More people think John Key is a liar and have an improved impression of David Shearer, yet still far more want to vote for Key-led National than Shearer-led Labour government.
Titled ‘John Key takes a hit in integrity stakes’ it also said…
‘Labour leader David Shearer fares a bit better, with people more likely to have an improved opinion of his vision, actions or policies, truthfulness and trustworthiness.’
‘The same poll also asked people for the first time whether it was time for a change of government – and 49.1 per cent said yes. That was surprising because even some people who said they would vote for National thought it was time for a change’
“The same poll also asked people for the first time whether it was time for a change of government – and 49.1 per cent said yes. That was surprising because even some people who said they would vote for National thought it was time for a change”
This is a great reason for the soft centre of Nact being all concerned about poor kids… as well as front-footing a clean-up job on Lusk & Co right now. They know they still have time to retrieve the situation if they can lay the blame on a so-called ‘hard-right’ cabal and show they’ve been purged.
What you mean to say is:
“Everybody knows John Key is a liar. He has even featured in the copy pasta spam I regularly post but TL/DR.”
1.) So “copy pasta spam” is ALL this writer, i.e. moi, does, is it?
I don’t think so….
2.) “TL/DR”? Really? The “Liars of Our Time” posts are one, maybe two, lines at best. I know it’s beyond you to actually read anything by Noam Chomsky, but surely my little zingers are within your competence zone?
(By the way: you should actually read some of the things Chomsky has written. He is really lucid, and easy to read. Don’t believe everything you’ve been told by the lunatic right fringe.)
Talking about bad news Matty have you seen all the news about Simon Lusk? You being a political commentator sort I suggest you concentrate on that, because that is where the real story is.
Paul
Who’s he? It’s impossible to follow the thinking on some comments when the reader can’t connect the dots and the reply is enigmatic. Why not put the name of your intended?
“Oppressive systems are not all of a kind. They do, however, share an indifference to those whose inability to bear the privations of the imposed social order results in collapse, breakdown and death. The present British government, to give one example, has accustomed itself to the suicides of poor and disabled people cut off by its austerity programme. It encourages a narrative which suggests that such people are “merely” disturbed, that benefit recipients are selfish “scroungers”. What such systems cannot cope with is those who are able, by virtue of circumstance or force of personality, to turn that rage and distress outwards, rather than letting it consume them from within.
Such people often become known to the police. We call them rebels, or activists, or colossal bloody headaches, depending on our point of view and place of employment. ”
My admiration for all who refuse to be consumed from within.
People, I think this is required preparatory reading for those attending the Fabians this week on why the Austerity Orthodoxy is wrong and damaging, and why wealth distribution and jobs growth is far more important. While the context is US, we are at least as unequal as they are these days.
308 live bullets shot at the Mavi Marmara 3 years ago today.
39 in the bodies of 9 murdered
As you read the following horrific story, bear in mind that our own “Sir” Geoffrey Palmer lent his name to the infamous Palmer-Uribe “report”, which purported to exonerate the perpetrators of this crime…
Three years on, the Mavi Marmara is still making waves
May 31, 2013
by SARAH COLBORNE, Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign
On 31 May 2010, the first Freedom Flotilla was sailing in international waters towards Gaza, carrying passengers and humanitarian aid on six ships, when it was attacked by Israeli forces at night, 72 miles off the coast of Israel. On the Mavi Marmara, the largest ship of the flotilla with passengers from 32 countries, nine passengers were killed and 156 were injured, 52 of them seriously.
Three years on, those responsible for Israel’s illegal assault and murders on the Mavi Marmara are being pursued. In Istanbul, a case is ongoing against four senior ranking Israeli commanders, with evidence that they had ‘personally ordered the operation’, filed by 490 victims of the attack.
Sitting in the courtroom in Istanbul last week, hearing testimonies from passengers and crew, took me back to the attack on 31 May 2010. At night, whilst most of the passengers were either asleep or starting their first prayer of the day, inflatable boats crowded with Israeli commandos surrounded the ship and attempted to board. Helicopters whirred overhead, as Israeli commandos on ropes came down onto the ship. I could hear the bullets whizzing through the air, and I covered my face as teargas and smoke bombs were shot onto the ship. But it was when I saw Cevdet Kiliclar’s body brought to the back of the ship – shot through the forehead by Israeli commandos whilst filming the attack – that I realised the commandos were shooting to kill. The UN Human Rights Council Report found that 308 live bullets had been fired by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara – 39 of those bullets were taken out of the 9 who were killed. In court, Cevdet’s widow sat stoically, with families of the others killed, to hear evidence of the brutality of the Israeli commandoes.
One passenger talked about being shot in the stomach. Another of being shot in the hip and intestines. Yet another of being shot through his head, and the bullet coming out of the other side of his face. Of the multiple operations that some of them had undergone as a result of their injuries. Of passengers being shot whilst lying on the ground, and then kicked repeatedly. Of seeing what they thought was rain coming through the hatch from the roof of the ship, but then realising it was blood. Of being handcuffed with cable ties despite being seriously wounded. Of our long and slow journey to Ashdod port, in suffocating heat inside the ship because the Israeli commandos had broken the handles to the door to the room where the airconditioning unit was housed. Of the humiliation endured under interrogation and whilst in prison. And witnesses talked about the beatings continuing right up to when they got on the aircraft in Tel Aviv. One talked about an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv airport kicking his leg, and when it didn’t break, he was forced to the ground and another Israeli soldier joined in, kicking and stamping on his leg.
Passengers talked about the continuing psychological trauma that they have suffered. And crew members talked about…
If a single parent medically certified unable to work the 20 hours a week required to qualify for the IWTC of $60/week remains disabled to this extent prior to their child turning 18, that means $3,120 less a year or just over $56K prior to that child becoming an adult.
“Speaking of reality. According to the latest MSD benefit fact sheets (which tell us, incidentally, that the majority of welfare beneficiaries are Pakeha) there are about 2000 people recieving an Invalid’s benefit who are caring for dependent children aged under six years.
Let’s be conservative and assume that there are that many again caring for children between six and twelve and that they’re caring for 1.5 children each and you have 3000 primary school children right there who are growing up in poverty while being cared for by a person suffering from a physical and/or mental illness.
I think it’s safe to assume that these children are over-represented in the cohort of kids who are turning up to school without food. We keep hearing that the solution to this problem is ‘parental responsibility’, not state (or corporate) welfare. But it’s not the fault of these children they were born to parents with depression or schizophrenia or a painful skeletal-muscular disorder that requires that parent to remain heavily medicated. And those parents can’t just magically stop suffering from chronic diseases that compromise their ability to care for their children. Most parents love their kids – if they would they could.
There’s no actual proof that Nisbet’s bludgers exist. The children enumerated in the MSD Benefit fact sheets do exist – but this is where the idiocy of welfare-bludger rhetoric has bought us. People literally want children growing up in conditions of terrible poverty to go hungry because of their commitment to a race-based political fantasy.”
How much *news*, does the NZH recycle – How many times has that very same article been run in the past 12 months!
It does not matter, how/where you hide the *money*, when its worthless, its worthless, so the conversation is mostly semantics, around the tax take v borrowing etc.
At the end of the day, if it comes crashing down, whereever the *money* is, it will either be gone, or be worthless!
As an aside, the puppeteers will not give a toss, the amounts talked about in that article, don’t register a beat, at puppeteer level!
ianmac
I wonder why there can’t be a rule of thumb adopted to these filthy rich people. Say take their asset valuation, work out an accepted and modest return, then work out what 33% of that would be and compare it to the tax declaration, and take the highest amount.
When the neo libs got in first they were screwing funeral directors who didn’t prepay the right amount of tax on their expected income, as if they knew how many dead bodies they would be receiving each year in advance. My idea is sane and reasonable, though not leaving as much wiggle room for reducing profitable businesses with tax losses deliberately created.
As key is paid from the public purse he’ll be paying the correct tax rate. Pretty hard to dodge. On the investments, well, he is under more scrutiny than a private citizen so it would be very surprising if he was involved in tax dodging.
“is it also racist to depict rich people as greedy, selfish and white?”
No. Because no-one stereotypes all white people are greedy, selfish and rich.
It may be derogatory, but even then, depicting all rich people as greedy, selfish and white doesn’t disadvantage them in the allocation of social, political and financial resources, unlike when depicting poor people as lazy, brown and boozy.
Apart from Hone Warawira, perhaps /sarc
Actually given the nature of satirical cartoons, nobody gets to look particularly pretty in them. That’s sort of the point of caricature – everyone gets stereotyped to an exaggerated extreme.
With the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh still a recent memory, anyone wanting to help workers in Asian countries may like to become a donor to Union Aid http://unionaid.org.nz/
As little as $10 a month can be donated. It will make a real difference, helping third world workers get organised. It won’t help the people who died in the factory collapse but can help others in similar circumstances.
Kim Hill on Radionz this morning interviewed this man with interesting ideas that weka talked about. Worth a listen. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
Allan Savory: restoring grasslands ( 28′ 37″ )
08:10 President and co-founder of the Savory Institute, which promotes large-scale
restoration of the world’s grasslands through holistic management.
This is Weka’s original comment. Note she has put a link to make it easy for us to get background. I suggest that all the smartarses have a look and a think before they start raising their peacock feathers of superior knowledge.
weka 11
31 May 2013 at 1:21 pm
Kim Hill is interviewing Alan Savory, 8am Sat morning. It’s promoted as being about restoring grasslands, but Savory has pioneered meat production on grassland while building fertility and soil (something we don’t currently do), and is very experienced in ecological farming (including tech we could adopt here).
I’m hoping he will also talk about biological/natural systems of carbon sequestration, a must listen for anyone interested in CC and how farming can be a positive solution to some of the CC problems (not just mitigating industrial farming negatives). Savory has a pretty good TED talk too. http://www.savoryinstitute.com/
No, it was a bit of a peculiar discussion. It seemed to go against all conventional wisdom of overstocking being a prime problem causing deterioration in land quality and desertification. I was left wondering if his approach really only works in places with strongly seasonal rainfalls which have proven prone to desertification.
Just listened to it, and it didn’t strike me as a particularly cogent interview – too big a gap between his level of expertise and explaining for a lay person I think.
About stock numbers – it’s relative right? Savory in that interview is talking about the rangelands in Africa, where people were shifted off the land, and then herd animals were managed artificially eg the elephant cull. What his system does is put the herds and carnivores back on the land in a way that mimics how those rangelands functioned sustainably for thousands of years.
So, you can’t really compare that to NZ. For a start, we don’t have rangelands naturally, and we don’t have native herd animals (although I have heard the argument that moa filled this niche). Further, Savory isn’t saying ‘put more animals on the land’. He is saying to balance the numbers of animals with mob grazing and periodic resting of the land, in ways that mimic the natural shifting of herds. It’s not that NZ overstocks, it’s that our pasture management is completely unsustainable. Old school farming was degrading the land. Now industrial farming is just doing it much faster. Even if we went back to old school farming with lower stock rates, we would still have a problem.
So, in NZ we are overstocked for the kinds of grazing we do, and we are creating deserts (eg Central Otago, the McKenzie country, and industrial dairying will make this so much worse because the soil is being degraded). There are places in NZ where you can’t farm anymore because the land is so fucked. We did that in a pretty short space of time.
It’s a pity Savory didn’t explain the mechanism that he uses.
The mechanism, as I understand it, is this. Let the pasture grow long. The perennial plants put down deep and complex root systems. Mob graze that pasture, so that it is taken down to short, and any left over carbonous material is trampled creating mulch. The mob grazing causes the grasses to shed roots, which feeds the microbes in the soil. The mulch protects the soil from dehydration and thus increases the numbers of microbes and worms etc. The increase in soil microbes leads to soil being built (it’s the microbial life that causes soil fertility). The increase in soil fertility leads to the grass growing back healthy and strong. After that has happened, it is mob grazed again and the so the cycle continues. This is how the rangelands in Africa, and the prairies in North America have functioned for millenia.
That mechanism is also credited with sequestering carbon. Savory claims that if the arable land in production now was converted to his system we would sequester all the carbon we’ve emitted since the industrial revolution (something like that). Plowing and burning in particular prevent natural cycles of sequestration (and emit carbon). His system keeps the carbon in the soil (by building up carbon beneath the surface (hence no plowing).
That’s a simplistic explanation of models of farming that use many approaches that have soil biology and biodiversity at base. Savory’s TED talk is a much better explanation of what he does, but there are others doing similar kinds of work – Joel Salatin, RegenAg, Holistic Managment etc.
Hi weka
CV covers it well. I have to listen again and go to his link (Link and Learn!) because it overturns so much that I thought was carved in stone, so to speak.
Monopoly Capitalism in predatory and scavenging mode.
Trying to figure out what motivates the NACTs, its internal divisions, and ditto the Labour alternate party and its prospective bloc with Greens Mana etc., gets a bit confused when separated from the economic forces that are driving the political regimes in nation states today.
The so-called financial crisis that set in in 2008 was but a symptom of a sick and dying capitalist system. Since the end of the post-war boom in the 1960 capitalism has had to switch from producing new value from labour which has proved unprofitable to scavenging its seed capital (plant, raw materials, and labour power) eating up our future so it can stagger on another year or decade.
This is a more extreme development arising out of the state monopoly capitalism of the 20th century, itself a form of capitalism past its maturity, constantly going to war to redivide the world’s wealth into the hands of the victors. Already by WW1 global capitalism had accumulated so much wealth it couldnt accumulate more simply by reinvesting in the exploitation of living labour. It had to fight over the existing wealth of past labour. The last great re-division of the wealth in WW2 saw the A team beat the B team with the aid of the Soviet Union. Capitalism bounced back on the basis of the huge destruction of the war. But it left the Soviet Union as a threat hanging over capitalism’s future. The Soviet bloc represented a pool of wealth necessary for the survival of the old capitalist powers. The end of the post war boom was the warning light that the Western powers had no future unless they could defeat and divide up the Soviet Union and China.
David Harvey calls this ‘accumulation by dispossession’ which is similar (but still very different) to what Marx called ‘primitive accumulation’ – the scavenging of non-capitalist peoples wealth to form the seed capital of a global capitalist economy. Think of the Potasi silver mine in Bolivia which provided at least half the silver to float the capitalist market at the expense of millions of miners lives. Today this level of theft means think of the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union and China as 1000 Potasi’s. Think 1,000,000 Rio Tinto’s sucking many Meridian’s.
For capitalism to survive today it has to engage in the plundering of existing wealth (the accumulated labour) of past generations, state owned assets, and savings of the workers (pension funds, social wages etc). It is desperate to get hard assets to exchange for the multitrillions of fictitious capital that would otherwise prove worthless. But there is no way that new wealth or old wealth can be scavenged except by total dispossession of the masses and of the bankrupting of small states to
We could call this capitalism’s ‘second childhood’ except its really capitalism’s dotage.
As with ones’ old age, being old is not something that can be avoided or cashed in for eternal youth. Heart bypasses and transplants may prolong life but cannot prevent the onset of death. Capitalism is being kept alive by its parasitic scavenging of our future – the exhausting natural resources, the debt burden hanging around the necks of its workers and their children driving down their living standards and increasing their death rates, all of which amounts to the destruction of the forces of production upon which humanity depends for its survival.
Those political parties that participate in this scavenging process both far right and centre left are part of the problem. For them the giant sucking sound of our futures going into the capitalist drain is either music or and irritating noise. The only political regime that can reverse and overcome this process of environmental collapse and human extinction is that which represents the masses whose lives are already being squandered. Think of Syria where 100,000 have died so that the US, Israel, Russia and China can negotiate some dirty deal to keep the lid on the Arab masses while they go about their global scavenging.
So if anyone thinks they are going to get out of this shit without a fight to the death with the predatory, scavenging monopoly capitalism then they are deluded.
Far easier to wage war against people who don’t recognise that they are in the fight of their lives.
Even better if you can get them happily march themselves to the forced labour camps, grateful for the meagre rations you provide them each day on the road.
I’d post this in Cameron Slater’s blog – but he’s banned me.
Cute.
Whaleoil believes in ‘freedom of expression’ – but not on HIS blog?
______________________________________________________________________________
PROOF that ‘activists get things done’ 🙂
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Auckland DAFT LUNATIC Plan:
Why does all this ‘growth’ have to come to Auckland?
Why isn’t there a national ‘growth’ strategy?
Who will benefit from all this Auckland ‘growth’ apart from property developers, speculators and overseas investors?
How come Auckland Council and two major infrastructure providers, Auckland Transport and Watercare Services Ltd are not ‘on the same page’ regarding Auckland population growth projections?
(Auckland Council is relying upon the Dept of Statistics ‘high’ population growth projections, while Auckland Transport and Watercare Services are relying on ‘medium’ population growth projections!)
Requesting that Parliament declines to proceed with the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill until the lawfulness of the reliance of Auckland Council on the New Zealand Department of Statistics ”high” population growth projections, instead of their “medium” population growth projections for the Auckland Spatial Plan, has been properly and independently investigated, taking into consideration that both Auckland Transport and Watercare Services Ltd, have relied upon “medium” population growth projections for their infrastructural asset management plans.
Petition number: 2011/64
Presented by: Holly Walker
Date presented: 30 May 2013
Referred to: Social Services Committee
___________________________________________________________________
‘Smoking gun’ EVIDENCE proving the reliance of Auckland Council on the New Zealand Department of Statistics ”high”population growth projections, instead of their “medium” population growth projections for the Auckland Spatial Plan can be found HERE:
PS: Have been trawling though Auckland Council ‘Future Vision’ and ‘Auckland Plan’ meeting minutes, trying to find out where EXACTLY Auckland Council elected representatives voted on accepting Chief Auckland Planner Dr Roger Blakeley’s (UNLAWFUL?) advice to use the Department of Statistics ‘high’ population growth projections, instead of their recommended ‘medium’ population growth projections for the Auckland (Spatial) Plan (which the Auckland Unitary Plan is supposed to implement). So far – no good…..
Once again longterm threats are being ignored and insurance companies are trying to cut their responsibilities away vis fixing houses on flood prone land.
As for what should be done – Christchurch used to have extensive wetlands, which are rather useful in blunting and reducing flood risks, along with cleaning polluted freshwater and providing habitat for native species. Provided crack-willows don’t invade of course.
Taking this into account, frankly areas known to be at high risk of flooding (Avon river corridor basically), particularly around the lower end of the Avon should be made back into swamp lands, removing infrastructure and using causeways with numerous small bridges to lessen impediment. This would likely result in much of New Brighton Road area potentially having to be ripped out, as the road now lies at river surface level and protected by low dikes + the south bank and area around Porritt park.
From memory (I live near these areas and have biked around them) Dallington from Mcbrartneys road-southward and Fleet Street-eastward are now at or less than 0.5m above river level. While in Burwood, the streets in behind Horseshoe Lake swamp have dropped significantly. The area defined by River Road though is still 0.5+ meters above the river bank, despite significant mass wastage caused by sand boils and slides. West of Banks Ave has dropped, perhaps enough to make it prone to flooding, but only seems to effect the land up to 106 Banks Ave from memory, with the land only dipping towards the creek, albeit with the land mostly classed red.
Up towards Anzac Drive, the northen bank is at varying levels, with anything directly next to the river having dropped significantly, although much of the northern side of New Brighton road from the intersection of Lake Terrace Road is still 1m+ above the river.
On the southern bank, everything north of Retreat Road is fucked, and the banks of the Avon are now at or below river level and the river, when only slightly swollen easily touches the road. Though more so on the northern eastern parts of Avonside Drive. Further east the bank doesn’t seem to have dropped much, although was naturally low and protected by a dike. Porrett Park has dropped significantly, as has much of the land inland for about 200m max from the line of the creek bordering the park and along Avonside drive to Hulverstone. But not to the extent of the northern bank.
Anzac Drive north is now close to river level, with the swap once bordering both sides now encroaching on the verge. We project that the area east of the drainage creek flowing by Donnell Sports Park is also probably now at risk judging by the drop that’s occurred on Travis road. While anything bordering the Travis swamp is probably now at a higher flood risk.
Not sure about the situation east of Anzac drive bridge, aside from the land reports, but I suspect the New Brighton spit is gone-burger, as is much of the land from the river out towards Parklands to varying degrees. Dependant on underlying strata.
As population in this Avon corridor has dropped, as has the eastern suburbs they feed, removing the roads in this area wont alter traffic flows much, aside from rush hour. Main issues though are water and sewerage lines, of which there’s a significant high volume pipe underlying New Brighton (NB) Road from the Shirely/Marshland intersection, that will require diversion away from liquefaction prone river borders, if the road is removed, and potential swamp and/or park zones. NB road could be raised and turned into a causeway however, and with significant use of large pipe bridges or low bridging as to not impede water flow and movement by organisms etc, it should be possible to avoid the road getting flooded.
Biggest expenses will probably relate to re-mediating the land and removing all asphalt (leaks toxic hydrocarbons) and certain trees, along with developing water ways and eradicating any willows + planting of suitable species. Properly done, it should end up turning into mixed Kaihikatea swap, and provide a major buffer against king tides and storm surges. Along with recreational walks, canoeing/boating, fishing and draw in native species, such as bellbirds and wood pigeons.
Looks like underlying political tensions in Istanbul over the Erdogan governments increasing bullshit has hit boiling point, and yet despite the police brutality (pepper spraying non-protesters, using water guns laced with irritants etc) the protesters are staying relatively peaceful.
And guess what? Nothing about this in the local news, and only simmered into international news really today O_o
Sheesh, what the hell’s up with the German police? There’s no need to chase the protesters off, let alone a need for full riot gear. Just clear gaps when needed and keep calm and generally the protesters behave themselves.
Cheers, haven’t been reading Little Green Footballs recently so missed that one completely. Hopefully they win some concessions and get the local democrats to think.
The thinking that is showing up in Lusk’s writings is no doubt sourced from the Republicans and their fellow travellers in the USA. Reading about Moral Monday reaction to the Republicans with apparently a big majority throwing out dearly held legislation and rights sounds like what we are enduring here.
How could we tie the pollies with a limit on their ability to abolish and radically change laws that are not harming anybody? If it could be accepted that governments are caretakers principally not change agents, we wouldn’t have these virtual civil insurgents coming into power and claiming their right by conquest.
CV
What were you about to finish with? I guess it would require a large majority of the House presumably to strike down legislation Say 70%? Was that it?
Ah right, it would go to a recall referendum vote which could be held as part of local body elections or general elections, and require a relatively low threshold to strike down legislation. Say 50% of the votes cast.
I guess it would require a large majority of the House presumably to strike down legislation Say 70%? Was that it?
If you think about it, if 70% of MPs were against a piece of legislation, they could strike it down via normal processes. I was thinking in particular about allowing the public to directly strike down legislation. (or perhaps even regulations)
Looks like Turkey’s in for a political upheaval that for once isn’t the result of the military or directed at minorities (greeks, kurds) to reinforce the government.
And this is why Gezi protests are now important: this is not about urban redevelopment or green spaces anymore. It is about how a government due to its immense popularity has been growing more and more intolerant of those minority or criticising voices. It is about how democracy should not be a tyranny of the majority. And most of all it is about police brutality, it is about taking police accountable to their wrong doings, and that the government should learn to respect freedom of expression and assembly (regardless of what they are for) and not crush it with repressive police force
The Kiwi soldiers were joined by the Canadian, US and British armies and the US Marine Corps to “enact a common conflict scenario of insurgents trying to overthrow a government”.
Indeed – A question might be, why was it held in NZ?
Is there anything significant in that – Was there not talk about the building of some new *live* site being built for the SAS, south of Auckland – Keep an eye out for contracts or some follow up to this.
Kyrgyzstan townspeople riot against Canadian owned gold mine
– Says the gold mine (10% of the country’s GDP) is not providing enough benefit to the people
– Want the mine nationalised
– Cut power to the mine
– Clip ends by saying that events might scare off badly needed foreign investment…but what use is foreign investment if the locals only get crumbs from the dining table and Canadian shareholders all the rest?
Just catching up on my reading and stumbled across a great Jane Clifton rant . . .
. . . Another recent one was Parliament’s putting special restrictions on protesters at sea, judging the rights of people to protest against whaling, mining and the like to be less important than the rights of whalers and miners. It’s true that these protesters are often nauseatingly self-aggrandising, and endanger their own and others’ safety, but our justice system would traditionally hold that sea-going hotheads have the same rights to get themselves prosecuted for trespass and sabotage as land-lubbing ones.
The Government has also suspended a democratically elected local authority indefinitely and vowed to overrule others with reserve powers if it sees fit. And Parliament seems set to pass a private member’s bill, founded on Government support, that would ban people wearing gang patches in all public buildings, from benefit offices to schools. Although the latter will be a popular constitutional outrage – for a gang patch is telling us that the wearer has either gang-raped a young woman or brutalised a senior citizen in order to earn it – it is a slippery sliding scale on which to embark.
Until his jailing, finance company boss Rod Petricevic’s highly visible Porsche was telling us that he had ripped off now-impoverished investors in order to earn it – in terms of offensiveness and intimidation, an emblem certainly on a continuum with a gang patch. And there’s a danger, once we let the state tell us we can’t wear something, that a future more conservative Parliament will add other things to the list, such as religious wear or immodest garb. This writer knows of at least one state agency that attempted to ban employees from wearing high-heeled shoes to work, on the grounds of safety. (Although I like to think most of us would cheerfully oppress the rights of those who show us their bum cracks via low-rider trousers.) . . .
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The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
A long time ago, Brian Turner wrote a poem in which, among the mountains, as he slept on a river flat … My speechless ancestors played like mice among my dreamsand he woke to the river running over my bed of stone. I have come to know that where a ...
Pacific Media Watch President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and ...
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman says New Zealand should provide a robust response to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, and also "should stop tip-toeing" around Trump. ...
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin FelletIf you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...
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This is pretty bad news for David Shearer: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8743939/John-Key-takes-a-hit-in-integrity-stakes
More people think John Key is a liar and have an improved impression of David Shearer, yet still far more want to vote for Key-led National than Shearer-led Labour government.
Up so early, Matthew? At least JK made the headline which matters.
rust never sleeps
Titled ‘John Key takes a hit in integrity stakes’ it also said…
‘Labour leader David Shearer fares a bit better, with people more likely to have an improved opinion of his vision, actions or policies, truthfulness and trustworthiness.’
‘The same poll also asked people for the first time whether it was time for a change of government – and 49.1 per cent said yes. That was surprising because even some people who said they would vote for National thought it was time for a change’
“The same poll also asked people for the first time whether it was time for a change of government – and 49.1 per cent said yes. That was surprising because even some people who said they would vote for National thought it was time for a change”
This is a great reason for the soft centre of Nact being all concerned about poor kids… as well as front-footing a clean-up job on Lusk & Co right now. They know they still have time to retrieve the situation if they can lay the blame on a so-called ‘hard-right’ cabal and show they’ve been purged.
The Nats have Key’s leadership and a hope that the economy will lift, V Labour’s weak leader and tonnes of electoral options.
With National’s one asset corroding, you need to change sides Matthew and join our movement.
We’re taking it all back – and then we’re going to redistribute it. 😉
More people think John Key is a liar…
Everybody knows John Key is a liar. He has even featured in the series “Liars of Our Time”.
Even the obedient, bewildered souls of Epsom know Key is a liar, but they would never admit to it in a survey.
Gosh! That seals it then!
Gosh! That seals it then!
Actually, it kinda does….
You can fool some of the people all of the time.
He must be a lair. He made it to my self selected list of liars!
What you mean to say is:
“Everybody knows John Key is a liar. He has even featured in the copy pasta spam I regularly post but TL/DR.”
What you mean to say is:
“Everybody knows John Key is a liar. He has even featured in the copy pasta spam I regularly post but TL/DR.”
1.) So “copy pasta spam” is ALL this writer, i.e. moi, does, is it?
I don’t think so….
2.) “TL/DR”? Really? The “Liars of Our Time” posts are one, maybe two, lines at best. I know it’s beyond you to actually read anything by Noam Chomsky, but surely my little zingers are within your competence zone?
(By the way: you should actually read some of the things Chomsky has written. He is really lucid, and easy to read. Don’t believe everything you’ve been told by the lunatic right fringe.)
Talking about bad news Matty have you seen all the news about Simon Lusk? You being a political commentator sort I suggest you concentrate on that, because that is where the real story is.
zzzzzzzzzzzz
zzzzzzzzzzzz
Sorry, who are you again?
I think he gets paid to write stuff. A bit like his friends who are being outed at the moment in the msm.
Paul
Who’s he? It’s impossible to follow the thinking on some comments when the reader can’t connect the dots and the reply is enigmatic. Why not put the name of your intended?
Must have wet the bed to be up so early
/yawn
Your spin is noted, and dismissed with extreme prejudice.
An interesting read
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/emily-wilding-davison-made-only-choice-she-could-bear
“Oppressive systems are not all of a kind. They do, however, share an indifference to those whose inability to bear the privations of the imposed social order results in collapse, breakdown and death. The present British government, to give one example, has accustomed itself to the suicides of poor and disabled people cut off by its austerity programme. It encourages a narrative which suggests that such people are “merely” disturbed, that benefit recipients are selfish “scroungers”. What such systems cannot cope with is those who are able, by virtue of circumstance or force of personality, to turn that rage and distress outwards, rather than letting it consume them from within.
Such people often become known to the police. We call them rebels, or activists, or colossal bloody headaches, depending on our point of view and place of employment. ”
My admiration for all who refuse to be consumed from within.
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/31/american_dream_deferred_indefinitely_partner/
People, I think this is required preparatory reading for those attending the Fabians this week on why the Austerity Orthodoxy is wrong and damaging, and why wealth distribution and jobs growth is far more important. While the context is US, we are at least as unequal as they are these days.
+1 Thanks for the link. Definitely reflects NZ’s situation.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/05/24/u-s-stands-out-as-a-rich-country-where-a-growing-minority-say-they-cant-afford-food/
308 live bullets shot at the Mavi Marmara 3 years ago today.
39 in the bodies of 9 murdered
As you read the following horrific story, bear in mind that our own “Sir” Geoffrey Palmer lent his name to the infamous Palmer-Uribe “report”, which purported to exonerate the perpetrators of this crime…
Three years on, the Mavi Marmara is still making waves
May 31, 2013
by SARAH COLBORNE, Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign
On 31 May 2010, the first Freedom Flotilla was sailing in international waters towards Gaza, carrying passengers and humanitarian aid on six ships, when it was attacked by Israeli forces at night, 72 miles off the coast of Israel. On the Mavi Marmara, the largest ship of the flotilla with passengers from 32 countries, nine passengers were killed and 156 were injured, 52 of them seriously.
Three years on, those responsible for Israel’s illegal assault and murders on the Mavi Marmara are being pursued. In Istanbul, a case is ongoing against four senior ranking Israeli commanders, with evidence that they had ‘personally ordered the operation’, filed by 490 victims of the attack.
Sitting in the courtroom in Istanbul last week, hearing testimonies from passengers and crew, took me back to the attack on 31 May 2010. At night, whilst most of the passengers were either asleep or starting their first prayer of the day, inflatable boats crowded with Israeli commandos surrounded the ship and attempted to board. Helicopters whirred overhead, as Israeli commandos on ropes came down onto the ship. I could hear the bullets whizzing through the air, and I covered my face as teargas and smoke bombs were shot onto the ship. But it was when I saw Cevdet Kiliclar’s body brought to the back of the ship – shot through the forehead by Israeli commandos whilst filming the attack – that I realised the commandos were shooting to kill. The UN Human Rights Council Report found that 308 live bullets had been fired by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara – 39 of those bullets were taken out of the 9 who were killed. In court, Cevdet’s widow sat stoically, with families of the others killed, to hear evidence of the brutality of the Israeli commandoes.
One passenger talked about being shot in the stomach. Another of being shot in the hip and intestines. Yet another of being shot through his head, and the bullet coming out of the other side of his face. Of the multiple operations that some of them had undergone as a result of their injuries. Of passengers being shot whilst lying on the ground, and then kicked repeatedly. Of seeing what they thought was rain coming through the hatch from the roof of the ship, but then realising it was blood. Of being handcuffed with cable ties despite being seriously wounded. Of our long and slow journey to Ashdod port, in suffocating heat inside the ship because the Israeli commandos had broken the handles to the door to the room where the airconditioning unit was housed. Of the humiliation endured under interrogation and whilst in prison. And witnesses talked about the beatings continuing right up to when they got on the aircraft in Tel Aviv. One talked about an Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv airport kicking his leg, and when it didn’t break, he was forced to the ground and another Israeli soldier joined in, kicking and stamping on his leg.
Passengers talked about the continuing psychological trauma that they have suffered. And crew members talked about…
Read more….
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/three-years-on-the-mavi-marmara-is-still-making-waves/
About the Palmer-Uribe farce….
http://file.insightturkey.com/Files/Pdf/insight_turkey_vol_13_no_4_2011_finkelstein.pdf
If a single parent medically certified unable to work the 20 hours a week required to qualify for the IWTC of $60/week remains disabled to this extent prior to their child turning 18, that means $3,120 less a year or just over $56K prior to that child becoming an adult.
Fair? John Key thinks so.
Ahh, look! Someone else has spotted it too.
http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/parental-responsibilty/
“Speaking of reality. According to the latest MSD benefit fact sheets (which tell us, incidentally, that the majority of welfare beneficiaries are Pakeha) there are about 2000 people recieving an Invalid’s benefit who are caring for dependent children aged under six years.
Let’s be conservative and assume that there are that many again caring for children between six and twelve and that they’re caring for 1.5 children each and you have 3000 primary school children right there who are growing up in poverty while being cared for by a person suffering from a physical and/or mental illness.
I think it’s safe to assume that these children are over-represented in the cohort of kids who are turning up to school without food. We keep hearing that the solution to this problem is ‘parental responsibility’, not state (or corporate) welfare. But it’s not the fault of these children they were born to parents with depression or schizophrenia or a painful skeletal-muscular disorder that requires that parent to remain heavily medicated. And those parents can’t just magically stop suffering from chronic diseases that compromise their ability to care for their children. Most parents love their kids – if they would they could.
There’s no actual proof that Nisbet’s bludgers exist. The children enumerated in the MSD Benefit fact sheets do exist – but this is where the idiocy of welfare-bludger rhetoric has bought us. People literally want children growing up in conditions of terrible poverty to go hungry because of their commitment to a race-based political fantasy.”
Not sure the puppeteers will appreciate this headline.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10887756
These people are so much worse than dole bludgers, who don’t even register on the scale required for these rip-off pricks. Scum.
As are the people who vote for and perpetuate these schemes.
How much *news*, does the NZH recycle – How many times has that very same article been run in the past 12 months!
It does not matter, how/where you hide the *money*, when its worthless, its worthless, so the conversation is mostly semantics, around the tax take v borrowing etc.
At the end of the day, if it comes crashing down, whereever the *money* is, it will either be gone, or be worthless!
As an aside, the puppeteers will not give a toss, the amounts talked about in that article, don’t register a beat, at puppeteer level!
That summary at the end says a lot Paul! We wage/salary earners cannot avoid under PAYE. But these people:
“Figures
• 193 New Zealanders own or control assets worth more than $50 million
• 161 have filed tax returns for the 2012 financial year
• 107 have declared their personal income is less than $70,000”
Wonder how much tax Mr Key pays?
ianmac
I wonder why there can’t be a rule of thumb adopted to these filthy rich people. Say take their asset valuation, work out an accepted and modest return, then work out what 33% of that would be and compare it to the tax declaration, and take the highest amount.
When the neo libs got in first they were screwing funeral directors who didn’t prepay the right amount of tax on their expected income, as if they knew how many dead bodies they would be receiving each year in advance. My idea is sane and reasonable, though not leaving as much wiggle room for reducing profitable businesses with tax losses deliberately created.
As key is paid from the public purse he’ll be paying the correct tax rate. Pretty hard to dodge. On the investments, well, he is under more scrutiny than a private citizen so it would be very surprising if he was involved in tax dodging.
If it is racist to depict poor people as lazy, boozy and brown, is it also racist to depict rich people as greedy, selfish and white?
What do you mean ‘if’?
Interesting comment, vto
“is it also racist to depict rich people as greedy, selfish and white?”
No. Because no-one stereotypes all white people are greedy, selfish and rich.
It may be derogatory, but even then, depicting all rich people as greedy, selfish and white doesn’t disadvantage them in the allocation of social, political and financial resources, unlike when depicting poor people as lazy, brown and boozy.
Apart from Hone Warawira, perhaps /sarc
Actually given the nature of satirical cartoons, nobody gets to look particularly pretty in them. That’s sort of the point of caricature – everyone gets stereotyped to an exaggerated extreme.
With the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh still a recent memory, anyone wanting to help workers in Asian countries may like to become a donor to Union Aid http://unionaid.org.nz/
As little as $10 a month can be donated. It will make a real difference, helping third world workers get organised. It won’t help the people who died in the factory collapse but can help others in similar circumstances.
Kim Hill on Radionz this morning interviewed this man with interesting ideas that weka talked about. Worth a listen.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
Allan Savory: restoring grasslands ( 28′ 37″ )
08:10 President and co-founder of the Savory Institute, which promotes large-scale
restoration of the world’s grasslands through holistic management.
This is Weka’s original comment. Note she has put a link to make it easy for us to get background. I suggest that all the smartarses have a look and a think before they start raising their peacock feathers of superior knowledge.
weka 11
31 May 2013 at 1:21 pm
Kim Hill is interviewing Alan Savory, 8am Sat morning. It’s promoted as being about restoring grasslands, but Savory has pioneered meat production on grassland while building fertility and soil (something we don’t currently do), and is very experienced in ecological farming (including tech we could adopt here).
I’m hoping he will also talk about biological/natural systems of carbon sequestration, a must listen for anyone interested in CC and how farming can be a positive solution to some of the CC problems (not just mitigating industrial farming negatives). Savory has a pretty good TED talk too.
http://www.savoryinstitute.com/
Thanks prism, haven’t had a chance to listen yet. Did he talk about climate change/carbon sequestration?
No, it was a bit of a peculiar discussion. It seemed to go against all conventional wisdom of overstocking being a prime problem causing deterioration in land quality and desertification. I was left wondering if his approach really only works in places with strongly seasonal rainfalls which have proven prone to desertification.
Just listened to it, and it didn’t strike me as a particularly cogent interview – too big a gap between his level of expertise and explaining for a lay person I think.
About stock numbers – it’s relative right? Savory in that interview is talking about the rangelands in Africa, where people were shifted off the land, and then herd animals were managed artificially eg the elephant cull. What his system does is put the herds and carnivores back on the land in a way that mimics how those rangelands functioned sustainably for thousands of years.
So, you can’t really compare that to NZ. For a start, we don’t have rangelands naturally, and we don’t have native herd animals (although I have heard the argument that moa filled this niche). Further, Savory isn’t saying ‘put more animals on the land’. He is saying to balance the numbers of animals with mob grazing and periodic resting of the land, in ways that mimic the natural shifting of herds. It’s not that NZ overstocks, it’s that our pasture management is completely unsustainable. Old school farming was degrading the land. Now industrial farming is just doing it much faster. Even if we went back to old school farming with lower stock rates, we would still have a problem.
So, in NZ we are overstocked for the kinds of grazing we do, and we are creating deserts (eg Central Otago, the McKenzie country, and industrial dairying will make this so much worse because the soil is being degraded). There are places in NZ where you can’t farm anymore because the land is so fucked. We did that in a pretty short space of time.
It’s a pity Savory didn’t explain the mechanism that he uses.
The mechanism, as I understand it, is this. Let the pasture grow long. The perennial plants put down deep and complex root systems. Mob graze that pasture, so that it is taken down to short, and any left over carbonous material is trampled creating mulch. The mob grazing causes the grasses to shed roots, which feeds the microbes in the soil. The mulch protects the soil from dehydration and thus increases the numbers of microbes and worms etc. The increase in soil microbes leads to soil being built (it’s the microbial life that causes soil fertility). The increase in soil fertility leads to the grass growing back healthy and strong. After that has happened, it is mob grazed again and the so the cycle continues. This is how the rangelands in Africa, and the prairies in North America have functioned for millenia.
That mechanism is also credited with sequestering carbon. Savory claims that if the arable land in production now was converted to his system we would sequester all the carbon we’ve emitted since the industrial revolution (something like that). Plowing and burning in particular prevent natural cycles of sequestration (and emit carbon). His system keeps the carbon in the soil (by building up carbon beneath the surface (hence no plowing).
That’s a simplistic explanation of models of farming that use many approaches that have soil biology and biodiversity at base. Savory’s TED talk is a much better explanation of what he does, but there are others doing similar kinds of work – Joel Salatin, RegenAg, Holistic Managment etc.
Hi weka
CV covers it well. I have to listen again and go to his link (Link and Learn!) because it overturns so much that I thought was carved in stone, so to speak.
Monopoly Capitalism in predatory and scavenging mode.
Trying to figure out what motivates the NACTs, its internal divisions, and ditto the Labour alternate party and its prospective bloc with Greens Mana etc., gets a bit confused when separated from the economic forces that are driving the political regimes in nation states today.
The so-called financial crisis that set in in 2008 was but a symptom of a sick and dying capitalist system. Since the end of the post-war boom in the 1960 capitalism has had to switch from producing new value from labour which has proved unprofitable to scavenging its seed capital (plant, raw materials, and labour power) eating up our future so it can stagger on another year or decade.
This is a more extreme development arising out of the state monopoly capitalism of the 20th century, itself a form of capitalism past its maturity, constantly going to war to redivide the world’s wealth into the hands of the victors. Already by WW1 global capitalism had accumulated so much wealth it couldnt accumulate more simply by reinvesting in the exploitation of living labour. It had to fight over the existing wealth of past labour. The last great re-division of the wealth in WW2 saw the A team beat the B team with the aid of the Soviet Union. Capitalism bounced back on the basis of the huge destruction of the war. But it left the Soviet Union as a threat hanging over capitalism’s future. The Soviet bloc represented a pool of wealth necessary for the survival of the old capitalist powers. The end of the post war boom was the warning light that the Western powers had no future unless they could defeat and divide up the Soviet Union and China.
David Harvey calls this ‘accumulation by dispossession’ which is similar (but still very different) to what Marx called ‘primitive accumulation’ – the scavenging of non-capitalist peoples wealth to form the seed capital of a global capitalist economy. Think of the Potasi silver mine in Bolivia which provided at least half the silver to float the capitalist market at the expense of millions of miners lives. Today this level of theft means think of the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union and China as 1000 Potasi’s. Think 1,000,000 Rio Tinto’s sucking many Meridian’s.
For capitalism to survive today it has to engage in the plundering of existing wealth (the accumulated labour) of past generations, state owned assets, and savings of the workers (pension funds, social wages etc). It is desperate to get hard assets to exchange for the multitrillions of fictitious capital that would otherwise prove worthless. But there is no way that new wealth or old wealth can be scavenged except by total dispossession of the masses and of the bankrupting of small states to
We could call this capitalism’s ‘second childhood’ except its really capitalism’s dotage.
As with ones’ old age, being old is not something that can be avoided or cashed in for eternal youth. Heart bypasses and transplants may prolong life but cannot prevent the onset of death. Capitalism is being kept alive by its parasitic scavenging of our future – the exhausting natural resources, the debt burden hanging around the necks of its workers and their children driving down their living standards and increasing their death rates, all of which amounts to the destruction of the forces of production upon which humanity depends for its survival.
Those political parties that participate in this scavenging process both far right and centre left are part of the problem. For them the giant sucking sound of our futures going into the capitalist drain is either music or and irritating noise. The only political regime that can reverse and overcome this process of environmental collapse and human extinction is that which represents the masses whose lives are already being squandered. Think of Syria where 100,000 have died so that the US, Israel, Russia and China can negotiate some dirty deal to keep the lid on the Arab masses while they go about their global scavenging.
So if anyone thinks they are going to get out of this shit without a fight to the death with the predatory, scavenging monopoly capitalism then they are deluded.
Far easier to wage war against people who don’t recognise that they are in the fight of their lives.
Even better if you can get them happily march themselves to the forced labour camps, grateful for the meagre rations you provide them each day on the road.
The Auckland DAFT LUNATIC Plan…….
I’d post this in Cameron Slater’s blog – but he’s banned me.
Cute.
Whaleoil believes in ‘freedom of expression’ – but not on HIS blog?
______________________________________________________________________________
PROOF that ‘activists get things done’ 🙂
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Auckland DAFT LUNATIC Plan:
Why does all this ‘growth’ have to come to Auckland?
Why isn’t there a national ‘growth’ strategy?
Who will benefit from all this Auckland ‘growth’ apart from property developers, speculators and overseas investors?
How come Auckland Council and two major infrastructure providers, Auckland Transport and Watercare Services Ltd are not ‘on the same page’ regarding Auckland population growth projections?
(Auckland Council is relying upon the Dept of Statistics ‘high’ population growth projections, while Auckland Transport and Watercare Services are relying on ‘medium’ population growth projections!)
___________________________________________________________________
SEEN THIS?
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Presented/Petitions/5/0/5/50DBHOH_PET3157_1-Petition-of-Penelope-Mary-Bright-requesting-that.htm
Petition of Penelope Mary Bright
Requesting that Parliament declines to proceed with the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Bill until the lawfulness of the reliance of Auckland Council on the New Zealand Department of Statistics ”high” population growth projections, instead of their “medium” population growth projections for the Auckland Spatial Plan, has been properly and independently investigated, taking into consideration that both Auckland Transport and Watercare Services Ltd, have relied upon “medium” population growth projections for their infrastructural asset management plans.
Petition number: 2011/64
Presented by: Holly Walker
Date presented: 30 May 2013
Referred to: Social Services Committee
___________________________________________________________________
‘Smoking gun’ EVIDENCE proving the reliance of Auckland Council on the New Zealand Department of Statistics ”high”population growth projections, instead of their “medium” population growth projections for the Auckland Spatial Plan can be found HERE:
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/AUCKLAND-COUNCIL-GROWTH-Response-to-Ms-Penny-Bright-word-version-of-email-from-Roger-Blakeley-23-05-13-3-1.pdf
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/?page_id=145
PS: Have been trawling though Auckland Council ‘Future Vision’ and ‘Auckland Plan’ meeting minutes, trying to find out where EXACTLY Auckland Council elected representatives voted on accepting Chief Auckland Planner Dr Roger Blakeley’s (UNLAWFUL?) advice to use the Department of Statistics ‘high’ population growth projections, instead of their recommended ‘medium’ population growth projections for the Auckland (Spatial) Plan (which the Auckland Unitary Plan is supposed to implement). So far – no good…..
Seriously – you couldn’t make this stuff up!
Where on earth is the lawful DUE DILIGENCE?
Not to mention basic commonsense?
Penny Bright
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
More bad news in Christchurch:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/8744573/Quake-hit-residents-now-face-flood-risk
Once again longterm threats are being ignored and insurance companies are trying to cut their responsibilities away vis fixing houses on flood prone land.
As for what should be done – Christchurch used to have extensive wetlands, which are rather useful in blunting and reducing flood risks, along with cleaning polluted freshwater and providing habitat for native species. Provided crack-willows don’t invade of course.
Taking this into account, frankly areas known to be at high risk of flooding (Avon river corridor basically), particularly around the lower end of the Avon should be made back into swamp lands, removing infrastructure and using causeways with numerous small bridges to lessen impediment. This would likely result in much of New Brighton Road area potentially having to be ripped out, as the road now lies at river surface level and protected by low dikes + the south bank and area around Porritt park.
From memory (I live near these areas and have biked around them) Dallington from Mcbrartneys road-southward and Fleet Street-eastward are now at or less than 0.5m above river level. While in Burwood, the streets in behind Horseshoe Lake swamp have dropped significantly. The area defined by River Road though is still 0.5+ meters above the river bank, despite significant mass wastage caused by sand boils and slides. West of Banks Ave has dropped, perhaps enough to make it prone to flooding, but only seems to effect the land up to 106 Banks Ave from memory, with the land only dipping towards the creek, albeit with the land mostly classed red.
Up towards Anzac Drive, the northen bank is at varying levels, with anything directly next to the river having dropped significantly, although much of the northern side of New Brighton road from the intersection of Lake Terrace Road is still 1m+ above the river.
On the southern bank, everything north of Retreat Road is fucked, and the banks of the Avon are now at or below river level and the river, when only slightly swollen easily touches the road. Though more so on the northern eastern parts of Avonside Drive. Further east the bank doesn’t seem to have dropped much, although was naturally low and protected by a dike. Porrett Park has dropped significantly, as has much of the land inland for about 200m max from the line of the creek bordering the park and along Avonside drive to Hulverstone. But not to the extent of the northern bank.
Anzac Drive north is now close to river level, with the swap once bordering both sides now encroaching on the verge. We project that the area east of the drainage creek flowing by Donnell Sports Park is also probably now at risk judging by the drop that’s occurred on Travis road. While anything bordering the Travis swamp is probably now at a higher flood risk.
Not sure about the situation east of Anzac drive bridge, aside from the land reports, but I suspect the New Brighton spit is gone-burger, as is much of the land from the river out towards Parklands to varying degrees. Dependant on underlying strata.
As population in this Avon corridor has dropped, as has the eastern suburbs they feed, removing the roads in this area wont alter traffic flows much, aside from rush hour. Main issues though are water and sewerage lines, of which there’s a significant high volume pipe underlying New Brighton (NB) Road from the Shirely/Marshland intersection, that will require diversion away from liquefaction prone river borders, if the road is removed, and potential swamp and/or park zones. NB road could be raised and turned into a causeway however, and with significant use of large pipe bridges or low bridging as to not impede water flow and movement by organisms etc, it should be possible to avoid the road getting flooded.
Biggest expenses will probably relate to re-mediating the land and removing all asphalt (leaks toxic hydrocarbons) and certain trees, along with developing water ways and eradicating any willows + planting of suitable species. Properly done, it should end up turning into mixed Kaihikatea swap, and provide a major buffer against king tides and storm surges. Along with recreational walks, canoeing/boating, fishing and draw in native species, such as bellbirds and wood pigeons.
Holy shit:
https://twitter.com/search/%23occupygezi
http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com/
http://rt.com/news/turkey-clashes-istanbul-park-067/
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/istanbuls-taksim-square-has-become-a-warzone
Looks like underlying political tensions in Istanbul over the Erdogan governments increasing bullshit has hit boiling point, and yet despite the police brutality (pepper spraying non-protesters, using water guns laced with irritants etc) the protesters are staying relatively peaceful.
And guess what? Nothing about this in the local news, and only simmered into international news really today O_o
And the “Blockupy Movement” protesting against austerity and blocking all entrances to the main ECB building
Ty.
Sheesh, what the hell’s up with the German police? There’s no need to chase the protesters off, let alone a need for full riot gear. Just clear gaps when needed and keep calm and generally the protesters behave themselves.
The North Carolina moral Monday campaign has slipped under the radar too.
Cheers, haven’t been reading Little Green Footballs recently so missed that one completely. Hopefully they win some concessions and get the local democrats to think.
The thinking that is showing up in Lusk’s writings is no doubt sourced from the Republicans and their fellow travellers in the USA. Reading about Moral Monday reaction to the Republicans with apparently a big majority throwing out dearly held legislation and rights sounds like what we are enduring here.
How could we tie the pollies with a limit on their ability to abolish and radically change laws that are not harming anybody? If it could be accepted that governments are caretakers principally not change agents, we wouldn’t have these virtual civil insurgents coming into power and claiming their right by conquest.
yeah, a civics education programme, a neutral but critical press, and legislation recall referendums are the way to do it.
A recall referendum called be initiated at the 60 day, 150,000 signature petition level.
To strike down legislation it would re
CV
What were you about to finish with? I guess it would require a large majority of the House presumably to strike down legislation Say 70%? Was that it?
Ah right, it would go to a recall referendum vote which could be held as part of local body elections or general elections, and require a relatively low threshold to strike down legislation. Say 50% of the votes cast.
If you think about it, if 70% of MPs were against a piece of legislation, they could strike it down via normal processes. I was thinking in particular about allowing the public to directly strike down legislation. (or perhaps even regulations)
Lots going on: #Taksim.
edit: http://www.rightnow.io/breaking-news/turkey_bn_1369752659185.html
ty
Looks like Turkey’s in for a political upheaval that for once isn’t the result of the military or directed at minorities (greeks, kurds) to reinforce the government.
http://hkubra.tumblr.com/post/51837417670/from-privileged-activism-to-an-outcry-against
Then something happened.
[…]
And this is why Gezi protests are now important: this is not about urban redevelopment or green spaces anymore. It is about how a government due to its immense popularity has been growing more and more intolerant of those minority or criticising voices. It is about how democracy should not be a tyranny of the majority. And most of all it is about police brutality, it is about taking police accountable to their wrong doings, and that the government should learn to respect freedom of expression and assembly (regardless of what they are for) and not crush it with repressive police force
A novel road block in Ankara.
.https://twitter.com/ahmetyv/status/340579709324767232/photo/1
https://twitter.com/ahmetyv
A beautiful road block is more like it :3
This.
http://www.pewforum.org/Muslim/Among-Muslims-Internet-Use-Goes-Hand-In-Hand-with-More-Open-Views-Toward-Western-Culture.aspx
http://www.3news.co.nz/Joint-military-exercise-a-success%E2%80%94NZDF/tabid/423/articleID/299856/Default.aspx
Stupid little country!
Nice how the “exercise” is a “success”. Now to their small problems in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, why is “success” so hard for them there?
Indeed – A question might be, why was it held in NZ?
Is there anything significant in that – Was there not talk about the building of some new *live* site being built for the SAS, south of Auckland – Keep an eye out for contracts or some follow up to this.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8101620/New-site-for-SAS-to-train-for-battle
Why do the SAS require a new site, if this so called drill was a , *success* , at the location it was held ?
1000, is not a small drill, either, did they all leave the country, or have a number of the foreign troops, *stayed behind*
Kyrgyzstan townspeople riot against Canadian owned gold mine
– Says the gold mine (10% of the country’s GDP) is not providing enough benefit to the people
– Want the mine nationalised
– Cut power to the mine
– Clip ends by saying that events might scare off badly needed foreign investment…but what use is foreign investment if the locals only get crumbs from the dining table and Canadian shareholders all the rest?
Well well well!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/may/31/free-schools-education
Swedish free school operator to close, leaving hundreds of pupils stranded
JB Education schools are to be sold or closed after private equity group owner pulls plug, raising fears over UK policy
‘
Just catching up on my reading and stumbled across a great Jane Clifton rant . . .
. . . saying it like it is.