No solution, just pointing out that in general these boycotts don’t really achieve anything – Countdown is still in business and making record profits.
Not so, Lanth. Market share is all important to the two main chains and any knock in public confidence, or the hint of a boycott, is a serious matter to them:
I don’t see anything on that page that indicates Progressive Enterprises have suffered badly from the public reaction to what they did, the worst are these parts:
“On 24 October The Press reported that the dispute “took a toll on Australian parent company Woolworths, which reported flat sales in New Zealand for the first quarter””
“On 12 October The Press reported that Marty Hamnett who had been CEO of Progressive Enterprises during the dispute, was leaving his position to “return to work in Australia for family reasons”
Perhaps you missed the paragraph about the call for a public boycott from the Greens?
Ultimately, it was the loss of sales, and a ceding of market share to their rivals, that caused Progressive to sue for peace. The unions involved did not call for a boycott, but it was obvious that there was a reaction from the community, even at stores where no picket line was maintained.
The acknowledgment from the company that sales were “flat”, and the sacking of Marty Hamnett itself, kinda confirm the point.
“Perhaps you missed the paragraph about the call for a public boycott from the Greens?”
I did miss that. But it doesn’t change my response: there was nothing on that page that indicates Progressive Enterprises suffered badly from the public reaction to what they did.
I’m not saying that they didn’t suffer badly, just that the page you linked to doesn’t indicate that.
Well, I think you’re being a tad pedantic, Lanth. The info is all there on that page. The combination of closed distribution centres, picket lines at major stores and broad public support is what won the dispute for the union members.
“Not so, Lanth. Market share is all important to the two main chains and any knock in public confidence, or the hint of a boycott, is a serious matter to them:”
And then had the link to the wiki page, as if it somehow backs up your statement.
I could just easily say something like this:
Without gravity, it would be very difficult for me to go about my day to day life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity
In otherwords you’ve stated something that on the face of it is true and acceptable, and then linked to a page that discussed the topic in general, but doesn’t really address the points you made.
I think I already mentioned you are being pedantic, didn’t I? And you have acknowleged you didn’t read it thoroughly, missing the very paragraph that referred to a consumer boycott.
The facts are straightforward. There was an unofficial consumer boycott against PEL. It hurt them. So did the organised industrial action. They folded. End of. I’m not saying that the boycott was the single reason for the defeat of PEL, but it was a significant factor.
Remember, your original comment was that you didn’t think that boycotts really acheive anything. You now know, from a practical example, that that is not always the case.
I’m saying they don’t achieve anything in the sense of achieving anything long term. Bunch of people boycott Countdown, they have a quarter where sales are flat, and then it’s back to business as usual.
Maybe I’m alone in that, maybe not. That’s something they should factor in when they are deciding whether to screw workers over. A boycott might have an effect, it might not (Cadbury’s and palm oil springs to mind in the former).
The very fact that a fiscally prudent manager would look at the public response is an improvement on a situation where the only factor to consider in the treatment of workers is the effect on the bottom line.
No one is going to boycott pac and save, because they pay crap wages, just like no one would boycott speights in this country if they paid low places, or noone will stop going to rugby union games until the nzrfu deals with the violent problem.
People will not boycott something they want.
You think all those letters to fire Paul henry were from people that would actually watch Paul Henry?
Because you are so demonstrably wrong in your categorical statement about what “people” do, you might want to check out any qualifications along the lines of “nobody but you” against, oh, any actual research into the matter. Just so we know you’re not talking out of your – um – mouth đ
There are now two paradigm in play, crap wages vs profits going overseas. Confuses people and therefore – nothing changes. Very good tactic. Besides, all these companies who said that they wont use youth rates – how will we know? Who can really say?
Yeah I’m ditching Pak N Slave. I might only spend $100 a month there (it’s not my local and I only shop there if I happen to be passing by), but fuck them.
Problem is while people might be prepared to boycott one or t’other, they are definitely not going to boycott both because there are basic limits to how much inconvenience people will endure for a principle in a reasonably affluent society like ours.
The market is pretty rigged, by the time you get to a supermarket, out of your car, across the car park, queuing etc, your not going to shop around for better bargains.
And really both pac-sav and countdown know that, that’s why they don’t compete with each other, pac-sav packs them high and sells them cheap, and countdown is dearer.
How can pac-a-sav do that, well I believe it buys stock that has been on the shelves elsewhere that needs to be move fast, whereas countdown does for slightly high quality, consistency at a price. Basically the program of roading sprawl has given local venders a monopoly.
Then there’s the habit of only one shop selling a item cheap, while all the others have different items slightly cheap, so none actually competes with the others and they effective set the price.
Then theres is the constant sales, where products are sold at the same price a few month, couple this with astonishing jumps in price…
I think its pretty much understood that consumers have no real power in NZ (well unless they are very wealthy).
The flags are out for Mayday on my side of the world. I’ll be off to watch celebrations and protests in the morning. They still take the day for workers seriously here.
It might be India Rob … where they’ve been observing the May/Labour day in one form or another since the 1920’s in various places – you know – that place where Steven Joyce is pinning his next hopes on to provide edjakayshun to the masses. Trouble is – he may very well have to look at visa requirements and the manner in which many of its nationals have been treated to date. I’ve no doubt the contingent currently visiting the Weltec joint initiative will be treated with the utmost politeness, but they shouldn’t be under any illusions as to how others sampling NZ’s tertiary sector have been treated.
Oh, where’s that little South American jaunt by Ke and Co going at the mo btw?
Let me know when something substantial eventuates, and that can at least cover the costs of the ‘jaunt’
Could be Brazil too. They give May Day some prominence. You’re supposed to like them, Rob, because your mate Simon made a whole new law just for Petrobras. He can’t have noticed that it’s not a private company.
You’d get that in Vienna too. In part, I think, because they link unemployment and reduced workers rights with a rise in a certain political ideology of the 1930s.
Yeah… and he’ll have heard about that global weather thing. Ya know, the one wot says the world’s gonna heat up and we’re all gonna fry. I mean, wot about all those freeze-ups in Europe and Yankee Land? He’s listened to Leighton Smith wot is real clever. He talks to scientists n’ all those people and they say it’s lies. Typical Commies n’ terrorists all of us… always lying.
This will mean Austria I guess. Strong worker tradition with an union – government agreement in place that has guarantied 60 years of social peace. Whilst the Anglo Saxon world has been on strike Austria was working and negotiating for fair wages – a lot higher then in NZ, fair condition 4 weeks holiday, free healthcare and dentist except specialist care, pension age after 40 years of contribution at 80% of the last 10 years income (means if you start working with 18 you retire with 58 if work was not interrupted) and proper elder care.
Well the down side is – soooo many people in a very small place.
Wonderful to see a day for standing up for people, not companies… and so many ordinary people – old, young, kids and right across the social strata. The Kommunist party picnic in Votiv Park with the ‘Happy Austria Band’ playing was absolutely full (imagine the response to a picnic like that in one of Auckland’s biggest parks), Rathausplatz was standing room only, we left with a rousing rendition of ‘the internationale’ still ringing in our ears.
So many people of all ages understanding the meaning of both solidarity and co-operation rather than our adversarial labour relations and labour laws that don’t protect workers (and in the end won’t protect the employers either). Sobering to see the marching of people from Turkey, Syria, Iran, Tunisia and other places – still so many places without the most basic right to fight for better conditions.
Respect for labour (although I’d not pretend it was universal) is one of the very good things about living here. New Zealand has a very long way to go in this regard. Imagine if this respect could again be returned to one of the very many good things about living in New Zealand.
I am not so much a fan of the Kommunist party but I am 100% for social justice. NZ has not much of a history so there is also not much of a collective memory of events and tragedies like in Europe. This has an advantage when it comes to an almost naive sense of adventure but the other side is of cause that politicians have a field day with manipulating the masses.
And this tinpot government keeps using the excuse that our economy is being affected by world recession….. or the earthquake …. or the laziness of people who’d rather not work for a living …. or the increase in sunspot activity this year
plenty of rich countries out there buying NZ goods and services, plenty of rich travellers coming to NZ, tax cuts so all kiwis have more money to spend, and an ever increasing number of very wealthy NZers who are trickling their wealth down to the masses – not
maybe the increasing poverty in all NZ rural towns and cities is just the result of four years of miserable shonkey ill-advised government economic policy and legislation removing workers’ protections
Actually we are still affected by the world recession and the earthquake (only someone who doesn’t live in Christchurch could come out with crap like that). Tourism is dropping off because it’s increasingly expensive to come here and we are in an export battle with countries producing much the same things we do but closer to the primary markets. Certainly the current government are making things worse by following neo-lib austerity philosophy, but they are not making it up entirely. Peak oil and climate change are only going to make things worse.
thankyou Populuxe for your correction – (perhaps i should hve added /sarc tag)
of course people living in Christchurch are still affected by the earthquake…. that’s a given since the shonkey government has failed the people living there…. i just find it pitiful that the earthquake is whinged about by the government as one of the reasons for NZ’s poor economic performance
but yes…the Brownlie mismanagement and failure to adequately support those with damaged homes and businesses bankrupted from the earthquake probably does add to the abject performance in NZ’s social statistics.
Our exporters may be having a hard time due to this government’s policies that have created an overvalued dollar but our biggest trade partners are countries whose economies are growing http://www.treasury.govt.nz/economy/overview/2012/22.htm
As for peak oil – the Nacts can’t use this as a reason for poor economic performance and increasing poverty in NZ. The government’s tax take from NZ’s oil and gas production and royalties is as high as it’s ever been, and the NZ economy is less exposed to increases in oil prices than many of our competitors’
Unfortunately, the fact that churches appear to be ‘picking up the tab’/ ‘filling the gap’ or whatever, will be viewed by the Nats as an endorsement of their welfare roll-backs. No-one starved. State assistance wasn’t necessary afterall.
Volunteers and the private/corporate sector (Church and supermarkets in this instance) have it covered. Moving along….
And of course Ruobeil, we MUST PUNISH anyone out of work/made redundant/retired for simply assuming they have a right to access media – especially that which was once intended for all but has since been commercialised to the extent they must pay! Why those dirty filthy bennies should not be allowed to witness sporting events, engage in political discourse or express an opinion. MUST PUNISH at all costs!
“While those 800 continue their SKY subs, Cigs and buying from the corner dairy”
You left out paying for an internet connection among other things. And I’m not sure why supporting small business (such as the struggling corner dairy) is such a bad thing.
I make a point of supporting mine – and I do so by ONLY purchasing obvious ‘loss-leaders’ at the supermarket.
Those bennies, the indigent, the struggling aye: MUST PUNISH, MUST ISOLATE, MUST not allow them to participate in society in the same way you do.
If I had my way….. I’d put ’em all the the army – show ’em some discipline! (not)
The Herald is trying to drum up support for a Maurice for Mayor campaign initially started by the slithery one.
The right are calling it a “circuit breaker” for local government. Given the Government’s refusal to recognise the legitimate aspirations of Aucklanders as expressed by their elected representatives installing a Government lacky into the top job could be called a circuit breaker. But the inner city loop, the desire for a compact urban form, a living wage policy and proper treatment of the trade unions will all be pipe dreams if this happened.
Cameron Brewer was reported as praising Williamson’s ministerial experience. He does have this but used to advocate for such bizarre things as the privatisation of roads. Auckland’s congestion built up during the 1990s when he was Transport Minister as money was diverted from Auckland to ensuring pristine roads for the electorates of King Country and Ashburton.
And Brewer says that Auckland’s relationship with Central Government is the worst it has been since the 1970s. He is probably right. Back in 1976 Muldoon torpetoed Robbie’s mass transit program and ensured that Auckland sprawled and was committed to a never ending need to build roads.
It could actually be a good thing for Williamson to run. This would energise what could be otherwise a rather dull election.
“Except those who want the CRL donât want to pay for it.”
I don’t even live in Auk, but as the crl is a common sense policy, I’m all for my taxes going to part fund it, and at least 100% more than I want my cut to fund $1000pw tax cuts for rich pricks.
Mate, those of us who want the CRL are already paying for (the lack of) it: extra time in the car burning petrol because of the clogged traffic; high costs of rail and bus, plus the extra time sitting in trains outside Britomart waiting for a berth, etc, etc.
In addition to Charles Chauvel, the following new bloggers will be joining The Daily Blog line-up:
Penny Hulse â Deputy Mayor of the Auckland SuperCity
Stuart Nash â Former Labour Party MP
Mika â Artist, performer and gay rights activist
Julie Fairey â Feminist blogger & local councillor
Matt Robson â Former Alliance MP & disarmament commentator
Harmeet Sooden â Human Rights Advocate
James Macbeth Dann â Christchurch blogger
Michael Timmins â International Human Rights Lawyer
The Jackal â Left wing political blogger
Latifa Daud (Life on Wheels) – disability rights advocate
Dianne Khan â Education Blogger at Save our Schools
The Nomad â blogging out of Africa
Nice of them to offer Stuart Nash the opportunity to present a right-wing perspective.
Hey backwater areas get with the program, after all joyce has told you to.
“the application of technology and capital to their (non-backwater regions) natural resource endowments has yielded high returns because of export earnings.”
“The opposition to these moves will need to remain focused to stop them and we must stop them because as shell says it would take 14 days to cap a major oil leak but remember the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico took 87 days to contain and the Montara oil spill and gas leak in the Timor Sea, off the northern coast of Western Australia took 74 days to contain so those assurances mean little, they are just dreams and hopes. My dream and hope is that tangata whenua with like-minded people will work together to halt their plans.”
Just read The scribblings of Audrey Young regarding Parekura Horomia.What a poor excuse for a human being she is and the Herald should be ashamed to have published the article.
Young is certainly getting her just deserts in the comments, however: and there are now two other opinion pieces up on the Herald online with views very different to Young’s.
If there are positive views of Horomia, I don’t object to Young’s piece. And, after all, it only reinforces that Young is not a friend to the left, and has some pretty regressive views.
I don’t see anything wrong with her piece at all. I don’t buy into this “lets not speak ill of the dead” crap. She was hardly disrespectful.
Compare it to the treatment of Thatcher, a lot of which was very nasty which I don’t necessarily approve of, but on the other hand Carol wrote a post here that was a straight up appraisal of Thatcher and what she meant. I don’t see this piece by Audrey being particularly out of line with Carol’s post in terms of content.
You’ve gotta be kidding. Thatcher, an ardent supporter of Pol Pot and Pinochet, someone responsible for hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions?) of poverty driven premature deaths (including some suicides) amongst the British working class.
I had a celebratory shot of Glenfiddich when I heard she’d passed on and would’ve drunk the entire bottle if I hadn’t been driving.
I was just making the point that Audrey’s post was more like Carol’s post about Thatcher: hardly disrespectful or mean spirited at all – just a straight-up opinion piece, yet Chrissey (and other commenters on the article itself) seemed to think Audrey was being incredibly rude and that it “wasn’t the time or place” for her article.
The USA has been using military rule in all matters regarding the War on Terror whenever it suits. The entire operation at Guantanamo is under military jurisdiction. So all that has to happen, to release the 86 innocent men held captive for over a decade, is for the Commander in Chief to order that particular military operation to cease, and relocate those not already cleared to any one of the several hundred active military bases or containment centres the US currently operates worldwide. It is that simple.
Guantanamo is also a very real mark of shame for NZ. Not only because it highlights the increasingly servile attitude of recent governments towards the USA, but harms our independent character as a Nation. NZ no longer has the mana to stand up to the USA, ask why they allow this obvious abuse of human rights to continue and as a Nation we are all the weaker for it. Like all good predators there is one thing the USA understands, the weak are always the easiest prey.
(1) “The USA has been using military rule in all matters regarding the War on Terror whenever it suits.” Well, yes, I suppose that might have something to do with the word “war”, though that is a dangerously ambiguious word.
(2) “Guantanamo is also a very real mark of shame for NZ.” Because the flea feels bad because it can’t stop the dog it’s on from attacking a cat? Nah. I generally reserve my sense of shame for things that I or my country have direct influence over.
(1) Guantanamo is run as a military outpost, and is under direct control of the Commander if he so chooses.
(2) NZ damn well does have influence over whether it stands tall and publicly calls out the USA on the entire operation at Guantanamo. Our Government has repeatedly chosen not to.
(1) hence military rule – it’s a military outpost. Any attempt to relocate it to American soil gets blocked by the Republicans.
(2) Maybe you’d like to narrow it down to about ten international causes we haven’t any skin in. It always amazes me how the priority usually shifts straight to the evils of the US. Why not the plight of the Uighurs in China, for example (though I note that even JK apparently brings up China’s human rights record diplomatically)? Why aren’t we speaking out about the plight of indigenous peoples in Brazil? Russia’s ruthless oppression of gay people? All those things deserve attention, and countless more besides – where to begin? Compared to all that, Guantanamo is small fry.
(1) Obama is Commander in Chief, pretty sure we already covered that ( and the USA has over 150 active military bases around the world to utilize, which are not on American soil)
(2) they are not the ones who asked us to travel to the other side of the world and kill people
It always cracks me up when rightoes bring up the Iraq deployment, summarised here:
Two rotations of 61 military engineers, known as Task Force Rake, operated in Iraq from September 26, 2003 to September 25, 2004.[113][114] They were deployed to undertake humanitarian and reconstruction tasks consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1483; they were not part of the invading force. While in Iraq the unit was under British command (South East Iraq) and was based in Basra
We went in as part of the reconstruction team, and didn’t renew the deployment as it was obvious even then that Bush was fucking it up just as the fucked up the Afghanistan mission. But ya’ll spout off on it as if it shows National was right or some shit.
It always amazes me, on the other hand, that people come up with long lists of things people must demand from other countries before they demand things of the US. As if to say that unless a person does all, they must do none.
If those things concern you, you should speak up about them and make your demands. I doubt anyone would knock you for it.
I notice that the ones you listed are all internal matters. Not to say that they are unimportant, but it is a distinction that’s important in international relations.
I do think we should be asking the US about torture, for example, at every opportunity, such as when Eric Holder shows up here shortly.
The facts are clear. The US has signed and ratified the convention against torture. That convention requires that they investigate, with a view to prosecution, all credible reports of torture. The targets of the investigation are to be both the torturers and those who authorised them.
The convention protects our soldiers, and others. When it is fragrantly breached, that protection is weakened. The US claims to be the shining light on the hill, and the leader of the free west. It claims to be the best example of liberal enlightenment values. And yet she refuses to fulfill her obligations under the convention, to which we are both parties.
Given all that, why on earth shouldn’t we talk to them about and ask what is going on, and why how is that tied to the awful treatment of indigenous peoples in Brazil?
They are horrible and outrageous things. They are also internal matters. If you think international relations should make no distinction between internal and international matters, then make that case. But if not, then the distinction stands.
I’ll note that those two words were the only things you cared to address, and that you did so dishonestly, as is your custom.
Yeah, China does heaps of nasty shit. It’s good that the Greens make a stink about it when their leaders show up here eh? Fat lot of good it does Norman with the kiwiblog crew, but well.
there’s even a 5 minute version, and a text story. Lots to absorb.
Weird how James Steele isn’t a widely known name eh? With so much history to him. He’s been a busy boy.
Because the flea feels bad because it canât stop the dog itâs on from attacking a cat?
Describing New Zealand as a flea should give you a sense of shame Populuxe1… Although somewhat true in terms of Nationals failed administration, it’s not true of New Zealand in general.
If you no longer want to be a ‘Dumb or Mad’ investor in Mighty River Power – you have until 11.59pm Wednesday 1 May 2013 to withdraw your money!
“Supplementary Disclosure
This information is being provided to ensure anyone wishing to invest in Mighty River Power is fully informed when they do.
On 18 April 2013, two opposition political parties, the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and the New Zealand Labour Party, announced separate proposals for electricity sector regulatory reform, should they be elected in 2014. The jointly announced proposals differ in a number of respects, but a common feature is the establishment of a state agency to act as a single buyer of wholesale electricity from generators.
These proposals are in respect of the electricity industry generally, and are not specific to Mighty River Power. However, the announcements increase regulatory uncertainty for Mighty River Power by raising the possibility that a future government may enact legislation that materially changes the structure of the New Zealand electricity industry.
How do I find out more?
Further information is contained within the Supplementary Disclosure Document dated 22 April 2013 that has been published by the Crown and Mighty River Power Limited. You can view the Supplementary Disclosure Document here, or by calling 0800 90 30 90 and requesting a copy. The Supplementary Disclosure Document is supplemental to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Mighty River Power Share Offer Document.
What if I wish to withdraw my application?
The publication of the Supplementary Disclosure Document means that applicants who have already applied for Shares in Mighty River Power have the right to withdraw their Application in the manner described below. If you withdraw your Application, you will not be allocated any Shares in Mighty River Power in respect of that Application and your Application payment will be refunded to you. We expect you will receive any refund between 14 and 28 May 2013.
If your Application for Shares is dated on or before 23 April 2013, and your Application Form is received by 5.00pm on 3 May 2013, you have the right to withdraw using one of the methods described below:
by calling 0800 90 30 90; or
by completing the online withdrawal form which is accessible from here.
The last time to withdraw is 11.59pm on Wednesday 1 May 2013.”
“Wellington institutional broking firm Woodward Partners ranks the risks to Mighty River Power of the Green and Labour parties’ new electricity policy as moderate, and far lower than many other risks the company faces. …..”
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/anti-privatisation campaigner’
A Spokesperson for the Switch Off Mercury Energy group
The worlds’ food giants are extending their control over world food systems by patenting everyday vegetables, such as broccoli, onions, melons, lettuce and cucumber.
Previously the European Union had resisted allowing patents on food items that involve natural processes such as this, but the new decisions are signaling a change in favour of giants Monsanto and Syngenta. …
Making it illegal for someone to grow food for any reason seems strange to me. But tightening the grip that these companies have on the world food market could have disastrous consequences.
When The Hollies sang “All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you” they might have said a mouthful. That might be the only thing we get to put in our mouths! (I have heard that there is, was?, a cult called the Breatharians that cut down on eating by breathing deeply and presumably so renewing their blood with oxygen.)
People need to be very aware of the legislation changes, such as are in the *food safety act*, the *natural health products bill*, and so on. The huge legislative changes, have come with warnings, as to their content, intent and consequences.
Alongside any treaty’s/agreements which NZ has, allowing this type of insidious corporate take-over to occur, because once the hooks are in, and natural process distorted, controlled and owned, can the clocks be turned back, I imagine not!
Real seeds, stored shared and kept in the public domain are a natural and biologically crucial factor in Earth’s biosphere. Monsanto would have you believe that Earth’s seeds are a poisoned well that threatens the growth of the oasis, akin to Satan’s presence in the holy desert, yet it is they themselves who are the threat to life. Monsanto are like the whore that offers capitulation to the carpenter. They are the illusion of a promise, sent to test. A snake dancing in shadows of it’s own fires. Determining where we are ultimately vulnerable to its lethal strike. Accept it’s guile and we fail and we will live out lives that decry our potential. Like the shaggy carpenter we foresee a better life and want to step into the brighter future. What is promised though is nothing but slavery greed and malice. It is not till years later that we have proof of the illusion and by then it is too late to go back without admitting there will be tremendous pain and even more sacrifice.
Enslaving mankind by taking ownership of Earth’s seeds, saves no-one.
“The worldsâ food giants are extending their control over world food systems by patenting everyday vegetables, such as broccoli, onions, melons, lettuce and cucumber.”
Technically that is incorrect – they can’t copyright “everyday” vegetables, they can only copyright seed lines they have created themselves. Admittedly that does mean that these companies are using some very underhanded tactics to promote use of their seed stocks, but they can’t sue people for growing any old vegetable.
“…these companies are using some very underhanded tactics to promote use of their seed stocks, but they canât sue people for growing any old vegetable.”
I’m waiting for the axe to fall on hundreds of ANZ and National Bank staff. Not because the banks are losing money, no sir-ree, it’s because a billion in profits per year is not enough for the capitalist owners.
Me two. an ANZ cashier I as talking to was adamant there would b no branch closures. Her branch is literally across the street – directly – from a nat bank branch.
And expanding kiwibank closed one blocks away from moray place.
The closure of NZ Post in the Exchange was a bad idea. The wait time at Moray Place is quite frustrating. Or so I found it when I worked in that part of town. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
She might be in for a surprise then – There are closures coming, (blue and green branches) the location of the branch will decide that. Some NB branches will reamin, with branding changes, and some ANZ branches will also go.
Banks merge, people lose jobs, and branches close, its as simple as that!
Profits will be protected at all costs, until there is only a couple left in NZ.
Who wants to take a guess at the next bank merger?
“His office has refused to say what the Prime Minister will be doing on Saturday instead, or whether he had been asked not to attend on Saturday.”\
Wonder if we’ll ever find out.
What a simpering scurvy little punk ! All hell has already broken loose for thousands of poor families ShonKey Python. You knew it would happen but you didn’t give a stuff, indeed you facilitated it ! You sought it. Ordinary people are expendable fodder to you and you try to say you’re our mate. Fuck Off You Crazy Sociopathic Pig !
That bitch doesn’t give a fuck what we like ! When he goes (however that occurs) he’ll report back to his masters in Wall Street and the City of London and after counting their shekels they’ll clap their effete lily-whites and call for “bubbles”.
And don’t forget that “Labour’s” deputy Robertson so often reflexively loses control of his bodily functions at the thought that he might upset them that now he can’t decide whether he should wear brown or yellow trousers each morning and has to toss a coin.
Watching Barry Lovegrove on Campbell Live. Establishes beyond a shadow of doubt the rank corruption attending the appointment of the latest Race Relations Commissioner.
Banana Republic is where we’re at.
Delighted to see a retired District Court judge prepared to pop up as Lovegrove has.
Maybe there’ll be one prepared to recount that months ago the present Chief Judge of the District Court wrote to the Minister of Justice on at least two occasions expressing real concern about the shambles into which first Simon Power and then Collins have propelled the legal aid system.
Result, not even a desultory reply. None at all. The Chief District Court Judge completely ignored. This IS banana republic. Papa Doc is alive and well in the Beehive.
This government refused to even acknowledge the law, again, and just went and did what it wanted. The law can get fucked, is what Judith Collins does by this action.
Anne
Seems that the retired judge has a good case. Soulder tapping – if everybody could operate in that loose way Junkie would have been out by lunchtime.
I’m reminded of Boy George (I may corrupt the spelling) – “Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon………”
It is my fervent hope that Karma catches up with the receivers of that Taranaki farm Wood and Tapp, and that louse Lowe. That their names are shit in the ‘Naki. And that daily they suffer painful manifestations of that. Pretty rough when National Party rump gets fucked over by Shonkey Python and his ilk ?
You know, daily when I look at what is happening under Shonkey Python and his band of amoral cargo-cultist opportunists, I come up with this – People Power. Eventually.
Here’s a practical suggestion. Rabobank, the scum employer of the scum Wood, Tapp and Lowe. Offshoot of ASB isn’t it ? I bank with ASB. Don’t owe them a cracker.
“Kia Ora Kiwibank. I used to be with {A}ustralian {S}ucky {B}ank…….could I have all my business with you please ?”
That 3rd Degree programme left me in tears. I woke up this morning still angry and upset. What arseholes! Yes, the Grays (I think that was their name) would be Nat. voters but that is irrelevant. Their real crime was they dared to set up a local milk producing business and that angered the big milk boys. They had to be punished by the local branch of the JKey and Co. mafioso.
I hope the bastards are run out of town and can never return.
Did Collins not consider that someone might ask the question about whether or not the Human Rights Act principles and criteria for appointing a Race Relations Commissioner had been followed?
And the most revealing aspects are that (a) Michael Jones was asked to be the Commissioner as a first option (did he apply?); (b) Dame Susan Devoy did not apply herself; (c) Irene van Dyk (sp?) also made the ‘shortlist’ – presumably of those being shoulder tapped – ahead of Barry Lovegrove; (d) Lovegrove has been given no indication or reason as to why he was not even shortlisted.
Unprincipled, cronyist and unethical.
Does John Key still have confidence in his Minister of Justice? If ‘yes’, does he therefore believe that this selection process was an example of good process and best practice?
Wait for the first big muck-up. It’s going to happen. Watch the victim/victims be turned into the guilty party/parties to save Devoy’s and Collin’s hides.
Just watched the Campbell interview. Wow. Michael Jones was offered the job, Irene Van Dyk was shortlisted, Susan Devoy got a phone call from someone whose name she can’t even remember asking her to apply.
This guy applied but didn’t make the shortlist:
Former district court judge, MA in philosophy, a law practice in some of the poorest communities in NZ, panel member on the parole board, serious knowledge of the treaty, a deep and abiding connection to Northland and it’s Maori community, spent years working in Asia and Africa where he lectured on race relations.
To that I’ll add ‘speaks intelligently and articulately’, in contrast to person that he refers to as ‘the incumbent’.
Truth be known, there was no phone call at all. Who lives across the back fence from Sue ? Well, it’s that snippy Tony Ryall of course.
All sorted within the time it takes to mow the back lawn on a Saturday morning and convert yet another of wife’s(?) bold check table cloths into a business shirt on the Elna.
And you know………I’ve always been a bit reluctant to have the whole thing focus on Susan Devoy personally. There’s much, much that’s hugely admirable about her. But anyone else picked up from her few appearances and the Campbell Live interview that there’s something of this – “I’m not gonna say it, but really…….get fucked !” ? It’s not even a passive aggression. It’s just a bland – “Get fucked !” .
“All sorted within the time it takes to mow the back lawn on a Saturday morning and convert yet another of wifeâs(?) bold check table cloths into a business shirt on the Elna.”
đ
Do you reckon it’s Devoy that gives advice on the non-matching ties? I can’t think of any other explanation for the abomination
The NACT degenerates couldn’t consider asking Mr Lovegrove to fill the position – the comparison of quality to inferior cheap appearance politics would have been too great.
How can a 27 year old be a police veteran – he is still wet behind the ears at that age? Trouble when you owe $5 million or near, that ‘s a big burden to cope with.
I think now that Susan Devoid makes an excellent Race Relations Conciliator. She is excellently qualified, I suppose to speed up the “race to the bottom” of NZ in any race, be this horses, greyhounds, V8s, other cars and what else may qualify for a “race”.
Race to the bottom, and smash, bank, hooray, we can start picking up the pieces and perhaps build something new out of any wreck resulting from this.
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of Historyâs clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.ITâS A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Actâs and NZ Firstâs extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country heâs described as âfragileâ, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of MÄori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz  from the Beehive The governmentâs official website â which Point of Order monitors daily â not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winterâs night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfatherâs house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of MÄori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary â including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal â that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealandâs media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been Nationalâs media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but heâs not ...
Chris Trotter writes –Â New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Keyâs flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMPâs five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as âits largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliffâ. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. Itâs important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the countryâs leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that âcorruptâ the nationâs ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. Itâs important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes –Â The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that âthe first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.â When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECDâs second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commissionâs 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the governmentâs official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:Â we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition  NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamarikiâs statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. âThere are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a âfirst strikeâ (that is, a âstage-1 convictionâ under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a âsecond strikeâ. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesnât normally happen in politics. Thatâs refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to âsaveâ the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Governmentâs official website – arrived in Point of Orderâs email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive  Melissa Lee â as may be discerned from the screenshot above â has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Governmentâs focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes –Â Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu â often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
This afternoonâs interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour childrenâs spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te PÄti MÄori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veteransâ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veteransâ affairs spokesperson Greg OâConnor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxonâs management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonightâs court decision to overturn the summons of the Childrenâs Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about MÄori without evidence, says Te PÄti MÄori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. âThe judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last yearâs severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labourâs environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our countryâs most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Governmentâs Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a âget out of jail freeâ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te PÄti MÄori Justice Spokesperson, TÄkuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, MÄori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te PÄti MÄori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. âThis act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.â Said Te PÄti MÄori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mĆ TÄmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with MÄori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ć-RÄkau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mĆ Ć-RÄkau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ć-RÄkau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Governmentâs plan to supercharge New Zealandâs EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four â and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Governmentâs plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âI have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People â Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Governmentâs plan to restore law and order. âSpeaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealandâs human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). âNew Zealandâs goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. âIâm putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure âone stop shopâ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. âThe NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
WhÄnau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. âGiving these whÄnau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Governmentâs goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave OâSullivan (OBE). âOur sympathies are with the OâSullivan family with the sad news of Dave OâSullivanâs recent passing,â Mr Peters says. âHis contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmacâs largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.  âAccess to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwisâ lives. Weâve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,â says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. âWe know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,â Dr Reti says. âEvery day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikoheâs new $14.7 million sports complex. âThe completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,â Mr Jones says. âThis facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Petersâ engagements in TĂŒrkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.  âReturning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,â Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen â good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood â a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - Â It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Â Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Remember to tell PaknSave and New World that you won’t shop there if the y adopt Youth rates.
Use their suggestion boxes and email them.
Yip, much better to support Countdown, who locked out the bread delivery workers all those years ago.
I know. I’m not a fan of Countdown either, especially as the profits go overseas.
What is your solution?
Buy from neither….but I see a little problem there..
No solution, just pointing out that in general these boycotts don’t really achieve anything – Countdown is still in business and making record profits.
Not so, Lanth. Market share is all important to the two main chains and any knock in public confidence, or the hint of a boycott, is a serious matter to them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Progressive_Enterprises_dispute
I don’t see anything on that page that indicates Progressive Enterprises have suffered badly from the public reaction to what they did, the worst are these parts:
“On 24 October The Press reported that the dispute “took a toll on Australian parent company Woolworths, which reported flat sales in New Zealand for the first quarter””
“On 12 October The Press reported that Marty Hamnett who had been CEO of Progressive Enterprises during the dispute, was leaving his position to “return to work in Australia for family reasons”
Perhaps you missed the paragraph about the call for a public boycott from the Greens?
Ultimately, it was the loss of sales, and a ceding of market share to their rivals, that caused Progressive to sue for peace. The unions involved did not call for a boycott, but it was obvious that there was a reaction from the community, even at stores where no picket line was maintained.
The acknowledgment from the company that sales were “flat”, and the sacking of Marty Hamnett itself, kinda confirm the point.
“Perhaps you missed the paragraph about the call for a public boycott from the Greens?”
I did miss that. But it doesn’t change my response: there was nothing on that page that indicates Progressive Enterprises suffered badly from the public reaction to what they did.
I’m not saying that they didn’t suffer badly, just that the page you linked to doesn’t indicate that.
Well, I think you’re being a tad pedantic, Lanth. The info is all there on that page. The combination of closed distribution centres, picket lines at major stores and broad public support is what won the dispute for the union members.
You said:
“Not so, Lanth. Market share is all important to the two main chains and any knock in public confidence, or the hint of a boycott, is a serious matter to them:”
And then had the link to the wiki page, as if it somehow backs up your statement.
I could just easily say something like this:
Without gravity, it would be very difficult for me to go about my day to day life:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity
In otherwords you’ve stated something that on the face of it is true and acceptable, and then linked to a page that discussed the topic in general, but doesn’t really address the points you made.
I think I already mentioned you are being pedantic, didn’t I? And you have acknowleged you didn’t read it thoroughly, missing the very paragraph that referred to a consumer boycott.
The facts are straightforward. There was an unofficial consumer boycott against PEL. It hurt them. So did the organised industrial action. They folded. End of. I’m not saying that the boycott was the single reason for the defeat of PEL, but it was a significant factor.
Remember, your original comment was that you didn’t think that boycotts really acheive anything. You now know, from a practical example, that that is not always the case.
I’m saying they don’t achieve anything in the sense of achieving anything long term. Bunch of people boycott Countdown, they have a quarter where sales are flat, and then it’s back to business as usual.
Pac and save had 11 people turn up to a protest, I dont think pac and save is worried.
As long as the prices are cheap, people will shop there.
May be.
But I don’t.
Maybe I’m alone in that, maybe not. That’s something they should factor in when they are deciding whether to screw workers over. A boycott might have an effect, it might not (Cadbury’s and palm oil springs to mind in the former).
The very fact that a fiscally prudent manager would look at the public response is an improvement on a situation where the only factor to consider in the treatment of workers is the effect on the bottom line.
No one is going to boycott pac and save, because they pay crap wages, just like no one would boycott speights in this country if they paid low places, or noone will stop going to rugby union games until the nzrfu deals with the violent problem.
People will not boycott something they want.
You think all those letters to fire Paul henry were from people that would actually watch Paul Henry?
Please, its not going to happen.
I do.
I am a person.
Therefore you are wrong.
Because you are so demonstrably wrong in your categorical statement about what “people” do, you might want to check out any qualifications along the lines of “nobody but you” against, oh, any actual research into the matter. Just so we know you’re not talking out of your – um – mouth đ
Oh, by the way – is Paul Henry still with TVNZ?
There are now two paradigm in play, crap wages vs profits going overseas. Confuses people and therefore – nothing changes. Very good tactic. Besides, all these companies who said that they wont use youth rates – how will we know? Who can really say?
Research McFlock?
Just go outside any pac and sav tomorrow and see all the people buying the cheap potatoes chips.
You may not shop there, but there wont be enough people who shop their regularly that wont go because of youth wages, to make a difference.
And how do we see the folk who aren’t shopping at paknslave?
Evidence, not anecdata, fool
Yeah I’m ditching Pak N Slave. I might only spend $100 a month there (it’s not my local and I only shop there if I happen to be passing by), but fuck them.
“And how do we see the folk who arenât shopping at paknslave?”
Well duh McF, if you can’t see them it’s because there aren’t any.
I do too.
I am Spartacus.
Problem is while people might be prepared to boycott one or t’other, they are definitely not going to boycott both because there are basic limits to how much inconvenience people will endure for a principle in a reasonably affluent society like ours.
Agree.
The market is pretty rigged, by the time you get to a supermarket, out of your car, across the car park, queuing etc, your not going to shop around for better bargains.
And really both pac-sav and countdown know that, that’s why they don’t compete with each other, pac-sav packs them high and sells them cheap, and countdown is dearer.
How can pac-a-sav do that, well I believe it buys stock that has been on the shelves elsewhere that needs to be move fast, whereas countdown does for slightly high quality, consistency at a price. Basically the program of roading sprawl has given local venders a monopoly.
Then there’s the habit of only one shop selling a item cheap, while all the others have different items slightly cheap, so none actually competes with the others and they effective set the price.
Then theres is the constant sales, where products are sold at the same price a few month, couple this with astonishing jumps in price…
I think its pretty much understood that consumers have no real power in NZ (well unless they are very wealthy).
Post should be headed: Why Labour and the Greens want Kiwis to pay too much for milk, fruit and veges, water , rates, fuel etc, etc.
I recall the taxpayer funded Axe the Tax bus and Labour telling us we’re paying too much for fruit and veges.
Am i to assume that is no longer the case?
[lprent: off topic diversion. Moved to OpenMike. ]
Diversion.
Labour and Greens support the removal of GST on fruit and veges : ) Sorry, probably lost the original intent of your post.
The flags are out for Mayday on my side of the world. I’ll be off to watch celebrations and protests in the morning. They still take the day for workers seriously here.
Where in Siberia do you work Rosy?
It might be India Rob … where they’ve been observing the May/Labour day in one form or another since the 1920’s in various places – you know – that place where Steven Joyce is pinning his next hopes on to provide edjakayshun to the masses. Trouble is – he may very well have to look at visa requirements and the manner in which many of its nationals have been treated to date. I’ve no doubt the contingent currently visiting the Weltec joint initiative will be treated with the utmost politeness, but they shouldn’t be under any illusions as to how others sampling NZ’s tertiary sector have been treated.
Oh, where’s that little South American jaunt by Ke and Co going at the mo btw?
Let me know when something substantial eventuates, and that can at least cover the costs of the ‘jaunt’
Could be Brazil too. They give May Day some prominence. You’re supposed to like them, Rob, because your mate Simon made a whole new law just for Petrobras. He can’t have noticed that it’s not a private company.
Go to Berlin on MayDay and try flashing that smug grin Rob, you will get it firmly rammed back into your facile gob.
Over 80 countries celebrate the day… here is the list:::
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day
“try flashing that smug grin”…
You’d get that in Vienna too. In part, I think, because they link unemployment and reduced workers rights with a rise in a certain political ideology of the 1930s.
That’ll be Austria, Rob. I guess geography and history we’re not your strong subjects at school?
He probably hasn’t heard of it.
He’ll have heard of North Korea and the other countries they rant about on ZB.
Yeah… and he’ll have heard about that global weather thing. Ya know, the one wot says the world’s gonna heat up and we’re all gonna fry. I mean, wot about all those freeze-ups in Europe and Yankee Land? He’s listened to Leighton Smith wot is real clever. He talks to scientists n’ all those people and they say it’s lies. Typical Commies n’ terrorists all of us… always lying.
This will mean Austria I guess. Strong worker tradition with an union – government agreement in place that has guarantied 60 years of social peace. Whilst the Anglo Saxon world has been on strike Austria was working and negotiating for fair wages – a lot higher then in NZ, fair condition 4 weeks holiday, free healthcare and dentist except specialist care, pension age after 40 years of contribution at 80% of the last 10 years income (means if you start working with 18 you retire with 58 if work was not interrupted) and proper elder care.
Well the down side is – soooo many people in a very small place.
Exactly, Foreign Waka.
Wonderful to see a day for standing up for people, not companies… and so many ordinary people – old, young, kids and right across the social strata. The Kommunist party picnic in Votiv Park with the ‘Happy Austria Band’ playing was absolutely full (imagine the response to a picnic like that in one of Auckland’s biggest parks), Rathausplatz was standing room only, we left with a rousing rendition of ‘the internationale’ still ringing in our ears.
So many people of all ages understanding the meaning of both solidarity and co-operation rather than our adversarial labour relations and labour laws that don’t protect workers (and in the end won’t protect the employers either). Sobering to see the marching of people from Turkey, Syria, Iran, Tunisia and other places – still so many places without the most basic right to fight for better conditions.
Respect for labour (although I’d not pretend it was universal) is one of the very good things about living here. New Zealand has a very long way to go in this regard. Imagine if this respect could again be returned to one of the very many good things about living in New Zealand.
I am not so much a fan of the Kommunist party but I am 100% for social justice. NZ has not much of a history so there is also not much of a collective memory of events and tragedies like in Europe. This has an advantage when it comes to an almost naive sense of adventure but the other side is of cause that politicians have a field day with manipulating the masses.
“I am not so much a fan of the Kommunist party but I am 100% for social justice”
Agree. But I did enjoy that in the spirit of the day they could be left alone to do their thing – not a political rally – but an inclusive picnic.
Yes, I do think it’s the collective memory that, not so much drives tolerance, but has resulted in lessons about diversity of political thought.
*
Charity van feeding 800 people, recent changes to Social Securities Act not yet in place – worse to come.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10880778
And this tinpot government keeps using the excuse that our economy is being affected by world recession….. or the earthquake …. or the laziness of people who’d rather not work for a living …. or the increase in sunspot activity this year
plenty of rich countries out there buying NZ goods and services, plenty of rich travellers coming to NZ, tax cuts so all kiwis have more money to spend, and an ever increasing number of very wealthy NZers who are trickling their wealth down to the masses – not
maybe the increasing poverty in all NZ rural towns and cities is just the result of four years of miserable shonkey ill-advised government economic policy and legislation removing workers’ protections
Actually we are still affected by the world recession and the earthquake (only someone who doesn’t live in Christchurch could come out with crap like that). Tourism is dropping off because it’s increasingly expensive to come here and we are in an export battle with countries producing much the same things we do but closer to the primary markets. Certainly the current government are making things worse by following neo-lib austerity philosophy, but they are not making it up entirely. Peak oil and climate change are only going to make things worse.
thankyou Populuxe for your correction – (perhaps i should hve added /sarc tag)
of course people living in Christchurch are still affected by the earthquake…. that’s a given since the shonkey government has failed the people living there…. i just find it pitiful that the earthquake is whinged about by the government as one of the reasons for NZ’s poor economic performance
but yes…the Brownlie mismanagement and failure to adequately support those with damaged homes and businesses bankrupted from the earthquake probably does add to the abject performance in NZ’s social statistics.
“Tourism is dropping off” ?
In 2012, direct tourism value increased 2.5 percent, while tourist operators reduced the number of people they employed by 0.6 percent. Businesses doing okay but shedding workers…. http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/Tourism/tourism-satellite-account-2012/tourism-employment.aspx
Our exporters may be having a hard time due to this government’s policies that have created an overvalued dollar but our biggest trade partners are countries whose economies are growing http://www.treasury.govt.nz/economy/overview/2012/22.htm
As for peak oil – the Nacts can’t use this as a reason for poor economic performance and increasing poverty in NZ. The government’s tax take from NZ’s oil and gas production and royalties is as high as it’s ever been, and the NZ economy is less exposed to increases in oil prices than many of our competitors’
Sadly, this guy is one of thousands in the same position. Surprisingly guilt bashing those who aren’t presently in work doesn’t create jobs for them.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/job-cuts-have-you-been-affected/8613779/Job-cuts-Older-people-on-the-scrap-heap
Unfortunately, the fact that churches appear to be ‘picking up the tab’/ ‘filling the gap’ or whatever, will be viewed by the Nats as an endorsement of their welfare roll-backs. No-one starved. State assistance wasn’t necessary afterall.
Volunteers and the private/corporate sector (Church and supermarkets in this instance) have it covered. Moving along….
While those 800 continue their SKY subs, Cigs and buying from the corner dairy.
So every single one of those people smokes, subscribes to sky tv and can afford to do their shopping at the dairy. Sure.
And of course Ruobeil, we MUST PUNISH anyone out of work/made redundant/retired for simply assuming they have a right to access media – especially that which was once intended for all but has since been commercialised to the extent they must pay! Why those dirty filthy bennies should not be allowed to witness sporting events, engage in political discourse or express an opinion. MUST PUNISH at all costs!
“While those 800 continue their SKY subs, Cigs and buying from the corner dairy”
You left out paying for an internet connection among other things. And I’m not sure why supporting small business (such as the struggling corner dairy) is such a bad thing.
I make a point of supporting mine – and I do so by ONLY purchasing obvious ‘loss-leaders’ at the supermarket.
Those bennies, the indigent, the struggling aye: MUST PUNISH, MUST ISOLATE, MUST not allow them to participate in society in the same way you do.
If I had my way….. I’d put ’em all the the army – show ’em some discipline! (not)
I’m sure Ruobile would like to see voting rights removed from those 800 and all bennies as well.
If you’re dumb enough to choose SKY TV over food for your family, you probably wouldn’t do something as responsible such as voting.
If you’re dumb enough to believe the shit you type I expect you’re nothing but wingnut trash.
So SKY is the Only media available to access? Yeah right.
SKY TV or food on the table? A difficult choice.
Support the local dairy and pay twice the price of the supermarket.
Another difficult choice.
You do realise the whole ‘Sky vs food’ bit is something you just made up though, don’t you?
So do you get paid to spread this demonizing the poor shit or is something you’re happy to do for free?
The Herald is trying to drum up support for a Maurice for Mayor campaign initially started by the slithery one.
The right are calling it a “circuit breaker” for local government. Given the Government’s refusal to recognise the legitimate aspirations of Aucklanders as expressed by their elected representatives installing a Government lacky into the top job could be called a circuit breaker. But the inner city loop, the desire for a compact urban form, a living wage policy and proper treatment of the trade unions will all be pipe dreams if this happened.
Cameron Brewer was reported as praising Williamson’s ministerial experience. He does have this but used to advocate for such bizarre things as the privatisation of roads. Auckland’s congestion built up during the 1990s when he was Transport Minister as money was diverted from Auckland to ensuring pristine roads for the electorates of King Country and Ashburton.
And Brewer says that Auckland’s relationship with Central Government is the worst it has been since the 1970s. He is probably right. Back in 1976 Muldoon torpetoed Robbie’s mass transit program and ensured that Auckland sprawled and was committed to a never ending need to build roads.
It could actually be a good thing for Williamson to run. This would energise what could be otherwise a rather dull election.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10880795
Except those who want the CRL don’t want to pay for it.
whose that exactly and wheres your evidence?
it would be nice if you actually had something to say for once
“Except those who want the CRL donât want to pay for it.”
I don’t even live in Auk, but as the crl is a common sense policy, I’m all for my taxes going to part fund it, and at least 100% more than I want my cut to fund $1000pw tax cuts for rich pricks.
And Ruob, fuck off.
Common sense? In your opinion.
Didn’t realize you spoke for the rest of NZ.
“Common sense? In your opinion.”
Yeah, that’s why the first word in my post was I.
“Didnât realize you spoke for the rest of NZ.”
Not yet, sure, but again, I or I’m is used three times with not one we or us.
Try harder, fallout boy.
Anyone else getting bored having to read through Ruobeil’s puerile contrarian approach to every single thread?\
It’s like white noise…
Nowhere near as useful as white noise though
Indeed!
That’s funny. Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
And I don’t live in AK either. But I agree it’s needed. And it would be a way better use of public money instead of the So called Holiday Highways.
Oh and yes I also agree Fuck Off Ruob.
Mate, those of us who want the CRL are already paying for (the lack of) it: extra time in the car burning petrol because of the clogged traffic; high costs of rail and bus, plus the extra time sitting in trains outside Britomart waiting for a berth, etc, etc.
Remind me how many cars it will take off the roads.
Liebour
Is someone trying to be clever and take the pi..? Bit juvenile I think. Then again perhaps the Rube’s name means something to the initiated.
Now its easy to see what the rainbow speeh was all about innit!
The Daily Blog has announced new bloggers:
Nice of them to offer Stuart Nash the opportunity to present a right-wing perspective.
OMG it’s a onslaught of lefties!
Particularly very good to see Penny Hulse, Charles Chauvel, Judy Fairey and Matt Robson there.
Don’t know some of the others.
“Nice of them to offer Stuart Nash the opportunity to present a right-wing perspective.”
đ Very charitable.
My turnip’s been offered a blogging position as well.
As a root analyst?
Probably do a way better job of it than you.
Baldrick meant that his turnip’s been offered a flogging position on Whaleoil. He’s probably just envious.
Female truck driver awarded over $60K after sexual harassment
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8618450/63k-for-harassed-female-truck-driver
Hey backwater areas get with the program, after all joyce has told you to.
“the application of technology and capital to their (non-backwater regions) natural resource endowments has yielded high returns because of export earnings.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10880754
Oh good oh then no worries.
“The opposition to these moves will need to remain focused to stop them and we must stop them because as shell says it would take 14 days to cap a major oil leak but remember the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico took 87 days to contain and the Montara oil spill and gas leak in the Timor Sea, off the northern coast of Western Australia took 74 days to contain so those assurances mean little, they are just dreams and hopes. My dream and hope is that tangata whenua with like-minded people will work together to halt their plans.”
http://mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/planning-to-exploit.html
Just read The scribblings of Audrey Young regarding Parekura Horomia.What a poor excuse for a human being she is and the Herald should be ashamed to have published the article.
+1, Chrissy.
Here is the link to this dispicable article
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10880721
Young is certainly getting her just deserts in the comments, however: and there are now two other opinion pieces up on the Herald online with views very different to Young’s.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10880766
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10880773
If there are positive views of Horomia, I don’t object to Young’s piece. And, after all, it only reinforces that Young is not a friend to the left, and has some pretty regressive views.
I don’t see anything wrong with her piece at all. I don’t buy into this “lets not speak ill of the dead” crap. She was hardly disrespectful.
Compare it to the treatment of Thatcher, a lot of which was very nasty which I don’t necessarily approve of, but on the other hand Carol wrote a post here that was a straight up appraisal of Thatcher and what she meant. I don’t see this piece by Audrey being particularly out of line with Carol’s post in terms of content.
“Compare it to the treatment of Thatcher…”
You’ve gotta be kidding. Thatcher, an ardent supporter of Pol Pot and Pinochet, someone responsible for hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions?) of poverty driven premature deaths (including some suicides) amongst the British working class.
I had a celebratory shot of Glenfiddich when I heard she’d passed on and would’ve drunk the entire bottle if I hadn’t been driving.
?
I was just making the point that Audrey’s post was more like Carol’s post about Thatcher: hardly disrespectful or mean spirited at all – just a straight-up opinion piece, yet Chrissey (and other commenters on the article itself) seemed to think Audrey was being incredibly rude and that it “wasn’t the time or place” for her article.
Audrey’s silly quip at the end about Horomia’s death being fussy was probably the most tasteless part of the article.
http://rt.com/news/obama-close-guantanamo-terrorism-643
The situation at Guantanamo is disingenuous to say the least.
Obama is Commander in Chief.
The USA has been using military rule in all matters regarding the War on Terror whenever it suits. The entire operation at Guantanamo is under military jurisdiction. So all that has to happen, to release the 86 innocent men held captive for over a decade, is for the Commander in Chief to order that particular military operation to cease, and relocate those not already cleared to any one of the several hundred active military bases or containment centres the US currently operates worldwide. It is that simple.
Guantanamo is also a very real mark of shame for NZ. Not only because it highlights the increasingly servile attitude of recent governments towards the USA, but harms our independent character as a Nation. NZ no longer has the mana to stand up to the USA, ask why they allow this obvious abuse of human rights to continue and as a Nation we are all the weaker for it. Like all good predators there is one thing the USA understands, the weak are always the easiest prey.
(1) “The USA has been using military rule in all matters regarding the War on Terror whenever it suits.” Well, yes, I suppose that might have something to do with the word “war”, though that is a dangerously ambiguious word.
(2) “Guantanamo is also a very real mark of shame for NZ.” Because the flea feels bad because it can’t stop the dog it’s on from attacking a cat? Nah. I generally reserve my sense of shame for things that I or my country have direct influence over.
(1) Guantanamo is run as a military outpost, and is under direct control of the Commander if he so chooses.
(2) NZ damn well does have influence over whether it stands tall and publicly calls out the USA on the entire operation at Guantanamo. Our Government has repeatedly chosen not to.
(1) hence military rule – it’s a military outpost. Any attempt to relocate it to American soil gets blocked by the Republicans.
(2) Maybe you’d like to narrow it down to about ten international causes we haven’t any skin in. It always amazes me how the priority usually shifts straight to the evils of the US. Why not the plight of the Uighurs in China, for example (though I note that even JK apparently brings up China’s human rights record diplomatically)? Why aren’t we speaking out about the plight of indigenous peoples in Brazil? Russia’s ruthless oppression of gay people? All those things deserve attention, and countless more besides – where to begin? Compared to all that, Guantanamo is small fry.
(1) Obama is Commander in Chief, pretty sure we already covered that ( and the USA has over 150 active military bases around the world to utilize, which are not on American soil)
(2) they are not the ones who asked us to travel to the other side of the world and kill people
And it was Labour who sent troops to Iraq (attached to the British forces) and Afghanistan.
Which i support.
It always cracks me up when rightoes bring up the Iraq deployment, summarised here:
Two rotations of 61 military engineers, known as Task Force Rake, operated in Iraq from September 26, 2003 to September 25, 2004.[113][114] They were deployed to undertake humanitarian and reconstruction tasks consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1483; they were not part of the invading force. While in Iraq the unit was under British command (South East Iraq) and was based in Basra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-National_Force_%E2%80%93_Iraq#List_of_countries_in_the_coalition
We went in as part of the reconstruction team, and didn’t renew the deployment as it was obvious even then that Bush was fucking it up just as the fucked up the Afghanistan mission. But ya’ll spout off on it as if it shows National was right or some shit.
You should go yourself, backward Liebour. I could contribute to a one way ticket to Kabul.
It always amazes me, on the other hand, that people come up with long lists of things people must demand from other countries before they demand things of the US. As if to say that unless a person does all, they must do none.
If those things concern you, you should speak up about them and make your demands. I doubt anyone would knock you for it.
I notice that the ones you listed are all internal matters. Not to say that they are unimportant, but it is a distinction that’s important in international relations.
I do think we should be asking the US about torture, for example, at every opportunity, such as when Eric Holder shows up here shortly.
The facts are clear. The US has signed and ratified the convention against torture. That convention requires that they investigate, with a view to prosecution, all credible reports of torture. The targets of the investigation are to be both the torturers and those who authorised them.
The convention protects our soldiers, and others. When it is fragrantly breached, that protection is weakened. The US claims to be the shining light on the hill, and the leader of the free west. It claims to be the best example of liberal enlightenment values. And yet she refuses to fulfill her obligations under the convention, to which we are both parties.
Given all that, why on earth shouldn’t we talk to them about and ask what is going on, and why how is that tied to the awful treatment of indigenous peoples in Brazil?
“Internal matters” – what a lovely euphemism
It’s not a euphemism at all Pop.
They are horrible and outrageous things. They are also internal matters. If you think international relations should make no distinction between internal and international matters, then make that case. But if not, then the distinction stands.
I’ll note that those two words were the only things you cared to address, and that you did so dishonestly, as is your custom.
Good points .
Google China’s 9 dash line and have a look at their antics in the Philippines (Scarborough Shoal), Malaysia and Vietnam.
Also the territory they have occupied in India.
Yeah, China does heaps of nasty shit. It’s good that the Greens make a stink about it when their leaders show up here eh? Fat lot of good it does Norman with the kiwiblog crew, but well.
And have a watch of this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/mar/06/james-steele-america-iraq-video
there’s even a 5 minute version, and a text story. Lots to absorb.
Weird how James Steele isn’t a widely known name eh? With so much history to him. He’s been a busy boy.
Populuxe1
Describing New Zealand as a flea should give you a sense of shame Populuxe1… Although somewhat true in terms of Nationals failed administration, it’s not true of New Zealand in general.
If you no longer want to be a ‘Dumb or Mad’ investor in Mighty River Power – you have until 11.59pm Wednesday 1 May 2013 to withdraw your money!
“Supplementary Disclosure
This information is being provided to ensure anyone wishing to invest in Mighty River Power is fully informed when they do.
On 18 April 2013, two opposition political parties, the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and the New Zealand Labour Party, announced separate proposals for electricity sector regulatory reform, should they be elected in 2014. The jointly announced proposals differ in a number of respects, but a common feature is the establishment of a state agency to act as a single buyer of wholesale electricity from generators.
These proposals are in respect of the electricity industry generally, and are not specific to Mighty River Power. However, the announcements increase regulatory uncertainty for Mighty River Power by raising the possibility that a future government may enact legislation that materially changes the structure of the New Zealand electricity industry.
How do I find out more?
Further information is contained within the Supplementary Disclosure Document dated 22 April 2013 that has been published by the Crown and Mighty River Power Limited. You can view the Supplementary Disclosure Document here, or by calling 0800 90 30 90 and requesting a copy. The Supplementary Disclosure Document is supplemental to, and should be read in conjunction with, the Mighty River Power Share Offer Document.
What if I wish to withdraw my application?
The publication of the Supplementary Disclosure Document means that applicants who have already applied for Shares in Mighty River Power have the right to withdraw their Application in the manner described below. If you withdraw your Application, you will not be allocated any Shares in Mighty River Power in respect of that Application and your Application payment will be refunded to you. We expect you will receive any refund between 14 and 28 May 2013.
If your Application for Shares is dated on or before 23 April 2013, and your Application Form is received by 5.00pm on 3 May 2013, you have the right to withdraw using one of the methods described below:
by calling 0800 90 30 90; or
by completing the online withdrawal form which is accessible from here.
The last time to withdraw is 11.59pm on Wednesday 1 May 2013.”
___________________________________________________________
Seen this?
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/labour-greens-policy-far-down-list-mrps-biggest-worries-says-woodward-bd-139402
“Wellington institutional broking firm Woodward Partners ranks the risks to Mighty River Power of the Green and Labour parties’ new electricity policy as moderate, and far lower than many other risks the company faces. …..”
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/anti-privatisation campaigner’
A Spokesperson for the Switch Off Mercury Energy group
http://www.switchoffmercuryenergy.org
Campaigns against privatisation. Refuses to pay rates.
populuxe1, if you honestly do not see the connection
then I am afraid i must inform you that your brain is missing
Monsanto! argggghhh!
How can this be resisted?
When The Hollies sang “All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you” they might have said a mouthful. That might be the only thing we get to put in our mouths! (I have heard that there is, was?, a cult called the Breatharians that cut down on eating by breathing deeply and presumably so renewing their blood with oxygen.)
People need to be very aware of the legislation changes, such as are in the *food safety act*, the *natural health products bill*, and so on. The huge legislative changes, have come with warnings, as to their content, intent and consequences.
Alongside any treaty’s/agreements which NZ has, allowing this type of insidious corporate take-over to occur, because once the hooks are in, and natural process distorted, controlled and owned, can the clocks be turned back, I imagine not!
warning: cinematic references ahead
The TPPA is realistically, our Last Temptation.
Real seeds, stored shared and kept in the public domain are a natural and biologically crucial factor in Earth’s biosphere. Monsanto would have you believe that Earth’s seeds are a poisoned well that threatens the growth of the oasis, akin to Satan’s presence in the holy desert, yet it is they themselves who are the threat to life. Monsanto are like the whore that offers capitulation to the carpenter. They are the illusion of a promise, sent to test. A snake dancing in shadows of it’s own fires. Determining where we are ultimately vulnerable to its lethal strike. Accept it’s guile and we fail and we will live out lives that decry our potential. Like the shaggy carpenter we foresee a better life and want to step into the brighter future. What is promised though is nothing but slavery greed and malice. It is not till years later that we have proof of the illusion and by then it is too late to go back without admitting there will be tremendous pain and even more sacrifice.
Enslaving mankind by taking ownership of Earth’s seeds, saves no-one.
“The worldsâ food giants are extending their control over world food systems by patenting everyday vegetables, such as broccoli, onions, melons, lettuce and cucumber.”
Technically that is incorrect – they can’t copyright “everyday” vegetables, they can only copyright seed lines they have created themselves. Admittedly that does mean that these companies are using some very underhanded tactics to promote use of their seed stocks, but they can’t sue people for growing any old vegetable.
“…these companies are using some very underhanded tactics to promote use of their seed stocks, but they canât sue people for growing any old vegetable.”
Although they do manage to sue farmers who want nothing to do with their products. ‘Underhanded’ is much too polite.
NZ Herald (1 May 2013): Fonterra to cut 300 jobs
Me: Hmm. Bad news. Maybe they’re not doing so well, financially
NZ Herald (28 March 2013): Profit soars at Fonterra
Me: WTF?
Says it all, really.
I’m waiting for the axe to fall on hundreds of ANZ and National Bank staff. Not because the banks are losing money, no sir-ree, it’s because a billion in profits per year is not enough for the capitalist owners.
Me two. an ANZ cashier I as talking to was adamant there would b no branch closures. Her branch is literally across the street – directly – from a nat bank branch.
And expanding kiwibank closed one blocks away from moray place.
The closure of NZ Post in the Exchange was a bad idea. The wait time at Moray Place is quite frustrating. Or so I found it when I worked in that part of town. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Me too.
Wednesday is pub night đ
She might be in for a surprise then – There are closures coming, (blue and green branches) the location of the branch will decide that. Some NB branches will reamin, with branding changes, and some ANZ branches will also go.
Banks merge, people lose jobs, and branches close, its as simple as that!
Profits will be protected at all costs, until there is only a couple left in NZ.
Who wants to take a guess at the next bank merger?
Ahhh, baseball game on Saturday?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8616237/Key-to-miss-funeral-after-change-of-day
“His office has refused to say what the Prime Minister will be doing on Saturday instead, or whether he had been asked not to attend on Saturday.”\
Wonder if we’ll ever find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvghpe9YsCc&list=UUGThM-ZZBba1Zl9rU-XeR-A&index=3
The Artist Taxi Driver. Telling it, harshly, how it is !
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8620242/Labour-Greens-in-lockstep-to-far-left-PM
What a simpering scurvy little punk ! All hell has already broken loose for thousands of poor families ShonKey Python. You knew it would happen but you didn’t give a stuff, indeed you facilitated it ! You sought it. Ordinary people are expendable fodder to you and you try to say you’re our mate. Fuck Off You Crazy Sociopathic Pig !
Looks like he’s got his profound goodbye speech all ready to go:
“”In the end, whenever I’m gone I’ll look back and say I did my best, and I hope you like it,” he said.”
That bitch doesn’t give a fuck what we like ! When he goes (however that occurs) he’ll report back to his masters in Wall Street and the City of London and after counting their shekels they’ll clap their effete lily-whites and call for “bubbles”.
don’t forget the backscratching simpering cap-doffing to the money-men and power-brokers in that paragon of human rights and democracy……China…..
And don’t forget that “Labour’s” deputy Robertson so often reflexively loses control of his bodily functions at the thought that he might upset them that now he can’t decide whether he should wear brown or yellow trousers each morning and has to toss a coin.
LOL. John Key is such a joker! He says the Greens are too far left, so he’s throwing in NZ’s lot with communist China!
Yeah, I laughed at that too. I think the irony whooshed over his head at hurricane force.
Watching Barry Lovegrove on Campbell Live. Establishes beyond a shadow of doubt the rank corruption attending the appointment of the latest Race Relations Commissioner.
Banana Republic is where we’re at.
Delighted to see a retired District Court judge prepared to pop up as Lovegrove has.
Maybe there’ll be one prepared to recount that months ago the present Chief Judge of the District Court wrote to the Minister of Justice on at least two occasions expressing real concern about the shambles into which first Simon Power and then Collins have propelled the legal aid system.
Result, not even a desultory reply. None at all. The Chief District Court Judge completely ignored. This IS banana republic. Papa Doc is alive and well in the Beehive.
Agree.
This government refused to even acknowledge the law, again, and just went and did what it wanted. The law can get fucked, is what Judith Collins does by this action.
Hey, don’t forget “Boss Hogg” Bennett. Wilful breach of privacy law for political bullying.
“Piss off, I’ll do it again as and when suits !” Arrogant bitch !
Did the right person get the job of Race Relations Commissioner?
Anne
Seems that the retired judge has a good case. Soulder tapping – if everybody could operate in that loose way Junkie would have been out by lunchtime.
I’m reminded of Boy George (I may corrupt the spelling) – “Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon………”
It is my fervent hope that Karma catches up with the receivers of that Taranaki farm Wood and Tapp, and that louse Lowe. That their names are shit in the ‘Naki. And that daily they suffer painful manifestations of that. Pretty rough when National Party rump gets fucked over by Shonkey Python and his ilk ?
You know, daily when I look at what is happening under Shonkey Python and his band of amoral cargo-cultist opportunists, I come up with this – People Power. Eventually.
Here’s a practical suggestion. Rabobank, the scum employer of the scum Wood, Tapp and Lowe. Offshoot of ASB isn’t it ? I bank with ASB. Don’t owe them a cracker.
“Kia Ora Kiwibank. I used to be with {A}ustralian {S}ucky {B}ank…….could I have all my business with you please ?”
I know, shoulda been with KB from its inception.
That 3rd Degree programme left me in tears. I woke up this morning still angry and upset. What arseholes! Yes, the Grays (I think that was their name) would be Nat. voters but that is irrelevant. Their real crime was they dared to set up a local milk producing business and that angered the big milk boys. They had to be punished by the local branch of the JKey and Co. mafioso.
I hope the bastards are run out of town and can never return.
What a parody of a government.
Did Collins not consider that someone might ask the question about whether or not the Human Rights Act principles and criteria for appointing a Race Relations Commissioner had been followed?
And the most revealing aspects are that (a) Michael Jones was asked to be the Commissioner as a first option (did he apply?); (b) Dame Susan Devoy did not apply herself; (c) Irene van Dyk (sp?) also made the ‘shortlist’ – presumably of those being shoulder tapped – ahead of Barry Lovegrove; (d) Lovegrove has been given no indication or reason as to why he was not even shortlisted.
Unprincipled, cronyist and unethical.
Does John Key still have confidence in his Minister of Justice? If ‘yes’, does he therefore believe that this selection process was an example of good process and best practice?
Yep, it’s becoming clear that the intention all along was to appoint a celebrity. Perhaps specifically a sports celebrity.
I wonder who directed this marketing decision.
Wait for the first big muck-up. It’s going to happen. Watch the victim/victims be turned into the guilty party/parties to save Devoy’s and Collin’s hides.
Just watched the Campbell interview. Wow. Michael Jones was offered the job, Irene Van Dyk was shortlisted, Susan Devoy got a phone call from someone whose name she can’t even remember asking her to apply.
This guy applied but didn’t make the shortlist:
Former district court judge, MA in philosophy, a law practice in some of the poorest communities in NZ, panel member on the parole board, serious knowledge of the treaty, a deep and abiding connection to Northland and it’s Maori community, spent years working in Asia and Africa where he lectured on race relations.
To that I’ll add ‘speaks intelligently and articulately’, in contrast to person that he refers to as ‘the incumbent’.
Truth be known, there was no phone call at all. Who lives across the back fence from Sue ? Well, it’s that snippy Tony Ryall of course.
All sorted within the time it takes to mow the back lawn on a Saturday morning and convert yet another of wife’s(?) bold check table cloths into a business shirt on the Elna.
And you know………I’ve always been a bit reluctant to have the whole thing focus on Susan Devoy personally. There’s much, much that’s hugely admirable about her. But anyone else picked up from her few appearances and the Campbell Live interview that there’s something of this – “I’m not gonna say it, but really…….get fucked !” ? It’s not even a passive aggression. It’s just a bland – “Get fucked !” .
She’s got the Collins Disease aye ?
“All sorted within the time it takes to mow the back lawn on a Saturday morning and convert yet another of wifeâs(?) bold check table cloths into a business shirt on the Elna.”
đ
Do you reckon it’s Devoy that gives advice on the non-matching ties? I can’t think of any other explanation for the abomination
The NACT degenerates couldn’t consider asking Mr Lovegrove to fill the position – the comparison of quality to inferior cheap appearance politics would have been too great.
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And another one for the list, thanks Johnm I’m lovin’ it:
3rd Degree TV3. Dennis Wood. Ex-cop. Present receiver. Current scum !
Psychopaths are common in the Police Force. A licence to practice brutal power with impunity must be the attraction.
Scum is too good a word for Dennis Wood!
How can a 27 year old be a police veteran – he is still wet behind the ears at that age? Trouble when you owe $5 million or near, that ‘s a big burden to cope with.
I think now that Susan Devoid makes an excellent Race Relations Conciliator. She is excellently qualified, I suppose to speed up the “race to the bottom” of NZ in any race, be this horses, greyhounds, V8s, other cars and what else may qualify for a “race”.
Race to the bottom, and smash, bank, hooray, we can start picking up the pieces and perhaps build something new out of any wreck resulting from this.
That is my take on her.
Annoying. A Jetpack upgrade (for wordpress) just broke the site
http://wordpress.org/support/topic/updating-jetpack-breaks-wordpress
Cleared the plugin out and we’re back again.