Farrar back on the PS payroll?

Written By: all_your_base - Date published: 12:12 pm, December 6th, 2008 - 135 comments
Categories: blogs - Tags: dpf, farrar, ps, slater, whaleoil

A mate just pointed out that the metadata of David Farrar’s election analysis document suggests it was authored on a Parliamentary Service computer. With the document open in Microsoft Word go to the ‘File’ menu then down to ‘Properties’. You’ll see something like the image below:

Of course you’ll notice that the document title looks historical but Word is pretty aggressive when it comes to updating its metadata automatically (particularly when it comes to local user data on the machine in use).

A month or so ago, our own IrishBill pointed out Cameron Slater’s (Whaleoil’s) own admission to The Herald that he was working closely with the National Party research unit raking muck.

Perhaps his mate Davey is back in there too…

135 comments on “Farrar back on the PS payroll? ”

Comments are now closed

higherstandard 1

6 December 2008 at 12:23 pm

So ?

Are you expecting people to be surprised that Farra is partisan – he’s always been pretty open about where he stands and he does actually post under his own name.
John Dalley 2

6 December 2008 at 12:25 pm

Though he will always say otherwis, Davey has always been a paid “Lackey” of the National Party.
Maybe his and his companies should be included in National Electoral Expense Returns,
but as i say, he will always say “Not”
all_your_base 3

6 December 2008 at 12:34 pm

higherstandard – it’s as much about hypocrisy of the National Party digging dirt and running lines through the Whaleoils and the Farrars while their smiling front-man goes on relentlessly about running a “positive campaign”.
Steve Pierson 4

6 December 2008 at 12:39 pm

No-one is acting surprised that Farrar is partisan, HS. The point is this document was written on a Parliamentry Services computer. That means David, like Slater is actually working with the National Party research unit (they’re employed by Parliamentry Services).

What we’re beginning to see is a web of relationships, how the Nats get out spin to the media via supposedly independent sources.

It’s actually a useful docunment, but David, some graphs please, endess tables are very hard to interpret.
lprent 5

6 December 2008 at 12:47 pm

The last page is pretty weird in the comments. Looks like a different election to 2008.

captcha: keep Judging
Thank you machine. I will…
Graeme 6

6 December 2008 at 12:59 pm

I’d say this was fairly simple. The same thing has happened with my CV.

I created my first CV on a Victoria University computer. Every so often, I update it, and although it’s been worked on on half a dozen computers since uni, there’s still VUW meta-data in it – even in the PDF I then turn it into. The last time I updated it, the updating was over quicker than my efforts to clear the remnants of that data.

What has pretty obviously happened here is that DPF created an analysis of the election in 1999, when he worked in Parliament. And he has just been updating that file, instead of starting from scratch (because why would you?).
all_your_base 7

6 December 2008 at 1:24 pm

It may well be that simple Graeme, it’s just that the ‘Author’ data seems usually to be updated quite aggressively by Word.
vto 8

6 December 2008 at 1:36 pm

i don’t see what that has to do with the price of fish
Janet 9

6 December 2008 at 1:53 pm

VTO

Are you happy for your taxes to support Kiwiblog and Whaleoil while they are not admitting that they are part of the National Party parliamentary machine – in fact trying to disguise it? These days conflicts of interest, ethical business and political behaviour are quite a big deal. If they are on the payroll they should just say it and put a conflict of interest statement on their blogs.
NX 10

6 December 2008 at 2:26 pm

Graeme wrote:
I’d say this was fairly simple. The same thing has happened with my CV.

Yeah, I agree with Graeme.

If you recycle Word documents – the author field doesn’t seem to change. Which can be awkward if the document is from a previous employer.
rjs131 11

6 December 2008 at 2:32 pm

I think the National party “running lines” through Salter and Kiwiblog is about as likely as the Labour party “running lines” through this blog – something that has been repeatedly denied.
sux2bu 12

6 December 2008 at 2:40 pm

Feeblest dirt-digging attempt since Mike Williams. Did any of you geniuses look at Documents>Properties>’Last saved by’ ? Guess who last saved it – a user called David Farrar, not Parliamentary Services. Did you geniuses also try modifying the doc and saving it and see what happens ? “Author” is still Parliamentary Services, “last saved by” is now you…
Vonnie Boy 13

6 December 2008 at 2:41 pm

Har har har, metadata is hilarious.
Graeme 14

6 December 2008 at 2:45 pm

it’s just that the â€˜Author’ data seems usually to be updated quite aggressively by Word.

I wish!

My CV was created on a VUW PC on MS Word. The very first time I saved it, I’d typed my middle name incorrectly on the first line, and it borrowed that for the file name first time ’round. Naturally, I’d fixed it at the time in the document, and in the file name, but even now, opening and amending the document in Open Office, and then creating a PDFof that open office document, the author of the PDF (!) is still SCS (the VUW Student Computing Services or something like that) and the embedded title (the bit it shows in task bar) of that PDF still has my middle name spelt incorrectly. It seriously took me an hour to fix it last time – manually changing the properties in the pdf file wasn’t even close to enough.
Tim Ellis 15

6 December 2008 at 2:50 pm

ayb, while you’re going around outing people for working in parliamentary services, have you got any declarations to make of your own?
Madeleine 16

6 December 2008 at 2:51 pm

One might ask how you knew how to spot this.

What’s that saying about protesting too much?
Steve Pierson 17

6 December 2008 at 3:27 pm

Tim. No ayb doesn’t. don’t believe everything you read on whaleoil. what’s he up to now? About 20 names for 6 writers isn’t it?
Robinsod 18

6 December 2008 at 3:35 pm

I think the fact DPF is running his polling services call-outs from National party HQ is probably enough evidence of the fact he’s benefiting from the National party.

What I find more interesting than the no-brainer that Farrar works for National is the fact that there is an increasing amount of evidence that National were actively using Slater’s blog as an outlet for smear campaigns despite his lax security…
Robinsod 19

6 December 2008 at 3:36 pm

Hey Tim – I’ve got an admission to make…

I’m your dad. Say hi to your mum for me.
dave 20

6 December 2008 at 3:37 pm

Go back and have a look at the data creation – last printed in..2002. The document is at least 5 years old. What a weak allegation.

[lprent: I vaguely seem to remember you describing whale’s even more tenuous ‘evidence’ about photoshop jpegs as being good. Not exactly consistent in your opinions are you?]
Rex Widerstrom 21

6 December 2008 at 3:43 pm

Good grief.

I see Lynn’s commented here and I’m surprised he hasn’t weighed in with some technical knowledge (which in most areas is far superior to mine, but I’m not sure about Word, since, to be fair, he obviously doesn’t use much of the Evil Empire’s product).

As Graeme is trying to tell you, Word does not “aggressively” update metadata. It doesn’t even “effectively” update metadata. Especially when you open an older version document in 2007* and especially if you’re using Sharepoint, as I imagine a company like David’s would be doing.

And that’s what’s happened here, judging by the original title referring to 1999 figures but the template on which it’s based being normal.dotm (which is a 2007 extension).

You’re also looking at a document originally created on a Windows platform on a Mac platform. The number of differences (despite what Microsoft claim) between the way similarly named products behave on the two are the subject of many an erudite exposition, as they number in the bazillions.

You get upset – and rightly so – at accusations The Standard was “run from the 9th floor”, yet you endeavour to smear David with the same sort of innuendo based on a poor understanding of something as flimsy as Word metadata?

Shame on you, a_y_b – I think you owe David an apology.

* that refers to the date field… I don’t have time to find one specific to name, but it’s basically every field.
sux2bu 22

6 December 2008 at 3:45 pm

Not just an apology is owed, you should also praise his eco friendliness by not printing this doc since 2002 LOL
Rex Widerstrom 23

6 December 2008 at 3:56 pm

Oh, by the way Graeme et al, Microsoft claims it’s possible to easily remove metadata. I can’t vouch for the methods suggested as I’ve never tried any.

But isn’t the introduction hilarious?! They assume – and probably rightly so – that the only people devious enough, and with the sort of lies that need hiding, are lawyers:

Legal professionals are familiar with the concept of “discovery” and the requirements set out by the courts for complying with discovery demands. They also understand that they are only required to provide the documents and data set out in the discovery demand. Unfortunately, if you are providing electronic versions of your documents, you may “discover” that you are inadvertently supplying more information than you realize.

Like, say, in an anti-trust case before the US Supreme Court? Mwahahahaha!!
gingercrush 24

6 December 2008 at 4:05 pm

Hmm I would have thought that the Buy Kiwi campaign which National suspended would be more important than whatever the hell Farrar is up to.
Johnty Rhodes 25

6 December 2008 at 4:23 pm

4 weeks on & you are in denial about ‘who is running the show.’

I downloaded the offending doc and saved it, it still says Parliamentary Services.

GC – buy NZ made means high price for most people, but quality is there mostly. At least we will see the end of Oliver Driver in the TV ads. We do but a lot of NZ made, fruit/veges/meat/dairy etc. Clothes are too expensive if made in NZ.
Whaleoil 26

6 December 2008 at 4:53 pm

[deleted]

[lprent: You’re censored out of this site because you routinely lie about it, you lie about the people posting on it, you are technically incompetent, and essentially I think that you are a moronic troll who never says anything worth reading. I presume that answers your question – don’t come back]

[lprent: I see that you don’t learn. When I say don’t come back, that is exactly what I mean. Added you to the blacklist for the anti-spam engine to deal with]
lprent 27

6 December 2008 at 5:20 pm

Rex: I don’t think that a_y_b owes any apology based on Davids own standards. Rather I think that DPF probably owes an apology to a_y_b.

Think back a couple of months. That technical incompetent Slater at nationals smear unit used a similarity of installer names in the photoshop metadata data in jpegs to assert identities for IrishBill and Tane. It wasn’t even an exact match.

In the case of a_y_b, on basis of no proof at all he asserted that a_y_b was some guy on the 9th floor.

All of which DPF happily accepted as true and ran posts on. That was despite knowing (at least he should have known) that the evidence was technically about as tenuous as a wet paper bag. From my recollection, DPF ran with a post that asserted that all of these things were true, along with a whole pile of other wingnuts. Now that as ‘evidence’ is far more tenuous than what a_y_b put in his post today.

I’m afraid that if that is the standard of proof required for a post, then this one has more legs. In my opinion, DPF has delineated the standard or proof required for this type of dogwhistle post. I’m sure that he’d be happy with a_y_b applying a higher standard of proof, and asking a similar question.

So when I see DPF apologizing for that incident and others in his illustrious dogwhistle career, then I might agree with you. Somehow I doubt it.

BTW: You are correct, I seldom use MS Office these days. I prefer Open Office. But I have used MS Office or MS Word since ~1985.
sux2bu 28

6 December 2008 at 5:47 pm

If being technically incompetent and lying about people is basis for being banned, can we assume you’ve given All Your Base his marching orders for this lying, technically incompetent, post ?

[lprent: I was comparing a_y_b with DPF, who appears to like having a public perception of being better than cam. Cam is banned because he routinely makes crap up about this site that requires me to waste effort – so I’ll let a program deal with the idiot.]
sux2bu 29

6 December 2008 at 6:16 pm

Okayyyy…so you bring Whaleoil into this by casting aspersions on something he said previously, then he pops in for a a right-of-reply and you delete and ban him for it ? In the grand tradition of left wing “debate” down the ages…

[lprent: No I banned him because he persistently lies about this site on his site. I just can’t be bothered tidying up after the idiot, and he usually just comes here to try and stir up a flame session. Offhand I can’t think of an intelligent thing that he has ever said here that has actually invoked discussion about something more enlightening than the size of his ego.

There is no “right-of-reply” – have a look in our policy and try to find one. If he wants to ‘reply’ then he can do it elsewhere where I don’t have to read it in my role as sysop.

In my opinion he is spam – so thats where I’ve put him.]
Lew 30

6 December 2008 at 6:20 pm

C’mon, comparisons to WOBH aren’t merited … if this was his post the title would be `[person] sucking on Nanny State’s teat again.’ No question mark, nothing measured about it. And still no evidence.

L
higherstandard 31

6 December 2008 at 6:26 pm

Lew – isn’t the real point ‘who really gives a damn apart from a few obsessives on opposing blogs’

Clearly a no news day – although I must admit to being impressed by the Herald naming two fine people who are no longer as the NZers of the year.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10546746

Perhaps a post on that rather than ayb’s fixations may have been warranted.

Lynn – as an aside it might be prudent to leave people’s comments there for all to see why they were banned rather than just deleting.

[lprent: Normally I would unless they were too obnoxious. However in this case I can’t be bothered. It wasn’t what he said, it was the fact he was here at all. I have expended far to much time on cam and see no reason for him to have access to this site]
sux2bu 32

6 December 2008 at 6:37 pm

You don’t think that intellectual honesty obliges you to give someone a chance to reply on the same forum you criticise them ? Does that strike you as the sign of a rigorous debate where you have full confidence you can defend your position with your wits rather than your delete key ?
lprent 33

6 December 2008 at 6:42 pm

Don’t you think that intellectual honesty would require that Cam gives himself an immediate lobotomy?

After all this is the guy who said that r0b was running 08wire based on nothing more than a similarity of a first name and a psuedonym. (Rob Salmond was actually running 08wire)
Lew 34

6 December 2008 at 6:47 pm

HS: Fair comment. You have good standing here, maybe you could ask Lynn to put up a guest post rather than complaining about the things others feel like writing about – it’s a market, after all, and you’ve spied an opening. Be entrepreneurial!

L
sux2bu 35

6 December 2008 at 6:53 pm

So your answer to abusing someone without right of reply is more abuse ? Obviously it’s your site and you can run it anyway you like, but do you think you’re impressing anyone who cares about having a fair discussion ? This kind of behaviour means you’ll only attract people who already agree with you and happily turn a blind eye to the editorial Stalinism. If you want to set up an echo chamber where you’re preaching to the choir all the time, that’s your call.
lprent 36

6 December 2008 at 7:17 pm

Lew,hs: Actually you generally don’t ask me. I’m still a bit of an amateur at actually writing posts. Which is why I put my own non-admin posts up on the weekend (also that is when I have time to try them out).

The contact-us page has the general e-mail address that the posts for Guest Posts or ideas should be sent to. Which I don’t read…

Generally they advise me that I should try to keep the posts down to about 400 words if possible and to use lots of links for background info. Make your point concisely and make sure that there is a clear opinion. The reason is that this site values opinion and not statements, because that gets the discussion going. They will also not edit particularly because your opinion should be your own. If one of them feels that it is worth putting up then they will do so.

We will usually only put posts up as Guest Post and only identify with a psuedonym if at all. It is the ideas and opinion that are important and we prefer that the opinion is judged on its merits. That is why with the exception of myself and Clinton none of the posters have IRL identities.

It is a lot harder than it looks..
lprent 37

6 December 2008 at 7:34 pm

sux: I’m far more concerned with the smooth running of the site based on the guidelines in policy. I express my opinion of people and their behaviour pretty clearly in moderator/sysop role. Sometimes that consists of what you’d consider as ‘abuse’ because that is what I feel about their behavior.

In case you hadn’t noticed, there are probably as many people who lean right commenting here as who lean left. I seldom bother to intervene on opinion in moderator/sysop roles. Most of the time I’ll write a comment myself if I have time.

Problem is with Cam is that he doesn’t add anything to the discussion and only appears to come here for disruption. He uses other forums to lie about the site and the people on it. So I can’t see any reason to let him disrupt things here because he annoys the hell out of me with his mindless dog whistling. It isn’t like he ever says anything here of any particular value, and he isn’t even amusing.
sux2bu 38

6 December 2008 at 7:37 pm

I tried to read your policy but I couldn’t get past the first line without collapsing into laughter “We encourage robust debate and we’re tolerant of dissenting views”. You should do comedy…
When you want to ban a dissenting view, you declare it ‘spam’ and ban it. That way you kid yourselves that you’re not banning views. Does anyone buy that ?
illuminatedtiger 39

6 December 2008 at 7:42 pm

Good research. Farrar looks extremely dodgy on Farrar’s part.
lprent 40

6 December 2008 at 7:45 pm

sux: Obviously you don’t understand the concept of ‘debate’.

Anyway I have to get back to the code and preventing client side caching of the pages in dumb caching systems. IMO That is far more important to this site than your opinion
sux2bu 41

6 December 2008 at 7:47 pm

Yes i see now that the only opinions important to the site are the admins and those who agree with them .All else is ‘spam’
Janet 42

6 December 2008 at 9:08 pm

GC
Buy NZ made generally means supporting NZ workers so I am very sad but not surprised that the ideologues of the right have cancelled it.

But it will be back when we again have a govt that cares about NZ workers.
Dean 43

6 December 2008 at 9:43 pm

LP:

“So when I see DPF apologizing for that incident and others in his illustrious dogwhistle career, then I might agree with you. Somehow I doubt it.”

So, because he did it, it’s ok that you do it too?

Glad to see you’re not aspiring to be higher on any moral or intellectual ladder than those you choose to oppose.

Tit for tat is so droll. So was AYB’s completely fabricated assertion that Word “agressively” changes the metadata in documents. Honestly, a simple google search would have told him otherwise. But did he choose to do that? No way! There is dirt to be dished, right? I reckon he must have taken lessons from Mr Williams.

“We will usually only put posts up as Guest Post and only identify with a psuedonym if at all. It is the ideas and opinion that are important and we prefer that the opinion is judged on its merits. That is why with the exception of myself and Clinton none of the posters have IRL identities.”

That’d explain batman then.
Rex Widerstrom 44

6 December 2008 at 10:27 pm

I’ve been out all day and have just come back and read Lynn’s response so apologies for the delay. In any case I see Dean has said what I wanted to say. Interestingly enough,it’s exactly the same point as I made in response to infused implying it would be okay for National to ram through policy with minimal consultation because “Labour did exactly that”.

I said to him, as I say to you now – two wrongs don’t make a right. Like a lot of cliches, that one survives because it’s a succinct way of stating an irrefutable truth.

I know most of The Standard’s authors have their own reasons for anonymity, and I respect that. But I also respect David’s courage in posting under his own name. I knew when I started doing so I’d risk attracting the obvious smears… I’m pleased to note that hasn’t happened here but has at Kiwiblog (when DPF leapt on it quickly) and at Tim Blair (where no action was taken, so I never returned).

However, those who post under pseudonyms must expect that the “price” of that is speculation – often public speculation – as to their identities. I’ve seen it about Roar Prawn, about Poneke, about Queen Bee… and about the various contributors to The Standard.

Personally I wish David would sometimes require a higher standard of research goes into the information he chooses to impart – especially when he’s so detailed, and puts so much effort into, posts on statistical topics.

But simply because he chose to report someone else’s posts allegedly “outing” anonymous authors does not justify a_y_b’s implying that he is corrupt, and runs his blog as a front for someone else. Especially not when the “evidence” he offers is as much a piece of wishful thinking as was Slater’s.
lprent 45

6 December 2008 at 11:34 pm

Dean, Rex: We work with existing standards of political blogs, but with our own twist.

I’m afraid that while dog whistle tactics are the norm, then I have no problem with following them. I’d expect that over the next 3 years we will contribute to refining the meme. That is the price of using them in the first place, that they can be used against the perpetrators as well. I don’t particularly like them but that is largely irrelevant. They obviously work. To not use them gives the lowest denominator (ie NACT) an advantage which means that they will continue to be used until the cost of using them rises too much.

Of course they are a lot easier to use in ‘opposition’. I can testify that they are unpleasant to be on the receiving side. Perhaps after also being on the receiving side for 3 years or so, the current dog whistlers will find that out as well.
QoT 46

7 December 2008 at 12:31 am

The definition of comedy is someone whose handle is “sux2bu” arguing about fairness and balanced debate.
Dean 47

7 December 2008 at 1:10 am

LP:

“I’m afraid that while dog whistle tactics are the norm, then I have no problem with following them. I’d expect that over the next 3 years we will contribute to refining the meme. That is the price of using them in the first place, that they can be used against the perpetrators as well. I don’t particularly like them but that is largely irrelevant. They obviously work. To not use them gives the lowest denominator (ie NACT) an advantage which means that they will continue to be used until the cost of using them rises too much.”

That’s fair enough.

But meanwhile AYB is incorrect about Word and it’s suppiosedly agressive updating of metadata. I don’t expect an apology from him towards DPF. But at least he didn’t go off on a half cocked tirade about things he really didn’t know about – like Mr Smith did about OECD company tax rates or the catholic church and it’s involvement in the holocaust.

That really was a lolfest, LP. I understand the writers here have the right to free speech but it’s puzzling that they get so defensive when their assertions are questioned. Irishbill is the worst at this (yes, I still have the screenshots IB).

IrishBill: Get a life Dean.
Logie97 48

7 December 2008 at 2:11 am

I have looked back through this discussion and I cannot see what the sleeze Whaleoil is supposed to have said. From that I guess sux2bu also has no idea what Slater said either, yet appears to know that it was a quality comment. From the many statements that that creep (Slater) has made, and his disgusting photoshop antics, may I add my congratulations on your removing him. (In passing is it possible for Slater to have registered under another name?)
sux2bu 49

7 December 2008 at 8:43 am

Damn what would you guys have to write about if the term “dogwhistle” didn’t exist. Five uses on one page alone. It’s as monotonous as Peters’ “media conspiracy” line.
sux2bu 50

7 December 2008 at 9:00 am

QoT
The definition of comedy is someone whose handle is “sux2bu’ arguing about fairness and balanced debate.

I see you seem to be using the standard left-wing definintion of “fair and balanced”, meaning “everyone who agrees with me is o.k.”. I think it’s a totally appropriate handle. Labour ran the dirtiest, most negative campaign in living memory, tried to dredge up ridiculous smears that didn’t exist, even ( quelle horreur ! ) resorted to tax cuts, and still lost.
It does, indeed, …[dramatic pause]…suck to be you !

[lprent: I’ve just had a look through your comment history. You always act like you want to start flamewars rather than engage in debate. That isn’t acceptable here – read the policy. I’d suggest that you lift your standards to something other than flame provocation level. If you don’t then I will apply the Policy.

So far it is difficult to see that you contribute to debate – probably why you don’t understand what the term means. However at least you write your own lines so you aren’t a troll.

BTW: Note that this is a warning, and not an invitation for a debate. Read the section in the policy about the futility of arguing with a sysop.]
Chris G 51

7 December 2008 at 10:31 am

sux: “Yes i see now that the only opinions important to the site are the admins and those who agree with them .All else is ‘spam'”

Thats bullshit and you know it. There are regular comments from right leaning people on here who can comment with about being dumbasses. See: gingercrush, higherstandard et al.

I can read their points of view, naturally disagree, but we can all continue debating in a relatively civil manner… and there you have found it, the keyword is Civil. That is something I definately dont see on certain other blogs, because of that I dont comment there!

From what I’ve seen the stuff thats been censored has been the repeated lies, slander and general crap that comes out of some peoples – overwhelmingly large (perhaps the size of that very adverb?) – brains.
lprent 52

7 December 2008 at 10:45 am

Chris: That is pretty much the standard. The opinions don’t matter to the moderators unless they get too damn gross. We’re mainly looking to see if people get in the way of debate. We’re really not into wasting too much time either. Stick around the net for long enough, then you’ve seen all of the different types of personality and tactics. It is mainly a matter of seeing if they have potential to grow and contribute to the debate. sux appears to have the ability to debate and discuss. But sux also appears to lack the intent or willingness to engage as anything apart from as a firestarter.

Dean: Irish has been known to be a bit abrupt. But that is Irish’s style. It also shows in the style of posts. It is just one of those things that people around here have to get used to. It is like putting up with me talking about things that happened on the net before some commentators here were born.
sux2bu 53

7 December 2008 at 10:54 am

Chris G – “Civil” ? The comedy never ends on here. “you routinely lie”, “moronic troll”, “you are technically incompetent”, “idiot”, “persistently lies”, “far more important to this site than your opinion”, “you don’t understand what the term means”
Comments by the admins, just on this page alone. And you reckon you’ve got the moral high ground over other blogs ?
ianmac 54

7 December 2008 at 11:12 am

It always seemed possible to me that the promises that Key and others made and the responses geared to suit the audiences would come back to haunt him/them. “I expect a high standard from any one in my team.” Did the Auckland candidate who was accused of Immigration fraud become an MP? (Think Phillip Field.)
Think of “Nanny State” if the anti-smoking in cars takes off. ( A good call by the way but…”) Think of the calls that Farrar has made and how these should be used used to “haunt them.”
Gustavo Trellis 55

7 December 2008 at 11:15 am

I’ve never had any problems with TheStandard at all, I don’t particularly think anything I say on here would be agreeable and the admins and bloggers debate what you say, but I’ve never had an outright ban and I put that down to not being a troll.
Chris G 56

7 December 2008 at 11:31 am

and just my speculation, DPF gets some dough from the Nats one way or another.

The political propaganda machine is alive and has some serious $$$ in it… refer: Crosby/textor
sux2bu 57

7 December 2008 at 11:35 am

Iprent – “So far it is difficult to see that you contribute to debate”. Well, I was the one who asked if anyone had tried modifying and saving the doc to see if the ‘author’ field changes ? It doesn’t, only the ‘last saved by’ field is updated. This is exactly the state of the DPF doc – created by Parliamentary Services, last saved by David Farrar. My contribution kills ayb’s entire story stone dead. Does proving The Standard wrong not count ?
Chris G 58

7 December 2008 at 11:36 am

Im not going to respond to sux again (this doesnt count) because Gustavos comment above shows what I was getting at. Clearly sux doesnt understand.
sux2bu 59

7 December 2008 at 12:05 pm

After a few days being on here, I understand this blog completely now. I’m the one who made the most rational suggestion on testing ayb’s technical claims, and yet the admins don’t see how I contribute to the debate.
He calls me a firestarter. Ayb started the fire with his nonsensical made-up claims. I put the fire out with a simple logical test.
People talk about being civil, but the admin comments on this page contain as much abuse as the worst commentor on any other blog.
Admins and commenters used the term “dogwhistle” five times directed towards DPF, and yet this whole post is intended to whistle up commenters’ conspiracy theories about DPF and Parliamentary Services.
“Technically incompetent” and “lies” and “smear” are the admin’s favourite description for Whaleoil, and yet ayb’s entire post is a technically incompetent lie and smear. Any action taken or apology given ?

And after all this, they assert that this blog has a high standard of behaviour and encourages debate and dissenting view.
Horseshit. I’ve never seen a worse example of hipocrisy on a blog. I think I’ve seen enough of The Standard.

[lprent: Rational is in your mind I suspect. If you don’t come back then it would probably increase the level of debate]
vto 60

7 December 2008 at 12:48 pm

The problem with debating on The Standard is that too few people agree with me.
ianmac 61

7 December 2008 at 12:57 pm

Vto: Hard to debate with too few. A bit sad really. Reminds me of the man who stands on the footpath up town and invokes the bible in a loud monotone.
George Darroch 62

7 December 2008 at 1:00 pm

An anonymous poster here alleges that David Farrar is lying about working for Parliamentary Service. Lynn Prentice steps in and backs this person up. When alternative, simpler explanations are presented by Rex and Graeme (neither of whom are National Party hacks), they are dismissed, seemingly out of hand.

Given that Wellington is a small place, Parliament even smaller, and David a relatively open and public figure, if he was lying about his employment, I think we’d find out from a person (not MS Word) pretty quickly. A quick use of occam’s razor gives the answer with the least assumptions as DPF telling the truth.

Given that similar baseless allegations have been made against The Standard (all the posters), I’m disappointed to see them being repeated by people who are so outraged when they’re accused of the same things.
TimeWarp 63

7 December 2008 at 1:14 pm

You can win a battle but lose the war. Not sure of the point of this thread. It’s a non-story.

Using WOBH as a reference point for standards is akin to not having any. “The Standard” should surely be just that, in multiple dimensions of the term?
QoT 64

7 December 2008 at 1:50 pm

Wow, sux2bu, you got that whole psychological analysis of me out of a single off-the-cuff comment? Which made no mention of either supporting or opposing the decision to ban Whaleoil? You should be on Sensing Murder, mate.

Assuming I’m a Labour supporter – because we all know only two parties contested the last election, amirite? – is further evidence of your brilliance.

There is plenty of back-and-forth on The Standard. Fuck, I’ve disagreed with various posters here from time to time. The idea that “Just allowing civilized debate on the merits of political ideas” doesn’t count as “disagreement” unless you also let through the all-caps rants of people who think “Liarbour” is a cutting and witty neologism is just baffling.
sweeetdisorder 65

7 December 2008 at 1:52 pm

Hmmm, I think you owe Farrar a big apology AYB.
David Farrar 66

7 December 2008 at 1:55 pm

Thanks for this most amusing thread.

A few people brought up the allegations made about whether certain parliamentary staffers blogged at The Standard. I don’t want to provoke anything here as as far as I am concerned it is old news, but I do want to point out a key difference – I have always denied being a parliamentary staff member since I left,

I have always said that if the 9th floor staffer I named states in writing he has nothing to do with TS, does not blog there and/or does not produce material for others to blog there I would 100% take him at his word, and publish a retraction. That offer still stands. But note I would want a written statement.

As far as I know there has never been any written statement made that people on the parliamentary payroll don’t blog at TS or produce material for others to blog. There have been very careful statements that no one does it as part of their job duties, but that is not the same thing.

Again I don’t want to stir up a hornets nest here, but just did want to point out that as I said, I will accept someone’s word if they say I got it wrong about them, unless there is proof to the contrary.

[lprent: DPF, so what you’re saying is that someone should respond to your slander with a written statement. Well aren’t you a pompous git? A touch of hubris? Why exactly should someone respond to your claims – there isn’t a shred of evidence to back them up – they are just meaningless speculation.

Also parliamentary services wouldn’t be able to make that statement – they don’t know. I run this site and I don’t know. That is the design of the site – it is for pseudonymous posts. The mere fact you prefer to boost your name for media reasons doesn’t mean that others have to follow the same level of vanity. Not everyone has quite the same level of bloated ego that you do.]
George Darroch 67

7 December 2008 at 1:59 pm

I should also add, this ridiculous business of trying to smear political figures on the basis of their supposed shady dealings and dishonesty didn’t work very well for Labour and The Standard (The Standard did post the “batman” allegations) during the election campaign, and helped contribute to National’s highest vote in decades. I was embarrassed about them then as I am now, and see no lessons have been learned.

The great majority of the right are nice and upstanding people. They might have nasty policies and not reveal them for fear of “scaring the horses”, but you counter this by talking about the policies, not the people.

I’ve said it many times, this nasty smearing devalues the content on here. It’s your blog, so you can write what you want on it. But because The Standard is seen by journalists and others as representative of the left (and that is one of your stated ambitions), this type of attack blogging hurts the left’s credibility and ability to get through to the people.

And finally, by devaluing your credibility like this, the chances of The Standard actually being taken seriously when something does come up is lesser.
illuminatedtiger 68

7 December 2008 at 3:49 pm

David:

This sheds no light on the allegations being made in this post. Care to elaborate on why PS meta data was found in your Word document?
Daveski 69

7 December 2008 at 3:59 pm

IT – check KB.

Given how touchy the Standard has been about allegations of 9th floor involvement, this post reeks of desperation. I agree with George that it risks the credibility of the Standard.

I’m not questioning the right to challenge DPF – this is always a possibility – but I do question the level of evidence to used to justify the post.

When in doubt, I tend to check the views of people like Rex who are more impartial and more experienced than most here. Rex has IMO summed this up perfectly.
ianmac 70

7 December 2008 at 4:02 pm

David Farrar:
Are you given lines of information by Parliamentary Services?
Are you employed or financed in any way by them?
Are you employed or financed in any way by the National Party?
I ask because you seem to be shown on radio and TV as an independent commentator.
Nomestradamus 71

7 December 2008 at 4:08 pm

Illuminatedtiger:

You described this thread above as “good research”.

Didn’t it occur to you that “good research” might include checking over at Kiwiblog? There, in a thread amusingly titled Inspector Clouseau strikes again, DPF rebuts this non-story:

As I landed back in Auckland from Great Barrier Island, my e-mails started to hit the Blackberry. And one of them was from a National Researcher saying they are looking forward to me turning up to work at 8 am Monday.

I was initially bemused until I followed a link to discover an Inspector Clouseau has got excited at The Standard as the metadata in the election analysis I did has the document author as “Parliamentary Service’.

So am I a secret staffer for the National Parliamentary Research Unit? Did I somehow forget to disclose on my disclosure statement that I had been hired?

Alas no. As many commenters pointed out, the obvious answer is the correct one. I first did an election analysis for National in 1999 and every three years have saved a copy and used that as the template for the new analysis. This means the document still lists the original author and company. Some of my docs still show the author as Ministerial Services and that was a decade ago!

Good research indeed!
vto 72

7 December 2008 at 4:13 pm

egg on face it seems.

a recently common trait of many things left.
illuminatedtiger 73

7 December 2008 at 4:48 pm

Why is David Farrar asking for written statements from those at The Standard when there has been >= accusations about himself being an insider?

As for the Word template from 1999, forgive me, but I don’t completely buy that. I’ve got Word documents here from 1999 (most saved to 3.4 inch floppy disks) that I’ve had major issues with getting to run on the latest copy of Word (2007). Even if it loads I wouldn’t do any substantial work on it, I would start afresh.
Nomestradamus 74

7 December 2008 at 5:14 pm

Illuminatedtiger:

Why is David Farrar asking for written statements from those at The Standard when there has been >= accusations about himself being an insider?

I’m not DPF’s spokesperson, but I’d say he has one of the most – if not the most – extensive disclosure page in New Zealand’s political blogosphere. Now what do you mean by “insider” exactly? And what accusations (and, more to the point, what evidence) do you have to suggest he is an “insider”?

As to this latest “accusation” (you seem to regard All Your Base’s post as a heroic accusation), DPF has stated as clearly as one possibly can that he’s not on the PS payroll.

Even if it loads I wouldn’t do any substantial work on it, I would start afresh.

And that’s your basis for saying that DPF is telling porkies? That you would do something differently?

All Your Base:

Any chance of you retracting (or qualifying) this clanger:

Of course you’ll notice that the document title looks historical but Word is pretty aggressive when it comes to updating its metadata automatically (particularly when it comes to local user data on the machine in use).

It seems that a few commenters here (notably Graeme and Rex) strongly disagree. And I have to say, it hasn’t been my experience either.
sweeetdisorder 75

7 December 2008 at 5:26 pm

Illuminatedtiger

“As for the Word template from 1999, forgive me, but I don’t completely buy that. I’ve got Word documents here from 1999 (most saved to 3.4 inch floppy disks) that I’ve had major issues with getting to run on the latest copy of Word (2007). ”

After much investigation into your problem, it seems you are the only person on planet earth running a 3.4″ floppy disk. I can understand why you are having so many issues trying to get it to work. Suggest you upgrade to a 3.5″ floppy disk, you might find that a bit more compatible with most systems.
burt 76

7 December 2008 at 5:51 pm

Daveski

The rumors of Labour party involvement and the standard really started with this post also from all_your_base.

Happy New Year

Cyber-Santa came a little late to The Standard this year but we’re certainly not complaining – evidently we’ve got a New Year’s present instead.

He and the techno-elves have moved us to a brand spanking new server cluster that should give us plenty of breathing room and make those pesky traffic congestion problems we were having a thing of the past.

Seriously though, it wasn’t really Santa. Just like James Bond apparently we have our very own M and it’s him we have to thank instead.

We’re still secretly hoping for the pimped out Austin Aston Martin but this should tide us over in the meantime. Thanks M!

[lprent: Noone ever denied that some people on this blog are involved with the NZLP. I’m a member for instance (and that was made clear early on). What we denied was that we were setup by the NZLP (I set it up), that we received money or services from the NZLP (I’m the only person that has paid anything), or that we were paid by parliamentary services. We were on servers for 3 weeks that had been a donation to the NZLP (ie that the NZLP didn’t pay for), and that the NZLP had given control to a left-wing activist who I’d hit up for some server space.

Whale lied about all of those things and others. Face it the guy lies chronically, it is a lot harder to find him telling the truth. DPF then chose to dog-whistle on the whales lies despite their source in what is now a familiar pattern. Frankly I personally find it difficult to distinguish between them – they do the same thing at two levels, and it looks to me like they do it for the nats.]
Chris Auld 77

7 December 2008 at 5:55 pm

As for the Word template from 1999, forgive me, but I don’t completely buy that. I’ve got Word documents here from 1999 (most saved to 3.4 inch floppy disks) that I’ve had major issues with getting to run on the latest copy of Word (2007). Even if it loads I wouldn’t do any substantial work on it, I would start afresh

I’m someone intimately acquainted with both the Office legacy file format, as well as the new ECMA 376 OOXML file format, the final ISO 29500 file format as and the various versions of Microsoft office from 6.0 (1994 ish) through to Office 2007.

I can say with some authority that the document migration between version 6.0 and version 2007 is pretty good.

I would also note that it’s likely that PS would have been using Office 97 when DPF worked there in 1999. The office binary file format has remained consistent between version 1997 and version 2007. 2007 does support the ECMA 376 OOXML file format but it does not appear that DPF is using this- rather he is using the legacy Office 97-Occife 2007 binary file format.

It seems pretty obvious to me that the file down loadable from DPF’s blog is the same Office 97-07 binary file format that would have originally been used to save the file back in 1999.

If you would like some help getting your 1999 era word documents working in 2007 then please do feel free to drop me an email (I’m sure you can contact the mods to get my email address). If you want a more detailed forensic analysis of the file format then I’m happy to sort that out as well.

I don’t do Photoshop or other file formats, just Microsoft stuff.
Kimble 78

7 December 2008 at 6:14 pm

hahahaha. you guys are so pathetic!

The Standard gets self-pwned again!

Time to wind things up lads, there are only so many times you can jump the shark.
Rex Widerstrom 79

7 December 2008 at 6:14 pm

lprent

Dean, Rex: We work with existing standards of political blogs, but with our own twist.

I?m afraid that while dog whistle tactics are the norm, then I have no problem with following them.

Well call me naive then, but I thought you (the collective “you”, not just Lynn) were better than that. I don’t want to sound holier than thou – though I’m afraid I’m going to – but being half-assed “outed” as nothing more scandalous than a contributor to a blog isn’t even close to the filth I’ve had thrown at me, including in Parliament, under cover of privilege, by Ron Mark.

I could have chosen to have dived into the excrement and rolled around with him, but I didn’t. Partly because (I hope) I’m better than that, but also because, tactically, it would have been a stupid mistake.

When politics becomes personal, people lose their objectivity. Now I know you’re just itching to tell me this isn’t an objective blog… I understand that. I’m not talking political objectivity, however. I’m talking about being able to stand back and make a rational assessment of your own behaviour.

But thanks for clarifying the Standard’s standards, which seem to amount to “Where Whaleoil goes, we go”.
4884 80

7 December 2008 at 6:26 pm

I see you Standard wanks… [deleted]

[lprent: If you want to be an idiot, do it elsewhere. Setting it so you get moderated]
Kimble 81

7 December 2008 at 6:32 pm

4884 has never commented at kiwiblog

pwned again

PS, I see you changed your response so it doesnt tell 4884 to go back to Kiwiblog

are you going to apologise for saying it in the first place?

[lprent: I didn’t say that. It isn’t one of my standard phrases (could have been another moderator – we do overlap from time to time). Besides this idiot was worse than the KB sewer level, more like Whale or Heine. ]
lprent 82

7 December 2008 at 6:42 pm

Rex: “Well call me naive then, but I thought you (the collective “you’, not just Lynn) were better than that”

The others may be (they do their own thing), but I certainly am not. I’m of the general opinion that if you don’t stop bad behavior then it will increase. That is of course the underlying basis of the entire judicial system.

In the case of the blogs and their use in politics, it is quite clear that turning the other check just encourages people to attack you more. If you want an example, just look at the standard of the comments section back in November prior to moderation (or the KB comments sewer at almost anytime)

However there are two points to remember. It is unlikely to be in the same style.

After all Cam isn’t exactly that good at it – the ‘sod (whoever he is) is probably better. Certainly more humorous.

It is unlikely to be as stupid. A lot of the wingnuts I see that come here like 4884 seem to have a real inability to use their brains.
Kimble 83

7 December 2008 at 7:08 pm

A lot of the posters I see here like AYB seem to have a real inability to use their brains.

Seriously, the OP was a joke. No one but the most partisan DPF-hater would buy it for a second.

Then again, that WAS the intended audience, wasnt it?
Kimble 84

7 December 2008 at 7:14 pm

You need to redo the title:

“Farrar back on the PS payroll? No. No he isn’t, sorry.”
Kimble 85

7 December 2008 at 7:21 pm

You keep going on about the sewer in the comments section at Kiwiblog, and how moderation has improved the standard at The Standard.

But The Standards big problem has always been the sewerage in its posts, not the comments.
lprent 86

7 December 2008 at 7:23 pm

Daveski :

I agree with George that it risks the credibility of the Standard.

I’m not questioning the right to challenge DPF – this is always a possibility – but I do question the level of evidence to used to justify the post.

I think that the point of the post was to draw a comparison to the standard of evidence that DPF uses when writing smears.

For instance about this site DPF has written – this, this, this, and probably others that I didn’t google.

I don’t think that there is probably a fact in those posts that could be proved apart from the IP in the first link. Which had a simple explanation as I’ve explained many times.

For instance DPF says in the last link:

UPDATE: Rob Salmond has posted a comment admitting he worked last year for the PMs Office and is behind 08wire and that he does not produce all the material himself but receives it from others. He of course refutes some of my assertions – specifically any involvement setting up The Standard, and I have responded to his comments. What is not denied is that material for all three anonymous sites is produced by parliamentary staffers.

Now notice this. What he said was that someone who denies being involved in the standard couldn’t say that that a site with posts from psuedonymous authors, who the authors were. Basically that is lying without quite saying it (unlike Whale who just flat out lies).

The second link has

What is interesting is that on five occasions the Prime Minister’s chief press secretary has been asked by media to deny that Beehive staff blog at The Standard, and on every occasion they have chosen not to comment rather than deny it. I guess there is a reason they passed up the opportunity to say “Farrar fucked up and has it all wrong, none of our staff are involved’.

This is a classic dogwhistle. This is a site that guards the identity of its posters. So DPF is saying that the CPS was unable to confirm or deny because he didn’t know and was unable to find out. I don’t know and I run the site – all I can say is that posts weren’t written using parliamentary IP’s

Do you see a pattern here? In my opinion, the only difference between DPF and Cam is that DPF lies by implication and with more subtlety than Cam does. Apart from that it is hard to distinguish between them. Sure there is going to be speculation about the identity of posters on this site – but both Cam and DPF just make crap up and idiots swallow it whole. Of course that is just my opinion…

Perhaps you should look at the level of evidence used to justify DPF’s attacks on me that is implicit in all of those posts? Then look at his credibility and veracity?
burt 87

7 December 2008 at 7:46 pm

Chris Auld

DPF said he had re-used the same document as a template after each election. There is no retrieving from a floppy disk under an old version of word issues about this. 1999 – email was well in use so was burning CD’s?

Sure you can ignore what DPF said about how the document still exists and make a great story about the issues associated with retrieving a file in 2008 that was stored on a floppy since 1999 but that’s all you have done – told a story.
lprent 88

7 December 2008 at 8:05 pm

Burt: DPF’s explanation is probably correct – see my comment earlier. However since DPF has never appeared to accept my explanations in the past (or almost anyone else associated with blog sites from the left), I see no reason to accept his.

After all the only purpose of blogs is to do ‘mischief’. It is going to be interesting.
burt 89

7 December 2008 at 8:09 pm

lprent

If the purpose is to do ‘mischief’….

If I recall correctly you once admitted that the standard was running “for a short period” on a Labour party funded server, is that correct?

edit: I see you mention it above as well.
lprent 90

7 December 2008 at 8:23 pm

burt: No

We were running for 3 weeks on servers owned by an ISP and operated by that ISP. That service was donated for use by the Labour party. The labour party passed to an activist to run multiple left sites. We were one of them because we’d run out of capacity on my systems.

So you are wholly incorrect. We never ran on a “Labour party funded server”. That was just the smear that DPF and Whale put on it. Essentially a lie, which has been repeated frequently.

This was explained at the time, but wingnuts appear to prefer to believe lies rather than explanations.
Daveski 91

7 December 2008 at 8:31 pm

LP – acknowledging your point.

While I still believe in this case it was a long bow to draw, I will accept that there is mischief in blogland as you put it.

Perhaps my point should have been that the Standard does have an opportunity to redefine the blogging landscape while retaining its healthy partisan perspective.
lprent 92

7 December 2008 at 8:47 pm

Daveski: I was referring to the statement on the KB banner
“DPF’s Kiwiblog – Fomenting Happy Mischief since 2003”

Sure we could try to set a new standard. The question is more why should we? As far as I can see, that would simply open us up to more malicious mischief of the type that we’ve seen this year from DPF (and Cam).

I think that a deterrence strategy is far more responsible despite its known problems. The only thing that I’d look for is that that mischief from this site has at least the same level of ‘evidence‘ as has been used to support posts at KB in the past. So there will be a place for dog-whistle posts on this site. David could probably be called responsible for this strategy, after all he pioneered the meme in NZ blogging.

It is of course a standard method used by people like Crosby Textor, and will probably be used again over the next 3 years. For instance look at the history of the dog whistle used in the Tampa Bay incident in the election in aussie some years ago.
burt 93

7 December 2008 at 9:01 pm

lprent

Are you saying that this post by all_your_base is a classic Crosby Textor style dog-whistle?

Given you comments in the past and even in this thread about how much you disapprove of the Crosby Textor style I’m surprised you are defending all_your_base.
Liar 94

7 December 2008 at 9:30 pm

[deleted]

[lprent: probably dad again who is banned. I must finish that banning plugin]
justthefacts 95

7 December 2008 at 9:32 pm

So let me get this right, those who you accuse of being at “sewer level” are guilty of nothing more than being anti Labour?

This could be a really good site if you just let people make valid points about the shoddy (and some might say corrupt) Labour party, the problem you have is that you ban anybody who dares speak out against Labour and against socialism.

No wonder people are on the opinion that the left want to control free speech.
lprent 96

7 December 2008 at 10:10 pm

burt: So you want to avoid the topic of the
“…the standard was running “for a short period’ on a Labour party funded server”

Does it raise too many questions about the type of campaign that NACT have been running for the past few years?
RedLogix 97

7 December 2008 at 10:16 pm

Attention rightie dolts.

YOUR beloved Party is now in power.

It is OUR turn to make up shit…. and your turn to eat it.

Anybody tell the truth on this blog?

All lefties are liars.
lprent 98

7 December 2008 at 10:16 pm

jtf:

you ban anybody who dares speak out against Labour and against socialism

Making comments that have a point and an argument is fine – there are a lot of anti-labour people who do exactly that on this site every day.

Repeating hackneyed lines repeatably (that are usually incorrect) isn’t – that is known as trolling and isn’t tolerated here. Since that is the bulk of what I usually see when I go into KB’s comments section, I describe it as the sewer. It is a site that appears to me to cater to close to the lowest common denominator in its comment section, and is usually pointless to read.

DPF, in my opinion, facilitates it by writing dog-whistle posts designed to elicite exactly that response.

In short, you have to engage your brain here, while I view it as being discouraged at KB.
sweeetdisorder 99

7 December 2008 at 10:16 pm

Oh, and another thing AYB, who the feck are you; just some anon blogger.

Farrar is known, has a face, a name and is sought after for his opinion on radio, tv and print. And you are again, mister anon.

You have some gall to call out Farrar when you stand behind your shield.

It might pay to remember about those in glass houses…………
lprent 100

7 December 2008 at 10:22 pm

Ah sd, if all else fails and you have nothing worth saying, then there are always the ultimate shields of the wingnut. Righteous indignation, implied threats, and meaningless phrases.

One of the main reasons to be pseudonymous here is to avoid being stalked by the media for quotes (as well as Cam’s crowd). From what I understand when the main posters decided that we had to have someone for the media to talk to, SP/Clinton lost. Not everyone has the ego problem that makes DPF want to do those things on the media.

BTW: for some reason it was considered that I wasn’t politically cautious enough – ie too blunt
burt 101

7 December 2008 at 10:27 pm

lprent

burt: So you want to avoid the topic of the
” the standard was running “for a short period’ on a Labour party funded server’

No not at all. I’m happy to discuss it further but you are splitting hairs and I’ve been over it in detail and been banned before for pursuing answers.

So I’ll ask another question and run the gauntlet again. Did Labour declare the donation and the gift to the activist? Is so then when? If not, why not?

Without a clean paper trail showing the monies received/gifted being openly accounted for all we can really say is the server resources were being paid for via a donation made to Labour.
burt 102

7 December 2008 at 10:35 pm

all_your_base/lprent

I also agree with George that this sort of post undermines the credibility of the standard.

With all due respect, there is always going to be more negative than positive consequences for the standard every time the “on the PS payroll” angle is trotted out.

Or have I misunderstood some grand trading places where DPF moves into the inner sanctum and denies it and you guys are now on the outside so you are going to take over DPF & Whaeloil’s position and sink to the level you describe as disgusting?
lprent 103

7 December 2008 at 10:38 pm

burt: I’d guess that it is/will be in Labours declaration, and probably the ISP’s accounts. Why are you asking me?

It isn’t a server that I have any control over. Therefore there is no paper trail. There isn’t even a e-mail trail because it was organized verbally when I was moaning about the server loads.

There is a link to an invoice for the server we’re currently on in the About. I put it up last month after ginger asked about the sites cost. Incidentally that was also the first time any person from the right had asked politely about this sites finances.

Usually it has just been accusations from the wingnuts – which is what you got banned for. If you’d asked politely then I would have provided. It is not as if I have a duty to disclose the finances of a privately held blog. For all of DPF’s ponticating in his comment above, he never bothered to simply ask – it would have probably interfered with his smear.

BTW: It isn’t hair-splitting – there was no transaction, and we were on a shared server for 3 weeks. Approximate costs – peanuts
sweeetdisorder 104

7 December 2008 at 10:38 pm

Lprent

“One of the main reasons to be pseudonymous here is to avoid being stalked by the media for quotes”

Weak, but never the less a plausible answer. You might want to ask other bloggers and see how much stalking they get. May be time to review that policy.

But you see that without real names to identities then you (not you personally) have created the question who are these guys and who they do work for. Until you (again, not you) name names, this question will always be present. Once you throw in alleged stories of 9th floor involvement then it becomes more and more difficult to show independence from any direct labour party associations.
lprent 105

7 December 2008 at 10:54 pm

sd: The point I’m making is all of those stories about 9th floor are alleged. There is and has been no proof.

The opinions of the posters here are what they write, done in their free time, and not on their employers behalf.

Of course there is always the edifying example of that obnoxious clown Cameron Slater with my previous employers to discourage anyone from considering doing the same. No doubt some similar stalking of employers would then ensue in exactly the way that arsehole did with me – see link, link and link

Tell me, would you feel comfortable with that happening to you? Of course the fuckwit was as usual wrong at almost every level and lying to boot. Oh and DPF as usual was along for the ride.
sweeetdisorder 106

7 December 2008 at 11:04 pm

Lprent

Well, that is the perception. Its up to the standard team if they want to change it, otherwise nothing else is going to change.
lprent 107

7 December 2008 at 11:08 pm

sd: Incidentally, that behavior by Cam with my previous employers are why I’d be extremely unhappy if anyone else here does want go public.

There would be virtually no remedy against the type of stalking behavior that Cam followed without going through a very long (and expensive) defamation court case. It would be a hell of an effort to probably get nothing more than an enforced apology. Which is of caurse why the pathetic idiot does it.

Hopefully that defamation case that he got caught in earlier this year will provide some case law.

I would even prefer the comments on here to be psuedonymous as a matter of policy. Stuff put on the net is liable to be around for a very long time. Which of course is why most people commenting here (and everywhere else), and most posters prefer to remain psuedonymous.

Besides in the end knowing who you are doesn’t really help much in evaluating the veracity of opinions.
Robinsod 108

7 December 2008 at 11:08 pm

I wouldn’t worry Lynn – the problem the right have is they think they own the internet. It was ticking along so nicely for so long with Farrar doing his wee thing and the various actoid losers abusing anyone posting from the left (or even the centre) into submission…

Problem is they don’t own the internet and the Standard drives them crazy by reminding them of this. Every. Single. Day. That’s why they have to pretend to themselves that the Standard is professionally run – because that’s the only way they can rationalise the fact that their nasty little blog-world could be taken off them…

They are essentially petty little bullies. I wouldn’t indulge them if I were you Lynn. In fact all of the ones I have identified – thanks to Cameron’s security breach – have been little nobodies…

There are two or three that work as National party staffers and there may be an interesting story behind how their salaries and/or living costs were funded – I’m still looking into that – but for the most part they are impotent punters as is demonstrated by how upsetting they find the Standard.

Oh and righties? I know a couple of the Standard guys and they ain’t on the payroll – they’re just smarter and better company than you bunch of festering sores and it shows in their posts…
Tim Ellis 109

7 December 2008 at 11:10 pm

Goodness me. What a slow news day it must have been. Storm in a teacup, and frankly I can see that people on both sides need to lighten up a bit. I understand that some of the Standard’s posters are sensitive about revealing their identities for whatever reason so it was a bit hypocritical for AYB to try and smear DPF in this way. From what I can gather DPF took the smear in good humour and AYB appears to have a bit of egg on his face. Trying to justify it based on “oh but he did it first” just looks lame.

Right, are we past the petty infighting from both sides now? Have we all got it off our chests?

Oh Robinsod, I suspect I’m a little old for you to be my father and my mother died many years ago, but that was an amusing response!

For those of you on the right who think that differing opinions aren’t accepted here, I manage to comment quite freely here by not being too obnoxious. Remember who owns this site. It’s their home. They seem to welcome genuine debate but really you wouldn’t go into somebody else’s home and start abusing them and expect them still to serve you a cup of tea.
illuminatedtiger 110

7 December 2008 at 11:18 pm

For what it’s worth Bomber’s NZ Blogosphere rankings hasn’t been kind to either of them. While Farrar may still have the top spot Whaleoil has slipped a number of points.
sweeetdisorder 111

7 December 2008 at 11:24 pm

Lprent

there are lots of left wing bloggers who use their real identities..Trotter, Jordon Carter, Tony Milne. Everyone knows who they are and what they are. They seem to live a normal life free of stalking. Same on the right side.

It seems to be only the standard gets this kind of attention.

“I would even prefer the comments on here to be psuedonymous as a matter of policy. Stuff put on the net is liable to be around for a very long time. Which of course is why most people commenting here (and everywhere else), and most posters prefer to remain psuedonymous.”

Yet, loads of other bloggers seem to be okay at having their identities out there. Granted, there are cases where people feel they have to vent, but are in a position that if their identity was known it may have consequences. This sort sort of answer leads us back, with regards to a left wing blog, to the bloggers at the standard, and alleged conenctions to the labour party.
lprent 112

7 December 2008 at 11:28 pm

TE: The short answer is no.

I realize that DPF would probably like to put this smear technique behind him. But personally it will take quite a while before I work the accumulated irritation about his appalling behavior out of my system.

In the spirit of mutual deterrence, I rather like the idea of turning the dog whistle tactic back on him. In the long run, it is only by having the tactic equally accessible to all sides that it will start being regarded as being unusable. I have to thank a_y_b for highlighting it again.

I doubt that it will ever be much of a site focus, if only because DPF has been around the nets almost as long as I have, but when the opportunity arises….

Cam of course is another matter. I consider that his particular brand of bile is something that should not be tolerated. I’ve seen that kind of crap help destroy usenet.
Robinsod 113

7 December 2008 at 11:33 pm

sweeetd – that’s ‘cos it’s only the standard that lays down the hits on the National party and its bloggers and ‘cos it’s only the standard that has gone to second biggest blog in its first year and a half. who are you?

But while we’re on the subject of identities – how about you tell me who you are? I mean it seems a bit rich to have you bleating on about everyone else when you’re also anonymous… So why not like – just tell us… After all there are plenty of other commenters who use their real names so why not you?
lprent 114

7 December 2008 at 11:35 pm

sd: The difference is that all of the people you’ve referenced have public profiles that they’re trying to enhance (as is DPF, Hooten, and maybe Clint Heine?).

The bloggers here are not trying to do so. This is something that we do in our spare time and is meant to be separate from RL. I’d have to ask the motivations about why people want to know the identities. It has bugger all to do with evaluating the opinions, they become pretty clear very fast. As far as I can see there is only one possible motivation and that is to do a Cam style stalk. But I guess that is what the national smear research unit want, so that is why there is this insatiable obession on the topic.

As I said, just look at Cam’s stalking of my previous employer.
Robinsod 115

7 December 2008 at 11:39 pm

I’ve gotta say Lynn – it’s got a bit dull around here lately. Even the trolls are being polite… At this rate I may have to go elsewhere to satiate my taste for ridiculing the right!
Tim Ellis 116

7 December 2008 at 11:45 pm

sd,

I think there are probably genuine reasons why some people don’t like posting under their own names. It gives them a degree of freedom to express what they would really like to say without having to be called on it, for sure. You would think that people who have the courage to post under their real names moderate their behaviour accordingly. DPF is pretty moderate and so are Tony Milne and Russell Brown, to name a few. I haven’t seen Matthew Pilott here for a while, but he’s a very thoughtful guy with some strong arguments who adds a lot to debate.

On the other had, exceptions to the rule appear to be Chris Trotter, who doesn’t seem to have a self-moderation setting in his brain, and Matthew Hooton. I liked the contrasting mix on that combined blog because they frequently came up with such preposterously extreme arguments. Perhaps I’m getting a bit conservative but Cam is a bit much for me, and not just his political opinions. It tends to be the little things that annoy me in his case. He did a post a while back with a photo of a triple-bunked room as a model for an ideal prison. When I saw that photo all I could think of was Auschwitz and I was just appalled.

Among the anonymous bloggers, I don’t have any idea who Dancer is, but s/he comes up with thoughtful, moderate posts that stir debate, often with new insights on issues that aren’t often covered. Lew is a highly intelligent, structured, logical debater who is a real challenge to talk through issues with. Gomango, on the other side, is also very interesting to read.

I enjoy the debate here. I think I’m coming to the view that anonymous or not, each commenter and poster has a certain identity, with various degrees of authenticity (some being more a projection rather than a reality), and what they contribute to debate has less to do with who they are or what their background is, but how seriously they engage others. It seems to me to be a bit of a cop-out to shout somebody down with “oh you would say that because you work in the Prime Minister’s office” or “yes that’s what we expected of a National Party stooge”. I don’t care what a person’s background is and from my observation it has little to do with the content of their argument. It’s just lazy to dismiss what people say by shouting CROSBY-TEXTOR! or COMMUNIST!

I think we can all judge who is here for serious discussion, and who isn’t. Those who come by throwing around allegations about other people and try to disrupt really say more about the weakness of their own argument than they do about the other person.
illuminatedtiger 117

7 December 2008 at 11:49 pm

Well you’re always welcome back with us ‘sod 🙂
sweeetdisorder 118

7 December 2008 at 11:57 pm

Lprent

I disagree with your conclusions as to why posters at the standard want to remain anon. But, I can see we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

Robinsod

Firstly I think AYB can respond for himself, don’t you?

“But while we’re on the subject of identities – how about you tell me who you are?”

Sure, my name is Steve, I am a Sagittarius and I like long walks on the beach. I don’t belong to any political parties but have an interest in politics. I like 80’s music and have traveled extensively. Anything else you would like to know I am sure you can dig through my rubbish to find out.

“that’s â€˜cos it’s only the standard that lays down the hits on the National party and its bloggers and â€˜cos it’s only the standard that has gone to second biggest blog in its first year and a half.”

In my opinion the standard was, to a part responsible for labours loss; the constant theme of attacking Key. so, from my pov, keep on doing what you are doing, it is doing the opposite from what you desire.
lprent 119

8 December 2008 at 12:00 am

‘sod: I suppose that it is a problem. However I prefer to read comment that is readable. Of course you could post at your own blog?

TE: “I think I’m coming to the view that anonymous or not, each commenter and poster has a certain identity, with various degrees of authenticity (some being more a projection rather than a reality), and what they contribute to debate has less to do with who they are or what their background is, but how seriously they engage others”

Exactly. That is what has happened in every net comms channel I’ve ever been on from the fumbling attempts to get inter-university comms running in the early 1980’s (and the intra-university multi-player star trek games at 3am) to the current blogs.

I’m pretty harsh at moderating on some types of commentators purely because I’ve seen the cumulative effects of their behavior destroying some forums. Others get a lot of leeway (like the ‘sod or sweeetd or burt have in the past). While they often appear cranky and act very close to trolls, periodically, they contribute with ideas of value (like the ‘sods Guest post analysis of Wisharts book).

Besides I prefer not to moderate, it is a lot of persistent work.

Talking about persistent work, I’d better finish this caching plugin… (and the washing)
Tim Ellis 120

8 December 2008 at 12:01 am

I realize that DPF would probably like to put this smear technique behind him. But personally it will take quite a while before I work the accumulated irritation about his appalling behavior out of my system.

LP I realise this has hit a raw nerve for you and it is your blog so you can do whatever you like, but trying to use the blog to exercise your frustration just looks petty and it doesn’t do you justice. Mutual deterrence doesn’t work in blogging, because no matter what you do, there is always somebody out there crazier than you who will try to virtually mug you when you’re walking down the street and least expect it. Mutual deterrence might have been a good idea in the cold war when only two powers had a large nuclear arsenal where they could assure each others’ total annihilation. It made them careful. Blogging is much more democratic than that. It’s the equivalent of gifting nuclear warheads to everyone. When you do that you know that not everyone will behave appropriately. Some people will set the bugger off.

Turn the other cheek. If you need catharsis, go to the driving range and whack the cover off a golf ball. Evidently you have got very annoyed with Cam so you have two options. You can either dip into the sewer with him, or act like an adult. If you do the former you won’t be dignifying yourself. If you do the latter then he’ll get bored with winding you up and ignore you.

Moreover as much as this feud might be important to you (and granted it is your blog), I just don’t think it makes interesting reading for others. It just looks petty. You guys do a really good job filtering out the most obnoxious behaviour here by setting a good standard of debate. I can’t speak for others, but I don’t come here to read about what nasty things LP has to say about CS today in retaliation for what nasty things CS has said about LP the day before. I know you’re a reasonable person LP, and I listened to you on publicaddress radio a few weeks back and had a new level of respect for your contribution to the blogosphere. You’ve obviously done some fantastic work setting up this forum. Don’t undermine it by letting others get under your skin.
illuminatedtiger 121

8 December 2008 at 12:05 am

How the hell was The Standard responsible for Labour’s loss? I think you’re making blogs out to be a bigger influence than they are. If blogs had any real influence on elections National would be down to 25% on the count of Farrar alone.
Tim Ellis 122

8 December 2008 at 12:06 am

LP wrote:

Others get a lot of leeway (like the ‘sod or sweeetd or burt have in the past).

I agree. Sometimes they come off as a group of hecklers at a meeting. They generally aren’t very abusive (although sometimes are) and are often very amusing. I find them entertaining and a few times ‘sod has made a dig at me because I’ve been a bit pretentious or long-winded and he’s brought me down to earth and I’ve laughed out loud.
lprent 123

8 December 2008 at 12:22 am

TE: It is not so much of a feud as an obligation. If the type of behavior is not made costly. then it will result eventually in real problems as it escalates. I’ve seen it before in other forums and it is part of the inherent nature of the net.

This time it impacted on me and this site. Next time it could impact on someone who is less able to take care of themselves. It is better to stop it now with a controlled escalation. In this case it means turning the tactics on the perpetrators. The history of the net is replete with this type of conflict. Another area that this type of problem is being fought out is in places like the social networking sites, eg bebo. Previous examples are things like viruses, spam, denial of service attacks, RPC’s, usenet forums, etc

BTW: Do you have a link to the publicaddress radio thing – I don’t think I’ve ever heard myself on radio? Russell Brown was a bit short so I filled a gap. Found it… Here. That was interesting. Definitely not one of my major skillsets
r0b 124

8 December 2008 at 1:28 am

Definitely not one of my major skillsets

I thought you did just fine!
Rex Widerstrom 125

8 December 2008 at 1:32 am

Funny you should mention what happened to other fora, Lynn.

I saw nz.politics (to which I used to contribute) turn into an unusable flame pit, and thanked the dieties when blogs started appearing. No one who finds The Standard interesting and stimulating wants to see it meet that fate (and your moderating is the only thing standing between the blog and and a sewer outfall, I appreciate that, and commend you on the work you put in to keeping it usable).

So maybe it’d be a good idea if a_y_b didn’t set off exactly the sort of thing you claim to condemn by writing inflammatory, poorly researched, ad hominem posts, then.

What Whaleoil did in relation to yourself was totally unacceptable, IMHO. But as Tim Ellis says, choosing to go for a quick dip in the same sewer might make you feel better, but doesn’t do much for your overall standing. Having said that, I know how you feel – I’m probably lucky I’m several thousand miles away from Ron Mark and am not about to waste an air fare on him, or I’d have done something pretty undignified too (and probably ended up being shot by the DPS).

Tim Ellis: Since we’re trying to douse the fire with sugar water, I should mention I find you to be someone whose arguments are always worth reading and considering, and in particular your comments above are very apt, I think.
Tigger 126

8 December 2008 at 9:24 am

Farrar reminds me of one of those people who would love to be a politician but simply don’t have the skills – sort of like an uncle I had growing up who was always going on about how boobies and chicks but who was hopeless with the ladies.
relic 127

8 December 2008 at 2:19 pm

Spot on Tigger, reminds me of Trevor Louden on New Zeal sniffing his way through the underwear of the left, always outside looking in, destined never to know what it is really like at the centre of the action.
Kimble 128

8 December 2008 at 3:47 pm

So we are all in agreement then?

The evidence AYB presented is worthless and his entire post is nothing more than easily discredited speculation. It makes him and everyone who agrees with him look like fools.
Kimble 129

8 December 2008 at 3:59 pm

“In my opinion the standard was, to a part responsible for labours loss; the constant theme of attacking Key…”

Perhaps responsible isnt the right word. Certainly the attitude and character of The Standard is reminiscent of the attitude and character that caused people to turn away from Labour.

The muck-raking was a big part of it, and that is almost all that The Standard is; it is just one big muck raking group blog. It wasnt a pro-Labour site, it was always simply anti-National.

The Standard is just a gossipy little fart of a site that never provides any discussion of alternatives, it never takes a position that is the opposite of Labour policy (even on blatantly corrupt policy).

Labour was out of ideas mid way through their second term. The Standard started out with no ideas and regressed from there.

Its posters exhibit the sort of arrogant incompetence people associate with the last Labour government.

Eventually you have to stump up with more than “its all Nationals fault”. Labour didnt realise that and were doomed because of it. The Standard will never realise it and that is why it will remain nothing but an echo chamber.

[lprent: Curious, if you believe all of those things, why do you keep coming back, over and over again? Have a written flatulence problem perhaps? If you ask, I could assist in helping you to resist the temptation. It really is little effort (rather like the level of thought you put into your comments).]
Phil 130

8 December 2008 at 5:39 pm

…why do you keep coming back, over and over again?

Why do people slow down when going past traffic accidents?
lprent 131

8 December 2008 at 7:13 pm

Looks like we’re getting under the skin of a certain puerile blogger. As per normal he can’t resist lying

Lie: “The self rated best sysop in the world”
Never said it, never would. There are always going to be better sysops.

Lie: “You would think with the lack of blogging a_y_b would have had time to update the site since he managed to keep his job, albeit in a different office now that has a view that isn’t quite so appealing.”
a_y_b is still in his origional office that he has been working in since I’ve known him. He is one of the few authors on here that I do know. Of course if you lie the first time, then a liar has to keep following the same stupid line.

Ok I stand corrected – he does not lie all of the time.
Partial truth: “I have been banned from responding because Lynn (that surely is a girls name) thinks I am technically illiterate and because I am a creep.”
Yes I do think that he is technically incompetent and a creep. The latter appears to be a common perception. However he has been banned because he wastes my time and I don’t think he adds anything to this site. The mere fact I detest him helps admittedly.
Jum 132

8 December 2008 at 10:02 pm

David Farrar
December 7, 2008 at 1:55 pm

You just had to use the word ‘key’ didn’t you. Did you get paid for that?
Jum 133

8 December 2008 at 10:16 pm

burt re your need to know
December 7, 2008 at 10:27 pm

re my need to know

Tell me who donated money into National’s secret trusts. It was Key and NZBusiness Roundtable wasn’t it. He bought his Act-place in National.
Jum 134

9 December 2008 at 8:19 am

Phil
Re December 8, 2008 at 5:39 pm

People go slow past traffic accidents out of respect and care for the injured, dead and dying.

Anyone not doing that are the very people who caused them. Which group are you in?

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This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tūī

6 days ago
Book Review: How Big Things Get Done

This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner Want to know how to do something big? Ask someone who has done it before! Professor Bent Flyvbjerg has spent his career studying megaprojects. In 2023, ...

Greater AucklandBy Guest Post

6 days ago
Gordon Campbell On Why We Can’t Survive Two More Years Of This

Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

7 days ago
Dragging our way towards the finish line, the end of this year can’t come soon enough for many…

Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...

exhALANtBy exhalantblog

7 days ago
Handling Democracy.

String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...

Bowalley Road

7 days ago
Open letter to the Minister of Dwindling Finances

Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

7 days ago
Open Government: The joke ends

The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

7 days ago
An unusual sort of press conference

Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

7 days ago
This substack has talked about this government’s seeming corruption & pro-corporate issues...

This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEO Our news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tūī

7 days ago
NZCTU: Minister needs to listen to the evidence on engineered stone ban

NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...

NZCTUBy Stella Whitfield

1 week ago
Wednesday 18 December

The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...

NZCTUBy Jack McDonald

1 week ago
Can the government change its mind on the ferries?

The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
Notes from Afar: Will Luxon Attend Waitangi Day? And Opposition Calls Out Nicola Willis for “C...

Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tūī

1 week ago
Member’s morning

Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
Going Backwards

We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
Blaming Treasury & Labour, Willis looks for even more Austerity

Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
December-24 AT Board Meeting

Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

1 week ago
The Making of a Mental Health Rockstar

Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

1 week ago
It could have been worse

Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

1 week ago
The Deep Divisions of Local Government

The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

1 week ago
Willis’ austerity strategy just isn’t working

Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
Sabin 33 #7 – Are solar projects hurting farmers and rural communities?

On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...

Skeptical Science

1 week ago
Join us for a pop-up Hoon at 5pm on HYEFU

Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
‘Ideas Worth Saving’: A Call for Papers

Some years ago, I found myself pondering the power of literature to endure. Or at least the power of some of it to endure, while the rest vanishes in mere decades: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/look-on-my-works-ye-mighty-and-despair-the-literary-future/. I have similarly had fun with the subject in some of my short stories, such as Another Alexandria ...

A Phuulish FellowBy strda221

1 week ago
Corrections is torturing prisoners again

In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
HYEFU and BPS data shows New Zealand is way off track

New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...

NZCTUBy Jack McDonald

1 week ago
“Better economic management”

At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
Shameless, clueless

AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 week ago
Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...

NZCTUBy Jack McDonald

1 week ago
Crazy ’bout a Sharp-dressed Man

Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
How much should you worry about a collapse of the Atlantic conveyor belt?

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson In this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...

Skeptical Science

1 week ago
8% ACT Party Creates One Ring To Rule Them All

In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour 1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tūī

1 week ago
When austerity worsens public debt & cuts GDP

Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
Govt to double number of toll roads

On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

1 week ago
Luxon’s pre-emptive strike

The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

1 week ago
Gordon Campbell On The Coalition’s Empty Gestures, And Abortion Refusal As The New Slavery

This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

1 week ago
More public service contempt of parliament

Back in 2023 the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties raised concerns about the inherent conflict of interest involved in public service agencies supporting parliamentary select committees. Our parliament is run on a shoestring, so depends on the public service for advice. But public service agencies work for Ministers, not ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
If There Is A God

And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago

National’s Greatest Misses 2023-4

National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Release: Minister’s plan for tertiary sector a backwards step

Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Release: National buries 1019 planned homes

It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Release: Rule-Czar bill a right-wing power grab

The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...

Labour Blog

5 days ago
Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom

The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...

Greens

6 days ago
Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession

The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...

Labour Blog

6 days ago
Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis

Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
ECE no place to cut corners

The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders

A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects

Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects

The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity

The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less

The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis

With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’

Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...

Māori Party

1 week ago
Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again

For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards

The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes

All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again

The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers

The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex

The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty

The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat

The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction

New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day

The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families

Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas

Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation

Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker

The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
One year on, still no progress on new ferries

Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more

After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban

The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare

After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh

In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation

The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech

Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...

NZ First Press Release

2 weeks ago
Swarbrick calls on Auckland Mayor to end delay of revival of St James Theatre

Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
He Ara Anamata: Greens launch Emissions Reduction Plan

Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction Plan–He Ara Anamata–a blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago

Be wise around water this summer

Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Drive safely this summer

The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
PM appoints business leader to APEC Business Advisory Council

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
New intelligence oversight appointments

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
New housing developments able to progress more quickly

Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Actions to speed up air travel delivering results

The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Ending contracted emergency housing in Rotorua

The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions

The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Reducing the environmental impact of synthetic refrigerants

The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Ngāruawāhia section of Waikato Expressway back to 4 lanes for Christmas

People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Appointments to the ENZ board

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ

The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
More gangs added to Gangs Act list

Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Judicial appointment announced

Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
GDP data highlights importance of growth

The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Strengthening Free Speech in Universities

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Launch of Emergency Cellular Priority Service

Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Minister reopens Mangamuka Gorge

State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Funding confirmed for second Ashburton Bridge

The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Government boosts support for avian influenza response

The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Levelling the playing field for media advertising

Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Inspector-General of Defence appointed

Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
Fire and Emergency New Zealand final levy rates confirmed

Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
More AML relief on the way for Kiwi businesses

The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Hawke’s Bay Expressway moving at pace

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Government seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land

The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient

Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Diverse skills in community trust appointments

A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit

The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
A busy year in the House

It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Consultation opens on working with engineered stone

“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments

Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New appointments to the Charities Registration Board

Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Building consent processing times improve

More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Faster access to support through Innovation Fund

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response

New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis

The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Review recommends ECE regulation shakeup

Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading

The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shares Christmas message

"From our family to yours, we hope you have a very Happy Christmas," Christopher Luxon posted to social media. ...

Radio NZ – political

1 hour ago
From dead galaxies to mysterious red dots, here’s what the James Webb telescope has found in just ...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Themiya Nanayakkara, Scientist at the James Webb Australian Data Centre, Swinburne University of Technology Dust in the heart of galaxy NGC628. NASA / ESA / CSA / Judy Schmidt, CC BY On this day three years ago, we witnessed the nail-biting launch ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

4 hours ago
Returning to a different New Zealand after 32 years away

Summer resissue: Has the country changed all that much in three decades? Loveni Enari compares his two New Zealands. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...

The SpinoffBy Loveni S Enari

8 hours ago
I survived five hours on Christchurch’s first murder mystery train ride

Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a killer journey aboard the Tormore Express. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. It was a dark and ...

The SpinoffBy Alex Casey

9 hours ago
The need for speed: What I learnt competing in an online jigsaw puzzle competition

Summer reissue: Speed puzzling is like a marathon for the mind – intense, demanding, surprisingly exhausting. But does turning it into a sport destroy it as a relaxing pastime? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...

The SpinoffBy Calum Henderson

9 hours ago
The complete top 100 NZ TV shows of the 21st Century

Summer reissue: In October, we counted down the top 100 New Zealand TV shows of the 21st century so far (read more about the process here). Here’s the list in full, for your holiday reading pleasure. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...

The SpinoffBy The Spinoff's Top 100

10 hours ago
The epic inside story of The Spinoff’s first 10 years

Summer reissue: Told in one crucial moment from every year, by The Spinoff’s founder Duncan Greive. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. 2014: An ...

The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive

10 hours ago
Daily crossword, Wednesday 25 December

The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 25 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

10 hours ago
Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 25 December

Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 25 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

10 hours ago
An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’. Here’s what that me...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Timothy Bennett, PhD Student, School of Computing, Australian National University OLaLa Merkel / Shutterstock A new artificial intelligence (AI) model has just achieved human-level results on a test designed to measure “general intelligence”. On December 20, OpenAI’s o3 system ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

20 hours ago
‘Ambitious’ climate claim against Judith Collins dismissed

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Mike Smith’s “ambitious” climate claim against Attorney-General Judith Collins.Smith, a Māori climate activist, and Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu elder, appealed a High Court decision that found his claims against the Crown – that its action on climate change was inadequate – untenable.The Appeal Court’s ...

NewsroomBy David Williams

1 day ago
Trish McKelvey: ‘It’s a big honour, truly humbling’

Trish McKelvey is listed 139 times in the index of the New Zealand women’s cricket tome The Warm Sun On My Face, authored by Trevor Auger and Adrienne Simpson.She wrote the foreword for the book and headlines two chapters addressing crucial events in the evolution of the sport.McKelvey’s appointment as New Zealand ...

NewsroomBy Adam Julian

1 day ago
‘A curse and a blessing’: Ginette McDonald on how Lyn of Tawa changed her life

Summer reissue: The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please ...

The SpinoffBy My Life in TV

1 day ago
Making a splash: Is this the most impressive select committee submission ever?

Summer reissue: You really won’t guess how it ends. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published October 4, 2024. Parliament’s Economic Development, Science ...

The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund

1 day ago
How to get the kids through a long car trip without screens or losing your mind

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary-Rose McLaren, Professor of Teaching and Learning and Head of Program, Early Childhood Education, Victoria University Collin Quinn Lomax/ Shutterstock Some years ago, my daughter was set a maths problem: how much does it cost to drive a family of ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
Keep calm and carry on your routines: how to manage kids’ ‘Christmas crankies’ over the holida...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine E. Wood, Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist, Swinburne University of Technology Asier Romero/ Shutterstock Christmas is coming, and with it many challenges for parents of young children. You likely have one festive event after another, late nights, party ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
I’ve calculated Santa’s speed on Christmas Eve – and this is what it would do to Rudolph’s n...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Astronomy, University of Sydney Tayla Walsh/Pexels With billions of children around the world anxiously waiting for their presents, Father Christmas (or Santa) and his reindeer must be travelling at breakneck speeds to deliver them ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
How parents can safely navigate their kid’s first sleepover

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Higgins, Professor & Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University Feeling unsure about your child going to a sleepover is completely normal. You might be worried about how well you know the host family, how they manage supervision or ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
50 years ago, Cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin – and Australia’s attitude to disasters changed for...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Exactly 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin and left a trail of devastation. It remains one of the most destructive natural events in Australia’s history. Wind ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
Work or play? The rise of online ‘kidfluencers’ is raising complex legal and ethical questions

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irmine Keta Rotimi, Doctoral Candidate, Marketing and International Business department, Auckland University of Technology Videos of children opening boxes of toys and playing with them have become a feature of online marketing – making stars out of children as young as two. ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
My dance school is closed for the summer, how can I keep up my fitness?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Nicholas, Lecturer in Dance and Performance Science, Edith Cowan University Tatyana Vyc/Shutterstock Once the end-of-year dance concert and term wrap up for the year it is important to take a break. Both physical and mental rest are important and taking ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
The Christmas album that heralded the end of a folk musical era: The Kingston Trio’s The Last Mont...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kit MacFarlane, Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature, University of South Australia Capitol Records For those looking to introduce some musical conflict into the holidays, Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart remains a great choice in its 15th anniversary – like it ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
Hopes for 2025: To revitalise Tauranga

Opinion: It was February 2024 when my friends started getting in touch with me to suggest I run for the Tauranga City Council mayoralty. At the time, the council was governed by four Government-appointed commissioners, who had been in their roles since 2021. Their terms were coming to an end ...

NewsroomBy Mahe Drysdale

1 day ago
Shane Jones wants coal in his stocking

Resources minister reflects on Fast-Track Approvals Bill and developments in Māoridom The post Shane Jones wants coal in his stocking appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Fox Meyer

1 day ago
The Jewish community in NZ needs protecting from antisemitism

Opinion: As the year winds down and we pause for some reflection, I find myself, as chair of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, contemplating the unprecedented hatred aimed at Jewish New Zealanders. Antisemitism – the prejudice, discrimination or hostility directed at Jews – has snowballed to record levels, so much ...

NewsroomBy Deborah Hart

1 day ago
Finding Joy: The fascinating and painful life of Aotearoa’s most prolific writer

Summer reissue: Joy Cowley reveals her enthralling life story, from a difficult childhood, to getting drunk with Roald Dahl, to encountering an Arctic polar bear. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...

The SpinoffBy Maggie Tweedie

1 day ago
‘We’d never move back’: Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie on swapping the hustle for the harvest

Summer reissue: Alex Casey chats to Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie about the challenges of life on a 1,200-acre farm in Central Otago, and why they continue to share it with the nation in Nadia’s Farm. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...

The SpinoffBy Alex Casey

1 day ago
Chinese, but not a Chinatown: The rise and rise of Dominion Road

Summer reissue: Dominion Road has made a name for itself as a destination for authentic, regionally-specific Chinese food. How did it get here? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...

The SpinoffBy Eda Tang

1 day ago
Daily crossword, Tuesday 24 December

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NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

1 day ago
Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 24 December

Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 24 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles

1 day ago
Moana Maniapoto on the sound of the 80s to world-class journalism

By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori journalism intern at RNZ News From being the headline to creating them, Moana Maniapoto has walked a rather rocky road of swinging between both sides of the media. Known for her award-winning current affairs show Te Ao with Moana on Whakaata Māori, and ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

1 day ago
Youth Organization Fears Government Decisions Mean Rangatahi Will Be Sleeping Rough This Xmas!

Kick Back has growing concerns about the impact that denying young people access to shelter is having on the mental health and physical safety of the young people we serve. ...

Scoop politics

2 days ago
Rabuka reveals details of 1987 coup navy ‘secret weapons mission’

By Litia Cava, FBC News multimedia journalist Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed how arms and ammunition used to conduct the 1987 military coup were secretly brought into Fiji on board a naval survey ship. Speaking at the commissioning of a new research vessel for the Lands and Mineral ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

2 days ago
Grave fears over fate of young people left homeless this festive season

Youth advocates are worried tighter rules for emergency housing could lead to someone dying due to the impacts on mental health and physical safety for those denied shelter. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Church Bioethics Agencies Express Dismay at the Rushed Consultation Period for Submissions on the Ge...

“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.” ...

Scoop politics

2 days ago
Submissions Open For The International Treaty Examination Of The Agreement On Climate Change, Trade ...

The agreement seeks to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. ...

Scoop politics

2 days ago
Cook Islands passport would require giving up NZ citizenship – NZ foreign affairs

A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
NZ’s Z Energy renames stations with ‘correct’ kupu

By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for “correct” kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapū. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

2 days ago
How was Maddi Wesche’s final shot put throw not over 20m? A Spinoff investigation

Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...

The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman

2 days ago
Yes, reindeer actually can have red noses – and other fascinating facts about this Christmas icon

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago

Farrar back on the PS payroll?

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