Fuck off, Bob Jones: and advertisers? Be warned

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, October 22nd, 2013 - 94 comments
Categories: activism, newspapers, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: ,

Bob Jones has produced another disgusting “opinion piece”, and the New Zealand Herald has once again been disgusting enough to publish it.

I completely understand that a lot of people don’t have the spoons for taking on yet another awful triggery misogynist piece of shit produced by an awful misogynist piece of shit.  On this occasion, I do.  Hence this post.

The URL of the article is:

http:// www.nzherald.co.nz/ opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11143714

A precis of the article for those who do not wish to feed the Herald’s amoral clickbait campaign:

  • This one time, Bob Jones was in Viet Nam, and he noticed that women can’t drive
  • Then he badgered Hutt City Council to not install traffic lights all over the place
  • Now there are roundabouts and women can’t use them and even women he knows agree with him
  • Anyway, he once bought a totally awesome penis substitute car and he drove totally awesomely but bitches complained ’cause they ain’t shit
  • So he laughed at the Police letter he received and told them (CONTENT NOTE: and here’s where I quote the awful violent bit)

I replied, first pointing out that passing is not illegal and adding that while normally I don’t condone police violence, this was an exception and they would be doing God’s work by going to the complainants’ homes, beating the crap out of them and burning their houses down.

  • Then he interpreted the automatic form letter he received in response as agreement.
  • Finally, he makes a hilarious joke about how Saudi Arabia shouldn’t let women drive because lol, bitches can’t drive.

Dovil has also provided a write-up, fed through a What Bob’s Really Thinking translator. Di W has challenged Bob to a parallel park-off.  Rachel Rayner has a nice little template for you to complain to the editor – before you complain to the Press Council.

And I’ve been tweeting companies whose ads appear on the article.  These include:

  • ASB Bank – no response
  • Jetstar – no response
  • iHeartRadio – who, to their credit, acknowledged the tweet, but stated they can’t control where their ads end up.  I say: demand a better contract.
  • Accor Hotels – no response
  • Nissan – no response – but so ironic
  • RealMe – the new government login service.  I can’t tell if this account is genuine so tweeted NZ Post instead.

Companies which don’t have Twitter accounts I can easily locate are:

  • Sovereign Insurance
  • State Insurance

… which is a pity, because I’d love to know if either of them would cover my house in the circumstances of the Police burning it down to punish me for driving too cautiously to suit Sir Bob.

The problem, once again, is less Bob Jones being a hateful piece of shit, and more that The Herald will obviously continue to publish schlock to match their page size as long as it generates pageviews and sells advertising.

I don’t expect this story to be the final nail in the coffin.  I don’t expect to change the world overnight.  But I know that pressuring advertisers can get results (admittedly, with a well-run social media campaign and a few tens-of-thousands of activists).  So I’m going to do what I can.

ETA

The hashtag is #boycottbobjones, and more advertisers are being tweeted:

94 comments on “Fuck off, Bob Jones: and advertisers? Be warned ”

  1. IrishBill 1

    He’s turned into Krusty the Clown. His next column is gonna be about how bad his mother in law is and the one after that he’s going to pull his eyes into slits and chant “me so solly, me so solly”.

    That said, he’s an old man – you’ve got to expect him to shit his pants in public occasionally.

    • QoT 1.1

      Yes … but I can also expect someone at the Herald to, at the very, very least, edit out the bits where he calls for assault and arson.

      • Lanthanide 1.1.1

        If you’re going to edit out the “best bits”, why would you even bother publishing the remains?

        • QoT 1.1.1.1

          Jones is quite capable of being a whiney, cantakerous old bastard without inciting violence. As every other awful column he’s written shows.

          • Brett Dale 1.1.1.1.1

            QOT:

            Well dont read, what he writes. why would you read every column he writes if they’re awful. I think he sucks, so i stop reading his pieces ages ago.

    • Enough is Enough 1.2

      Pretty close to the mark.

      Bob Jones writes for one reason. He doesn’t do it as a job or for money like all other contributors to the Herald, he does it to get a reaction from those he is poking.

      Unlike a Paul Holmes or Paul Henry, he intentionally goes out to offend. Those other boys just did it without thinking because they were inherently racist.

      I doubt he ventures into the Standard too often. I doubt he knows what the internet is. But if he did, he would think Mission accomplished.

      And Herald will pay him another handsome fee to right this shit again next week.

  2. Matthew 2

    Thanks QoT. Have sent a message to the editor asking them to pull down the opinion piece and issue an apology. Hopefully other Standardistas do the same.

  3. Tat Loo 3

    QoT. This is also who you may want to hit up with a very clear statement of why this shit is below a premier paper like the NZ Herald.

    http://investorcentre.apn.com.au/phoenix.zhtml?c=144006&p=irol-govboard

  4. Lindsey J Rea 4

    The problem is that it is not below the New Zealand Herald! There is no “below” there.

  5. Debbie 5

    Well said QoT, I was horrified to read this article online earlier.

    Like you say the issue isn’t just that BJ (unfortunate initials: with an attitude like his, I can’t imagine he’s had one recently? or maybe that’s the problem?) is a cantankerous and misogynist dinosaur, it’s that the Herald keep giving him column space. I guess they don’t understand that the multiple comments aren’t indicative of popularity; at least not when all the comments are united in disgust.

  6. Morrissey 6

    Anybody who has read his tiresomely unfunny “satire” Degrees for Everyone would know that Bob Jones does not have a funny bone in his body.

    Little brother got all the literary talent in that family.

  7. Blue 7

    I understand the desire to get outraged about Bob Jones’ output. But that’s exactly what the Herald wants. More clicks, more comments, more letters to the editor, more people looking at them and talking about them. That’s why they employ Jones in the first place. It’s not because he has anything worthwhile to say.

    He’s a one trick pony doing his wind-up routine and hoping someone will bite back. The Herald (and more importantly their advertisers) are hoping so too. If you’re tweeting them, it means you saw their ad and you saw it on Bob’s page. They’re more likely rubbing their hands with glee than considering pulling their sponsorship.

    Remember who is saying it before you ascribe any importance to it, and trust that other people will do the same. Bob Jones’ mind is a very shallow pool and those who look in it see their own reflections.

    • QoT 7.1

      No, Blue. I utterly reject your entire comment, as I reject the idea of “ignore the trolls until they go away”. This post basically sums up my thinking:

      Yes, silence is a reaction, which is the third problem with the feeding metaphor. Not only is it behavior, but it is highly rewarding behavior to trolls. The important thing to remember about trolls is their purpose. It isn’t to get attention for themselves per se. It is to control the conversation.

      I’m not some wide-eyed innocent clutching my pearls over the death of good noble journalism. Of course it’s all part of the Herald’s plan. But we do not make it untenable for them to continue to publish this shit by ignoring it.

      • Sosoo 7.1.1

        Since Jones is playing you like a Stradivarius, he seems to have won already.

        The column was clearly ridiculous and you making such a meal out of it just multiplies Jones’ fun. Please keep it up.

        • QoT 7.1.1.1

          Sosoo: it might help to actually read the comment you’re replying to.

          I am quite aware that Bob Jones’ publication relies on stirring up outrage. The point is, it relies on stirring up just enough outrage that the Herald can brush it off without facing serious consequences. Stir up enough resistance to his bullshit? Different story.

      • Ennui 7.1.2

        it’s all part of the Herald’s plan which implies that they have a “plan” per se. I would like to give them credit with this BUT…….

    • Pete 7.2

      You may recall the Chief of the Australian Army giving a statement this year about sexual harassment in the ADF. One thing he said stuck with me: “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept”. I’m not going to walk past this because, frankly, Bob Jones doesn’t meet my standards.

  8. Ad 8

    Would QoT consider an NZHerald response in full sardonic display, with no “fucks”?
    Step into it!

  9. Lindsey J Rea 9

    They had a vacancy in the “crusty old fool” section after they pensioned off Garth George when lots of people complained about him publishing a letter calling for violence against an MP. Lots of complaints may get rid of Jones.

  10. Don't worry. Be happy. 10

    Sunset industry printing boring old fart’s rants. So damn dull, so predictable, so God knows haven’t we heard all this from this jumped up little twit back in the ’80s?

  11. toad 11

    I guess when the Herald decided they finally had to let Garth George go they needed someone similarly misogynist to fill the gap.

  12. tricledrown 12

    A dose of paraQot would finish off the pugilistic dinosaur.
    No wonder his daughter ended up the way she is!

  13. Tanz 13

    Yes, the sensible and honest Garth George, whom the Herald let go, was so much better at writing excellent opinion pieces.

  14. aotearoean 14

    The Jones report got the respect it deserved I used mine as dunny paper!!!

  15. emergency mike 15

    Just had a read of it. Wow. I know QoT’s already done an excellent summary, but I want to do one too.

    – Women drivers are too slow, I seen it.
    – They drive in the wrong lane too much.
    – I got complaints about my driving, but I told them, changing lanes is legal fools.
    – How sweet would it be if we just banned them like the Saudi’s. Just sayin’.
    – That’s my ‘pinion see ya next time.

    • Chooky 15.1

      Bob Jones is of that generation of older men who think it is funny( and possibly sexy) to be sexist and bait women…I try not to take any notice of him or take him too seriously….suggest QoT offers her journalist services to the said Auckland Herald for the same fee….maybe she could alternate with Jones ?…that way she would really show him up and offer a bit of frisson?

      …..actually he isnt a good driver himself and has had several run-ins with traffic cops….I think once he punched on in Wellington and was up on assault charges

      • emergency mike 15.1.1

        As others have pointed out, it’s not Jones’s ho ho ho ‘opinions’ that’s the issue here, it’s that The Herald stooped to giving it daylight.

        Women have fought long and hard to relegate major newspapers presenting this kind of ‘men are superior’ piece to history. Yet here it is. Bob Jones can fuck off chuckling to his mansion, I could care less. But this is low and appalling behaviour from The Herald that needs to be shamed, not ignored.

        • Chooky 15.1.1.1

          @ emergency mike

          …didnt read it….here ….couldnt be bothered ……dont read the Herald…dont read the Press much….if I did and complained every time i saw sexism or right wing bias or mistruths I would be complaining all the time….havent got the time…..

          Bob Jones is Bob Jones….and occasionally he has interesting and controversial stuff to say …eg he would employ a BA Classics over a B.Com/Business….he cant be bothered reading his successful writer brother’s writing but put him through university….he is annoying …rumour has he didn’t treat one of his wives very well and certainly not traffic cops ….but in the whole scheme of things imo ….he is just a stirrer…(and does have his good points as Rhino has pointed out below)

          1.)…more to the point QoT should pressure the Herald to have her own opinion piece ( she wants paid recognition for her writing)…..as an alternative to Jones /or alternate with Jones….when you get two diametrically opposed columnists going …it makes their views more interesting…otherwise it is more ho hum….boring , boring…woman drivers ha ha……wipe your bum with it

          2.)…next point….when it comes to Sexism….go for the truly big sinners…the Catholic Church….and Catholic hypocrisy…….but most people dont !….or couldnt care less…or are imbued with it ….or are too scared…

          ….at least with Bob Jones, what you see is what you get …no hypocrisy!…….

          PS ….arent there a lot of Catholics in the Labour Party?….it is their party isnt it….I had better be careful and run for the Green hills

          • Anne 15.1.1.1.1

            ….arent there a lot of Catholics in the Labour Party?….it is their party isnt it….I had better be careful and run for the Green hills

            Goodness Chooky, those days have long since gone. Labour’s a ‘broad church’ now. Has been since the 1970s.

            Btw, pretty much agree about Bob Jones though. He’s a stirrer par excellence. He knows he’s going to upset all sorts of people with his opinion pieces. That’s why he writes them. A sort of ultra perverse humorist. He couldn’t care less who he hurts/ angers in the process. With his kind of money he can afford to be that way. Most of us don’t have the luxury.

            • Chooky 15.1.1.1.1.1

              Anne….”ultra perverse humorists” don’t have to have money to be that way( cf.Republic of Ireland) ….I know plenty of them without money ….and they also have an appreciative audience, also without money… after all life and people are pretty ridiculous

              ….just that people like Bob Jones gets more of an airing because he seeks it out…the publicity …likes boxing, physical and verbal…..and he is rich enough to sue, counter sue or fight off court cases

              …I think he would relish a match with QoT……maybe the Herald can organise one? ( QoT paid very well of course!)…better than asking the Herald to ban him….it could be QoT’s debut into paid feminist journalism!…sort of like a mud wrestling match

          • emergency mike 15.1.1.1.2

            Thanks for your considered reply Chooky.

  16. DTH 16

    I happened to start reading this opinion piece in my lunch break today. I didn’t finish it before I scrunched up the entire section and rammed it into the bin. I was completely disgusted by it and even contemplated complaining to the New Zealand Herald but thought I would just never purchase or read it ever again. So, thank you for the avenues to complain properly.
    I can’t believe they give any column width to this misogynist fool.
    Disgusting.

    • Sosoo 16.1

      It’s an intentionally absurd article with an obviously ridiculous and offensive premise, bolstered with obvious shaggy dog stories and which contradicts itself in several places. Only an illiterate would take it seriously.

      And yet, here you all are, wanting to fire off letters to the editor or so consumed with rage that you can’t even manage that.

      Tee hee.

      • Tat Loo 16.1.1

        So, you are saying that Bob Jones and the NZ Herald are outsmarting us by simply yanking our chain. Fascinating, if it were true – but how is one to know?

      • AsleepWhileWalking 16.1.2

        “Only an illiterate would take it seriously”
        The Herald took it seriously enough to take up the space publishing it.

      • QoT 16.1.3

        an intentionally absurd article

        I’ve read a lot of Bob Jones’ articles, including the wonderful blame-the-victim-for-being-raped ones. I question this statement.

  17. risildowgtn 17

    The sooner he kicks it the better
    Old demented fool

  18. donatello 18

    I went to the effort of pasting the url and fixing it into a new window,
    Read the headline and a sentence and stopped.

    Why bother reading this crap? The man is a tired old fool with opinions that are ignorant but probably representative of other old men idiots. Who cares, no one important is going to read this article and go “He makes some valid points!”. This article diminishes his relevance, his intelligence.

    Don’t bother wasting your keystrokes on this old fool. Honestly, you don’t need to read every word printed in the herald. No one else does!

    • jaymam 18.1

      If NZ had MMP in 1984, Bob Jones’s NZ Party would have had around 12 MPs. With the demise of ACT, Jones could set up another right wing party (not that I think he will, he’s now too old*). Even Labour pinched some of his ideas in 1984.

      * deliberate slur to enrage Bob, who of course is reading this!

    • QoT 18.2

      Why bother reading this crap?

      Because it’s presented as a reasonable, mainstream opinion in our nation’s alleged “paper of record”. What they choose to publish is increasingly irrelevant … yet still very important.

  19. viv k 19

    The Otago Daily Times have recently started publishing Jones’ bullshit column. Editorial manager is Phil Somerville philip.somerville@odt.co.nz.

  20. Rhinocrates 20

    You know, I can’t even bring myself to look at it. Sorry, QoT, but I already know too much about Jones and his attitudes towards women. He really loves women… in a way, on certain terms, within limits… so in his mind he’s not a misogynist. I really love children and cats too, but I wouldn’t think of letting them vote.

    I suppose it needs to be pointed out that “love” and infantilisation aren’t exclusive and the combination of the two in phoney “respect” is just how misogyny works.

  21. the pigman 21

    ” I really love children and cats too, but I wouldn’t think of letting them vote.”

    Aww, that's a little bit unkind, isn't it? But I guess you're right, though, cats should be exclusively retained for their skills as financial advisors: http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jan/13/investments-stock-picking/print

  22. amirite 22

    An irrelevant old fart receiving way too much unwarranted attention.
    We put our old, incapacitated dogs down to end their misery.
    Someone please end Bob’s.

  23. King Kong 23

    Women are terrible drivers but top rate at getting hysterical about some unimportant, tongue in cheek opinion pieces.

    Of course I could be wrong and the police have already undertaken a plan to start torching slow driving women in their homes.

    [QoT: Downplaying the seriousness of an article which advocates beating women – however “tongue in cheek” – gets your comments on my posts deleted in future.]

    • Sable 23.1

      Wasn’t it a woman who had to give birth to you? I’m sure she’d be delighted by your comments.

    • karol 23.2

      And yet, overseas stats show:

      Reckless Driving [male to female ratio] 3.41 to 1

      An MSN article:

      Who Are Better Drivers: Men or Women?
      MSN sheds some light on which sex is the better motorist — one of the most hotly debated arguments since ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’
      […]

      Many auto insurance industry experts would agree with the theory that men, especially young men, tend to drive more aggressively than women and display their aggression in a direct manner, rather than indirectly. Furthermore, as a rule of thumb, male drivers are more likely than women to break the law, and the male of the species tends to be more of a risk-taker.

      Even so, it’s hard to say women are better drivers, although they are statistically safer. Women have just as many accidents as men; however, they tend to be minor fender-benders. Men, on the other hand, tend to do the job properly when they crash, and as a result cost their insurance companies a lot more money.

      So, even though it’s a blow to our male egos, we’ll have to give this round to women. Sorry fellas.

      NZ stats on high risk drivers:

      * Most high-risk drivers are male (84%) and young, with 54% under 30 years old.

      * The majority of people killed in high-risk driver crashes are the high-risk drivers themselves (59% of deaths) or passengers with high-risk drivers (29%). On average, each year 15 other road users are killed by high-risk drivers. Five of those deaths are on urban roads.

  24. Sable 24

    The Tory bird cage liner living up to its usual insipid standards of journalistic integrity. Personally I really don’t care what Jones or others write, its been a long time since I read their drivel and as for taking them seriously….

    Did read an interesting piece in Time magazine, another conservative rag I normally avoid but I was in the doctors office and as usual a little bored. It was titled Road Warriors and was about women drivers in Saudi. Many are starting to take up driving which of course is against the law. I guess the reality is people find a way around prejudice and bigotry in spite of what others many write, say or demand.

  25. Rosie 25

    Well done on not ignoring the jerk. Well done to you QOT and to those who are making complaints to the Herald itself and to the advertisers.

    Blue and Sosoo say he’s just a wind up and best to be ignored. This approach however means Bob Jones wins.Yes, he’s a sexist old bastard who loves winding folks up, but left unchallenged, he can claim centre stage. Non response to his sexism equates to society accepting his behaviour. Non response to others of his ilk means we give up the fight. That this should be printed in 2013 in NZ is disturbing and just goes to show why we have to continue to respond to arseholey behaviour. His ‘column’ carries the same sort of attitude that men (although not all men) had towards NZ suffragettes of the 19th century. No changes there. He thinks he’s funny but he’s not.

    Secondly, this bit is interesting:

    “My weaving in and out of the women resulted in complaints to the police, who wrote to me”.

    How does he know women wrote complaints about his behaviour? If the complainants had used the Community Road Watch Programme complaint forms, their identity is anonymous. Annnd if those the are forms that were used, it’s good to know they are still around. I used them a lot in my driving jobs in the 2000’s to report risky aggressive driving behaviour. Guess what? All my complaints were about men. I didn’t want them to be, I just didn’t experience risky behaviour with women drivers ( interestingly, see karols comment above). What I did get was a lot of jerks in SUV’s and Commodore HSV’s being tards. Sounds like Jones’ kind of behaviour…………

    Good that he received a complaint from the Police and good that in turn folks aren’t ignoring him. You don’t want to be like Shonkey and just shrug your shoulders and say “I’m comfortable with that”

    • karol 25.1

      Jones attitude, apart from the violence expressed towards women, shows a shocking disregard for the safety of others: riskier, and overly fast driving, not only puts the driver at risk but endangers others. I’d rather have slower and more cautious drivers around me. The faster and riskier the driving, the more damage caused when there is an accident.

      It’s the selfish, risky drivers that make driving an unpleasant and scary experience for others.

      What is the need to get everywhere so fast? – usually just a minute or two ahead of others.

      My preferred options these days are walking and public transport – often not as fast as even slow driving, but a more pleasant experience.

      • Rosie 25.1.1

        “What is the need to get everywhere so fast? – usually just a minute or two ahead of others”

        Oh, I know! They just don’t connect to the risk they cause to themselves and others. I don’t get opportunities to do open road driving much these days and like you, use public transport. When I am out and about in the car though I often find I have to pull over and let speeders past in the 50km area in the neighbourhood. (and I am driving at 50km myself so am not holding them up) only to find that I am up beside them at the lights a few seconds later.

        Maybe instead of using an expletive in my mind for these drivers I should use a term like “What a Jones!”

      • King Kong 25.1.2

        How can you possibly enjoy public transport as an experience unless you enjoy an uncomfortable proximity to the great unwashed.
        Took a bus in Wellington for two stops a couple of years ago and had to bath in Dettol immediately afterwards.

  26. BM 26

    I’m looking forward to his next column.

    Giving women the vote -One of the greatest mistakes of all time.

    Should be a good read.

  27. Rogue Trooper 27

    on female truck drivers (now that technology, electric over pneumatic gear shifts for example, has made operation less physical);
    -women take less risks
    -easier on gear
    -more diligent

    -source Road Transport Forum
    (when I saw the Jones headline, I failed to indicate an interest in reading the content).

  28. Virginia Linton 28

    It’s impossible to take ‘Sir Bob’ seriously. Read his dreadful novel Ogg (I rest my case). It must jar that brother Lloyd got the great writing gene, leaving Bob with just enough talent to churn out his ‘columns’ and … Ogg.

  29. Crunchtime 29

    NZ Herald is now a tabloid in more than one sense of the word.

    And Bob Jones… As cantankerous an old bastard as he is, I never expected such a violently misogynistic crywank as that article from him.

  30. lolitasbrother 30

    [QoT: excusing calls to beat women and burn down their homes, however “humorously” you choose to interpret them, gets your comment deleted. I’m sure the development of Western wit will not suffer as a result.]

  31. mikesh 31

    Wow. Did he just suggest our boys (and girls) in blue engage in assault and battery, and burn down people’s houses. Oh, dearie me, how awful.

  32. Well, he’s certainly got a point about the incompetents who seem to operate on the principle that there’s always someone to give way to at a roundabout if you just wait long enough, and the sociopaths who don’t keep left unless passing. And if you have to pass people on the inside because they consider it beneath them to do their doddering in the left-hand lane, and they *555 you, a fervent wish to have the cops give them a hiding is entirely understandable. Thing is, around half of these antisocial elements are male as far as I’ve noticed – and in the case of the right-lane hoggers, more than half. I guess Bob wrote a grumpy-cunt piece about these types, then decided it wasn’t sufficiently outrageous and decided to bung in some gratuitous sexism to boost the click-rate. He’s a prick like that.

    PS: all Bob’s pet-hate drivers pale into insignificance compared to the pricks who don’t know what an indicator is, and I suspect there’s a strong reason Bob doesn’t hate those cunts.

  33. lolita bother 33

    I see Idiot leads with his filthy language, and thats fine, he’s an anointed socialist , but not ok for people like me to simply mention Jones article reflects his sense of humour. I used to think Trotter was oh so precious but this column is unreal

  34. Mike S 34

    On the only positive note, he did use GNP instead of GDP

  35. Lisa Simpson had it right.

    “Just Dont Look”

    If ten thousand activists are going to his page to see what he wrote, then
    publications will continue to publicize him. If no one reads what he writes,
    then he will go away.

  36. lolita bother 36

    he’s gotta point [Brett above ] I went straight over and read everything Jones,

  37. Karyn 37

    Housework done and beds were made
    It looked to be a brilliant day
    What better thought to take a drive?
    My chaffaur he wasn’t at my side
    Now some for the flassy cars they go
    With leather seats and stereo
    But I”m your less audacious driver…
    and I had gone for the morris minor
    There she sat in the drive.
    Her chrome it shone and near made me cry.
    She’s not a beemer or a jag and really had only one snag
    She didn’t like to start from cold and I had to push her down the road..
    A running jump…into the seat ..was all done so very neat
    A bump a clunk and we were off
    heading for the motorway
    some distance off
    With tartan rug on the back seat and handbrake off we were complete
    Down on ramp at an alarming pace..
    To find our place in the race.
    Then some bastard made me start he wouldn.t let me in nor pass
    He raced ahead and then he slowed and I had no place to go
    Really no manners did he have That bloke was such an awful chav
    We ended up with wheels locked crunch of metal fire and smoke
    Teeth a grinding I went to slow but he had other ideas I know
    Off he went at hell bent pace
    With me his trailer locked in place
    We headed for the narrow bend it looked to be the bitter end
    What would me epitaph now read?
    Flames shot out inside the motor
    Killed by some bastard in a Toyota!

  38. Ecosse 38

    Bloody great poem!
    It sums up all that Bob “The Digger” Jones is!
    When you think about it, Bob Jones hasnt got a dogs show!
    If he were to run for office, it would all turn to custard!
    Good On You Karyn, great obersvational piece!
    Which is more than we can say for that steaming pile of bollocks that is,
    The Ego called Bob Jones!
    btw were Bob Jones & Rupert Murdoch separted at birth?
    Is there something we all need to know?
    Far too many similarities!

  39. Karyn 39

    Whats the difference between a steaming pile of poo and Bob Jones?

    A steaming pile of poo has more of an ethical compass and morals.

  40. Ecosse 40

    Whats the difference between Rupert Murdoch and Bob Jones?
    Bob Jones hasnt got round to selling his nationality yet, how lax!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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