Gotta say, trying to boost the NRA is a particularly fiendish way for the rooskies to try to fuck up American society.
Hopefully this all gets a lot more exposure and causes blowback on the NRA for acting as agents of a malicious foreign power. Maybe it will even open the eyes of some moonbat lefties that still seem to think Russian government are just misunderstood.
Yeah. That’s one of the reasons I find it a minor relief that America’s Prolapsed Rectum is so fkn incompetent.
If he really was the 37-dimensional chess grandmaster some have asserted he is, he could have put it all together as a quiet private army and kept the official agencies supportive as well. But as it is, he seems determined to completely piss off everyone except his deplorables.
It most be noted, not all NRA kooks are in the deplorables basket, I’m pretty sure there’s a significant subset that will be seriously peeved about the NRA apparently becoming a wing of the Kremlin.
Thanks for the link, Morrissey. The Real News Network do some pretty good stuff and their subscriber based business model allows them a degree of independence other net based media sites don’t have. I know Bomber and others have tried to do similar work, however the size of NZ’s population makes it near impossible to sustain without advertising income. So we may have to wait a little while longer for the Standard News Network 😉
That’s abit like the British radical wing equivalent of Alternative for Germany, have taken over Brexit.
The demographics of their public’s voting blocks, along with a logical stepped referendum process to those, would lead the most functionable way ahead but rather it looks like there is abit of a meltdown going on.
The USA come out right into the open and just say that their coup’ in Venezuela is all about oil, of course anyone with even a sliver of a functioning brain could already quite plainly see this obvious truth…makes you wonder what the fuck goes on the craniums of a few commenters here..plainly not all that much.
I would have thought that Green Party supporters, which I think you are Cinny, would be opposed to any more Venezuelan production. It is a very heavy crude and contains a lot of sulphur, as are the tar sands that make up an even greater proportion of their reserves.
As such it has more severe environmental effects than does the comparatively light crude from Saudi Arabia.
You’re right, alwyn: Venezuela should have diversified long ago, and left the oil where it belongs. In the ground.
But the voracious superpower to the north would never tolerate that.
Whatever should be done in regards to Venezuela’s conservation strategies in the future, it’s certainly not Trump, Pence, Pelosi, or Pomposeo who have any rights to speak on the matter. Don’t they have enough pollution to sort out in their own country?
Alwyn, I think you misunderstand Cinny and Adrian. They’re pointing out the reason for the attempted coup, which is greed.
Oil production has declined under Chavez and Maduro, which is good for the world. If there is a successful coup, oil production will rise, which is bad for the world.
The reason for the production decline isn’t a commitment to green ideology, as far as I can tell. More to do with sacking most of the workers 15 years ago (they were relatively well off and anti-Chavez) and chronic under funding of the industry since. As you note, it’s not the best crude and is expensive to refine.
However, there’s a lot of it and the US has a President who doesn’t believe in climate change but does believe in money. So it’s easy to see where this is heading.
Talking of Venezuela, I read that a shipment of gold about to be loaded onto a Russian plane was stopped. That wouldn’t be Nicky-boy trying but failing to loot the remnants of the stunningly successful socialist economy, which has made nearly all Venezuelans equally poor, would it? Dear oh dear.
Important point from Allan Nairn – it’s not control of the oil extraction itself that the US wants, it’s control of where the profit from its sale ends up.
It’s about making an example of Venezuela for daring to direct some of that money away from the pockets of the local elites and US shareholders into social programmes for the poor. It’s about making it clear that any alternative forms of economic management wont be permitted. The Maduro government being (possibly) incompetent and corrupt doesn’t alter this underlying dynamic.
The US establishment really hates state oil company/state businesses/state banking revenues being used by socialist governments as
1. nation state functioning independent of the global private ownership capitalist profit market system challenge the TINA regime.
2. priority of the money for public education and health and housing demonstrates another way of organising distribition of resources.
Climate change and bizarre weather patterns are effecting weather, land and housing.
But the Auckland (and other) councils, environmental lawyers growing rich and the bovine environment court (that is just a rubber stamp to development no matter what the future outcomes are,) are just blithely allowing more and more building and resource consents without any risk assessment of what the liability of those consents are going to be in the future from climate change when you can have 43mm of rain falling in one hour in summer… they can’t even work out what to do, now it has happened.
We don’t just need more houses in NZ, we need SAFE livable houses that are designed to be immune to climate change, designed not to need remedial work from bad building work and not building on sites which are going to be at risk in the future and be unliveable!
The red zone in Christchurch for example was declined by the council to be built on due to earthquake risks, then the developers took the council to environment court and won, and then they were developed and destroyed in the earthquake. Didn’t see the council or environment court recovering that money from the developers who are able to litigate to build on unsafe land, then take the money, leaving all the devastation to future owners and ultimately the tax payer paid out.
Note the below is in Summer!!
“Forty-three millimetres of rain fell in the Waitakere Ranges in one hour, between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday. Compare that to Auckland Airport, where just 15mm fell over 24 hours.”
“We don’t just need more houses in NZ, we need SAFE livable houses that are designed to be immune to climate change,”
Not sure if that is possible really.
The Piha flooding is highlighting very real issues. I’m so sorry for those people.
CC events will lead to no rebuild, and worse longer decision making processes as people protect their arse. insurance is gonna be hit and miss with a lot of misses.
There is plenty that can be done and much of the current gormless planning is making it worse especially in Auckland where planners allow properties to run over building to non permeable surfaces more often than not against the rules as a matter of course, (normally for additional parking), houses are getting bigger with more parking, more tarsal everywhere and trees and non permeable grass areas being removed constantly for more roads, and ash felt, (which is then dug up constantly every time someone runs a utility line or changes the pavements and roads which in Auckland is constantly dug up and modified and often for no real reason apart from someone got a lucrative contract to do it), destruction, etc…
There is absolutely zero point building badly designed houses that some poor home owner who has done nothing wrong is then forced to rent while paying a mortgage of a property that is unliveable while the developers and their ‘experts’ get rich on the process of NZ famous, overpriced and poorly designed and built buildings.
Even worse those same home owners are then expected to pay higher rates to pay for the developer/council/BRANZ messes like leaky building syndrome, all designed to increase inequality.
Then they decide to add that extra taxes for the ordinary person just in the last year in Auckland we have petrol taxes, new rates on the rates for new builds passed onto the owner which used to be paid by the devloper, fees if you rent our your house short term…. etc etc
That’s just last year new taxes in Auckland, what are they planning when the shit hits the fan with the next ‘leaky building’ lots with bad resource consents that they ‘relaxed’ while not building the affordable houses, and instead McMansions everywhere…
Absolutely. Design can go a long way to alleviating all sorts of concerns. Solar roofs to take pressure off the power grid and owners utility bills; rain gardens and roof collection to take pressure off storm water systems and water supplies; passive heating and cooling to take pressure off utilities and utility bills, and the health system; tree planting to lower the urban heat island effect, add aesthetic beauty, clean air, habitat, shelter, and food; aspect to utilise solar angles…
Instead we have a box aligned with the other boxes aligned with the road. A very expensive box. A box we need to plug into and pay for all our water, power and food on top of the exorbitant rents/mortgages. Many of these boxes are shoddy nonsense requiring large power inputs to be at all comfortable.
Many of these boxes are supermarket friendly, power company friendly, oil transport friendly, keeping you dependent friendly, and bank friendly.
The hopeless dosile ‘Environment Court’ is owned by the Corporate industry.
So it should be dismantled and the (PCE) ‘Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’ must be givem more poower to change Government poicy before we are all ‘sunk’ opps – sorry for the pun!!!
@Gabby, I agree but that is not what is being built in Auckland, the opposite is being built and what the planners are consenting based on the political and economic and market driven ‘third way’ (aka Rogernomics/Kiwibuild/Thatcherism) models of building big houses for profit and then making the state pay in weird deals a premium and then still not delivering any houses worthwhile while selling/swapping off land into private hands .
If you want weird weather patterns look at the flooding in Townsville right now. This time last we were up there and the place was exactly as per it’s usual name ‘Brownsville’. Dry and hot.
This year the monsoonal trough is way further south than normal, and the place is inundated. At one point they got 300mm of rain in 4 hours. And there’s forecast for the same conditions for another week:
Come on Red, it’s called “Clownsville, AJ Town” never heard of Brownsville. But mind you when I did the RAAF’s Combat Survival Cse, the Arid phase was cut short as we were barely making or producing a enough water let alone to survive on and Jungle solo phase was cut short for the lack of water as well. That was about 15yrs ago btw.
Yes it’s interesting that the Monsoon tough is a lot further Sth than usual and it arrived a mth and half late than usual as well. Darwin has recorded its direst Jan since records began. Parts of the Darwin rural area and out at my bush block, we are were just below the median level for rain in Jan and it’s even worst past Katherine and to the west towards WA.
Some Central and Nth Australia Cattle producers are already thinking of reducing their herds and other farmers are already thinking about reducing their crops and fruit because the lack of water from this years Wet season on current trends. If people down Sth and up here in Darwin are already complaining about the cost of meat, veggies and fruit? Then wait until after the Nth wet season, if fails to bring the rains and then it’s going to get interesting for a lot of people.
Its a well known thing that men seem to delay going to the doctor more that women do. The stark reality of the consequences of that became all to real yesterday when I was informed my best freind who isn’t even 40 yet has cancer. The mind numbing reality of that is the lymphoma growing on him was first noticed 8 months ago. He has other symptoms that suggests it’s spread that in themselves should have resulted in a doctors visit, but no. His partner even booked him in a month or so ago but he didnt turn up.
Why?
His childhood was crap, his father was absent, his mother was useless with kids to different dads and never worked a day in her life. He often comments about having to raise himself. He’s extremely paranoid about child abusers and wants to murder them all, so although he never says anything happened to him I’m suspicious. He failed completely in school, is illiterate. Witnessed his best freind standing next to him being shot dead by his brother as a teenager. A continuously drinking, sober alcoholic. Drug addict that like the alcoholism he has never been able to stop despite many attempts. Cigarettes and weed, that he can’t stop as well. His high is reckless driving, and motorcycle riding recently loosing his licence, again.
To me there’s just so many indicators of contempt for his own life, that the whole picture is just one of suicidle behavour.
That is such a painful tragic life story DJ (4). Very sad indeed.
Evidence children need to be lovingly nurtured from birth and made to feel worthy throughout their lives.
Let’s hope your friend is able to access the means to address both his mental and physical health issues ASAP, before both situations deteriorate even further.
DJ, I am really sorry to hear about your friend. Life can be so unfair at times and he certainly has been landed with a very short straw through no fault of his own. I can understand him not going to the doctor. Many people do the same and put off doing so when medical problems occur. I have no doubt that he will be hurting emotionally at present, as you obviously are. Hopefully he is now getting some support both physically and emotionally through people such as the Cancer Society, local hospice services etc; but I am sure that you will be there for him and his partner etc, as only a best friend can be. kia kaha to you all.
Much love and support to your friend, his good fortune is having you in his life, well done for being there for him and not giving up on him.
Re motorcycle riding, it’s a way for him to release steam so to speak.
Has he got a dirt bike and safety gear?
Hard to lose a license off road, and blasting up and down steep dirt tracks is a hell of a rush. Just a thought….and it’s a heap of fun building jumps out of dirt and stuff. No idea if it’s possible to do such for him, just a thought that’s all.
Being proud of something in ones life helps so much, positive encouragement, support and a bit of direction is massively helpful. Least it has been in my experience.
It’s scary going to the Dr, sometimes we know in our minds what’s happening, but as soon as a health professional verbalises it, sometimes that is what causes the pain. Support person at the Dr’s visit maybe?
Fingers crossed this well being budget will bring the help that so many need.
PS… important for all to know the signs of possible suicide, I really think more people could help each other then. Mental health as a subject should be just as important as PE at school.
You conveyed this story very well. I’ve encountered more than a few similar men in the same shitty place myself.
You nail it in your last para:
To me there’s just so many indicators of contempt for his own life,
And given this truth, why would it be surprising if at least some of these men then treat the lives of those around them with equal contempt?
I think a lot depends on personality as to how this contempt manifests; it can be inwardly directed as high risk or suicidal behaviour, or outwardly directed as abuse and violence toward others. The behaviour we can see is different, but the root cause is much the same.
The Dunedin Longitudinal Study said a lot about this; that depending on innate personality those children whom they term “poorly controlled”, who were also abused as children between the ages of 4 and 8, were the ones most likely to be in prison as adult offenders.
This response to a suggestion that dogs should be banned from beaches because they are harassing and killing vulnerable protected birds I think reflects the anomic,
uncaring, immature and irresponsible attitude of a majority of NZs, probably men particularly.
…. who was braving the inclement weather in Christchurch to take Reba for a walk along Waimairi beach, thought a ban would be a terrible idea.
“The dog catches rabbits but birds, we don’t really see a lot, seagulls stuff like that but I don’t think there’s a massive risk. The birds probably move somewhere else… let the dogs run.”
… – who was taking Izza for a stroll at South Brighton beach – was similarly unimpressed with the idea of a ban.
“Bollocks, pretty much. There’s very few birds nesting around this area. It’s a good call to try to save the birds and everything but as far as me walking my dog in the morning, yeh I’m not interested in anybody telling me I can’t.”
I’ve spent many long hours hunting possums with my now deceased dog Bud and in my youth with a duck hunting dog named Bear. If you think dogs can’t hunt out birds and do it by instinct you don’t know what your talking about. With Bear we could go into an area and off the dog would go. It would often return with a duck without us even having to fire our gun. Bud would naturally find Turkey nests, and flush pheasants.
What’s needed in these situations is a class where the dog is taught not to go near the Penguins. The same class as they do for Kiwi and dogs in the bush. So yes walk your dog on the beach. It’s good for the person and the dog but a simple solution exists. Do the class, get a tag on the collar, all good.
Or get together with Doc, dog experts and create a class.
“reflects the anomic, uncaring, immature and irresponsible attitude of a majority of NZs”.
Sure – and if you’re not like that you’ll be written off as ‘PC’.
The rot runs very deep now.
We perhaps need a new setting for being a decent, good NZer. I feel that I might look for the traits of the good tradesmen I have come across as I get my old car ‘up to speed’ for a wof. Some repairs needed and I know I am lucky to be talking to people who are honest, practical, helpful – good attitudes.
Then there are those working at the coalface helping people who are struggling to get above the poor conditions facing the low or no-waged who have limited opportunities. I put these at a higher setting of value to those with money who hand out little bits of charity when it suits. Or those who have jobs who stride around in the right clothes and a confident manner handing out advice and threats for non-compliance.
NZ is allowing 63 tonne laden weight trucks on our rural unsealed roads and all local roads an highways with no concrete under-bases setting us up for a financial disaster in future as we will go bankrupt paying for roads maintenance by pouring money down the back of Steven Joyce’s dream of a tar sealed NZ where trucks can roam everywhere.
US/Canada have reinforced concrete under-based roads to carry trucks up to 62.5 tonnes or 155 000 pounds weight.
The truth is out about our NZ substandard ‘soft roads’ that is unable to withstand the new heavier trucks now on our roads and the video shown demonstrates that when these 63 tonne trucks laden travel along our sub-standard roads such as all our regional and local roads the engineers capture the time that these roads just stretch and buckle and separate like a squashed orange on the road, causing the surface of the road to break into pieces that are then picked up by other truck tyres and removed from the road surface leaving the road with no tar seal so we are witnessing the wholesale wrecking of our roads by heavy laden trucks now causing us billions in costs to repair the road until inside three months the roads are wrecked again and needing new surfacing.
We must return to rail to use ‘train freight’ or go bankrupt.
The end game is to place reinforced concrete bases under the roads to carry the 63 tonne trucks and that is being done all over the world including US/Canada and Europe.
US/Canadian limits of truck weights on their roads with concrete under-bases are 33 tonnes to 62.5 tonnes or 80 000 lbs to 150 000lbs.
NZ is allowing 63 tonne laden weight trucks on our rural unsealed roads and all local roads and highways with no concrete under-bases setting us up for a financial disaster in future as we will go bankrupt paying for roads maintenance by pouring money down the back of Steven Joyce’s dream of a tar-sealed NZ where trucks can roam everywhere.
Single Axle, Tandem Axle and Gross Weight Limits
Fourteen States have a single axle limit greater than the Federal standard of 20,000 pounds on
the Interstate. Off the Interstate, 17 States have limits greater than the Federal limit and three
States are below the Federal limit.
Fifteen States have a tandem axle limit greater than the Federal limit of 34,000 pounds on the
Interstate. On the non-Interstate State system, 21 States have limits greater than 34,000 pounds and two states are below the Federal limit.
Four States have grandfather rights to exceed 80,000 pounds on the Interstate. On non-Interstate State highways,
18 States have a GVW limit higher than 80,000 pounds. Alternatively, five States have GVWs less than 80,000 pounds on some of their non-Interstate highways.
“Routine” Permit Limits for a 5-axle unit there are 28 different permitted maximum GVW limits ranging from 80,000 pounds to 155,000 pounds. The mode value (the value that occurs most frequently) is 100,000 pounds and occurs in seven States.
For any number of axles there are 25 different
maximum permitted GVW limits (the mode value is 120,000 pounds and occurs in ten States).
For single axles there are 16 different limits ranging from 13,000 pounds to 32,000 pounds.
For tandem axles there are 17 different limits ranging from 26,000 pounds to 64,000 pounds.
2.1.1 Heavy-Vehicle Impact on Pavement Damage Commonly identified pavement distress associated with heavy vehicles can be characterized as fatigue cracking and rutting. On rigid pavements damage includes transverse cracking, corner breaking, and cracking on the wheel paths. Flexible pavements and granular roads are most susceptible to rutting. In all cases, cracking and rutting increase pavement roughness and reduce pavement life.
+1 cleangreen, not only is the cost of other’s paying for the trucks wrecking the roads when the trucks should have to pay to fix their destruction, there is also the problem of the congestion and length of time it takes when the maintenance people somehow manage to take months to fix up the roads.
Whenever you talk to anybody they despair at how the same roads are dug up again and again for maintenance while other roads are pot holed and not sealed or barely repaired…
It is not so much money in NZ but a culture of corruption and incompetence in that area. Shown by how Fletchers were so incompetent they lost money during the building boom, but expected to make up for their incompetence through road maintenance contracts that are so over priced that incompetent companies can keep going through the rorting of this lucrative activity throughout NZ.
If i had time I might think up a good verse to cleangreen’s comment “where trucks can roam everywhere”.
The best i can do off the cuff.
Oh give me a home, where truck’s do not roam,
And the kids can play anywhere.
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word,
And the politicians
Come here and stay.
Excellent article and food for thought in particular the winning strategy of China to go from a low supply chain to a high value supply chain and BUY UP the supply as part of their success.
You can see how successful this strategy is in NZ where Chinese interests are buying up the supply chains here in particular in agriculture and natural resources like farms and water, and how NZ might be increasing our exports but are getting poorer as a country under our pavlov type ‘free trade’ which in NZ seems to be more about ‘thick trade’ than ‘free trade’. Who trades to get poorer and gives away in real terms natural resources like water and sand for a song, only to buy it back at extreme profit to an overseas firm?
NZ has moved the opposite way to China and going from a high value supply chain to a low value supply chain through government and official stupidity and lack of long term strategy here…
“The next factor is that China’s role in this is changing fundamentally. There are some great studies on this. Not the least is one by Standard Chartered Bank some three years ago. China is moving incredibly fast, from being a source of low-cost components for other people’s value chains to being a relatively high cost country. For example, it’s far more expensive to manufacture something in Shanghai than it is in Michigan. So they are moving very fast to build up their own value and supply chains around the world, of which the high value part of the chain is in China. Surrounding countries like Vietnam become the low-cost suppliers. It is interesting to see the US starting to articulate how it’s trying to do bilaterals with the likes of Vietnam to try to disrupt that process. Clearly, this asymmetry of supply chains, whereby greater benefit flows to a few players and less to the rest, is becoming a more marked feature of international trade.”
To simplify things SNZ, it has been, & is, by and largely the buying up of private interests (mostly National networked ones) that have embedded themselves in the public sector areas.
That comes back to the lack of a systemic dynamic demand and supply NZ lobbying system. It’s probably a constituitional issue ultimately related to the integration of democracy.
The Chinese, while their internal demand and supply is extremely top down rigid, it is also very much a unified lobbying system when it comes to it’s external imperialism in contrast to say the corruption inherent in it’s internal communistic demand and supply against the dynamisms of it’s own markets.
I think the well being budget approach incorporates a good start to grappling with this issue’s systemics, in that it can organically start to remove the magic numbers of false wealth gains out of the system enabling a clearer picture to emerge of what is going on & which will create movement to co-operative solutions that are more democratic (see 2nd sentence) and thus having more relative strength about them.
We already pay much higher interest rates than China, and many of the other countries that we trade with are able to out bid Kiwis and have the advantage of lower interest rates. At one point they were taxing savings in Japan aka you had to pay to put money in the bank! Here in NZ, although historically low interest rates, it is still much higher in NZ than other countries have to pay for interest rates and probably easier to manipulate our currency being a small nation to maximise profits.
““An 82-year-old woman believes a trio of the unruly tourists scammed her out of almost $9000, claiming they would fix her roof but left a hole in her ceiling….
Leonard (the 82 year old woman) told Newshub that she recognised one of the three from the rowdy British tourist group when she saw photos……”
And now:
“Two British men are set to be charged with fraud by police investigating a series of alleged roofing scams in Auckland.”
Maybe just put up a sign, scammers come to NZ, they can join the already full troops of arrivals in the courts… of course in NZ we tend to just take the losses and be grateful for any cash dished out from fraudsters and dishonesty operating here, in this case the person is offering to settle LESS than the amount owed.
Wonder why with people being better off with committing crimes it is continuing to skyrocket… and why our justice system does not seek to penalise clearly so send a message to other fraudsters…
Bridges said it would involve $650M in the first year, so why both the Herald and the Dominion Post mislead with the figure of $1.7B for last year is inexplicable.
Absolutely right even taking the $0.7B on offer this is pure sophistry by Bridges and people are buying it because the media are selling it as a “really good and ‘obvious'” idea. About 650k-700k will get $15 and likely lose a bit of WFF, those under $50k get about a paltry $2 per week but I doubt they realise this and if National follows through with its 2017 intention to remove the Independent Earners rebate of $10 per week they are far worse off. Just as are those who just sucked it up in 2011 when National took $520 per year back in Kiwisaver contributions, The “paper boys and girls” that the National Party imposed taxes on will get nothing.
Thanks RedLogix. A Brilliant presentation. The technology which allows such precision is vast. And Titan might be inhabitable?
With such high level science what is missing from the human condition which doesn’t seem to fully engage with the needs of our own planet?
Jenny – How to get there? 18
30 January 2019 at 10:40 pm
Talleys a New Zealand synonym for greed, bullying and environmental abuse. Opening new coal mines in the Waikato. Victimising unionists in Afco and now plundering a marine reserve.
“The New Zealand Government was pushing hard to get the Talley’s vessel off the international IUU blacklist of disreputable fishing vessels, in spite of SPRFMO Compliance and Technical Committee finding that the Talley’s vessel was involved in IUU activities,” he says.
“Other countries at the meeting objected, and the result is that the Talleys boat will remain on the draft IUU list.
“Incidentally, Talley’s is the same company that donated heavily to the campaign of Shane Jones, who has emerged as the defacto Minister of Fisheries in the current Government.”
“Rather than trying to protect Talley’s from an international IUU listing, the Government should welcome the listing as a warning to other fishing companies that they must follow rules to protect the environment.
A gigantic cavity two-thirds the area of Manhattan and almost 1,000 feet (300 meters) tall has been found growing at the bottom of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica.
About the size of Florida, Thwaites Glacier is currently responsible for approximately 4 percent of global sea level rise.
It holds enough ice to raise the world ocean a little over 2 feet (65 centimeters) and backstops neighboring glaciers that would raise sea levels an additional 8 feet (2.4 meters) if all the ice were lost……
The Amaltal Apollo, a vessel owned by a subsidiary of Talley’s, is facing 14 charges for fishing in protected waters in the Tasman Sea.
And Cabinet rules clearly state: “Ministers do not comment on or involve themselves in the investigation of offences or the decision as to whether a person should be prosecuted.”
“I think there’s no question that Jones has breached the Cabinet Manual, which is the rules that govern the behaviour of Ministers,” Mr Norman said.
Shane Jones: now pimping for Sealords
Written By: LPRENT – Date published: 11:34 am, October 3rd, 2012
……After all presumably he didn’t merely blow off because his ex-employer and current political donor asked him? Presumably he got approval from the shadow cabinet and Labour caucus to make the statement since he was making a statement on areas covered by someone else’s portfolio? It must be completely obvious to all of the people involved around politics exactly why this is far far more important a topic for Labour to be pursuing right now than the continuing disintergration of the Key government…..
……So Greenpeace are asserting that there is overfishing going on, that the populations of yellowfin tuna are decreasing, and that sealord are buying from sources using seine nets with the significiant bycatch issues. Certainly it isn’t hard to find support for that view from everyone from game fisherman to organisations the FAO.
But lets see how our self-appointed spokesman from Labour deals with these issues.
“Their concerns are about some obscure ecosystem …”
That is it. The rest of his reported statement is essentially a rant that would look good if he were the owner of Sealords, concerned mostly with the loss of short-term profits, and full of a faux concern about jobs. For if Greenpeace are right about the over fishing and the unsustainability of the fishery, then there are no long-term jobs and no long-term profits. Jones makes a big thing about Sealord being mostly owned by Maori. Who bloody cares? Not Greenpeace, not me as a consumer, in fact no-one apart from Shane Jones raising it. What we are interested in is the fish and how they are caught.
Make no mistake this is a fight for the soul of this government.
Who will blink first?
If Winston Peters decides to make a stand on behalf of Jones, will the Prime Minister call his bluff?
Will Jacinda Adern fight for her leadership?
And if necessary, in the face of Peters possible refusal to back down, threaten to put it to the country?
An election that in my opinion the Prime Minister would handily win, returning to the treasury benches with a weakened NZ First and a strengthened Green Party
All the cards are in the Prime Minister’s hands.
Will she play them, or quietly try to paper over the cracks only to have them blow apart at some later date when she is in a weaker position?
Will the Prime Minister concede, or make a stand?
Jones has to go, and Peters needs to accept it.
Even if Peters threatens to pull the house down, the Prime Minister must stand her ground, or be forever lost. Instead of the great leader she is otherwise destined to be.
Shane Jones. It doesn’t look good when looking at his work on fishing while in his new ministerial position. Cosseting fishing companies which are falling off their charts of legal fishing locations as Jenny has sat up late into the early morning documenting.
It doesn’t look good in Gisborne, when he organises more tree planting but the locals don’t see signs of better roads, and improved port facilities to handle present logs, much less those from the future of fast-growing radiata. (I put up comment about this.)
What a pity. All the practical men liked his no-nonsense manly style. An honest broker they thought. Someone who can see problems and bite them to size.
Looks like he is swallowing a rat instead.
Here you go Whanau when a group of White Collar Crim,s are caught with the hands in peoples pockets stealing off people they are ASKED TO BE NICE TO THERE customer,s When A poor person blue Collar gets caught they get thrown in jail there right taken away the media kicks the story around for weeks and our minor cultures mana gets eroded away. I have told you its a illusion that the so called( professionail upper classes have the 97. % well being at Heart ) YEA RIGHT . We have to be viglant and make them KNOW we expect them to use the power of rule to treat all kiwis respectfully and that means stop ripping US OFF And stop letting there M8 OFF THE HOOK
They got away with it again.
Executives and board members of New Zealand’s life insurers will be quietly breathing heavy sighs of relief this morning, just as their colleagues in the banking industry did last year.
Many work for the same companies or are in partnership. And many know exactly what being exposed in public for their wrongdoing and punished in the court of public opinion looks like.
They only need to read Australia’s daily newspapers and watch the litany of sackings and share price slumps and public condemnation they see convulsing through the Australian life insurance and banking industries every day because of the ongoing Hayne Royal Commission into banking, superannuation and financial advice industries.
One New Zealand-based life insurer has been selling a life product to foreign customers, even though cover was only available to New Zealand residents. Another insurer incorrectly recorded customers’ dates of birth, due to manual errors, resulting in 30 customers being overcharged. That insurer is now in the process of refunding those affected customers, the FMA and RBNZ said without naming the company.
Another incorrectly calculated the impact of a consumer price index-linked premium increase by up to 30 times. In all, 223 customers were over-charged. That problem was discovered in 2015 but the insurer didn’t contact those customers, instead relying on them to complain. Three years after the event, that insurer had failed to remediate 111 of the affected customers.
The review found examples of insurers failing to cancel old policies when a customer transferred to a new policy and continuing to charge premiums on both policies. It found insurers which failed to notify policyholders of premium increases.
The FMA took the same approach to a review it released in July when it said three of the 11 life insurance companies were responsible for behaviour so bad that it was considering taking regulatory action against them. It turns out that after follow-up inquiries, the FMA decided further action was unwarranted. Again, we’ll never know what went on.
We are expected to wait and trust the FMA and the Reserve Bank will look after consumers’ interests in the quiet time after the report. Their past record is not inspiring.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
It’s clear from reading the report that the FMA and the Reserve Bank are most concerned about the reputation of the industry and its financial soundness, rather than the interests of consumers.
Repeatedly, and as identified in this chart below, the industry has over-charged premiums and got away with unacceptable behaviour because its products are complicated and they can rely on many to just set and forget their policies.
Simply asking them to be nice won’t work. They are beholden to their own shareholders and the employment agreements that incentivise them to go for the highest profits in the shortest term. Only the fear of career-ending exposure, fines and prison terms will change that. Ka kite ano links below
Kia ora Newshub ecoli in the Waiarapa water doesn’t look good that’s why I say our society needs to respect Wai much more than we do.
WAR IS FOR NEANDERTHAL.they cannot even account for %25 of their War budget spending ??????????.
Towns villa flooding condolences to all the people who have been hit by the flooding.
Alcohol causes big problem for OUR society I read a article that stated that alcohol sugar and prosessed food cause more damage to our society than drugs there you go the 00.1 %.
I quite admire Indian culture for the way they care about their Wild life what’s a couple of humans compared to the Havoc that we rage against our wild life Eco Maori say any were else the leopard would have been KILLED.
That’s shocking that mother in Britain FGM cutting her 3 year old daughter genital the reason is beyond me.
Tracey is doing a awesome job looking after all those abandoned chihuahua dogs but that’s not for Eco the Mokopunas tire me out in 3 days.
Tutankhamen is a awesome Egyptian that culture shows Eco Maori that we have forgotten more great technology than we know that’s why we should all ways respect and houner Ones Tipuna. I seen a story that Egypt was a matriarch society back in those days
Racism is shocking all around Papatuanukue. Ka kite ano
Kia R&R The neanderthal alt right shonky don’t want common people to be able to stay at home a care and education our children. They want to keep the common people that busy just trying to keep the Waka afloat we have no time to see the cheating moves they make against us. It also limits our participation in elections. We had one parent at home to care for our tamariki but that was when times were much easier than at the minute. I know of people working long hours and are treading water. That’s why I Back Jim Bolger, s new employment laws and what do you know ECO MAORI cannot find the story on the Internet today a controlled society is what we live in.
Ka kite ano P.S Well Come back to the Internet SAMOANS Ki kaha Eco Maori Tau Tokos the greatest contribution Wahine give to our society’s
Who said that one group of people can make there wages hundreds times higher than the group that makes the money the majority and make our wages a pittance.
We are the majority in a TRUE Democratic society the laws would be made to be good for the many that is not happening so who is cheating in everyway they can the 00.1% are ripping the many off thats a FACT . Back Jim Bolgers new employment laws with all you have got Tangata whenua and minority cultures if you want a better future for te mokopuna,s
Jim Bolger: New Zealand’s low productivity to blame for poor wages
The Government’s been handed a set of fair pay guidelines to set minimum standards across an industry or occupation.
The working group report was headed up by former National Prime Minister Jim Bolger.
It recommends workers be able to trigger a fair pay agreement if they can reach a threshold of 1000 workers, or 10 percent of workers in a specific sector or job.
Bolger told Larry Williams that this was devised to help the working poor who are struggling the most by increasing their pay packets.
“We have more and more families relying on welfare even if they are in full time employment. The system allows them to be on very low wages even if they work a 40 hour week.”
He says that it’s not much different to how the minimum wage is enshrined in law.
Bolger says they never looked at compulsory unionism, which he scrapped when he was Prime Minister.
“We shouldn’t scare people on this. What we’re saying is there are issues out there, there are problems out there, why don’t we sensibly look at how we resolve them?”
He says they looked at multiple other countries for innovative ideas, but none of their models worked in the New Zealand, forcing them to come up with their own interpretation. Ka kite ano Links below
Speaker Nancy Pelosi stands with House Democrats to re-introduce the Paycheck Fairness Act. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Equal pay requires honest discussions
The gender pay gap, as every right-thinking person knows, is a feminist myth. Those figures you’ve seen about white women earning around 80% of what white men make, and black women earning just 61%, are probably wrong. And if they’re not, then, as many conservatives have pointed out, there are rational explanations for the disparity. Such as the fact that, as Jordan Peterson has explained, women are just more agreeable than men, meaning they don’t ask for more money. Which is a very agreeable explanation if you don’t want to confront structural inequality.
Women swear sometimes – let’s get the hell over it
Arwa Mahdawi
While many on the right insist the gender pay gap doesn’t exist, they also appear keen to block legislation that would strengthen equal pay protection and make it easier for employees to share wage information. Which would appear to be a contradictory position. As congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday “If ‘the wage gap is a myth’ as some allege, then workplaces should have no problem with workers disclosing our salaries with one another.
Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet followed a news conference in which she, along with other Democrats, re-introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which strives to close the gender wage gap by giving women tools to challenge unequal pay. For example, it would stop employers retaliating against workers who discuss their salaries with each other. The bill was first introduced in 1997, but has been repeatedly blocked by Republicans.
While the pay gap has narrowed since 1980, not much progress has been made in the last 15 years. Arguably, one reason for this is the lack of transparency around pay. Most of us don’t know how much our colleagues make, which makes it easier for companies to ignore the issue. Indeed, Lean In’s 2018 Black Women’s Equal Pay Survey found that 50% of Americans aren’t aware of pay gap between black and white women, and hiring managers are also ignorant of the disparity.Ka kite ano Links below. P.S Wahine deserve to be respected and all payed the same as MAN
Kia ora R&R Waiata is a good tool that have many uses and one is to protest about injustices that have been dished out to Tangata Whenua O Aoteoroa for the last 250 years by the settlors .
The other use,s for maori is recording history boost ones mana and wairua mauri educate tangata unite tangata .
One could create a great tangata whenua waiata artist that,s is known all around Papatuanuku and one doesn’t have to invent the wheel to do this just be smart we have the tallent in Maori society .
The 00.1 % have made it so we are to busy to protest or to vote to busy rowing one own waka to servive and have know time to protest and they scrapped free education to stop that phenomenon.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub Townsville North Queens land has had extreme rain and flooding our scientists priditived that.
Ralph Northem should step DOWN from his Vigina governors office because of that old shocking photo of him in that racist yearbook. $100 million is cool for Maori business growth on Maori land but I still want to see Jim Bolgers new Employment laws that will deliver billions to the lower classes.
Nice one Stue Muir that’s a name of olden time in Aotearoa it’s cool you are regeneration the mangrove mash land that are the filters of the whenua on your farm land .
That’s a happy end to the story of bubbles the chihuahua being found an is safe and sound being returned to it owner in Hamilton hospital. Ka kite ano
A new study says that hydrogen fuel for vehicles and businesses is unlikely in the foreseeable future – in spite of Government financial support for private company research.
Simon Coates, director of Concept Consulting, said converting electricity or gas to power a fleet of hydrogen trucks would take more than three times more energy than using electricity and batteries.
His report was jointly funded by Contact Energy, the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority, First Gas, Meridian Energy, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and Powerco. “Most of the technologies involved in hydrogen production and use are mature and well understood, because they have been used at scale for many decades to support industrial processes such as synthetic fertiliser manufacture. Other hydrogen technologies, such as fuel cells, were discovered many decades ago but have not yet been applied at scale.”
The report said it may be possible to reduce hydrogen production costs during periods of low electricity prices, but this would require more renewable power stations to be built.
Almost three times more renewable energy was required to power a hydrogen vehicle than an electric vehicle, and approximately twice as much renewable energy was required to fuel a hydrogen boiler or heater, compared with an electric boiler or heat pump.
The report is available here Ka kite ano links below
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
by Phil Duncan In 2016 the National-led government suspended the Parent Visa Category, through which migrants were able to bring their parents into New Zealand. Since then over 5,700 people have been in immigration limbo, stuck on the visa wait list. Labour is now bringing back the scheme. Well, sort ...
The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
Yesterday was the last day for (reliably) posting your vote away in local body elections. Turnouts are mostly much lower than the equivalent time last year (Palmerston North is down 2.3%), and so naturally people are pushing their online-voting snake oil again. Because the online census worked so well, lets ...
This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
Another year, and the government has announced another enormous government "surplus". And just like last year, its nothing of the sort. When we have people homeless and sick and hungry, when we have schools and hospitals still falling down, when we have underpaid public servants and infrastucture unmaintained or unbuilt, ...
James Forsyth at The Spectator (I know, I know) has tapped one of his contacts inside Number Ten for an insight into the Johnson administration's thinking and strategy.It is fascinating, unsettling and quite, quite mad. Some key points:Negotiations have stalled and the Johnson administration are keen to blame the EU: ...
Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
Another round of tactical talks about forming a Government of National Unity have come to nothing with the Liberal Democrats still refusing countenance putting Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street:Opposition talks on Monday made little headway over when to try and vote down Boris Johnson's government and who might succeed him as ...
by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
Yesterday I went down to Wellington to participate in the Extinction Rebellion protest. Its part of the latest global wave of XR actions, with actions happening all over the world. Some of those protests are massively disruptive: in Canada, XR is blocking major bridges, stopping people from getting to work. ...
The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
The Ombudsman has been surveying people about their knowledge of the OIA and the right to information. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that widespread:The Chief Ombudsman says too many New Zealanders were in the dark over their right to access official information. Peter Boshier said an independent survey released yesterday on ...
In the wake of last Friday's climate strike, Peter McKenzie had an article in The Spinoff about protest strategies. The school strike movement is "polite" and cooperates with those in power because that's its kaupapa - its led by schoolkids who understandably don't want to risk arrest. But there's more ...
So, the latest ruminations on the gnews from Westminster (Again, sorry; I'll stop making that pun right now). This follows on from, and likely repeats bits of, my last post, on the suggestion that a Government of National Unity (GNU) should be set up and then oversee a referendum before ...
New Zealand likes to think of itself as not a racist country (despite being founded on the racist dispossession and subjugation of Maori). But for years, we've had a racist refugee policy, which basicly excludes refugees from Africa and the Middle East unless they already have relatives here. Now, the ...
Several people have asked me whether a particular repeat litigant could be declared a vexatious litigant, in light of their recent decision to appeal an adverse High Court ruling. My nascent tweet thread was getting ridiculously long, so it became this blog post instead.The short answer is: no. The particular ...
Appealing To The Past: Action Zealandia, like so many of the organisations springing up on the far-Right, across what they call the “Anglosphere”, is born out of the profound confusion over what a man is supposed to be in the twenty-first century and, more importantly, what he is supposed to do.THE STATUE OF ...
The attempts of anti-democratic transactivists to (often violently) disrupt women’s rights organising is largely ignored by those sections of the left most prone to misogyny and authoritarianism in New Zealand. In Britain, however, scores of trade union and left activists added their names to a letter in July, defending ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. The Bill would establish an independent, quasi-judicial body to investigate and review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer them back to the Court of appeal if required. It would be a vital backstop to our judiciary, help ...
by The Spark On September 14, a total of 22 drones and cruise missiles struck two oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Abqaiq is the largest oil production facility in the world. For a few days afterwards, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national ...
How much will NeoLiberal irregulation of the building sector and subsequent leaky homes crisis cost us? $47 billion, according to a new book:The total cost to fix all of New Zealand's leaky homes would be $47 billion, probably. The estimate comes from a new book, Rottenomics written by journalist Peter ...
Below is the start of another excellent article on the Freer Lives blog. Click onto the link at the end of this extract to read the full article. The punch-a-terf, kill-a-terf message pervades social media, always righteously delivered, chin held high. By contrast, the dehumanised “terfs” themselves, that is gender-critical ...
The Reserve Bank is currently planning tighter banking regulation, requiring banks to hold enough local capital to survive a 1-in-200 year financial crisis in order to protect consumers. The big Aussies banks, those foreign leeches who suck $5 billion in profit out of our economy every year, don't like that, ...
Its the usual story: a police officer beats a handcuffed suspect so hard they break one of their own fingers. The IPCA investigates and concludes that the use of force was unlawful. And the police refuse to do anything about it:A man punched repeatedly in the face by a police ...
From time to time we add links to our blogroll. The latest blog we have added is Freer Lives. This is a Marxist gender-critical blog, based in Melbourne, Australia. On it you will find a bunch of excellent articles which use the tools of Marxist analysis to critique the rise ...
Last Friday say the largest protest in a generation, as 170,000 people joined the school strike and marched to demand real action on climate change. The demands of the school strike were simple and clear: declare a climate emergency, set a climate target of net-zero by 2040, impose a total ...
Labour is a rather middle of the road capitalist party and earlier this year we discussed how far from being ‘transformative’, Ardern’s government is. An article published this week in the Guardian, by Bryce Edwards (political scientist and commentator at Victoria University), looks at Ardern’s business as usual performance. Where ...
In the hours since my last interminable wittering about the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain, there has been a slight maybe development:A Corbyn-led caretaker government could then sit for several months while it enacted and delivered a referendum with the support of smaller parties and ...
Jeremy Clarkson says much like Greta Thunberg, Anne Frank “didn’t like what was going on”, but “she didn’t have a tantrum about it.” Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offered praise to historical figure Anne Frank, comparing her favourably to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who he attacked in ...
Press release by Speak Up For Women Lesbians from women’s rights group Speak Up For Women are furious at reports that Rainbow Tick are threatening Massey University with the removal of their ‘tick’ if they let the group’s event go ahead. The group has been under attack from trans ...
By Duncan Garner Before you jump down my throat, nobody cares about the environment more than me. I have a garden, and since my wife and I broke up, I’ve let it grow wildly out of control, so please don’t tell me I’m not doing enough for plants. They’re ten ...
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help fund a new dredge for the Port of Greymouth to ensure the regional fishing fleet have a reliable and productive harbour, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “Last year the movements of ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
New applications from mining company OceanaGold to purchase land in Waihi for new tailings ponds associated with its gold mines have been approved. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker considered the applications under the Overseas Investment Act. Earlier this year, applications from OceanaGold to ...
New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker leaves tomorrow for Dubai, London and Berlin for a series of meetings to advance New Zealand’s trade interests. In Dubai he will visit New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 where construction is underway. There he will meet Minister of State for International Cooperation, Her ...
Confirmation that PHARMAC will fund two new cancer drugs is further evidence of the good progress the Government is making to improve the treatment of New Zealand’s leading cause of death, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December PHARMAC will fund alectinib (Alecensa) for ALK positive advanced non-small cell ...
An additional $2.7 million has been announced for the Government Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation on the first anniversary of the strategy’s launch. Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson gave the opening address to the first Sport NZ Women + Girls Summit in Wellington today, ...
As part of its work to ensure businesses can get the skilled workers they need, the Coalition Government is re-opening and re-setting the Parent Category visa programme, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. The move will: support skilled migrants who help fill New Zealand’s skills gaps by providing a pathway for ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has today announced Major General Evan Williams of the New Zealand Defence Force has been selected as the commander of a significant, longstanding peacekeeping mission in the Middle East. In December, Major General Williams takes over as Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers ...
A record number of nurses are now working to deliver health services to New Zealanders as the Government’s increased funding and new initiatives rebuild key workforces start to show results, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. • 1458 more DHB nurses since the Government took office • 106 more midwives ...
Farmer and former Nuffield scholar Mel Poulton has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, announced today. The position supports key Government objectives, including raising the value of New Zealand agricultural goods and services. Mel is ...
New Zealand’s Pacific and Māori voyaging heritage is acknowledged and celebrated today as waka of the Tuia 250 voyage flotilla arrive in Tūranga / Gisborne. “Today we celebrate Tangata Whenua, the first people of Aotearoa, and the triumphs of the voyaging tradition that brought our ancestors here from Polynesia 1000 ...
“Fijian Language Week starts on Sunday and the theme reminds us how important it is that we each have something to anchor ourselves to, something that can help us pause and feel in control in a rapidly changing world,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “Family, culture, faith, ...
The Government is establishing an Airspace Integration Trials Programme to support the safe testing and development of advanced unmanned aircraft and accelerate their integration into the aviation system, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods announced today. The Government will work with leading, innovative aviation industry partners to test and ...
It’s the end of an era at Three as MAFS NZ and Guy Williams’ new show canceled and 7 Days cut to bone, writes Duncan Greive.A trio of shows which have been amongst Three’s most important local productions are either being canceled or severely cut back, as the channel’s agonising ...
'Joker' expects viewers not only to understand its cruelty, but to understand the justified violence of a white man when the protests of black men and women in the US are regularly met with condemnation, vilification and exclusion. ...
She runs the women's Aussie Rules and netball programmes at one of Australia's oldest sports clubs, so why is Jane Woodlands-Thompson sitting on the Silver Ferns bench? ...
As someone with a severe chronic illness, Hannah McGowan has a vested interest in getting to the bottom of what cannabis can and can’t do for her health. The reality, she discovers, is complicated.Woo [colloq.]: Mystical, supernatural or pseudo-scientific beliefs not backed up by evidence. I crave a well informed, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...
By Michael Andrew and Sri Krishnamurthi The true story of one of the Pacific’s great waka builders and sailor has been captured in a stirring and visually gripping documentary. Loimata: The Sweetest Tears follows the final years of Ema Siope, a Samoan born kiwi who endured a tumultuous past ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Cowie, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Around one-third of Australians living with hepatitis C have been cured in the last four years. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is ...
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Image AsiaPacificReport.nz/RNZ.Commentators across the political spectrum seem to agree – the Labour-led Government’s popularity is being damaged by its failure to deliver in Jacinda Ardern’s self-proclaimed “Year of Delivery”. Instead, the delivery of bad news to Labour and the Government has come in ...
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Polls Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern now dependent on Peters Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern still standing, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Austin, Professor UNSW Canberra Cyber, UNSW This is part of a new series looking at the national security challenges facing Australia, how our leaders are responding to them and how these measures are impacting society. Read other stories in the series ...
Researchers from Lincoln University are investigating how to use nanotechnology in agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. ...
The increased presence of anti-trans and white supremacist stickers around the University of Auckland campus is proof that inaction is enabling hate groups, write Anisha Sankar and Max Whitehurst.Anisha Sankar is a Chennai-born, Te Awakairangi-raised, South Indian Tamil studying at the University of Auckland. Max Whitehurst is a transgender Pākehā ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, the New Zealand government’s first response was to ban the firearms the alleged gunman had used to murder 51 people. Seven months later, the second tranche of this process ...
The nine members for the next three year term of the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB) for Auckland have been appointed by the statutory Selection Body. Their appointments begin on 1 November 2019 and continue to 31 October 2022. Mana Whenua ...
“If we are truly to solve the challenge of poverty within the Te Ao Maori world we must lift our people from the low wage and low skills growth side of the economy. At the same time we must continue to ensure our people, no matter where they are, ...
Alex Casey asks Rose Stewart from Family Planning every single question she can think of about New Zealand’s new free IUDs. Listen up, womb-owners who love free shit and long-term contraceptive options: Pharmac announced that they will be fully funding two new long-lasting, reversible contraceptives in New Zealand from November 1, ...
Patients are increasingly being turned away for treatment and there can be no more excuses from the Government over properly funding district health boards to boost specialist numbers in public hospitals, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ...
Today’s Council of Trade Unions’ report, Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness , provides a much-needed pathway to fair wages and conditions across several major industries, and the Government must deliver on its promise to introduce FPAs ...
The Speaker has limited the number of questions Simon Bridges can ask in the House as a punishment for the National Party defying Trevor Mallard by not pulling down their attack ads. ...
Sunshine capital? Check. Rich artisan tradition? Check. Incredible sausages? That’s a big check. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the truly gorgeous Nelson region this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University In the four years since the Paris climate agreement was adopted, countries have debated the fine print of how emissions reduction should be tracked and ...
The flight drink company 1Above, partly-owned by the high profile, venture capital fund Movac and businessman Gareth Morgan, is in liquidation owing almost $10 million. ...
In recent weeks Responsible Campers Association Incorporated (RCAi) has become involved in some high level discussions about our right to camp. This began out of discussion about the disabled who which to participate in Sport and Recreation activities. ...
In their quest for a cashless society the Japanese have beaten New Zealand to its own next-gen shopping experience.New Zealanders are missing out to the Japanese on a Kiwi technology that is set to eliminate supermarket queues.The first store to implement the SmartCart cashierless shopping system will be in Osaka, ...
If you don’t like Shortland Street, or you’re unconvinced that Michael Galvin actually is a doctor, does that mean all New Zealand television is rubbish? Some say yes. Tara Ward says an emphatic no. The world is our TV oyster, but lately it seems not everyone in Godzone is feeling the ...
The National Party is accusing the Immigration Minister of a "Sroubek 2.0" after revelations he granted residence to a man with multiple drink-driving convictions. ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu urges the Crown to ensure that the Establishment Board of the newly formed Institute of Skills and Technology meets its Treaty obligations and addresses the statutory role of iwi as Treaty partners in redesigning the education ...
The top-selling food magazine in New Zealand is closing its print operation. Niki Bezzant, Healthy Food Guide‘s former editor, reflects on the challenges the title faced.The news that after 14 years and 176 issues Healthy Food Guide magazine is closing its print operation came as a shock to some. It ...
A unique deal saw Sky buy the rugby rights and sell some of itself to NZ Rugby. Trevor McKewen breaks down what it all means.The news came thick and fast over a remarkable five-day corporate slugfest, starting last Thursday. First, Spark Sport struck, gobbling up New Zealand Cricket’s domestic broadcasting ...
In what’s thought to be the last piece of writing Peter Wells completed before he died, he wonders about his great-grandfather, and the locket he wore all his life. ‘The Story of a Locket’ is published in part here, and features in the extraordinary collection of essays Queer Objects, released this ...
Relationship expert Holly Dixon explains why the entire Married at First Sight franchise is based on bunk science.As the third MAFS NZ season has come to an end, I thought it relevant to answer the question upon which the entire MAFS enterprise is built: Is it possible to predict attraction and ...
SkyCity Casino workers will be on strike and picketing today as Rob Campbell, the Chair of SkyCity Casino talks to other employers about making pay fair at a “Wellbeing at Work” conference today. ...
He was the prototypical high school nerd, hanging on Don Brash’s every word. Then the financial world turned upside down. This is the story of how Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr became a most unconventional economist.In 2008, Jarrod Kerr was working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia when the global financial crisis ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriela D’Souza, Affiliate, Monash department of business statistics and econometrics, Monash University For most people the second week in October probably doesn’t hold much promise. Longer days for some, perhaps. But for those is us in the economics profession, come the second ...
One of the important parameters of the agreement’s aims was to ensure there was no threat to food production from the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. ...
A monument to Winston Peters and Think Big projects would both boost the economy, but Argentina learned the hard way they can also impoverish a nation, writes Tony Burton.Everyone who loves New Zealand should visit Argentina. There are more similarities than you might think – large areas of wild natural ...
The Salvation Army foodbank in Waitakere ran out of food last week; an indication of the strain many New Zealand whanau are under as they struggle to afford the cost of living. Wednesday, October 16 is World Food Day, and as demand for services offered ...
Phil Goff was re-elected by a huge margin on Saturday. How will he put that mandate to use this term? Hayden Donnell asks the questions.Phil Goff is once again Auckland’s mayor. Preliminary local election results show him with a lead of nearly 100,000 votes over his nearest challenger, John Tamihere. ...
Catherine Bindon from Ban the Boom has created these colourful and positive posters for you to use to show you don't support the use of fireworks in your neighbourhood over the next few weeks distressing our animals and birds. ...
On Tuesday morning the Operation Burnham inquiry hearing resumed after it was suspended three weeks ago. The hearing is being held at Royal Society of New Zealand, 11 Turnbull St, Thorndon, Wellington on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland It’s not uncommon for science and religion to be framed as two opposing forces. The Catholic church has famously struggled to accommodate scientific research in its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cat Pausé, Senior Lecturer in Human Development, Massey University The British Psychological Society is calling for changes for how we talk about fatness, suggesting we should no longer use the phrase “obese people”, but instead, “people with obesity” or “people living with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University The federal government’s much-vaunted Snowy Hydro expansion is supposed to smooth out the bumps in electricity supply as Australia transitions to renewables. But not only is the project a bad deal for taxpayers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By María Yanotti, Lecturer of Economics and Finance Tasmanian School of Business & Economics, University of Tasmania The housing market is moving again. In the past month, national prices have climbed 0.9%. What matters most to buyers (and especially to investors), along with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, University of Melbourne It seems appropriate that a painting titled Feng Shui dominates the new exhibition of Guan Wei’s work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Matthews, Lecturer in Digital Media and Popular Culture Researcher, Auckland University of Technology According to a recent study, the sixth leading cause of death for young men in the United States is the warranted and unwarranted use of police force. With ...
The Council of Trade Unions has today released its report - Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness . The report details the six key principles needed for Fair Pay Agreements to deliver real change for working people, and democratic agreements ...
Too many New Zealanders endure poor working conditions in jobs that don’t pay enough and offer few opportunities for career progression, and the union movement is calling for change. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the latest polls which show a drop in support for Labour are not a concern when it comes to forming a government. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A pair of polls put pressure on the Labour Party, a wild night of weather in the North Island, and Shane Jones snapped brandishing a semi-automatic.Parliament resumes today after a fortnight recess, and MPs were given a welcome-back present in ...
Mandy Hager, the newly elected head of the New Zealand Society of Authors, is lobbying the government to improve the lot of writers - to no avail, despite the Prime Minister's championing of the arts. ...
Given the vast impacts that poor diet have had on global health, a deficit in nutrition education in medicine represents a big problem, writes Dr Jennifer Crowley. ...
Any time Olympian Luuka Jones needs advice or encouragement in her pursuit of more canoe slalom success, she doesn’t have to look far. Jones’ coach, Campbell Walsh, is also her partner. ...
Competition for the rights to broadcast sports matches involving NZ’s top teams has produced a bonanza for the sporting bodies, forcing media companies to be a lot more innovative. ...
The Wellington suburb’s successful opposition to a proposed Bottle-O shows how the system is biased towards communities with the organisation, capacity and resources to protest effectively, says Jenesa Jeram.For those unfamiliar with Wellington geography, Khandallah is a Very Nice place to live (Aucklanders: think Remuera). So when it was reported ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission conducted an inquiry into mortgage pricing as recently as last year. Now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has asked it to do another, broader one, in order to ensure the banks’ ...
Dr Bryce EdwardsThe results of the local government elections appear to show that New Zealanders are generally supportive of a more diverse range of representatives, having voted in greater numbers for candidates from traditionally under-represented groups. The elections have therefore modernised our councils in a small but very significant ...
Open Mike 01/02/2019 
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...13 hours ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...15 hours ago
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...15 hours ago
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...20 hours ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...4 days ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...5 days ago
https://mailchi.mp/7d9133add053/closing-the-gap-october-2019-newsletter ...6 days ago
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...6 days ago
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...2 weeks ago
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...15 hours ago
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...16 hours ago
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...17 hours ago
It’s the end of an era at Three as MAFS NZ and Guy Williams’ new show canceled and 7 Days cut to bone, writes Duncan Greive.A trio of shows which have been amongst Three’s most important local productions are either being canceled or severely cut back, as the channel’s agonising ...18 mins ago
Zhang Jun looks at how China can move beyond imitating its more developed counterparts to leading the world in innovation. ...43 mins ago
After two bad polls, Jacinda Ardern was greeted by a friendly crowd of unionists - but one eager for faster and greater progress. ...43 mins ago
'Joker' expects viewers not only to understand its cruelty, but to understand the justified violence of a white man when the protests of black men and women in the US are regularly met with condemnation, vilification and exclusion. ...43 mins ago
She runs the women's Aussie Rules and netball programmes at one of Australia's oldest sports clubs, so why is Jane Woodlands-Thompson sitting on the Silver Ferns bench? ...43 mins ago
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Gotta say, trying to boost the NRA is a particularly fiendish way for the rooskies to try to fuck up American society.
Hopefully this all gets a lot more exposure and causes blowback on the NRA for acting as agents of a malicious foreign power. Maybe it will even open the eyes of some moonbat lefties that still seem to think Russian government are just misunderstood.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/nra-heavyweight-wanted-access-to-putin-leaked-email?ref=home
Heavily armed agents of a foreign power.
That could play interestingly.
Yeah. That’s one of the reasons I find it a minor relief that America’s Prolapsed Rectum is so fkn incompetent.
If he really was the 37-dimensional chess grandmaster some have asserted he is, he could have put it all together as a quiet private army and kept the official agencies supportive as well. But as it is, he seems determined to completely piss off everyone except his deplorables.
It most be noted, not all NRA kooks are in the deplorables basket, I’m pretty sure there’s a significant subset that will be seriously peeved about the NRA apparently becoming a wing of the Kremlin.
Not every country in the world is terrified of crossing
the Trump, Bolton, Pompeo, Pence, Abrams gang.
“Democracy never needs to be imposed. It is tyranny that needs to be imposed.”
—Elliott Abrams
Thanks for the link, Morrissey. The Real News Network do some pretty good stuff and their subscriber based business model allows them a degree of independence other net based media sites don’t have. I know Bomber and others have tried to do similar work, however the size of NZ’s population makes it near impossible to sustain without advertising income. So we may have to wait a little while longer for the Standard News Network 😉
Just as an aside, a business opportunity for the Daisycutter media group may have opened up: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110300114/the-fire-the-forklift-and-the-fights-nightmare-company-goes-bust
Thanks for the heads-up, Te Reo! I’ll get Tiggy Ponsford and the acquisitions team to take a look at that.
Morrissey
A sixteen minute clip! If it was BBC or any other mainstream media site they could have given the key message in a two minute item.
Two minutes. That’s what you gave the “intelligence” briefers before you sent our troops to terrorize villagers in Afghanistan, Wayne?
well the BBC is good at signalling UK intentions to the Europeans (in under 20 sec)
That’s abit like the British radical wing equivalent of Alternative for Germany, have taken over Brexit.
The demographics of their public’s voting blocks, along with a logical stepped referendum process to those, would lead the most functionable way ahead but rather it looks like there is abit of a meltdown going on.
Brilliant critique, Nat boy – it was too long!
If that’s the depth of Nat thinking on international relations, no wonder we arse licked the USA under a Nat government.
The USA come out right into the open and just say that their coup’ in Venezuela is all about oil, of course anyone with even a sliver of a functioning brain could already quite plainly see this obvious truth…makes you wonder what the fuck goes on the craniums of a few commenters here..plainly not all that much.
Venezuela has the largest oil reserves on the planet.
Absolutely agree with your comment above.
Cheers for the link Adrian, following this with great interest, it’s very unsettling what is happening along with all the players in the game.
I would have thought that Green Party supporters, which I think you are Cinny, would be opposed to any more Venezuelan production. It is a very heavy crude and contains a lot of sulphur, as are the tar sands that make up an even greater proportion of their reserves.
As such it has more severe environmental effects than does the comparatively light crude from Saudi Arabia.
You’re right, alwyn: Venezuela should have diversified long ago, and left the oil where it belongs. In the ground.
But the voracious superpower to the north would never tolerate that.
Whatever should be done in regards to Venezuela’s conservation strategies in the future, it’s certainly not Trump, Pence, Pelosi, or Pomposeo who have any rights to speak on the matter. Don’t they have enough pollution to sort out in their own country?
Hey Alwyn, I’m a bit of a swing voter 🙂
I didn’t know re heavy crude v’s light crude thanks for that, I’ve learnt something today, that should always happen 🙂
Wonder if the severe environmental effects has prevented Venezuela pumping out their heavy crude… or is it the cost of extraction?
“prevented Venezuela pumping out their heavy crude”.
I think TRP, just below, is spot on with the reasons for the cut in production.
ps. Sorry if I have misinterpreted your political opinions.
Alwyn, I think you misunderstand Cinny and Adrian. They’re pointing out the reason for the attempted coup, which is greed.
Oil production has declined under Chavez and Maduro, which is good for the world. If there is a successful coup, oil production will rise, which is bad for the world.
The reason for the production decline isn’t a commitment to green ideology, as far as I can tell. More to do with sacking most of the workers 15 years ago (they were relatively well off and anti-Chavez) and chronic under funding of the industry since. As you note, it’s not the best crude and is expensive to refine.
However, there’s a lot of it and the US has a President who doesn’t believe in climate change but does believe in money. So it’s easy to see where this is heading.
Talking of Venezuela, I read that a shipment of gold about to be loaded onto a Russian plane was stopped. That wouldn’t be Nicky-boy trying but failing to loot the remnants of the stunningly successful socialist economy, which has made nearly all Venezuelans equally poor, would it? Dear oh dear.
Important point from Allan Nairn – it’s not control of the oil extraction itself that the US wants, it’s control of where the profit from its sale ends up.
It’s about making an example of Venezuela for daring to direct some of that money away from the pockets of the local elites and US shareholders into social programmes for the poor. It’s about making it clear that any alternative forms of economic management wont be permitted. The Maduro government being (possibly) incompetent and corrupt doesn’t alter this underlying dynamic.
The US establishment really hates state oil company/state businesses/state banking revenues being used by socialist governments as
1. nation state functioning independent of the global private ownership capitalist profit market system challenge the TINA regime.
2. priority of the money for public education and health and housing demonstrates another way of organising distribition of resources.
Climate change and bizarre weather patterns are effecting weather, land and housing.
But the Auckland (and other) councils, environmental lawyers growing rich and the bovine environment court (that is just a rubber stamp to development no matter what the future outcomes are,) are just blithely allowing more and more building and resource consents without any risk assessment of what the liability of those consents are going to be in the future from climate change when you can have 43mm of rain falling in one hour in summer… they can’t even work out what to do, now it has happened.
We don’t just need more houses in NZ, we need SAFE livable houses that are designed to be immune to climate change, designed not to need remedial work from bad building work and not building on sites which are going to be at risk in the future and be unliveable!
The red zone in Christchurch for example was declined by the council to be built on due to earthquake risks, then the developers took the council to environment court and won, and then they were developed and destroyed in the earthquake. Didn’t see the council or environment court recovering that money from the developers who are able to litigate to build on unsafe land, then take the money, leaving all the devastation to future owners and ultimately the tax payer paid out.
Note the below is in Summer!!
“Forty-three millimetres of rain fell in the Waitakere Ranges in one hour, between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday. Compare that to Auckland Airport, where just 15mm fell over 24 hours.”
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/piha-flooding-causes-evacuations-damage.html
Piha flooding: ‘If it’s raining you’re terrified in your own home’ – Residents frustrated at further report delays
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/381442/piha-flooding-if-it-s-raining-you-re-terrified-in-your-own-home-residents-frustrated-at-further-report-delays
“We don’t just need more houses in NZ, we need SAFE livable houses that are designed to be immune to climate change,”
Not sure if that is possible really.
The Piha flooding is highlighting very real issues. I’m so sorry for those people.
CC events will lead to no rebuild, and worse longer decision making processes as people protect their arse. insurance is gonna be hit and miss with a lot of misses.
There is plenty that can be done and much of the current gormless planning is making it worse especially in Auckland where planners allow properties to run over building to non permeable surfaces more often than not against the rules as a matter of course, (normally for additional parking), houses are getting bigger with more parking, more tarsal everywhere and trees and non permeable grass areas being removed constantly for more roads, and ash felt, (which is then dug up constantly every time someone runs a utility line or changes the pavements and roads which in Auckland is constantly dug up and modified and often for no real reason apart from someone got a lucrative contract to do it), destruction, etc…
There is absolutely zero point building badly designed houses that some poor home owner who has done nothing wrong is then forced to rent while paying a mortgage of a property that is unliveable while the developers and their ‘experts’ get rich on the process of NZ famous, overpriced and poorly designed and built buildings.
Even worse those same home owners are then expected to pay higher rates to pay for the developer/council/BRANZ messes like leaky building syndrome, all designed to increase inequality.
Then they decide to add that extra taxes for the ordinary person just in the last year in Auckland we have petrol taxes, new rates on the rates for new builds passed onto the owner which used to be paid by the devloper, fees if you rent our your house short term…. etc etc
That’s just last year new taxes in Auckland, what are they planning when the shit hits the fan with the next ‘leaky building’ lots with bad resource consents that they ‘relaxed’ while not building the affordable houses, and instead McMansions everywhere…
Absolutely. Design can go a long way to alleviating all sorts of concerns. Solar roofs to take pressure off the power grid and owners utility bills; rain gardens and roof collection to take pressure off storm water systems and water supplies; passive heating and cooling to take pressure off utilities and utility bills, and the health system; tree planting to lower the urban heat island effect, add aesthetic beauty, clean air, habitat, shelter, and food; aspect to utilise solar angles…
Instead we have a box aligned with the other boxes aligned with the road. A very expensive box. A box we need to plug into and pay for all our water, power and food on top of the exorbitant rents/mortgages. Many of these boxes are shoddy nonsense requiring large power inputs to be at all comfortable.
Many of these boxes are supermarket friendly, power company friendly, oil transport friendly, keeping you dependent friendly, and bank friendly.
People and environment friendly?
Wasn’t in the design.
100% support SAVENZ well honestly said.
The hopeless dosile ‘Environment Court’ is owned by the Corporate industry.
So it should be dismantled and the (PCE) ‘Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’ must be givem more poower to change Government poicy before we are all ‘sunk’ opps – sorry for the pun!!!
We need CHEAP houses that cost less to repair/replace/insure.
@Gabby, I agree but that is not what is being built in Auckland, the opposite is being built and what the planners are consenting based on the political and economic and market driven ‘third way’ (aka Rogernomics/Kiwibuild/Thatcherism) models of building big houses for profit and then making the state pay in weird deals a premium and then still not delivering any houses worthwhile while selling/swapping off land into private hands .
Well the council don’t want cheap houses built. They’re happy to squeeze the poor until the pips squeak.
If you want weird weather patterns look at the flooding in Townsville right now. This time last we were up there and the place was exactly as per it’s usual name ‘Brownsville’. Dry and hot.
This year the monsoonal trough is way further south than normal, and the place is inundated. At one point they got 300mm of rain in 4 hours. And there’s forecast for the same conditions for another week:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-01/townsville-as-flooding-emergency-continues-man-missing/10768656
And in addition … a new record:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-01/australian-weather-hottest-month-on-record-in-january/10769392
Come on Red, it’s called “Clownsville, AJ Town” never heard of Brownsville. But mind you when I did the RAAF’s Combat Survival Cse, the Arid phase was cut short as we were barely making or producing a enough water let alone to survive on and Jungle solo phase was cut short for the lack of water as well. That was about 15yrs ago btw.
Yes it’s interesting that the Monsoon tough is a lot further Sth than usual and it arrived a mth and half late than usual as well. Darwin has recorded its direst Jan since records began. Parts of the Darwin rural area and out at my bush block, we are were just below the median level for rain in Jan and it’s even worst past Katherine and to the west towards WA.
Some Central and Nth Australia Cattle producers are already thinking of reducing their herds and other farmers are already thinking about reducing their crops and fruit because the lack of water from this years Wet season on current trends. If people down Sth and up here in Darwin are already complaining about the cost of meat, veggies and fruit? Then wait until after the Nth wet season, if fails to bring the rains and then it’s going to get interesting for a lot of people.
Its a well known thing that men seem to delay going to the doctor more that women do. The stark reality of the consequences of that became all to real yesterday when I was informed my best freind who isn’t even 40 yet has cancer. The mind numbing reality of that is the lymphoma growing on him was first noticed 8 months ago. He has other symptoms that suggests it’s spread that in themselves should have resulted in a doctors visit, but no. His partner even booked him in a month or so ago but he didnt turn up.
Why?
His childhood was crap, his father was absent, his mother was useless with kids to different dads and never worked a day in her life. He often comments about having to raise himself. He’s extremely paranoid about child abusers and wants to murder them all, so although he never says anything happened to him I’m suspicious. He failed completely in school, is illiterate. Witnessed his best freind standing next to him being shot dead by his brother as a teenager. A continuously drinking, sober alcoholic. Drug addict that like the alcoholism he has never been able to stop despite many attempts. Cigarettes and weed, that he can’t stop as well. His high is reckless driving, and motorcycle riding recently loosing his licence, again.
To me there’s just so many indicators of contempt for his own life, that the whole picture is just one of suicidle behavour.
That’s sad. If we want to get better functioning and mentally well people in NZ it helps if they are cared for and protected as children.
That is such a painful tragic life story DJ (4). Very sad indeed.
Evidence children need to be lovingly nurtured from birth and made to feel worthy throughout their lives.
Let’s hope your friend is able to access the means to address both his mental and physical health issues ASAP, before both situations deteriorate even further.
DJ, I am really sorry to hear about your friend. Life can be so unfair at times and he certainly has been landed with a very short straw through no fault of his own. I can understand him not going to the doctor. Many people do the same and put off doing so when medical problems occur. I have no doubt that he will be hurting emotionally at present, as you obviously are. Hopefully he is now getting some support both physically and emotionally through people such as the Cancer Society, local hospice services etc; but I am sure that you will be there for him and his partner etc, as only a best friend can be. kia kaha to you all.
Much love and support to your friend, his good fortune is having you in his life, well done for being there for him and not giving up on him.
Re motorcycle riding, it’s a way for him to release steam so to speak.
Has he got a dirt bike and safety gear?
Hard to lose a license off road, and blasting up and down steep dirt tracks is a hell of a rush. Just a thought….and it’s a heap of fun building jumps out of dirt and stuff. No idea if it’s possible to do such for him, just a thought that’s all.
Being proud of something in ones life helps so much, positive encouragement, support and a bit of direction is massively helpful. Least it has been in my experience.
It’s scary going to the Dr, sometimes we know in our minds what’s happening, but as soon as a health professional verbalises it, sometimes that is what causes the pain. Support person at the Dr’s visit maybe?
Fingers crossed this well being budget will bring the help that so many need.
PS… important for all to know the signs of possible suicide, I really think more people could help each other then. Mental health as a subject should be just as important as PE at school.
https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/mental-health/preventing-suicide
I truly feel for you DJ.
Watching a mate in pain is amongst the hardest things to endure.
FWIW, I can suggest being there to listen when (and if) he wants to talk.
Just listening, don’t feel burdened that you must solve anything.
Best of luck mate.
DJW
You conveyed this story very well. I’ve encountered more than a few similar men in the same shitty place myself.
You nail it in your last para:
To me there’s just so many indicators of contempt for his own life,
And given this truth, why would it be surprising if at least some of these men then treat the lives of those around them with equal contempt?
I think a lot depends on personality as to how this contempt manifests; it can be inwardly directed as high risk or suicidal behaviour, or outwardly directed as abuse and violence toward others. The behaviour we can see is different, but the root cause is much the same.
The Dunedin Longitudinal Study said a lot about this; that depending on innate personality those children whom they term “poorly controlled”, who were also abused as children between the ages of 4 and 8, were the ones most likely to be in prison as adult offenders.
This response to a suggestion that dogs should be banned from beaches because they are harassing and killing vulnerable protected birds I think reflects the anomic,
uncaring, immature and irresponsible attitude of a majority of NZs, probably men particularly.
…. who was braving the inclement weather in Christchurch to take Reba for a walk along Waimairi beach, thought a ban would be a terrible idea.
“The dog catches rabbits but birds, we don’t really see a lot, seagulls stuff like that but I don’t think there’s a massive risk. The birds probably move somewhere else… let the dogs run.”
… – who was taking Izza for a stroll at South Brighton beach – was similarly unimpressed with the idea of a ban.
“Bollocks, pretty much. There’s very few birds nesting around this area. It’s a good call to try to save the birds and everything but as far as me walking my dog in the morning, yeh I’m not interested in anybody telling me I can’t.”
Ōamaru now rakes in thousands of tourist dollars every year thanks to the Little Blue penguins that call its harbour home.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/378218/call-for-ban-on-dog-walkers-along-coastlines-with-little-penguins
Just a little sexism there but I’ll let it slide.
Some mansplianing.
I’ve spent many long hours hunting possums with my now deceased dog Bud and in my youth with a duck hunting dog named Bear. If you think dogs can’t hunt out birds and do it by instinct you don’t know what your talking about. With Bear we could go into an area and off the dog would go. It would often return with a duck without us even having to fire our gun. Bud would naturally find Turkey nests, and flush pheasants.
What’s needed in these situations is a class where the dog is taught not to go near the Penguins. The same class as they do for Kiwi and dogs in the bush. So yes walk your dog on the beach. It’s good for the person and the dog but a simple solution exists. Do the class, get a tag on the collar, all good.
Or get together with Doc, dog experts and create a class.
Or, keep your dog on a leash in public.
“reflects the anomic, uncaring, immature and irresponsible attitude of a majority of NZs”.
Sure – and if you’re not like that you’ll be written off as ‘PC’.
The rot runs very deep now.
We perhaps need a new setting for being a decent, good NZer. I feel that I might look for the traits of the good tradesmen I have come across as I get my old car ‘up to speed’ for a wof. Some repairs needed and I know I am lucky to be talking to people who are honest, practical, helpful – good attitudes.
Then there are those working at the coalface helping people who are struggling to get above the poor conditions facing the low or no-waged who have limited opportunities. I put these at a higher setting of value to those with money who hand out little bits of charity when it suits. Or those who have jobs who stride around in the right clothes and a confident manner handing out advice and threats for non-compliance.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/tswstudy/v2chap2.pdf
NZ is allowing 63 tonne laden weight trucks on our rural unsealed roads and all local roads an highways with no concrete under-bases setting us up for a financial disaster in future as we will go bankrupt paying for roads maintenance by pouring money down the back of Steven Joyce’s dream of a tar sealed NZ where trucks can roam everywhere.
US/Canada have reinforced concrete under-based roads to carry trucks up to 62.5 tonnes or 155 000 pounds weight.
The truth is out about our NZ substandard ‘soft roads’ that is unable to withstand the new heavier trucks now on our roads and the video shown demonstrates that when these 63 tonne trucks laden travel along our sub-standard roads such as all our regional and local roads the engineers capture the time that these roads just stretch and buckle and separate like a squashed orange on the road, causing the surface of the road to break into pieces that are then picked up by other truck tyres and removed from the road surface leaving the road with no tar seal so we are witnessing the wholesale wrecking of our roads by heavy laden trucks now causing us billions in costs to repair the road until inside three months the roads are wrecked again and needing new surfacing.
We must return to rail to use ‘train freight’ or go bankrupt.
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Heavy-vehicles
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-roads-have-a-weight-limit
The end game is to place reinforced concrete bases under the roads to carry the 63 tonne trucks and that is being done all over the world including US/Canada and Europe.
US/Canadian limits of truck weights on their roads with concrete under-bases are 33 tonnes to 62.5 tonnes or 80 000 lbs to 150 000lbs.
NZ is allowing 63 tonne laden weight trucks on our rural unsealed roads and all local roads and highways with no concrete under-bases setting us up for a financial disaster in future as we will go bankrupt paying for roads maintenance by pouring money down the back of Steven Joyce’s dream of a tar-sealed NZ where trucks can roam everywhere.
Single Axle, Tandem Axle and Gross Weight Limits
Fourteen States have a single axle limit greater than the Federal standard of 20,000 pounds on
the Interstate. Off the Interstate, 17 States have limits greater than the Federal limit and three
States are below the Federal limit.
Fifteen States have a tandem axle limit greater than the Federal limit of 34,000 pounds on the
Interstate. On the non-Interstate State system, 21 States have limits greater than 34,000 pounds and two states are below the Federal limit.
Four States have grandfather rights to exceed 80,000 pounds on the Interstate. On non-Interstate State highways,
18 States have a GVW limit higher than 80,000 pounds. Alternatively, five States have GVWs less than 80,000 pounds on some of their non-Interstate highways.
“Routine” Permit Limits for a 5-axle unit there are 28 different permitted maximum GVW limits ranging from 80,000 pounds to 155,000 pounds. The mode value (the value that occurs most frequently) is 100,000 pounds and occurs in seven States.
For any number of axles there are 25 different
maximum permitted GVW limits (the mode value is 120,000 pounds and occurs in ten States).
For single axles there are 16 different limits ranging from 13,000 pounds to 32,000 pounds.
For tandem axles there are 17 different limits ranging from 26,000 pounds to 64,000 pounds.
http://www2.ku.edu/~iri/publications/HighwayDamageCosts.pdf
2.1.1 Heavy-Vehicle Impact on Pavement Damage Commonly identified pavement distress associated with heavy vehicles can be characterized as fatigue cracking and rutting. On rigid pavements damage includes transverse cracking, corner breaking, and cracking on the wheel paths. Flexible pavements and granular roads are most susceptible to rutting. In all cases, cracking and rutting increase pavement roughness and reduce pavement life.
+1 cleangreen, not only is the cost of other’s paying for the trucks wrecking the roads when the trucks should have to pay to fix their destruction, there is also the problem of the congestion and length of time it takes when the maintenance people somehow manage to take months to fix up the roads.
Whenever you talk to anybody they despair at how the same roads are dug up again and again for maintenance while other roads are pot holed and not sealed or barely repaired…
It is not so much money in NZ but a culture of corruption and incompetence in that area. Shown by how Fletchers were so incompetent they lost money during the building boom, but expected to make up for their incompetence through road maintenance contracts that are so over priced that incompetent companies can keep going through the rorting of this lucrative activity throughout NZ.
If i had time I might think up a good verse to cleangreen’s comment “where trucks can roam everywhere”.
The best i can do off the cuff.
Oh give me a home, where truck’s do not roam,
And the kids can play anywhere.
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word,
And the politicians
Come here and stay.
+1000 cleangreen….and Labour is doing…wait for it….nothing.
Excellent article and food for thought in particular the winning strategy of China to go from a low supply chain to a high value supply chain and BUY UP the supply as part of their success.
You can see how successful this strategy is in NZ where Chinese interests are buying up the supply chains here in particular in agriculture and natural resources like farms and water, and how NZ might be increasing our exports but are getting poorer as a country under our pavlov type ‘free trade’ which in NZ seems to be more about ‘thick trade’ than ‘free trade’. Who trades to get poorer and gives away in real terms natural resources like water and sand for a song, only to buy it back at extreme profit to an overseas firm?
NZ has moved the opposite way to China and going from a high value supply chain to a low value supply chain through government and official stupidity and lack of long term strategy here…
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/02/01/guest-blog-rod-oram-nz-in-internationalised-supply-chains/
“The next factor is that China’s role in this is changing fundamentally. There are some great studies on this. Not the least is one by Standard Chartered Bank some three years ago. China is moving incredibly fast, from being a source of low-cost components for other people’s value chains to being a relatively high cost country. For example, it’s far more expensive to manufacture something in Shanghai than it is in Michigan. So they are moving very fast to build up their own value and supply chains around the world, of which the high value part of the chain is in China. Surrounding countries like Vietnam become the low-cost suppliers. It is interesting to see the US starting to articulate how it’s trying to do bilaterals with the likes of Vietnam to try to disrupt that process. Clearly, this asymmetry of supply chains, whereby greater benefit flows to a few players and less to the rest, is becoming a more marked feature of international trade.”
To simplify things SNZ, it has been, & is, by and largely the buying up of private interests (mostly National networked ones) that have embedded themselves in the public sector areas.
That comes back to the lack of a systemic dynamic demand and supply NZ lobbying system. It’s probably a constituitional issue ultimately related to the integration of democracy.
The Chinese, while their internal demand and supply is extremely top down rigid, it is also very much a unified lobbying system when it comes to it’s external imperialism in contrast to say the corruption inherent in it’s internal communistic demand and supply against the dynamisms of it’s own markets.
I think the well being budget approach incorporates a good start to grappling with this issue’s systemics, in that it can organically start to remove the magic numbers of false wealth gains out of the system enabling a clearer picture to emerge of what is going on & which will create movement to co-operative solutions that are more democratic (see 2nd sentence) and thus having more relative strength about them.
We’ll be taxed for the Chinese loans borrowed to fix the roads ruined by raw materials bound for China. Win win win, for China.
We already pay much higher interest rates than China, and many of the other countries that we trade with are able to out bid Kiwis and have the advantage of lower interest rates. At one point they were taxing savings in Japan aka you had to pay to put money in the bank! Here in NZ, although historically low interest rates, it is still much higher in NZ than other countries have to pay for interest rates and probably easier to manipulate our currency being a small nation to maximise profits.
““An 82-year-old woman believes a trio of the unruly tourists scammed her out of almost $9000, claiming they would fix her roof but left a hole in her ceiling….
Leonard (the 82 year old woman) told Newshub that she recognised one of the three from the rowdy British tourist group when she saw photos……”
And now:
“Two British men are set to be charged with fraud by police investigating a series of alleged roofing scams in Auckland.”
Wonder if they were part of those pesky rowdy tourists?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12199950
Maybe just put up a sign, scammers come to NZ, they can join the already full troops of arrivals in the courts… of course in NZ we tend to just take the losses and be grateful for any cash dished out from fraudsters and dishonesty operating here, in this case the person is offering to settle LESS than the amount owed.
Wonder why with people being better off with committing crimes it is continuing to skyrocket… and why our justice system does not seek to penalise clearly so send a message to other fraudsters…
https://courtnews.co.nz/2019/01/30/tax-bill-ballooning-to-1-3m/
Wonder how many other restaurants went out of business while those that got the untaxed meat profited…
The Herald and Stuff are publishing that the cost of tax creep in 2017 was $1.7B .
I am not sure this can be credible given the total income tax take is $30B and this is over 5%.
Fake news from our MSM print media, surely not?
Tax on other income at your marginal tax rate, interest, shares etc
You are right with your surly not , paranoid maybe about msm ?
Bridges said it would involve $650M in the first year, so why both the Herald and the Dominion Post mislead with the figure of $1.7B for last year is inexplicable.
Absolutely right even taking the $0.7B on offer this is pure sophistry by Bridges and people are buying it because the media are selling it as a “really good and ‘obvious'” idea. About 650k-700k will get $15 and likely lose a bit of WFF, those under $50k get about a paltry $2 per week but I doubt they realise this and if National follows through with its 2017 intention to remove the Independent Earners rebate of $10 per week they are far worse off. Just as are those who just sucked it up in 2011 when National took $520 per year back in Kiwisaver contributions, The “paper boys and girls” that the National Party imposed taxes on will get nothing.
In among all the bad news, here is an inspiring one. And very, very cool …
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-01/sofia-flying-telescope-occultation-chasing-shadow-titan/10635802
Definitely cool, but the link looks like they’re using some special ceremony to invoke Cronus back into existence 🙂
LOL … it does too!
Thanks RedLogix. A Brilliant presentation. The technology which allows such precision is vast. And Titan might be inhabitable?
With such high level science what is missing from the human condition which doesn’t seem to fully engage with the needs of our own planet?
Being identical macca?
And now openly exposed by Greenpeace as a purchaser of an unprincipled, turncoat opportunist for sale to the highest bidder, posing as a politician.
While unprincipled politicians like Shane Jones still peddle their influence to dangerous oil corporations and exploitative fishing companies.
Fears rise ‘world’s most dangerous glacier’ could be on the verge of collapse as NASA study reveals gigantic cavity two-thirds the area of Manhattan and almost 1,000 feet tall at base of Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica
Male no mistake, this is a make or break moment for the Coalition Government
Will the Prime Minister act, as she clearly must, according to the Cabinet Manual?
Or will she bow to corporate pressure, to let their hireling continue to peddle his poisonous influence inside the government and cabinet?
Will Winston Peters back the Prime Minister’s decision to expel Shane Jones from the Cabinet?
Or will Peters use this opportunity as an excuse to break the government?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/shane-jones-in-hot-water-over-support-for-talley-s-accused-of-illegal-fishing.html
A serial offender
Make no mistake this is a fight for the soul of this government.
Who will blink first?
If Winston Peters decides to make a stand on behalf of Jones, will the Prime Minister call his bluff?
Will Jacinda Adern fight for her leadership?
And if necessary, in the face of Peters possible refusal to back down, threaten to put it to the country?
An election that in my opinion the Prime Minister would handily win, returning to the treasury benches with a weakened NZ First and a strengthened Green Party
All the cards are in the Prime Minister’s hands.
Will she play them, or quietly try to paper over the cracks only to have them blow apart at some later date when she is in a weaker position?
Will the Prime Minister concede, or make a stand?
Jones has to go, and Peters needs to accept it.
Even if Peters threatens to pull the house down, the Prime Minister must stand her ground, or be forever lost. Instead of the great leader she is otherwise destined to be.
Shane Jones. It doesn’t look good when looking at his work on fishing while in his new ministerial position. Cosseting fishing companies which are falling off their charts of legal fishing locations as Jenny has sat up late into the early morning documenting.
It doesn’t look good in Gisborne, when he organises more tree planting but the locals don’t see signs of better roads, and improved port facilities to handle present logs, much less those from the future of fast-growing radiata. (I put up comment about this.)
What a pity. All the practical men liked his no-nonsense manly style. An honest broker they thought. Someone who can see problems and bite them to size.
Looks like he is swallowing a rat instead.
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Thank you Eco Maori, one of my all time favourites!
,
Here you go Whanau when a group of White Collar Crim,s are caught with the hands in peoples pockets stealing off people they are ASKED TO BE NICE TO THERE customer,s When A poor person blue Collar gets caught they get thrown in jail there right taken away the media kicks the story around for weeks and our minor cultures mana gets eroded away. I have told you its a illusion that the so called( professionail upper classes have the 97. % well being at Heart ) YEA RIGHT . We have to be viglant and make them KNOW we expect them to use the power of rule to treat all kiwis respectfully and that means stop ripping US OFF And stop letting there M8 OFF THE HOOK
They got away with it again.
Executives and board members of New Zealand’s life insurers will be quietly breathing heavy sighs of relief this morning, just as their colleagues in the banking industry did last year.
Many work for the same companies or are in partnership. And many know exactly what being exposed in public for their wrongdoing and punished in the court of public opinion looks like.
They only need to read Australia’s daily newspapers and watch the litany of sackings and share price slumps and public condemnation they see convulsing through the Australian life insurance and banking industries every day because of the ongoing Hayne Royal Commission into banking, superannuation and financial advice industries.
One New Zealand-based life insurer has been selling a life product to foreign customers, even though cover was only available to New Zealand residents. Another insurer incorrectly recorded customers’ dates of birth, due to manual errors, resulting in 30 customers being overcharged. That insurer is now in the process of refunding those affected customers, the FMA and RBNZ said without naming the company.
Another incorrectly calculated the impact of a consumer price index-linked premium increase by up to 30 times. In all, 223 customers were over-charged. That problem was discovered in 2015 but the insurer didn’t contact those customers, instead relying on them to complain. Three years after the event, that insurer had failed to remediate 111 of the affected customers.
The review found examples of insurers failing to cancel old policies when a customer transferred to a new policy and continuing to charge premiums on both policies. It found insurers which failed to notify policyholders of premium increases.
The FMA took the same approach to a review it released in July when it said three of the 11 life insurance companies were responsible for behaviour so bad that it was considering taking regulatory action against them. It turns out that after follow-up inquiries, the FMA decided further action was unwarranted. Again, we’ll never know what went on.
We are expected to wait and trust the FMA and the Reserve Bank will look after consumers’ interests in the quiet time after the report. Their past record is not inspiring.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant
It’s clear from reading the report that the FMA and the Reserve Bank are most concerned about the reputation of the industry and its financial soundness, rather than the interests of consumers.
Repeatedly, and as identified in this chart below, the industry has over-charged premiums and got away with unacceptable behaviour because its products are complicated and they can rely on many to just set and forget their policies.
Simply asking them to be nice won’t work. They are beholden to their own shareholders and the employment agreements that incentivise them to go for the highest profits in the shortest term. Only the fear of career-ending exposure, fines and prison terms will change that. Ka kite ano links below
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/01/29/420889/another-big-fat-and-wet-bus-ticket
Eco Maori Video for thee above post.
Kia ora Newshub ecoli in the Waiarapa water doesn’t look good that’s why I say our society needs to respect Wai much more than we do.
WAR IS FOR NEANDERTHAL.they cannot even account for %25 of their War budget spending ??????????.
Towns villa flooding condolences to all the people who have been hit by the flooding.
Alcohol causes big problem for OUR society I read a article that stated that alcohol sugar and prosessed food cause more damage to our society than drugs there you go the 00.1 %.
I quite admire Indian culture for the way they care about their Wild life what’s a couple of humans compared to the Havoc that we rage against our wild life Eco Maori say any were else the leopard would have been KILLED.
That’s shocking that mother in Britain FGM cutting her 3 year old daughter genital the reason is beyond me.
Tracey is doing a awesome job looking after all those abandoned chihuahua dogs but that’s not for Eco the Mokopunas tire me out in 3 days.
Tutankhamen is a awesome Egyptian that culture shows Eco Maori that we have forgotten more great technology than we know that’s why we should all ways respect and houner Ones Tipuna. I seen a story that Egypt was a matriarch society back in those days
Racism is shocking all around Papatuanukue. Ka kite ano
Kia R&R The neanderthal alt right shonky don’t want common people to be able to stay at home a care and education our children. They want to keep the common people that busy just trying to keep the Waka afloat we have no time to see the cheating moves they make against us. It also limits our participation in elections. We had one parent at home to care for our tamariki but that was when times were much easier than at the minute. I know of people working long hours and are treading water. That’s why I Back Jim Bolger, s new employment laws and what do you know ECO MAORI cannot find the story on the Internet today a controlled society is what we live in.
Ka kite ano P.S Well Come back to the Internet SAMOANS Ki kaha Eco Maori Tau Tokos the greatest contribution Wahine give to our society’s
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
We have to change from $ to counting good stars as $ gives the evil people to much power to CRAP on OUR Papatuanuku. We only have ONE PAPATUANUKU
Who said that one group of people can make there wages hundreds times higher than the group that makes the money the majority and make our wages a pittance.
We are the majority in a TRUE Democratic society the laws would be made to be good for the many that is not happening so who is cheating in everyway they can the 00.1% are ripping the many off thats a FACT . Back Jim Bolgers new employment laws with all you have got Tangata whenua and minority cultures if you want a better future for te mokopuna,s
Jim Bolger: New Zealand’s low productivity to blame for poor wages
The Government’s been handed a set of fair pay guidelines to set minimum standards across an industry or occupation.
The working group report was headed up by former National Prime Minister Jim Bolger.
It recommends workers be able to trigger a fair pay agreement if they can reach a threshold of 1000 workers, or 10 percent of workers in a specific sector or job.
Bolger told Larry Williams that this was devised to help the working poor who are struggling the most by increasing their pay packets.
“We have more and more families relying on welfare even if they are in full time employment. The system allows them to be on very low wages even if they work a 40 hour week.”
He says that it’s not much different to how the minimum wage is enshrined in law.
Bolger says they never looked at compulsory unionism, which he scrapped when he was Prime Minister.
“We shouldn’t scare people on this. What we’re saying is there are issues out there, there are problems out there, why don’t we sensibly look at how we resolve them?”
He says they looked at multiple other countries for innovative ideas, but none of their models worked in the New Zealand, forcing them to come up with their own interpretation. Ka kite ano Links below
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/larry-williams-drive/audio/jim-bolger-new-zealands-low-productivity-to-blame-for-poor-wages/
Speaker Nancy Pelosi stands with House Democrats to re-introduce the Paycheck Fairness Act. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Equal pay requires honest discussions
The gender pay gap, as every right-thinking person knows, is a feminist myth. Those figures you’ve seen about white women earning around 80% of what white men make, and black women earning just 61%, are probably wrong. And if they’re not, then, as many conservatives have pointed out, there are rational explanations for the disparity. Such as the fact that, as Jordan Peterson has explained, women are just more agreeable than men, meaning they don’t ask for more money. Which is a very agreeable explanation if you don’t want to confront structural inequality.
Women swear sometimes – let’s get the hell over it
Arwa Mahdawi
While many on the right insist the gender pay gap doesn’t exist, they also appear keen to block legislation that would strengthen equal pay protection and make it easier for employees to share wage information. Which would appear to be a contradictory position. As congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday “If ‘the wage gap is a myth’ as some allege, then workplaces should have no problem with workers disclosing our salaries with one another.
Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet followed a news conference in which she, along with other Democrats, re-introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which strives to close the gender wage gap by giving women tools to challenge unequal pay. For example, it would stop employers retaliating against workers who discuss their salaries with each other. The bill was first introduced in 1997, but has been repeatedly blocked by Republicans.
While the pay gap has narrowed since 1980, not much progress has been made in the last 15 years. Arguably, one reason for this is the lack of transparency around pay. Most of us don’t know how much our colleagues make, which makes it easier for companies to ignore the issue. Indeed, Lean In’s 2018 Black Women’s Equal Pay Survey found that 50% of Americans aren’t aware of pay gap between black and white women, and hiring managers are also ignorant of the disparity.Ka kite ano Links below. P.S Wahine deserve to be respected and all payed the same as MAN
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/02/if-the-gender-pay-gap-is-a-feminist-myth-then-why-not-disclose-salaries
Kia ora R&R Waiata is a good tool that have many uses and one is to protest about injustices that have been dished out to Tangata Whenua O Aoteoroa for the last 250 years by the settlors .
The other use,s for maori is recording history boost ones mana and wairua mauri educate tangata unite tangata .
One could create a great tangata whenua waiata artist that,s is known all around Papatuanuku and one doesn’t have to invent the wheel to do this just be smart we have the tallent in Maori society .
The 00.1 % have made it so we are to busy to protest or to vote to busy rowing one own waka to servive and have know time to protest and they scrapped free education to stop that phenomenon.
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Kia ora Newshub Townsville North Queens land has had extreme rain and flooding our scientists priditived that.
Ralph Northem should step DOWN from his Vigina governors office because of that old shocking photo of him in that racist yearbook. $100 million is cool for Maori business growth on Maori land but I still want to see Jim Bolgers new Employment laws that will deliver billions to the lower classes.
Nice one Stue Muir that’s a name of olden time in Aotearoa it’s cool you are regeneration the mangrove mash land that are the filters of the whenua on your farm land .
That’s a happy end to the story of bubbles the chihuahua being found an is safe and sound being returned to it owner in Hamilton hospital. Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Some Eco Maori music for the minute been studying history
A new study says that hydrogen fuel for vehicles and businesses is unlikely in the foreseeable future – in spite of Government financial support for private company research.
Simon Coates, director of Concept Consulting, said converting electricity or gas to power a fleet of hydrogen trucks would take more than three times more energy than using electricity and batteries.
His report was jointly funded by Contact Energy, the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority, First Gas, Meridian Energy, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and Powerco. “Most of the technologies involved in hydrogen production and use are mature and well understood, because they have been used at scale for many decades to support industrial processes such as synthetic fertiliser manufacture. Other hydrogen technologies, such as fuel cells, were discovered many decades ago but have not yet been applied at scale.”
The report said it may be possible to reduce hydrogen production costs during periods of low electricity prices, but this would require more renewable power stations to be built.
Almost three times more renewable energy was required to power a hydrogen vehicle than an electric vehicle, and approximately twice as much renewable energy was required to fuel a hydrogen boiler or heater, compared with an electric boiler or heat pump.
The report is available here Ka kite ano links below
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110350993/cost-of-hydrogen-power-remains-biggest-hurdle-for-widespread-use-says-new-study