Probably because all the unemployed bludgers have nothing better to do with their time and vote en mass but now the right (the people that work) have gotten home and can now vote
Chris73 shame we share the same planet. You have such a terrible view of some of your fellow citizens. Am I an unemployed bludger because I voted for the Corporate Greed Tax?
So it should. Do you mean that Blinglish would put a poll out and not have the result preordained? If so you guys are in big trouble.
And let me understand this clearly. Are you saying that anyone who believes that if someone derives an income from an investment they should pay tax just as someone who actually works is either a bludger or a smug, self-satisfied blood sucking leech?
Please say yes. You will then conform with every negative view I have of wankers who think they deserve even more privilege over ordinary people than they already enjoy.
Does it make you feel better about yourself chris that you have a job and others don’t or do you actually work?
What amazes me Mickey about Tories is how often they spout on as though they are so important, such amazing business people and it turns out they have no qualifications and the business they own is nothing more than being a self employed contractor totally reliant on others to survive. Let me guess………… chris is a rep for some company selling shit has a degree in marketing if he’s lucky?
Chris73, why is it that the vast majority of you RWNJs can’t do any better than dragging out the hoary old cliche that anyone not living in some sort of Randian masturbation fantasy has to be a beneficiary?
It must be horrible having the kind of curtain twitching siege mentality that everyone who disagrees with you is also robbing you.
Of course, you could always try to think out of the box a bit rather than resorting to the usual Pavlovian responses, but don’t try too hard, you’ll rupture something.
Mutate, why is it that the vast majority of you leftie liberal s can’t do any better than dragging out the hoary old cliche that anyone successful in business has to be a beneficiary basher?
It must be horrible having the kind of curtain twitching siege mentality that everyone who disagrees with you is also robbing you.
Of course, you could always try to think out of the box a bit rather than resorting to the usual Pavlovian responses, but don’t try too hard, you’ll rupture something.
Chris, I love your style – where are those jobs? Key and English promised 170K of them but instead all we see and hear are businesses laying people off and government departments culling front line staff (as NACT can’t tell the difference between front line, back office or a bloody jangaroo!)
If I was unemployed I wouldn’t bother looking for a job, because there are very few in this country.
What about letting his mates at the Finance Gamblers he’s commissioned to sell New Zealand off know that their efforts on behalf of the Key led speculators party are not welcome as well as telling Blinglish that CGT is a goer.
Someone on Whalelard or Kiwimeh or the Federated Farmers discussion board (um, I’m guessing they have one) has probably rigged up a repeat vote system as its sadly 50/50 now. Greedy, feral, astroturfing gits strike again.
I rang up a few of my Tory friends and family members to tell them to rescue Bill English’s poll so as to help him save face.
They laughed.
Hopefully, for Bill, the ‘no’ vote will increase a bit more thanks to my effort.
Yep 101% total So the man who can’t spell his own name, now cant even make a poll add up to 100% (Add 36%+65%=101%). And he’s the minister of finance. Says a lot for my confidence in his financial skills. No wonder the country is in reverse.
If this becomes an Election breaker, is there not a real danger that National will simply adopt the CGT as Policy to ensure its victory and then reneg. Sure it may cost a few votes from their right wing pals but those robots will just be told to vote Act.
Kind of like in 2008 when National stole everyone else’s policies, made a bunch of idiots believe it was really Labour Lite, then walked into power, pausing only to remove their mask.
They never used real words that linked to actual policies just layer upon layer of insinuation and promised land wholesomeness. This was mixed into a lasagne dish of Smile and Wave pomposity before being baked in an oven of aspiration, topped off with lashings of tangy tax cuts and left to cool in the 101% pure air of corrupt complacency.
…is there not a real danger that National will simply adopt the CGT as Policy to ensure its victory and then reneg.
I don’t think they could now with all the negative noise that John Key and others have been making about CGT and if they then went and renegged on it they’d be stung even worse – especially considering all the promises that they’ve broken in this term.
So John ” tax cuts north of $50 a week ” Key declares a road to damascus moment, and heralds in the fair and overdue age of NZ CGT. The flipflop fudge it specialists would not let a little thing like 180 degree policy shifts stand in the way of holding onto the bankers’ cocks, i mean their duly elected parliamentary responsibilities. I really would not put it past them.
If they steal it , it will prove that they don’t have a plan or a clue, OR any credibility. I got a surprise yesterday away out here in the wops, local farmer, presumably true blue, out of the blue said “…and as for that useless – string of expletives – Key, he’s right up those corporate bastards arses.” Labour may not have won any of the farming vote but things aren’t all that rosy for the Nats either.
A win for Labour, however looking at Bill English’s blog on National’s website tells you why they are doing better in the polls than labour.
Whether English is talking BS or not his National Party website blog is much better than labour’s. I’ve given some ideas to labour for their site. Goff”s office sounded quite keen on the idea’s however I’ve heard nothing back from them and nothing has eventuated yet. If labour doesnt lift its game on the web or through video manifesto’s etc they will loose. There are lots of skilled people out there who would contribute to their site for free.
Labour could put a election volunteers page on their website and recruit some free help.
Video’s for distrubution don’t need to cost a fortune either if. Labour could put a pdf of their manifesto on cd’s which you can buy for about 20cents each. Thats less than the cost of paper. Yes pdf’s can be downloaded but how many people think to do that? Labour could add a note to their election TV advertising ” download our manifesto at http://www.labour.org.nz/manifesto or something. There are a whole bundle of things you can do very cheaply to increase participation. I.E. the manifesto CD could have a splash screen asking people to donate with a link to a labour election latest news website where misinfo could be debunked etc as the election progresses.
I hate to give strategy to the enemy here on the standard (trolls) because National are smart enough to use these ideas but Labour isn’t. They don’t seem to understand that you can do these things much cheaper if you engage your brain and are even a little tech savy. No effective campaign means no win.
Even on the best day, it seems like the goffice isn’t the quickest kid off the block?
You might be better off contacting someone within the party who would more likely make things happen or consider your innovative suggestions.
It won’t just be the ideas or vision that will win the next election. It will be about who runs a better and more effective campaign.
They have a generic problem with volunteers in that the political types find it difficult to make up their minds (or to trust techs) in reasonable timeframes. Personally I have found it simplier to just do the things that need doing outside ofvthat process and being obnoxious enough that the political types wind up doing something about it.
Retention forced e-trac, the standard forced red alert, shifting to micro targeting – waiting.
Perhaps we should just set up a alternate Labour party website with a few volunteers. I run the labour.co.nz domain and have done so since I got it to give Helen a e-mail address in the early 90’s
There you go, Gina, you can contact lprent and take it from there.
I’d be happy to support or trial out the ideas. And happy to donate.
Oh speaking of which, it’s time to make my monthly donation to TS.
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Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help fund a new dredge for the Port of Greymouth to ensure the regional fishing fleet have a reliable and productive harbour, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “Last year the movements of ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said he was "immensely disappointed" at the withdrawal of the Jetstar airline from regional routes. He has also warned national carrier Air New Zealand not to capitalise on the Australian budget airline’s decision by “gouging” regional air travellers. "Air New Zealand has historically challenged ...
International credit ratings agency Moody's gave a glowing assessment of New Zealand’s economy in its latest report, which ranks the country’s economic strength as "very high" while saying growth remains "robust". The report says it's expected New Zealand's economy will grow between 2.5 and 3 percent in the next few ...
The Coalition Government is allocating nearly $6 million to a campaign to stop Australian beekeepers marketing their products as "mānuka" honey. This move comes after Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones accused Australian honey producers of trying to steal what was indigenous to New Zealand. "The Aussies are trying to ...
The Provincial Growth Fund has provided $400,000 to Great South to help the agency drive Southland's regional economic development aspirations. The funding will allow Great South, which is Southland's economic development agency, to appoint a portfolio manager and a project support adviser, who will provide project management expertise and support ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Forestry The One Billion Trees Fund has just hit two significant milestones that will create more than 7,500 hectares of new forest cover, Forestry Minister Shane Jones says. Speaking at a celebratory dinner at Parliament to mark 100 years of the New Zealand Forestry Service, Minister ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
New applications from mining company OceanaGold to purchase land in Waihi for new tailings ponds associated with its gold mines have been approved. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker considered the applications under the Overseas Investment Act. Earlier this year, applications from OceanaGold to ...
New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker leaves tomorrow for Dubai, London and Berlin for a series of meetings to advance New Zealand’s trade interests. In Dubai he will visit New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 where construction is underway. There he will meet Minister of State for International Cooperation, Her ...
Confirmation that PHARMAC will fund two new cancer drugs is further evidence of the good progress the Government is making to improve the treatment of New Zealand’s leading cause of death, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December PHARMAC will fund alectinib (Alecensa) for ALK positive advanced non-small cell ...
An additional $2.7 million has been announced for the Government Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation on the first anniversary of the strategy’s launch. Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson gave the opening address to the first Sport NZ Women + Girls Summit in Wellington today, ...
As part of its work to ensure businesses can get the skilled workers they need, the Coalition Government is re-opening and re-setting the Parent Category visa programme, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. The move will: support skilled migrants who help fill New Zealand’s skills gaps by providing a pathway for ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has today announced Major General Evan Williams of the New Zealand Defence Force has been selected as the commander of a significant, longstanding peacekeeping mission in the Middle East. In December, Major General Williams takes over as Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers ...
A record number of nurses are now working to deliver health services to New Zealanders as the Government’s increased funding and new initiatives rebuild key workforces start to show results, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. • 1458 more DHB nurses since the Government took office • 106 more midwives ...
Farmer and former Nuffield scholar Mel Poulton has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, announced today. The position supports key Government objectives, including raising the value of New Zealand agricultural goods and services. Mel is ...
New Zealand’s Pacific and Māori voyaging heritage is acknowledged and celebrated today as waka of the Tuia 250 voyage flotilla arrive in Tūranga / Gisborne. “Today we celebrate Tangata Whenua, the first people of Aotearoa, and the triumphs of the voyaging tradition that brought our ancestors here from Polynesia 1000 ...
“Fijian Language Week starts on Sunday and the theme reminds us how important it is that we each have something to anchor ourselves to, something that can help us pause and feel in control in a rapidly changing world,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “Family, culture, faith, ...
The Government is establishing an Airspace Integration Trials Programme to support the safe testing and development of advanced unmanned aircraft and accelerate their integration into the aviation system, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods announced today. The Government will work with leading, innovative aviation industry partners to test and ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today welcomed the NZ Transport Agency’s decision to fund urgent safety improvements and confirm the designation of the Ōtaki to North of Levin highway. Safety upgrades will be made along 23.4km of the existing state highway, running along SH1 from the end of the Peka Peka ...
New Zealand playing its part in Asia-Pacific and globally are behind changes announced today to the Coalition Government’s three year refugee quota policy, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “We are proud to be a welcoming and inclusive nation committed to supporting some of the world’s most vulnerable people to rebuild ...
One of the important parameters of the agreement’s aims was to ensure there was no threat to food production from the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. ...
A monument to Winston Peters and Think Big projects would both boost the economy, but Argentina learned the hard way they can also impoverish a nation, writes Tony Burton.Everyone who loves New Zealand should visit Argentina. There are more similarities than you might think – large areas of wild natural ...
The Salvation Army foodbank in Waitakere ran out of food last week; an indication of the strain many New Zealand whanau are under as they struggle to afford the cost of living. Wednesday, October 16 is World Food Day, and as demand for services offered ...
Phil Goff was re-elected by a huge margin on Saturday. How will he put that mandate to use this term? Hayden Donnell asks the questions.Phil Goff is once again Auckland’s mayor. Preliminary local election results show him with a lead of nearly 100,000 votes over his nearest challenger, John Tamihere. ...
Catherine Bindon from Ban the Boom has created these colourful and positive posters for you to use to show you don't support the use of fireworks in your neighbourhood over the next few weeks distressing our animals and birds. ...
On Tuesday morning the Operation Burnham inquiry hearing resumed after it was suspended three weeks ago. The hearing is being held at Royal Society of New Zealand, 11 Turnbull St, Thorndon, Wellington on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland It’s not uncommon for science and religion to be framed as two opposing forces. The Catholic church has famously struggled to accommodate scientific research in its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cat Pausé, Senior Lecturer in Human Development, Massey University The British Psychological Society is calling for changes for how we talk about fatness, suggesting we should no longer use the phrase “obese people”, but instead, “people with obesity” or “people living with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University The federal government’s much-vaunted Snowy Hydro expansion is supposed to smooth out the bumps in electricity supply as Australia transitions to renewables. But not only is the project a bad deal for taxpayers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By María Yanotti, Lecturer of Economics and Finance Tasmanian School of Business & Economics, University of Tasmania The housing market is moving again. In the past month, national prices have climbed 0.9%. What matters most to buyers (and especially to investors), along with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, University of Melbourne It seems appropriate that a painting titled Feng Shui dominates the new exhibition of Guan Wei’s work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Matthews, Lecturer in Digital Media and Popular Culture Researcher, Auckland University of Technology According to a recent study, the sixth leading cause of death for young men in the United States is the warranted and unwarranted use of police force. With ...
The Council of Trade Unions has today released its report - Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness . The report details the six key principles needed for Fair Pay Agreements to deliver real change for working people, and democratic agreements ...
Too many New Zealanders endure poor working conditions in jobs that don’t pay enough and offer few opportunities for career progression, and the union movement is calling for change. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the latest polls which show a drop in support for Labour are not a concern when it comes to forming a government. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A pair of polls put pressure on the Labour Party, a wild night of weather in the North Island, and Shane Jones snapped brandishing a semi-automatic.Parliament resumes today after a fortnight recess, and MPs were given a welcome-back present in ...
Mandy Hager, the newly elected head of the New Zealand Society of Authors, is lobbying the government to improve the lot of writers - to no avail, despite the Prime Minister's championing of the arts. ...
Given the vast impacts that poor diet have had on global health, a deficit in nutrition education in medicine represents a big problem, writes Dr Jennifer Crowley. ...
Any time Olympian Luuka Jones needs advice or encouragement in her pursuit of more canoe slalom success, she doesn’t have to look far. Jones’ coach, Campbell Walsh, is also her partner. ...
Competition for the rights to broadcast sports matches involving NZ’s top teams has produced a bonanza for the sporting bodies, forcing media companies to be a lot more innovative. ...
The Wellington suburb’s successful opposition to a proposed Bottle-O shows how the system is biased towards communities with the organisation, capacity and resources to protest effectively, says Jenesa Jeram.For those unfamiliar with Wellington geography, Khandallah is a Very Nice place to live (Aucklanders: think Remuera). So when it was reported ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission conducted an inquiry into mortgage pricing as recently as last year. Now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has asked it to do another, broader one, in order to ensure the banks’ ...
Dr Bryce EdwardsThe results of the local government elections appear to show that New Zealanders are generally supportive of a more diverse range of representatives, having voted in greater numbers for candidates from traditionally under-represented groups. The elections have therefore modernised our councils in a small but very significant ...
The Inquiry has today published Minute No 21. This Minute sets out how the Inquiry intends to proceed given that the Attorney-General the Hon David Parker has agreed to extend the Inquiry’s reporting date by three months to 31 March 2020. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Skrzypiec, Senior Lecturer, Flinders University Many Australian students don’t know the difference between banter and bullying, with some saying they joke about wishing their friend would “drown” or “die in a car crash”. More than 800 Australian students aged 11-16 took ...
But he did play a crucial role in helping journeyman Andy Foster knock over Justin Lester. Team Gone By Lunchtime size up the local elections, gaze plaintively at the dramas in the NZ First Party, and ask how bad the new poll is for Jacinda Ardern.Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and ...
In the fifth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect Artificial Intelligence has on our lives, Russell Brown speaks to Ben Reid, executive director of the AI Forum, about the role of government in embracing and regulating AI.Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below.To ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Local government Henry Cooke (Stuff): How to lose an election: Over-promise or under-deliver Simon Collins ...
By RNZ Pacific A Solomon Islands province has agreed to lease a large island to a Chinese developer to develop into a special economic zone, weeks after the country opened diplomatic ties with China. But already cracks abound; there has been no official announcement and the provincial premier says the ...
The New Zealand First MP and Minister Shane Jones is still backing the firearms ban, despite being pictured with what appears to be an AR-15 semi-automatic while holidaying in Asia. ...
Everyone needs to be concerned about the draft National Policy Statement on Urban Development that the Ministry for the Environment has released. It is incompatible with the spirit of transparency and inclusiveness. ...
Prodigal Son is a new crime procedural coming hot and fresh to TVNZ 1 on Mondays at 8.30pm.Jean Sergent has a few reasons why you should be watching it. If you like serial killer shows, Michael Sheen, dark drama, Michael Sheen, twisted family dynamics, or Michael Sheen – strap yourself ...
Voters in the 2019 local elections have elected the largest number of new mayors in 30 years, with 26 candidates set to don mayoral chains for the first time later this month. ...
A team of investigators dedicated to stamping out violent extremism online is being set up with the government announcing $17 million in funding over four years. ...
In a major boost to efforts to counter violent extremism on the internet, the Government has promised $17m over four years to the Censorship Compliance Unit. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is recommending members hold on to potentially illegal shotgun shells containing steel shot until the law banning certain types of ammunition is clarified. ...
The final dinner party on Married at First Sight NZ brought an ugly misogyny to light. But it was far from the first time sexism reared its head this season, writes Alex Casey.It began with a man being edited out of the show after his domestic violence charges came to ...
New collaborative gifting platform Joyable is looking to shake up how we group-purchase gifts. Co-founders (and sisters) Rochelle Sheldon and Kimberley Crossman explain how their latest venture works. Joyable (not to be confused with the social anxiety-reducing app of the same name) is a somewhat left-field move for co-founder Rochelle ...
The extraordinary battle for the Tron has ended in a way no one quite saw coming, with the city relinquishing its stranglehold on the title of New Zealand’s most embarrassing council. Angela Cuming reports.The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a ...
On the eve of the announcement of the winner of the 2019 Booker prize, Spinoff books editor Catherine Woulfe outs herself as a giant know-nothing. Booker time. Tomorrow morning I will sit there refreshing Twitter like the drinking bird on The Simpsons. A winner will be announced. And I’ll be gripped ...
National's claim that things only went south when Phil Twyford took charge of transport is not supported by us at CEAC and we see that this begun in 2008 as we witnessed the change then while working as a partnership group with NZTA then. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Churchill, Research Fellow in Sociology, University of Melbourne There’s an old maxim: not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. But there are some things we should count, and gender and sexual diversity are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Pollock, Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Northern Australia is likely to see fewer cyclones than usual this season, but hot, dry weather will increase the risk of fire and heatwaves across eastern and southern Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology today released ...
We are in The Good Time for avocados. Alex Casey talked to an expert on how to make the most of it. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A time when a new avocado headline is published somewhere in New Zealandeverysingleday. A time when it is ...
Sexual harassment and assault are an issue in all walks of life, but addressing the problem is particularly difficult when the perpetrator holds public office. Today campaigner Carrie Buckmaster launches a parliamentary petition calling for more transparency on the issue.The ongoing Labour Party scandal around handling of sexual harassment allegations ...
Dunedin’s new mayor Aaron Hawkins is the first official Green Party mayor in NZ and, arguably, the first to represent the city’s student population as much as its older residents. Josie Adams, who guessed he would win, asked him ten questions about his win.The Spinoff local election ...
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (F&P) has upgraded its full year guidance again after gaining the right to sell its new full face mask in the United States. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Shadow foreign minister Penny Wong says Australia needs to “define the boundaries” of its engagement with China now the relationship between the two countries is in a new phase. Focusing on China policy in a ...
Canon Rugby in Focus: Ireland awaits an All Blacks team that will be well-rested. Perhaps too well-rested. Rested and ready, or a game short and not match fit. Those are the two scenarios that will have All Blacks fans fretting this week ahead of ...
With the government recently announcing a desire to help our cities grow up and out, leading New Zealand IoT expert Kriv Naicker today questioned whether New Zealand is falling behind in the use of smart city technology to help achieve this goal. ...
You famously said climate change was this generation’s nuclear-free moment. But when Extinction Rebellion uses the tactics of the Nuclear Free movement, you say you aren’t impressed. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Regina Jefferies, Affiliate, Andrew and Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW In the past five years, more than 95,000 people who arrived by plane have lodged a claim for asylum in Australia, new statistics show. Labor’s Immigration Spokesperson, Senator Kristina ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Waller, PhD candidate, University of Sydney Organs from potential donors once rejected as being unsafe to transplant may not be as risky as once thought, new Australian research shows. Our study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, suggests organs from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Merrilyn Delporte, PhD Candidate, Queensland University of Technology Australia’s refugee policy has led to a two-track education system. Those processed offshore, and deemed refugees by the time they have arrived in Australia, are entitled to fee support for university. But the almost ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, Grattan Institute Congestion charging should be introduced in Australia’s largest cities, as Grattan Institute’s latest report shows. Our analysis also finds that the people who commute to the Melbourne and Sydney CBDs by driving are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David C. Ribar, Professorial Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Australia, like the United States, makes it hard for people who get benefits to stay on them. It’s not simply a matter of withdrawing benefits as people get jobs and work more hours ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ana Silkatcheva, Doctoral Candidate (Oriental Studies – Islamic Art and Archaeology), University of Oxford; Curatorial Researcher, Nicholson Collection, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney In 2005, the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) opened Australia’s first permanent galleries of Islamic art. ...
Council's can expected more pressure from their own ranks to tackle climate change with a new crop of young councillors determined to fight it head on. ...
Friday lolz 
Two years ago Catalans braved police batons and rubber bullets to vote overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum. Today, Spain jailed nine politicians who organised and supported that referendum process for a combined total of a hundred years for "sedition", after a trial that was little more than a judicial ...12 hours ago
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...3 days ago
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...3 days ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...4 days ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...4 days ago
https://mailchi.mp/7d9133add053/closing-the-gap-october-2019-newsletter ...5 days ago
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...6 days ago
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...2 weeks ago
Image credit: 45 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. ... 2 weeks ago
We're managing the Government books responsibly, helping more Kiwis into homes, and supporting New Zealanders with disabilities. ...4 days ago
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...4 days ago
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said he was "immensely disappointed" at the withdrawal of the Jetstar airline from regional routes. He has also warned national carrier Air New Zealand not to capitalise on the Australian budget airline’s decision by “gouging” regional air travellers. "Air New Zealand has historically challenged ...3 weeks ago
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...39 mins ago
One of the important parameters of the agreement’s aims was to ensure there was no threat to food production from the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. ...58 mins ago
A monument to Winston Peters and Think Big projects would both boost the economy, but Argentina learned the hard way they can also impoverish a nation, writes Tony Burton.Everyone who loves New Zealand should visit Argentina. There are more similarities than you might think – large areas of wild natural ...1 hour ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland It’s not uncommon for science and religion to be framed as two opposing forces. The Catholic church has famously struggled to accommodate scientific research in its ...2 hours ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the latest polls which show a drop in support for Labour are not a concern when it comes to forming a government. ...2 hours ago
Mandy Hager, the newly elected head of the New Zealand Society of Authors, is lobbying the government to improve the lot of writers - to no avail, despite the Prime Minister's championing of the arts. ...4 hours ago
An ancient Polynesian form of resource management is helping rejuvenate areas in the Cook Islands. ...5 hours ago
Competition for the rights to broadcast sports matches involving NZ’s top teams has produced a bonanza for the sporting bodies, forcing media companies to be a lot more innovative. ...5 hours ago
Ongoing drama surrounds the Māui and Hector's dolphin threat management plan, with worries key information is not being made public promptly. ...5 hours ago
Is Jacindamania dead and buried? Not quite yet, but the Prime Minister has good cause for concern. ...15 hours ago
Poland could become an even bigger headache for Brussels than Brexit over the coming years. ...18 hours ago
"It's time for men to shut up," a novelist said today at the Man Booker ceremony in London. Well - is it? NZ writers respond. ...18 hours ago
In a major boost to efforts to counter violent extremism on the internet, the Government has promised $17m over four years to the Censorship Compliance Unit. ...18 hours ago
Countdown is reporting a surge in consumer demand for alternative proteins. ...20 hours ago
Move over Bathurst, we're taking your title. Steve Deane has the perfect venue for a motorsport dream. ...23 hours ago
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (F&P) has upgraded its full year guidance again after gaining the right to sell its new full face mask in the United States. ...23 hours ago
Canon Rugby in Focus: Ireland awaits an All Blacks team that will be well-rested. Perhaps too well-rested. Rested and ready, or a game short and not match fit. Those are the two scenarios that will have All Blacks fans fretting this week ahead of ...1 day ago
In a deal that will change the sports media landscape New Zealand Rugby is to become a five percent shareholder in Sky. Mark Jennings reports. ...1 day ago
Poor Bill he’s getting that sinking feeling all over again. How are those dead rats Bill?
Fixed.
Been a big surge in the No vote, up to 39% (389) of total 1017 votes.
Currently it’s:
No 40%
Yes 61%
Making a grand total of 101%. Is it possible that Bill English can’t count?
yup, he does not do median income very well either.
That would explain his last budget.
Its getting close now
Probably because all the unemployed bludgers have nothing better to do with their time and vote en mass but now the right (the people that work) have gotten home and can now vote
You mean the NATs spin machine finally got their ass into gear haha
Chris73 shame we share the same planet. You have such a terrible view of some of your fellow citizens. Am I an unemployed bludger because I voted for the Corporate Greed Tax?
Ha that question is Right Wing catnip 😛
Nope but a smug, self-satisfied blood sucking leech (sorry I meant to type lawyer) is hardly an improvement
and you might want to check the poll again
So am I a blood sucking leach or someone who believes that blood sucking leaches should pay tax on their capital gains. Which one is it Chris?
I would say both
and the gaps getting bigger…
So it should. Do you mean that Blinglish would put a poll out and not have the result preordained? If so you guys are in big trouble.
And let me understand this clearly. Are you saying that anyone who believes that if someone derives an income from an investment they should pay tax just as someone who actually works is either a bludger or a smug, self-satisfied blood sucking leech?
Please say yes. You will then conform with every negative view I have of wankers who think they deserve even more privilege over ordinary people than they already enjoy.
Does it make you feel better about yourself chris that you have a job and others don’t or do you actually work?
What amazes me Mickey about Tories is how often they spout on as though they are so important, such amazing business people and it turns out they have no qualifications and the business they own is nothing more than being a self employed contractor totally reliant on others to survive. Let me guess………… chris is a rep for some company selling shit has a degree in marketing if he’s lucky?
Aye Craig. Hotchin is a shining example of what they think and feel. Quite distressing really …
Actually I’m currently working on the business end of a shovel doing labouring in Christchurch (on the plus side it keeps me fit)
But hey don’t let don’t let your own predjudices get in the way of your little wank fest
Wrong end, idiot.
Yep. Underlines Craig’s point that these Righties are fucking hopeless and self important at the same time.
Chris73, why is it that the vast majority of you RWNJs can’t do any better than dragging out the hoary old cliche that anyone not living in some sort of Randian masturbation fantasy has to be a beneficiary?
It must be horrible having the kind of curtain twitching siege mentality that everyone who disagrees with you is also robbing you.
Of course, you could always try to think out of the box a bit rather than resorting to the usual Pavlovian responses, but don’t try too hard, you’ll rupture something.
Mutate, why is it that the vast majority of you leftie liberal s can’t do any better than dragging out the hoary old cliche that anyone successful in business has to be a beneficiary basher?
It must be horrible having the kind of curtain twitching siege mentality that everyone who disagrees with you is also robbing you.
Of course, you could always try to think out of the box a bit rather than resorting to the usual Pavlovian responses, but don’t try too hard, you’ll rupture something.
(See what I did nthere)
I did see what you did there Chris.
You outed yourself as a beneficiary basher. Is that honestly the best you can do?
I’m not angry, just disappointed.
D- for effort.
See thats the thing with you bleeding heart latte liberals, you don’t even bother to read whats written, you make your mind up and thats it
I said “unemployed bludgers”, the key word being bludger
If you’re unemployed and actually looking for work then you’re using the benefit for what its designed for which means you’re not a bludger
I’m not surprised, just disappointed.
F for effort (much like the NZEI)
Chris, I love your style – where are those jobs? Key and English promised 170K of them but instead all we see and hear are businesses laying people off and government departments culling front line staff (as NACT can’t tell the difference between front line, back office or a bloody jangaroo!)
If I was unemployed I wouldn’t bother looking for a job, because there are very few in this country.
There are heaps of god damm jobs. Open a paper once in awhile.
Just voted ‘Yes’ – it’s just made my busy Friday worthwhile.
What about letting his mates at the Finance Gamblers he’s commissioned to sell New Zealand off know that their efforts on behalf of the Key led speculators party are not welcome as well as telling Blinglish that CGT is a goer.
Someone on Whalelard or Kiwimeh or the Federated Farmers discussion board (um, I’m guessing they have one) has probably rigged up a repeat vote system as its sadly 50/50 now. Greedy, feral, astroturfing gits strike again.
Social media spanks Bill English on gains tax
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
http://business.scoop.co.nz/2011/07/08/social-media-spanks-bill-english-on-gains-tax/
And the vandal has been reading TS and borrowed the expression “economic vandalism” to fling at his political opponent.
There is a really interesting background to why it blew out to 86% when there were around 700 votes in.
It involves the Minister of Finance’s failure to spell his own name correctly.
Narrowing now, but CGT still marginally ahead.
So the guy who is in charge of the country’s finances cannot spell?
I rang up a few of my Tory friends and family members to tell them to rescue Bill English’s poll so as to help him save face.
They laughed.
Hopefully, for Bill, the ‘no’ vote will increase a bit more thanks to my effort.
Yeehah! With 4000 votes in Bill English poll margin widens again – 63% support a CGT, 38% don’t
Your thoughts on…
Do you support a capital gains tax?
No
36%, 1517 Votes
Yes
65%, 2796 Votes
Total of 4313 votes.
Pretty weird….
Yep 101% total So the man who can’t spell his own name, now cant even make a poll add up to 100% (Add 36%+65%=101%). And he’s the minister of finance. Says a lot for my confidence in his financial skills. No wonder the country is in reverse.
101% Pure 😉
Now up to 67% support for a CGT, and that is with plenty of catch-up time for the Nats following English’s Twitter fail.
Yeah, I just voted for the CGT on English’s site and the numbers are:
No
34%, 1561 Votes
Yes
67%, 3044 Votes
it’s the rounding
if rounded to one decimal place, then
33.9% and
66.1% respectively
the 67 should really be rounded to 66
Oh so thats why the deficit keeps getting bigger under National its the rounding thats catching them out.
8.37am Sat morning
No
38%, 1969 Votes
Yes
63%, 3214 Votes
Total of 5183 votes.
Looks like the blue team were out in force last night. 408 votes overnite
If this becomes an Election breaker, is there not a real danger that National will simply adopt the CGT as Policy to ensure its victory and then reneg. Sure it may cost a few votes from their right wing pals but those robots will just be told to vote Act.
Kind of like in 2008 when National stole everyone else’s policies, made a bunch of idiots believe it was really Labour Lite, then walked into power, pausing only to remove their mask.
I though they walked in without disclosing any major policy just saying they had a plan to be unveiled after the election.
fair call.
They never used real words that linked to actual policies just layer upon layer of insinuation and promised land wholesomeness. This was mixed into a lasagne dish of Smile and Wave pomposity before being baked in an oven of aspiration, topped off with lashings of tangy tax cuts and left to cool in the 101% pure air of corrupt complacency.
lol all done with a smile and a wave after a three year campign of crosby textor training.
I don’t think they could now with all the negative noise that John Key and others have been making about CGT and if they then went and renegged on it they’d be stung even worse – especially considering all the promises that they’ve broken in this term.
So John ” tax cuts north of $50 a week ” Key declares a road to damascus moment, and heralds in the fair and overdue age of NZ CGT. The flipflop fudge it specialists would not let a little thing like 180 degree policy shifts stand in the way of holding onto the bankers’ cocks, i mean their duly elected parliamentary responsibilities. I really would not put it past them.
If they steal it , it will prove that they don’t have a plan or a clue, OR any credibility. I got a surprise yesterday away out here in the wops, local farmer, presumably true blue, out of the blue said “…and as for that useless – string of expletives – Key, he’s right up those corporate bastards arses.” Labour may not have won any of the farming vote but things aren’t all that rosy for the Nats either.
Kudos to the lefties for (finally) learning from and implementing ideas from the VRWC
Welcome to the dark side
(Seriously Bill what were you thinking putting an internet based poll up on your site…)
(Bill should be blaming Labour for putting up that poll on his site for the past nine years.)
A win for Labour, however looking at Bill English’s blog on National’s website tells you why they are doing better in the polls than labour.
Whether English is talking BS or not his National Party website blog is much better than labour’s. I’ve given some ideas to labour for their site. Goff”s office sounded quite keen on the idea’s however I’ve heard nothing back from them and nothing has eventuated yet. If labour doesnt lift its game on the web or through video manifesto’s etc they will loose. There are lots of skilled people out there who would contribute to their site for free.
Labour could put a election volunteers page on their website and recruit some free help.
Video’s for distrubution don’t need to cost a fortune either if. Labour could put a pdf of their manifesto on cd’s which you can buy for about 20cents each. Thats less than the cost of paper. Yes pdf’s can be downloaded but how many people think to do that? Labour could add a note to their election TV advertising ” download our manifesto at http://www.labour.org.nz/manifesto or something. There are a whole bundle of things you can do very cheaply to increase participation. I.E. the manifesto CD could have a splash screen asking people to donate with a link to a labour election latest news website where misinfo could be debunked etc as the election progresses.
I hate to give strategy to the enemy here on the standard (trolls) because National are smart enough to use these ideas but Labour isn’t. They don’t seem to understand that you can do these things much cheaper if you engage your brain and are even a little tech savy. No effective campaign means no win.
Even on the best day, it seems like the goffice isn’t the quickest kid off the block?
You might be better off contacting someone within the party who would more likely make things happen or consider your innovative suggestions.
It won’t just be the ideas or vision that will win the next election. It will be about who runs a better and more effective campaign.
They have a generic problem with volunteers in that the political types find it difficult to make up their minds (or to trust techs) in reasonable timeframes. Personally I have found it simplier to just do the things that need doing outside ofvthat process and being obnoxious enough that the political types wind up doing something about it.
Retention forced e-trac, the standard forced red alert, shifting to micro targeting – waiting.
Perhaps we should just set up a alternate Labour party website with a few volunteers. I run the labour.co.nz domain and have done so since I got it to give Helen a e-mail address in the early 90’s
There you go, Gina, you can contact lprent and take it from there.
I’d be happy to support or trial out the ideas. And happy to donate.
Oh speaking of which, it’s time to make my monthly donation to TS.
Be interesting to see a poll
Do you support state asset sales vs cgt?
Well, that didn’t last long – it’s a different question now!!
Be interesting to know the final scores. Anybody know?
I have a screenshot taken last night at ~4500 votes. 67% FOR a CGT.