Stuff report that Dunne was forced to backflip on the legal high (interim) ban after pressure from National MPs.
It was widely assumed Dunne wanted to gazump Labour, which was set to announce its support for a ban.
But it is understood he was strong-armed into a compromise by increasing pressure from the National Party caucus, who wanted to dump the Psychoactive Substances Act and implement blanket prohibition.
Sources say Prime Minister John Key was put under pressure at weekly caucus meetings as MPs were relentlessly lobbied by local mayors and community action groups.
A source said Key feared “a revolt” after a push by Cabinet ministers Paula Bennett, Nikki Kaye and Todd McClay, who wanted the legal highs off the streets in their electorates.
Discipline within the National Party ranks is so tight that open dissent is rare. But it was a case of “to hell with the act” regardless of embarrassment about a flip-flop.
A public backlash, an outcry from local councils, and intense media scrutiny saw discord within the party grow, and threaten to boil over into the public arena.
Labour jumped on the same ‘bugger the consequences’ banwagon.
The effective shutting down of all legal high sales may make shop precincts look a bit better for mayors and MPs in the short term but if this turns into an openly ugly under-supported addicts’ angst there could be a backlash for MPs who jumped on the banwagon.
If a ban doesn’t work (as Dunne, the Drug Foundation, Ireland’s health minister and many others keep claiming) what then? Hope that the mess doesn’t become apparent until after the election?
That may be what you do but I don’t assume any politician is telling the truth, especially not the full truth. The announcements and reactions by Dunne, Key and Cunliffe all seemed to be unusually odd.
Labour jumped on the same ‘bugger the consequences’ banwagon.
Remember what Felix just told you: it isn’t your views (the only personal opinions you ever reveal are the occasional bits of racism), it’s your behaviour. This is an example.
PG Tips, if you are around, this is EXACTLY what it is like debating with you. That is not meant in a mean or nasty way or any such other abuse, simply that this is what it is like.
You’re making things up again. Standard practice for you.
Total drug bans have never worked and can cause more problems than they try to solve. So we need restricted legal use of the entrenched safer drugs like alcohol and cannabis, and possibly some synthetics and others if they are relatively low harm for most people.
In today’s trivia section, marijuana campaigner and blog editor Pete George took his first actual position on something today, and while his statement contains numerous caveats and equivocations, this author would just like to take a moment to praise Mr. George for coming down off the fence for once in his life.
Not making anything up. Many times on this site while adults were trying to have serious discussions about drugs and drug use, you’ve attempted to introduce the meaningless (in the context) distinction between legal and illegal drugs.
You even went as far as to reject my observation that we have a culture that glorifies the ritual of the weekly wrecking.
I see you’re backing away from that position already.
One sentence from OAB is worth more that your total body of work pete and you’ll never understand why. Why not blame it on Māori solo mums that’s seems to be what you enjoy.
Ok felix, you could contribute something positive for a change and explain what your grand single standard preference is on dealing with drugs and laws.
Not until the baby is asleep. This thread is textbook:
1) Petey posts NACT propaganda.
2) Contradictions with his previous statements are pointed out.
3) Petey spends the rest of the morning claiming he’s being picked on, without ever addressing the contradictions raised.
By 11am after painting himself into a dunce’s corner he will claim that he neither agreed nor disagreed with the propaganda in the first place, then he’ll disappear for the rest of the day, his work having been done.
Mass attack any comments by target.
Claim target is disrupting threads.
Plead with moderators to bow to pressure.
Tomorrow, repeat. Seen it all before with various targets. No wonder the left is struggling. If they concentrated on actually doing something positive…yeah, nah. Not until the baby is asleep. But it never will be for the perpetually frustrated.
Well you did say “Labour jumped on the same ‘bugger the consequences’ bandwagon”. It is like even when you criticise National you have to attack Labour at the same time.
Both are at fault over this so I don’t see why both shouldn’t be criticised. Addressing the synthetic and natural cannabis issues doesn’t look hopeful when both major parties seem intent on ban and ignore the obvious.
But here’s one for National on it’s own – Maurice Williamson looks very compromised and if the story so far stacks up I think he has to resign as minister at least.
is that a whinge or a whine there pete – another ‘poor me’, blame everyone else comment from the mr nobody. I suppose you are frustrated in missing the big chance to get your name up there – oh dear, how sad, what a pity.
Mass attack any comments by target.
Claim target is disrupting threads.
Plead with moderators to bow to pressure.
I am afraid I have to agree with you here Pete George.
If people don’t like your comments the best thing to do is ignore, or if your comment is that bad a few rolleyes or short-sharp statements saying so, but I have noticed rather a few time now that you have raised a point which can be debated and if people did so, things can be learned, thus it becomes a crying shame when the thread is filled up with ad-hominem style comments and no one actually addresses the content of your comment. (some have here but the majority haven’t).
What is occurring, in my view, is it is starting to make the commenters who aren’t Pete George look pettier than Mr Pete (sorry Pete but, yep, sometimes this is the way you come across, especially those articles you have printed in that fact-checking site).
Pete George, is clearly attempt to rark up people here, and is managing it very successfully, well done Pete.
To those attempting to discourage Pete George – I think you are achieving quite the opposite. Not well done yous.
Hint: Some people really like attention no matter whether it is good or bad and giving attention to people like that – simply encourages them. You are better off turning the comment around than ad-hominems if you really don’t like what a person like that is saying.
Can you point to an “ad hominem” attack on Pete George (as distinct from Pete George’s statements and behaviour) on this page?
Perhaps you can also point to where he “raised a point which can be debated” that doesn’t contain some passive-aggressive falsehood or spin, or “bait” as Karol calls it.
Not ad hominem per se – that is why I wrote ‘ad-hominem-style comments’
Actually your first comment I found quite astute – pointing out the bias of Mr George – yet if you look at the whole the line of responses they simply take up time discussing Mr Georges bias and making references to his sorry role in creating a ‘factless checking site’ (which I am angry about too) rather than turning into a constructive debate addressing the actual points he raised (see my comment at 1.6 for what points I think he raised).
Time and again these threads are turning into an endless attack on his bias. Such comments may be quite correct – yet what I am suggesting is that these threads would not be ‘filled with Pete George’s comments and responses’ if people focus on debating the points. He soon seems to appear to shut up if you do that. (see my comment, again, at 1.6).
Can you see my point? Focussing on things that Mr George is simply never going to stop defending (his bias and inaccuracy) is leading to fruitless debates which require a lot of scrolling (very exhausting activity (!)) – whereas, as I just mentioned, he appears to quieten down if one responds with a genuine argument to what he says.
Clearly, this is simply my opinion; to me it is appearing quite bizarre how much focus is going toward PG and yet the same people who are focussing on him are complaining at the same time about how much focus he gets. ??
If you don’t want the focus on PG – simply focus on something else – he will soon go away if he is ignored. The other option, as I have said, is debate the points with him – this also appears to quieten him down, and when it doesn’t, there is much to learn from those discussions.
There are plenty of trollish commenters on this site. Why is PG getting so much attention? He is simply one of many and I really think that you are delighting him with your attention rather than putting him off.
I’d tend to agree. That is why I spiked a guest post from earlier this week (you know who you are – sorry) about how to handle an unnamed commenter with PG’s characteristics.
I or another moderator will deal to people doing trolling or who are deliberately starting flames. We (especially me and previously Irish) are rather well known for our abrupt methods of terminating those behaviours and our increasing irritation at repetition (basically we escalate on a random walk logarithmic scale). PG found that out each time he strayed over the bounds in 2002.
But generally google is your friend when dealing with people who just appear to be simply ignorant of what you know or understand. If you have a good counter and some links then state them and add a bit of chilli for spice. Then respond only to the points that actually counter your points. If the avoidance syndrome starts to happen and people start diverting to something else – then let them. I have some severe responses to claims of owning, pwning, and other such tactics for a reason.
You seldom “win” on the net in anything less than a few years. Usually the best you can do is make another person think more deeply. Concentrate on the wars rather than the battles.
Focussing on things that Mr George is simply never going to stop defending (his bias and inaccuracy) is leading to fruitless debates which require a lot of scrolling (very exhausting activity (!)) – whereas, as I just mentioned, he appears to quieten down if one responds with a genuine argument to what he says.
blue, how is that any different than people responding to anyone else’s bias and inaccuracy. It’s part of the culture here to not let people get away with posting shit that is inaccurate or right wing spin.
“whereas, as I just mentioned, he appears to quieten down if one responds with a genuine argument to what he says”
My problem with that is that it gives legitimacy to his ‘reasonabler than thou’ centrist persona that is a front for some pretty shitty stuff eg his racism, and what he does (as opposed to what he says). If he was just inane I would have less of a problem. But IMO he actively undermines the left. Why should he get special treatment?
and no one actually addresses the content of your comment.
That would be because the purpose of most of his comments is to distract and dissemble. You can ignore the long termers here, and just look at the people that have started commenting here since PG’s return and the shift in their perception of him. Mostly they engage genuinely with him and after a few rounds of clusterfuck communication they eventually get to the point that the rest of us have.
“The left” actively undermines itself. For example with it’s excessive intolerance of anyone deemed to be “posting shit that is inaccurate or right wing spin” which is labeled “bias and inaccuracy”. That’s when National or ACT aren’t being accused of that. Or the media. Or anyone else who can be blamed for whatever isn’t going well.
That would be because the purpose of most of his comments is to distract and dissemble.
That’s not my purpose at all. The distracting and dissembling is what happens in response.
Some people simply object to me commenting no matter what I say. It’s tribal politics at it’s most petty. I don’t know what it’s intended to achieve but I haven’t noticed much success from the bitter and twisted approach.
I had a meeting with an MP today and we have very similar views on political behaviour. You rarely achieve anything significant in democratic politics by alienating and attacking – the success rate is very low and the negatives usually far outweigh any positives.
You have to build relationships and look for common ground to achieve things. Especially when you’re in opposition, opportunities don’t come often and you have to be ready to strike when you can. If you have burnt off any possible alliances you don’t have any chance. Even if you disagree with someone strongly on something you may need to work with them on the next issue, if you’re still on speaking terms.
Certainly I provoke reactions sometimes, deliberately, but what are political forums for? I haven’t seen a list of banned topics here. Do you expect any issues to be approved of a central committee to ensure they are left enough, ‘unbiased’ enough?
I’m relatively new to politics but I’m amazed at how old school activists keep repeating failed tactics. It’s common here, it’s common at Kiwiblog and other forums. Maybe that’s why they’re old school activists, they haven’t worked out how to succeed or they are past their prime and haven’t moved on with the times.
Divide and rule doesn’t work well in a decent democracy. You have to allow people and ideas to come together, look for opportunities and common ground, rather than look for differences and push apart on anything you disagree with.
‘Centrist’ is quite a loose term. To me it mostly means keeping your options open on any issue until you can decide what the sensible approach is, rather than painting yourself into an ideological corner from the start. I’m as likely to agree with a Green policy as an Act policy.
blue leopard is right, I’ll comment much less if comments are ignored or issues addressed and pissy personal attack politics is parked. I ignore most attacks but if you keep doing it I’ll keep picking my battles, as long as the blog authorities allow.
Some of you seem obsessed with defeating perceived enemies, but you’re defeating your own interests more than anything. Just imagine if all that time and mental energy went into doing something positive.
Pete, until most of these hard core old lefty,righty activists cark it, you’ll never see an improvement in the way politics are discussed.
They’re completely out of touch with how things work and how things get done these days, they’re dinosaurs stuck in a 70’s cold war mentality where those that don’t faithfully toe the party line should be smashed down and destroyed.
Nice try BM, but I was only just in primary school at the start of the 70s and came out of a family that valued debate but had no particular party line to follow.
You appear to have missed my point completely. All I am saying is what is occurring, in my view, is it is starting to make the commenters who aren’t Pete George look pettier than Mr Pete.
There are far worse things said than what PG said at the start of the thread. Pete’s comment fully contained points that gave the option to respond and debate – there are plenty of right-wing comments that don’t offer that at all…like the one that just said ‘cuckoo’ yesterday on one of the threads (say wha?)
You are not even one of the ones doing this behaviour, yet those that are, are utterly entitled to carry on with their behaviour (in keeping with the rules of the site of course!). I was hoping that they might read my comment and see sense in it, if not. I shall remain content by simply scrolling on by.
@Pete George
The way you come across with your posts is that you are here to put down Labour and the left, and take the side of the right wing. That is irritating and mostly time wasting rather than genuine debate or discussion.
If your intention is to push the agenda of the right, your natural place to hang would be the well known right wing blogs, of Slater and Farrar. You will get a lot of support for your views that are critical of the left.
I have not read any of your posts where you show clear support for any of the policies of Labour or those of the other left parties.
Which of the following policies/programmes/statements do you agree with and which you do not? Without going into discussions or debate, can you just state, as your conclusion, YES or NO for each of these please:
[1] The National tax cuts of billions of dollars helped the wealthy the most and affected the poor the most due to reduction in services.
[2] The broken promise of raising the GST impacted harder on the poor, as they generally spend all their limited income/wages for living expenses.
[3] National have slashed social services and put the screws on beneficiaries.
[4] National has put people out of Housing NZ homes so they can sell the property to their developer buddies.
[5] Overseas investors find NZ a great place to speculate in the very profitable housing market.
[6] Housing is becoming more and more out of the reach for ordinary New Zealanders.
[7] Labour has better ideas and policies than National to tackle the housing problem.
[8] Increased mortgage rates get passed on by landlords through the rent they charge.
[9] Keeping interest rates down should keep rents lower than if the Official Cash Rate was raised.
[10] The newly announced Labour’s VSR will make it easier for the lower income households to build up a deposit reserve through their Kiwisaver contributions and pay lower interest rates for their mortgage.
[11] Increasing the minimum wage to $15 immediately is a good policy.
[12] Supporting or encouraging the living wage is a good policy.
[13] The Labour-Green announced NZ Power is a good initiative for helping to bring down the electricity prices.
[14] Labour has always been the more sophisticated economic thinker, and is the natural party of innovative ideas and reform.
[15] By their very nature, conservative parties are managers rather than visionaries – and they only manage the economy to the primary advantage of the top few percent.
[16] Interest on student loans should be reintroduced.
[17] Kiwi Bank should be sold.
[18] Paid parental leave should not be increased to six months as proposed by Labour in its Best Start policy.
[19] Bring in a Capital Gains Tax as proposed by Labour.
[20] The spy laws related to GCSB, SIS etc should be thoroughly reviewed as proposed by Labour.
[21] Adult Community Education Night Classes should not have been cancelled by National.
[22] The power company asset sales was a good idea.
[23] Public funding for private Charter schools is a good idea.
[24] There will be a Labour-led Coaltion government after this election.
Yes I criticise Labour and that gets up some peoples noses but I do also praise Labour when I see fit. Same with Greens. Same with National.
And I do initiate discussion including confronting and challenging righties at Kiwiblog and Whale Oil, they don’t like it there either. Curiously they can be as over the top, irrational and angry at Kiwiblog as some are here, I’ve also experienced mass attacks (especially on rape, violence, smacking and climate change). But Whale Oil has not been anywhere near as bad – although I have had some full on debates with Slater et al.
That’s a long list and Yes or No is inadequate. For example I’ll address the first and last.
[1] The National tax cuts of billions of dollars helped the wealthy the most and affected the poor the most due to reduction in services.
Yes the tax cuts helped the wealthy the most on pure dollar terms. They pay by far the most tax and even small changes in tax rates can make a big difference in dollars. And low income and no income earners effectively pay no income tax so you can’t give them tax cuts, they have to be helped through other means. And it could be argued that $20 per week helps a beneficiary far more than $200 per week helps someone earning $200k.
“Reduction in services” is an almost completely different issue.
[25] Dunne will lose his seat.
I have no way of knowing that. He’s had a very difficult term, he’s looking jaded and dated, that will make it harder, but National, Labour and Greens are all standing new low profile candidates so that could help him. It’s nearly five months until the election. anything could happen yet. I don’t know and I don’t care apart from an overall interest in all parties and seats.
Oh dear! I specifically requested you not to debate/discuss as usual but to give your FINAL conclusion/best guess. Sadly you seem to be unable to do that.
Going by your explanation,
for both [1} and [2],
Your best response should have been NO (or Disagree)
As you are a prolific writer with wide views on various issues and quite controversial, It would be good to know where you generally stand politically, socially, economically, philosophically and morally.
Can you have another go?
One more question:
[26] Judith Collins has misused her ministerial position in the Oravida scandal and she should resign or be sacked.
You appear to have missed my point completely. All I am saying is what is occurring, in my view, is it is starting to make the commenters who aren’t Pete George look pettier than Mr Pete.
There are far worse things said than what PG said at the start of the thread. Pete’s comment fully contained points that gave the option to respond and debate – there are plenty of right-wing comments that don’t offer that at all…like the one that just said ‘cuckoo’ yesterday on one of the threads (say wha?)
You are not even one of the ones doing this behaviour, yet those that are, are utterly entitled to carry on with their behaviour (in keeping with the rules of the site of course!). I was hoping that they might read my comment and see sense in it, if not. I shall remain content by simply scrolling on by.
Hi blue,
I did get the point, but I happen to disagree with it (about who is looking more petty).
“There are far worse things said than what PG said at the start of the thread.”
Probably, and if it was just PG at the start of the thread there wouldn’t be a problem. I think this is the crucial difference – perhaps you think PG should be related to comment by comment. Myself, and I assume others, are well past that point where PG’s comments can stand each on their own. There is a pattern of behaviour that many here find disrupts the place, and some people are responding to that (the pattern of behaviour).
As Weka says below “This is pretty well-known internet forum dynamics.”
That and the moderation of certain words. I tried to get around them once by typing tr*ll then editing the o in afterwards. They’d thought of that 🙂
[lprent: Besides if the variants get too ubiquitous of over-used misused words (which is what I am looking for) there are always regular expressions to use. I have never had to do that. But the capability is sitting in the plugin I wrote for the task back in 2009. ]
“3) Petey spends the rest of the morning claiming he’s being picked on, without ever addressing the contradictions raised.”
Yes, and he’s moving into chapter 2 of the tr8ll handbook – claim that he’s being picked on by a specific group. In PG’s case he calls it “The small ‘divert and attack’ gang”. He will build that narrative for a while and then the people that still feel sorry for him will start telling off the ‘gang’ for picking on him (even though there isn’t actually a gang). It’s never fair to gang up on someone so irrespective of what he does the narrative will be that anyone that calls him on his tr8ll bullshit is part of orchestrated bullying.
When I first started reading this blog, I did get the impression that PG was being bullied. Now I understand why he gets treated as he does, and it’s possibly better than he deserves. However, there will often be new readers who won’t know the history. He’s a huge diversion, as are the RWNJs.
Clearly Dunne should retire from politics if he can’t even decide who he’s going to capitulate to from one week to the next. He’s so out of his depth on even such a small political issue that he makes Hekia Parata look competent. Dunne should step down.
He’s struggled to handle this for sure, but I think just about anyone would, especially when it seems both the two major parties don’t want to have anything to do with addressing cannabis alongside the synthetics problem.
If Dunne retired it would leave someone else to be impotent – or keener on banning drugs and creating more problems.
“These drugs could have been banned or a much stronger law put in place to eradicate these drugs. It is why Todd McClay and Peter Dunne should do the right thing and stand down.
“And for this Government need to listen to the people for once, and prioritise the move for an outright ban of legal highs,” she told Pacific Guardians.
A ban is very unlikely to eradicate them.
On Twitter I asked her to back up a claim “”… and families, communities, police and hospitals must now deal with a new stream of addicted users.” – evidence of this? Her response…
Jesse story on Campbell live, Four deaths in the last six months, & huge number of addicts, causing family & domestic violence
felix will be on to her double standards for sure. And her lack of actual evidence.
And other tweets about the same time:
NZ should ban all the legal highs, and increase law enforcement officers to monitor any under ground issues.
Those a comments from those who are afraid to do the right thing. Intimidating rubbish for the weak.
NZ should ban all the legal highs, and increase law enforcement officers to monitor any under ground issues.
How come Lisa Owen and the Nation TV never ask me about Legal Highs? Same goes to John Campbell programme. Just ban them.
So, Dunne does not have the courage of his own convictions, guts and honesty to stick to his position, but just shamelessly does what is politically expedient?
No guts or honesty or integrity.
He could have stuck to his position or resigned instead, if he had the courage of his conviction re this important issue, rather than blaming others!
My first response is to view this response from National and Labour as democracy in action and that it is good to see National responding to public pressure (I feel certain that the stance Labour took on it was part of National’s decision also though).
I think it would be good if politicians weren’t referred to as ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ or ‘flip-flopping’ when they are responding to public pressure because really, isn’t that what representatives are supposed to do? If public awareness is raised over a certain matter and therefore shifts, then the politicians need to be responsive to that.
In response to your ‘bugger the consequences’ view: This needn’t be the case if the government are prepared to act very fast to support social services and health organisations that will be helping the people in difficulty. It may be necessary to have a public awareness campaign to ensure those around such people, also, know what the signs are and are told what they can do to help.
I think that such a response would be fair, especially considering we allowed these drugs to be sold for a fair few years now, and therefore people took them believing they were harmless, when they were not.
If the government took the consequences seriously, they might be able to avert a lot of the problems you are referring to, after-all, leaving the things on the shelves is only going to make matters worse, not better; that would simply enable more people to get addicted.
This needn’t be the case if the government are prepared to act very fast to support social services and health organisations that will be helping the people in difficulty. It may be necessary to have a public awareness campaign to ensure those around such people, also, know what the signs are and are told what they can do to help.
You’re right, but I don’t see any sign of this happening, and no opposition pressure for it to happen. It’s as if they think that forcing product from retail shelves will suddenly solve the whole problem.
The Drug Foundation and others have pointed out the probable need for support services to be ramped up but I don’t know if anything is being done about it.
You may well be correct about it not looking like they will do anything, it wouldn’t surprise me with this government – who usually only seem to act for the wealth issues of a small group.
Yet if they don’t act it will reflect very badly on the government – and they are more likely than not in an election year to take that into account prior to deciding to do nothing.
And also, if they don’t act fast to provide support to these people, then one can hardly say it is due to ‘taking the products off the shelved’ has caused the problem – like I said – leaving the products on the shelves will only be making the issue worse.
“And also, if they don’t act fast to provide support to these people, then one can hardly say it is due to ‘taking the products off the shelved’ has caused the problem – like I said – leaving the products on the shelves will only be making the issue worse.
“
There is an assumption that the people who require support are included in those National care about. It is probably likely that they are not. After all, they have shown no compassion in their policies over the last five years for those they would consider “Non-National voters”.
Taking the legal-highs off the shelves is a response to their own demographic that has indicated that it is a good idea politically. Many of those will be satisfied with this step, and more than a few will probably consider it is all that is needed.
The data sharing between the agencies during the Olympics, though, was not isolated to PRISM. It also encompassed large volumes of metadata – such as the “to” and “from” details from an email but not the content of the message itself – as part of a more expansive Olympics surveillance effort. The NSA was funneling troves of intercepted data to GCHQ from a system called GHOSTMACHINE, a massive cloud database used by the NSA to analyze metadata and store, according to one document in the Snowden archive, “100s of billions of entries.”
So how reliable are the assurances that our metadata has not been harvested?
I rang the head of the agency and said, ‘Can you confirm for me that New Zealand didn’t collect wholesale metadata about ordinary New Zealanders?’ and the answer was, ‘We didn’t, and because we didn’t, we couldn’t have shared it’.
Dec 2 2013.
Ah, I see the problem: Key asked the wrong question. Funny that.
Of course, by August last year he had to clarify his previous assurance:
Prime Minister John Key has given some clarity to what “metadata” the Government Communications Security Bureau will be able to access…He says the GCSB will be able to look at some email metadata, but that will not include addresses, the times emails were sent or received, or their content.
“Essentially it flows through a filter, and as it flows through that filter, it doesn’t record for anything other than a hundredth of a second,”
My understanding of that is that their “filter” (and if so, well done Slippery for so cleverly implying it’s some sort of software) is the law, ie:
The NSA collects everything. The GCSB are allowed to look at some of it if they can get a court order*.
The real question that needs to be asked is “Does GCSB capture OR HAVE ACCESS TO metadata on New Zealand citizens?”.
Nicky Hager clearly elucidated the process that NZ intelligence agencies go through to achieve their goals whilst still maintaining plausible deniability. By providing NSA/GCHQ etc with a watchlist then THEY will be the ones doing the capture and analysis as opposed to the GCSB, ergo the GCSB can “legitimately” claim that they do not spy on NZ citizens.
NB: This is from memory of reading Nicky Hager’s book a couple of years ago so I can’t quote verbatim but I’m sure anyone that has Secret Power at their fingertips can do so if they feel so inclined 🙂
EDIT: In fact, re-reading OAB’s final paragraph I see he is effectively saying the same thing so I apologise for any duplication 🙂
Anyway, petty drivel aside, National are still desperately trying to spin their legal highs incompetence. I suppose it beats confronting Slippery’s awful performance at Christchurch airport.
An interesting interview on cannabis (and synthetics and bans) on Campbell Live last night.
Founder of the Drug Policy Alliance, Ethan Nadelmann discusses how the group has played a key part in a debate that has so far seen two US states legalise marijuana, with more set to follow.
He discusses just what it was that ultimately convinced Washington and Colorado to legalise marijuana.
xox
Great to hear Mary Wilson interviewing a civil engineer about the flooding in Christchurch. In summary, he said the flooding, along with the earthquakes, was exacerbated by 30 years of neglecting basic engineering principles. Drains first, not last as noted in council planning. I couldn’t help but think this could apply to most that has been foisted on the increasingly poor suffering public. Back to the basics, and less snake oil. Oh it’s election time!
It is absolutely astounding that nobody has got their own digger into that Dudley Creek and simply dug the thing out.
Two days, two 12 tonne diggers, job done.
It’s not as if the public would object or there are any fancy snails to protect.
This is symptomatic of Christchurch today – nobody does anything except after countless reports, bureaucratic wrangling, political debate, ecan, eqc, cera, ccc, ccdu, the entire city has become so entwined and strangled in public sector ways that number 8 wire thinking and action have just simply vanished. Gone. The stuffing has been knocked out of us.
Watch this – if there are no diggers in that Dudley Creek by Friday afternoon you watch the negative public comment and ridicule that will get piled onto the authorities and their useless authoritative ways.
i don’t think it quite works like that where the land in the city may have sunk because of the earthquakes Vto but the land out on the coast may not have,
If the land sinkage is centric to the city area then digging the streams and rivers deeper is going to achieve little…
No that’s not right mr bad. Sure the land in that area has sunk up to 500mm, but the creek beds have risen, the creek sides have fallen inwards, and all the native plantings of the last dozen years has slowed the water movement.
Digging the creek will certainly achieve more than enough to stop the next flood from reaching the floorboards of the houses concerned.
As someone who has been flooded more than once by Council ineptitude in Chch since the earthquakes (another part of town) and watched the (toxic polluted by portaloos and broken sewer) water rise through our floorboards I know this. In our part of town, harassment of Council staff to clear the drains resulted in the drains being cleared and now no flooding during these recent events.
It genuinely is as simple as lowering the creek bed and widening and clearing the creek banks.
Job done.
Bloody useless.
Hopefully some local in the vicinity will thumb their nose at Council and get their own digger in there today.
That depends Vto, are the creeks over-flowing and causing the flooding???, or, is the storm-water coming back up through the storm-water drains,
If the water is coming back up through the storm-water drains then i would suggest such drains where they enter the creeks need high volume pumps attached to them…
Yes apologies … the flooding in Chch is not a flowing flooding, nor a pressured flooding. It is simply a rise in water level, quiet and unmoving, lifting all logs, t-papers and e-colis with it. As such everything floods at once – stormwater drains and creeks, all at the same slow quiet pace.
If it is the creeks that are flooding then it is the creeks that need the water pumps to move the water on,
If you just dig out the drains the nett result is that the flow of water might reverse in the creeks from downstream going toward the outflow of the creeks…
Well, IMO, the #8 wire thinking has gone across the country but it’s been strangled by private sector ‘efficiency’ and not the public sector. The public sector used to welcome new ideas about how to get things done.
And, yeah, I’m with bad12 on the diggers probably being a bad idea.
I suppose. Might as well let these good houses get soaked in toxic grey water everytime there’s 30mm of rain… sheesh dtb, really …….
My point, in clarification, is simply dig the creeks out enough to lower these flood levels by enough to stay under the floorboards. Soaked garden and driveway ok but not in the house. Toxic danger unhealthy extreme. This requires simple digger action.
Because just getting in there and digging up the stream bed may not actually do that. It’s going to depend upon what level the stream is at normally compared to what level the houses are at and what level the water is during heavy rains. The houses have sunk half a metre compared to that normal water level.
Oh, I heard about this photo, thanks for posting it felix.
Note how the red car in the mobility park had to park over to the right to accommodate the Natz sign. I also see they are outside the Mahara Gallery in Waikanae. They picked a fairly safe neighbourhood to set up a stall, not likely to get too much heckle there.
I am not a lawyer, but the photo that felix has alerted us to has a raffle sign with a carton of what looks like wine bottles above it.
A quick search shows the following Internal Affairs warning.
Prohibited Prizes
It is illegal to offer the following as prizes:
A firearm, explosive (including ammunition), restricted weapon, or airgun
Liquor
Tobacco products
etc
Those fetuses chosen to become members of the lower castes of “Gamma”, “Delta” or “Epsilon” are subjected to in situ chemical interference to cause arrested development in intelligence and physical growth.
Head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said a staff member had met Datacom and she had followed up with a letter outlining their disappointment.
A Datacom spokeswoman told the Herald their truancy management team, which works with children aged 13 and 14 in Bay of Plenty, Manawatu, Southland and Whanganui, regrets the “ill-considered” wording and apologised.
“In their letter of response they indicated they were echoing the terminology used by some schools, which was not a satisfactory explanation … they have said this was a lapse of judgment by the employee [responsible],” Ms Casey said.
You want to know why this country has to change then the quotes above illustrate it well. The most vulnerable treated like shit, those most in need get degraded and abused (behind their backs and to their fronts) by the people paid and charged for trying to help them. Scum is too weak a word for the ‘team’ at Datacom and their ‘ill-considered’ words.
Why hand over truancy management to a company like Datacom in the first place? What is wrong with the Ministry of Education having its own people, who are trained in how to deal with real live people?
Yeah as I understand it the Ministry of Education defunded some very experienced truancy teams around the country and then handed contracts over to people who had no idea and no experience.
Is it normal to categorise kids so negatively? Do they think it’s a bit of a joke to label them like this? It’s appalling that Datacom (and school staff, it seems) treat kids so dismissively.
I can’t believe that people would tolerate this, that nobody said that it wasn’t right.
Take the demand out of Auckland’s housing market???, David Parker proposes to stop those with rental property from being able to write off ”losses” on the rental properties against ”taxes on other income”, and, (maybe) restrict immigration,
Two things i do agree with from Mr Parker, landlords should not have a tax incentive to involve themselves in owning rental property,
Immigration should be restricted to the number of houses able to be built to accommodate the number of immigrants in any given year…
Companies have been exporting swamp kauri for years now. I think I first visited the factory shop north of Kaitaia about 15 years ago and thought what a waste it was to send raw wood to China when there are so many potential carvers in the North. If Oravida are planning on processing the wood locally, they’re doing better than the rest of the cowboys up there. Much like the property developers around Kerikeri, they accept fines as part of the cost of doing business. Until a few of them lose their trousers and end up in prison, I can’t see anything changing.
I’m against both. As far as pounamu is concerned, the difference might be explained as the difference between Tipene O’Regan and Shane Jones.
I may have got the wrong impression about Oravida and any proposed processing. It seems that they are just stockpiling and waiting for the price to go up.
Politicaly Gelded
You have just asumed you are a liar being a politician.
We already knew.
To many legal highs you are confusing yourself.
Time for a fact check.
Pete George your an idiot a no body .suffering attention deficit.
Is the silver spoon about to be ripped out of the mouth of long serving National Government Minister Maurice Williamson,
It appears that Williamsons ”murky” dealings with businessmen Bill Liu also involved an ”intervention” with the police on Liu’s behalf by Williamson when Liu was about to be charged with domestic violence offences…
And the name “John Banks” popped up again in this, supporting this man when Banks was the Mayor of Auckland!! Shonkey will want this situation “done and dusted” before Parliament comes back next week, they won’t want TWO ministers in the gun at the same time!
No surprise think donations, think Bent Bankie will be lurking not too far away.
Bankie will be most annoyed now, I heard Williamson was going to put in a cameo appearance as a character witness at John’s peading court case. Well that plan has gone down the gurgler now, looks like Mangling Morrie may well be joining Bent Bankie down the old bailey in a lead role of his very own.
I guess after Williamson’s brief Worldwide celebrity status last year he wanted the center stage all to himself. Good for him 🙂
Oh dear more revelations that political donations buys a lot of favours in the National Party. A This ones tricky now awaiting John Key explaining this one away. You would think a longtime serving MP would know better.
A National Party Minister contacted a top ranking police officer after a wealthy businessman with close ties to him was arrested on domestic violence charges.
The Prime Minister’s office is understood to be considering Maurice Williamson’s future as a Minister, following Herald inquiries into the phone call that he made.
His office is understood to have also questioned Mr Williamson over his involvement with Donghua Liu’s criminal case.
Prime Minister John Key will make a statement later this morning.
HUGE round of applause to Christchurch City Council Deputy Mayor for a brilliant display on this mornings RadioNZ Nine to Noon program,
The ‘affordable housing plan’ espoused by Vicky includes Government including the Christchurch City Council in the ”full’ Government social housing subsidy as well as contracting a consortium currently building a specialized factory in Christchurch to produce low cost 5 star housing that can be erected on a prepared site in 5 days,
i haven’t got a link to the full ”plan” as outlined by the deputy Mayor, but found little i disagree with as She outlined it on National radio,
Hopefully Labour Housing spokesperson Phill Twyford watches this with due interest as it would seem applying the Christchurch City Council ”plan” to land the Government already owns is the way forward for housing affordability for those with little means both in the area of rental housing and affordable housing for low waged workers to purchase on variable mortgage payment schemes such as that which is proposed by the Green Party…
Cripes predictable. You have let Pete George take over the site again. Why can’t we give him the acknowledgement of say two comments and then leave it alone. Why should he be allowed to choose the subject of discussion each day?? Why hasn’t anyone else something interesting to discuss?? Are you a lot of monkeys who chatter every time someone pokes a banana through the bars and then pulls it away just to tease you? What are you!! Monkeys or meece.
I’m thinking at present about the big deal that the news is making about Maurice Williamson in connection with a Chinese entrepreneur, I suppose, and whether Williamson used his position improperly in helping the Chinese chap get what he wanted. It’s all breathless breaking news.
(See mickys post just up.)
That only works if everyone does it. So if regular standardistas (the one reading this today) agree to stop talking to him, what’s going to happen when newer people come along and start engaging with him?
“Why hasn’t anyone else something interesting to discuss?? Are you a lot of monkeys who chatter every time someone pokes a banana through the bars and then pulls it away just to tease you?”
There are other conversations going on, so you could focus on them 🙂
The reason why so many people are now engaging with PG negatively is because PG is causing so much distruption. You have cause and effect round the wrong way. People are so fucked off with the problems he is causing that they’ve moved into counter-offensive mode, because nothing else works. In other words, people that care about this place are unwilling to sit around and let a git like PG ruin it.
This is pretty well-known internet forum dynamics. Until PG gets his eventual ban, or decides to change, then best get used to it.
Weka
I think you have got dressed with your jersey and perhaps your trousers inside out. This has skewed your view of things. Try again tomorrow and you might get a different outlook.
The trouble with not engaging at all is that he then comes out with more comments to “provoke a reaction”. If these comments are not addressed it appears there is agreement with what he says, when there isn’t. I’m thinking at least an eyeroll is needed to show that pete’s comments are not considered true.
BG I rarely do. But I have to search for something being discussed that he isn’t dominating. Discussed or disgust. It ends up that it’s better to stay away and leave everyone stirring the same old stew. I like a change of diet and I might have to find a better menu.
lol
I just read openmike in about 5 minutes – as soon as a thread hits pgtips, I skipped to the next thread 🙂
Each to their own, but there’s something about that tool that makes me feel like I have ants crawling under my skin. Some days I want to scratch it, other days I avoid it completely…
The worst part is he manages to clutter the whole thing up with numerous comments that never quite manage to say anything, the mans a master troll he manages to tie commenters up in knots and destroys site readability…
Then he generally skips over to Kiwiblog for a grizzle then proceeds to have a moan on his own blog about how unfair it is…
What I am unsure of is he if actually realises what he is doing, so the real question is, troll by accident or troll by design?
This morning on Morning Report there was an item on the move of the Te Papa CEO to the Ministry of Culture etc into a special advisory role for military heritage ahead of next year’s ANZAC commemorations. The item had the feel of having more to it than meets the eye.
TV3 had a short item on their website last night by Tova O’Brien that gives a bit more information.
However, Patrick Gower’s Twitter feed also provides a little more of interest if you read his exchanges with Jacinda Arden and Grant Robertson. Tweets by patrickgowernz
It appears that Finlayson and his office have been telling ‘porkies’ according to Gower about this move and the state of Te Papa’s financial affairs.
Although totally overshadowed by the Williamson situation and ‘resignation’, I am hoping that TV3 will follow through on this situation as well.
xox
Vicki Buck ,ex Christchurch mayor and Lianne Dalziel could be a formidible tag team to counter This National disgrace. It’s a tough job, here’s hoping this council is up to it.
I don’t see why you guys are so envious of the success and wealth of Australian based banking shareholders, they are merely supporting the standard of living back home 😈
I think you are not being serious, but your statement is correct. We have the luxury of a stable banking system underpinned by Australian ownership. So yes you in particular should be very grateful.
Last week, Craig Rucker, a climate-change skeptic and the executive director of a nonprofit organization called the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), tweeted a quotation supposedly taken from a 1922 edition of the Washington Post: “Within a few years it is predicted due to ice melt the sea will rise & make most coastal cities uninhabitable.” The intent, of course, was to poke fun at current headlines about climate change.
Partial amnesty: I’ve arbitrarily released the bans on
Puckish Rogue
grumpy
infused
SHG
The Fan Club
Intrinsicvalue
chris73
natwest
Dumrse
Balanced View
TheContrarian
insider
BarnsleyBill
Mark (he will know which one it is)
These are the ones who aren’t marked as being “idiots” and who offer some effective commentary most or even some of the time – which is why Santi isn’t there for instance.
It has been just over a year since the last amnesty, so it seemed like being about the time to do it again.
I’d suggest that they refresh themselves on the policy and that they remember that I’m still the moderator that dealt with them last time. In particular about half of these were for trying to do a diversion troll in posts written by an author or syndicated in. If you want to raise a topic, then do it in OpenMike and do it intelligently.
If I detect concerted astroturfing of lines as often happens in an election year, then I’m likely to do some concerted banning of anyone who running anything like that line. I’m also likely to reward such stupidity with a ban until after the election so as to reduce my workload..
lol, yes I had a chuckle about it too -I was wondering perhaps too many complaints about PG combined with a certain sadistic streak that I sometimes suspect lprent has….caused the decision? Perhaps?
Mind you I just watched a The Good Wife episode which made the Game of Thrones look like children doing a game of patty cake. I was having problems figuring out the plot in advance. In fact I was having problems figuring it out from behind.
Followed by a episode of the House of Cards. Perhaps covering up her career moves by confessing a adolescent rape and aborted child on National TV would help some of our politicians. Just made me feel uncomfortable.
Finished with an episode of Foyles war. Sane by comparison. Just spivs, bombs, and mysteries
The Good Wife is about my favourite TV drama these days. It probably helps in following the plot to have watched all the previous episodes.
Previously Kalinda has been mysterious and intriguing. Now they are filling in some of her back story via the abusive husband. Her relationship with the FBI agent has been on and off for a while. Ditto, it helps to have been following all the plots and sub-plots around Alicia, her politician husband, lawyer Will Gardner, etc.
Well, it’s not just a facebook group (see above at 1.3.3.)and NZ First requesting that Peter Dunne resign, even the editor of the fairfax owned Wellingtonian, who usually writes a predictable right slanted editorial every week states:
“Dunne needs to consider his position. It might be a good time for him to bow out gracefully. If not, perhaps the voters of Ohariu could help him on his way”
The article provides a history of Dunne’s failures and botch up’s culminating in his sudden u turn on legal highs. Interesting editorial for a paper that has been so pro Key government, and locally so opposed to our Green ticket mayor and flourish of new Green counsellors after the last local body elections.
“.years of repressed-insults/fixed-smiles will burst out of him like an exploding carbuncle..”
Unpleasant. I’m thinking he does have years of simmering anger under the surface and a sense of righteous indignation ready to explode. “Why is everybody always picking on me?!?!” sort of anguish.
No I don’t recall his 2011 brush with doom and subsequent response to the threat. Prior to the 2011 I was going through a severe bout of depression (apologies for the TMI) and I couldn’t cope with following the campaign on top of everything else, so missed that one. Now that I’m better than I was and after moving into his electorate I am watching his every move (He’s currently in the Chathams lol) and am happy to assist local activist efforts where I can in an effort to hold him to account and raise awareness of his deeds in the community.
No he won’t be a gracious loser. 30 years in the one seat. He will be one grumpy cat
Wouldn’t be great if Left and Right united to deal with the excesses of corporate welfare? Keep in mind that about 70% of the population were against Asset Sales. Maybe they might unite on corporates. And maybe the obscene salaries paid to CEO of big business?
Good thing I can’t recall any labour MPs that’ve been done for corruption however I’d say its bad form that Williamson got caught, really basic mistake really
Good thing I can’t recall the last time “he did it too” was a valid excuse for anything, and always nice to see an advocate of personal responsibility show their true colours.
Well corruption is a charged word and should only be used when proven beyond reasonable doubt but for the major crime of being dumb and getting caught Williamson deserved to get canned…maybe he should retire which would open up another seat for someone else
Far as I’m concerned mate, when a donor to the Oravida party gets arrested, and that arrest comes to the attention of the Minister in charge of the department that oversees the donor’s interests, that’s enough to create the perception of a conflict of interest.
Your opinion that it’s ok to cleave to the letter of the law is duly noted.
I figure he’s going to make Key look strong to the feeble minded, and that it won’t significantly affect his lucrative business career, because that’s how corruption works.
Ukraine: Ukrainian forces in east defecting to join pro-Russian rebels
It seems like the locals in the east of the country prefer not to go with the right wing extremist government in Kiev which is run by oligarchs and sponsored from the west.
“It seems like the locals in the east of the country prefer not to go with the right wing extremist government in Kiev which is run by oligarchs and sponsored from the west.”
Poor Ukranians ousted one nut job crooked president replaced by another and Russia, NATO and the US all sabre rattling over them – as usual it’s the ordinary man and woman who’s held to ransom by the swines fighting over power.
Yet in the context of several hundred years of leaders and monarchs – he’s by far the best the Russians have ever had. At least he can be though of as a strong nationalist and for that he’s still after nearly 15 years is still remarkably popular at home.
Interesting to see on TV3 Gower’s attempt to change Williamson’s corruption into a slur on Cunliffe.
Honestly Gower is the epitome of journalistic corruption.
I really think he doesn’t know it.
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
by Phil Duncan In 2016 the National-led government suspended the Parent Visa Category, through which migrants were able to bring their parents into New Zealand. Since then over 5,700 people have been in immigration limbo, stuck on the visa wait list. Labour is now bringing back the scheme. Well, sort ...
The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
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This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
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Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
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by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
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The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
The Ombudsman has been surveying people about their knowledge of the OIA and the right to information. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that widespread:The Chief Ombudsman says too many New Zealanders were in the dark over their right to access official information. Peter Boshier said an independent survey released yesterday on ...
In the wake of last Friday's climate strike, Peter McKenzie had an article in The Spinoff about protest strategies. The school strike movement is "polite" and cooperates with those in power because that's its kaupapa - its led by schoolkids who understandably don't want to risk arrest. But there's more ...
So, the latest ruminations on the gnews from Westminster (Again, sorry; I'll stop making that pun right now). This follows on from, and likely repeats bits of, my last post, on the suggestion that a Government of National Unity (GNU) should be set up and then oversee a referendum before ...
New Zealand likes to think of itself as not a racist country (despite being founded on the racist dispossession and subjugation of Maori). But for years, we've had a racist refugee policy, which basicly excludes refugees from Africa and the Middle East unless they already have relatives here. Now, the ...
Several people have asked me whether a particular repeat litigant could be declared a vexatious litigant, in light of their recent decision to appeal an adverse High Court ruling. My nascent tweet thread was getting ridiculously long, so it became this blog post instead.The short answer is: no. The particular ...
Appealing To The Past: Action Zealandia, like so many of the organisations springing up on the far-Right, across what they call the “Anglosphere”, is born out of the profound confusion over what a man is supposed to be in the twenty-first century and, more importantly, what he is supposed to do.THE STATUE OF ...
The attempts of anti-democratic transactivists to (often violently) disrupt women’s rights organising is largely ignored by those sections of the left most prone to misogyny and authoritarianism in New Zealand. In Britain, however, scores of trade union and left activists added their names to a letter in July, defending ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. The Bill would establish an independent, quasi-judicial body to investigate and review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer them back to the Court of appeal if required. It would be a vital backstop to our judiciary, help ...
by The Spark On September 14, a total of 22 drones and cruise missiles struck two oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Abqaiq is the largest oil production facility in the world. For a few days afterwards, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national ...
How much will NeoLiberal irregulation of the building sector and subsequent leaky homes crisis cost us? $47 billion, according to a new book:The total cost to fix all of New Zealand's leaky homes would be $47 billion, probably. The estimate comes from a new book, Rottenomics written by journalist Peter ...
Below is the start of another excellent article on the Freer Lives blog. Click onto the link at the end of this extract to read the full article. The punch-a-terf, kill-a-terf message pervades social media, always righteously delivered, chin held high. By contrast, the dehumanised “terfs” themselves, that is gender-critical ...
The Reserve Bank is currently planning tighter banking regulation, requiring banks to hold enough local capital to survive a 1-in-200 year financial crisis in order to protect consumers. The big Aussies banks, those foreign leeches who suck $5 billion in profit out of our economy every year, don't like that, ...
Its the usual story: a police officer beats a handcuffed suspect so hard they break one of their own fingers. The IPCA investigates and concludes that the use of force was unlawful. And the police refuse to do anything about it:A man punched repeatedly in the face by a police ...
From time to time we add links to our blogroll. The latest blog we have added is Freer Lives. This is a Marxist gender-critical blog, based in Melbourne, Australia. On it you will find a bunch of excellent articles which use the tools of Marxist analysis to critique the rise ...
Last Friday say the largest protest in a generation, as 170,000 people joined the school strike and marched to demand real action on climate change. The demands of the school strike were simple and clear: declare a climate emergency, set a climate target of net-zero by 2040, impose a total ...
Labour is a rather middle of the road capitalist party and earlier this year we discussed how far from being ‘transformative’, Ardern’s government is. An article published this week in the Guardian, by Bryce Edwards (political scientist and commentator at Victoria University), looks at Ardern’s business as usual performance. Where ...
In the hours since my last interminable wittering about the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain, there has been a slight maybe development:A Corbyn-led caretaker government could then sit for several months while it enacted and delivered a referendum with the support of smaller parties and ...
Jeremy Clarkson says much like Greta Thunberg, Anne Frank “didn’t like what was going on”, but “she didn’t have a tantrum about it.” Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offered praise to historical figure Anne Frank, comparing her favourably to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who he attacked in ...
Press release by Speak Up For Women Lesbians from women’s rights group Speak Up For Women are furious at reports that Rainbow Tick are threatening Massey University with the removal of their ‘tick’ if they let the group’s event go ahead. The group has been under attack from trans ...
By Duncan Garner Before you jump down my throat, nobody cares about the environment more than me. I have a garden, and since my wife and I broke up, I’ve let it grow wildly out of control, so please don’t tell me I’m not doing enough for plants. They’re ten ...
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help fund a new dredge for the Port of Greymouth to ensure the regional fishing fleet have a reliable and productive harbour, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “Last year the movements of ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
New applications from mining company OceanaGold to purchase land in Waihi for new tailings ponds associated with its gold mines have been approved. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker considered the applications under the Overseas Investment Act. Earlier this year, applications from OceanaGold to ...
New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker leaves tomorrow for Dubai, London and Berlin for a series of meetings to advance New Zealand’s trade interests. In Dubai he will visit New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 where construction is underway. There he will meet Minister of State for International Cooperation, Her ...
Confirmation that PHARMAC will fund two new cancer drugs is further evidence of the good progress the Government is making to improve the treatment of New Zealand’s leading cause of death, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December PHARMAC will fund alectinib (Alecensa) for ALK positive advanced non-small cell ...
An additional $2.7 million has been announced for the Government Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation on the first anniversary of the strategy’s launch. Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson gave the opening address to the first Sport NZ Women + Girls Summit in Wellington today, ...
As part of its work to ensure businesses can get the skilled workers they need, the Coalition Government is re-opening and re-setting the Parent Category visa programme, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. The move will: support skilled migrants who help fill New Zealand’s skills gaps by providing a pathway for ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has today announced Major General Evan Williams of the New Zealand Defence Force has been selected as the commander of a significant, longstanding peacekeeping mission in the Middle East. In December, Major General Williams takes over as Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers ...
A record number of nurses are now working to deliver health services to New Zealanders as the Government’s increased funding and new initiatives rebuild key workforces start to show results, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. • 1458 more DHB nurses since the Government took office • 106 more midwives ...
Farmer and former Nuffield scholar Mel Poulton has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, announced today. The position supports key Government objectives, including raising the value of New Zealand agricultural goods and services. Mel is ...
New Zealand’s Pacific and Māori voyaging heritage is acknowledged and celebrated today as waka of the Tuia 250 voyage flotilla arrive in Tūranga / Gisborne. “Today we celebrate Tangata Whenua, the first people of Aotearoa, and the triumphs of the voyaging tradition that brought our ancestors here from Polynesia 1000 ...
“Fijian Language Week starts on Sunday and the theme reminds us how important it is that we each have something to anchor ourselves to, something that can help us pause and feel in control in a rapidly changing world,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “Family, culture, faith, ...
The Government is establishing an Airspace Integration Trials Programme to support the safe testing and development of advanced unmanned aircraft and accelerate their integration into the aviation system, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods announced today. The Government will work with leading, innovative aviation industry partners to test and ...
This afternoon Fish & Game posted a public statement responding to my email to supporters this morning – specifically rejecting our claim that steel shot is now deemed "enhanced penetration ammunition" and therefore possession of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University Two-thirds of young people experience levels of exam stress that mental health organisation ReachOut describes as “worrying”. Research shows high levels of exam stress can interfere with attention and reduce working memory, leading ...
The National Party's outrage that the Immigration Minister granted residency to a protected person and recidivist drink driver, entitling them to the same benefits as New Zealanders, has backfired. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Beckett, Lecturer in Media and Communications, University of Melbourne Reports of Facebook moderators’ appalling working conditions have been making headlines worldwide. Workers say they are burning out as they moderate vast flows of violent content under pressure, with vague, ever-changing guidelines. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Lycett, Senior Research Officer, Deakin University; Honorary Fellow, The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Three simple factors can predict whether a child is likely to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adolescence: the child’s body mass ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Marshall, Lecturer, Landscape Architecture and Urban Ecology, University of Melbourne You may mock the national anthem by singing “Our land abounds in nature strips” but what you might not know is how true that is. In Melbourne, for example, more than ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University It’s unlikely Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team, realised he’d be sparking an international diplomatic incident when, on October 4, he tweeted the following Stand with Hong ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pressure on government from unions, mosque attack victim widows turned down for residency, and another Nat eyes safe Botany seat nomination.Pressure is being put on the government to deliver on one of their major promises to the union movement, reports the NZ ...
It’s the end of an era at Three as MAFS NZ and Guy Williams’ new show canceled and 7 Days cut to bone, writes Duncan Greive.A trio of shows which have been amongst Three’s most important local productions are either being canceled or severely cut back, as the channel’s agonising ...
'Joker' expects viewers not only to understand its cruelty, but to understand the justified violence of a white man when the protests of black men and women in the US are regularly met with condemnation, vilification and exclusion. ...
She runs the women's Aussie Rules and netball programmes at one of Australia's oldest sports clubs, so why is Jane Woodlands-Thompson sitting on the Silver Ferns bench? ...
As someone with a severe chronic illness, Hannah McGowan has a vested interest in getting to the bottom of what cannabis can and can’t do for her health. The reality, she discovers, is complicated.Woo [colloq.]: Mystical, supernatural or pseudo-scientific beliefs not backed up by evidence. I crave a well informed, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...
By Michael Andrew and Sri Krishnamurthi The true story of one of the Pacific’s great waka builders and sailor has been captured in a stirring and visually gripping documentary. Loimata: The Sweetest Tears follows the final years of Ema Siope, a Samoan born kiwi who endured a tumultuous past ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Cowie, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Around one-third of Australians living with hepatitis C have been cured in the last four years. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is ...
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Image AsiaPacificReport.nz/RNZ.Commentators across the political spectrum seem to agree – the Labour-led Government’s popularity is being damaged by its failure to deliver in Jacinda Ardern’s self-proclaimed “Year of Delivery”. Instead, the delivery of bad news to Labour and the Government has come in ...
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Polls Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern now dependent on Peters Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern still standing, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Austin, Professor UNSW Canberra Cyber, UNSW This is part of a new series looking at the national security challenges facing Australia, how our leaders are responding to them and how these measures are impacting society. Read other stories in the series ...
Researchers from Lincoln University are investigating how to use nanotechnology in agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. ...
The increased presence of anti-trans and white supremacist stickers around the University of Auckland campus is proof that inaction is enabling hate groups, write Anisha Sankar and Max Whitehurst.Anisha Sankar is a Chennai-born, Te Awakairangi-raised, South Indian Tamil studying at the University of Auckland. Max Whitehurst is a transgender Pākehā ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, the New Zealand government’s first response was to ban the firearms the alleged gunman had used to murder 51 people. Seven months later, the second tranche of this process ...
The nine members for the next three year term of the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB) for Auckland have been appointed by the statutory Selection Body. Their appointments begin on 1 November 2019 and continue to 31 October 2022. Mana Whenua ...
“If we are truly to solve the challenge of poverty within the Te Ao Maori world we must lift our people from the low wage and low skills growth side of the economy. At the same time we must continue to ensure our people, no matter where they are, ...
Alex Casey asks Rose Stewart from Family Planning every single question she can think of about New Zealand’s new free IUDs. Listen up, womb-owners who love free shit and long-term contraceptive options: Pharmac announced that they will be fully funding two new long-lasting, reversible contraceptives in New Zealand from November 1, ...
Patients are increasingly being turned away for treatment and there can be no more excuses from the Government over properly funding district health boards to boost specialist numbers in public hospitals, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ...
Today’s Council of Trade Unions’ report, Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness , provides a much-needed pathway to fair wages and conditions across several major industries, and the Government must deliver on its promise to introduce FPAs ...
The Speaker has limited the number of questions Simon Bridges can ask in the House as a punishment for the National Party defying Trevor Mallard by not pulling down their attack ads. ...
Sunshine capital? Check. Rich artisan tradition? Check. Incredible sausages? That’s a big check. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the truly gorgeous Nelson region this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University In the four years since the Paris climate agreement was adopted, countries have debated the fine print of how emissions reduction should be tracked and ...
The flight drink company 1Above, partly-owned by the high profile, venture capital fund Movac and businessman Gareth Morgan, is in liquidation owing almost $10 million. ...
In recent weeks Responsible Campers Association Incorporated (RCAi) has become involved in some high level discussions about our right to camp. This began out of discussion about the disabled who which to participate in Sport and Recreation activities. ...
In their quest for a cashless society the Japanese have beaten New Zealand to its own next-gen shopping experience.New Zealanders are missing out to the Japanese on a Kiwi technology that is set to eliminate supermarket queues.The first store to implement the SmartCart cashierless shopping system will be in Osaka, ...
If you don’t like Shortland Street, or you’re unconvinced that Michael Galvin actually is a doctor, does that mean all New Zealand television is rubbish? Some say yes. Tara Ward says an emphatic no. The world is our TV oyster, but lately it seems not everyone in Godzone is feeling the ...
The National Party is accusing the Immigration Minister of a "Sroubek 2.0" after revelations he granted residence to a man with multiple drink-driving convictions. ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu urges the Crown to ensure that the Establishment Board of the newly formed Institute of Skills and Technology meets its Treaty obligations and addresses the statutory role of iwi as Treaty partners in redesigning the education ...
The top-selling food magazine in New Zealand is closing its print operation. Niki Bezzant, Healthy Food Guide‘s former editor, reflects on the challenges the title faced.The news that after 14 years and 176 issues Healthy Food Guide magazine is closing its print operation came as a shock to some. It ...
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Stuff report that Dunne was forced to backflip on the legal high (interim) ban after pressure from National MPs.
Labour jumped on the same ‘bugger the consequences’ banwagon.
The effective shutting down of all legal high sales may make shop precincts look a bit better for mayors and MPs in the short term but if this turns into an openly ugly under-supported addicts’ angst there could be a backlash for MPs who jumped on the banwagon.
If a ban doesn’t work (as Dunne, the Drug Foundation, Ireland’s health minister and many others keep claiming) what then? Hope that the mess doesn’t become apparent until after the election?
🙄
That’s what fact checkers do: assume John Key is telling the truth at all times.
That may be what you do but I don’t assume any politician is telling the truth, especially not the full truth. The announcements and reactions by Dunne, Key and Cunliffe all seemed to be unusually odd.
🙄 as previous comments here, and the wide variety of ‘facts checked’ on the ‘fact checker’ website indicate.
Refuted by your own dishonest bad faith drivel:
Labour jumped on the same ‘bugger the consequences’ banwagon.
Remember what Felix just told you: it isn’t your views (the only personal opinions you ever reveal are the occasional bits of racism), it’s your behaviour. This is an example.
You just owned Pete George.
I will take that as constructive criticism: a low benchmark at best. Not really worth the candle.
re pete george..
i just watched this..and i laughed like a drain..
..and i saw myself (or many of you) as the guy with the mo’..
..and pete george as the cleanshaven guy…
..being questioned/cross-examined..
http://boingboing.net/2014/04/30/ny-times-verbatim-what-is-a-p.html
[lprent: classic. ]
Pete, do you have any twins?
ha ha ha ha ha laugh my socks off.
PG Tips, if you are around, this is EXACTLY what it is like debating with you. That is not meant in a mean or nasty way or any such other abuse, simply that this is what it is like.
Perfectly summed up there mr ure, perfect.
“Do you have a photocopier in your office?”
ha ha ha ha ha
Gonna have to stop calling them “”legal highs” soon Petey.
I look forward to seeing you try to maintain your ludicrous legal drugs / illegal drugs double-standard.
You’re making things up again. Standard practice for you.
Total drug bans have never worked and can cause more problems than they try to solve. So we need restricted legal use of the entrenched safer drugs like alcohol and cannabis, and possibly some synthetics and others if they are relatively low harm for most people.
In today’s trivia section, marijuana campaigner and blog editor Pete George took his first actual position on something today, and while his statement contains numerous caveats and equivocations, this author would just like to take a moment to praise Mr. George for coming down off the fence for once in his life.
Pot George, congratulations!
Not making anything up. Many times on this site while adults were trying to have serious discussions about drugs and drug use, you’ve attempted to introduce the meaningless (in the context) distinction between legal and illegal drugs.
You even went as far as to reject my observation that we have a culture that glorifies the ritual of the weekly wrecking.
I see you’re backing away from that position already.
“Not making anything up. Many times on this site while adults were trying…”
Very funny felix. You might sound like a bitter old bugger but your efforts so far today are closer to infantile.
The small ‘divert and attack’ gang look petty and pathetic (to me).
Petty??? is that you in the mirror, 🙄 🙄 🙄 …
🙄
Pot George, did you really think your passive aggressive attacks would go unanswered? It isn’t your opinions it’s your behaviour.
This is what makes you unelectable.
You’re not one who should lecture others on behaviour hypocrite. Even lefties get pissed off with you.
Shoot the messenger, Pete.
@PG “Even lefties get pissed off with you (oab)”
Factually this one doesn’t Lol 1000+ One Anon Bloke
One sentence from OAB is worth more that your total body of work pete and you’ll never understand why. Why not blame it on Māori solo mums that’s seems to be what you enjoy.
😳
Thanks Marty and Anker.
“One sentence from OAB is worth more that your total body of work pete and you’ll never understand why.”
+1
Ok felix, you could contribute something positive for a change and explain what your grand single standard preference is on dealing with drugs and laws.
Not until the baby is asleep. This thread is textbook:
1) Petey posts NACT propaganda.
2) Contradictions with his previous statements are pointed out.
3) Petey spends the rest of the morning claiming he’s being picked on, without ever addressing the contradictions raised.
By 11am after painting himself into a dunce’s corner he will claim that he neither agreed nor disagreed with the propaganda in the first place, then he’ll disappear for the rest of the day, his work having been done.
Tomorrow, repeat.
This thread is textbook.
Mass attack any comments by target.
Claim target is disrupting threads.
Plead with moderators to bow to pressure.
Tomorrow, repeat. Seen it all before with various targets. No wonder the left is struggling. If they concentrated on actually doing something positive…yeah, nah. Not until the baby is asleep. But it never will be for the perpetually frustrated.
🙄
If “attacks” are so disruptive, why do you initiate them?
Today’s attacks by you can be summarised by the one word “banwagon”.
Well you did say “Labour jumped on the same ‘bugger the consequences’ bandwagon”. It is like even when you criticise National you have to attack Labour at the same time.
Both are at fault over this so I don’t see why both shouldn’t be criticised. Addressing the synthetic and natural cannabis issues doesn’t look hopeful when both major parties seem intent on ban and ignore the obvious.
But here’s one for National on it’s own – Maurice Williamson looks very compromised and if the story so far stacks up I think he has to resign as minister at least.
Parroting John Key’s unsubstantiated “assertions” ≠ criticism.
is that a whinge or a whine there pete – another ‘poor me’, blame everyone else comment from the mr nobody. I suppose you are frustrated in missing the big chance to get your name up there – oh dear, how sad, what a pity.
Mass attack any comments by target.
Claim target is disrupting threads.
Plead with moderators to bow to pressure.
I am afraid I have to agree with you here Pete George.
If people don’t like your comments the best thing to do is ignore, or if your comment is that bad a few rolleyes or short-sharp statements saying so, but I have noticed rather a few time now that you have raised a point which can be debated and if people did so, things can be learned, thus it becomes a crying shame when the thread is filled up with ad-hominem style comments and no one actually addresses the content of your comment. (some have here but the majority haven’t).
What is occurring, in my view, is it is starting to make the commenters who aren’t Pete George look pettier than Mr Pete (sorry Pete but, yep, sometimes this is the way you come across, especially those articles you have printed in that fact-checking site).
Pete George, is clearly attempt to rark up people here, and is managing it very successfully, well done Pete.
To those attempting to discourage Pete George – I think you are achieving quite the opposite. Not well done yous.
Hint: Some people really like attention no matter whether it is good or bad and giving attention to people like that – simply encourages them. You are better off turning the comment around than ad-hominems if you really don’t like what a person like that is saying.
Can you point to an “ad hominem” attack on Pete George (as distinct from Pete George’s statements and behaviour) on this page?
Perhaps you can also point to where he “raised a point which can be debated” that doesn’t contain some passive-aggressive falsehood or spin, or “bait” as Karol calls it.
Thanks.
Hi OAB,
Not ad hominem per se – that is why I wrote ‘ad-hominem-style comments’
Actually your first comment I found quite astute – pointing out the bias of Mr George – yet if you look at the whole the line of responses they simply take up time discussing Mr Georges bias and making references to his sorry role in creating a ‘factless checking site’ (which I am angry about too) rather than turning into a constructive debate addressing the actual points he raised (see my comment at 1.6 for what points I think he raised).
Time and again these threads are turning into an endless attack on his bias. Such comments may be quite correct – yet what I am suggesting is that these threads would not be ‘filled with Pete George’s comments and responses’ if people focus on debating the points. He soon seems to appear to shut up if you do that. (see my comment, again, at 1.6).
Can you see my point? Focussing on things that Mr George is simply never going to stop defending (his bias and inaccuracy) is leading to fruitless debates which require a lot of scrolling (very exhausting activity (!)) – whereas, as I just mentioned, he appears to quieten down if one responds with a genuine argument to what he says.
Clearly, this is simply my opinion; to me it is appearing quite bizarre how much focus is going toward PG and yet the same people who are focussing on him are complaining at the same time about how much focus he gets. ??
If you don’t want the focus on PG – simply focus on something else – he will soon go away if he is ignored. The other option, as I have said, is debate the points with him – this also appears to quieten him down, and when it doesn’t, there is much to learn from those discussions.
There are plenty of trollish commenters on this site. Why is PG getting so much attention? He is simply one of many and I really think that you are delighting him with your attention rather than putting him off.
I’d tend to agree. That is why I spiked a guest post from earlier this week (you know who you are – sorry) about how to handle an unnamed commenter with PG’s characteristics.
I or another moderator will deal to people doing trolling or who are deliberately starting flames. We (especially me and previously Irish) are rather well known for our abrupt methods of terminating those behaviours and our increasing irritation at repetition (basically we escalate on a random walk logarithmic scale). PG found that out each time he strayed over the bounds in 2002.
But generally google is your friend when dealing with people who just appear to be simply ignorant of what you know or understand. If you have a good counter and some links then state them and add a bit of chilli for spice. Then respond only to the points that actually counter your points. If the avoidance syndrome starts to happen and people start diverting to something else – then let them. I have some severe responses to claims of owning, pwning, and other such tactics for a reason.
You seldom “win” on the net in anything less than a few years. Usually the best you can do is make another person think more deeply. Concentrate on the wars rather than the battles.
thanks lprent,
Although, that comment of mine that you are responding to is still in moderation (according to my browser anyway)…
Focussing on things that Mr George is simply never going to stop defending (his bias and inaccuracy) is leading to fruitless debates which require a lot of scrolling (very exhausting activity (!)) – whereas, as I just mentioned, he appears to quieten down if one responds with a genuine argument to what he says.
blue, how is that any different than people responding to anyone else’s bias and inaccuracy. It’s part of the culture here to not let people get away with posting shit that is inaccurate or right wing spin.
“whereas, as I just mentioned, he appears to quieten down if one responds with a genuine argument to what he says”
My problem with that is that it gives legitimacy to his ‘reasonabler than thou’ centrist persona that is a front for some pretty shitty stuff eg his racism, and what he does (as opposed to what he says). If he was just inane I would have less of a problem. But IMO he actively undermines the left. Why should he get special treatment?
and no one actually addresses the content of your comment.
That would be because the purpose of most of his comments is to distract and dissemble. You can ignore the long termers here, and just look at the people that have started commenting here since PG’s return and the shift in their perception of him. Mostly they engage genuinely with him and after a few rounds of clusterfuck communication they eventually get to the point that the rest of us have.
“The left” actively undermines itself. For example with it’s excessive intolerance of anyone deemed to be “posting shit that is inaccurate or right wing spin” which is labeled “bias and inaccuracy”. That’s when National or ACT aren’t being accused of that. Or the media. Or anyone else who can be blamed for whatever isn’t going well.
That’s not my purpose at all. The distracting and dissembling is what happens in response.
Some people simply object to me commenting no matter what I say. It’s tribal politics at it’s most petty. I don’t know what it’s intended to achieve but I haven’t noticed much success from the bitter and twisted approach.
I had a meeting with an MP today and we have very similar views on political behaviour. You rarely achieve anything significant in democratic politics by alienating and attacking – the success rate is very low and the negatives usually far outweigh any positives.
You have to build relationships and look for common ground to achieve things. Especially when you’re in opposition, opportunities don’t come often and you have to be ready to strike when you can. If you have burnt off any possible alliances you don’t have any chance. Even if you disagree with someone strongly on something you may need to work with them on the next issue, if you’re still on speaking terms.
Certainly I provoke reactions sometimes, deliberately, but what are political forums for? I haven’t seen a list of banned topics here. Do you expect any issues to be approved of a central committee to ensure they are left enough, ‘unbiased’ enough?
I’m relatively new to politics but I’m amazed at how old school activists keep repeating failed tactics. It’s common here, it’s common at Kiwiblog and other forums. Maybe that’s why they’re old school activists, they haven’t worked out how to succeed or they are past their prime and haven’t moved on with the times.
Divide and rule doesn’t work well in a decent democracy. You have to allow people and ideas to come together, look for opportunities and common ground, rather than look for differences and push apart on anything you disagree with.
‘Centrist’ is quite a loose term. To me it mostly means keeping your options open on any issue until you can decide what the sensible approach is, rather than painting yourself into an ideological corner from the start. I’m as likely to agree with a Green policy as an Act policy.
blue leopard is right, I’ll comment much less if comments are ignored or issues addressed and pissy personal attack politics is parked. I ignore most attacks but if you keep doing it I’ll keep picking my battles, as long as the blog authorities allow.
Some of you seem obsessed with defeating perceived enemies, but you’re defeating your own interests more than anything. Just imagine if all that time and mental energy went into doing something positive.
Weka’s point stands.
Look at the way Mr. George takes ten paragraphs to articulate easily refuted boasts.
Pete, until most of these hard core old lefty,righty activists cark it, you’ll never see an improvement in the way politics are discussed.
They’re completely out of touch with how things work and how things get done these days, they’re dinosaurs stuck in a 70’s cold war mentality where those that don’t faithfully toe the party line should be smashed down and destroyed.
Sooner they exit the scene the better.
Nice try BM, but I was only just in primary school at the start of the 70s and came out of a family that valued debate but had no particular party line to follow.
Hi Weka,
You appear to have missed my point completely. All I am saying is what is occurring, in my view, is it is starting to make the commenters who aren’t Pete George look pettier than Mr Pete.
There are far worse things said than what PG said at the start of the thread. Pete’s comment fully contained points that gave the option to respond and debate – there are plenty of right-wing comments that don’t offer that at all…like the one that just said ‘cuckoo’ yesterday on one of the threads (say wha?)
You are not even one of the ones doing this behaviour, yet those that are, are utterly entitled to carry on with their behaviour (in keeping with the rules of the site of course!). I was hoping that they might read my comment and see sense in it, if not. I shall remain content by simply scrolling on by.
@Pete George
The way you come across with your posts is that you are here to put down Labour and the left, and take the side of the right wing. That is irritating and mostly time wasting rather than genuine debate or discussion.
If your intention is to push the agenda of the right, your natural place to hang would be the well known right wing blogs, of Slater and Farrar. You will get a lot of support for your views that are critical of the left.
I have not read any of your posts where you show clear support for any of the policies of Labour or those of the other left parties.
Which of the following policies/programmes/statements do you agree with and which you do not? Without going into discussions or debate, can you just state, as your conclusion, YES or NO for each of these please:
[1] The National tax cuts of billions of dollars helped the wealthy the most and affected the poor the most due to reduction in services.
[2] The broken promise of raising the GST impacted harder on the poor, as they generally spend all their limited income/wages for living expenses.
[3] National have slashed social services and put the screws on beneficiaries.
[4] National has put people out of Housing NZ homes so they can sell the property to their developer buddies.
[5] Overseas investors find NZ a great place to speculate in the very profitable housing market.
[6] Housing is becoming more and more out of the reach for ordinary New Zealanders.
[7] Labour has better ideas and policies than National to tackle the housing problem.
[8] Increased mortgage rates get passed on by landlords through the rent they charge.
[9] Keeping interest rates down should keep rents lower than if the Official Cash Rate was raised.
[10] The newly announced Labour’s VSR will make it easier for the lower income households to build up a deposit reserve through their Kiwisaver contributions and pay lower interest rates for their mortgage.
[11] Increasing the minimum wage to $15 immediately is a good policy.
[12] Supporting or encouraging the living wage is a good policy.
[13] The Labour-Green announced NZ Power is a good initiative for helping to bring down the electricity prices.
[14] Labour has always been the more sophisticated economic thinker, and is the natural party of innovative ideas and reform.
[15] By their very nature, conservative parties are managers rather than visionaries – and they only manage the economy to the primary advantage of the top few percent.
[16] Interest on student loans should be reintroduced.
[17] Kiwi Bank should be sold.
[18] Paid parental leave should not be increased to six months as proposed by Labour in its Best Start policy.
[19] Bring in a Capital Gains Tax as proposed by Labour.
[20] The spy laws related to GCSB, SIS etc should be thoroughly reviewed as proposed by Labour.
[21] Adult Community Education Night Classes should not have been cancelled by National.
[22] The power company asset sales was a good idea.
[23] Public funding for private Charter schools is a good idea.
[24] There will be a Labour-led Coaltion government after this election.
[25] Dunne will lose his seat.
Yes I criticise Labour and that gets up some peoples noses but I do also praise Labour when I see fit. Same with Greens. Same with National.
And I do initiate discussion including confronting and challenging righties at Kiwiblog and Whale Oil, they don’t like it there either. Curiously they can be as over the top, irrational and angry at Kiwiblog as some are here, I’ve also experienced mass attacks (especially on rape, violence, smacking and climate change). But Whale Oil has not been anywhere near as bad – although I have had some full on debates with Slater et al.
That’s a long list and Yes or No is inadequate. For example I’ll address the first and last.
[1] The National tax cuts of billions of dollars helped the wealthy the most and affected the poor the most due to reduction in services.
Yes the tax cuts helped the wealthy the most on pure dollar terms. They pay by far the most tax and even small changes in tax rates can make a big difference in dollars. And low income and no income earners effectively pay no income tax so you can’t give them tax cuts, they have to be helped through other means. And it could be argued that $20 per week helps a beneficiary far more than $200 per week helps someone earning $200k.
“Reduction in services” is an almost completely different issue.
[25] Dunne will lose his seat.
I have no way of knowing that. He’s had a very difficult term, he’s looking jaded and dated, that will make it harder, but National, Labour and Greens are all standing new low profile candidates so that could help him. It’s nearly five months until the election. anything could happen yet. I don’t know and I don’t care apart from an overall interest in all parties and seats.
@Pete George:
Oh dear! I specifically requested you not to debate/discuss as usual but to give your FINAL conclusion/best guess. Sadly you seem to be unable to do that.
Going by your explanation,
for both [1} and [2],
Your best response should have been NO (or Disagree)
As you are a prolific writer with wide views on various issues and quite controversial, It would be good to know where you generally stand politically, socially, economically, philosophically and morally.
Can you have another go?
One more question:
[26] Judith Collins has misused her ministerial position in the Oravida scandal and she should resign or be sacked.
Hi Weka,
You appear to have missed my point completely. All I am saying is what is occurring, in my view, is it is starting to make the commenters who aren’t Pete George look pettier than Mr Pete.
There are far worse things said than what PG said at the start of the thread. Pete’s comment fully contained points that gave the option to respond and debate – there are plenty of right-wing comments that don’t offer that at all…like the one that just said ‘cuckoo’ yesterday on one of the threads (say wha?)
You are not even one of the ones doing this behaviour, yet those that are, are utterly entitled to carry on with their behaviour (in keeping with the rules of the site of course!). I was hoping that they might read my comment and see sense in it, if not. I shall remain content by simply scrolling on by.
Hi blue,
I did get the point, but I happen to disagree with it (about who is looking more petty).
“There are far worse things said than what PG said at the start of the thread.”
Probably, and if it was just PG at the start of the thread there wouldn’t be a problem. I think this is the crucial difference – perhaps you think PG should be related to comment by comment. Myself, and I assume others, are well past that point where PG’s comments can stand each on their own. There is a pattern of behaviour that many here find disrupts the place, and some people are responding to that (the pattern of behaviour).
I have responded but I mentioned the ‘T’ word so my response has gone into moderation…
As Weka says below “This is pretty well-known internet forum dynamics.”
That and the moderation of certain words. I tried to get around them once by typing tr*ll then editing the o in afterwards. They’d thought of that 🙂
[lprent: Besides if the variants get too ubiquitous of over-used misused words (which is what I am looking for) there are always regular expressions to use. I have never had to do that. But the capability is sitting in the plugin I wrote for the task back in 2009. ]
+1 Felix. Too much of Standard now being devoted to Pete George drivel.
“3) Petey spends the rest of the morning claiming he’s being picked on, without ever addressing the contradictions raised.”
Yes, and he’s moving into chapter 2 of the tr8ll handbook – claim that he’s being picked on by a specific group. In PG’s case he calls it “The small ‘divert and attack’ gang”. He will build that narrative for a while and then the people that still feel sorry for him will start telling off the ‘gang’ for picking on him (even though there isn’t actually a gang). It’s never fair to gang up on someone so irrespective of what he does the narrative will be that anyone that calls him on his tr8ll bullshit is part of orchestrated bullying.
When I first started reading this blog, I did get the impression that PG was being bullied. Now I understand why he gets treated as he does, and it’s possibly better than he deserves. However, there will often be new readers who won’t know the history. He’s a huge diversion, as are the RWNJs.
Clearly Dunne should retire from politics if he can’t even decide who he’s going to capitulate to from one week to the next. He’s so out of his depth on even such a small political issue that he makes Hekia Parata look competent. Dunne should step down.
He’s struggled to handle this for sure, but I think just about anyone would, especially when it seems both the two major parties don’t want to have anything to do with addressing cannabis alongside the synthetics problem.
If Dunne retired it would leave someone else to be impotent – or keener on banning drugs and creating more problems.
The big problem Dunne had was his refusal to legalise marijuana and ban the synthetics. Do that and we’d have rational drug policy.
You’re right Ad, but Dunne should have resigned when he leaked the Kitteridge Report.
Well Ad, apparently there is a “Sack Peter Dunne” facebook group. I’m not on FB, but others may want to participate.
https://www.facebook.com/sackpeterdunne?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite
Also last week on Scoop NZ First had called for Dunne’s resignation. Sorry no link, had a quick look but can’t find it and have to dash
Here it goes – http://pacificguardians.org/2014/04/07/step-down-national-united-future-mps-for-failed-legal-high-law/.html
In that she said:
A ban is very unlikely to eradicate them.
On Twitter I asked her to back up a claim “”… and families, communities, police and hospitals must now deal with a new stream of addicted users.” – evidence of this? Her response…
felix will be on to her double standards for sure. And her lack of actual evidence.
And other tweets about the same time:
And then what?
So, Dunne does not have the courage of his own convictions, guts and honesty to stick to his position, but just shamelessly does what is politically expedient?
Weight of numbers, 59 versus 1 is difficult to argue with. Stuff claims he had to negotiate a compromise, the 59 wanted to scrap the Act.
No guts or honesty or integrity.
He could have stuck to his position or resigned instead, if he had the courage of his conviction re this important issue, rather than blaming others!
It’s easy to have principles until people challenge them.
In full swing this morning
🙄
🙄
🙄
yep it’s time for the 🙄 methinks – good call Rosie
Hi Pete George,
I think you raise an interesting point.
My first response is to view this response from National and Labour as democracy in action and that it is good to see National responding to public pressure (I feel certain that the stance Labour took on it was part of National’s decision also though).
I think it would be good if politicians weren’t referred to as ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ or ‘flip-flopping’ when they are responding to public pressure because really, isn’t that what representatives are supposed to do? If public awareness is raised over a certain matter and therefore shifts, then the politicians need to be responsive to that.
In response to your ‘bugger the consequences’ view: This needn’t be the case if the government are prepared to act very fast to support social services and health organisations that will be helping the people in difficulty. It may be necessary to have a public awareness campaign to ensure those around such people, also, know what the signs are and are told what they can do to help.
I think that such a response would be fair, especially considering we allowed these drugs to be sold for a fair few years now, and therefore people took them believing they were harmless, when they were not.
If the government took the consequences seriously, they might be able to avert a lot of the problems you are referring to, after-all, leaving the things on the shelves is only going to make matters worse, not better; that would simply enable more people to get addicted.
You’re right, but I don’t see any sign of this happening, and no opposition pressure for it to happen. It’s as if they think that forcing product from retail shelves will suddenly solve the whole problem.
The Drug Foundation and others have pointed out the probable need for support services to be ramped up but I don’t know if anything is being done about it.
You may well be correct about it not looking like they will do anything, it wouldn’t surprise me with this government – who usually only seem to act for the wealth issues of a small group.
Yet if they don’t act it will reflect very badly on the government – and they are more likely than not in an election year to take that into account prior to deciding to do nothing.
And also, if they don’t act fast to provide support to these people, then one can hardly say it is due to ‘taking the products off the shelved’ has caused the problem – like I said – leaving the products on the shelves will only be making the issue worse.
“And also, if they don’t act fast to provide support to these people, then one can hardly say it is due to ‘taking the products off the shelved’ has caused the problem – like I said – leaving the products on the shelves will only be making the issue worse.
“
There is an assumption that the people who require support are included in those National care about. It is probably likely that they are not. After all, they have shown no compassion in their policies over the last five years for those they would consider “Non-National voters”.
Taking the legal-highs off the shelves is a response to their own demographic that has indicated that it is a good idea politically. Many of those will be satisfied with this step, and more than a few will probably consider it is all that is needed.
Yes, I agree with that.
UK spies given access to a wide range of NSA data/metadata during the 2012 Olympics, including Prism. GCHQ begged for access to NSA data.
So how reliable are the assurances that our metadata has not been harvested?
Dec 2 2013.
Ah, I see the problem: Key asked the wrong question. Funny that.
Of course, by August last year he had to clarify his previous assurance:
My understanding of that is that their “filter” (and if so, well done Slippery for so cleverly implying it’s some sort of software) is the law, ie:
The NSA collects everything. The GCSB are allowed to look at some of it if they can get a court order*.
*or Ministerial warrant.
The real question that needs to be asked is “Does GCSB capture OR HAVE ACCESS TO metadata on New Zealand citizens?”.
Nicky Hager clearly elucidated the process that NZ intelligence agencies go through to achieve their goals whilst still maintaining plausible deniability. By providing NSA/GCHQ etc with a watchlist then THEY will be the ones doing the capture and analysis as opposed to the GCSB, ergo the GCSB can “legitimately” claim that they do not spy on NZ citizens.
NB: This is from memory of reading Nicky Hager’s book a couple of years ago so I can’t quote verbatim but I’m sure anyone that has Secret Power at their fingertips can do so if they feel so inclined 🙂
EDIT: In fact, re-reading OAB’s final paragraph I see he is effectively saying the same thing so I apologise for any duplication 🙂
Anyway, petty drivel aside, National are still desperately trying to spin their legal highs incompetence. I suppose it beats confronting Slippery’s awful performance at Christchurch airport.
An interesting interview on cannabis (and synthetics and bans) on Campbell Live last night.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Should-NZ-legalise-and-tax-marijuana/tabid/817/articleID/342206/Default.aspx
i have linked to that vid/interview..
..and i have tagged it as a must-watch..!
..f.w.i.w..
(this has been a public service announcement..designed to counter the automatic stigma accrued from being linked to by p.g..
..ignore that it came from him..
..and just watch it..
..you will be pleased you did..
..it is like a minor gale of sanity/commonsense..)
“..ignore that it came from him..”
You see PG, your reputation here is so bad that even when you post something useful, other people feel bound to qualify it.
The problem is clearly with us, not him.
We all just need to learn to tolerate open debate, and not notice, far less remark on patent absurdity presented as truth.
xox
Great to hear Mary Wilson interviewing a civil engineer about the flooding in Christchurch. In summary, he said the flooding, along with the earthquakes, was exacerbated by 30 years of neglecting basic engineering principles. Drains first, not last as noted in council planning. I couldn’t help but think this could apply to most that has been foisted on the increasingly poor suffering public. Back to the basics, and less snake oil. Oh it’s election time!
It is absolutely astounding that nobody has got their own digger into that Dudley Creek and simply dug the thing out.
Two days, two 12 tonne diggers, job done.
It’s not as if the public would object or there are any fancy snails to protect.
This is symptomatic of Christchurch today – nobody does anything except after countless reports, bureaucratic wrangling, political debate, ecan, eqc, cera, ccc, ccdu, the entire city has become so entwined and strangled in public sector ways that number 8 wire thinking and action have just simply vanished. Gone. The stuffing has been knocked out of us.
Watch this – if there are no diggers in that Dudley Creek by Friday afternoon you watch the negative public comment and ridicule that will get piled onto the authorities and their useless authoritative ways.
Two bloody diggers.
That’s all it would take.
Bloody useless
i don’t think it quite works like that where the land in the city may have sunk because of the earthquakes Vto but the land out on the coast may not have,
If the land sinkage is centric to the city area then digging the streams and rivers deeper is going to achieve little…
No that’s not right mr bad. Sure the land in that area has sunk up to 500mm, but the creek beds have risen, the creek sides have fallen inwards, and all the native plantings of the last dozen years has slowed the water movement.
Digging the creek will certainly achieve more than enough to stop the next flood from reaching the floorboards of the houses concerned.
As someone who has been flooded more than once by Council ineptitude in Chch since the earthquakes (another part of town) and watched the (toxic polluted by portaloos and broken sewer) water rise through our floorboards I know this. In our part of town, harassment of Council staff to clear the drains resulted in the drains being cleared and now no flooding during these recent events.
It genuinely is as simple as lowering the creek bed and widening and clearing the creek banks.
Job done.
Bloody useless.
Hopefully some local in the vicinity will thumb their nose at Council and get their own digger in there today.
That depends Vto, are the creeks over-flowing and causing the flooding???, or, is the storm-water coming back up through the storm-water drains,
If the water is coming back up through the storm-water drains then i would suggest such drains where they enter the creeks need high volume pumps attached to them…
you silly egg
Now there’s an inflaming answer to what was a logical question full of the milk of human kindness today i will refrain…
Yes apologies … the flooding in Chch is not a flowing flooding, nor a pressured flooding. It is simply a rise in water level, quiet and unmoving, lifting all logs, t-papers and e-colis with it. As such everything floods at once – stormwater drains and creeks, all at the same slow quiet pace.
If it is the creeks that are flooding then it is the creeks that need the water pumps to move the water on,
If you just dig out the drains the nett result is that the flow of water might reverse in the creeks from downstream going toward the outflow of the creeks…
Well, IMO, the #8 wire thinking has gone across the country but it’s been strangled by private sector ‘efficiency’ and not the public sector. The public sector used to welcome new ideas about how to get things done.
And, yeah, I’m with bad12 on the diggers probably being a bad idea.
I suppose. Might as well let these good houses get soaked in toxic grey water everytime there’s 30mm of rain… sheesh dtb, really …….
My point, in clarification, is simply dig the creeks out enough to lower these flood levels by enough to stay under the floorboards. Soaked garden and driveway ok but not in the house. Toxic danger unhealthy extreme. This requires simple digger action.
Why would there not be this action?
Because just getting in there and digging up the stream bed may not actually do that. It’s going to depend upon what level the stream is at normally compared to what level the houses are at and what level the water is during heavy rains. The houses have sunk half a metre compared to that normal water level.
Yes I’m sure it is very complex, although every time I have looked water has tended to flow downhill.
Yep, it does. The downhill in this case seems to be toward the houses.
They are above sea-level and nearby drains and creeks.
dig man dig
Good on you, Nathan Guy. Good on you, National. Good on you, John Key.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t31.0-8/10255146_10152770535638356_2730374015677352953_o.jpg
F. F. S.
je n’comprehend pas
Nats – supporters of the rights of those with disabilities?!
…Sometimes I park in handicapped spaces…
oh I see
classic illustration of an outlook on life and one’s position in it
@ oan..
..leary is not only a rightwing-arsewipe..
..he also stole that ‘biggest hit’ from (a young) louis ck..
Note the membership department at the left of the table…
Well spotted
Oh, I heard about this photo, thanks for posting it felix.
Note how the red car in the mobility park had to park over to the right to accommodate the Natz sign. I also see they are outside the Mahara Gallery in Waikanae. They picked a fairly safe neighbourhood to set up a stall, not likely to get too much heckle there.
Nathan Guy, Tard Du Jour.
I am not a lawyer, but the photo that felix has alerted us to has a raffle sign with a carton of what looks like wine bottles above it.
A quick search shows the following Internal Affairs warning.
Prohibited Prizes
It is illegal to offer the following as prizes:
A firearm, explosive (including ammunition), restricted weapon, or airgun
Liquor
Tobacco products
etc
http://www.dia.govt.nz/Services-Casino-and-Non-Casino-Gaming-The-Rules-for-Running-a-Gambling-Activity#eight
and who was Minister of Internal Affairs back in 2009?
drum roll………….
Nathan Guy
If this is what you call kids you’re meant to be helping, no wonder you don’t succeed.
I guess the ones that don’t fit these pejorative descriptions slip through the gaps too.
Those fetuses chosen to become members of the lower castes of “Gamma”, “Delta” or “Epsilon” are subjected to in situ chemical interference to cause arrested development in intelligence and physical growth.
Wikipedia’s summary of Brave New World.
First the labels, then the Ritalin.
I saw that and was disgusted
You want to know why this country has to change then the quotes above illustrate it well. The most vulnerable treated like shit, those most in need get degraded and abused (behind their backs and to their fronts) by the people paid and charged for trying to help them. Scum is too weak a word for the ‘team’ at Datacom and their ‘ill-considered’ words.
+1000
Why hand over truancy management to a company like Datacom in the first place? What is wrong with the Ministry of Education having its own people, who are trained in how to deal with real live people?
So that the capitalists can make an even bigger profit at our expense. There is no other reason.
did you think the idea was to stop truancy???
Yeah as I understand it the Ministry of Education defunded some very experienced truancy teams around the country and then handed contracts over to people who had no idea and no experience.
+1 marty, oab.
Is it normal to categorise kids so negatively? Do they think it’s a bit of a joke to label them like this? It’s appalling that Datacom (and school staff, it seems) treat kids so dismissively.
I can’t believe that people would tolerate this, that nobody said that it wasn’t right.
Take the demand out of Auckland’s housing market???, David Parker proposes to stop those with rental property from being able to write off ”losses” on the rental properties against ”taxes on other income”, and, (maybe) restrict immigration,
Two things i do agree with from Mr Parker, landlords should not have a tax incentive to involve themselves in owning rental property,
Immigration should be restricted to the number of houses able to be built to accommodate the number of immigrants in any given year…
Link, please.
http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-kauri-sent-to-China-in-black-gold-rush/tabid/1771/articleID/342199/Default.aspx
Murky business in Northland.
And Oravida pops up in the list of suspects.
Worth further enquiry, for sure.
Companies have been exporting swamp kauri for years now. I think I first visited the factory shop north of Kaitaia about 15 years ago and thought what a waste it was to send raw wood to China when there are so many potential carvers in the North. If Oravida are planning on processing the wood locally, they’re doing better than the rest of the cowboys up there. Much like the property developers around Kerikeri, they accept fines as part of the cost of doing business. Until a few of them lose their trousers and end up in prison, I can’t see anything changing.
Trying doing the same with pounamu. There would be a complete outrage if the similar were to happen.
I’m against both. As far as pounamu is concerned, the difference might be explained as the difference between Tipene O’Regan and Shane Jones.
I may have got the wrong impression about Oravida and any proposed processing. It seems that they are just stockpiling and waiting for the price to go up.
Politicaly Gelded
You have just asumed you are a liar being a politician.
We already knew.
To many legal highs you are confusing yourself.
Time for a fact check.
Pete George your an idiot a no body .suffering attention deficit.
Is the silver spoon about to be ripped out of the mouth of long serving National Government Minister Maurice Williamson,
It appears that Williamsons ”murky” dealings with businessmen Bill Liu also involved an ”intervention” with the police on Liu’s behalf by Williamson when Liu was about to be charged with domestic violence offences…
And the name “John Banks” popped up again in this, supporting this man when Banks was the Mayor of Auckland!! Shonkey will want this situation “done and dusted” before Parliament comes back next week, they won’t want TWO ministers in the gun at the same time!
At least when you bribe Maurice Williamson he returns your phonecall.
No surprise think donations, think Bent Bankie will be lurking not too far away.
Bankie will be most annoyed now, I heard Williamson was going to put in a cameo appearance as a character witness at John’s peading court case. Well that plan has gone down the gurgler now, looks like Mangling Morrie may well be joining Bent Bankie down the old bailey in a lead role of his very own.
I guess after Williamson’s brief Worldwide celebrity status last year he wanted the center stage all to himself. Good for him 🙂
Oh dear more revelations that political donations buys a lot of favours in the National Party. A This ones tricky now awaiting John Key explaining this one away. You would think a longtime serving MP would know better.
The Construction Minister managed to smooth Mr. Liu’s path so much people are now using it for ice-skating.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11247424
A rotten plank is about to break.
HUGE round of applause to Christchurch City Council Deputy Mayor for a brilliant display on this mornings RadioNZ Nine to Noon program,
The ‘affordable housing plan’ espoused by Vicky includes Government including the Christchurch City Council in the ”full’ Government social housing subsidy as well as contracting a consortium currently building a specialized factory in Christchurch to produce low cost 5 star housing that can be erected on a prepared site in 5 days,
i haven’t got a link to the full ”plan” as outlined by the deputy Mayor, but found little i disagree with as She outlined it on National radio,
Hopefully Labour Housing spokesperson Phill Twyford watches this with due interest as it would seem applying the Christchurch City Council ”plan” to land the Government already owns is the way forward for housing affordability for those with little means both in the area of rental housing and affordable housing for low waged workers to purchase on variable mortgage payment schemes such as that which is proposed by the Green Party…
Cripes predictable. You have let Pete George take over the site again. Why can’t we give him the acknowledgement of say two comments and then leave it alone. Why should he be allowed to choose the subject of discussion each day?? Why hasn’t anyone else something interesting to discuss?? Are you a lot of monkeys who chatter every time someone pokes a banana through the bars and then pulls it away just to tease you? What are you!! Monkeys or meece.
I’m thinking at present about the big deal that the news is making about Maurice Williamson in connection with a Chinese entrepreneur, I suppose, and whether Williamson used his position improperly in helping the Chinese chap get what he wanted. It’s all breathless breaking news.
(See mickys post just up.)
+100 Grey. Just don’t debate with him
That only works if everyone does it. So if regular standardistas (the one reading this today) agree to stop talking to him, what’s going to happen when newer people come along and start engaging with him?
“Why hasn’t anyone else something interesting to discuss?? Are you a lot of monkeys who chatter every time someone pokes a banana through the bars and then pulls it away just to tease you?”
There are other conversations going on, so you could focus on them 🙂
The reason why so many people are now engaging with PG negatively is because PG is causing so much distruption. You have cause and effect round the wrong way. People are so fucked off with the problems he is causing that they’ve moved into counter-offensive mode, because nothing else works. In other words, people that care about this place are unwilling to sit around and let a git like PG ruin it.
This is pretty well-known internet forum dynamics. Until PG gets his eventual ban, or decides to change, then best get used to it.
Weka
I think you have got dressed with your jersey and perhaps your trousers inside out. This has skewed your view of things. Try again tomorrow and you might get a different outlook.
Thats a fairly meaningless comment grey. You think I am wrong… and?
lol
nicely done
Agree weka.
The trouble with not engaging at all is that he then comes out with more comments to “provoke a reaction”. If these comments are not addressed it appears there is agreement with what he says, when there isn’t. I’m thinking at least an eyeroll is needed to show that pete’s comments are not considered true.
BG I rarely do. But I have to search for something being discussed that he isn’t dominating. Discussed or disgust. It ends up that it’s better to stay away and leave everyone stirring the same old stew. I like a change of diet and I might have to find a better menu.
My way of dealing with a virus in a public place – keep well clear of it.
lol
I just read openmike in about 5 minutes – as soon as a thread hits pgtips, I skipped to the next thread 🙂
Each to their own, but there’s something about that tool that makes me feel like I have ants crawling under my skin. Some days I want to scratch it, other days I avoid it completely…
The worst part is he manages to clutter the whole thing up with numerous comments that never quite manage to say anything, the mans a master troll he manages to tie commenters up in knots and destroys site readability…
Then he generally skips over to Kiwiblog for a grizzle then proceeds to have a moan on his own blog about how unfair it is…
What I am unsure of is he if actually realises what he is doing, so the real question is, troll by accident or troll by design?
Dimpost has the right idea…
Any budding or armchair economic historians want to do a New Zealand version of this?
http://www.salon.com/2013/09/20/rip_the_middle_class_1946_2013/
This morning on Morning Report there was an item on the move of the Te Papa CEO to the Ministry of Culture etc into a special advisory role for military heritage ahead of next year’s ANZAC commemorations. The item had the feel of having more to it than meets the eye.
TV3 had a short item on their website last night by Tova O’Brien that gives a bit more information.
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Te-Papa-looking-into-finances-as-CEO-departs/tabid/423/articleID/342225/Default.aspx#ixzz30Q3dJRfn
However, Patrick Gower’s Twitter feed also provides a little more of interest if you read his exchanges with Jacinda Arden and Grant Robertson.
Tweets by patrickgowernz
It appears that Finlayson and his office have been telling ‘porkies’ according to Gower about this move and the state of Te Papa’s financial affairs.
Although totally overshadowed by the Williamson situation and ‘resignation’, I am hoping that TV3 will follow through on this situation as well.
xox
pete who? I
press fast forward.
xox
Vicki Buck ,ex Christchurch mayor and Lianne Dalziel could be a formidible tag team to counter This National disgrace. It’s a tough job, here’s hoping this council is up to it.
Yahoo, the bank has made a record profit !
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9996899/ANZ-banks-increased-profit
Let’s all rejoice..
praise be the name of commerce
praise be the name of the freeeeee market
praaaiise to the dollar
See, Piketty was right.
+1, yep ‘hell-and-lies-louse-ridden-jar’ to that (er this is a strained play on ‘hallelujah’….by the way…)
I don’t see why you guys are so envious of the success and wealth of Australian based banking shareholders, they are merely supporting the standard of living back home 😈
😈 😛
I think you are not being serious, but your statement is correct. We have the luxury of a stable banking system underpinned by Australian ownership. So yes you in particular should be very grateful.
I see that you’re still denying reality. I’ll put it in easy terms for you:
Capitalism results in the collapse of society as all the wealth ends up in the control of a few psychopaths.
Your idiocy knows no bounds sslands… I’ll give you fucking grateful.
australian confirmation bias
no wonder your views are so undeveloped
Based on recent comments I’ve come to the conclusion that srylands is John Key from 2005.
“..So yes you in particular should be very grateful…”
every evening..
..i kneel to face australia..
..and i tug my forelock in gratitude..
Nothing quite like the display of a subservient kowtowing capitalist serf. How does that boot polish taste, Shitlands?
A lie that really did make it halfway around the world.
Last week, Craig Rucker, a climate-change skeptic and the executive director of a nonprofit organization called the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), tweeted a quotation supposedly taken from a 1922 edition of the Washington Post: “Within a few years it is predicted due to ice melt the sea will rise & make most coastal cities uninhabitable.” The intent, of course, was to poke fun at current headlines about climate change.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/04/climate-change-skeptics-newspaper-telephone.html?
Partial amnesty: I’ve arbitrarily released the bans on
Puckish Rogue
grumpy
infused
SHG
The Fan Club
Intrinsicvalue
chris73
natwest
Dumrse
Balanced View
TheContrarian
insider
BarnsleyBill
Mark (he will know which one it is)
These are the ones who aren’t marked as being “idiots” and who offer some effective commentary most or even some of the time – which is why Santi isn’t there for instance.
It has been just over a year since the last amnesty, so it seemed like being about the time to do it again.
I’d suggest that they refresh themselves on the policy and that they remember that I’m still the moderator that dealt with them last time. In particular about half of these were for trying to do a diversion troll in posts written by an author or syndicated in. If you want to raise a topic, then do it in OpenMike and do it intelligently.
If I detect concerted astroturfing of lines as often happens in an election year, then I’m likely to do some concerted banning of anyone who running anything like that line. I’m also likely to reward such stupidity with a ban until after the election so as to reduce my workload..
How kind.
As far astroturfing goes you’ll get none from me. I haven’t the fainest idea who to vote for and support no party at present.
This is just like that scene from Ghostbusters when they switch off the containment unit…
lol, yes I had a chuckle about it too -I was wondering perhaps too many complaints about PG combined with a certain sadistic streak that I sometimes suspect lprent has….caused the decision? Perhaps?
Moi? sadistic?
Mind you I just watched a The Good Wife episode which made the Game of Thrones look like children doing a game of patty cake. I was having problems figuring out the plot in advance. In fact I was having problems figuring it out from behind.
Followed by a episode of the House of Cards. Perhaps covering up her career moves by confessing a adolescent rape and aborted child on National TV would help some of our politicians. Just made me feel uncomfortable.
Finished with an episode of Foyles war. Sane by comparison. Just spivs, bombs, and mysteries
Now those were somewhat sadistic .
A night of light entertainment for one such as yourself… perhaps? 😀
Nah. The light entertainment is when I get forced to watch 2 broke girls (and oh so reluctantly have to laugh) and eagerly await big bang theory
The Good Wife is about my favourite TV drama these days. It probably helps in following the plot to have watched all the previous episodes.
Previously Kalinda has been mysterious and intriguing. Now they are filling in some of her back story via the abusive husband. Her relationship with the FBI agent has been on and off for a while. Ditto, it helps to have been following all the plots and sub-plots around Alicia, her politician husband, lawyer Will Gardner, etc.
I’m watching season five at present. It is now starting to get really complicated towards the end of the season.
lol
We must prepare for the coming of Goza
Well, it’s not just a facebook group (see above at 1.3.3.)and NZ First requesting that Peter Dunne resign, even the editor of the fairfax owned Wellingtonian, who usually writes a predictable right slanted editorial every week states:
“Dunne needs to consider his position. It might be a good time for him to bow out gracefully. If not, perhaps the voters of Ohariu could help him on his way”
The article provides a history of Dunne’s failures and botch up’s culminating in his sudden u turn on legal highs. Interesting editorial for a paper that has been so pro Key government, and locally so opposed to our Green ticket mayor and flourish of new Green counsellors after the last local body elections.
http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
Somehow, like Collins he probably won’t be joining Williamson any time soon
remember how early results last election had dung losing..?
..and how he spat the dummy..?
..and then his numbers rose..
..so he went away and oiled up again..
..and came out to thank/oil-all-over everyone..?
..he will not be a gracious loser…
..years of repressed-insults/fixed-smiles will burst out of him like an exploding carbuncle..
..i just hope i’m there to see it..
“.years of repressed-insults/fixed-smiles will burst out of him like an exploding carbuncle..”
Unpleasant. I’m thinking he does have years of simmering anger under the surface and a sense of righteous indignation ready to explode. “Why is everybody always picking on me?!?!” sort of anguish.
No I don’t recall his 2011 brush with doom and subsequent response to the threat. Prior to the 2011 I was going through a severe bout of depression (apologies for the TMI) and I couldn’t cope with following the campaign on top of everything else, so missed that one. Now that I’m better than I was and after moving into his electorate I am watching his every move (He’s currently in the Chathams lol) and am happy to assist local activist efforts where I can in an effort to hold him to account and raise awareness of his deeds in the community.
No he won’t be a gracious loser. 30 years in the one seat. He will be one grumpy cat
given the proposed alliance of the mana party/internet party..
..this is kinda interesting..
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article38371.htm
“..Ralph Nader:.Left-Right Alliances Can Make Major Changes for the People..”
“..Called crony capitalism by the right –
there is a rising tide of revulsion against the rich and powerful
freeloading on the backs of ordinary taxpayers..”
(cont..)
Wouldn’t be great if Left and Right united to deal with the excesses of corporate welfare? Keep in mind that about 70% of the population were against Asset Sales. Maybe they might unite on corporates. And maybe the obscene salaries paid to CEO of big business?
and so much more..
Well hasn’t politics gotten interesting all of a sudden
The corruption in National isn’t sudden… 😀
Good thing I can’t recall any labour MPs that’ve been done for corruption however I’d say its bad form that Williamson got caught, really basic mistake really
Good thing I can’t recall the last time “he did it too” was a valid excuse for anything, and always nice to see an advocate of personal responsibility show their true colours.
Well corruption is a charged word and should only be used when proven beyond reasonable doubt but for the major crime of being dumb and getting caught Williamson deserved to get canned…maybe he should retire which would open up another seat for someone else
Far as I’m concerned mate, when a donor to the Oravida party gets arrested, and that arrest comes to the attention of the Minister in charge of the department that oversees the donor’s interests, that’s enough to create the perception of a conflict of interest.
Your opinion that it’s ok to cleave to the letter of the law is duly noted.
If a slide rule was run over all the parties then the charges of corruption could be laid at everyones feet
And sometimes it would stick. Like on this occasion.
Sometimes it does indeed, well done to whoever broke the story
You’re a lot better at this than Pot George.
Better wingnuts 🙂
Someone did a good job on Williamson so its only fair to acknowledge it
I figure he’s going to make Key look strong to the feeble minded, and that it won’t significantly affect his lucrative business career, because that’s how corruption works.
Ukraine: Ukrainian forces in east defecting to join pro-Russian rebels
It seems like the locals in the east of the country prefer not to go with the right wing extremist government in Kiev which is run by oligarchs and sponsored from the west.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/30/ukraine-government-lost-control-east-acting-president
“It seems like the locals in the east of the country prefer not to go with the right wing extremist government in Kiev which is run by oligarchs and sponsored from the west.”
Poor Ukranians ousted one nut job crooked president replaced by another and Russia, NATO and the US all sabre rattling over them – as usual it’s the ordinary man and woman who’s held to ransom by the swines fighting over power.
+1
People who’d pick Putin over Obama are delusional, but neither option is any good.
Putin is no angel OAB. Absolutely not.
Yet in the context of several hundred years of leaders and monarchs – he’s by far the best the Russians have ever had. At least he can be though of as a strong nationalist and for that he’s still after nearly 15 years is still remarkably popular at home.
That counts for something.
xox
Ah the sweet scent of a pg free zone…
Interesting to see on TV3 Gower’s attempt to change Williamson’s corruption into a slur on Cunliffe.
Honestly Gower is the epitome of journalistic corruption.
I really think he doesn’t know it.
Hey look we’re going to give half a billion dollars to weapons manufacterer, Lockheed Martin.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11247799
Is this a good use of public money?
Why wouldn’t it be?
Yeah, fuck it. Why shouldn’t we do business with the merchants of death?
Let’s give them an electorate seat while we’re at it, like we did for the tobacco companies.
Watching Campbell Live and seeing the people they showed who take the legal highs….is that future of our country? I sincerely hope not