Open mike 01/07/2024
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Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...15 hours ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...15 hours ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...2 days ago - Bernard’s last Saturday Soliloquy for 2024
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...2 days ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
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Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment: Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...3 days ago
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One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...4 days ago - MSD rejecting 220 pleas for food grants each day
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- The Wing Parties’ Economic Policies.
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In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...5 days ago
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- “Better economic management”
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...5 days ago
- Shameless, clueless
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...5 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
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Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...6 days ago - How much should you worry about a collapse of the Atlantic conveyor belt?
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...7 days ago
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- Thank You
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...1 week ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50
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- Making Gravy
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- 2 Men, 1 Haircut
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...1 week ago - Chris Penk’s Hate Parade
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...1 week ago - Tell me a story
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...1 week ago
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National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...2 days ago - Release: Minister’s plan for tertiary sector a backwards step
Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...2 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
- Release: Rule-Czar bill a right-wing power grab
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...3 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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NActFirst : punitive, pigheadedness is their natural Go-To (everything they do ! ) even when..
This on RNZ is quite disturbing ….surely a warning ?
However, the pigheads opine
The damage done..and will be done. Punishing young people, who had started life being punished, that'll work : (
You mean punishing young people who have committed violent crimes. I’ve been the victim of a serious violent assault, it’s not pleasant. Society does need retribution against the perpetrators of violent crime. Seeing someone walk free, because they will be fired if they are convicted, is a slap in the face. For me it certainly didn’t help the recovery from a traumatic head injury. Some years later I’m still feeling the physical and psychological effects.
You are conflating things. The coalition government is targeting young offenders aged 14-17, i.e., children who should still be in school and who are not in jobs.
'You mean punishing young people who have committed violent crimes' – yeah, like male, pakeha, prominent sports people and/or CEO types, who invariably get discharged, acquitted. Can't have their reputations sullied now can we.
Ok, thats your anecdotal story. If true, Im sure it wasnt pleasant. Do you wonder if these Children, (as Incognito states) have maybe also suffered trauma, incl some being victims of many serious assaults ? And other terrible "punishments" ?
My concern is about them and the retrying of failed systems.
World wide seen as failed punitive exercise. What could work…kindness, empathy and actual Help.
Posted this on Twitter this morning and slightly expanded it.
LSV is totally different to Boot camps! It was built around the Outward Bound Program & the NZDF Cadets with a Whole of Government Support Services.
It was a very successful at what did until Key, Bling & Bennett gutted LSV by withdrawing 90% of the Govt agencies & turning LSV into a box ticking exercise to point a the NZDF personal (RF & Reserve) hate being posted to LSV Company because those 3 Muppets ref: RNZ Article.
The LSV Scheme had so much potential IRT if wasn't for the Dumb Stupid Politicians on both sides of House & Treasury!
Probably should write a bit more on LSV when I was at Burnham in the 90's and where LSV could've gone, if we had taken long strategic planning view? As I said the potential was there to make this a truly National Service Program benefiting a Number of Government Agencies/ Dept's & the wider Community incl the Non Tertiary & Tertiary education sector as a whole long term.
The key element when contrasting LSV with Boot Camps is that the V stands for Volunteer.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/cartoon/26619/boot-camp
Perhaps young Kiwis who complete one of our CoC govt's 'correctional' initiatives could be issued with a Certificate of Achievement – maybe even a T-shirt emblazoned with:
"Boot Camp Graduate – Class of 2024"
Tbh, I don't understand why our CoC govt isn't trumpetting some of the success stories from earlier iterations of boot camps.
Two of the "main stories" from TV3 News, 2 August 2009.
15 years later, it's Boot Camps and Bird Flu… some things never change – much.
https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/
https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/
Some are seemingly just stuck in a mindset (concrete or similar)
Oh as a segue to that and also Enviro (and also very much positive feelgood that I seen on One News last night…: )
A guy..making a difference. And could be the first time some of those Kids been given something. A freedom machine : )
Onya Mr T !
And big ups to the Doctor who started him off…A real Green prescription !
And for those who would rather not cycle, there's always shanks' pony.
Thanks for those Links ! And yea just getting out of car….and doing it.
I like that quote ..not heard of that Trevelyan guy before (I have found the Standard to be ever Mind expanding : ) but I like that he used mind, body..and gear : )
I'll remember that one.
There's a whole industry built around these types of camps. Just absolutely horrible exploitation for profit. If you haven't seen this series it will make you cry.
No farting without permission.
No looking in the mirror.
No smiling.
These are some of the countless rules that teens had to follow at Academy at Ivy Ridge, a disciplinary boarding institution that operated in upstate N.Y. between 2001 and 2009. Marketed as a school that would help troubled teens, in reality, many Ivy Ridge attendees endured mental and physical abuse and were made to take part in cult-like activities.
https://time.com/6837656/the-program-cons-cults-kidnapping-netflix-documentary-series/
Thanks for the doco link DoS. "No farting without permission" – good luck with that.
Paris Hilton is testifying about her experiences as a teenager sent by her parents to for-profits that run these camps for 'problem' teenagers in the US, poor or rich. At least the government can be held to account in the future, unlike a private firm gone bust. Guess the NACTs will soon privatise the boot camp model here, slipping loose of accountability.
PS, for moderators, the link in the home page title to today's 1st July page sent me to 30/06 instead, while arrow link worked OK.
What “link in the home page title to today’s 1st July page”?? Why don’t you provide the link here?
As anyone noticed The BDF has gone into liquidation ?
Unfortunately "The BFD" still seems to be up and spreading right wing shit.
But happily, ZB Plus is turning to custard, The Platform is unsustainable, and WhaleOil is long dead
BDF ?
Of course. You must mean the Bolivian Defence Force who will no doubt be being liquidated after their abortive coup attempt the other day. If it isn't them who or what is the BDF?
Maybe this one: https://thebfd.co.nz
I'd forgotten who they where so clicked link , now I need a shower 🚿 😫
Sorry. I've never been on that site before and don't know them.
I hope you survived
Oh Alwyn, for one who is apparently so well up todate with things political in Aotearoa, I thought you would know that BDF is one of Cameron Slater's brain farts/reincarnations.
I don't remember ever hearing of it before.
I followed that link and I don't think I have ever seen such a cluttered arrangement of a website before.
Why do I find it almost impossible at times to take you as a good-faith commenter here?
It could be because you continue insulting our intelligence here.
Or it could be because of your repeated selective memory.
Only 7 months ago you linked to The BFD: https://thestandard.org.nz/the-politics-of-palestine/#comment-1977446.
Please stop with the BS already, Alwyn!
You certainly must be very busy following what I do. What is the fascination? I certainly didn't remember that. I'm not like Joe Biden though. Nor do I leave shops carrying goods I forgot to pay for.
As a Mod, I keep an eye on everybody, and I have developed a very sensitive BS sensor, especially with some commenters here; it only took a very quick search here to find your comment.
You “don't think [you] have ever seen such a cluttered arrangement of a website before”, but you cannot remember visiting 7 months ago!?
Please stop with the BS already, Alwyn!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/520877/new-zealand-s-new-look-approach-to-methane-problematic-top-climate-scientist-says
The CoC going slower faster. NZ's methane hoofprint will soon be mooving at warp speed!
Our CoC govt – going back the the drawing board on methane. Watt's the rush?
A CoC pox on the pesky CCC and its meddling experts – go slower!
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0309/S00040/images-farmers-fart-tax-protest-at-parliament.htm [4 Sept 2003] “Images from the National Party media unit.”
David Seymour has stated something.
The guy who said $3 lunches – a day old sandwich (central sourcing) and a piece of fruit was "delicious and nutritious".
FACTCHECK
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/07/act-leader-david-seymour-slams-greens-landlord-register-wish-as-witch-hunt.html
I can find no such 2 year period using the records of rent prices
https://www.opespartners.co.nz/property-management/historical-rent-increases
From your 2nd link it appears rents were $200 lower in 2016, 8 years ago. Not the 2 years Seymour has claimed.
But you don't have to pay much attention to know the CoC throw incorrect or misleading stats around like confetti.
Creative thinking. (Smile).
The government has come to help.
Water management oversight is coming to councils. While councils can continue to own their own assets, if they choose, there will be a but …
Those leaving school are to get an incentive to avoid W and I, personal managers chosen by government. One reason for those eligible for a student allowance in their home town and not finding FT work, to consider consider education in an area where there is a future – vocational trades (or an arts degree and look at seasonal work to see the country).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350328256/government-focus-law-and-order-next-quarter
WTF is Take Cabinet decisions ?
Although TBF, they're going to do it 12 times so it must be a biggie.
National Party on prescription charges and taxes
In a nutshell – it's the bottom feeders who will really feel this particular squeeze.