Key Apologises for Wasting Police Time in Teapot Saga
Prime Minister John Key says he misused his authority when he complained to Police after a tape of a semi-private conversation with ACT Leader, John Banks was given to the media. A microphone was left on the coffee table during a staged ‘cup of tea’ media event in which Mr Key publicly endorsed the ACT Party’s Epsom candidate in the last days of last year’s election campaign. This week Police decided not to lay charges against the the taper, Bradley Ambrose, and Mr Ambrose still maintains that the taping was accidental….
It is clear now that the Government has effectively cut the income tax rate and paid for it by borrowing money overseas, in large part from China. It is an act of economic treason and generational selfishness when a government has decided an already-wealthy part of the population deserves higher incomes paid for by loading foreign debt on future generations of taxpayers.
The charts reveal the results of the cut in the income tax rate from 39 to 33 cents, which was in theory partly paid for by an increase in the GST rate from 12.5 to 15 per cent. They also reveal a massive reversal in a decade-long trend of improvement in New Zealand’s public debt position.
darn you got there before me đ it’s a good april fool’s from JS – mind you the idea of ‘jonkey’ and ‘apology for’ do go together in a number of ways
It certainly seems to me that the Herald on Sunday has decided that the years-long honeymoon for Key and his merry band of neo-lib control freaks is over. Good on them.
Imagine reading the editorial getting stuck into Key’s abuse of the paper for short term political advantage, and all of these reports actually looking beyond the spin and into the facts, a couple of years ago. Wouldn’t have happened.
And is it just me, or is there a change in the photos of Key that many papers tend to run on page two? Gone are the smiley, puppy-holding, baby-kissing, prole-comforting pictures; now we see Key frowning, sweaty, looking worried, just like he has something to hide…..
Gotta admit – I have been enjoying the past few months!!
it’s a funny bug that. one incorrectly written bit of code and the italics carries on through all the comments. it even made the editing buttons in the back of the side italicised.
David Shearer has issued a statement requesting all MPs start setting an example of positive leadership, and has asked all Labour MPs and staffers to set an example of putting the good of the country first, and to stop petty political attacks. Shearer in strong show of leadership.
SOEs Minister Tony Ryall refused to be interviewed about the concerns. But in a written statement he said successful private companies maintained “strong relationships with their stakeholders and customers” because it was “good business”.
Which explains why they had to write a social responsibility clause in the first place. Someone should make Ryall watch Alan Greenspan’s Congressional testimony until he gets it through numb skull that he is talking shit.
Why isn’t there a requirement in the cabinet manual that ministers statements should not be demonstrably deceitful?
Typical of this lot to avoid interviews – another minister diving away, leaving some junior in the media department to knock out a quick statement that says “don’t worry – the market incentives will look after that for us – now stop bothering the minister with things below his super-strategic view”.
It is going to be fun watching the developments at Narrow Neck beach in Auckland. Looks like iwi are about get some prime waterfront land back. So far as I can see, the dispute is about rich capitalist whities, pointing to how “poor” they were in the nineties and in a desperate act of ingenuine socialist solidarity, trying to align themselves with an imaginary aggrieved public. If that doesn’t catch, they then point to the slippery slope argument that marine park fish will be endangered by treaty settlement land on top of a cliff. The consultation process wasn’t transparent enough, they claim. Jesus, they are pretty transparent themsleves. They complain they were hoodwinked by the people they voted into government, even though they knew those people used the same measure of self interest as their lifestyles and attitudes hold dear. Can’t risk maori building “cheap in-fill housing” on prime land, one woman said on TV last night. I assume that’s because we all know how maori and cheap go together… don’t we? No sir, it should be whities doing that, building exclusive residences, keeping the tone of the neighbourhood clean, you know, like they did over the harbour in Okahu bay all those years ago. So a few maori got burned out of their homes, couldn’t they understand the City had a raffle running? Even poor old The-Law-is-Complicated Len has found his voice and come out saying a private consulation “…doesn’t cut the mustard”. Ooh, steady on there Len, your masters will get twitchy! The irony is that after almost 175 years of maori learning the hard way how to be good colonialists, rich whities are being out-whitied by rich maori and can no longer choose their neighbours. Gee, that must sting.
But, those uppity Devonport activists seem to have got the wrong end of the stick and assumed Ngati Whatua have the same motives for acquiring prime coastal real estate:….
Ngati Whatua spokesman Ngarimu Blair said there is a misconception the deal involves the coastal area, sports field and surrounding reserve.
“We’re not buying that. We never were. We’re only talking about the navy barracks, the sheds, carpark areas and building which we are purchasing and is set well back from the coast.”
The RNZ Navy, which leases the land, will be offered a minimum lease of 15 years under the agreement.
Adjoining Takapuna Reserve and Narrow Neck Beach â totalling 11.9ha and covering the shoreline â remains in the public’s possession and unaffected by the deal.
Plans are also under way to formalise a public walkway on the eastern strip of the base. Currently the navy can revoke access at three months’ notice.
“We’re the last people to restrict public access to great pieces of land on the harbour or river. We did the same thing for our land at Bastion Point,” Blair said. “We’re very sensitive to these issues.”
Having been on the periphery of the previous stoush in the late 1990s involviing former environment minister, Nick Smith, I think most people expected the land presently covered by buildings and a car-park would be added to the reserve once the Navy abandoned their barracks. Indeed from memory we were given to understand by the Shipley govt. that is what would happen. Anyone who knows the area intimately can appreciate the significance such an enlarged reserve would have for the whole of Auckland. It has the potential to be a sparkling jewel in our ‘maritime reserve’ crown with magnificent views of the harbour and gulf. The uppity Devonport activists fought a costly court battle to stop all but a very narrow strip along the top of the cliff being sold off to speculators and turned into a rich man’s paradise and they won. I can tell you Nick Smith and his (then) colleagues were thoroughly pissed off with us at the time.
The fact that this latest deal was done behind closed doors without the knowledge of the local community and the community board, hasn’t gone down well and I’m not surprised. I have no wish to deprive Ngati Whatua of their rightful heritage, but I want to know one hell of a lot more about what plans they have for the land once it comes into their possession. Like North Head, it is a very special place with a fascinating history – both Maori and Pakeha.
One small error. We were certainly given to understand that the reserve would be extended after the departure of the Navy but I doubt it came from the govt. of the day. We were not on their Xmas card list. đ
There is another part of that article that also deserves mention
Shortly after the Treaty was signed the Crown purchased 3000 acres of what is now downtown Auckland for 281. Within six months, it had on-sold 90 acres of that land for 24,500.
I don’t often agree with finlayson but I do when he says
In a letter to the community paper, Finlayson called on residents to remember how Maori suffered significant land losses in Auckland and this needs to be addressed. “There is no way the scale of redress to Ngati Whatua Orakei can be anything like what they lost.”
The upset residents should take some time to consider those quotes and the quotes that Carol has put up too. What is the actual fear and where does it spring from? At the moment it seems not far off what uturn has written.
You are talking a load of crap Uturn. Rich capitalist whities? Bullshit! If they hadn’t done their dash nobody would have the land now including Ngati Whatua. It would be covered in dirty great mansions belonging to rich capitalist whities.
Ngati Whatua and the Devonport Trust (which was set up to protect the reserve) worked together last time and I’m sure they will end up doing so again. To categorise Devonport activists and by inference residents – most of whom are behind them – as a bunch of self serving, racist capalist pigs (yep, that’s what you’re saying) just shows up your ignorance of both them and the past and present situation.
Lucky ol’ whitey and his self interest came to Ngati Whatuas aid, huh? People not familiar with Auckland’s North Shore and specifically the area in question will be surprised by the raft of rich man’s mansions on both sides of the land in question – just keeping the land safe, that is, “for all of Auckland” – and the neighbourhood in general. How bewildered visitors will be to find the diversity you suggest exists. I know I was warmly accepted into the multicultural egalitarian environment when I lived there. Then again, I am white. I don’t mind calling my own out as racists and hypocrites, when they are. Like you, they really hate it, though.
“People not familiar with Aucklandâs North Shore and specifically the area in question will be surprised by the raft of rich manâs mansions on both sides of the land in question”
Yeah that’s the point. It is prime awesome land, it would be best for every kiwi if it remained in the public commons. If Ngati Whatua doesn’t guarentee it will be turned into a park for ALL to share, then it will inevitably become more ‘rich man’s’ mansions.
I’ve lived near Narrow Neck Beach since I was born (50 years) had my first swim in a rock pool there. So I claim it as my local beach. I have strong ties here and I sure don’t vote National or Act! All the people who live here have a right to a say, for themselves, their children, their grandchildren, because many people brought up here stay here all their lives. Why are Ngati Whatua the only important ones here? Surely there is other land that can be sold. That land was safe, or so we thought, for future generations as permanent reserve. I can certainly understand that the wealthier residents of the Shore who obviously voted National, especially Devonport, are pretty irate , as am I, and I don’t think that will die down easily. So Maggie Barry, be warned! No seat is safe if you do the dirty on your electorate!
The Brits panic-buying fuel due to a strike that hadn’t been called was encouraged by the government – “re-fuel before it gets too low”, they said, “store petrol in a jerry-can in the garage” one said.
After hours-long queues for days, empty petrol stations and a serious burns incident it’s found to have all been a pre-planned ‘Thatcher Moment’ to break the union. Note that it this news was broken by the Daily Telegraph aka the Torygraph.
But now that I have heard the Conservativesâ private explanation, which is being handed down to constituency associations by MPs, I begin to feel angry.
The private message is as follows. âThis is our Thatcher moment. In order to defeat the coming minersâ strike, she stockpiled coal. When the strike came, she weathered it, and the Labour Party, tarred by the strike, was humiliated. In order to defeat the coming fuel driversâ strike, we want supplies of petrol stockpiled. Then, if the strike comes, we will weather it, and Labour, in hock to the Unite union, will be blamed.â
Absolute contempt is what I have for the people who have engineered this state of affairs.
Looks like someone has threatened Slater with consequences if he doesn’t pull his head in and allow a ceasefire in the Nats’ civil war:
“Thatâs it!
by Whaleoil
Iâm over them. National that isâŠcuddling up to Boag.
I think I will join the Labour party. They seem to be having so much more fun right now.
Plus, since they are the nasty party they should welcome my particular skills.”
Slater, your particular skills are having a mad blog that Lusk sometimes puts interesting things on (which you promptly bury with trash – 4 posts in 2 hours so far, it’s Sunday dude!)
Or is his post his idea of a 1 April joke although it would not surprise me if he had been told to pull his head in. However, that sort of advice usually seems to provoke certain types of people to do the opposite.
When I looked just before seeing your post here, he was up to 5 posts and its not yet 9am.
Ditto – am still interested in the statement in one of yesterday’s posts which appears to claim to have had the Sovereign letter before Close Up in terms of where it may have been leaked from. Here is my earlier comment on this – http://thestandard.org.nz/slaterlusk-goes-off-the-deep-end/#comment-453506
Agreed Rosy. These utterly manipulative scumbags governing the UK only considered how they could turn public opinion against the union – before the union had even voted whether to take action. The result was a public run on fuel; artificially created shortages; worries that emergency services wouldn’t be able to find fuel in an emergency; people storing petrol without understanding the hazards; a woman severely burnt because while decanting petrol for her daughter who had run out of fuel. What do these people stand for? Do they give a damn about the people they are supposed to be governing?
“Often the district health board would also rent back a substantial number of the car parks for its medical staff, on long-term contracts with regular rent reviews, providing a built-in lift in revenue…”
So the upshot is that for a sugar rush of $15.3million the DHB gave away income of at least $2.36million per year for twenty years, plus incurred higher costs for staff parking. We’ve got some real financial wizards in charge of the DHB. A taste of what’s to come methinks.
Yes parking is a juicy earner, especially with a captive market that has nowhere to go. Always was easy money as the structures are concrete shells, require little maintenance, need virtually no staff and you just keep raising the cost.
Parkings been Auckland airports juiciest plum for years and again shows what an ideological lemming Ryall is on top of his lies about doctors and nurse numbers is a nasty and evasive dude…..perfect NACT material.
Are there any escalation clauses or do they just charge what they like?
Don’t know, I’d have thought the hospitals would have some say in the parking levies but maybe not, look at Auck hospitals outrageous charges;
“The car park charges visitors to the hospital $18 for stays of 6-8 hours….”
The main point is the hospital (and other) car parks are publicly owned assets being signed over to profiteering private businesses for twenty year leases when there is no commercial or financial justification for such lengthy terms. The owners, ie us the public, are also losing very substantial sums in income from the asset.
true but NACT consider any public asset ripe for their business mates to profit at the public’s expense, sick and vulnerable even easier kaching.
Ryall’s doing long term damage in health and it goes pretty much unoticed, of of the darkest lords quietly going about the hollowmans business.
As annoying as they are, I guess they promote more efficient public transport in a way.
Of course it is unavoidable when you do need a car, but mostly I think parking charges and tickets are mostly a rich persons tax.
We still have it way better than most parts of the world. In the UK 10pd+ per hour was pretty standard in CBD type areas. Even in the suburbs you needed a ‘pass’ that verified you as a resident or you risked being towed. So pretty much your mates had to pay for temporary passes to park there, even outside YOUR flat. We are nowhere near that bad here.
Even in the suburbs you needed a âpassâ that verified you as a resident or you risked being towed. So pretty much your mates had to pay for temporary passes to park there, even outside YOUR flat. We are nowhere near that bad here.
That is what we have just down the road from me in Grey Lynn.
We all too often forget or don’t know about such people, who are the real leaders of this world albeit in a small way in the overall scheme of things. Leaders is not quite the right word, but brain is not yet functioning fully.
A truly inspiring article – recommend it to other Standard readers.
Thank God for people like Lyn Lusi, who selflessly defied the darkness in the heart of man and brought healing and light to those maimed by human wickedness.Such a heart warming and uplifting life to aspire to.
Rest in eternal peace Lyn Lusi knowing that you faithfully fought the good fight and I thank you for it.
Love the acronym H.E.A.L. standing for health,education, action and love. I wish we could put this into action for our poverty stricken children. Thank you so much for this link lprent, stirring stuff.
Questions of ”cheque book legislation” again arose at Parliaments question time when both Brownlee and Joyce were questioned on whether Skycity had given any favor of any sort to either of the Ministers in the Slippery Sleaze administration,
The method by which Brownlee replied was slightly enlightening, complaining to the House Speaker Lockwood Smith that such a question from the Opposition should not have included the word ”corruption”,
Brownlee once put in His place answered a no to the question as to whether He had ever recieved favor or cash from Skycity as did Joyce,
A forensic psychologist tho would have been all over Joyce as when He rose to answer in the negative to the question of ever having recieved cash or favor from Skycity the first few words of His reply in the negative only managed to escape the constriction in His throat as a girlish squeak,
The real question that should be asked of Joyce in particular is has He set His business interests into a ”blind trust” with no knowledge to him management by others thus giving Joyce the perception of freedom from conflict of interest as a Minister of the Crown and would He be surprised if such a ”managed blind trust” held an amount of Skycity shares???…
Indeed, Jackal. Greg Boyd did surprisingly well, and even Shane Taurima managed to make Key look less confident than he used to be. (Though more to do with the end of the Media Honeymoon, methinks. Just about to blog on it…)
The episode seemed more professional; less show-ponyish; and dealth with the issues (the issues! Oh no, say it ain’t so, ma!)
Just how wide-spread is this little bit of inspired Public/Private business???
It appears that Housing New Zealand Ltd has a contracted out inspection service where once a year tenants are visited by Housing New Zealand,s privately contracted building inspectors to check on issues of maintainence and/or tenant damage to the property,
It would further appear,and we have as yet not ascertained the numbers,that at least one tenant has had 2 new smoke alarms installed despite the 3 already at the property being in perfect un-damaged working condition,
The tenants in this particular piece of work are not asked for their consent nor are they told that they will be billed for the installation,
3 months later Housing New Zealand sends the tenants an invoice for ”damage” to the property with a claim that the smoke alarms were installed as ”replacements” for damaged alarms supposedly already at the property,
Tenants are given 7 days to pay for this little rort and we wonder just how many of Housing New Zealand,s tenants are being rorted in this manner and how many have meekly paid up thinking that ”they have to”….
Housing NZ Ltd for what should be a government service department. And then this outsourcing of real work to robot arms so that at the centre is just an ugly alien with giant eyes and a flaming mouth, the horror fantasy films come to reality.
We have posted twice here this morning and not wanting to hog the page we are off to spend a little energy on the chores,
What we have posted tho has as an afterthought to us addressed a somewhat intertwined issue that has effects at the top end of society as it does the bottom,
In reality we have simply addressed the issue of the supposed public/private partnership and that reality simply shows us that such a relationship is rotten at its core and should such a dissolution of the line between the role of Public business and Private business continue the rotten core will begin to give off a stench all of its own…
The National led government have in fact increased government debt by over 190% since they gained power in 2008, and such economic bungling will undoubtedly cause problems for New Zealand for decades to come…
I am still trying to figure out what the PM meant with his spiel on Q+A this am, when comparing 2 billion borrowed by National compared to 12 billion from Labour ???
Was he trying to say Nats have only borrowed 2 billion in the first three years ?
Rather disturbing story about a teenager trying to go all Equus on his Dad’s business in the Herald. It’s accompanied by a graphic picture of a dead horse. What caught my eye was the juxtaposition of that photo with one immediately to its right, which illustrates the difficulty a young Philippino woman is having getting bikini shots published on facebook. I think there may be a feminist on the sub’s bench trying to make an obscure point.
Mike Hoskings doing a ‘cash for comments’ deal with a major corporate with an image problem looking for concessions from government is following in a well worn track. See the John Laws link below. Laws’ people went out to recruit a corporate ‘with a big PR problem’: at that time it was the banks, who were in the middle of a major rarking up of fees. So: wonder who esle might be paying off our celebs and shock jocks? Aussie Banks here? ASB bank? Offshore owned utility companies? Super market duopolies?? Mind boggles: suggestions please!!! http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/johnlaws.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_for_comment_affair
It looks like Boag and Pullar have been utilizing their associations in the National party for personal gain and it is likely that very senior members of the National party (including Key) are implicated in the stand-over tactics of a private insurer and a government department…
It looks like you are trying to utilise old accusations backed by little or nothing. Pullar and Boag have been trying to utilise their National associations, but without much success.
The private insurer said their name drop overkill harmed rtaher than aided their claim there. They could see the “support team” was nonsensical, as could anyone with half a clue.
Nick Smith stuffed up but for nothing, things still haven’t been resolved at ACC so there doesn’t look like any personal gain there.
Key has adamantly discounted any involvement and that seems credible with facts the facts that are known and common sense.
Did you happen to see Q+A this morning Pete George? Fran O’Sullivan disagrees with your and John Keys argument.
I can count the number of times I’ve agreed with O’Sullivan on an amputees hand, but I happen to agree with her that undue influence is wrong even when it’s not successful.
Is a bank robber not a criminal when he doesn’t get away with any money Pete George?
Could you link to where Sovereign Insurance said the support and advocate people listed in the leaked letter was nonsensical?
Wayne Mapp on tv said he organised meeting(s) with pullar’s support people regarding
the claim from soverign insurance,the claim for $14 mil.
She also got closer to the $3 mil amount
according to a tv report.
WTF!!? How can National still be rising in the polls? Even as a strong National supporter, I can’t believe they have escaped so unscathed from all the shit that has gone down.
The problem is that even a damaged National Party still looks more attractive to most voters than Labour. Voters are looking at National in turmoil and still ticking their box. If that’s not a signal that Labour needs to up its game dramatically, then I don’t know what is.
Or change it’s game. A few here Labourites here could take note.
When will they realise that they need to worry less about trying to make Key and National worse (they’ll do that themselves over time), and more effort making Shearer and Labour better?
One news released a poll tonight showing the three big parties up and NZ1 back down to 3% (lols – that’s what they said before the election đ ). Not on the CB site yet.
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On the plus side, that’s 51% all up for the nats government. Error-level shite, and not a spike.
Mostly the poll shows no change. Except this, which puzzled me most:
Voters were also surveyed on their views on the economy, with 50% having an positive outlook, up six percentage points. 32% remain pessimistic, with the reminder believing there will be no change.
 I get annoyed at the constant drone from greenies about everyone getting out cars and biking because its so good for the planet. Yes. But for the individual, it can be very unsafe and some on bikes donât seem to have the cautionary control of a toddler
What angers me most is that they don’t frickin’ wear helmets! A good example of the sheer selfish nature of some cyclists is the 35 year old man who came whizzing, helmetless, across Carrington Road outside Unitec, and down the street on the footpath, missing me by millimetres as he zoomed past me. I called out “idiot!” and he turned around, poked his tongue, screamed an insult about old ladies clogging up the footpath, ‘flipped me the bird’ as I believe the American expression is, and rode on laughing.
Cycles are not legally allowed on footpaths. Many cyclists have told me that the law says they are allowed to not wear helmets if they ride on the footpath. So I made a point of checking with the police. (Who won’t enforce their own law even if an offender is pointed out to them as they are just too damned lazy).
   * Cycling on footpaths is illegal.
   * Riding helmetless is illegal.
   * There is a cycle path on Carrington Road! There’s a big brass plaque pointing that fact out. It’s still ignored even by the Greenie tarts on bikes (I mean frocks on bikes isn’t it? One of them cycles around here, too proud of her expensive hair-do to wear a helmet.)
   * Footpaths are for pedestrians, and with the Segar Ave residence for people with cerebral palsy and Rehab + for brain injured people both off Carrington Road, wheel chair users.
(I put this on the 31.03 Open Mike, and it ended up promptly in moderation. Therefore this is an expoeriment to see if I can find out why. I end up in moderation about once every 2-3 days, and have yet to understand or to be told why.)
Yes, in moderation… one day I may find out why. In the meantime, I get the hint, I have nothing more to say about anything – but you can’t stop me thinking it!
Just watched the 60 minutes on Tv3. The Casino deal was in the gun. Guyon Espiner in good form questioning Joyce over the sweet deal. Joyce unable to answer some fundamental questions and I bet he will be unwilling to face up again. (Guyon said that in Adelaide the same Casino chain sought special privileges in exchange for law change. The Government response there? “You must be dreaming!” Joyce knew nothing about this – and he should have.)
Stuff reported on the Adelaide comparison in August last year. That explains how Joyce had never heard of it: he was lying.
Slippery has also been running the lie about casinos being “safer” despite having no evidence.
Joyce oozes corruption from every pore – he doesn’t even try to hide it. How anyone can imagine that he would make a good party leader is beyond me.
OAB’s policy suggestion: require that Sky City’s owners build the convention centre for free, then confiscate their assets and drive them out of the country.
Requiring 10 year olds on bikes to mix with traffic in Auckland while there is a, mostly unused, footpath available is totally stupid.
Of course if you would rather a cyclist got killed than a pedestrian injured?
Never heard of any pedestrians getting major injuries or killed by cyclists on footpaths.
Many deaths from cyclists being forced to bike on the roads, in places like Petone and Tamaki drive.
Tauranga has mixed bike and footpaths with a speed limit for bikes. Works fine.
Nelson and Mt Maunganui bike lanes would be alright if they did not put you right in the path of opening car doors.
Personally I think that law should be changed.
+1. Even if it means narrowing some roads to widen shared paths for bikes and pedestrians. Works extremely well where I live. Shared paths are probably not suitable for speed-training cyclists, but for commuting, shopping trips etc, they’re spot-on.
Many cyclists have told me that the law says they are allowed to not wear helmets if they ride on the footpath
They’re correct (however they wreck their case by illegally riding on designated footpaths)The law states that helmets must be worn when cycling on roads.
A person must not ride, or be carried on, a bicycle on a road unless the person is wearing a safety helmet of an approved standard that is securely fastened.
I like the idea on the Tauranga Mt bridge. The mixed path has a speed limit for bikes.
So. If you want to ride safely on the bike/pedestrian path you go at a speed that is not too dangerous for pedestrians.
Kids and late middle age cyclists can stay safe while the members of the lycra brigade, that want to ride fast, have the choice of mixing it with the cars.
There’s a few shared paths in Auckland, too. The path labelled as the North Western cyclway is actually a shared path. There’s loads of signs telling people to keep left. But I’ve come across a minority of pedestrians who think that it is for walkers only. They spread across the path in a group, blocking the way for cyclists.
This also happens on the split pedestrian/cycleway over the southern motorway on Symonds Street, with people walking in both the pedestrian lane and cycle lane at the same time, blocking the way for cyclists.
I’ve also come across a guy walking his dog without a leash on the north western cycleway. This is scary for a cyclist because you don’t know which direction the dog might run.
Theyâre correct (however they wreck their case by illegally riding on designated footpaths)The law states that helmets must be worn when cycling on roads.
So, that means that if they cycle on the footpath, they don’t need helmets? That is not what two police officers told me… I fear that you have interpreted the law the way you want it to be, Rosy.
You should hang around Auckland for a while. (I know you’re overseas atm, but still). People who wear helmets are in the minority, and most of those who don’t are kids whose Daddy has told them to ignore Helen’s nanny state law, (my son was at school with many of those) or kids who whinge that they can’t afford a helmet (when they’re riding expensive bikes, of a like that we could never afford) or 30 somethings who respond with libertarian arguments, or more usually, insults.
I have taught and cared for people with brain injuries, and the Brain Injury trust man was actually in tears, when I spoke to him about this. I could not care less about the well-dressed idiot who nearly hit me, or the ex-colleague who claimed that he couldn’t afford a helmet, (he lied of course, and when I offered him Leon’s old one, had a well of excuses why he wouldn’t accept it. Ironically, I lost my job, he kept his – I can hardly afford to eat, and him?? Little barsteward. Brain damage might make him a nicer man, though I doubt it.) Howebver, I do worry very much about the kids. Even if their libertarian parents are morons, the kids don’t deserve brain damage.
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Requiring 10 year olds on bikes to mix with traffic in Auckland while there is a, mostly unused, footpath available is totally stupid.
Are you responding to my (moderated) post about cyclists and footpaths? (I don’t even know if it left moderation.) Because if you are, you seriously missed my point, which is that footpaths are not unused! Especially not here – Pt Chevalier near Unitec. Rehab + and Segar Ave (residence for people with cerebral palsy), a day care centre and several schools are all in the area. The idiot cyclist I referred to missed me by millimetres, and could easily have bowled a child, an actually old person or a person whose walking is, because of their disability, very unsteady. So, don’t be so stinking selfish! The 10 year olds use the cycle path – only the helmetless teenagers and 30 somethings, use the footpath. (Some actual children use the footpath, infrequently, but I don’t begrudge that as they are careful.)
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Never heard of any pedestrians getting major injuries or killed by cyclists on footpaths.
That you have never heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
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You are right that such accidents do happen, V32. In this case it was the cyclist that came off worse, but it could easily have been the pedestrians. Not even a busy path, either, but a fatal collision none the less.
Oh yes. None that I know of have happened here *, but my own near miss shows that they easily could – and the footpath is always thronged with people in manual and power chairs, and a cyclist would not be guaranteed to be the winner if they hit someone in a power chair (I am told by my son the health professional that the term ‘electric wheelchair’ is seriously banned! :D)
Many people at Rehab + are out on their own in manual wheelchairs for the first or one of the first times – I see that even I, a slow and small pedestrian, make them nervous, especially if they’re survivors of disabling car accidents!
That story you linked to is very sad.Â
* Although I do know of many children from Gladstone school who have been killed or injured by motorists nearby. These things are apparently so common that they never make the newspaper, but my son used to go to Gladstone school, and his teachers told me…
Just watched TV1 news, you know the one that has won the Qantas Best News Award (hate to see the losers) News item, says Donkey is still top of the hit parade. Two questions
a, Are the general public thick or,
b, Is it the usual spin and bullshit put out by the right wing MSM. The reason why I ask is, the people I talk to including ones who confess that they voted National, say completely different to what that pathetic news channel called TVNZ One news says.
a) for sure as swinging voters love the beads and coloured glass the nats sprinkle about, we’ve don’t have an electorate that can remember broken promises or actually show up and vote.
b) TVNZ is very NACT friendly, always has been since early 08 when it know they were on the way in, Holmes/Hosking/Sainsbury etc and the endless stream of kid reporters are to serious journalism what chalk is to cheese.
Most of the lines come from high up, they’ll be going flat out to smudge the latest in NACT’s impressive corruption resume.
The nats use carrott/stick very well with those relying on govt funding….just look at the police.
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just donât know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. âOJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. âBrooke van Veldenâs changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minorityâs birthright, New Zealand the majorityâs possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: Â âHow to Fly a Horseâ by Kevin Ashton (2015) â and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops â simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Armyâs State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai RÄwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasnât gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.Weâve announced we are the âYes Governmentâ. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. Itâs about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
Nationalâs cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te PÄti MÄori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna MÄori from state care back to te iwi MÄori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willisâ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Armyâs annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Armyâs State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Memberâs Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The âFluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Billâ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Memberâs Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current âEnvironmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Frameworkâ. âThis Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if todayâs announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between MÄori and the British Crown. Initially inked by NgÄ Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this governmentâs failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealandâs opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting MÄori and Pacific people especially hard, with MÄori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between MÄori and the British Crown. Initially inked by NgÄ Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing â National still wonât commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the countryâs public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te PÄti MÄori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymourâs âcost-savingâ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. âWhatâs the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?â Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the townâs Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mĆ Te KÄhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tĆ«puna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tĆ«puna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Childrenâs Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her governmentâs terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers â temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymourâs school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Governmentâs commitment to get New Zealandâs roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. âIncreasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. âToday I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in WhÄngarei will be offering childhood immunisations â the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Governmentâs record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealandâs strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealandâs national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Governmentâs transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. Itâs a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. âThe racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. âThe latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are âstill both very highâ.â The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawkeâs Bay Fallen Soldiersâ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawkeâs Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealandâs second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. âWe have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mĆ Te KÄhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âThis Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. âA world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed KÄinga Oraâs decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. âIn 2024 KÄinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,â Mr Bishop says. âAs part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. âAs schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamarikiâs review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 Whatâs Up hotline. âWhen I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. âThe Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. âDecember 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labourâs blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. âThe previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. âNational campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 â the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. âThis yearâs Budget will drive forward the Governmentâs plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. âBudget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Governmentâs growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. âJust over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. âThe Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,â says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. âThe change is part of the Governmentâs plan to unlock New Zealandâs potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of KÄinga Oraâs development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âIâve been a strong advocate for social housing on KÄinga Oraâs Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
The government should not set military style academies into youth justice law, the children's commissioner says, despite its first bootcamp getting a glowing report. ...
The infamous over-the-suit T-shirt worn by the PM at a Parliament barbecue has gone on sale to raise funds for children living in poverty, in a TradeMe auction. ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Key Apologises for Wasting Police Time in Teapot Saga
Prime Minister John Key says he misused his authority when he complained to Police after a tape of a semi-private conversation with ACT Leader, John Banks was given to the media. A microphone was left on the coffee table during a staged ‘cup of tea’ media event in which Mr Key publicly endorsed the ACT Party’s Epsom candidate in the last days of last year’s election campaign. This week Police decided not to lay charges against the the taper, Bradley Ambrose, and Mr Ambrose still maintains that the taping was accidental….
I’m not entirely sure if this is supposed to be a joke or not, since the link just goes to the herald and I can’t find any such story there. There is this though: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10795827.
I also found this interesting (and damning):
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10795790
First, moderators I think I neglected to turn off the italics in my comment above. It’s beyond my editing window, but it needs turned off.
Lanth, check the date.
[Fixed..RL]
Good one JS
Ah. For some reason I was thinking it was the 31st.
Indeed… http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/ross-dependency-4-sale/
I’m told that one person on a social media thought it was real. And went on to suggest it might be a good thing… *rolls eyes*
darn you got there before me đ it’s a good april fool’s from JS – mind you the idea of ‘jonkey’ and ‘apology for’ do go together in a number of ways
good link Lanth – Bernard Hickey right on the button
Yes some excellent reading in todays HoS
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10795827
Brilliant well stated summary of events of the teacup saga.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=466
Give credit where credit due…Labour getting some good press.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10795790
Always great to have the tax cuts for the wealthy revisited and results exposed!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10795811
Another person puzzling over and trying to make sense of the whole ACC saga
Read these all before realsing the date! Please tell me the HoS isn’t in on it too!
Thanks Lyn. Read ’em all though Coddington is a bit mean- as usual.
It certainly seems to me that the Herald on Sunday has decided that the years-long honeymoon for Key and his merry band of neo-lib control freaks is over. Good on them.
Imagine reading the editorial getting stuck into Key’s abuse of the paper for short term political advantage, and all of these reports actually looking beyond the spin and into the facts, a couple of years ago. Wouldn’t have happened.
And is it just me, or is there a change in the photos of Key that many papers tend to run on page two? Gone are the smiley, puppy-holding, baby-kissing, prole-comforting pictures; now we see Key frowning, sweaty, looking worried, just like he has something to hide…..
Gotta admit – I have been enjoying the past few months!!
just saying’s comment seems to have caused everything to slant to the right.
[Fixed…all straight again. RL]
best comment you’ve ever made pete –
for people who read this after the italics are fixed…. pg cracked a funny!
đ
đ (y)
My first attempt to use emoticons…
mmmm the y is meant to be a thumbs up!
it’s a funny bug that. one incorrectly written bit of code and the italics carries on through all the comments. it even made the editing buttons in the back of the side italicised.
[Fixed…all straight again. RL]
Straight down the middle now, great!
David Shearer has issued a statement requesting all MPs start setting an example of positive leadership, and has asked all Labour MPs and staffers to set an example of putting the good of the country first, and to stop petty political attacks. Shearer in strong show of leadership.
Latest document to be leaked from the donkey’s office.
http://www.lynchs.com/cat–Costumes-For-Clowns–clowncostumes12.html
Maybe “Lynchs” is going a bit far?
What are the chances this is an April Fools Day prank?
It’s fun to watch the civil war within the National Party. The National Party’s civil war on New Zealand? Not so much.
No ‘social responsibility’ clause. That’s good, innit? Wonder how many ‘earth hours’ electricity companies will claim credit for?
Which explains why they had to write a social responsibility clause in the first place. Someone should make Ryall watch Alan Greenspan’s Congressional testimony until he gets it through numb skull that he is talking shit.
Why isn’t there a requirement in the cabinet manual that ministers statements should not be demonstrably deceitful?
Typical of this lot to avoid interviews – another minister diving away, leaving some junior in the media department to knock out a quick statement that says “don’t worry – the market incentives will look after that for us – now stop bothering the minister with things below his super-strategic view”.
It is going to be fun watching the developments at Narrow Neck beach in Auckland. Looks like iwi are about get some prime waterfront land back. So far as I can see, the dispute is about rich capitalist whities, pointing to how “poor” they were in the nineties and in a desperate act of ingenuine socialist solidarity, trying to align themselves with an imaginary aggrieved public. If that doesn’t catch, they then point to the slippery slope argument that marine park fish will be endangered by treaty settlement land on top of a cliff. The consultation process wasn’t transparent enough, they claim. Jesus, they are pretty transparent themsleves. They complain they were hoodwinked by the people they voted into government, even though they knew those people used the same measure of self interest as their lifestyles and attitudes hold dear. Can’t risk maori building “cheap in-fill housing” on prime land, one woman said on TV last night. I assume that’s because we all know how maori and cheap go together… don’t we? No sir, it should be whities doing that, building exclusive residences, keeping the tone of the neighbourhood clean, you know, like they did over the harbour in Okahu bay all those years ago. So a few maori got burned out of their homes, couldn’t they understand the City had a raffle running? Even poor old The-Law-is-Complicated Len has found his voice and come out saying a private consulation “…doesn’t cut the mustard”. Ooh, steady on there Len, your masters will get twitchy! The irony is that after almost 175 years of maori learning the hard way how to be good colonialists, rich whities are being out-whitied by rich maori and can no longer choose their neighbours. Gee, that must sting.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10792849
But, those uppity Devonport activists seem to have got the wrong end of the stick and assumed Ngati Whatua have the same motives for acquiring prime coastal real estate:….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6673729/Angry-residents-threaten-to-take-over-naval-base
Having been on the periphery of the previous stoush in the late 1990s involviing former environment minister, Nick Smith, I think most people expected the land presently covered by buildings and a car-park would be added to the reserve once the Navy abandoned their barracks. Indeed from memory we were given to understand by the Shipley govt. that is what would happen. Anyone who knows the area intimately can appreciate the significance such an enlarged reserve would have for the whole of Auckland. It has the potential to be a sparkling jewel in our ‘maritime reserve’ crown with magnificent views of the harbour and gulf. The uppity Devonport activists fought a costly court battle to stop all but a very narrow strip along the top of the cliff being sold off to speculators and turned into a rich man’s paradise and they won. I can tell you Nick Smith and his (then) colleagues were thoroughly pissed off with us at the time.
The fact that this latest deal was done behind closed doors without the knowledge of the local community and the community board, hasn’t gone down well and I’m not surprised. I have no wish to deprive Ngati Whatua of their rightful heritage, but I want to know one hell of a lot more about what plans they have for the land once it comes into their possession. Like North Head, it is a very special place with a fascinating history – both Maori and Pakeha.
One small error. We were certainly given to understand that the reserve would be extended after the departure of the Navy but I doubt it came from the govt. of the day. We were not on their Xmas card list. đ
There is another part of that article that also deserves mention
I don’t often agree with finlayson but I do when he says
The upset residents should take some time to consider those quotes and the quotes that Carol has put up too. What is the actual fear and where does it spring from? At the moment it seems not far off what uturn has written.
Man that’s a solid wall of words Uturn. l
You are talking a load of crap Uturn. Rich capitalist whities? Bullshit! If they hadn’t done their dash nobody would have the land now including Ngati Whatua. It would be covered in dirty great mansions belonging to rich capitalist whities.
Ngati Whatua and the Devonport Trust (which was set up to protect the reserve) worked together last time and I’m sure they will end up doing so again. To categorise Devonport activists and by inference residents – most of whom are behind them – as a bunch of self serving, racist capalist pigs (yep, that’s what you’re saying) just shows up your ignorance of both them and the past and present situation.
Lucky ol’ whitey and his self interest came to Ngati Whatuas aid, huh? People not familiar with Auckland’s North Shore and specifically the area in question will be surprised by the raft of rich man’s mansions on both sides of the land in question – just keeping the land safe, that is, “for all of Auckland” – and the neighbourhood in general. How bewildered visitors will be to find the diversity you suggest exists. I know I was warmly accepted into the multicultural egalitarian environment when I lived there. Then again, I am white. I don’t mind calling my own out as racists and hypocrites, when they are. Like you, they really hate it, though.
“People not familiar with Aucklandâs North Shore and specifically the area in question will be surprised by the raft of rich manâs mansions on both sides of the land in question”
Yeah that’s the point. It is prime awesome land, it would be best for every kiwi if it remained in the public commons. If Ngati Whatua doesn’t guarentee it will be turned into a park for ALL to share, then it will inevitably become more ‘rich man’s’ mansions.
(my emphasis)
How would it be best for NgÄti WhÄtua?
Why not get some of the ‘rich men’ to turn their mansions into parks for all to share?
The second question is rhetorical of course – we know the answer to that one – we know the system we live within and where the privilege is held.
Actually, it was Ngati Whatua who came to ol’ whitey’s aid. You would do well to remove that chip on your shoulder mate.
I’ve lived near Narrow Neck Beach since I was born (50 years) had my first swim in a rock pool there. So I claim it as my local beach. I have strong ties here and I sure don’t vote National or Act! All the people who live here have a right to a say, for themselves, their children, their grandchildren, because many people brought up here stay here all their lives. Why are Ngati Whatua the only important ones here? Surely there is other land that can be sold. That land was safe, or so we thought, for future generations as permanent reserve. I can certainly understand that the wealthier residents of the Shore who obviously voted National, especially Devonport, are pretty irate , as am I, and I don’t think that will die down easily. So Maggie Barry, be warned! No seat is safe if you do the dirty on your electorate!
http://promos.airnz.co.nz/gas/straightup/
Airnz promo
The Brits panic-buying fuel due to a strike that hadn’t been called was encouraged by the government – “re-fuel before it gets too low”, they said, “store petrol in a jerry-can in the garage” one said.
After hours-long queues for days, empty petrol stations and a serious burns incident it’s found to have all been a pre-planned ‘Thatcher Moment’ to break the union. Note that it this news was broken by the Daily Telegraph aka the Torygraph.
Absolute contempt is what I have for the people who have engineered this state of affairs.
Looks like someone has threatened Slater with consequences if he doesn’t pull his head in and allow a ceasefire in the Nats’ civil war:
“Thatâs it!
by Whaleoil
Iâm over them. National that isâŠcuddling up to Boag.
I think I will join the Labour party. They seem to be having so much more fun right now.
Plus, since they are the nasty party they should welcome my particular skills.”
Slater, your particular skills are having a mad blog that Lusk sometimes puts interesting things on (which you promptly bury with trash – 4 posts in 2 hours so far, it’s Sunday dude!)
Or is his post his idea of a 1 April joke although it would not surprise me if he had been told to pull his head in. However, that sort of advice usually seems to provoke certain types of people to do the opposite.
When I looked just before seeing your post here, he was up to 5 posts and its not yet 9am.
Time for a shower.
I’m keeping closer tabs on wo through rss than normal because of the nats civil war. the sheer quantity of dross is amazing. ten posts in 4 hours
Ditto – am still interested in the statement in one of yesterday’s posts which appears to claim to have had the Sovereign letter before Close Up in terms of where it may have been leaked from. Here is my earlier comment on this – http://thestandard.org.nz/slaterlusk-goes-off-the-deep-end/#comment-453506
Agreed Rosy. These utterly manipulative scumbags governing the UK only considered how they could turn public opinion against the union – before the union had even voted whether to take action. The result was a public run on fuel; artificially created shortages; worries that emergency services wouldn’t be able to find fuel in an emergency; people storing petrol without understanding the hazards; a woman severely burnt because while decanting petrol for her daughter who had run out of fuel. What do these people stand for? Do they give a damn about the people they are supposed to be governing?
Decanting petrol in the kitchen while cooking…
Nope, they only care about themselves and the power and wealth that they can accumulate using the rules that they’ve put in place over the centuries.
yeah sunday should be an amphetamine free day over at the whaleweightstation.
Go Winston! This is fantastic! http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/6673678/Winston-Peters-takes-up-red-zone-cause
I bet if Jim Anderton were in parliament, or mayor, he’d be on this case too.
More privatisation madness that’s slipped under the radar
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6673557/Car-parking-The-ticket-for-returns
Get this bit….
“Often the district health board would also rent back a substantial number of the car parks for its medical staff, on long-term contracts with regular rent reviews, providing a built-in lift in revenue…”
So the upshot is that for a sugar rush of $15.3million the DHB gave away income of at least $2.36million per year for twenty years, plus incurred higher costs for staff parking. We’ve got some real financial wizards in charge of the DHB. A taste of what’s to come methinks.
Yes parking is a juicy earner, especially with a captive market that has nowhere to go. Always was easy money as the structures are concrete shells, require little maintenance, need virtually no staff and you just keep raising the cost.
Parkings been Auckland airports juiciest plum for years and again shows what an ideological lemming Ryall is on top of his lies about doctors and nurse numbers is a nasty and evasive dude…..perfect NACT material.
Are there any escalation clauses or do they just charge what they like?
Don’t know, I’d have thought the hospitals would have some say in the parking levies but maybe not, look at Auck hospitals outrageous charges;
“The car park charges visitors to the hospital $18 for stays of 6-8 hours….”
The main point is the hospital (and other) car parks are publicly owned assets being signed over to profiteering private businesses for twenty year leases when there is no commercial or financial justification for such lengthy terms. The owners, ie us the public, are also losing very substantial sums in income from the asset.
true but NACT consider any public asset ripe for their business mates to profit at the public’s expense, sick and vulnerable even easier kaching.
Ryall’s doing long term damage in health and it goes pretty much unoticed, of of the darkest lords quietly going about the hollowmans business.
As annoying as they are, I guess they promote more efficient public transport in a way.
Of course it is unavoidable when you do need a car, but mostly I think parking charges and tickets are mostly a rich persons tax.
We still have it way better than most parts of the world. In the UK 10pd+ per hour was pretty standard in CBD type areas. Even in the suburbs you needed a ‘pass’ that verified you as a resident or you risked being towed. So pretty much your mates had to pay for temporary passes to park there, even outside YOUR flat. We are nowhere near that bad here.
That is what we have just down the road from me in Grey Lynn.
Bespoke custom pets – just press print.
http://www.economist.com/node/21551450?frsc=dg%7Ca
Ah I was almost half way through before I realized the date.
There was a great obituary as well
http://www.economist.com/node/21551439?frsc=dg%7Ca
Which wasn’t a joke.
Well worth reading, thanks for the link.
We all too often forget or don’t know about such people, who are the real leaders of this world albeit in a small way in the overall scheme of things. Leaders is not quite the right word, but brain is not yet functioning fully.
A truly inspiring article – recommend it to other Standard readers.
Ditto Very inspiring
Thank God for people like Lyn Lusi, who selflessly defied the darkness in the heart of man and brought healing and light to those maimed by human wickedness.Such a heart warming and uplifting life to aspire to.
Rest in eternal peace Lyn Lusi knowing that you faithfully fought the good fight and I thank you for it.
Love the acronym H.E.A.L. standing for health,education, action and love. I wish we could put this into action for our poverty stricken children. Thank you so much for this link lprent, stirring stuff.
Questions of ”cheque book legislation” again arose at Parliaments question time when both Brownlee and Joyce were questioned on whether Skycity had given any favor of any sort to either of the Ministers in the Slippery Sleaze administration,
The method by which Brownlee replied was slightly enlightening, complaining to the House Speaker Lockwood Smith that such a question from the Opposition should not have included the word ”corruption”,
Brownlee once put in His place answered a no to the question as to whether He had ever recieved favor or cash from Skycity as did Joyce,
A forensic psychologist tho would have been all over Joyce as when He rose to answer in the negative to the question of ever having recieved cash or favor from Skycity the first few words of His reply in the negative only managed to escape the constriction in His throat as a girlish squeak,
The real question that should be asked of Joyce in particular is has He set His business interests into a ”blind trust” with no knowledge to him management by others thus giving Joyce the perception of freedom from conflict of interest as a Minister of the Crown and would He be surprised if such a ”managed blind trust” held an amount of Skycity shares???…
Wasn’t Q+A better without Holmes, and Fran O’Sullivan even made some sense for once… I’m almost lost for words.
Indeed, Jackal. Greg Boyd did surprisingly well, and even Shane Taurima managed to make Key look less confident than he used to be. (Though more to do with the end of the Media Honeymoon, methinks. Just about to blog on it…)
The episode seemed more professional; less show-ponyish; and dealth with the issues (the issues! Oh no, say it ain’t so, ma!)
Just how wide-spread is this little bit of inspired Public/Private business???
It appears that Housing New Zealand Ltd has a contracted out inspection service where once a year tenants are visited by Housing New Zealand,s privately contracted building inspectors to check on issues of maintainence and/or tenant damage to the property,
It would further appear,and we have as yet not ascertained the numbers,that at least one tenant has had 2 new smoke alarms installed despite the 3 already at the property being in perfect un-damaged working condition,
The tenants in this particular piece of work are not asked for their consent nor are they told that they will be billed for the installation,
3 months later Housing New Zealand sends the tenants an invoice for ”damage” to the property with a claim that the smoke alarms were installed as ”replacements” for damaged alarms supposedly already at the property,
Tenants are given 7 days to pay for this little rort and we wonder just how many of Housing New Zealand,s tenants are being rorted in this manner and how many have meekly paid up thinking that ”they have to”….
Housing NZ Ltd for what should be a government service department. And then this outsourcing of real work to robot arms so that at the centre is just an ugly alien with giant eyes and a flaming mouth, the horror fantasy films come to reality.
We have posted twice here this morning and not wanting to hog the page we are off to spend a little energy on the chores,
What we have posted tho has as an afterthought to us addressed a somewhat intertwined issue that has effects at the top end of society as it does the bottom,
In reality we have simply addressed the issue of the supposed public/private partnership and that reality simply shows us that such a relationship is rotten at its core and should such a dissolution of the line between the role of Public business and Private business continue the rotten core will begin to give off a stench all of its own…
I see Airnz has new strap hanging stand-up-straight cheap offers going. Maybe just for 1st April.
National’s economic treason
The National led government have in fact increased government debt by over 190% since they gained power in 2008, and such economic bungling will undoubtedly cause problems for New Zealand for decades to come…
It always seems strange that Bill English’s litany of, “All Labour does is borrow and spend.”
But who has been borrowing us into huge debt since 2008?
I am still trying to figure out what the PM meant with his spiel on Q+A this am, when comparing 2 billion borrowed by National compared to 12 billion from Labour ???
Was he trying to say Nats have only borrowed 2 billion in the first three years ?
Rather disturbing story about a teenager trying to go all Equus on his Dad’s business in the Herald. It’s accompanied by a graphic picture of a dead horse. What caught my eye was the juxtaposition of that photo with one immediately to its right, which illustrates the difficulty a young Philippino woman is having getting bikini shots published on facebook. I think there may be a feminist on the sub’s bench trying to make an obscure point.
Mike Hoskings doing a ‘cash for comments’ deal with a major corporate with an image problem looking for concessions from government is following in a well worn track. See the John Laws link below. Laws’ people went out to recruit a corporate ‘with a big PR problem’: at that time it was the banks, who were in the middle of a major rarking up of fees. So: wonder who esle might be paying off our celebs and shock jocks? Aussie Banks here? ASB bank? Offshore owned utility companies? Super market duopolies?? Mind boggles: suggestions please!!! http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/johnlaws.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_for_comment_affair
Full independent inquiry required
It looks like Boag and Pullar have been utilizing their associations in the National party for personal gain and it is likely that very senior members of the National party (including Key) are implicated in the stand-over tactics of a private insurer and a government department…
It looks like you are trying to utilise old accusations backed by little or nothing. Pullar and Boag have been trying to utilise their National associations, but without much success.
The private insurer said their name drop overkill harmed rtaher than aided their claim there. They could see the “support team” was nonsensical, as could anyone with half a clue.
Nick Smith stuffed up but for nothing, things still haven’t been resolved at ACC so there doesn’t look like any personal gain there.
Key has adamantly discounted any involvement and that seems credible with facts the facts that are known and common sense.
Did you happen to see Q+A this morning Pete George? Fran O’Sullivan disagrees with your and John Keys argument.
I can count the number of times I’ve agreed with O’Sullivan on an amputees hand, but I happen to agree with her that undue influence is wrong even when it’s not successful.
Is a bank robber not a criminal when he doesn’t get away with any money Pete George?
Could you link to where Sovereign Insurance said the support and advocate people listed in the leaked letter was nonsensical?
Wayne Mapp on tv said he organised meeting(s) with pullar’s support people regarding
the claim from soverign insurance,the claim for $14 mil.
She also got closer to the $3 mil amount
according to a tv report.
WTF!!? How can National still be rising in the polls? Even as a strong National supporter, I can’t believe they have escaped so unscathed from all the shit that has gone down.
Have ask TS. Which poll are you writing about?
TV One – “poll kick in the pants for Labour”
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/tim-watkin-poll-kick-in-pants-labour-4810215
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/national-s-popularity-undented-in-new-poll-4810211
Tim Watkin says:
Or change it’s game. A few here Labourites here could take note.
When will they realise that they need to worry less about trying to make Key and National worse (they’ll do that themselves over time), and more effort making Shearer and Labour better?
The day the labour party needs popularity advice from UF would be the day it should shut up shop.
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One news released a poll tonight showing the three big parties up and NZ1 back down to 3% (lols – that’s what they said before the election đ ). Not on the CB site yet.
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On the plus side, that’s 51% all up for the nats government. Error-level shite, and not a spike.
It was the colmar brunton poll,what the hell is wrong with people,it was taken in the
midst of the acc debacle too,i give up.
Mostly the poll shows no change. Except this, which puzzled me most:
Sorry, folks, but no – National is not as high up in the polls as what Colmar Brunton would have us believe. It’s more BS polling, and the math is quite simple; http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/bugger-the-polls/
Colmar Brunton is trying to pull a fast one – the same BS figures they gave us last year.
My money is on a change of government in 2014 (if not earlier).
Yes, in moderation… one day I may find out why. In the meantime, I get the hint, I have nothing more to say about anything – but you can’t stop me thinking it!
Just watched the 60 minutes on Tv3. The Casino deal was in the gun. Guyon Espiner in good form questioning Joyce over the sweet deal. Joyce unable to answer some fundamental questions and I bet he will be unwilling to face up again. (Guyon said that in Adelaide the same Casino chain sought special privileges in exchange for law change. The Government response there? “You must be dreaming!” Joyce knew nothing about this – and he should have.)
Hope some clever Standardista can follow this up?
Stuff reported on the Adelaide comparison in August last year. That explains how Joyce had never heard of it: he was lying.
Slippery has also been running the lie about casinos being “safer” despite having no evidence.
Joyce oozes corruption from every pore – he doesn’t even try to hide it. How anyone can imagine that he would make a good party leader is beyond me.
OAB’s policy suggestion: require that Sky City’s owners build the convention centre for free, then confiscate their assets and drive them out of the country.
Personally I think that law should be changed.
Requiring 10 year olds on bikes to mix with traffic in Auckland while there is a, mostly unused, footpath available is totally stupid.
Of course if you would rather a cyclist got killed than a pedestrian injured?
Never heard of any pedestrians getting major injuries or killed by cyclists on footpaths.
Many deaths from cyclists being forced to bike on the roads, in places like Petone and Tamaki drive.
Tauranga has mixed bike and footpaths with a speed limit for bikes. Works fine.
Nelson and Mt Maunganui bike lanes would be alright if they did not put you right in the path of opening car doors.
Personally I think that law should be changed.
+1. Even if it means narrowing some roads to widen shared paths for bikes and pedestrians. Works extremely well where I live. Shared paths are probably not suitable for speed-training cyclists, but for commuting, shopping trips etc, they’re spot-on.
Many cyclists have told me that the law says they are allowed to not wear helmets if they ride on the footpath
They’re correct (however they wreck their case by illegally riding on designated footpaths)The law states that helmets must be worn when cycling on roads.
I like the idea on the Tauranga Mt bridge. The mixed path has a speed limit for bikes.
So. If you want to ride safely on the bike/pedestrian path you go at a speed that is not too dangerous for pedestrians.
Kids and late middle age cyclists can stay safe while the members of the lycra brigade, that want to ride fast, have the choice of mixing it with the cars.
There’s a few shared paths in Auckland, too. The path labelled as the North Western cyclway is actually a shared path. There’s loads of signs telling people to keep left. But I’ve come across a minority of pedestrians who think that it is for walkers only. They spread across the path in a group, blocking the way for cyclists.
This also happens on the split pedestrian/cycleway over the southern motorway on Symonds Street, with people walking in both the pedestrian lane and cycle lane at the same time, blocking the way for cyclists.
I’ve also come across a guy walking his dog without a leash on the north western cycleway. This is scary for a cyclist because you don’t know which direction the dog might run.
So, that means that if they cycle on the footpath, they don’t need helmets? That is not what two police officers told me… I fear that you have interpreted the law the way you want it to be, Rosy.
You should hang around Auckland for a while. (I know you’re overseas atm, but still). People who wear helmets are in the minority, and most of those who don’t are kids whose Daddy has told them to ignore Helen’s nanny state law, (my son was at school with many of those) or kids who whinge that they can’t afford a helmet (when they’re riding expensive bikes, of a like that we could never afford) or 30 somethings who respond with libertarian arguments, or more usually, insults.
I have taught and cared for people with brain injuries, and the Brain Injury trust man was actually in tears, when I spoke to him about this. I could not care less about the well-dressed idiot who nearly hit me, or the ex-colleague who claimed that he couldn’t afford a helmet, (he lied of course, and when I offered him Leon’s old one, had a well of excuses why he wouldn’t accept it. Ironically, I lost my job, he kept his – I can hardly afford to eat, and him?? Little barsteward. Brain damage might make him a nicer man, though I doubt it.) Howebver, I do worry very much about the kids. Even if their libertarian parents are morons, the kids don’t deserve brain damage.
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Yet another helmetless cyclist… Typical of the breed? (The headline is misleading, but that’s not unusual.)
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Are you responding to my (moderated) post about cyclists and footpaths? (I don’t even know if it left moderation.) Because if you are, you seriously missed my point, which is that footpaths are not unused! Especially not here – Pt Chevalier near Unitec. Rehab + and Segar Ave (residence for people with cerebral palsy), a day care centre and several schools are all in the area. The idiot cyclist I referred to missed me by millimetres, and could easily have bowled a child, an actually old person or a person whose walking is, because of their disability, very unsteady. So, don’t be so stinking selfish! The 10 year olds use the cycle path – only the helmetless teenagers and 30 somethings, use the footpath. (Some actual children use the footpath, infrequently, but I don’t begrudge that as they are careful.)
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That you have never heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
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You are right that such accidents do happen, V32. In this case it was the cyclist that came off worse, but it could easily have been the pedestrians. Not even a busy path, either, but a fatal collision none the less.
http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/cyclist-dies-in-freak-accident/1112431/
Oh yes. None that I know of have happened here *, but my own near miss shows that they easily could – and the footpath is always thronged with people in manual and power chairs, and a cyclist would not be guaranteed to be the winner if they hit someone in a power chair (I am told by my son the health professional that the term ‘electric wheelchair’ is seriously banned! :D)
Many people at Rehab + are out on their own in manual wheelchairs for the first or one of the first times – I see that even I, a slow and small pedestrian, make them nervous, especially if they’re survivors of disabling car accidents!
That story you linked to is very sad.Â
* Although I do know of many children from Gladstone school who have been killed or injured by motorists nearby. These things are apparently so common that they never make the newspaper, but my son used to go to Gladstone school, and his teachers told me…
Just watched TV1 news, you know the one that has won the Qantas Best News Award (hate to see the losers) News item, says Donkey is still top of the hit parade. Two questions
a, Are the general public thick or,
b, Is it the usual spin and bullshit put out by the right wing MSM. The reason why I ask is, the people I talk to including ones who confess that they voted National, say completely different to what that pathetic news channel called TVNZ One news says.
about 5% bias for b, and a bit of a.
a) for sure as swinging voters love the beads and coloured glass the nats sprinkle about, we’ve don’t have an electorate that can remember broken promises or actually show up and vote.
b) TVNZ is very NACT friendly, always has been since early 08 when it know they were on the way in, Holmes/Hosking/Sainsbury etc and the endless stream of kid reporters are to serious journalism what chalk is to cheese.
Most of the lines come from high up, they’ll be going flat out to smudge the latest in NACT’s impressive corruption resume.
The nats use carrott/stick very well with those relying on govt funding….just look at the police.