Indeed

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 pm, July 27th, 2011 - 74 comments
Categories: class war - Tags:

A classic from stuff:

Prime Minister John Key said the Government had had very little room to move on the economy.
”The public recognises that the rest of the world isn’t in great shape and so New Zealand is having to contend with that global environment,” he said.

Most people would look at the tough global environment and cut the Government a bit of slack, he said.

Key is holidaying in Hawaii after a trip through the United States last week, where he met with President Barack Obama and a string of top American officials.

74 comments on “Indeed ”

  1. Oleolebiscuitbarrell 1

    …and in other news, National continues to enjoy record levels of support after Labour’s CGT (widely praised by the intellegensia) failed to gain any traction whatsoever with voters.

    Is this what you are reduced to? Criticising the PM for taking an holiday?

    • IrishBill 1.1

      Come on wee Ole – you can offer a better appreciation of the newsman’s wit than that.

    • Kaplan 1.2

      Actually I read it is a critique of john, yet again, shrugging his shoulders and saying we can’t help you*. The fact that he is choosing to make this announcement from his Hawaiian holiday home really just helps to illustrate the depths of his ignorance towards the general public.

      *By which he means, we can’t help you (the general public) because we are too busy helping ourselves (the wealthy elite).

      • Blue 1.2.1

        The “general public” seem to like him more than Goof and the ladies don’t they? So, clearly they don’t agree with you.

        • Ari 1.2.1.1

          Or perhaps they’re just not convinced yet. I’m not sure why you think being popular makes Key any less of a terrible, do-nothing Prime Minister.

        • Campbell Larsen 1.2.1.2

          lprent – query – how is it that Blue has two different matrices attached to their name? Different email logins/ ip addresses?
          I only bring it up because the one belonging to SS aka PG never changed…
          Just curious, you are under no obligation to explain : )

          [The “matrices” are Gravatars – see the FAQ. They are unique to the email address used. Different email = different gravatar. r0b]

          • lprent 1.2.1.2.1

            The gravator is explained in the FAQ. But it is hooked to the email address that each person enters, is not published, and is filled in for you from cookies after you use it once on a computer and is not required to be valid unless you register and login.

            Most likely blue is using two different computers but screwed up the address on one. Or it could be two different Blues and the gravators are doing their job at distinguishing that they are different.

          • felix 1.2.1.2.2

            I’m pretty sure they’re two different people.

            The crimson Blue is erudite and frequently insightful, whereas the lime Blue is a tory fool.

            • Blue 1.2.1.2.2.1

              We are two different people.

              I am the lefty Blue who has been commenting and guest-posting under this name since 2009, while the other ‘Blue’ with the green gravator is a rightie who seems to have just popped up here since the early months of this year.

              • Colonial Viper

                The other one seems to have popped on this planet sometime this year, judging by their understanding of..well…everything. Nice to have you around tho 🙂

        • Kaplan 1.2.1.3

          Who is Goof? If you want to anyone to take you seriously you need to be able to converse like an adult, not a 9 year old in the playground with a clever name for the teacher they don’t like.

          We don’t elect presidents in NZ, we elect a governing party or coalition. I’ll be voting for labour this year and to be perfectly honest it has nothing to do with Phil being the leader, even though he will make a very capable Prime Minister, it’s because Labour’s policies are the best for the country.

    • Afewknowthetruth 1.3

      It wouldn’t be so bad if Shonkey just took a holiday. The problem is, life is a continuous holiday for him. He just goes from one piss-up/luncheon /entertainment to the next and never actually does anything useful in dealing with the planetary emergency we are engulfed in.

      Oh, I forgot. That’s his job. To ignore everything that is going on, sabotage the future of NZ and the planet we live on, and keep transfering wealth to his corporate mates. That must be sooooo difficult.

      What is so sad is that he has such a large portion of the polpulace fooled.

    • mik e 1.4

      Its an Image over Substance thing, In the Modern Celebrity world Spin and Charisma will win over substance and good policy . But with inflation at an all time high NZ $ at an all time high, the reserve bank GOVERNATOR still to act maybe twice before the election the dollar could well escalate especially with the world cup coming up could reduce travelers and their spending power as well as the productive sector could slow down considerably.We,ve already seen some bounce in the electorate. we are definitely the under dogs at the moment. we are quiet happy with that you can be as venal as you like .

      • Pete George 1.4.1

        I’m afraid to say a lot of people don’t see substance and good policy from Labour either, and more importantly, a lot of people don’t think Labour have the capability of delivering any good policy. That stood out with CGT – CGT itself was quite popular, but CGT + Labour was not. That’s a strong message.

        • Georgecom 1.4.1.1

          May be the case Pete. However, I am really quite pleased that Labour is actually deciding to do things that are good for NZ, like the CGT. That sort of thinking is about what we need for the future rather than what may get them elected in a few months time. Its realising that the world changed in 2008 rather than thinking nothing much has changed at all and that somehow she’ll be right. Labour is showing signs of moving its thinking into a new age where the old rules and orthodoxies are no longer acceptable. That is quite exciting. National is no where near that reality. The last Labour government was about addressing some of the social ills neo-liberalism delivered to us. That period went, I think, when the global economy almost fell apart in 2008. The Labour party is now starting to focus on what we need for the future under quite different conditions. A CGT is actually a very good start. Its not the end, but it is a good start.

        • Colonial Viper 1.4.1.2

          PG supporting John Key by faintly damning him and then smearing Labour in the same sentence.

    • lprent 1.5

      Hah – I liked your other name better… More descriptive of your true personality rather than the unseen body. 😈

    • soadpaper 1.6

      We are not reduced to anything. John Key sux – and any opportunity to say so is welcomed by most readers of The Standard.

  2. Marjorie Dawe 2

    Thank goodness our government books were in such good condition when the Nats took over. We spent 9 years paying back the previous accumulation of debt after 1999.
    It allowed our celebrated dicKey to take a holiday almost immediately on winning the election as well. The world is on the brink of a meltdown and his plans done change do they. I would have to agree with Afewknowthetruth as life is one long holiday.
    When the going gets tough the useless get going. I wish he would keep on going and forget to come back because then we might even be better off.

  3. Blue 3

    The sad thing is that Key is right.

    The public (and the media) are not connecting NZ’s dismal economic performance with the National Government. They are still under the impression that global forces are wholly and entirely to blame.

    Hence National’s polling performance.

    The Key-led National Government will be something that NZ regrets only in hindsight, after the damage has been done.

    • bbfloyd 3.1

      that’s how it always goes… maybe we’re just too stupid to deserve proper government.. look how we’ve treated the ones who did try to govern properly..

      • Ari 3.1.1

        Eh, it’s Labour’s responsibility to make the case that National is mis-managing the economy directly to the public if they want them to believe it and vote them into government. Lets not put the blame entirely on ordinary people who’re just trying to get by.

        • Anne 3.1.1.1

          They’ve made the case Ari. Time and time and time and time again. The MSM ignore it. They are too busy being wined and dined by “the great one” and it leaves them all suffering from a collective case of visual and audio impairment.

          How else can Labour get their message out to the public except through the media. OF course the voters could bypass them… get on to the web sites etc. or make direct inquiries but they’re too damm lazy to bother. If we get another term of this NAct govt. I, for one, won’t have an ounce of sympathy for the ordinary people.

        • bbfloyd 3.1.1.2

          @ari..blame? where did that come from?

  4. RedLogix 4

    Sadly policy has nothing to do with it whatsoever.

    They love Key because he looks like a ‘good sort’. He’s relaxed and natural, he makes blunders and says stupid things like they do. They can sort of pretend he isn’t actually a real politician … because the very last thing they want to think about right now is politics.

    Right now the world is a scary uncertain place and many New Zealanders are magically thinking that somehow if they don’t think about it, the world will not notice them and all those bad things happening out there will pass them by.

    By contrast Goff keeps talking polly stuff but only comes off as a ‘try hard’ because of it.

    Right now the very last thing the voters want to confront is policy. They just want ‘smile and wave’ to wish it all better for them. And in truth lots of women voters just go with the smile and the nice wife and kiddies.

    • IrishBill 4.1

      And in truth lots of women voters just go with the smile and the nice wife and kiddies.

      Take a moment to consider what you’ve just written there bro.

      • Ari 4.1.1

        Key probably relied far more on the support of men to be elected than Helen did, so I’m not sure where the dig at female voters is coming from.

        • Carol 4.1.1.1

          And it’s mostly men that I see running the He’s just like one of us line.

          • Ari 4.1.1.1.1

            Yep. If anything, it’s men who are the gullible voters prone to irrelevant identity politics.

        • rosy 4.1.1.2

          yep. Apparently in 2008 it was men who preferred Key. Not sure that anything much has changed since then.

          A gender bias is more evident in the preferred Prime Minister figures. National leader John Key has maintained his disproportionate support among men, with 49.2 per cent compared with 44.5 per cent support overall.

          • Puddleglum 4.1.1.2.1

            Sadly, things have changed. From the print version of The Press (front page story today):

            But of big concern to Labour is its continuing failure to woo back female voters who have deserted Labour for National under Key.

            With Helen Clark as Labour leader, female voters were the party’s secret weapon but National now polls as strongly among female voters as it does among males.” 

      • RedLogix 4.1.2

        Yes I did IB. I realise it wasn’t an obviously welcome thing to say.

        I did not say ALL women, or not even a majority of women… but when I look about the people I know and work with… it’s what I hear lots of them saying.

        My point is simply this. We argue the left’s case, necessarily and rightly so, on it’s rational merits. But as various people have said repeatedly, the voters are not listening. And they will not listen until they are ready to emotionally connect with what we are saying.

        And as all grown ups should know, male and females respond to different things emotionally.

    • Colonial Viper 4.2

      Yes heard some young students say today that they liked John Key and would probably vote for him because he was such a nic guy.

  5. Again at a tangent; I worked with two GM’s/CEO’s who both did the ‘look at me aren’t I normal’ thing; both destroyed the organisations and left them in a mess. It is like De Ja Vu.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1

      I wouldn’t mind the ‘look at me aren’t I normal’ if they could do the job. Unfortunately, most of the people who pull the ‘look at me aren’t I normal’ trick think that they’re “special” (Randian superheroes) and can’t do the job. The latter is a perfect description of John Key.

  6. Peter Bains 6

    Apprently I heard on ZB today Silent T is on holiday in Bali. My take is as follows:
    1. Key on hloiday because he knows the election is in the bag.
    2. Silent T on holiday because he knows the election is lost.

    • mik e 6.1

      This is MMP so a week in politics is along time,the last time the polls came close, the number of polite blogs went up. Where Johns Votes Are Coming From is His Feminine SIDE HE HAS FROM BEING REARED BY HIS MUM. A Softly spoken womens voice! As Helen had her masculine side deep voice, authoritarian intelligent.

      • Chills 6.1.1

        That’s where I feel Goff has really turned off voters- he’s trying to mimic Key’s softly spoken feminine voice, whereas its not natural to him so it comes off in a rather sickening, disingenuous way. I remember a Goff under the influence of Helen coming across a lot more “manly”, now under the sway of Key’s popularity and his attempt to mimic him he comes across quite differently.

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1

          ? haha you read Goff’s mind and divined that Goff is trying out his feminine side?

          Sorry mate but you definitely have not heard Goff in person like I have in the last week or two.

  7. Anne 7

    …and in other news, National continues to enjoy record levels of support after Labour’s CGT (widely praised by the intellegensia) failed to gain any traction whatsoever with voters.

    Unfortunately it can take the “voters” a long time to catch up with the intellegentsia. Of course some are so dumb and/or tunnel-visioned they never catch up.

    • sweetd 7.1

      Yes, cause all nat voters are dumb red necks and labour voters are super brains. Keep it up Anne, you are winning the hearts and minds.

      • Anne 7.1.1

        They’re not reading this so it doesn’t matter. And who cares about the “dumb red-necks” cos they aint going to vote for Labour (thank god) anyway.

        • Pete George 7.1.1.1

          It’s not the “dumb red-necks” Labour should be most worried about, more from the Fairfax poll points to a much bigger problem:

          49 per cent of voters think National has the best plan to fix the economy, well ahead of Labour on 17 per cent.

          The news gets worse for Labour, with only 48 per cent of its supporters backing its plan to fix the economy.

          (Financial trust gives National edge)

          If half of core Labour supporters are “so dumb and/or tunnel-visioned they never catch up” then Labour will have a hell of a job catching up.

      • felix 7.1.2

        Don’t be ridiculous sweetd, if they had hearts and minds they wouldn’t vote National.

        Silly goose.

    • Afewknowthetruth 7.2

      Most New Zealanders, along with Brits, Aussies, Americans, Canadians etc. respond to the neuro-linguistic programming churned out by the mass media.

      Bernays has a lot to answer for.

  8. Axle 8

    Third time on here. I notice the Farrar yawn blog is number one, stuff all comments though, and that Whale is number two because of his sincere love of the New Zealand public and all, once again almost zero comment apart from various forms of felatio with toy guns. This site is basically where anything and everything good is argued, and the ever increasing interruptions from the wackos are thoroughly desperate because … they’ve got nowhere else to go where anyone will have to read the their fashionable sadism. Since we’re not fashionable here I’d just like to posit, maybe it’s the time where blogging might be balanced with the need to man (and woman) some barricades, sometime soon. Does anyone else out there agree that this appalling government is having an Hawaiian that needs some serious chilli up its arse?

    • r0b 8.1

      If you’re getting those rankings from TUMEKE, Axle, then note that they are (1) generated by a fairly worthless methodology and (2) from 2009. 

      • Axle 8.1.1

        Cheers mate. We’re just feeling desperate and vaguely 1981-ish in our office. I just appreciate this blog okay, wake up, go on Jackal and flip around then the Dimpost, coffee and … your posts are refreshing too. Just a 50+ novice really.

    • chris73 8.2

      Since we’re not fashionable here I’d just like to posit, maybe it’s the time whereblogging might be balanced with the need to man (and woman) some barricades, sometime soon. Does anyone else out there agree that this appalling government is having an Hawaiian that needs some serious chilli up its arse?

      Care to elaborate on the above?

      • Axle 8.2.1

        Yep. Time for a prick like you to bite something that bites back.

        • chris73 8.2.1.1

          Still not quite answering the question, could you repeat that without the use of pricks and arses?

          • Axle 8.2.1.1.1

            Ok Chris. The MSM and the Nats have had a dream ride. You guys seem to be enjoying your rather late 70s experience. The noise from the Right, you’d have to admit, is finding dominant currency in both the informed (you etc) and the less informed. Since the messages of alternative currency aren’t making such a noise amongst the less informed, or too damn tired or desperate or whatever, I feel that alternatives outside the blogosphere and the MSM have to be considered.

            • chris73 8.2.1.1.1.1

              Ok, lets say for the sake of arguement what you say is true, what alternatives do you have for the left to consider?

              • Axle

                I’m new to this Chris. Are you baiting me. I know what the farmers and the truckies and the Tangata Whenua have done. Give me some ideas.

                • chris73

                  Baiting?

                  Sorry I didn’t realise lefties were so defensive that anyone actually asking them their opinion and what they’d do is considered baiting.

                • The Voice of Reason

                  Chris isn’t clever enough to bait anyone, Axle. His style is to raise irrelevencies and then expect other posters to waste time proving them wrong. Hence his request to you (‘what alternatives’).
                   
                  I’d stick with the approach you use in 8.2.1. and don’t fret about trying to reason with Chris. He’s not here for a debate, he’s here to confuse, distract and derail. As the saying goes; Don’t feed the trolls.

                  • chris73

                    “Since the messages of alternative currency aren’t making such a noise amongst the less informed, or too damn tired or desperate or whatever, I feel that alternatives outside the blogosphere and the MSM have to be considered.”

                    Ok Voice of Reason I’ll try to explain this as simply as I can (so you might be able to understan)

                    I don’t know what he/she means by the above statement so I asked him what he/she meant.

                    I’m sorry if you find that confusing or distracting, maybe redalert might be more your style

                    • The Voice of Reason

                      Oh I understan (sic) alright Chris, but I’m going to follow my own advice and not waste time on your circle jerking.

    • bbfloyd 8.3

      i’m quite taken with the imagery that forms when i contemplate what kind, and how many chillies would be required to perform the requisite purification.. but i need to ask how you’d “woman” a barricade.

      but the chilli thing warms me .

      • Axle 8.3.1

        Sorry BB I know Chris is a twat, but I can’t remember which side of the ledger you’re on. Woman-ing the barricade is the same as manning the barricade except that it’s a lady instead of a fella. Imagery has nothing to do with lousy shits in the sears of power.

        • Pete George 8.3.1.1

          Sorry BB I know Chris is a twat, but I can’t remember which side of the ledger you’re on.

          You need to know which “side of the ledger” someone is on so you know whether to praise or abuse? You should feel at home here – but, although you may not care about it, the ledger is a lot more complicated than some make out, and they can be hopeless at finding the right page.

          • chris73 8.3.1.1.1

            Didn’t you know already, right = bad and left = good

            Everything is black and white

            • Axle 8.3.1.1.1.1

              Fair enough you guys. Then if the story’s wider that the polemics expressed, why don’t you go on the Oil and Farrar and give your moderating voice, I mean have you seen the vitriol in the comments there – I feel tame. Also Pete you have this argument all the time, it’s tedious. I was using ‘ledger’ for convenience – there’s always nuance, for instance (Federated Farmers = Staunch Unionists, Fonterra = NZ’s biggest Collective) Left doctrine working to stabilise an industry that doesn’t tend to vote such necessary stabilisation for the rest of us.

          • Deadly_NZ 8.3.1.1.2

            HA! Pot meet Kettle. Kettle meet Pot. Jeeze Pete George SS or whatever.

    • lprent 8.4

      Try Open Parachute blog rankings for page views and visitors. We started to provide data to them a few months back from site meter just before the usual mid winter slump….

  9. There Is No Fat Left in the Land

    there is no fat left in the land
    we’ve sucked poor Gaia dry
    we’ve partied while we raped and burned
    what’s left? Who knows? Not i

    we’re predators who’ve preyed ‘til now
    on everything we saw
    but all that’s left to prey upon
    is us. So now it’s war.

    The strong will prey upon the weak
    the young upon the old
    to keep the middle class alive
    our children will be sold

    descent to bloody anarchy
    will shred our civil skin
    the truth of what we really are
    is just now sinking in

    we’re all so nice and proper
    when Gaia foots the bill
    but now the piper must be paid
    that means we have to kill

    “we have to kill the bankers
    the politicians too
    the CEOs and billionaires
    kill them and all their crew

    and all with aspirations
    to grow and grow and grow
    we’d better knock that on the head
    and put their heads on show”

    and when were scrabbling in the dirt
    for anything to eat
    and almost everyone is dead
    “oh boy will that be sweet”

    we’ll be what we were in the days
    before our “reason” dawned
    before we dreamed that we were gods
    before our greed was spawned

    we’ll fade and die a species
    that might have had the stars
    but lacked some fundamental thing
    we used up in our cars

    by The Peak Oil Poet

    http://oilcrash.com/articles/poems.htm#new_20110715

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    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    2 days ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    3 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
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