We couldn’t be further apart on the political spectrum.
We stand for different things, but we respect any politician that stands up for what they believe in, unfortunately they’re a bit thin on the ground at the moment.
You can change all this on September 20.
Conservative Party…
With large picture of Sue Bradford. I bet she is chuffed with that. Some how implying that the Colin Craig party has principles wwhile having Christine Rankin aboard, hilarious.
Bashing the holy spirit into your kids, and, ummm……… maybe compulsory prayer in schools, and ummmm……….pictures of Jesus on our money……and, did I mention bashing our kids yet?
We’ll also replace public hospitals with prayer centres, because if the Lord wants you to get better, he’ll fix you. In recognition that sick parents may need help fulfilling their parental duties, we’ll have a specially trained Paddle Squad to punish children. Ummm……and overly promiscuous NZ women will be shamed by being placed in stocks at the entrances to our houses of worship. GCSB powers will be extended so that panty sniffing won’t be just a slogan……..
That’ll do for a start.
(Please note that this is satire, for those with a tenuous hold on reality.)
Which is why so much angst amongst them… No fair, they squeal between the lines, they usually play nice and let us run roughshod over them, tricky bastards
@ Contrarian
Surely there is a law amongst all of the ones we have that ensures that nobody can just use an image at will of someone who is in the public eye, known to be alive in the present, and who has not given permission to be used as an illustration for something being displayed to others?
Nope, I suspect even that would require her permission because by using her image the CP have just associated Bradford with it and I can’t think of party that Bradford is less likely to associate with.
Who says what I take the ad to imply? It’s not cut and dried. The supposition would be that she has given permission or looks favourably on the Conservative Party.
And Key’s pictures here are shown because he is the PM and the head of the National Party, everyone knows that and we want to see him, hear him, recognise him because he is in a position of central importance to us and we need to know what he is up to. He is in the public domain because he wishes to be the leader of the NZ public political process.
It is doesn’t matter if you are the PM a back-bench MP or a blogger like Farrar (whose image is used here frequently also), if an image picture is public domain it can be used, without attribution or consent, by anyone as long as it doesn’t endorse a product or service.
The ad doesn’t imply that Bradford endorses the CP, the ad stress the differences between Bradford’s views and the Conservatives. It is irrelevant if you view it as an endorsement – you can’t sue on behalf of Bradford.
The CP is using Sue Bradford’s image for their own gain and if she has not agreed to it I cannot see how they can get away with it. If she had her head photo shopped on another body, or was connected with something that was detrimental to her public standing or beliefs, there would be some control, redress, or legal injunction that she could take. However I do not know what she thinks about it all, so this is just an exploration by me of the possible avenues that she might use if upset by this use of her image.
The words defamation, libel, fair comment, malicious, abuse, public figure doctrine come to the fore. I note also that the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990 does not over-ride others. It is quite possible that Sue Bradford could take action against the CP as this could constitute a malicious act on their part to misrepresent, link to her for the advantage of their own publicity, or confuse or smear her reputation in the eyes of the public.
In relation to possible legal action, this appears in a footnote on the Bill given in a thesis paper of Ursula Cheer, University of Canterbury, 2008.
‘The Bill is not supreme law, however, as it cannot invalid inconsistent legislation (s.4) and the rights in it are subject to reasonable limits… ‘prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society’ (s.5).
“The CP is using Sue Bradford’s image for their own gain and if she has not agreed to it I cannot see how they can get away with it.”
It is public domain, she doesn’t have to agree with it. Much like the many images used on The Standard. Or on election billboards. Did David Farrar agree beforehand to have his image used at the standard? Did Helen Clark formally agree to have her image used on National hoardings? No, because public domain images can be used freely, without consent or attribution. There is nothing defamatory or libel about the way in which the CP used her image.
She doesn’t like it but it doesn’t matter. Her image is public domain. The Standard posts unflattering and manipulated photos of John Key, Judith Collins and Cameron Slater which are far more defamatory than what the CP has done.
Rodney Hide continues the attack on Labour by suggesting their vote will collapse and then scaremongering about NZ First and the Greens. For a man who got 1.5 and 3.6 % of the vote for the ACT Party, it’s a bit rich for him to be lecturing Cunliffe on his vote collapsing.
Here’s the fear-mongering.
“The Green’s Metiria Turei and Russel Norman would be deputy prime ministers and would dominate policy-making.
Winston Peters would be kingmaker and would demand his pound of flesh.”
These RWNJs are desperate. They are throwing everything at undermining every progressive party.
They must have a lot to lose.
Yes Paul and the scaremongering continued on Q+A this morning.
Josie Pagani is a disgrace! She actually nodded her head and agreed with Matthew Hooton’s predictable attack on Labour – and Cunliffe in particular. Not once did I hear her say anything in defence of Labour’s policy with respect to immigration – which was distorted and misrepresented by Hooton – or the so-called “splintered mess” on the Left which is how the current scene is being described. Imo, she is out of her depth and allows Hooton to twist her round his little fingers.
Is this why Q+A put them together on the guest panel?
Q an A put her on the panel because she won’t rock the neoliberal boat.
She is a career commentator who lives a comfortable life. She has much more in common with Hooton, Key and Wood than the people she claims to represent.
(Fox News uses the technique all the times of finding a soft democrat who always gets beaten up by the Republican counterpart.)
Cullen was left. However the finance role that he took pre-1999 was inherently conservative. Damn good thing that he ran with the role rather than his actual inclinations.
Take, for example, the puerile attempt by both Hooton and Pagani to paint all criticism of her by online bloggers and commentators as being from “the hard-left”. I venture to suggest that many, like me, could be described as centre-left which is where she likes to paint herself to be. God forbid she should be centre-left!
I think its time for Labour to disown her – if indeed she is still a member of the party.
many 1s. Labour should have disowned her publicly long ago. In many people’s minds, she is still associated with Labour and this preception should be put to bed publicly.
So why won’t Labour leadership apply some discipline to such mavericks?
Is it because she represents the views of a die-hard rump in the caucus who simply want a National lite policy?
It makes no sense otherwise.
Yes it could be said but to what end? She’s not a spokesperson for the party and receives no money from the party; she’s merely a private citizen and former candidate who along with her husband has had plenty of Labour Party connections in the past.
Whilst she may still be a member on paper, I doubt she actively contributes to the party in any way (she was probably only active during her previous candidacy) and doesn’t attend meetings. Thus she can continue to publicly run down the party – and Cunliffe – without risking face to face critical feed-back or a reprimand.
Thus she can continue to publicly run down the party – and Cunliffe – without risking face to face critical feed-back or a reprimand.
Then Cunliffe needs to come out and clearly state that she does not speak for Labour because at the moment a lot of people probably still think she’s part of the party.
Josie Pagani is a social democrat. Social democrats are no longer tolerated in the hard left Labour party. The problem for Labour is that they are fighting for the far left vote with the GIMP’s , well GIMs, To win the election they have to become National Lite. Impossible under The Cunliffe.
I take it this why the odds of The Cunliffe stepping down in 2014 is now 50%
@fisiani
The Labour Party hard left.You’re having a laugh.
Sorry that might work on some folk with no knowledge of NZ history, but not with most people on this site. Compare their policies nowadays with the Labour Party of the 1970s and the 1930s. It’s called Google if you don’t know how.
I don’t know if you really are so historically ignorant or if you’re simply spouting the meme Slater or Farrar told you to say.
Either way, please don’t come back until you have something intelligent or informed to say.
Pagani doesn’t cut the mustard she should be replaced with a regular Union Head as Matt McCarten was. They have a far better finger on the pulse of the masses.
Bob Reid was great, probably too good after his last sterling performance having a crack at Susan Wood so we won’t see him again. Helen Kelly gets smacked about too much. Anyway there is any number of Union people who should be on there representing the Left.
Regarding disciplining, you would have to show someone the door politely or like me. I just laughed and basically said piss off when 2 party dispute facilitators come up with a stupid resolution over an internal scrap between 2 divisions within our local LEC. These clowns recommended to the Beltway Heads that amongst a range of bright idea’s that we stop commenting certain views on social media (on here). HQ never muttered a word about it next time we were together, too embarrassed it was put infront of them to consider I bet.
The IMP position(s) really makes no difference to Labour. They are appealing to some very small and very voting alienated segments of the population. If they manage to activate them and get them voting, then that is good. If they don’t, then it isn’t likely to make that much of a difference to the election result.
You have to be in government before you can start changing the structural issues that are causing the drop in voting patterns. Just look at the election results. Despite having had a rise of 291,275 of eligible voters between the 2005 election and the 2011 election there was a rise of only 223,451 on the roll. Worse still is that those numbers aren’t reflected in those who vote. The number voting actually declined between 2005 and 2011. It was 2,286,190 in 2005, 2,356,536 in 2008, and a dispirited 2,257,336 in 2011.
The IMP may carry some votes away from Labour and the Greens. But the effect is likely to only be the very soft votes, the ones that flick back and forth on the parties of the broad left. Too small and not really worth fighting over. There is nothing that National would like more than to see the left fighting over them rather than concentrating on their more useful tasks.
Labours primary task to get that group who usually vote, who voted for Labour in 2008 but who didn’t vote at all in 2011. They need to get them back to the polls in 2014 before they stop voting permanently. It isn’t going to be that hard. People who usually vote don’t stop voting without a reason. They simply didn’t like the policies that Labour had in 2011. These are generally the same ones that Josie Pagani prefers, those dominated by the right of the party and the wellington appachniks.
Those policies were designed to get back some of the soft vote the went to National in 2008. They didn’t attract much of them because they didn’t leave because of policy. However they certainly drove away a lot of Labours base vote. Those are the policies that are generally referred to as National lite. If you were a Labour supporter, then why bother voting for more of the same? That is the fundamental flaw in Josie Pagani’s ‘thinking’.
Labour voters in 2011 also weren’t confident that Labour could or would actually implement the policies that they were professing because they looked far too much like a face saving compromises made in a uncompromising caucus. Basically the Labour caucus forgot the lesson of 1999 and the pledge cards. People will vote for a party when they are confident that they can do what they promise. They have absolutely no faith in a caucus that has the types of divisions that eventually caused the formation of New Labour back in the late 80s.
While National is potentially even more vulnerable on this question of trust. The reality is that Labour is highly vulnerable on trust issues because of the 1980s and 90s amongst persistent Labour supporters. Having Goff up front didn’t exactly endear the idea of voting for Labour to them. It dissipated a lot of the trust that had been embedded into the 5th Labour government for doing what they said they would.
So in 2011, many persistent Labour voters voted for other left parties. But a significiant portion just simply didn’t vote. They just couldn’t see the damn point. And if they had voted in 2011, then the election result would have been quite different.
The Labour parties secondary task is to capture a chunk of the soft centre vote that shifted to National in 2008 in the “nanny state” media campaigns. Fortunately many of that group are increasingly irritated by National. They don’t need much targeting and since they are less concerned with policies than with ‘feel’. What they are interested in is having a government that is going somewhere. What worries them the most at present is probably going to be the overhanging debt that National has recreated again. Paying that back before the next crisis is going to be a pain and it certainly doesn’t make National look like it has any coherent plan to say that they may start paying it back in a decade.
Incidentally I damn near had to force myself to vote in 2011 because I had such a sense of disgust at the silly antics in MPs in Wellington. Admittedly I probably saw more than most because I was moderating here. But they really were a quite strange mixture of arrogance and self-regard by MPs and their staffers as they lost cohesion and the ability to deal with each other. It was stupidity central for a while as various MPs fell over themselves in their attempts to be the silliest dickheads.
I vowed then that if I didn’t see a substantive change in cohesion, then I’d vote Green next time. Made that decision to do so after watching the useless arseholes in caucus and their staffers trying to run a media show trial using the press gallery at conference in 2012. My view was that any party so willing to shoot itself in the foot to that extent didn’t deserve my vote.
It looks a whole lot better this time around after the leadership vote further out inside the party. But I always make my voting decisions mid-term…
“Ngati Kahungunu authority chair Ngahiwi Tomoana said the move would diminish iwi fisheries settlement by between 20 and 30 percent.
He said the new rules would damage Maori economies and was a modern breach of the Treaty of Waitangi.”
Stopping slave labour is a breach of the treaty? The value of the settlement was calculated on the basis that slave labour would harvest the fish?
I cant understand why the supposed leaders of some of the most disadvantaged members of society are happy enough to utilize slave labour…
Is this not the premise of all the Tribes? Sealord is using Thailand as a production base. What does that tell you? Where are the economic advantages for the average Maori? The same is actually true for most pacific people as their power structures are build along king and kin ship. The Europeans do once more mistake their ideal for everyone’s and stay aghast at poverty levels that seem to be completely OK with Maori people in power. Either NZlanders are blind or so engrossed in political correctness that they actually cannot see the woods for the trees.
“The Europeans do once more mistake their ideal for everyone’s and stay aghast at poverty levels that seem to be completely OK with Maori people in power.”
I suppose there are sociopaths amongst Māori as there are within any group, and the usual percentage of selfish, greedy, and immoral people. Some Māori leaders do believe in the right-wing approach to anything and everything – they are imo as misguided as all the supporters of the gnats and their cronies.
I cannot stand any slave fishing and would stop it asap if I had my way. I’d also do more and dismantle the systems that bought slave fishing into being – this issue didn’t just fall from the sky – it was manufactured as in a result of historical and contemporary decisions. The minimum is to stop the abuse of people involved and then dig into why it has occurred at all. I don’t see Iwi and certain Iwi leaders taking all the blame for that.
The slavery is abhorrent and I agree Iwi cant take all the blame I am sure it was going on pre settlement. But to then complain when it comes to public attention when it is stopped is as bad if not worse than knowingly hiring slaves ships in the first place.
Under no circumstances should Nz fish stock caught under our Quota rules be caught by slave labour.
If its then uneconomic id suggest the fish are best left in the sea and the settlements re visited.
I’d also do more and dismantle the systems that bought slave fishing into being – this issue didn’t just fall from the sky – it was manufactured as in a result of historical and contemporary decisions.
The system that brought it into being is called capitalism.
I think you missed my point, the approach in which any use of resource and resulting production is taking place will not change due the inherent structure within Maoridom and for that matter most if not all pacific people. Everybody outside this political correct cycle knows that but no one wants to talk about the obvious elephant in the room. No skin of my nose but NZ will be worse off as this counters the labor laws and standard of living conditions so many are trying to address with very little success. Surely the question as to why after so much money has been and is spent must have crossed more than outsiders minds.
Slavery is the result of how people in power assign social stratification. This has been the case for as long as humanity exists. Look at India where there are many levels with the Dalits are the “untouchable” at the very bottom of the scale. I am not saying that this is bound by race or nationality, in the same way as evil is not wearing a flag. It is easy with that social assignment attitude to have a section of people working and living as slaves.
What I like to express however is that Maori should stop pretending and have all people equally participating in the economic base that some have created. We are talking about multimillion dollar businesses created with settlement money that was meant to benefit all. If that is done, unemployment will be a lot lower and slave labor will not be necessary to produce, export and secure a future for Maori on a whole.
Good to see people here being prepared to take an objective and critical approach towards Corporate Iwi. Unfortunately, there’s still a section of the Left that – on the basis of past injustice and present inequality – continue to hold a highly romanticised and protective attitude to a really quite Right-Wing, Neo-Liberal, money-grubbing Maori elite.
Need to stick to basic Social Democratic principles and call a reactionary “a reactionary” regardless of ethnicity. Possible to be both Left-Wing (on the economic spectrum) and liberal/progressive (on the moral/social spectrum) without being horribly, cloyingly politically correct. Just apply those principles of social justice honestly and without fear or favour.
Straight talking about the lack of Maori fishing places. Maori could have been demanding at seeing that their young chaps, and women if wanted, had gone through enough fishing courses perhaps in groups from different hapu at the same time, as many felt uncomfortable when training, often living away from home as strangers, fish out of water.
It was just getting things started and keeping them going, that was needed. And making a place for them when they were trained. Once the system was settled, it would have become easier, and the eager young fellows would have set off with the knowledge that they would get skills and get started in life. A cost level would have been established, with an industry open to them which was the expectation of the country. Business mentors would have been needed as it was a much bigger task than the usual individual fishermen would have ever known. One Maori fishing entity I think in the North Island went down. I have forgotten where. So it wasn’t a walk in the park.to get quota and start fishing on a larger scale.
But with the successful ones, management and profit started off and continued on the easy way of hiring foreign crew and charters. And they were not even reasonably paid. Bad conditions, the poor being done over once again. And NZ employment opportunity lost.
It was just getting things started and keeping them going, that was needed.
There were Māori that had the boats and loans all lined up and rearing to go – then the corporate elite within Māoridom hired Foreign Charter Vessels instead. Go figure.
As far as I’m concerned, the leaders of any business/authority that uses slave labour should be facing trial. This would include pakeha business people who use slave labour to manufacture goods in the 3rd world.
Yep. Two things really need to be done:
1.) A complete ban on importing all products from a business that uses slave labour including sweatshops
2.) Any business in NZ that uses slave labour, including sweatshops, gets done for slavery – including the shareholders
Absolutely. We all know who they are and I for one do not buy any of their stuff. The faulty logic of ” it will be the low paid labor that suffers” does not wash as they suffer either way.
We are presently having a lot of discussion on political strategies, likely results, representation, numbers, and who may stand where and for what party, but policy is only trickling out bit by bit.
The Greens surprised with one policy extending free GP visits to teenagers up to 17 or 18 years of age. Today we can expect more policy from them.
As usual social security or “welfare” are neglected or not even discussed. NO party has considered throwing the introduction of a universal basic income (UBI) or other new policies into the debate in this election year, and there is damned little for those dependent on benefits, to decide who to vote for. Of course some will say that there are many only on benefits for temporary periods, which is true, but there are those too sick, injured and disabled to work, who are now increasingly re-assessed under completely new approaches and criteria, and many will have work test obligations put on them, rightly or wrongly.
We heard a lot about Mansel Aylward and other UK “experts” they got here to give MSD and the government the supposed “scientific” justification to press ahead with ushering or pushing sick and disabled into part time or even full time work, and we heard about what WINZ’s Principal Health Advisor Dr Bratt stands for, who likens benefit dependence to “drug dependence”.
Once again I would like to challenge all opposition parties, what their position is on this, and ask whether they will offer fairer criteria, approaches and measures, that actually also hold employers responsible to deliver, and that put real resources into treatment and support, where it is needed, rather than have GPs mass medicate mentally ill with more medication and little else. We cannot allow MSD and WINZ apply such measures to the most vulnerable that are highly questionable, unjust and draconian, and lack proper scientific proof.
I hear damned little from Labour and even the Greens and other parties on this, and I recently was a bit shocked, how one opposition MP, who is supposed to be informed about this stuff, knows so damned little about what is going on.
Are about 300,000 on benefits a fringe group not worth delivering good, fair and sound policy, that will actually give any of them any incentive to vote?
Watching Q+A this morning, hell the Right are shitting them selves, judging by all the attacks on the Internet Party, by their ‘expert’ panel of Pagani and Hooton, and Hooton is in fine form, spouting horseshit all over the place and Pagani was just full of it.
but the good thing is ppl like hooton are preaching to the converted, i doubt anyone but the most serious wingnuts take anything said by hooton with a grain of right biased salt. also, any internet party voters wouldn’t listen to hooton coz he’s so ooooooooolllllllllldddddddddddd! infact, i can’t see the right coming up with any useful attack strategy against the internet party coz the youth don’t care for the wisdom of armstrong, gower, susan wood etc…exciting times!
Exactly, Paul. To let people know a bit more, the link leads to an article about Dotcom replying to a tweet last night from the Hunger Drive team rin Auckland unning a 40 hour gaming marathon to raise money for World Vision. He not only replied but turned up and played for 5 hours.
On a whim, organiser Jay Adams sent a tweet out to Kim Dotcom, a former world champion of Call of Duty, inviting him to come and join them at their gaming headquarters on the North Shore.
“He tweeted back and said he’d come down once he had put his kids to bed.
“He just arrived here and sat down and played with us,” Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams said Mr Dotcom arrived around 10pm and stayed for five hours. Mr Dotcom matched all the donations to World Vision for an hour, and to generate donations invited the three highest donors to attend a gaming night at the Dotcom mansion.
After 24-hours of gaming the team are taking turns having a break and sleeping, but were thrilled to have Mr Dotcom as part of their mission, Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams said he was amazed that a tweet would get him along to the event
“We just thought he might retweet us and get the word out,” Mr Adams said.
I believe he has participated in quite a number of public gaming events in Auckland over the last few years, so it is probable that he already has appeal to that sector. But good on him for turning up, considering the things he has had going on over the last few weeks.
God, you lot treat young people as if they’re simple-minded cattle. All I’ve seen for the last week is “yes, they’re young and play video games and like iPods and Macbooks so they’re obviously going to vote because Dotcom is big into games and technology like them. That’s what going to connect to them and get them to vote: technology.”
If you sit down and have grown-up discussion with young people, you find they’re not that different to the rest of us. Except maybe not so stuck in their ways. Some will vote on personality. Some will vote on policy. Some on self-interest. Some on community interest.
But hell, let’s just buy into the mythical gamer vote. At least that’ll be mildly amusing to watch the media try to discuss.
Oh for fucks sake gladstone, we were specifically discussing just the gamer group at this particular event and that now some of them who wrrent going to vote, might. Thats all.
You are the one seeing everyone say all young people ar just gaming ipod carriers, whether everyone is saying it or not.
They are focusing on young voters, they have said that, i doubt they will be assuming they are all gamers.
“Mr Adams said Mr Dotcom arrived around 10pm and stayed for five hours. Mr Dotcom matched all the donations to World Vision for an hour, and to generate donations invited the three highest donors to attend a gaming night at the Dotcom mansion.”
i doubt tho BG that DotCom seen the ‘political’ in turning up to such an event, the bloke is obviously hooked on playing such games, internet poker had me for a while, and, playing is probably His stress release,
i would say He might see the ”press” he got later and connect the political, i am hoping that InternetMana make use of DotCom in any television advertising they do,
Something humorous and quirky with DotCom fronting it would go down a treat in parts of the electorate, accentuating the blokes size in comparison with Hone and Laila works for me on one level as well,
A good lampoon would be to have Him appear in an ad dressed in a blanket and hippy beads saying in His best accent ”some people like the PM say i am buying influence with blankets and beads, but that’s wrong i need all mine”, everyone who doesn’t hate the bloke would immediately sit up going ”WTF”, cut that with a rap scratch across the background music and zoom in on Laila or Hone for the message/soundbite,
For visual ads DotCom is actually an asset for the type of people they want to reach…
Matthew Hooton wasn’t trying to appeal to potential voters of the Internet Party. He was stating that having a bunch of old political fossils like Corkery and Harre won’t likely connect with them.
Crap Gooseman. You know it what is more. In the commentary immediately following Laila Harre’s Q+A wiping of the studio floor with that dull thing Susan Wood all Hooton could do was to mock the clear winner. To salve Wood in her embarrassment and to distract from the excellence of Harre’s performance.
Hooton’s cue was Wood’s immediately posed, inane, dreadfully irrelevant, gutless question – “Well Matthew……..changed your vote ?” It was a cry for help from a just holding it together, bloodied Wood. Directed to the pathologically narcissistic ponce Matthew Dear who dutifully obliged.
It was Wood and Hooton and Pagani and Miller who painted themselves the fossils in fact. Entitled dicks who thought they were gonna send Laila packing. All cashed up on day one. Hah ! Quite the reverse occurred. Their fantastical sense of themselves as authoritative ‘as-of-right’ political framers in tatters before their eyes. Well done Laila……..you denuded them. For that performance alone and that result alone, I’m delighted you’re placed where you are.
However, expect the attacks to become more visceral Laila. You’re just not allowed to do that shit to these people. Don’t ya know the acceptable order of things ?
Gooseman shitting all over the show above is an early pathetic example.
The funny thing about using Q & A to put across the idea that the Internet Party are all so old is that absolutely NO young people will be watching the programme. They will mostly still be in bed. Most young people watch very little TV and read very few newspapers.
If Pagani was at all representing the Left she would have refuted the fabricated snake oil Hooton was spinning. Bobbling her head about agreeing with Hooton would have earned her lunch on Ponsonby road, with Matthews picking up the tab. Didn’t he look so
smitten with her carrying on like his cheerleader. What a disgraceful display of ill discipline.
What got me about the little Q+A farce this morning was Pagani’s ”David Cunliffe should do an immediate deal with National to Legislate the ‘coat-tail’ out of existence”,
Not only fearful but what i would term ‘the knee-jerk fascism of the middle class’ pouring off of Pagani this morning,
What does She fear, the loss of the political pandering from both Labour and National to that middle class if InternetMana are successful in pulling 3-4% of the vote off of the fence without the Green vote slipping…
bad12 – responding to your post yesterday about Stevia. Glad you managed to source some quite quickly. It’s not a cheap product so growing it at home does help. Downside of growing it at home is you need several thousand plants to sustain your requirements for a year!
The body is fine without sugar. It makes none, requires none. There is a new food fad that is starting in America called the 0 Sugar Diet which makes the fallacious claim “your body needs 0% sugar” which while in itself is theoretically true if by sugar, they mean the white death, but the lack of education and knowledge around the different types of sugar mean that people will be just as uninformed about the difference between white death and other more beneficial sugars as those produce by fruits.
The brain needs glucose. In fact, it’s the number one consumer of glucose in the body. Whether the glucose comes from natural products (fruit, plants) or combined foods its generally provided over a longer period than the boom/bust that white death offers.
So I don’t think what you’re saying wrt the body and it’s response to the sweetness is entirely accurate. If you’re having stevia in your tea/coffee and having rolled oats at the same time the net effect on the body is largely the same. If it’s just on its own, the empty calories argument comes in but why would anyone just want to eat a spoonful of stevia, even if just to make the medicine go down? So a real world application probably wouldn’t suffice. The anti stevia website makes a number of incorrect assumptions about stevia such as the primer response by the body receiving the sweet taste and dumping the glucose – whatever you’re eating will also contain glucose so the argument is void.
The sugar lobby and the subsquent classifications of Stevia by the FDA in the USA is an interesting argument. Stevia has been well used for thousands of years, and sugar has really only been around as a manufactured product for about 200 years. Sugar Cane as a plant is still perfectly fine to use as the raw product has a low GI – compared to the manufactured product.
There are readily available alternatives to sugar, but the sugar cartel (nestle, coke and unilever) will do whatever they can to retain their stranglehold on white death as the viable alternatives of coconut sugar and stevia will cause them to lose their dominance – until the point is reached at which between the three of them their ownership of coconut sugar/stevia manufacturing processes is viable enough to replace white death in their products, at which point Sugar will probably be all but gone.
The brain needs glucose. In fact, it’s the number one consumer of glucose in the body.
I can testify to that. If I don’t program, then my required carbohydrate levels (including sugars) drop dramatically. My gut increases to compensate.
If I don’t get enough carbs whilst turboing my brain on code (or history or politics), then I start wandering in wee circles with about as much intellectual power as a 386. Unfortunately it doesn’t use the stored energy from fat vary fast.
I call it the programmers dilemma… Think a lot to soak up carbs, or drop carbs like a brick when you don’t. Either way is tricky.
James Thrace, that’s a brief reply to my Saturday efforts, where would i begin to reply, perhaps just shutting it would be more wise,
Firstly, it is not i that ”said” with regards Stevia that ”the body prepares for sugar and glucose is cleared from the bloodstream etc etc”, that quote is either from the links provided or a link that i did not provide,
You ”know” this to not true, how???, because you thunk it or you are privy to some science or other information that you are shy to link us to???,
Sugar is sugar is sugar, it is pretty much all the same no matter where it is derived from, fruit,vege,sugar cane, it all ends up as glucose, the difference is that the body processes the various sugars at differing speeds and some people deem sugar derived from fruit and vege as ”better” simply on the basis that it comes from those sources, i would suggest tho that to say that the body ”needs” no sugar isn’t correct,
However, if you have a rampant Hba1C reading which was my case a number of months ago then the imperative is to cut down on the sugar,
Taking on board, rightly or wrongly, the good sugars/bad sugars argument vis a vis fruit and vege AND absolutely abhorring the consumption of tea/coffee which hasn’t had a semi-trailer load of the sweet stuff added has lead me via a hint from another commenter to Stevia,
As LPrent points out sugar is energy, and when we use it as a matter of habit the stuff our bodies and brains do not burn through activity our clever,(primitive) metabolisms store away for future use by converting the glucose to fats which may then take up residence in our blood, liver, and arteries, some literature even suggesting that such sugar/fats then go onto form bonds at a DNA level further, for want of a better word, fucking us up,
By the sound of it your Stevia plant might have caught a cold and snuffed it, they apparently do not take kindly to frost/cold,
Yes growing 1000,s of Stevia plants alongside my yearly 200 tobacco plants might prove a problem space wise and my tiny little colonials mind has been eyeing up the neighbors jungle for quite some time with a view to a land grab, but grow it i will,
As for expense, hmmm, the stuff i picked up on my last foraging mission cost $22 delivered, 500 sachets is 6/7 weeks of cuppa’s, previously the sugar bill would probably have hit $15+ for that period of time, doesn’t sound expensive when it is putting both the blood sugar and the lipids measurement in the next blood test where they should be,
Sugar is sugar is sugar, it is pretty much all the same no matter where it is derived from, fruit,vege,sugar cane, it all ends up as glucose
From what I read only around half of ingested fructose (and fructose via sucrose) ends up as glucose in systemic circulation. The rest gets turned into glycogen, lipids for storage, lactate, etc.
Any political party promoting free education to New Zealanders can not help but attract votes. I would go further and say those that have a student loan hanging around their necks will have it wiped completely. So for a fledgling Internet Party the 5% threshold should be quite achievable on this policy alone. Add a few more policies that enage the young like a right to own a home and the momentum will snowball to becoming a political force in this Country.
Green Party has a policy for debt free tertiary education, and to work progessively towards free tertiary education as soon as practically possible. Don’t know why people are talking as though the IMP is the only party with such a policy.
Jos Pagani thinks like a bright 12 year old. You hear this sort of thing from the type of children who get picked to go to youth parliaments and come out with naive statements about how to solve the world’s problems.
The whole program was anti left wing, including the wannabe reporter remark whilst interviewing Prof Spoonley …. “or whatever the left means by that…..” ?????? what unprofessional remark was that?
She says nothing about ms collins defeat of the threshold argument tbo. Pagani is pining for the labour party of 1984 and 1987. She really should have joined national post 2008 if she wants that again.
Anne, Pagani is a dangerous little reactionary isn’t She, where was She as Colon Craig slapped together the ramshackle Conservatives and then knowing He would never get 5% of the vote turned His puppy begging eyes in National’s direction looking for the gift of a safe seat,
Her attitude, its not alright for DotCom/Mana/Internet to stitch together a totally transparent deal where everyone knows all the possible ramifications along with where the money is coming from, but, its alright for Cunliffe to ”deal to” the current Democracy behind closed doors with National,
My view is that it is not a sufficient trade off, the proposed 4% Party Vote v the scrapping of the ability to coat-tail, that simply favors the status quo of parties that are now in the Parliament making it virtually impossible to have new parties emerge,
“A brief word on Labour, immigration and what’s really hurting housing”
….It’s not immigrants driving up housing prices in Auckland, it’s foreign speculators who are buying up land as quickly as possible. It’s our free market system that allows this mass foreign ownership of residential land that is the problem, not immigration.
Labour should re-tool this housing debate and move it from immigration to foreign land ownership.
(imo…mass immigration of non New Zealanders, particularly wealthy ones (exceptions ..not ones like Dotcom of course!) doesnt help the housing market for New Zealanders either…but while Labour should be emphasising foreign speculators buying up NZ land and housing ..it should also bring down the mass numbers of foreign immigrants from single countries)
That might be ‘Bomber’s’ honestly held opinion, but, the ”housing problem” is far more complex than just that,
The real crux of the problem is in the free money those who have poured into rental investments en masse having been sucking out of the tax base as an unintended? enticement,
20 years ago a little firm of Aussie tax lawyers arrived with this ”legal rort” which allowed those with rental investments to claim ”losses” on the rental investment properties against all other taxable income,
Along with the real estate agents they then held ”seminars” up and down the country for 3 grand a head where joe and jane public got taught the nuts and bolts of how to do this,
In the 20 years since 200,000 former homes made the transition into rental properties,
Sure there is also speculation in both housing and land from both foreign and local speculators, how big this part of the problem is we will not know until Government develop the tools to measure it,
In amongst all this we had laissez fairre immigration policy where NO PLAN was developed surrounding the numbers coming in or where they would be housed,
In terms of the countries past population growth it then took the blink of an eye for the population to go from 3.3 million to 4.4 million,(the majority of that growth appearing in Auckland),
Along with the population growth there appeared the lack of will among the various Governments to construct state housing, at its peak 75.000 homes for a population of 3.3 million, now in the low 60,000’s for a population of 4.4 million,(i doubt we are building enough new State houses yearly to house the 700 odd refugees taken in every year under the UN obligations),
Housing is a far more complex problem than just the ‘dog whistle’ to the redneck vote about foreign buyers, i would suggest the % of kiwi buyers of investment property far out-weighs the foreign buying by 10 to 1…
BUT then I read this so-called opinion piece about the interview by Edward Rooney – who I had never heard of before. Seems he is the Herald’s News Editor. Talk about snide and a waste of time and space, if this is the best he can write about.
Looney Rooney reflects this truism about the Right – when stuffed for anything cogent to say things always gets obfuscated down to “Me, Me, Me”. Like in his article – “Were it not for the efforts of ‘Me, Me, Me’ the interview probably wouldn’t have happened at all – (sotto voce) such a hapless flibbertigibbet is Laila. Nudge nudge……wank wank.”
If Laila’s a piss-poor scone maker I’m glad she didn’t bother whipping up a batch for the occasion. How do I know she didn’t ? Well…….if she had News Editor Looney Rooney couldn’t have resisted gleefully reporting the shameful fact. As a matter of serious political moment what’s more.
A working paper on smartphone royalties has calculated from a “bottom up” analysis that the potential patent royalties on a hypothetical $400 smartphone could be over $120. This is more than the cost of the components.
The authors say that the cost of the royalty stack “may be undermining industry profitability and, in turn, diminishing incentives to invest and compete”. This is the opposite of what patent royalties are supposed to do.
Laws around Intellectual Property have become so convoluted over the last few decades I’m not sure anyone could say what they’re supposed to do any more. Patents are a state enforced monopoly so that the original developers of a product can overcharge for a time. IMO, patents are there to prevent innovation and not increase it and they do this by preventing people from developing competing products.
They treat royalty payments as some sort of dead-weight loss. No, the royalty payments go to the companies owning the patents, which in this arena is overwhelming other technology companies whoa are investing and developing cell phones to sell.
Ultimately this shuts out small players and up-and-comers, which of course limits innovation, but it’s not all doom and gloom like they’re suggesting.
The little fellow invents something, but only the big firms have the money to register and protect patents.
There are firms in the USA who trawl the world for new inventions and then patent them before the inventor can or will.
Had that happen with a design I did. Then they threatened me with court if I sold it in the USA.
I was surprised, actually, that they could patent it because it was based on a lot of prior “art” which was well in the public domain.
One of the foundations of the USA’s prosperity, after the revolution, is that they refused to recognise British intellectual property. I.E. They stole it. Now they are desperate to prevent China, and other countries, from doing what they did.
There’s been a lot of patents given in the US that shouldn’t have been due to a) prior art and b) that some things just shouldn’t be patented (DNA, living organisms, drugs, etc). On that latter issue maths formula can’t be patented because they’re considered a discovery rather than an invention. This should apply to anything that is dependent upon the natural laws of the universe.
There is that little thing ….if you work for a company and “invent” something, it automatically becomes the property of the company. Try it out you might be surprised….
The two conservative parties at the time, joined forces, so they could get enough votes under FPP to get into Parliament.
From the horses own mouth.
https://www.national.org.nz/about/national%27s-history
“It grew out of the coalition government of the Reform and Liberal parties, which had formed the wartime National Government in 1915. The Reform Party had been essentially a rural based party, whereas the Liberals were dominated by city based concerns. These two parties united to form an alternative to the socialist Labour government. The name “National” was chosen as the new party sought to represent all parts of the community”.
“It grew out of the coalition government of the Reform and Liberal parties, which had formed the wartime National Government in 1915.”
Ha Haaaaaa. Methinks the Nats are outrageously downplaying the profound acrimony that existed between the Reform and Liberal Parties from the end of the First World War through to the formation of a Coalition Government in 1931. Throughout the vast majority of that period, the two parties were at loggerheads – hardly surprising given that (with the exception of 1925, when the fledgling Labour Party briefly took 2nd place) Liberal and Reform were the two major parties vying for government (and had been since 1890 – albeit with Reform being a rather loose collection simply called “The Opposition” until the party’s formation in 1909).
Even with their Coalition in 1931, their activists/supporters/voters often refused to accept it. A whole lot of Independent Liberal and Independent Reform candidates stood and received significant levels of support, in many cases actually winning the seat. Reform was still denouncing the essentially Centrist Liberal Party as “a bunch of Socialists” well into the 20s. The idea that the formation of the National Party represented a smooth, natural evolution from the wartime coalition is laughable.
It’s also a bit of a myth that Reform was “essentially a rural based party” and the Liberals “city based”. Reform held quite a few Urban seats and the Liberals continued to hold a swathe of Rural seats, especially in the South Island.
“….united to form an alternative to the socialist Labour government.” Well, no. Actually joined together in coalition in 1931, agreeing not to put up candidates against each other (the independent / unofficial ones not withstanding). So National’s formation in 1936 was really just a formality.
10:06 Jade Herriman – Repair Cafes
We live in a throwaway age, where it’s often cheaper to buy a new product than repair old ones. The repair café movement, which started in Holland, is trying to change that. There are now more 400 repair cafes around the world where local residents meet face-to-face with skilled volunteers who show them how to mend everything from clothes to cell phones. Jade Herriman, a researcher at the University of Technology, Sydney, has been looking into the phenomenon.
10:25 David Katz – Plastic Bank
The Plastic Bank is turning plastic waste into a currency that can be exchanged to help lift people out of poverty. Founder David Katz talks to Wallace about his plan to help the world’s poor – and clean up the planet.
Problem with plastic banks and recycling plastic is it doesnt stop people using plastic
Remember when repairing was an option… Remember when companies manufacturing appliances built them to last 30-40 years? Then there was a conscious decision to shorten it to create a turnover every decade and repeat buyers and profit streams… A kind of rort on consumers and the environment.
Let’s start taking steps to improve Tracey. The two items on the radio represent something intelligent and thoughtful being done now. I think we should do something now but I find it hard to change to new ways, and that’s what I and we need to do at the same time as trying to be greener with our waste.
I wonder if someone could give me a quick hint on fixing a problem on the page. The list of comments on the right is forced over to the right besides a blank space. It is the same width as the climate graphic public service ad underneath.which on my page has its first number missing so I don’t know whether heating is equivalent to 1 million or 2 million bombs since 1979.
At the moment however I am thinking of using this little space on the page. Is it something to do with cookies? It hadn’t happened before some weeks ago. (I have some ads blocked as a norm. I have also had a change in font size gone large and resulting page positioning to contend with so perhaps some control has to be reinstated.) If anyone can give me a guide as to where to look it would be good.
The Greens have launched a controversial new climate change policy – a carbon tax.
Co-leader Russel Norman wants to scrap the current carbon pricing system – the Emissions Trading Scheme.
In its place would be a tax of $25 per tonne of carbon on industry polluters.
Norman told around 200 delegates at the party’s Upper Hutt conference that in Government, the Greens would aim for carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Greens are also proposing a Climate Change Commissioner, costing about $2 million. This will be funded by administration savings from scrapping the ETS.
New Zealand, once a world leader in climate change reduction, is now on track to be ”the worst performing developing country,” he said.
Critics of the tax claim the tax is a burden on households, who pay higher electricity and fuel costs.
However, the Greens say their levy would be offset by a ”climate tax cut” on the first $2000 of income.
”We can reduce our emissions without hurting household budgets,” he said. ”Households will be on average $319 better off every year under the Green party policy.”
The revenue from the tax would be $955m per year, which would be used to fund the tax cuts. There would also be room for a company tax cut.
Agriculture – which is currently exempt from the ETS – would pay a reduced rate of $12.50 per tonne. This works out as an 12.5 per cent hit on farmers’ income. This includes 2 per cent on the working expenses of the average farm. A Berl Economics report, released with the policy, said dairying will be ”adversely affected.”
But it adds: ”However, at the currently projected pay-out for milk solids, even dairy farms in the lowest decile would remain well above break even in the face of tan emissions levy.”
Other gas-emitting industries – such as electricity and road fuels – are less likely to be affected because they would be able to ”pass-on any production cost increases to households.”
Forestry would be credited with $12.50 per tonne, to keep planting trees.
The levy would also push up the cost of flying – adding around $100 to the cost of return flights to London.
Australia is moving to dump its contentious carbon tax later this year. But the Greens say their policy would not be unpopular Polling commissioned from UMR Research shows a ”personal tax cut funded by a charge on climate change polluters” would make 32 per cent ”a little more likely” to vote for the party.
For 44 per cent it would have no impact, and 13 per cent wouldn’t be likely to vote in favour.
A spokesman for Labour said the party isn’t commenting on the carbon tax proposal.
Anyone have a clue what Labour is doing?
Do they think they don’t need anyone else?
The following statement could be from John Key’s desk, but it isn’t, it is from Phil Goff on Facebook
Phil Goff
30 May at 17:07 ·
Internet/Mana Party
You have to ask the question why a multi-millionaire like Kim Dotcom who supported John Banks as Mayoral candidate for Auckland has made an overnight conversion to the politics of the Mana Party.
The answer is, in his own interests. Kim Dotcom wants parliamentary representatives to help him oppose his extradition. He has bought access to coat-tailing on the Mana Party’s electorate seat by promising it $3million, some of which will no doubt go in pay for the Internet Party’s new leader.
Call me old-fashioned but I believe that if it’s wrong for ACT to coat-tail on National’s gift to it of the Epsom seat, why would it be right for Dotcom to do the same with Mana? Of course it’s not. In both cases it is rorting the system which is why Labour will reform the Electoral Act in the way the independent Electoral Commission proposed last year.
I am also opposed to anyone buying a political party and buying influence by splashing out $3 million as Dotcom proposes. National allowed him to buy permanent residence in New Zealand. Now he thinks he can buy the political system.
Appointing Laila Harré is a good disguise for why he is putting the money in but most people will see that. As the old saying goes ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’. Our political system ought not be allowed to become the plaything of the very rich. A good reason why state funding of political parties ought to be considered.
Meanwhile the best way to put an end to the game is for the people of Te Tai Tokerau to elect Kelvin Davis as their MP. He is by far the best candidate. He is a decent man who has already made a huge contribution in many ways to his community, including in the area education. As he says, in rugby he never played a single game with the intention of losing. He and Labour won’t be laying down for Kim Dotcom, Hone Harawira or Leila Harré this time either.
You have to ask the question why a multi-millionaire like Kim Dotcom who supported John Banks as Mayoral candidate for Auckland has made an overnight conversion to the politics of the Mana Party.
The answer is, in his own interests. Kim Dotcom wants parliamentary representatives to help him oppose his extradition. He has bought access to coat-tailing on the Mana Party’s electorate seat by promising it $3million, some of which will no doubt go in pay for the Internet Party’s new leader.
Call me old-fashioned but I believe that if it’s wrong for ACT to coat-tail on National’s gift to it of the Epsom seat, why would it be right for Dotcom to do the same with Mana? Of course it’s not. In both cases it is rorting the system which is why Labour will reform the Electoral Act in the way the independent Electoral Commission proposed last year.
I am also opposed to anyone buying a political party and buying influence by splashing out $3 million as Dotcom proposes. National allowed him to buy permanent residence in New Zealand. Now he thinks he can buy the political system.
Appointing Laila Harré is a good disguise for why he is putting the money in but most people will see that. As the old saying goes ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’. Our political system ought not be allowed to become the plaything of the very rich. A good reason why state funding of political parties ought to be considered.
Meanwhile the best way to put an end to the game is for the people of Te Tai Tokerau to elect Kelvin Davis as their MP. He is by far the best candidate. He is a decent man who has already made a huge contribution in many ways to his community, including in the area education. As he says, in rugby he never played a single game with the intention of losing. He and Labour won’t be laying down for Kim Dotcom, Hone Harawira or Leila Harré this time either.
How more wilfully deceitful can Phil Goff get with his risible Facebook claim/appeal to a ‘lost-30-years-ago’, now fictitious, Labour tribalism ?
Taken from the last paragraph of Freedom’s comment above (the edits are mine) Freedom quotes Phil Goff –
” Meanwhile the best way……is for……Te Tai Tokerau to elect Kelvin Davis as their MP…… ”
” As he [Davis] says, in rugby he never played a single game with the intention of losing. ”
Prior to Te Tai Tokerau by-election I figured that it would be disastrous for the North were the result to deliver one less Maori MP to Parliament. From where this Pakeha was then and is still placed, viz. in a job where daily I observe the cruelly abject position of Maori, joining Mana and helping in the campaign became personal imperatives.
Hone Harawira’s deserved win put paid to that disastrous potential. Phil Goff and Kelvin Davis still want to achieve it. In the present context – ” Hear Ye Hear Ye Hear Ye – one Maori MP in the North is better than two ! ”
Makes me sympathise with those on TS who claim that Labour positively fears The Left……that it has not the balls to be a government other than one of the ShonKey Python Lite variety and to hell with the poorest.
While I’m here – the other thing that’s pissing me off mightily – for all money Goff and Davis come across like snotty two-bob-snobs, self-indulgently stuck in an FPP time warp and lauding themselves honourable for it. In an election where the ‘less-is-more’ equation – (Mmmm……ain’t that the lie of neoliberalism ?) – could so easily impact the whole country so disastrously in our social and damn near every other fabric.
My Left tribalism rises up and calls that ugly on no less a scale than Douglas, Prebble and Bassett. The difference less hubris would make to Goff and Davis personally ? None. Goff”s well placed for sinecures well into his dotage whatever happens. Davis’ll make Parliament on the Labour list, whatever happens. Again, to hell with the poorest. Those who REALLY suffer.” We’re alright (in our personal ambitions) Jack. Cool bananas ! ”
Is there any reason to believe that Internet/Mana never having happened their pose would be any different ? None that I can see. Enough of the KDC-calling smokescreen bullshit then !
You have to ask the question why a multi-millionaire like Kim Dotcom who supported John Banks as Mayoral candidate for Auckland has made an overnight conversion to the politics of the Mana Party.
The answer is, in his own interests. Kim Dotcom wants parliamentary representatives to help him oppose his extradition. He has bought access to coat-tailing on the Mana Party’s electorate seat by promising it $3million, some of which will no doubt go in pay for the Internet Party’s new leader.
Call me old-fashioned but I believe that if it’s wrong for ACT to coat-tail on National’s gift to it of the Epsom seat, why would it be right for Dotcom to do the same with Mana? Of course it’s not. In both cases it is rorting the system which is why Labour will reform the Electoral Act in the way the independent Electoral Commission proposed last year.
I am also opposed to anyone buying a political party and buying influence by splashing out $3 million as Dotcom proposes. National allowed him to buy permanent residence in New Zealand. Now he thinks he can buy the political system.
Appointing Laila Harré is a good disguise for why he is putting the money in but most people will see that. As the old saying goes ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’. Our political system ought not be allowed to become the plaything of the very rich. A good reason why state funding of political parties ought to be considered.
Meanwhile the best way to put an end to the game is for the people of Te Tai Tokerau to elect Kelvin Davis as their MP. He is by far the best candidate. He is a decent man who has already made a huge contribution in many ways to his community, including in the area education. As he says, in rugby he never played a single game with the intention of losing. He and Labour won’t be laying down for Kim Dotcom, Hone Harawira or Leila Harré this time either.
Fantastic comment on gordon campbell’s blog, from a chap called Dave McArthur. Here it is in all it’s glory:
You make good observations, Gordon, and I appreciate your upfront honesty. However I am sorry – so much of this article is meaningless to me. Mind you, I now find nearly all our media commentary unhelpful. Voting has become an increasingly meaningless exercise for me and I no longer feel able to able to communicate with my own generation – the Baby Boomers. The alienation that young people experience must be incomparably worse. In the context of our profoundly corrupt country, the emergence of the Internet-Mana provides me a glimmer of hope that a meaningful conversation can happen.
Central to our malaise is the ethos of the modern corporation, which is the pure manifestation of the elements of psychosis and psychopathy that reside in us all. It now shapes and corrodes all our institutions, including our education/media/communication systems. It enables the systemic erosion of our civil rights and converts us into commodities. It promotes mass delusions with the associated, ingenious denial of our abuse of water, air, soil, minerals –especially fossilised biomass. It works to fragment and privatise our individual and collective intelligence using unprecedented surveillance, insane copyright and “commercial sensitivity” laws, mass migration and the general perversion of knowledge.
All our existing main media and political parties are profoundly complicit and all propagate the corporate language on scale.
None speak of extending GST to our two dominant activities – currency and property speculation.
All endorse our fatally flawed National Education Curriculum Framework and destroy the state of science in our communities.
The unprecedented migration flux this century means that over half of NZers lack experience and vital institutional memory of our history pre 1990.
Not one political party, Government agency or NGO has the integrity to identify and articulate the vast array of deceits and hidden subsidies promoting the conversion of the amazing wealth potential of mineral oil/gas into pollution. I refer to our use of wasteful mass transit systems involving cars, jets, trucks etc.
In brief, not one party has been able to speak for our young people and this is the group of people that is primarily funding these vast and unsustainable subsidies. They inherit the costs in the form of massive debt, pollution, probable climate extremes, depleted mineral and soils, and a meaningless voting system.
Not one party has been able articulate the reality that our electrical systems are primarily intelligence systems and this wealth potential is critical to our survival now that my generation has destroyed most of the cheaply extractable mineral oil/gas on the planet. Instead they have promoted the corporate ethos using mass surveillance, language engineering, Kiwi Saver, the Cullen Fund, the ETS, the “Energy Reforms”, “Environmental Education” and sheer thuggishness. This has enabled our electrical grids to be privatised at their mere nuts-bolts-wires value and converted into debt-generating devices. It is now illegal for a NZ community to own the intelligence of its local electrical potential and practice energy efficiency. This means a powerful elite (Rupert Murdoch, NSA, the Banker Oligarchy et al) fragment and control our intelligence for their own narrow, psychopathic interests.
We are all victims and at escalating risk because of this unsustainable situation. However by far the worst victims in New Zealand are those subsisting on the medium income or less. Nearly all our young, many of our elderly and a high proportion of our Maori and Polynesian peoples pay the highest price and are in this low income group.
Kelvin Davis reveals both the scale of Labour’s self-deceit and his low respect for the Te Tai Tokerau people when he condemns Internet-Mana as a “scam”.(Radio NZ)
Our prominent commentators, especially those who pride themselves on their Internet expertise, reveal their poor grasp of civics and intelligence when they dismiss those of us who take the Internet Mana potential seriously.
Many of our newer immigrants may quickly change their voting patterns as they glimpse the growing dystopia behind the lies and deceits of our corporate facade. They will realise they have a very dubious future in a dumb, fragmented society. John Key, our multimillionaire, currency-speculator Prime Minister, may suddenly seem far less wise and aspirational.
Thank you. It is so hard to express sufficient compassion, complexity, urgency, intelligence and hope in so few words.
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Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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Full page add on Page 20, Sunday Herald reads:
Nice one Sue.
We couldn’t be further apart on the political spectrum.
We stand for different things, but we respect any politician that stands up for what they believe in, unfortunately they’re a bit thin on the ground at the moment.
You can change all this on September 20.
Conservative Party…
With large picture of Sue Bradford. I bet she is chuffed with that. Some how implying that the Colin Craig party has principles wwhile having Christine Rankin aboard, hilarious.
Well, a lot of commentators have said Key will be talking to Craig as soon as….
You missed the bit which says:
hahahahahaha. So “something”…. anything? What are these principles of which they speak?
Money. Homogeneity. And money.
And when Craig does his deal with Key? Whither goes “homogeneity?
He will tell himself only some of keys lies were proven…not all of them.
maybe they could crowd-source just what that ‘something’ is..?
Bashing the holy spirit into your kids, and, ummm……… maybe compulsory prayer in schools, and ummmm……….pictures of Jesus on our money……and, did I mention bashing our kids yet?
We’ll also replace public hospitals with prayer centres, because if the Lord wants you to get better, he’ll fix you. In recognition that sick parents may need help fulfilling their parental duties, we’ll have a specially trained Paddle Squad to punish children. Ummm……and overly promiscuous NZ women will be shamed by being placed in stocks at the entrances to our houses of worship. GCSB powers will be extended so that panty sniffing won’t be just a slogan……..
That’ll do for a start.
(Please note that this is satire, for those with a tenuous hold on reality.)
Nice one Sue, Sue-y nice one
Nice one Sue, Never; how d’ya do?
Or; good to see ya…
So millionaire colin craig finances a party to make it legal to hit his children, but dotcom with mana makes john key feel “dirty”
Craig has admitted breaking the law in this area but luckily for him hasnt been charged. Doesnt mean he isnt a law breaker
Different rules for us, than for them.
Which is why so much angst amongst them… No fair, they squeal between the lines, they usually play nice and let us run roughshod over them, tricky bastards
Craig is financing his own party. Bit of a difference there.
Dotcom is financing his own party, so what is your point??
So the Internet Party is Dotcom’s party?
You mean he is buying himself a seat in parliament, or trying to?
Given that he needs to be elected to have a seat in parliament I would say no.
Ha, ha! Funniest ad so far this year!
Colin Craig could have made it even more hilarious by including other names below his….names such as
Banks,
Dunne,
Collins,
Williamson,
English,
Key!
I hope she’s about to sue them for using her image without her permission.
Unless it was a public domain image of course.
@ Contrarian
Surely there is a law amongst all of the ones we have that ensures that nobody can just use an image at will of someone who is in the public eye, known to be alive in the present, and who has not given permission to be used as an illustration for something being displayed to others?
If that were so I would hope Lynn has a good lawyer as John Key has probably not given his consent to have his image used here.
Nope, I suspect even that would require her permission because by using her image the CP have just associated Bradford with it and I can’t think of party that Bradford is less likely to associate with.
Public Domain images do not require consent and the ad does not imply Bradford supports the Conservatives.
So no, she can’t sue.
Who says what I take the ad to imply? It’s not cut and dried. The supposition would be that she has given permission or looks favourably on the Conservative Party.
And Key’s pictures here are shown because he is the PM and the head of the National Party, everyone knows that and we want to see him, hear him, recognise him because he is in a position of central importance to us and we need to know what he is up to. He is in the public domain because he wishes to be the leader of the NZ public political process.
It is doesn’t matter if you are the PM a back-bench MP or a blogger like Farrar (whose image is used here frequently also), if an image picture is public domain it can be used, without attribution or consent, by anyone as long as it doesn’t endorse a product or service.
The ad doesn’t imply that Bradford endorses the CP, the ad stress the differences between Bradford’s views and the Conservatives. It is irrelevant if you view it as an endorsement – you can’t sue on behalf of Bradford.
The CP is using Sue Bradford’s image for their own gain and if she has not agreed to it I cannot see how they can get away with it. If she had her head photo shopped on another body, or was connected with something that was detrimental to her public standing or beliefs, there would be some control, redress, or legal injunction that she could take. However I do not know what she thinks about it all, so this is just an exploration by me of the possible avenues that she might use if upset by this use of her image.
The words defamation, libel, fair comment, malicious, abuse, public figure doctrine come to the fore. I note also that the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990 does not over-ride others. It is quite possible that Sue Bradford could take action against the CP as this could constitute a malicious act on their part to misrepresent, link to her for the advantage of their own publicity, or confuse or smear her reputation in the eyes of the public.
In relation to possible legal action, this appears in a footnote on the Bill given in a thesis paper of Ursula Cheer, University of Canterbury, 2008.
‘The Bill is not supreme law, however, as it cannot invalid inconsistent legislation (s.4) and the rights in it are subject to reasonable limits… ‘prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society’ (s.5).
“The CP is using Sue Bradford’s image for their own gain and if she has not agreed to it I cannot see how they can get away with it.”
It is public domain, she doesn’t have to agree with it. Much like the many images used on The Standard. Or on election billboards. Did David Farrar agree beforehand to have his image used at the standard? Did Helen Clark formally agree to have her image used on National hoardings? No, because public domain images can be used freely, without consent or attribution. There is nothing defamatory or libel about the way in which the CP used her image.
Bradford had this to say:
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/667824278-sue-bradford-laughs-off-unexpected-praise-from-the-far-right
She doesn’t like it but it doesn’t matter. Her image is public domain. The Standard posts unflattering and manipulated photos of John Key, Judith Collins and Cameron Slater which are far more defamatory than what the CP has done.
CP? Jesus, those god-botherers really need to get some better initials.
As soon as I see CP I think conservapedia
Lolz. They could rename themselves the Conservative RApture Party.
Rodney Hide continues the attack on Labour by suggesting their vote will collapse and then scaremongering about NZ First and the Greens. For a man who got 1.5 and 3.6 % of the vote for the ACT Party, it’s a bit rich for him to be lecturing Cunliffe on his vote collapsing.
Here’s the fear-mongering.
“The Green’s Metiria Turei and Russel Norman would be deputy prime ministers and would dominate policy-making.
Winston Peters would be kingmaker and would demand his pound of flesh.”
These RWNJs are desperate. They are throwing everything at undermining every progressive party.
They must have a lot to lose.
I have contacted the Herald asking them to put a disclaimer by Rodney Hide’s name when his column is about politics.
Yes ACT with under 1% of the vote and yet two opinion pieces by people who support their policies.
Hide, Grant.
Yes Paul and the scaremongering continued on Q+A this morning.
Josie Pagani is a disgrace! She actually nodded her head and agreed with Matthew Hooton’s predictable attack on Labour – and Cunliffe in particular. Not once did I hear her say anything in defence of Labour’s policy with respect to immigration – which was distorted and misrepresented by Hooton – or the so-called “splintered mess” on the Left which is how the current scene is being described. Imo, she is out of her depth and allows Hooton to twist her round his little fingers.
Is this why Q+A put them together on the guest panel?
Q an A put her on the panel because she won’t rock the neoliberal boat.
She is a career commentator who lives a comfortable life. She has much more in common with Hooton, Key and Wood than the people she claims to represent.
(Fox News uses the technique all the times of finding a soft democrat who always gets beaten up by the Republican counterpart.)
Except they don’t beat Pagani up because she’s on their (the power-elite’s) side.
+1
Pagani is no more of the left than I am of the right.
Pagani is left like
Cullen
Moore
Bassett
Douglas
Caygill
Goff
were left
Cullen was left. However the finance role that he took pre-1999 was inherently conservative. Damn good thing that he ran with the role rather than his actual inclinations.
Sure but the lack of attack he attracted from national and act, i always thought was cos he ran things economically exactly as they would have.
He took a lot of attack from National/Act. They wanted taxcuts rather than plowing the surpluses into killing debt.
NZ was lucky to have him. He has principles and has had NZ well being on his mind. It showed but as always history will be the judge.
And don’t forget Prebble…
Agreed Paul.
Take, for example, the puerile attempt by both Hooton and Pagani to paint all criticism of her by online bloggers and commentators as being from “the hard-left”. I venture to suggest that many, like me, could be described as centre-left which is where she likes to paint herself to be. God forbid she should be centre-left!
I think its time for Labour to disown her – if indeed she is still a member of the party.
edit: +1 CV.
+1
many 1s. Labour should have disowned her publicly long ago. In many people’s minds, she is still associated with Labour and this preception should be put to bed publicly.
So why won’t Labour leadership apply some discipline to such mavericks?
Is it because she represents the views of a die-hard rump in the caucus who simply want a National lite policy?
It makes no sense otherwise.
There is no way “to discipline” such “mavericks.”
Could not the Labour Party say her views do not represent party opinion?
Yes it could be said but to what end? She’s not a spokesperson for the party and receives no money from the party; she’s merely a private citizen and former candidate who along with her husband has had plenty of Labour Party connections in the past.
CV is right.
Whilst she may still be a member on paper, I doubt she actively contributes to the party in any way (she was probably only active during her previous candidacy) and doesn’t attend meetings. Thus she can continue to publicly run down the party – and Cunliffe – without risking face to face critical feed-back or a reprimand.
Trouble is that many of her views are Labour policy.
Then Cunliffe needs to come out and clearly state that she does not speak for Labour because at the moment a lot of people probably still think she’s part of the party.
Josie Pagani is a social democrat. Social democrats are no longer tolerated in the hard left Labour party. The problem for Labour is that they are fighting for the far left vote with the GIMP’s , well GIMs, To win the election they have to become National Lite. Impossible under The Cunliffe.
I take it this why the odds of The Cunliffe stepping down in 2014 is now 50%
@fisiani
The Labour Party hard left.You’re having a laugh.
Sorry that might work on some folk with no knowledge of NZ history, but not with most people on this site. Compare their policies nowadays with the Labour Party of the 1970s and the 1930s. It’s called Google if you don’t know how.
I don’t know if you really are so historically ignorant or if you’re simply spouting the meme Slater or Farrar told you to say.
Either way, please don’t come back until you have something intelligent or informed to say.
Pagani doesn’t cut the mustard she should be replaced with a regular Union Head as Matt McCarten was. They have a far better finger on the pulse of the masses.
Bob Reid was great, probably too good after his last sterling performance having a crack at Susan Wood so we won’t see him again. Helen Kelly gets smacked about too much. Anyway there is any number of Union people who should be on there representing the Left.
Regarding disciplining, you would have to show someone the door politely or like me. I just laughed and basically said piss off when 2 party dispute facilitators come up with a stupid resolution over an internal scrap between 2 divisions within our local LEC. These clowns recommended to the Beltway Heads that amongst a range of bright idea’s that we stop commenting certain views on social media (on here). HQ never muttered a word about it next time we were together, too embarrassed it was put infront of them to consider I bet.
Seen Pagani’s latest diatribe over on Pundit?
She’s all about how the new IMP means that Labour no longer needs to move to the left.
Yeah. Josie Pagani is being as daft as ever.
The IMP position(s) really makes no difference to Labour. They are appealing to some very small and very voting alienated segments of the population. If they manage to activate them and get them voting, then that is good. If they don’t, then it isn’t likely to make that much of a difference to the election result.
You have to be in government before you can start changing the structural issues that are causing the drop in voting patterns. Just look at the election results. Despite having had a rise of 291,275 of eligible voters between the 2005 election and the 2011 election there was a rise of only 223,451 on the roll. Worse still is that those numbers aren’t reflected in those who vote. The number voting actually declined between 2005 and 2011. It was 2,286,190 in 2005, 2,356,536 in 2008, and a dispirited 2,257,336 in 2011.
The IMP may carry some votes away from Labour and the Greens. But the effect is likely to only be the very soft votes, the ones that flick back and forth on the parties of the broad left. Too small and not really worth fighting over. There is nothing that National would like more than to see the left fighting over them rather than concentrating on their more useful tasks.
Labours primary task to get that group who usually vote, who voted for Labour in 2008 but who didn’t vote at all in 2011. They need to get them back to the polls in 2014 before they stop voting permanently. It isn’t going to be that hard. People who usually vote don’t stop voting without a reason. They simply didn’t like the policies that Labour had in 2011. These are generally the same ones that Josie Pagani prefers, those dominated by the right of the party and the wellington appachniks.
Those policies were designed to get back some of the soft vote the went to National in 2008. They didn’t attract much of them because they didn’t leave because of policy. However they certainly drove away a lot of Labours base vote. Those are the policies that are generally referred to as National lite. If you were a Labour supporter, then why bother voting for more of the same? That is the fundamental flaw in Josie Pagani’s ‘thinking’.
Labour voters in 2011 also weren’t confident that Labour could or would actually implement the policies that they were professing because they looked far too much like a face saving compromises made in a uncompromising caucus. Basically the Labour caucus forgot the lesson of 1999 and the pledge cards. People will vote for a party when they are confident that they can do what they promise. They have absolutely no faith in a caucus that has the types of divisions that eventually caused the formation of New Labour back in the late 80s.
While National is potentially even more vulnerable on this question of trust. The reality is that Labour is highly vulnerable on trust issues because of the 1980s and 90s amongst persistent Labour supporters. Having Goff up front didn’t exactly endear the idea of voting for Labour to them. It dissipated a lot of the trust that had been embedded into the 5th Labour government for doing what they said they would.
So in 2011, many persistent Labour voters voted for other left parties. But a significiant portion just simply didn’t vote. They just couldn’t see the damn point. And if they had voted in 2011, then the election result would have been quite different.
The Labour parties secondary task is to capture a chunk of the soft centre vote that shifted to National in 2008 in the “nanny state” media campaigns. Fortunately many of that group are increasingly irritated by National. They don’t need much targeting and since they are less concerned with policies than with ‘feel’. What they are interested in is having a government that is going somewhere. What worries them the most at present is probably going to be the overhanging debt that National has recreated again. Paying that back before the next crisis is going to be a pain and it certainly doesn’t make National look like it has any coherent plan to say that they may start paying it back in a decade.
Incidentally I damn near had to force myself to vote in 2011 because I had such a sense of disgust at the silly antics in MPs in Wellington. Admittedly I probably saw more than most because I was moderating here. But they really were a quite strange mixture of arrogance and self-regard by MPs and their staffers as they lost cohesion and the ability to deal with each other. It was stupidity central for a while as various MPs fell over themselves in their attempts to be the silliest dickheads.
I vowed then that if I didn’t see a substantive change in cohesion, then I’d vote Green next time. Made that decision to do so after watching the useless arseholes in caucus and their staffers trying to run a media show trial using the press gallery at conference in 2012. My view was that any party so willing to shoot itself in the foot to that extent didn’t deserve my vote.
It looks a whole lot better this time around after the leadership vote further out inside the party. But I always make my voting decisions mid-term…
Its her wet dream, labour finally being able to be national.
Thecommentator for the left who only visits this block to drop a whinging defence of herself while holidaying and never returns
Yes that panel are a cosy little cabal aren’t they?
What does he do for a living these days? Or is he living off his parliamentary pension?
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/labour-insider-john-pagani-moves-nzog-bd-127874
Sorry, meant hide
Sold out to big oil.
(could someone cc this to the internet party..?
..i understand they are trying to get out the youth-vote..eh.?..)
“..Dispensaries In California City Offer Free Marijuana For Those Who Vote..”
“..Voters who cast a ballot in San Jose’s municipal election on Tuesday –
could receive free marijuana from the city’s medical marijuana dispensaries.
All they have to do is present their ‘I Voted’ sticker or a ballot stub –
to participating dispensaries..”
(cont..)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/31/free-marijuana-pot_n_5423854.html
(that’d get them out to the ballot-box..eh..?
..and one day..eh..?..)
tho’..of course..the internet party could achieve those same ‘ends’..
..by offering pot…not free..and with a slight delay..
..by having a sane/sensible colorado-model of decriminalisation/regulation/taxation..
..that will also get large numbers of those young-voters motivated to go and cast their vote..
..that..and free education to teriary-level..would be a very powerful two-fer..
..i do hope they have the courage/foresight to see this..
..to tap into that pot-populist vein..
..but to really get out the vote..for the internet party..
..the party could go with the uraguay-model..
..govt’ grown/supplied pot @ $2 gram..?
..they could crank that price up to $5..to the same ends..
..selling it as removing crime from the pot-trade in one fell swoop..
..and also for the economic-stimulation/employment created by the govt taking on that role..
..and the dsir has already developed killer-strains/growing methods for pot..
.they are ready to go..
..the internet party could come out with that policy..
..and then stand well back from the ballot-box..
..to avoid being knocked over in the rush of voters of all ages running to cast their vote for such a sane/logical-policy/solution..
and of course..a black/ironic-twist on all this…
..is that john key already knows how ending prohibition ‘works’..
..his holiday-compound is in a place where his local pot-shop is just down the road..
..journalists should quizz him on the social-chaos/anarchy he has noticed when holidaying at his holiday compound..
..surrounded as he is..by legal-pot..
..he should be asked..because he has that hands-on/frontline-experience..eh..?
..he will be able to tell us how horrible it actually is..
..how new zealand would be ruined if we did the same thing..
..(i’m actually surprised he can still bring himself to go there..year after year..
..and he takes his family..?..!!
..into such clear and present danger..?
..what is he thinking..?..)
..journalists need to quizz key on this..
More fun if they get these dopes plastered with drugs and shit before they cast their vote rather than after.
“Ngati Kahungunu authority chair Ngahiwi Tomoana said the move would diminish iwi fisheries settlement by between 20 and 30 percent.
He said the new rules would damage Maori economies and was a modern breach of the Treaty of Waitangi.”
Stopping slave labour is a breach of the treaty? The value of the settlement was calculated on the basis that slave labour would harvest the fish?
I cant understand why the supposed leaders of some of the most disadvantaged members of society are happy enough to utilize slave labour…
From colonised to coloniser in 100 years.
Nice – your pithy 1 liner.
Are you talking about this particular person and his ancestors or about the ethnicity of those who are Māori?
Is this not the premise of all the Tribes? Sealord is using Thailand as a production base. What does that tell you? Where are the economic advantages for the average Maori? The same is actually true for most pacific people as their power structures are build along king and kin ship. The Europeans do once more mistake their ideal for everyone’s and stay aghast at poverty levels that seem to be completely OK with Maori people in power. Either NZlanders are blind or so engrossed in political correctness that they actually cannot see the woods for the trees.
“The Europeans do once more mistake their ideal for everyone’s and stay aghast at poverty levels that seem to be completely OK with Maori people in power.”
I suppose there are sociopaths amongst Māori as there are within any group, and the usual percentage of selfish, greedy, and immoral people. Some Māori leaders do believe in the right-wing approach to anything and everything – they are imo as misguided as all the supporters of the gnats and their cronies.
I cannot stand any slave fishing and would stop it asap if I had my way. I’d also do more and dismantle the systems that bought slave fishing into being – this issue didn’t just fall from the sky – it was manufactured as in a result of historical and contemporary decisions. The minimum is to stop the abuse of people involved and then dig into why it has occurred at all. I don’t see Iwi and certain Iwi leaders taking all the blame for that.
The slavery is abhorrent and I agree Iwi cant take all the blame I am sure it was going on pre settlement. But to then complain when it comes to public attention when it is stopped is as bad if not worse than knowingly hiring slaves ships in the first place.
Under no circumstances should Nz fish stock caught under our Quota rules be caught by slave labour.
If its then uneconomic id suggest the fish are best left in the sea and the settlements re visited.
The system that brought it into being is called capitalism.
I think you missed my point, the approach in which any use of resource and resulting production is taking place will not change due the inherent structure within Maoridom and for that matter most if not all pacific people. Everybody outside this political correct cycle knows that but no one wants to talk about the obvious elephant in the room. No skin of my nose but NZ will be worse off as this counters the labor laws and standard of living conditions so many are trying to address with very little success. Surely the question as to why after so much money has been and is spent must have crossed more than outsiders minds.
Slavery is the result of how people in power assign social stratification. This has been the case for as long as humanity exists. Look at India where there are many levels with the Dalits are the “untouchable” at the very bottom of the scale. I am not saying that this is bound by race or nationality, in the same way as evil is not wearing a flag. It is easy with that social assignment attitude to have a section of people working and living as slaves.
What I like to express however is that Maori should stop pretending and have all people equally participating in the economic base that some have created. We are talking about multimillion dollar businesses created with settlement money that was meant to benefit all. If that is done, unemployment will be a lot lower and slave labor will not be necessary to produce, export and secure a future for Maori on a whole.
Fisheries bill a Treaty breach – iwi
Well, I suppose then that we will just have to let them continue – and then book them for slavery.
Yep.
Good to see people here being prepared to take an objective and critical approach towards Corporate Iwi. Unfortunately, there’s still a section of the Left that – on the basis of past injustice and present inequality – continue to hold a highly romanticised and protective attitude to a really quite Right-Wing, Neo-Liberal, money-grubbing Maori elite.
Need to stick to basic Social Democratic principles and call a reactionary “a reactionary” regardless of ethnicity. Possible to be both Left-Wing (on the economic spectrum) and liberal/progressive (on the moral/social spectrum) without being horribly, cloyingly politically correct. Just apply those principles of social justice honestly and without fear or favour.
The colonised quickly learn to become colonisers.
Straight talking about the lack of Maori fishing places. Maori could have been demanding at seeing that their young chaps, and women if wanted, had gone through enough fishing courses perhaps in groups from different hapu at the same time, as many felt uncomfortable when training, often living away from home as strangers, fish out of water.
It was just getting things started and keeping them going, that was needed. And making a place for them when they were trained. Once the system was settled, it would have become easier, and the eager young fellows would have set off with the knowledge that they would get skills and get started in life. A cost level would have been established, with an industry open to them which was the expectation of the country. Business mentors would have been needed as it was a much bigger task than the usual individual fishermen would have ever known. One Maori fishing entity I think in the North Island went down. I have forgotten where. So it wasn’t a walk in the park.to get quota and start fishing on a larger scale.
But with the successful ones, management and profit started off and continued on the easy way of hiring foreign crew and charters. And they were not even reasonably paid. Bad conditions, the poor being done over once again. And NZ employment opportunity lost.
There were Māori that had the boats and loans all lined up and rearing to go – then the corporate elite within Māoridom hired Foreign Charter Vessels instead. Go figure.
The Brown Table.
As far as I’m concerned, the leaders of any business/authority that uses slave labour should be facing trial. This would include pakeha business people who use slave labour to manufacture goods in the 3rd world.
And in the US…prison labour = slave labour
More black slaves in US prisons now than black slaves full stop at the height of Jim Crow
Working on the Chain Gang.
All day long they’re singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
My work is so hard
Give me water
I’m thirsty, my work is so hard
Woah ooo
My work is so hard
http://prospect.org/article/great-american-chain-gang
http://www.unicor.gov/
Yep. Two things really need to be done:
1.) A complete ban on importing all products from a business that uses slave labour including sweatshops
2.) Any business in NZ that uses slave labour, including sweatshops, gets done for slavery – including the shareholders
Absolutely. We all know who they are and I for one do not buy any of their stuff. The faulty logic of ” it will be the low paid labor that suffers” does not wash as they suffer either way.
We are presently having a lot of discussion on political strategies, likely results, representation, numbers, and who may stand where and for what party, but policy is only trickling out bit by bit.
The Greens surprised with one policy extending free GP visits to teenagers up to 17 or 18 years of age. Today we can expect more policy from them.
As usual social security or “welfare” are neglected or not even discussed. NO party has considered throwing the introduction of a universal basic income (UBI) or other new policies into the debate in this election year, and there is damned little for those dependent on benefits, to decide who to vote for. Of course some will say that there are many only on benefits for temporary periods, which is true, but there are those too sick, injured and disabled to work, who are now increasingly re-assessed under completely new approaches and criteria, and many will have work test obligations put on them, rightly or wrongly.
We heard a lot about Mansel Aylward and other UK “experts” they got here to give MSD and the government the supposed “scientific” justification to press ahead with ushering or pushing sick and disabled into part time or even full time work, and we heard about what WINZ’s Principal Health Advisor Dr Bratt stands for, who likens benefit dependence to “drug dependence”.
Once again I would like to challenge all opposition parties, what their position is on this, and ask whether they will offer fairer criteria, approaches and measures, that actually also hold employers responsible to deliver, and that put real resources into treatment and support, where it is needed, rather than have GPs mass medicate mentally ill with more medication and little else. We cannot allow MSD and WINZ apply such measures to the most vulnerable that are highly questionable, unjust and draconian, and lack proper scientific proof.
Learn more about what is now coming to WINZ clients as part of the newest phase in the implementation of welfare reforms:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/16092-work-ability-assessments-done-for-work-and-income-%E2%80%93-partly-following-acc%E2%80%99s-approach-a-revealing-fact-study/
What works and what doesn’t: How a job affects mental health
Friday 7th March 2014, ‘The Wireless’:
http://thewireless.co.nz/themes/hauora/what-works-and-what-doesn-t-how-a-job-affects-mental-health
More to study on this:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15463-designated-doctors-%e2%80%93-used-by-work-and-income-some-also-used-by-acc/
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15188-medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-bps-model-aimed-at-disentiteling-affected-from-welfare-benefits-and-acc-compo/
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15264-welfare-reform-the-health-and-disability-panel-msd-the-truth-behind-the-agenda/
I hear damned little from Labour and even the Greens and other parties on this, and I recently was a bit shocked, how one opposition MP, who is supposed to be informed about this stuff, knows so damned little about what is going on.
Are about 300,000 on benefits a fringe group not worth delivering good, fair and sound policy, that will actually give any of them any incentive to vote?
Thanks xtasy a lot to read there. Plenty to think about.
q & a..what a bag of bollocks…eh..?
..miller made his judgement-call on the internet party list..before that list exists..?..!..whoar..!..he must have e.s.p.
..pagani simpered that she is ‘an incrementalist’..
..and hoots played the ‘they-are-all-so-old!’-meme the right has been flogging this week..
..and the compere gave one of her worst interviewer-performances..ever..
..(and that’s saying something..)
..harre was a star tho’..
..and norman did ok..
..the interview-subjects were a wood-sandwich..
..wholemeal toast on both sides..
..and cunnliffe a slab of wood in the middle..
..compared to norman and harre..
..he really put that ‘wood’ in ‘wooden’..
..and wow..!..a historical-piece..!
..duncan garner before he ate all those pies..
Who selects Pagani as the representative of the left?
The Right Wing does of course.
much the same as neo-lib-pimp/defender/poor-basher williams is chosen by nat-rad as ‘the voice of the left’..
..as far as williams (or pagani) purporting to be speaking for ‘the left’..?
..that’s like expecting/framing the mad butcher to speak for the vegan society..
Funny such a fuss is made of Shane Taurimu is made, while such a biased current events programme gets by without a murmur.
That was very good, Phil.
chrs mary..
Watching Q+A this morning, hell the Right are shitting them selves, judging by all the attacks on the Internet Party, by their ‘expert’ panel of Pagani and Hooton, and Hooton is in fine form, spouting horseshit all over the place and Pagani was just full of it.
There is clearly an attempt being made to stifle the party at birth.
but the good thing is ppl like hooton are preaching to the converted, i doubt anyone but the most serious wingnuts take anything said by hooton with a grain of right biased salt. also, any internet party voters wouldn’t listen to hooton coz he’s so ooooooooolllllllllldddddddddddd! infact, i can’t see the right coming up with any useful attack strategy against the internet party coz the youth don’t care for the wisdom of armstrong, gower, susan wood etc…exciting times!
Yes, Hooton does not connect in this way.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11265642
Exactly, Paul. To let people know a bit more, the link leads to an article about Dotcom replying to a tweet last night from the Hunger Drive team rin Auckland unning a 40 hour gaming marathon to raise money for World Vision. He not only replied but turned up and played for 5 hours.
On a whim, organiser Jay Adams sent a tweet out to Kim Dotcom, a former world champion of Call of Duty, inviting him to come and join them at their gaming headquarters on the North Shore.
“He tweeted back and said he’d come down once he had put his kids to bed.
“He just arrived here and sat down and played with us,” Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams said Mr Dotcom arrived around 10pm and stayed for five hours. Mr Dotcom matched all the donations to World Vision for an hour, and to generate donations invited the three highest donors to attend a gaming night at the Dotcom mansion.
After 24-hours of gaming the team are taking turns having a break and sleeping, but were thrilled to have Mr Dotcom as part of their mission, Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams said he was amazed that a tweet would get him along to the event
“We just thought he might retweet us and get the word out,” Mr Adams said.
very impressive…he seems like a thoroughly likable genuine guy!
And so he now has appeal amongst gamers, most of whom are voting age, and he got to do something he loved…
I believe he has participated in quite a number of public gaming events in Auckland over the last few years, so it is probable that he already has appeal to that sector. But good on him for turning up, considering the things he has had going on over the last few weeks.
Agree. Wasnt criticising him, but i bet the demographic of young gamers has a bunch on non voters.
Tracey
I bet the demographic of young gamers HAD a bunch on non voters.
Yes
God, you lot treat young people as if they’re simple-minded cattle. All I’ve seen for the last week is “yes, they’re young and play video games and like iPods and Macbooks so they’re obviously going to vote because Dotcom is big into games and technology like them. That’s what going to connect to them and get them to vote: technology.”
If you sit down and have grown-up discussion with young people, you find they’re not that different to the rest of us. Except maybe not so stuck in their ways. Some will vote on personality. Some will vote on policy. Some on self-interest. Some on community interest.
But hell, let’s just buy into the mythical gamer vote. At least that’ll be mildly amusing to watch the media try to discuss.
Oh for fucks sake gladstone, we were specifically discussing just the gamer group at this particular event and that now some of them who wrrent going to vote, might. Thats all.
You are the one seeing everyone say all young people ar just gaming ipod carriers, whether everyone is saying it or not.
They are focusing on young voters, they have said that, i doubt they will be assuming they are all gamers.
Lots of people over 30 years of age game. Just sayin’.
@ cv absolutely. Dotcom for example 😉
As long as they vote all is dandy.
ha! beat that old man hooton.
“Mr Adams said Mr Dotcom arrived around 10pm and stayed for five hours. Mr Dotcom matched all the donations to World Vision for an hour, and to generate donations invited the three highest donors to attend a gaming night at the Dotcom mansion.”
Methinks KDC smart political operator.
i doubt tho BG that DotCom seen the ‘political’ in turning up to such an event, the bloke is obviously hooked on playing such games, internet poker had me for a while, and, playing is probably His stress release,
i would say He might see the ”press” he got later and connect the political, i am hoping that InternetMana make use of DotCom in any television advertising they do,
Something humorous and quirky with DotCom fronting it would go down a treat in parts of the electorate, accentuating the blokes size in comparison with Hone and Laila works for me on one level as well,
A good lampoon would be to have Him appear in an ad dressed in a blanket and hippy beads saying in His best accent ”some people like the PM say i am buying influence with blankets and beads, but that’s wrong i need all mine”, everyone who doesn’t hate the bloke would immediately sit up going ”WTF”, cut that with a rap scratch across the background music and zoom in on Laila or Hone for the message/soundbite,
For visual ads DotCom is actually an asset for the type of people they want to reach…
Matthew Hooton wasn’t trying to appeal to potential voters of the Internet Party. He was stating that having a bunch of old political fossils like Corkery and Harre won’t likely connect with them.
Crap Gooseman. You know it what is more. In the commentary immediately following Laila Harre’s Q+A wiping of the studio floor with that dull thing Susan Wood all Hooton could do was to mock the clear winner. To salve Wood in her embarrassment and to distract from the excellence of Harre’s performance.
Hooton’s cue was Wood’s immediately posed, inane, dreadfully irrelevant, gutless question – “Well Matthew……..changed your vote ?” It was a cry for help from a just holding it together, bloodied Wood. Directed to the pathologically narcissistic ponce Matthew Dear who dutifully obliged.
It was Wood and Hooton and Pagani and Miller who painted themselves the fossils in fact. Entitled dicks who thought they were gonna send Laila packing. All cashed up on day one. Hah ! Quite the reverse occurred. Their fantastical sense of themselves as authoritative ‘as-of-right’ political framers in tatters before their eyes. Well done Laila……..you denuded them. For that performance alone and that result alone, I’m delighted you’re placed where you are.
However, expect the attacks to become more visceral Laila. You’re just not allowed to do that shit to these people. Don’t ya know the acceptable order of things ?
Gooseman shitting all over the show above is an early pathetic example.
The funny thing about using Q & A to put across the idea that the Internet Party are all so old is that absolutely NO young people will be watching the programme. They will mostly still be in bed. Most young people watch very little TV and read very few newspapers.
more planking pics of john key soon maybe? “i’m down with the kids” !
Which is all to the good.
If Pagani was at all representing the Left she would have refuted the fabricated snake oil Hooton was spinning. Bobbling her head about agreeing with Hooton would have earned her lunch on Ponsonby road, with Matthews picking up the tab. Didn’t he look so
smitten with her carrying on like his cheerleader. What a disgraceful display of ill discipline.
Just read one of Hooton’s editorials in NBR, the magazine, which, like Fox news, leaves readers/viewers less well informed than before.
“”Inequality” is the new “communist” manifesto” FFS.
Before anyone is concerned for my sanity,
I did not buy his Neo-Liberalness’s ” propaganda rag, it was in a coffee shop.
Does he truly believe, his own crap.
No he doesn’t. He does it for money.
The self for Hooton comes before society.
How would you have refuted him?
What got me about the little Q+A farce this morning was Pagani’s ”David Cunliffe should do an immediate deal with National to Legislate the ‘coat-tail’ out of existence”,
Not only fearful but what i would term ‘the knee-jerk fascism of the middle class’ pouring off of Pagani this morning,
What does She fear, the loss of the political pandering from both Labour and National to that middle class if InternetMana are successful in pulling 3-4% of the vote off of the fence without the Green vote slipping…
bad12 – responding to your post yesterday about Stevia. Glad you managed to source some quite quickly. It’s not a cheap product so growing it at home does help. Downside of growing it at home is you need several thousand plants to sustain your requirements for a year!
The body is fine without sugar. It makes none, requires none. There is a new food fad that is starting in America called the 0 Sugar Diet which makes the fallacious claim “your body needs 0% sugar” which while in itself is theoretically true if by sugar, they mean the white death, but the lack of education and knowledge around the different types of sugar mean that people will be just as uninformed about the difference between white death and other more beneficial sugars as those produce by fruits.
The brain needs glucose. In fact, it’s the number one consumer of glucose in the body. Whether the glucose comes from natural products (fruit, plants) or combined foods its generally provided over a longer period than the boom/bust that white death offers.
So I don’t think what you’re saying wrt the body and it’s response to the sweetness is entirely accurate. If you’re having stevia in your tea/coffee and having rolled oats at the same time the net effect on the body is largely the same. If it’s just on its own, the empty calories argument comes in but why would anyone just want to eat a spoonful of stevia, even if just to make the medicine go down? So a real world application probably wouldn’t suffice. The anti stevia website makes a number of incorrect assumptions about stevia such as the primer response by the body receiving the sweet taste and dumping the glucose – whatever you’re eating will also contain glucose so the argument is void.
The sugar lobby and the subsquent classifications of Stevia by the FDA in the USA is an interesting argument. Stevia has been well used for thousands of years, and sugar has really only been around as a manufactured product for about 200 years. Sugar Cane as a plant is still perfectly fine to use as the raw product has a low GI – compared to the manufactured product.
There are readily available alternatives to sugar, but the sugar cartel (nestle, coke and unilever) will do whatever they can to retain their stranglehold on white death as the viable alternatives of coconut sugar and stevia will cause them to lose their dominance – until the point is reached at which between the three of them their ownership of coconut sugar/stevia manufacturing processes is viable enough to replace white death in their products, at which point Sugar will probably be all but gone.
I can testify to that. If I don’t program, then my required carbohydrate levels (including sugars) drop dramatically. My gut increases to compensate.
If I don’t get enough carbs whilst turboing my brain on code (or history or politics), then I start wandering in wee circles with about as much intellectual power as a 386. Unfortunately it doesn’t use the stored energy from fat vary fast.
I call it the programmers dilemma… Think a lot to soak up carbs, or drop carbs like a brick when you don’t. Either way is tricky.
On that basis am going to increase from one crossword a day to two.
James Thrace, that’s a brief reply to my Saturday efforts, where would i begin to reply, perhaps just shutting it would be more wise,
Firstly, it is not i that ”said” with regards Stevia that ”the body prepares for sugar and glucose is cleared from the bloodstream etc etc”, that quote is either from the links provided or a link that i did not provide,
You ”know” this to not true, how???, because you thunk it or you are privy to some science or other information that you are shy to link us to???,
Sugar is sugar is sugar, it is pretty much all the same no matter where it is derived from, fruit,vege,sugar cane, it all ends up as glucose, the difference is that the body processes the various sugars at differing speeds and some people deem sugar derived from fruit and vege as ”better” simply on the basis that it comes from those sources, i would suggest tho that to say that the body ”needs” no sugar isn’t correct,
However, if you have a rampant Hba1C reading which was my case a number of months ago then the imperative is to cut down on the sugar,
Taking on board, rightly or wrongly, the good sugars/bad sugars argument vis a vis fruit and vege AND absolutely abhorring the consumption of tea/coffee which hasn’t had a semi-trailer load of the sweet stuff added has lead me via a hint from another commenter to Stevia,
As LPrent points out sugar is energy, and when we use it as a matter of habit the stuff our bodies and brains do not burn through activity our clever,(primitive) metabolisms store away for future use by converting the glucose to fats which may then take up residence in our blood, liver, and arteries, some literature even suggesting that such sugar/fats then go onto form bonds at a DNA level further, for want of a better word, fucking us up,
By the sound of it your Stevia plant might have caught a cold and snuffed it, they apparently do not take kindly to frost/cold,
Yes growing 1000,s of Stevia plants alongside my yearly 200 tobacco plants might prove a problem space wise and my tiny little colonials mind has been eyeing up the neighbors jungle for quite some time with a view to a land grab, but grow it i will,
As for expense, hmmm, the stuff i picked up on my last foraging mission cost $22 delivered, 500 sachets is 6/7 weeks of cuppa’s, previously the sugar bill would probably have hit $15+ for that period of time, doesn’t sound expensive when it is putting both the blood sugar and the lipids measurement in the next blood test where they should be,
And i get to drink sweet coffees and teas…
From what I read only around half of ingested fructose (and fructose via sucrose) ends up as glucose in systemic circulation. The rest gets turned into glycogen, lipids for storage, lactate, etc.
Any political party promoting free education to New Zealanders can not help but attract votes. I would go further and say those that have a student loan hanging around their necks will have it wiped completely. So for a fledgling Internet Party the 5% threshold should be quite achievable on this policy alone. Add a few more policies that enage the young like a right to own a home and the momentum will snowball to becoming a political force in this Country.
Green Party has a policy for debt free tertiary education, and to work progessively towards free tertiary education as soon as practically possible. Don’t know why people are talking as though the IMP is the only party with such a policy.
The naivety of the statement left me gobsmacked.
Can you imagine the response he would have got had Cunliffe tried to do such a deal?
Jos Pagani thinks like a bright 12 year old. You hear this sort of thing from the type of children who get picked to go to youth parliaments and come out with naive statements about how to solve the world’s problems.
The whole program was anti left wing, including the wannabe reporter remark whilst interviewing Prof Spoonley …. “or whatever the left means by that…..” ?????? what unprofessional remark was that?
She says nothing about ms collins defeat of the threshold argument tbo. Pagani is pining for the labour party of 1984 and 1987. She really should have joined national post 2008 if she wants that again.
Anne, Pagani is a dangerous little reactionary isn’t She, where was She as Colon Craig slapped together the ramshackle Conservatives and then knowing He would never get 5% of the vote turned His puppy begging eyes in National’s direction looking for the gift of a safe seat,
Her attitude, its not alright for DotCom/Mana/Internet to stitch together a totally transparent deal where everyone knows all the possible ramifications along with where the money is coming from, but, its alright for Cunliffe to ”deal to” the current Democracy behind closed doors with National,
My view is that it is not a sufficient trade off, the proposed 4% Party Vote v the scrapping of the ability to coat-tail, that simply favors the status quo of parties that are now in the Parliament making it virtually impossible to have new parties emerge,
2% should be the bottom line…
From Martyn Bradbury
“A brief word on Labour, immigration and what’s really hurting housing”
….It’s not immigrants driving up housing prices in Auckland, it’s foreign speculators who are buying up land as quickly as possible. It’s our free market system that allows this mass foreign ownership of residential land that is the problem, not immigration.
Labour should re-tool this housing debate and move it from immigration to foreign land ownership.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/06/01/a-brief-word-on-labour-immigration-and-whats-really-hurting-housing/
(imo…mass immigration of non New Zealanders, particularly wealthy ones (exceptions ..not ones like Dotcom of course!) doesnt help the housing market for New Zealanders either…but while Labour should be emphasising foreign speculators buying up NZ land and housing ..it should also bring down the mass numbers of foreign immigrants from single countries)
That might be ‘Bomber’s’ honestly held opinion, but, the ”housing problem” is far more complex than just that,
The real crux of the problem is in the free money those who have poured into rental investments en masse having been sucking out of the tax base as an unintended? enticement,
20 years ago a little firm of Aussie tax lawyers arrived with this ”legal rort” which allowed those with rental investments to claim ”losses” on the rental investment properties against all other taxable income,
Along with the real estate agents they then held ”seminars” up and down the country for 3 grand a head where joe and jane public got taught the nuts and bolts of how to do this,
In the 20 years since 200,000 former homes made the transition into rental properties,
Sure there is also speculation in both housing and land from both foreign and local speculators, how big this part of the problem is we will not know until Government develop the tools to measure it,
In amongst all this we had laissez fairre immigration policy where NO PLAN was developed surrounding the numbers coming in or where they would be housed,
In terms of the countries past population growth it then took the blink of an eye for the population to go from 3.3 million to 4.4 million,(the majority of that growth appearing in Auckland),
Along with the population growth there appeared the lack of will among the various Governments to construct state housing, at its peak 75.000 homes for a population of 3.3 million, now in the low 60,000’s for a population of 4.4 million,(i doubt we are building enough new State houses yearly to house the 700 odd refugees taken in every year under the UN obligations),
Housing is a far more complex problem than just the ‘dog whistle’ to the redneck vote about foreign buyers, i would suggest the % of kiwi buyers of investment property far out-weighs the foreign buying by 10 to 1…
Negative gearing on all fronts….
I thought this Herald interview with Laila Harre this morning was reasonable for Granny.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11265390
BUT then I read this so-called opinion piece about the interview by Edward Rooney – who I had never heard of before. Seems he is the Herald’s News Editor. Talk about snide and a waste of time and space, if this is the best he can write about.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11265397
Love the picture with Laila’s son Sam texting/surfing in the background!
He’s the news editor. LOL.
Looney Rooney reflects this truism about the Right – when stuffed for anything cogent to say things always gets obfuscated down to “Me, Me, Me”. Like in his article – “Were it not for the efforts of ‘Me, Me, Me’ the interview probably wouldn’t have happened at all – (sotto voce) such a hapless flibbertigibbet is Laila. Nudge nudge……wank wank.”
If Laila’s a piss-poor scone maker I’m glad she didn’t bother whipping up a batch for the occasion. How do I know she didn’t ? Well…….if she had News Editor Looney Rooney couldn’t have resisted gleefully reporting the shameful fact. As a matter of serious political moment what’s more.
Patent insanity: Royalty fees could reach $120 on a $400 smartphone
Laws around Intellectual Property have become so convoluted over the last few decades I’m not sure anyone could say what they’re supposed to do any more. Patents are a state enforced monopoly so that the original developers of a product can overcharge for a time. IMO, patents are there to prevent innovation and not increase it and they do this by preventing people from developing competing products.
They treat royalty payments as some sort of dead-weight loss. No, the royalty payments go to the companies owning the patents, which in this arena is overwhelming other technology companies whoa are investing and developing cell phones to sell.
Ultimately this shuts out small players and up-and-comers, which of course limits innovation, but it’s not all doom and gloom like they’re suggesting.
You omit that without patents larfe corps just steal smaller folks inventions and chargw like wounded bulls for them. Eg microsoft
Actually that is what happens with patents.
The little fellow invents something, but only the big firms have the money to register and protect patents.
There are firms in the USA who trawl the world for new inventions and then patent them before the inventor can or will.
Had that happen with a design I did. Then they threatened me with court if I sold it in the USA.
I was surprised, actually, that they could patent it because it was based on a lot of prior “art” which was well in the public domain.
One of the foundations of the USA’s prosperity, after the revolution, is that they refused to recognise British intellectual property. I.E. They stole it. Now they are desperate to prevent China, and other countries, from doing what they did.
There’s been a lot of patents given in the US that shouldn’t have been due to a) prior art and b) that some things just shouldn’t be patented (DNA, living organisms, drugs, etc). On that latter issue maths formula can’t be patented because they’re considered a discovery rather than an invention. This should apply to anything that is dependent upon the natural laws of the universe.
“This should apply to anything that is dependent upon the natural laws of the universe.”
Which is everything
😀
Nope. A molecule is but the process to produce that molecule isn’t.
Everything in the universe is dependent of the natural laws of the universe.
Might want to be a little more specific
There is that little thing ….if you work for a company and “invent” something, it automatically becomes the property of the company. Try it out you might be surprised….
Oh no i get it. In fairness they pay peole for working on stuff that doesnt work or never gets used.
How the National party started.
The two conservative parties at the time, joined forces, so they could get enough votes under FPP to get into Parliament.
From the horses own mouth.
https://www.national.org.nz/about/national%27s-history
“It grew out of the coalition government of the Reform and Liberal parties, which had formed the wartime National Government in 1915. The Reform Party had been essentially a rural based party, whereas the Liberals were dominated by city based concerns. These two parties united to form an alternative to the socialist Labour government. The name “National” was chosen as the new party sought to represent all parts of the community”.
Thats different. Next question
That’s a fairly crude rendition by National.
“It grew out of the coalition government of the Reform and Liberal parties, which had formed the wartime National Government in 1915.”
Ha Haaaaaa. Methinks the Nats are outrageously downplaying the profound acrimony that existed between the Reform and Liberal Parties from the end of the First World War through to the formation of a Coalition Government in 1931. Throughout the vast majority of that period, the two parties were at loggerheads – hardly surprising given that (with the exception of 1925, when the fledgling Labour Party briefly took 2nd place) Liberal and Reform were the two major parties vying for government (and had been since 1890 – albeit with Reform being a rather loose collection simply called “The Opposition” until the party’s formation in 1909).
Even with their Coalition in 1931, their activists/supporters/voters often refused to accept it. A whole lot of Independent Liberal and Independent Reform candidates stood and received significant levels of support, in many cases actually winning the seat. Reform was still denouncing the essentially Centrist Liberal Party as “a bunch of Socialists” well into the 20s. The idea that the formation of the National Party represented a smooth, natural evolution from the wartime coalition is laughable.
It’s also a bit of a myth that Reform was “essentially a rural based party” and the Liberals “city based”. Reform held quite a few Urban seats and the Liberals continued to hold a swathe of Rural seats, especially in the South Island.
“….united to form an alternative to the socialist Labour government.” Well, no. Actually joined together in coalition in 1931, agreeing not to put up candidates against each other (the independent / unofficial ones not withstanding). So National’s formation in 1936 was really just a formality.
Notes of a couple of interesting pieces on radionz this a.m. Some positive initiatives.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday
10:06 Jade Herriman – Repair Cafes
We live in a throwaway age, where it’s often cheaper to buy a new product than repair old ones. The repair café movement, which started in Holland, is trying to change that. There are now more 400 repair cafes around the world where local residents meet face-to-face with skilled volunteers who show them how to mend everything from clothes to cell phones. Jade Herriman, a researcher at the University of Technology, Sydney, has been looking into the phenomenon.
10:25 David Katz – Plastic Bank
The Plastic Bank is turning plastic waste into a currency that can be exchanged to help lift people out of poverty. Founder David Katz talks to Wallace about his plan to help the world’s poor – and clean up the planet.
Problem with plastic banks and recycling plastic is it doesnt stop people using plastic
Remember when repairing was an option… Remember when companies manufacturing appliances built them to last 30-40 years? Then there was a conscious decision to shorten it to create a turnover every decade and repeat buyers and profit streams… A kind of rort on consumers and the environment.
Let’s start taking steps to improve Tracey. The two items on the radio represent something intelligent and thoughtful being done now. I think we should do something now but I find it hard to change to new ways, and that’s what I and we need to do at the same time as trying to be greener with our waste.
Yep – the next generation will need to learn the old skills before they are permanently lost.
I wonder if someone could give me a quick hint on fixing a problem on the page. The list of comments on the right is forced over to the right besides a blank space. It is the same width as the climate graphic public service ad underneath.which on my page has its first number missing so I don’t know whether heating is equivalent to 1 million or 2 million bombs since 1979.
At the moment however I am thinking of using this little space on the page. Is it something to do with cookies? It hadn’t happened before some weeks ago. (I have some ads blocked as a norm. I have also had a change in font size gone large and resulting page positioning to contend with so perhaps some control has to be reinstated.) If anyone can give me a guide as to where to look it would be good.
The Greens have launched a controversial new climate change policy – a carbon tax.
Co-leader Russel Norman wants to scrap the current carbon pricing system – the Emissions Trading Scheme.
In its place would be a tax of $25 per tonne of carbon on industry polluters.
Norman told around 200 delegates at the party’s Upper Hutt conference that in Government, the Greens would aim for carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Greens are also proposing a Climate Change Commissioner, costing about $2 million. This will be funded by administration savings from scrapping the ETS.
New Zealand, once a world leader in climate change reduction, is now on track to be ”the worst performing developing country,” he said.
Critics of the tax claim the tax is a burden on households, who pay higher electricity and fuel costs.
However, the Greens say their levy would be offset by a ”climate tax cut” on the first $2000 of income.
”We can reduce our emissions without hurting household budgets,” he said. ”Households will be on average $319 better off every year under the Green party policy.”
The revenue from the tax would be $955m per year, which would be used to fund the tax cuts. There would also be room for a company tax cut.
Agriculture – which is currently exempt from the ETS – would pay a reduced rate of $12.50 per tonne. This works out as an 12.5 per cent hit on farmers’ income. This includes 2 per cent on the working expenses of the average farm. A Berl Economics report, released with the policy, said dairying will be ”adversely affected.”
But it adds: ”However, at the currently projected pay-out for milk solids, even dairy farms in the lowest decile would remain well above break even in the face of tan emissions levy.”
Other gas-emitting industries – such as electricity and road fuels – are less likely to be affected because they would be able to ”pass-on any production cost increases to households.”
Forestry would be credited with $12.50 per tonne, to keep planting trees.
The levy would also push up the cost of flying – adding around $100 to the cost of return flights to London.
Australia is moving to dump its contentious carbon tax later this year. But the Greens say their policy would not be unpopular Polling commissioned from UMR Research shows a ”personal tax cut funded by a charge on climate change polluters” would make 32 per cent ”a little more likely” to vote for the party.
For 44 per cent it would have no impact, and 13 per cent wouldn’t be likely to vote in favour.
A spokesman for Labour said the party isn’t commenting on the carbon tax proposal.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10108920/Greens-launch-climate-change-policy
I hear McCully asking for Thailand to bring forward proposed elections, urging them to return to democracy.
Why does he not ask the same of China?
Amusing. It appears that we still have laws against blasphemy in this country. Wonder when we’re going to get rid of those.
So, it doesn’t matter what we say about a religion, so long as we say it using “decent language”?
Anyone have a clue what Labour is doing?
Do they think they don’t need anyone else?
The following statement could be from John Key’s desk, but it isn’t, it is from Phil Goff on Facebook
Anyone have a clue what Labour is doing?
Do they think they don’t need anyone else?
The following statement could be from John Key’s desk, but it isn’t, it is from Phil Goff on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/philgoff.labour/posts/654460357942656?fref=nf
How more wilfully deceitful can Phil Goff get with his risible Facebook claim/appeal to a ‘lost-30-years-ago’, now fictitious, Labour tribalism ?
Taken from the last paragraph of Freedom’s comment above (the edits are mine) Freedom quotes Phil Goff –
” Meanwhile the best way……is for……Te Tai Tokerau to elect Kelvin Davis as their MP…… ”
” As he [Davis] says, in rugby he never played a single game with the intention of losing. ”
Prior to Te Tai Tokerau by-election I figured that it would be disastrous for the North were the result to deliver one less Maori MP to Parliament. From where this Pakeha was then and is still placed, viz. in a job where daily I observe the cruelly abject position of Maori, joining Mana and helping in the campaign became personal imperatives.
Hone Harawira’s deserved win put paid to that disastrous potential. Phil Goff and Kelvin Davis still want to achieve it. In the present context – ” Hear Ye Hear Ye Hear Ye – one Maori MP in the North is better than two ! ”
Makes me sympathise with those on TS who claim that Labour positively fears The Left……that it has not the balls to be a government other than one of the ShonKey Python Lite variety and to hell with the poorest.
While I’m here – the other thing that’s pissing me off mightily – for all money Goff and Davis come across like snotty two-bob-snobs, self-indulgently stuck in an FPP time warp and lauding themselves honourable for it. In an election where the ‘less-is-more’ equation – (Mmmm……ain’t that the lie of neoliberalism ?) – could so easily impact the whole country so disastrously in our social and damn near every other fabric.
My Left tribalism rises up and calls that ugly on no less a scale than Douglas, Prebble and Bassett. The difference less hubris would make to Goff and Davis personally ? None. Goff”s well placed for sinecures well into his dotage whatever happens. Davis’ll make Parliament on the Labour list, whatever happens. Again, to hell with the poorest. Those who REALLY suffer.” We’re alright (in our personal ambitions) Jack. Cool bananas ! ”
Is there any reason to believe that Internet/Mana never having happened their pose would be any different ? None that I can see. Enough of the KDC-calling smokescreen bullshit then !
Anyone have a clue what Labour is doing?
Do they think they don’t need anyone else?
The following statement could be from John Key’s desk, but it isn’t, it is from Phil Goff on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/philgoff.labour/posts/654460357942656?fref=nf
test
Fantastic comment on gordon campbell’s blog, from a chap called Dave McArthur. Here it is in all it’s glory:
You make good observations, Gordon, and I appreciate your upfront honesty. However I am sorry – so much of this article is meaningless to me. Mind you, I now find nearly all our media commentary unhelpful. Voting has become an increasingly meaningless exercise for me and I no longer feel able to able to communicate with my own generation – the Baby Boomers. The alienation that young people experience must be incomparably worse. In the context of our profoundly corrupt country, the emergence of the Internet-Mana provides me a glimmer of hope that a meaningful conversation can happen.
Central to our malaise is the ethos of the modern corporation, which is the pure manifestation of the elements of psychosis and psychopathy that reside in us all. It now shapes and corrodes all our institutions, including our education/media/communication systems. It enables the systemic erosion of our civil rights and converts us into commodities. It promotes mass delusions with the associated, ingenious denial of our abuse of water, air, soil, minerals –especially fossilised biomass. It works to fragment and privatise our individual and collective intelligence using unprecedented surveillance, insane copyright and “commercial sensitivity” laws, mass migration and the general perversion of knowledge.
All our existing main media and political parties are profoundly complicit and all propagate the corporate language on scale.
None speak of extending GST to our two dominant activities – currency and property speculation.
All endorse our fatally flawed National Education Curriculum Framework and destroy the state of science in our communities.
The unprecedented migration flux this century means that over half of NZers lack experience and vital institutional memory of our history pre 1990.
Not one political party, Government agency or NGO has the integrity to identify and articulate the vast array of deceits and hidden subsidies promoting the conversion of the amazing wealth potential of mineral oil/gas into pollution. I refer to our use of wasteful mass transit systems involving cars, jets, trucks etc.
In brief, not one party has been able to speak for our young people and this is the group of people that is primarily funding these vast and unsustainable subsidies. They inherit the costs in the form of massive debt, pollution, probable climate extremes, depleted mineral and soils, and a meaningless voting system.
Not one party has been able articulate the reality that our electrical systems are primarily intelligence systems and this wealth potential is critical to our survival now that my generation has destroyed most of the cheaply extractable mineral oil/gas on the planet. Instead they have promoted the corporate ethos using mass surveillance, language engineering, Kiwi Saver, the Cullen Fund, the ETS, the “Energy Reforms”, “Environmental Education” and sheer thuggishness. This has enabled our electrical grids to be privatised at their mere nuts-bolts-wires value and converted into debt-generating devices. It is now illegal for a NZ community to own the intelligence of its local electrical potential and practice energy efficiency. This means a powerful elite (Rupert Murdoch, NSA, the Banker Oligarchy et al) fragment and control our intelligence for their own narrow, psychopathic interests.
We are all victims and at escalating risk because of this unsustainable situation. However by far the worst victims in New Zealand are those subsisting on the medium income or less. Nearly all our young, many of our elderly and a high proportion of our Maori and Polynesian peoples pay the highest price and are in this low income group.
Kelvin Davis reveals both the scale of Labour’s self-deceit and his low respect for the Te Tai Tokerau people when he condemns Internet-Mana as a “scam”.(Radio NZ)
Our prominent commentators, especially those who pride themselves on their Internet expertise, reveal their poor grasp of civics and intelligence when they dismiss those of us who take the Internet Mana potential seriously.
Many of our newer immigrants may quickly change their voting patterns as they glimpse the growing dystopia behind the lies and deceits of our corporate facade. They will realise they have a very dubious future in a dumb, fragmented society. John Key, our multimillionaire, currency-speculator Prime Minister, may suddenly seem far less wise and aspirational.
Thank you. It is so hard to express sufficient compassion, complexity, urgency, intelligence and hope in so few words.
The postt from Gordon was good too:
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2014/05/30/gordon-campbell-on-the-rise-of-laila-harre/
I will use good manners while here.
4 Hard Truths That Will Jolt You Awake
Been having some comments going to spam for no apparent reason. Doing a reboot as first part of the check.