NSA can determine definitively where the email leak came from in moments, using their XKEYSCORE internet tool. No further investigation than that is needed. Unless it suits the agenda to keep pushing the barrow on Russia rumours.

    • dukeofurl 5.3
      26 July 2016 at 2:39 pm

      YES THERE IS

      The DNC Hack Could Be Misinformation From Russian Spies

      http://motherboard.vice.com/read/all-signs-point-to-russia-being-behind-the-dnc-hack#

      “The metadata in the leaked documents are perhaps most revealing: one dumped document was modified using Russian language settings, by a user named “Феликс Эдмундович,” a code name referring to the founder of the Soviet Secret Police, …. The original intruders made other errors: one leaked document included hyperlink error messages in Cyrillic, the result of editing the file on a computer with Russian language settings. After this mistake became public, the intruders removed the Cyrillic information from the metadata in the next dump ”

      Im not suggesting it wasnt information from the DNC but they have carefully altered some information that was dumped into public domain

      • One Two 5.3.1
        26 July 2016 at 2:57 pm

        No

        The bullshit, is that links like that have content which pretends to know what’s going on

        Vice media is a fantasy being delivered to simple peope by Disney studios!

        • dukeofurl 5.3.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 7:58 pm

          have you ever written any code in your life: I could fill books with mine

      • Colonial Viper 5.3.2
        26 July 2016 at 3:20 pm

        The DNC Hack Could Be Misinformation From Russian Spies

        Then how come the DNC apologised to Bernie Sanders supporters for the emails, and Wasserman Schultz took responsibility by resigning as Chair of the DNC?

        I read a tweet which said it best (paraphrasing):

        – Putin’s not trying to manipulate the election process by leaking emails. The DNC committee is by writing them.

        • dukeofurl 5.3.2.1
          26 July 2016 at 3:55 pm

          I said they have real emails but have manipulated some data.

          You can imagine the GOP National committee stuff about them trying to stop Trump.
          Wakeup , these are highly political people.

          • Colonial Viper 5.3.2.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 5:03 pm

            OK at least now we can agree that the Democratic Party hierarchy was set against Sanders from the beginning like he always claimed, and they always denied.

            • dukeofurl 5.3.2.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 5:20 pm

              So the DNC organised Clinton to get 3.5 million more votes in the primaries ( which are run by the state governments.)
              Sanders did much better in the caucuses which ARE organised by the local democratic parties.

              Sanders raised an incredible amount of money, not far behind Clinton. For a non democrat he did remarkably well.

              “The Washington Post went so far as to claim that one of the most damning emails in the WikiLeaks dump was Wasserman Schultz complaining that Sanders spoke “like someone who has never been a member of the Democratic party and has no understanding of what we do.”
              Duh !

              • xanthe …
                26 July 2016 at 7:19 pm

                Crap DofE once again “people have suggested that russians may heve inserted misinformation” is not evidence or actually anything !!!!

                HEARSAY nothing more
                dont post bullshit as some sort of citation

                metadata mumble mumble metadata oh must be true then…

                • dukeofurl …
                  26 July 2016 at 7:56 pm

                  No I cited a fairly good source. Unless you have expertise in cyber-security to find fault, I suggest you stick with your coffee grounds

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    26 July 2016 at 8:06 pm

                    Yes, Russian cyberwarfare operators are incompetent enough to leave fingerprints all over the metadata of the files they’ve touched.

                    Very easy to believe.

  6. Colonial Viper 6
    26 July 2016 at 12:07 pm

    Joe Scarborough NBC reporter tweets 26 mins ago that booing continues unabated at the DNC Convention.

    https://twitter.com/JoeNBC/status/757721559918313472

    • Richard McGrath 6.1
      26 July 2016 at 12:10 pm

      I’d be booing too. Sanders got royally shafted by the whole rotten corrupt Democratic Party machine, and now we are realising the extent of the Clintons’ cancerous influence in U.S. politics.

      • adam 6.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 12:23 pm

        I see the libertarian candidate is doing ok at 13% in the polls Richard. If he can get another 2 points and hold it for the next month, the debates will get real interesting.

        Have to say been really impressed with some great anti-trump stuff coming from the libertarians in the USA at the moment. It ends up in my email, funny and right on point. I hope they crack the 15%.

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 12:32 pm

          So do I. Would love to see this Nov being a breakthrough for the Libertarians.

          btw how do they get along with Ron Paul?

          • joe90 6.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 12:52 pm

            Ames on Johnson.

            Since Gary Johnson and libertarianism is the only real Third Party choice our gangrenous democracy allows us, it’s time we took a serious look at him — and it’s not pretty, folks. Because if you poke beneath the facade, what you find is a sponge absorbing just about every bad right-wing idea, and a campaign mixed up with some of the most loathsome GOP political operators of the last few decades.

            Gary Johnson, in other words, is proof that our democracy is finished, a fistula of bad politics swelling up under Lady Liberty’s armpit.

            https://pando.com/2016/01/08/gary-johnson-swindle-and-degradation-third-party-politics/

            • Richard McGrath 6.1.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 8:03 pm

              Johnson is the nominee from a party whose values are no longer represented by the Republicans. I’d like to see how Trump and Clinton would react to his small govt messages in a three way debate.

          • Richard McGrath 6.1.1.1.2
            26 July 2016 at 7:12 pm

            I think Ron Paul is still respected among U.S. Libertarians but comes across as a bit eccentric. Johnson comes across as more of a regular guy

        • Richard McGrath 6.1.1.2
          26 July 2016 at 7:07 pm

          Yes Adam, Johnson would be a breath of fresh air in the debates. He has polled far higher than any Libertarian Party candidate before him. Trump certainly has little in common with anything libertarian.

          • adam 6.1.1.2.1
            26 July 2016 at 10:41 pm

            Myself and other anarchists pointing out to libertarians that they have been done over the Republican party has finally got through.

            Now we just need to work on the social democrats, and make them see the light vis-a-vis the Greens.

            That would be a way better debate, libertarian verse Greens. It would be a nice clear divide, but one of with freedom at it base, not just another variation on authoritarianism.

            Funny how both left and right authoritarians start looking the same when you scratch off the veneer.

            • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.2.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 10:46 pm

              The rule of the police state and the rule of the corporate state are more similar than they are different.

      • AmaKiwi 6.1.2
        27 July 2016 at 12:53 am

        @ Richard McGrath

        Richard, the DNC screwing of Sanders was wrong, but it was 100% “American.”

        You may recall George W. Bush used electoral and judicial fraud (the US Supreme Court) to steal Florida from Al Gore, who was the true winner of the 2000 election.

        In 1960, John F. Kennedy defrauded Richard Nixon out of the presidency with the help of the democrat mayor of Chicago, whose motto was “vote early and vote often.”

        Electoral fraud has always been the cornerstone of US elections. Their system was designed to make it easy.

        P.S. Obama could have easily been defrauded out of victory in 2004 except his lead in all the polls was so large the Republicans and racists didn’t dare.

  7. Colonial Viper 7
    26 July 2016 at 12:13 pm

    The DNC has surrounded the convention centre with an 8 foot high steel wire mesh wall to keep thousands of pro-Bernie and other left wing protestors out.

    https://twitter.com/Sam_seau/status/757692249132130304

    • The Lone Haranguer 7.1
      26 July 2016 at 1:29 pm

      Party of the ordinary People huh?

      The DNC is dancing with the devil.

      You would have thought that having watched the GOP do the same thing and lose to Trump and his millions of supporters, that they just might have been smart enough to choose a candidate who the voters actually like.

      • AmaKiwi 7.1.1
        27 July 2016 at 12:58 am

        The Lone Haranger

        I agree but politics is about money and power. Hillary had them at the outset. Sanders didn’t.

    • dukeofurl 7.2
      26 July 2016 at 7:54 pm

      Thats the secret service, did the same at Cleveland

      “the Convention is designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE), making Cleveland eligible for the $50 million federal grant it received in December to offset the city’s cost for providing security. The Secret Service will lead the effort in partnership with the Cleveland Division of Police to help ensure the safety and security of those participating in or otherwise attending the Convention as well as the local community.”

      Did the same in Philly for the popes visit

      Check your facts, speculation doesnt count.

  8. Colonial Viper 8
    26 July 2016 at 12:29 pm

    Reports that DNC staffers are patrolling the aisles of the convention centre taking Bernie signs off people, and threatening Bernie supporters with loss of their Convention entry credentials.

    http://usuncut.com/politics/dnc-bernie-posters-taken/

    Bernie supporters are also defacing official “Love Trumps Hate” DNC signs to read Love Bernie or Trump wins.

    https://twitter.com/SputnikNewsUS/status/757705575144820736

  9. Colonial Viper 9
    26 July 2016 at 12:44 pm

    Black protestors waving a KKKillary KKKlinton Super Predator 2016 sign.

    Seems like some people have not forgotten Clinton’s attitude to Blacks in the 90s.

    https://twitter.com/hashtag/dncdisaster?f=tweets&vertical=default&src=hash

    • swordfish 9.1
      26 July 2016 at 1:13 pm

      “Seems like some people have not forgotten Clinton’s attitude to Blacks in the 90s.”

      Yeah, in stark contrast to the Clinton-endorsing Congressional Black Caucus. This little elite has a whole lot to answer for. Zero change for Black Americans with the Goldwater Girl.

      Which is what makes TRP’s cynical deployment of the PC/Identity Politics weaponry so amusing: (“Shame that some of Bernie’s supporters don’t seem to be interested in hearing from the women on the stage, nor the black and Hispanic delegates who have struggled to get their stories across.”)

      The affluent, powerful, Clinton-supporting Black, Hispanic and Women Political Elites up on stage are looking just a little bit shell-shocked. As well they might, getting a bit of blowback from activists for betraying their core constituencies.

      • Colonial Viper 9.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 1:22 pm

        And one more point – Bernie Sanders is finding that ‘his supporters’ are not actually his to control. His txts, emails to his supporters to stop the booing and support Clinton are having only mild effects.

        This ‘lack of positive control’ is going to scare the establishment beyond measure.

        • Kevin 9.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 1:27 pm

          Good.

        • AmaKiwi 9.1.1.2
          27 July 2016 at 1:13 am

          CV, in politics you NEVER have “positive control” over your supporters.

          Isn’t that why the Labour Caucus has been in such strife with people like you and me? The caucus thinks we should obediently follow them and we tell the caucus to follow us.

      • te reo putake 9.1.2
        26 July 2016 at 2:21 pm

        Don’t be a wanker, mate. Watch the speeches.

      • the pigman 9.1.3
        26 July 2016 at 9:11 pm

        +1
        The “feeling the Bern” updates on the front page were particularly galling. Incredible if implemented by the Voice himself.

        • te reo putake 9.1.3.1
          26 July 2016 at 9:21 pm

          Oh, do fuck off. I put the time and effort into writing the post and kept it updated during the afternoon. Your next comment had better be “Thanks for posting, TRP,” or I’ll assist you in achieving the instruction in the first sentence.

  11. Adrian 11
    26 July 2016 at 1:02 pm

    What a shame Bernie capitulated to Clinton and the DMC, as we all know at heart, having Clinton in the White House just extends the misery of working people, the poor and disenfranchised, nothing of substance will change for this demographic with her in power.
    Strangely enough we are witnessing just the same sort of frantic fear of a real Left wing politician and movement in the UK from it’s own party, and (so called) liberal media, The Guardian being one of the most biased.
    As this study makes abunatly clear
    http://www.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/pdf/JeremyCorbyn/Cobyn-Report-FINAL.pdf
    The same day The Guardian came out with this almost unbelievable response!
    https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/jul/19/yes-jeremy-corbyn-has-suffered-a-bad-press-but-wheres-the-harm

    Still I think this is all great to finally see, now no one in their right mind could fail to see that the western Left and left (MSM) media has been totally infiltrated by neo liberals, who as it turns out, are not advocates for the working class, poor and disenfranchised if it at all looks like that position might effect their house values, share portfolios or own way of life.

    Sadly NZ Labour must think having this lack of principles and moral compass in a politician is a good thing to, as they seem quite taken with Nash, even though he himself has made it clear, he regards winning more important than holding to his stated values and principles…
    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/category/bloggers/stuart-nash/

    • Garibaldi 11.1
      26 July 2016 at 3:31 pm

      I couldn’ t agree more Adrian but you will get pilloried for pointing out NZ Labours faults on this site.

      • Paul 11.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 5:38 pm

        NZ Labour has sold out to neoliberalism just the the US Democrats and UK Labour.
        Blair, Douglas and Clinton did more damage to people’s democracy than Thatcher, Bolger and Reagan.
        They took away any choice.
        One day the truth will come out about how neoliberal institutions instigated coup détats in these parties.
        These criminals be be shown to be the traitors they are.

        • Adrian 11.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 6:41 pm

          Thanks Paul, “They took away any choice” is a really good way to frame this sad situation we have ended up in.
          But like I mentioned, at least now we are getting to see what side of the fence politicians of the Left really stand on, well in the UK and US anyway.

  12. save nz 12
    26 July 2016 at 2:16 pm

    Clinton could have made Sanders vice president. That would have guaranteed the election for her, alot more than pro trade, pro war Kaine. But why share or compromise ideology when you feel you can get everything your own way, even if you lose to someone dangerous like Trump for being so greedy for your own increasingly very unpopular views on neoliberalism?

    Like Brexit, voters are feeling angry for not being listened too. So Clinton has made a very big error in her strategy. Better to share with someone very popular like Sanders than gamble on a very unpopular ideology of neoliberal free trade.

    Are most people richer in the last 39 years (nope) are most people safer (nope) are most people freer, (nope), is the economy doing betterl (nope), is society fairer, (nope)?

    Infact one article estimates the US is now 10 trillion dollars richer in the last 40 years, but somehow 50% of peoples incomes are only up a bit over $1000, and the cost of living is certainly a lot higher than 40 years ago! So where is the money going?

    http://www.salon.com/2016/03/02/listen_to_the_donald_trump_voters_it_has_taken_an_ignorant_demagogue_to_tell_truth_about_gop_humiliate_party_establishment/

      • save nz 12.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 6:04 pm

        @ Joe, fascinating.

        Why the hell would the democrats do that? are they so arrogant they want to lose the election????

        Similar stuff in UK too, with Corbyn. The Blairites and MSM keep telling us he is not leadership material but the voters seem to differ!

        If some people can’t work it out, neoliberalism is dying so clinging to that branch especially the “Labour type’ parties, is not really going to work.

        • joe90 12.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 6:43 pm

          Why the hell would the democrats do that?

          They score members of congress on how conservative they are – on their voting record and respective positions taken over key issues Kaine is rated as way more liberal the Sanders.

          • Colonial Viper 12.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 6:49 pm

            Sanders is far more economically left of Kaine, even if Kaine is mildly more socially liberal than Sanders.

            • save nz 12.1.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 8:39 pm

              Too many stupid advisors and in group thinking, not enough people with intuition and common sense.

              Labour suffers from this also.

              Back to Kaine. Being a missionary is not really considered the respectable thing it used to be.

              Being Catholic is not as respectable as it used to be.

              Being Pro Free trade is not as respectable as it used to be.

              Speaking Spanish could actually alienate white voters who fear job losses, to Trump.

              Being a lawyer is not considered as respectable as it used to be.

              Saw him speak about ISIS and he seems like a Hawk who does not understand that ISIS did not exist before USA bombed Iraq. If he doesn’t understand that, then he’s doomed to repeat mistakes.

              But most of all, he looks like Sanders but does not have the drive for change that Sanders wants. Kaine might be liberal but change is what voters want and need. Change is what Trump offers. Change does not seem to be on the agenda with the democrats in the way I think voters want, on the issues it wants.

    • AmaKiwi 12.2
      27 July 2016 at 1:21 am

      save nz

      “Clinton could have made Sanders vice president.”

      He would have been a fool to have accepted. VP is the most powerless job in the US government. Some VP’s have had a lot of influence and power (Dick Chaney), but most are completely sidelined. Bernie would be sidelined and both he and Hillary know it.

  13. Anne 13
    26 July 2016 at 2:53 pm

    Got home in time to hear Elizabeth Warren. Fantastic speech and a fantastic woman.

    And what a breath of fresh air after the awful scenes at Cleveland to see a venue full of genuine, normal American people, young and old, black and white and every shade in between. We can be forgiven after last week for thinking America had gone to hell in a hand basket. It hasn’t.

    • One Two 13.1
      26 July 2016 at 2:59 pm

      Normal American People..all suckered in by cynical duplicitous, controlled opposition politics

      Good Grief

    • Colonial Viper 13.2
      26 July 2016 at 3:22 pm

      Warren knows best of all how Obama let the investment bankers run his economic policy. How Obama appointed a slew of ex-Goldman Sachs JP Morgan Citibank types to his council of economic advisors, ultimately sidelining Warren.

      Sad to see that she is now supporting the bankster bought and paid for Hillary Clinton.

      I wonder what they promised Warren in order for her to do that.

      • Anne 13.2.1
        26 July 2016 at 3:28 pm

        Your extreme cynicism is destroying you CV. You used to be so much better than that.

        • Colonial Viper 13.2.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 3:34 pm

          Not sure why you would still have faith in the DNC after its been revealed that they conspired with the Clinton campaign team to undermine the Sanders campaign from the inside.

          It would be like Parliamentary Services staffers deciding which MP they wanted re-elected and which one they did not, and then working to undermine one while supporting the other.

          Given this, is some cynicism not warranted? Many delegates inside the convention centre, and many protestors kept outside the convention centre by 8 foot high steel and wire fences, seem to be just as cynical about what has gone down.

          • dukeofurl 13.2.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 3:51 pm

            No its not like parliamentary service staffer- these people were working for the political party, not the government.

            But we know our parliamentary staff do do work for their Mp when they are supposed to be neutral come election time

            • Colonial Viper 13.2.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 4:41 pm

              No its not like parliamentary service staffer- these people were working for the political party, not the government.

              Or like NZ Council deciding that they would back one particular candidate in a Labour leadership campaign, while acting as if they were neutral towards all candidates.

              • dukeofurl …
                26 July 2016 at 5:11 pm

                Sanders is just a ‘drive by democrat’- always ran as independent.
                They have a party for that but he decided at 78 to become an instant democrat

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Party_of_America

                His Senate website and press materials continue to label him as an “independent” while his campaign website lists him as a “Democratic candidate.” In his home state of Vermont, there is no party registration.

                Between 1972 and 1976, Sanders was the nominee of the anti-capitalist, anti-war Liberty Union Party of Vermont in two Senate and two gubernatorial elections in Vermont. He lost all four races and resigned from the party in 1977, calling it “sad and tragic,” according to Greg Guma, author of The People’s Republic: Vermont and the Sanders Revolution.

                In 1981, Sanders made an independent bid for mayor of Burlington as a self-described socialist.
                “I am not now, nor have I ever been, a liberal Democrat,” he said in a 1985 New England Monthly profile, according to Politico.

                http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/feb/23/bernie-sanders-democrat/

          • Anne 13.2.1.1.2
            26 July 2016 at 8:18 pm

            CV @13.2.1.1, I’ve been around politics (and not just in the L.P.) for four plus decades and there’s not a lot I haven’t experienced about what goes on. Sure, there’s conspiracies – and some leave a hell of a lot to be desired – but the important thing is that it works both ways and over time the frequencies on each side of a given ledger will even themselves out.

            Back in the ‘good old days’ these attempts to gerrymander electoral situations used to be carried out by telephone and, provided no-one was tapping in to those conversations (and it used to happen more often than people ever knew and not necessarily by security agencies), then no-one was any the wiser because nine times out of ten the ‘conspiracies’ never got off the ground. In other words talk is cheap. That’s why I don’t get too overly bothered by the modern version (emails) because the old adage “the other side do it too” in these types of cases is often true.

            No, it shouldn’t have happened, but believe me I could tell quite a few stories about the NZ political scene in days gone by and it was no better!

        • Garibaldi 13.2.1.2
          26 July 2016 at 3:36 pm

          That’s a bit harsh Anne.I think CV is right on the ball in all his comments

          • Anne 13.2.1.2.1
            26 July 2016 at 3:59 pm

            Your prerogative Garibaldi. I agree with CV sometimes but not at others. I will continue to do so whether you or anyone else likes it or not. I gather you are a relative newcomer to this site?

        • Cemetery Jones 13.2.1.3
          27 July 2016 at 11:27 am

          He’s right though.

      • Wayne 13.2.2
        26 July 2016 at 4:13 pm

        She has probably been offered the Treasury Secretary.

        • Ad 13.2.2.1
          26 July 2016 at 4:30 pm

          And would do more good to herself and to the country at Treasury than at VP.

          • adam 13.2.2.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 4:52 pm

            Oh god yes, that would be awesome, if she was made Treasury Secretary.

            Anyone noticed that trump has a special place of hate for Elizabeth Warren?

            Mind you she just does such a good job of kicking him to the curve every time he says anything about her.

        • dukeofurl 13.2.2.2
          26 July 2016 at 5:05 pm

          No way. The Governor of Massachusetts is a republican who would appoint her replacement.

  14. Slippery 14
    26 July 2016 at 4:07 pm

    CV is spot on, Trump employs far more minority’s than Clinton, if you include the George Soto’s funded paved protestors then he’s already creating Jobs, he is far more Presidential, loves his country & supports the Vets ,he is far more entertaining, he is no warhawk so sit back & grab the popcorn because President Trump will rebuild America & will make the whole world safer, oh and how my much did the Clinton foundation give to the people of Haiti (not Including mining companys or politans?) Anyone? ( hint look for ‘Clinton Cash’ now showing free on YouTube

    [Verging on spam, but I let it through for the lolz. TRP]

    • dukeofurl 14.1
      26 July 2016 at 5:01 pm

      Yep that was the Trump that won the GOP primary with 14 million voters backing him

      Sanders the socialist, in a parallel race got 13.2 mill, and came second.

      Whos the one with the populist message. You could be thinking for all the rah rah that Trump had 20 mill voters , not just a few hundred thou more than that socialist

      • Colonial Viper 14.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 5:12 pm

        1) Trump smashed the record for the most votes gained in a Republican Primary. Last highest was GW Bush in 2000 and Trump smashed through that with around 3M more votes in 2016 than Bush got in 2000.

        2) In contrast, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination this year on fewer primary votes than she lost to Obama with in 2008.

        Whos the one with the populist message. You could be thinking for all the rah rah that Trump had 20 mill voters , not just a few hundred thou more than that socialist

        Sanders has the far more populist message, and is the candidate that US voters would far prefer over Trump.

        Sanders has been systematically locked out by the Clinton machine of course.

        So now it’s left to Trump to be the populist.

        • Phil 14.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 6:00 pm

          1) Trump smashed the record for the most votes gained in a Republican Primary. Last highest was GW Bush in 2000 and Trump smashed through that with around 3M more votes in 2016 than Bush got in 2000.

          Trump also smashed the record of having the most votes cast against him of any republican nominee ever. Party unity, anyone?

          2) In contrast, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination this year on fewer primary votes than she lost to Obama with in 2008.

          Voter turnout in the 2008 Democratic primaries was at its highest (as a percentage of eligible voters) since 1972, because it was the first time voters had the chance to nominate someone other than a white man for nominee.

          You sound like someone arguing climate change isn’t real because temperatures aren’t as high as 1998.

          • dukeofurl 14.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 6:46 pm

            Clinton in 2008 got slightly more primary votes than Obama- and lost. You think Sanders has been hard done by.

  15. joe90 15
    26 July 2016 at 4:10 pm

    ABT.

    90% of ‘consistent’ Sanders supporters favor Clinton over Trump

    Hillary Clinton led Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination in every Pew Research Center survey conducted throughout the party’s primaries. But many Democratic voters vacillated in their candidate support throughout this period.

    Today, however, overwhelming shares of all Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters – including 90% who consistently supported Sanders for the nomination – back Clinton in the general election against Donald Trump.

    http://www.people-press.org/2016/07/25/in-clintons-march-to-nomination-many-democrats-changed-their-minds/

    • Colonial Viper 15.1
      26 July 2016 at 4:58 pm

      Look forward to seeing all this additional support for Clinton being reflected in the coming polls post-DNC Convention.

      • dukeofurl 15.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 6:15 pm

        Its there already
        538 gives Clinton at 47.4 and Trump at 45.5.

        http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/#plus&odds

        • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 6:20 pm

          OK they put the odds as being well against Trump. Cool.

          How did 538 rate Trump’s chances of being the Republican candidate 12 months ago?

          And by the way did you check out what 538 said about who would win an election today?

          53.8% Trump
          46.2% Clinton

          Whoopsie mate.

          http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/#now

          • GregJ 15.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 6:36 pm

            Electoral Vote has it (at this moment) with Clinton on 312-197 (29 tied – which is Florida).

            Barely Dem – 77. Barely GOP – 23.

            Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan (3 of the 4 “Rust Belt” states) & Virginia all in play.

            This is the only thing that matters now – who is ahead in which state and the ground game in those ones.

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 6:53 pm

              Interesting that 538 has Trump as being more likely to win today while electoral vote makes it look like it would be a fairly clean win to Clinton.

              • GregJ …
                26 July 2016 at 7:04 pm

                I’ve used Electoral Vote since the 2004 Election. It is pretty accurate. 538 I’ve only started viewing recently.

                I notice 538 has three different views on the vote:

                *Polls-plus forecast – What polls, the economy and historical data tell us about Nov. 8 (Clinton 59.5%; Trump 40.5%)

                *Polls-only forecast – What polls alone tell us about Nov. 8 (Clinton 53.9%; Trump 46.1%)

                *Now-cast – Who would win an election today (Clinton 46.2%; Trump 53.8%)

                So I think they are probably looking at it through a number of lenses.

            • DoublePlusGood 15.1.1.1.1.2
              26 July 2016 at 8:37 pm

              This is also why Clinton chose Kaine as her VP candidate – because she wants to hold Virginia. Vermont isn’t exactly relevant in the general election.

          • dukeofurl 15.1.1.1.2
            26 July 2016 at 6:50 pm

            Thats based on a computer !

            The numbers based on the polls are the ones I referred to.

            You mean you dont know the difference between a ‘now cast’ and his real forecasts.

            Debunked by a professor of Statistics

            “From Salon: Shock poll: Nate Silver’s election forecast now has Trump winning
            That’s not either of his two forecasts, that’s the “now-cast”:
            http://www.statschat.org.nz/2016/07/26/going-for-the-headlines/

            Ok to do a face palm CV

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.2.1
              26 July 2016 at 6:59 pm

              *Shrug*

              Cherry pick Nate’s work as it suits you. But his prediction is clear – if an election was held today, Trump is more likely to win.

              • dukeofurl …
                26 July 2016 at 7:49 pm

                So you know more than a Stats professor ?

                His forecast- look the word up, it means predict events- is Clinton wins

                A month or two back I was saying Sanders will endorse Clinton, while you still though she would be in court.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  26 July 2016 at 7:52 pm

                  You’re right I hadn’t thought the US Department of Justice and FBI were that politically corrupt and need to lower my expectations.

              • Phil …
                27 July 2016 at 9:46 am

                if an election was held today, Trump is more likely to win

                It’s July, not November…. so who cares?

                If US elections were held in the month before the two major party conventions, rather than a few months after, then you and I would be arguing over what effect the legacy of a Kerry presidency was having on the 2016 election, and whether president Dukakis achieved more than Bush I did in his second term.

          • Lanthanide 15.1.1.1.3
            26 July 2016 at 10:18 pm

            Except the election isn’t being held today, so those numbers don’t mean a whole lot.

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.3.1
              26 July 2016 at 10:33 pm

              This. Yours is the simplest and best retort.

              Although it also shows is that Trump has gone from being a 5 or 10 point dog at the start of the year behind Clinton to being neck and neck now.

              The Trump campaign has the momentum now and we will see if Clinton gets it back this week

              • Lanthanide …
                27 July 2016 at 9:05 am

                The Polls Plus model builds in compensation for the convention bounce. So the convention bounce that Trump has received hasn’t shifted the Polls Plus prediction.

                If Clinton gets the average 2-4 point convention bounce, then that also won’t affect the Polls Plus prediction.

                Everything else is noise.

  16. One Two 16
    26 July 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Vote: None of the above

    They’re all compromised ‘crooks’, which is why it’s bizarre that commentators debate who is the more atrocious candidate. Some even show support or endorsement for one or other

    You’re being mugged

    1988-2020

    War criminal/drug lord/???
    War criminal/impeached philanderer/???
    War criminal/addict/???
    War criminal/ nobel peace prize token black/white man/???
    War criminal/corrupted businessman/currupted token woman/???

    It is a lose, lose, lose situation regardless the outcome!

    Why argue with eachother over it

  17. CynicalJester 17
    26 July 2016 at 6:40 pm

    the disdain that this author continuously shows for left wing beliefs makes me wonder what in hell TRP is doing writing for a progressive blog.isn’t there a neoliberal blog you should be working with, seriously though….

    The Democratic party is over and so is Hillary, they lied cheated and stole to win her the nom and don’t even have the capacity to see that by pissing on Sanders supporters and their beliefs they show that they are completely out of touch with the working class and the electorate as a whole they will not unify over hillary and are doomed to fail, attacking the sanders supporters only cements that, status quo politics is over mate.

    Hillary and DNC may have cheated Bernie but they won’t do the same to trump, hillary will do about as well as fellow robot rubio against trump oh the debates will be magical!

    Can’t wait to see what else Russia
    Leaks to destroy what’s left of Clinton’s likability and wow shes already losing by ten points ahahahaha…. So much for better choice!! Can’t even win without cheating!

    [If you think I’m a neo-liberal, you’re clearly still riding with your political training wheels on. And don’t presume to tell authors what they should and shouldn’t write. Read the rules if you want to find out how that’ll end. TRP]

    • dukeofurl 17.1
      26 July 2016 at 8:10 pm

      “Between 1972 and 1976, Sanders was the nominee of the anti-capitalist, anti-war Liberty Union Party of Vermont in two Senate and two gubernatorial elections in Vermont. He lost all four races and resigned from the party in 1977, calling it “sad and tragic,”

      The Democratic party has been around since 1828, if you dont think they arent Establishment then you are a bit deluded. Yes they are full of liars, cheats and Crooks but you need to knock the stars out of your eyes about politics.

      Sad and Tragic was Bernies comment about the far left of US politics

    • red-blooded 17.2
      26 July 2016 at 9:38 pm

      Cynicaljester, you need to stop kidding yourself. If you think Trump is somehow a ‘man of the people’, your judgement is seriously skewed.

      And learn what “neo-liberal” means before you start throwing that label around.

  18. dukeofurl 18
    26 July 2016 at 6:54 pm

    The story about the famous Philly Boo

    “Philadelphia isn’t the only town that boos its home team ”

    http://www.phillymag.com/articles/philadelphia-booing-sports/

    It seems that Booing in Philadelphia was a “Thing” , long before Shultz, Sanders , and even Clinton to come get their share.

    • Colonial Viper 18.1
      26 July 2016 at 7:01 pm

      A Philly thing?

      How does that longstanding Philly tradition explain the California and Florida Democratic delegations booing Clinton?

      • dukeofurl 18.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 7:43 pm

        Whos booed Clinton ? She hasnt arrived yet.
        The you tube thing is on the ‘floor of convention’

        Clinton doesnt speak till Friday.

        • Colonial Viper 18.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 7:49 pm

          I love your Thorndon Bubble armour, it really is imperviously superb.

          • dukeofurl 18.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 8:03 pm

            I think Im a reasonably good judge of events, your record is hopeless. I see you have ditched Sanders and are now ‘hoping’ the 3rd party guy will make the debates. Its like you have an incurable illness and have ‘found a cure’ in Mexico,. Face. Reality.

            • Colonial Viper 18.1.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 8:11 pm

              Like I said, highly trained Thorndon Bubble imperviousness. Impressive. And flawed.

              • Phil …
                27 July 2016 at 12:45 pm

                The best thing about Thorndon Bubble armour is that it protects New Zealand from having you ever set foot in a place where policy is developed and implemented.

  19. thechangeling 19
    26 July 2016 at 7:33 pm

    Bernie’s speech was great. He gets to the point quickly and elaborates on it clearly.

    • te reo putake 19.1
      26 July 2016 at 8:20 pm

      Yep, he hit all the right marks, tc. Talked about policy as well as the need to keep the right out of the White House. So it’s not just about retaining power, it’s about achieving for the majority of Americans after Clinton wins. Sanders’ supporters were given a straight message; Trump is the candidate of the 1 percenters.

      • Colonial Viper 19.1.1
        26 July 2016 at 8:46 pm

        Then why are all the big investment banks sending executive management to support Clinton and the DNC in Philadelphia? And why has the DNC lifted a whole lot of donation restrictions off the banking lobby?

        • te reo putake 19.1.1.1
          26 July 2016 at 9:10 pm

          I’ve only got your word that they are, bud. But even if they were, so what? This is America and you don’t get to be President without big money behind you. You know there hasn’t been a non millionaire president for about a century, right? Trump has been a part of the establishment since birth, there’s simply no need for the banks to help him out. They already own him.

          But, as usual, you’re missing the point. In your rush to hate on the left, you leave behind the people of America. They need a democrat win, if only so that things don’t get worse. For example, Trump isn’t promising a $15 minimum wage, he wants the minimum wage removed altogether. He isn’t proposing health reform and education for the poorest, he wants them dumped south of a great big wall.

          Mate, you’ve lost direction in recent years. You used to want to help the majority, now you’re boostering for a billionaire bigot. As a poet once wrote “The shame is on the other side”. And you’re definitely on the other side now, CV. Hope it’s not a terminal move, but the signs aren’t good.

          • Colonial Viper 19.1.1.1.1
            26 July 2016 at 9:19 pm

            Hey TRP, you make a very poor confessor priest. Clinton is a neocon and bankster ally who took million dollar money while she was Sec State.

            While compromising US national secrets out of a server in her basement.

            Well, she likes the TPP at least.

            • te reo putake 19.1.1.1.1.1
              26 July 2016 at 9:23 pm

              Meh. She’s still a way better option than the billionaire Trump. And you know it.

              • infused …
                27 July 2016 at 12:55 am

                I actually doubt that.

                Good to see your true colours though.

                • Phil …
                  27 July 2016 at 12:51 pm

                  Do you really believe a Trump administration would do anything, in terms of economic policy, materially different from a Clinton administration?

                  Meanwhile, we’ve got a pretty clear steer from Trump that, socially, he would set America back more than half a century in terms of race relations and individual freedoms.

                  But it’s good to see your racist colours shining through.

          • the pigman 19.1.1.1.2
            26 July 2016 at 10:07 pm

            “Mate, you’ve lost direction in recent years. You used to want to help the majority, now you’re boostering for a billionaire bigot. As a poet once wrote “The shame is on the other side”. And you’re definitely on the other side now, CV. Hope it’s not a terminal move, but the signs aren’t good.

            And you, MATE, have cast off the last vestiges of shame about being anything other than an apologist for the Establishment. swordfish has pointed out above how your barely concealed disdain for the “far” Left bleeds through into your writing. Let me call you out on it, too. thechangeling calls Bernie’s speech great, you respond:

            “Yep, he hit all the right marks, tc.”

            Half-hearted acknowledgment to appropriate thechangeling’s sentiment, followed by reframing of it to suit your damning with faint praise of Bernie and his supporters.. The semiotics of your language make you the perfect propagandist for the modern “centre-left”. The gauleiter of url could learn a thing or two from you.

            • te reo putake 19.1.1.1.2.1
              26 July 2016 at 10:19 pm

              And yet I’m solidly of the left and live my life according to socialist principles, while working every day for the betterment of the lives of others. Funny old world, eh?

              • Colonial Viper …
                26 July 2016 at 10:39 pm

                You’re a solid establishment loyalist who always cries croc tears for the actual left wing candidate when they end up smashed by the establishment machine that you are so loyal to.

                You may have been left wing once, but then you found yourself a nice comfortable middle class niche and that was that.

                The irony of life eh.

                • marty mars …
                  26 July 2016 at 10:52 pm

                  at least his principles are still aligned – where are yours at – trump the climate change denier, racist, misogynist, 1%er, liar-idiot and cv up a tree…

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    26 July 2016 at 11:02 pm

                    Shall I explain it again?

                    I believe Trump will be the far better POTUS for NZ than CLinton will be. All those other sneering words that you used are irrelevant.

                    • marty mars …
                      26 July 2016 at 11:19 pm

                      They aren’t sneering just the facts, which as you say, you don’t care about.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      26 July 2016 at 11:34 pm

                      Of course, it’s typical left wing sneering. Like saying that Trump supporters are uneducated misogynist racist rednecks who supports an ignorant misogynist racist red neck candidate.

                      BTW remember Clinton and her super predator comment.

                    • Phil …
                      27 July 2016 at 1:04 pm

                      Trump will be the far better POTUS for NZ than Clinton will be.

                      I doubt Trump could find New Zealand on a map… so I suppose our country will look like an incredibly attractive place to live and invest, after Trump turns the rest of the world into a smoking, radioactive, crater.

              • mikes …
                30 July 2016 at 5:22 am

                Really? Yet you want Clinton to become president?

                Here’s what John Pilger thinks:

                https://newmatilda.com/2016/03/23/john-pilger-why-hillary-clinton-is-more-dangerous-than-donald-trump/

  20. mikes 20
    26 July 2016 at 8:58 pm

    “Trump is the candidate of the 1 percenters.”

    – So is Clinton.

    I want anybody but a Clinton or Bush, even if that means Trump.

    • te reo putake 20.1
      26 July 2016 at 9:13 pm

      Meh. They still have Whaleoil don’t they? Why don’t you pop over there and play with kids your own age.

      • infused 20.1.1
        27 July 2016 at 12:54 am

        you really hate it when you are shut down aren’t you? keep your head in the sand. you’re fooling no one but yourself.

      • mikes 20.1.2
        30 July 2016 at 5:01 am

        Brilliant reply te reo putake. If only I had half the brain and life experience you do.

        • te reo putake 20.1.2.1
          30 July 2016 at 9:54 am

          Er, yes, quite right. Still, I remain confident that ‘hey babe, I’m a Trump voter’ is never going to work in a dating scenario and many, many shame faced people are going to deny voting Trump in years to come.

    • red-blooded 20.2
      26 July 2016 at 9:58 pm

      mikes, the US system is distorted and it’s possible to argue that it’s become an oligarchy. So much money is needed to run a campaign that it’s frankly undemocratic. I don’t think anyone on this site is going to argue otherwise. Having said that, that doesn’t mean that Mr Big Mouth is somehow “cleaner”: he’s a proven fraudster (“Trump University” anyone?), a bully, a racist and xenophobe, incredibly sexist, wants to rip away any basic support for public education, minimum wages, labour rights, environmental protection or public health provision. He’s toxic, and so are many of his supporters. He’s got no political experience. That doesn’t make him “clean”, it’s part of what makes him frightening. He’s a puffed-up megalomaniac.

      You don’t like Hillary Clinton? Tough. She’s her party’s chosen candidate. She’s actually got a proven track record with her party (unlike Saunders or Trump) and (BTW) she represents half of the population who’ve never seen one of their own kind in the top job. (Yes, I’m talking about the female half.)

      I can understand people being disappointed that their preferred candidate didn’t win, but Saunders’ supporters have to be mature enough to do what Clinton’s supporters did when she ran against Obama; suck it up for the greater good. (And let’s remember, BTW, that Obama didn’t gift the vice-presidency to Clinton. She won more votes than him and yet the way the US system works means that she didn’t win the nomination and went back to work inside her party. I hope that’s what Saunders will do, now that he’s actually joined the party he was campaigning to lead.)

      Saunders made a good run for it and he helped to swing the boundaries of the political discussion in the US. That’s what he started off by saying he wanted to do. Now it’s time for the Democrats to get out there and stop the extreme right wing from further trashing their country.

      • Colonial Viper 20.2.1
        26 July 2016 at 10:11 pm

        she represents half of the population who’ve never seen one of their own kind in the top job. (Yes, I’m talking about the female half.)

        LOL!

        Why on earth would you include the 40% to 45% of women voters who disapprove of Clinton representing them?

        • red-blooded 20.2.1.1
          27 July 2016 at 7:33 am

          Hey, it’s been a slow climb out of servitude for women, and we’re still climbing. I want to live in a world where girls and boys both believe that they get to choose their futures and that women are just as capable of leadership as men. Do you?

          • Colonial Viper 20.2.1.1.1
            27 July 2016 at 10:08 am

            So why did you lump in all American women as being represented by a warmongering denizen of the patriarchy neocon like Hillary Clinton, when 40% to 45% of American women actually disapprove of her as a leader?

  21. joe90 21
    26 July 2016 at 9:44 pm

    The intentional posting of unredacted emails looks pretty damn sinister.

    @glamarre2 Just to be clear. It isn't an error.— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 23, 2016

    If you visit the WikiLeaks DNC emails website, you can browse the emails using a simple boolean search. Typing a word like “contribution” will actually turn up hundreds of results. The emails include unencrypted, plain-text listings of donor emails addresses, home addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, passport numbers, and credit card information. WikiLeaks proudly announced the data dump in a single tweet.

    http://gizmodo.com/wikileaks-just-published-tons-of-personal-data-like-a-b-1784140603

    • Colonial Viper 21.1
      26 July 2016 at 10:06 pm

      Usual effort to make wikileaks the subject of the DNC email leaks.

      While wikileaks needs to stay vigilent about redacting irrelevant personal information, the real question is obvious:

      Why was the DNC holding the personal details of their donors including credit card numbers and social security numbers in plain text emails on insecure systems.

      Gizmodo didn’t even bother to ask the question.

      • Bob 21.1.1
        27 July 2016 at 9:59 am

        “While wikileaks needs to stay vigilent about redacting irrelevant personal information, the real question is obvious:
        “Why was the DNC holding the personal details of their donors including credit card numbers and social security numbers in plain text emails on insecure systems””

        Sorry CV, I find myself agreeing with you more and more recently, but what if this was re-written:

        While WhaleOil needs to stay vigilant about redacting irrelevant personal information, the real question is obvious:
        “Why was the NZ Labour Party holding the personal details of their donors including credit card numbers and membership details on insecure systems”

        Can you now see why I was pointing out Labour’s culpability in the donation ‘hack’ in 2011? Is it any different if the information simply ends up on a different website?

        • Colonial Viper 21.1.1.1
          27 July 2016 at 10:03 am

          Labour’s IT security appeared to be subpar, yes. Whaleoil remains culpable for the criminality of his own actions, however.

          • Bob 21.1.1.1.1
            27 July 2016 at 10:19 am

            As does Wikileaks

            • Colonial Viper 21.1.1.1.1.1
              27 July 2016 at 10:26 am

              Please explain what you see as the criminality of Wikileaks actions. I see the work of wikileaks as being critical in breaking the false narratives perpetrated by powerful and highly monied interests.

              • Bob …
                27 July 2016 at 10:42 am

                The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act 1986

                (2) intentionally accesses a computer without authorization or exceeds authorized access, and thereby obtains—
                (A) information contained in a financial record of a financial institution, or of a card issuer as defined in section 1602 (n) [1] of title 15, or contained in a file of a consumer reporting agency on a consumer, as such terms are defined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.);
                (B) information from any department or agency of the United States; or
                (C) information from any protected computer

                I think US law explains it clear enough, although ‘any protected computer’ has come to cover any computer.

                Unless you are saying Wikileaks didn’t hack the information, they simply displayed it, in which case please explain what you see as the criminality of Whaleoils actions.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  27 July 2016 at 11:10 am

                  Is there a reason you think that US law applies to Whaleoil?

                  Also wikileaks is a publishing and distribution organisation. Other people provide the information to them.

                  • Bob …
                    27 July 2016 at 11:54 am

                    Yes, because similar law exists here: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/DLM327382.html
                    It is illegal to access, but not to store or make the information available, the same as in the US.

                    “Also wikileaks is a publishing and distribution organisation. Other people provide the information to them”
                    Cameron Slater was found by the High Court to be a journalist, as Whaleoil is his only means of distribution (that I am aware of), that would make Whaleoil a publishing and distribution organisation also. I can’t confirm this, but I believe the Labour ‘hack’ was information passed on to him by a government staffer, which would constitute “Other people provide the information to them”, again, what is the difference?

                    It is good to see your deep dislike of Cameron Slater and love of Wikileaks isn’t clouding you judgement on this.

                    FYI – I am not a fan of Cameron Slater or Whaleoil, but I do see a massive irony around a number of commentators hatred of spying when done by Government departments, but love of Wikileaks (effectively an unregulated spying organisation).

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      27 July 2016 at 11:59 am

                      How do you make the argument that the material released by Whaleoil served the public good?

                      For wikileaks, they showed us how corrupt the DNC is internally as an organisation when it comes to their leadership elections.

                    • Bob …
                      27 July 2016 at 12:49 pm

                      How do you make the argument “personal details of their donors including credit card numbers and social security numbers” served in the public good?

    • Colonial Viper 21.2
      26 July 2016 at 10:20 pm

      Let’s Be Honest: The DNC Asked To Be Hacked With Passwords This Dumb

      Among numerous other revelations, the big DNC email hack has revealed an organization lacking even basic password security.

      Staffers actually used Obama-Biden-2012 and obamain08 as email passwords. It doesn’t take much actual hacking to get into accounts with such passwords, as TechInsider pointed out, there are several off-the-shelf programs that would guess these in under a minute.

      Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/25/lets-be-honest-the-dnc-asked-to-be-hacked-with-passwords-this-dumb/#ixzz4FVbIkXOS

      Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/25/lets-be-honest-the-dnc-asked-to-be-hacked-with-passwords-this-dumb/#ixzz4FVavLFSR

      • dukeofurl 21.2.1
        27 July 2016 at 10:25 am

        I looked up the Wikileaks site where DNC emails are searchable. Cant find any emails with the ‘passwords’ your link decribes

        “Obamain08” returns nil searches so does “Obama-Biden-2012”

        So your link -Manriquez apologizes for a delay in sending something out over the press email, explaining that, “I cannot login to [email protected] with either of the passwords I have on file for the account (Obama-Biden-2012 and obamain08).”

        has found an email that doesnt exist, perhaps they dont go back to pre 08 ( when email security would be poor anyway)

        More likley you have been had by an unreliable source – quelle surprise

        • Colonial Viper 21.2.1.1
          27 July 2016 at 10:36 am

          Hi dukeofurl, I’d appreciate an apology from you.

          At least, an apology for your very funny inability to complete a routine search field properly.

          On May 7, 2016, at 3:21 PM, Manriquez, Pablo <ManriquezP@dnc.org> wrote: Hi Team, Apologies for delay in sending this out but I cannot login to dncpress@dnc.org with either of the passwords I have on file for the account (Obama-Biden-2012 and obamain08). Quickest solution here is for me to blast from manriquezp@dnc.org? I know this runs against protocol but if dncpress@dnc.org is out of commission again and I’m the press POC all weekend anyway…this would go a long way toward Making Saturday Great Again as your weekends faithful firewall from work shit like this. Let me know. Thanks!

          https://wikileaks.org/dnc-emails/emailid/6610

  22. joe90 22
    26 July 2016 at 10:31 pm

    Bernie Sanders’ former national press secretary –

    But let me be clear – NO ONE STOLE THIS ELECTION! Team Sanders we did AMAZING WORK. But we lost. It's a hard reality for some.— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) July 25, 2016

  23. joe90 23
    26 July 2016 at 10:39 pm

    Chomsky, corporate neocon sellout.
    //

    Reminder: "Oh absolutely… my vote would be against the Republican candidate." Noam Chomsky to me, on Hillary:https://t.co/r7EmGM4fwM— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 25, 2016

    "Absolutely" I'd vote for Hillary in swing state, Chomsky to me. "If you abstain..you're giving a vote for the" GOP.https://t.co/r7EmGM4fwM— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 25, 2016

    "There are enormous differences" between Hillary & Trump, Chomsky told me, eg carpetbombing, Iran deal & climate:https://t.co/r7EmGM4fwM— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 25, 2016

    • adam 23.1
      27 July 2016 at 10:37 am

      I love how dishonest you are joe90.

      Quoting a Chomsky interview from January, when we now know that the DNC cheated lied, and stacked the deck.

      • dukeofurl 23.1.1
        27 July 2016 at 11:09 am

        How did the DNC get nearly 3 million more voters to vote for Hilary than Bernie.

        Yes we know the superdelegates favoured Clinton , but they favoured Obama last time when Clinton got more votes than him.

        • adam 23.1.1.1
          27 July 2016 at 11:28 am

          My comment is about the dishonest nature of the links and the nature of tweets.

          Where by not even giving someone the possibility to change their mind with new information.

          As for the 3 million extra votes. Tell that to the millions of democratic party members who feel they have been shafted by the DNC. I’m sure it makes them happy to be condescended to over and over by you lot. Ignored, and then the promotion of the person who led the whole fix. Good luck with that approach with the coming election.

          I find you lot have normalised condescension, with a heavy dose of dishonesty, which quite frankly, is bloody depressing.

          • Colonial Viper 23.1.1.1.1
            27 July 2016 at 11:33 am

            You know how National has always accused modern Labour of being “arrogant.” This is exactly what the blue team meant.

  24. Cemetery Jones 24
    27 July 2016 at 11:15 am

    “A small but idiotic minority of delegates are booing every time Hillary Clinton’s name is mentioned. That includes shouting over the speakers so far in the session. Shame that some of Bernie’s supporters don’t seem to be interested in hearing from the women on the stage, nor the black and Hispanic delegates who have struggled to get their stories across.”

    The SJW mind tricks don’t work on more and more of us. Why should they be interested in any stories being told in support of the Clinton machine?

    • Colonial Viper 24.1
      27 July 2016 at 11:18 am

      It looks like 200-300 Bernie state delegates have just walked out of the Convention.

      • Cemetery Jones 24.1.1
        27 July 2016 at 11:41 am

        Good. This train wreck is exactly what the Clintons and the DWS aligned milleu of the DNC deserve. They feasted on every awkward, divisive second at the GOP convention, and if things continue like this, they’re gonna get an excruciatingly divisive minute in return for every second they celebrated. Not often people like this experience first hand blowback for their actions – normally it’s some other sucker who pays for it (ask Ambassador Stevens or his guards – oh wait).

        Today, the big charlie-foxtrot all theirs to own.

  25. ALZ 25
    28 July 2016 at 6:49 pm

    I Like Bernie’s politics, but the angry ranting style is like someone yelling into a storm, mmm, guess that’s accurate really, the tsunami of neoliberal destruction and perverse power, with only words to oppose it. (some good lungs on that old fella). He deserves a peaceful meadow all ready. It is going to take a miracle for him to become president, and a distinguished one he would make too. ( miracles do happen, just enough to keep hope alive). roll on November.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T00:10:59+00:00