As I recall it, one of the more stupid aspects of the asset sales was that the returns for the assets were higher than the interest rates on the loans.
So if it covers $4bil interest bills, we’re foregoing >$4bil in profits.
I’m not particularly worried about debt incurred for capital expenditure. I’d rather have hospitals and schools here and now and pay them off over the lives of these assets than have to wait to save up and pay for them. If we can afford to service the debt over the years, it’s not a big issue. And as a good Keynesian knows, borrowing and spending in tough times is perfectly appropriate.
It’s when we borrow to pay for operational expenditures such as tax cuts that I have a problem.
Thanks Paul, that is a great link! Especially when you look at Finland, who is held up as a great country to emulate by a number of commentators here and their net debt per citizen is almost twice that of NZ! http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/finland
We are also lower per citizen than Norway, Belgium, Austria, Canada, France, Germany…..I could go on, but I think your point about National keeping debt under control has been well made.
National was forced to rack up debt for several reasons:
1) the GFC caused out economy to shrink by 3% in one year
2) the Christchurch earthquake. We had to borrow money to pay for this. The alternative was to leave Christchurch to rot.
3) huge spending and future spending promises by Labour in the 2000s, during a time of relative economic prosperity, meant that we were all of a sudden spending beyond our means. We are only now getting back to a position where we can actually pay our way.
1) so maybe not the best time to give $2 billion a year in tax cuts ?
2) ‘total Government spending on the rebuilding of Christchurch will be $15 Billion by 2028’
– Bill English Budget speech to Parliament 2014
3) see point 1
Given that all government buildings, infrastructure etc have to have recovery insurance and most home owner did too, it would be reasonable to assert that this will not necessary be part of the debt. If it is NZ has been taken to to cleaners big time by the insurers and god forbid if something like this happens again. Lets not forget that Christchurch is unearthing costs and liabilities even after 3 years and who knows what will hear about tomorrow.
Bad news from the US “The Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to public sector unions Monday, limiting their ability to automatically deduct dues from public workers who nevertheless benefit from union-negotiated contracts. ”
We can only hope that NZ doesn’t follow suit.
The US political and justice systems are quite different from pretty much any other country in the world, so generally what goes on in the US, stays in the US.
Trev is imo, one of those people that is quite smart and silly at the same time – he has hit the smart side with this one – it will get the headlines, get people talking and increase his chances of being reelected – and you never know I’m sure moa would be over the moon to be born again, raised for meat and their skin, kept in cages or even ‘free range’. And why not, it’s not like there are any other issues to worry about so win win win.
With “the science of de-extinction advancing quickly”, as he put it, the Hutt South MP has laid down a challenge for Lower Hutt and for scientists: Let’s work towards the possibility of moa one day striding again through the bush of Rimutaka Forest Park.
It’s an interesting thing to make a campaign issue (and the tories will probably fall into it by calling him Moa Mallard or something), but it does provide a handy segue into all sorts of issues like regional development, environmental preservation, environmental tourism, revitalising the spirit of kiwi ingenuity, cutting-edge technology and blue skies research – all that good stuff.
Then how can it satisfy the needs of institutions which have obligations which have nothing to do with making a profit?
e.g. – electricity supply to elderly in winter
e.g. – hospitals bringing people back to health
e.g. – housing to those who cannot provide for themselves
e.g. – teaching children how to read and write
e.g. – the list goes on
why do people insist that the business model is capable of more than they admit business owes as an obligation? These people make no sense.
Yet curiously these same people claim there is an obligation on the people to help business….
e.g. – money for farming businesses water
e.g. – electricity companies to deepen the NZX
e.g. – loans to keep Joyce’s mediaworks solvent
e.g. – taxpayer support for greedy finance company investors
I truly shake my head ………
I personally believe these people are both shallow thinking and duplicitous in pushing this nonsense
Should the country at the center of the, in my opinion, wrongful use of the Diplomatic Immunity case be named???,
i would suggest no, naming the country will simply have the less thinking in our society blaming all the citizens of that country for the abhorrent actions of one of its Diplomats,
My view is that Slippery the Prime Minister should for once in His miserable Premiership actually behave like one and tell the Embassy/High Commission involved to bring the alleged perpetrator of that crime back here to face His accuser in our courts or send the whole Embassy/High Commission back to their country of origin…
The current situation in my opinion is simply a misuse of the ability for Diplomatic staff to have immunity,
Diplomatic immunity is simply a device intended to retain diplomatic relations even in a situation where two countries are apparently hostile toward each other and as a device which prohibits one country from holding another’s diplomats to ransom via trumped up criminal charges,
This isn’t a situation of alleged espionage or any other political wrongdoing, it is an alleged serious offense against a citizen of the host country and by refusing to waive the alleged offenders immunity the country of His origin is effectively condoning such alleged behavior…
What? Dotcom is not claiming diplomatic immunity?Extradition is only possible as part of due process at law. In New Zealand that due process is tested and exercised by our Courts if one wishes to challenge it. What country are you from?
Forget about unpcnzcougar – unbrainedthickasaplanknzcougar wins. Doesn’t get even that simple little detail right. Phew ! It’s a disconnect bound to have something to do with ”bloody unions” or “I Hate Hone” or such. So favoured by idiots trying to appear knowing. Or pique that KDC’s richer than GodKey ?
The “Liar in Chief” is such a shallow little prick. He warned against releasing details of this criminal because a judge ordered name suppression. Oh the irony when one of Key’s best friends (the hideous Cameron Slater) has no such regard for a judges orders…
If you haven’t already seen it, the country involved is available on google fender.
There is meant to be a press conference in ________ today with their Foreign Affairs Minister.
Wasn’t hard to find on the interweb, assuming the news source from within the country is correct. Not a place with a terrific respect for women’s rights and somewhere where sodomy is still a criminal offence. But in our top ten for exports, so that may have played a part.
I think the way you refer to the Prime Minister is disrespectful. There is no way I would have referred to Helen Clark in those terms despite her serious shortcomings.
The situation here is simple as. It has happened many times world over. The Vienna Convention.
Suddenly it is the Prime Minister’s fault. You are both being absurd.
srylands operates a whole swag of identities over a number of websites. He uses odd combinations of letters to make up his usernames because that makes it easier to search within webpages for his many, many interactions.
When we play around with the spelling it makes it so much harder for him to keep track of all his work.
Ha Ha SSLands, you will tolerate what we dish up to you, you have ‘choice’ tho, toddle off to Blubber boy’s sewer where you obviously belong and have asmooch fest with all your friends…
‘I can no longer tolerate this’ says Sslands. How funny. He gathers himself up to his full height, climbs on a table for further extension, and berates us as being disgraceful and rude to him. This in response to his propaganda on how the world works well for him, and we should accept what we have as The Only Way, The Right Way, The Truth and The Word, and abase ourselves as it is TINA.
The natives are revolting! Yes sir, they definitely are.
SSLands, typical ‘wing-nuts’ diversionary tactic, ”it has happened many times the world over”, and this makes it right for us as a nation just to let the alleged perpetrator of an alleged sexual attack and home invasion simply walk away from the misuse of the convention of immunity for diplomats???
You are indeed a sick little individual and thus you should exhibit no surprise that the majority of commenter’s treat you as a mere spitoon here…
I think the way the Prime Minister refers to and deals with us as citizens, and misleads us, abuses our trust and misuses our public property, is disrespectful!
I don’t know why the country and the diplomat’s names were suppressed – judges order? In which case I don’t have a huge problem with it.
Nor do I have an issue with the Vienna Convention.
However, we should be looking very closely at the nature of our diplomatic relationship with a country that shields alleged offenders like this if that country both preserves immunity and fails to take its own legitimate criminal proceedings against the suspect in a serious offence.
True Mac, tis early days, from my wireless at one o’clock comes news that the country in question,(and i have no real care exactly which country this is),is considering sending the alleged offender back to New Zealand,
If that is true i can only but express my applause for them ”doing the right thing”,
The news added a codicil that the country involved would only do so IF the alleged offender were to receive a fair trial and would be guaranteed no physical harm,
The country concerned can be assured that i at least have tested the system of Justice in this country on a number of occasions and except for the overall power imbalance expressed in the State Versus the individual, our system of Justice especially where a case is ‘high profile’ is relatively fair,
Although i can point to isolated incidences of extra-judicial ”harm” coming to defendants from those employed by the State the country concerned can be assured that as far as can be ascertained such harm is not sanctioned by the higher levels of our State,
my suggestion to the State concerned would be to negotiate the return of this alleged offender and while doing so also negotiate in which country any sentence should be served should He be found guilty along with which countries ‘Parole Board’ will be the arbiter of His release and any conditions of that release from any sentence imposed…
“… A free market in news is not the same as a free press, unless freedom is defined so narrowly that it refers only to the power of government, rather than to the power of money…”
I think there is one journalist who stands out above all others in the NZ media and I urge everyone to listen to Wayne Brittenden’s ‘Counterpoint’ on Radio New Zealand (easily Googled)
Brittenden presents refreshing, factual and insightful analyses of topics such as the TPPA, Ukraine and Iraq situations, incarceration and the private prison industry.
I think his presentations are ‘fair, balanced and unafraid’.
The TPPA one is particularly interesting…
+1
Appointing someone like Colin Peacock or Jeremy Rose as head of News and Current Affairs wouldn’t be a bad idea either in terms of raising public service journalism and editorial standards.
@PU … yep, heard that.
C Peackock has a good history and vast experience, and can hardly be regarded as partisan.
I imagine the privatisers would fear him too much though. Besides, their programme of destruction and crony hack appointments is already well underway – by no means irreversible.
I remember someone once asked me on this site whether I thought public media could EVER be restored to something that represents the values of PSB.
Actually, I’m even more convinced now than I was then that it can be. I’m not so sure whether the political opposition (of whatever stripe) is that committed to it however. It’s a shame really, because if they actually thought about it, it’s probably the MOST important thing that should be on the political agenda – up there with child and other poverty et al (since its generally the means by which political and other policy is conveyed to ‘the masses’).
[Rant check! STOP! Keep your powder dry OwT]
Whilst I’ve supported both the save TVNZ7 and CBB, I don’t really think they’re ambitious enough (not that I’m an ambitious person myself).
There’s actually one existing umbrella institution that could deal very nicely to the bullshit we’ve been experiencing over the past 6 (PLUS) years – and without crony appointments of personnel with bullshit titles on huge salaries. (Somewhat simpler than what even Tim Selwyn was proposing elsewhere).
@ Rodel I agree about Wayne Brittenden. Listen hard to him as the management moochers at Radionz will drop him before too long. They have an advertisement that raves about how good Jim Mora’s Panel is. ‘Comments from the leading people in NZ’ or such. They can’t possibly keep Wayne who would provide a measuring standard too high for the opinionated chattering class to compare to.
Radionz likes the Panel to be leaders in opinion-making, and then gives them the scarce air time that makes them leaders, because nobody else gets a chance to enter with their informed and experienced spiel into the chat show. A really vicious circle. Coffee froth is what we are damned to receive, and the more difficult conditions get, the more we will get along with beer froth and champagne bubbles as the ‘leaders’ toast each other in forced gaiety.
What is it about ACT MPs thinking swearing and signing documents means nothing?
I mean when the 3 legged pig with lipstick wins Epsom, how should we greet its swearing in to parliament, its electoral return or anything it ever signs.
I hadnt realised quite what a serial fuckwit garrett was…
Awatere fraud
Banks signing false return
Garrett stealing identity of dead baby, false affidavit, assault,
Hang your head in shame people of Epsom. There is a clear pattern here.
Some people don’t know all that you people do.
This from google
Beth Houlbrooke is a retired business woman and mother who has resided in the Warkworth area for 20 years.
She has a lifetime connection to the area with a humble family bach on the Takatu Peninsula.
In partnership with her husband Barry she has been a farmer, and owner of a number of successful small businesses.
She is very humble, has served on all the education entities in which her children are involved, and wants the best of everything for everybody with less bureaucracy and has joined ACT to advance the commonsense individualistic policies that they purvey. (My version of her info summary.)
David Cunliffe should fly to Port Vila, shake hands with Green PM of Vanuatu Carilles, and express his solidarity with that country’s attempts to create a nuclear-free, demilitarised Pacific where societis like Kanaky and West Papua are decolonised and the US-China Cold War is defused…
Joe Natuman of the Vanua’aku Pati replaced Moana Carcasses a month ago, after he lost a motion of no confidence. The Vanuatu parliament is a place of unsteady loyalties, with coalitions constantly changing, but it was significant that for a year the minority Greens were seen as the honest brokers there.
Granted, I haven’t watched any TV1 news lately, but has there been any coverage of the hilarious disaster that the #TeamKey hashtag has become?
I’m pretty sure if David Cunliffe had launched an ill-advised Twitter campaign, there would be constant CUNLIFFE MUST RESIGN CAN HE BE TRUSTED headlines. Maybe even some clearly pre-written editorials & WHAT IS CUNLIFFE’S MOST DIABOLICAL GAFFE polls.
Glad you said that, as last nights TV1 news had the results of a poll “should David Cunliff resign”. Knowing the outcome of the smear campaign against DC I wonder why they ran this news item. WTF. What had DC done for them to continue with this resignation crap. Before the ad break the usual shock horror must see the results after the break etc. Can’t remember exact figures but the majority of labour and non labour supporters said he should not. Not happy with that we then had Shearer interviewed and when they were told by Shearer that he was loyal to DC the female anchor person had a last snide remark like that’s what David Shearer says at the moment.
Did not really take much notice perhaps someone on here can either confirm or deny what I have written.
If there hasn’t been any I would now like to see similar polls on “how people feel about the smear campaign orchestrated by Key and the Herald” and also one asking the same questions about Collins resigning.
Too many simple knuckle-dragging jonos I think. Is it all right to call them knuckle-dragging or is that lifting my veneer? Or perhaps I lost my shine long ago.
NZ Herald continues with its recent form of ludicrously overstated stories:
Startling front page headline of the printed version “Cow hits Car”
First sentence of actual story “A Dunedin driver who smashed into a cow”
Dr RUSSEL NORMAN to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?
JOHN HAYES to the Minister of Finance: What progress is the Government making in allocating proceeds from its share offer programme to pay for new public assets through the Future Investment Fund?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in the Minister of Education and all of her decisions?
DAVID BENNETT to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has the Prime Minister made regarding the Government’s commitment to transport infrastructure in regional New Zealand?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Is the Government “working for New Zealand”; if so, does that apply to all New Zealanders?
GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister for Economic Development: What does he consider are the core components of a regional economic development plan?
JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Transport: Why are the regional State highway projects announced at the weekend being funded from asset sales rather than the transport budget?
LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Economic Development: What reports has he received on how the regions contributed to New Zealand’s economic recovery?
PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his statement that the rate of new house builds in Auckland “is the highest it has been in years, and it shows the progress we are making”, given the average number of building consents issued for new dwellings in the last six years is 4,408 per year, compared to an average of 9,055 from 1999-2008?
GARETH HUGHES to the Minister of Conservation: Did New Zealand officials at a recent International Whaling Commission meeting in Europe agree with or disagree with the Commission’s recommendations that protection for Maui’s dolphins be granted out to 20 nautical miles from Maunganui Bluff down to Wanganui?
MIKE SABIN to the Minister for ACC: What changes has the Government announced about the way ACC covers claims for hearing loss?
CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her statements?
Door knocking in Red Areas in Hutt South.
Hi I’m from The National Party.
Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? Will that help?
A. Yeah!!
Do you like that idea from John Key?
A . Yeah Too right.
Do you think John Key is doing a good job?
A. Sort of.
Do you think Labour/ Greens NZF and Hone Harawira would be a great government?
A. No way.
So will you consider voting National and John Key for Prime Minister in September.
A Probably.
Thanks
I liked the cult of personality, though – three mentions of John Key, only opening and closing with “National” to try and do a bit of positive association.
Given you’re a proven liar, I suspect the real transcript is more like this:
Door knocking in Red Areas in Hutt South (ie all of Hutt South, except Bob Jones’s place).
Hi I’m from The National Party.
A: Oh, really? Are you lost?
Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? Will that help?
A: Yeah, well it would have helped, six years ago.
Do you like that idea from John Key?
A: I liked that idea when it was from the Greens and Labour, six years ago.
Do you think John Key is doing a good job?
A: Sort of. But I don’t know what that job is. Do you?
Do you think Labour/ Greens NZF and Hone Harawira would be a great government?
A: Great? They’d be awesome!
So will you consider voting National and John Key for Prime Minister in September?
A: Probably. For about a micro second.
Hutt South’s like Mana – some striking social contrast – Deep Red territory next to Deep Blue territory. Now that Naenae’s headed off to the Hipster’s Rimutaka, I’d say Wainui would be the major Red stronghold. Along with Moera (though that, too, may have moved to Rimutaka, not sure). Hutt Central, Boulcott and, above all, Woburn are the deepest Blue suburbs (as blue as a new tatoo). Increasingly gentrified Petone (once as Red as a Railway Shed back in mid-20th Century) is now pale Orange, as are one or two other formerly Blood Red areas.
Hi I’m from The National Party. Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? Will that help?
A. Of course. Was that policy copied from the progressive parties?
Do you like that idea from John Key?
A . I like the idea but I think Key and National are thieves of policies of other parties for votes though it is against their RWNjob agenda..
Do you think John Key is doing a good job?
A. Yes, primarily for the wealthy, the privileged and the powerful.
Do you think Labour/ Greens NZF and Hone Harawira would be a great government?
A. You bet! Those leaders have more sense, integrity, care, conscience, fairness and concern than any of your rich bastards in National or Act can ever have.
So will you consider voting National and John Key for Prime Minister in September.
A. You have the bloody cheek! Bugger off, fool.
*Thanks
A : You are welcome. The whole lot of you may be going to hell when you reach the Pearly gates! Sorry about that. Take that as a warning,dude. It isn’t too late to get out of the dark side. See ya!
” Hi I’m from The National Party. Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? ”
Unfortunately this won’t happen until July 2015 so if your child is between 5 and 13 and falls ill before then and you can’t afford to pay, then …….
If #teamgetlostkey had truly cared they would have brought this in today. Now some children may really suffer. How can such a cynical and profit driven group of so called humans have been given the mandate to run this country.What is wrong with us?
Perhaps John Key might need to spend a little more time in his own Helensville electorate?
I hear that’s he’s not there much – seems he spends lots of time in Wellington and overseas looking after the interests of his corporate and U$A bankster mates?
Will John Key stand down as Leader of the National Party, if Public Watchdog Penny Bright beats him for the Helensville electorate vote?
Quite simply – why would the voting public of Helensville waste their electorate vote on John Key. when he’ll be Number One on National’s Party List, and get in anyway?
If Helensville folk vote STRATEGICALLY , and electorate vote ‘Public Watchdog’ Penny Bright for Helensville, they can get ‘two for one’ – sort of thing…..
A proven, hardworking, effective advocate for the 99% PM – Penelope Mary Bright, vs a proven, hardworking advocate for the `1% – PM John Key.
Want some evidence to support this?
Try this: (for starters ….)
What more do you expect from the ‘poodle from Wall St’ John Key, who is STILL a shareholder in the Bank of America?
NZ MPs ‘Register of Financial Interests’ )just downloaded today):
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully earlier said the Solicitor-General had advised the Government abide by the suppression ruling while it was in place.
“I can’t see any good public policy reason why you’d want to protect someone from publicity given there won’t be a trial.”
Surely he meant to add ‘in New Zealand’ to that statement? Or is it yet another disgustingly ignorant example of how the impact of this event upon the victim is never considered by those in power?
Further to a comment on Israel-Palestine I put on yesterday, to round the picture out I should add: It is possible Israel could strike harder in Gaza, which has been tense throughout the kidnapping drama as militants fired rockets at southern Israel and Israel responded with airstrikes. On Monday night there were reports that the Israeli Air Force was in the skies above Gaza.
Palestinians don’t get far with peace talks, likewise Israelis. Someone always manages to put a spanner in the works. Perhaps the status quo suits some bodies.
Never in the dangerous fray himself , a master of bureaucratic manipulation and intrigue, in love to a fault with secrecy, willing to undertake any crime under the sun so long as it leads to profit, deeply relishing every moment of evil he is able to engineer, and a master of masking it all through adroit, politically-attuned public relations aimed at people too stupid to question him — all while paying absolutely no attention to what his past clearly demonstrates he has done, thus thoroughly frustrating the decent folks all around him.
Is this Key,Cunliffe,Cheney or Leopold?.
Traditionally,once upon a time, Labour used to be the party that would be prepared to stand up for the poor, and any other people not getting a fair deal.It was a party, who’s politicians would get out there in among the people,seeking to find evidence of any people not getting a fair deal.
There is many people not getting a fair deal.Even to the extent of beneficiary’s being refused help with very severe dental problems.And so much more
Labour expects to have their people, become prepared to step out to vote for them.But sadly many of their people have lost hope.Many see little good reason, to even care about voting.
Why? would Labour voters, think it worthwhile to bother to step-out to vote for Labour politician’s,when Labour politicians don’t even seem so bothered to be prepared to help publicly highlight the plight of these sorts of people whom are not getting a fair deal under rule of National government
Its getting closer and closer to voting time. And the people that Labour needs to get interested, in getting active involved in voting. Are busy feeling pretty much like they have been totally forgotten
People feeling that way. Are not inclined to think to vote. Because they feel like the games-lost,already. They feel like nobody seems to even care , so then why even bother to vote
Labour needs to be getting out there,busy, tracking these people down. Finding out exactly where they are.Finding out what problems they are dealing with. And then also make it very publicly known (on TV)
Only “then” will Labout voters , start to begin to think like, it really might be very worth while voting.
Because people whom have given up hope, need to be personally reminded,and shown, “how” hope exists. As well as the way forward, so as to go-get help
I’m traditional a Labour voter. I’ve always voted Labour.
But to be honest, i’m starting to feel mighty embarrassed .That it seems like these Labour politicians, are not even so-bothered, to care to make the “most mileage”,out of their peoples problems and misery
Why? would they expect to have their people bothered with stepping-up to vote for them
And i raised my weeping eyes to toward the stars and other celestial bodies and cried, why, why, oh why please tell me why oh why, befor breaking out in a fit of the giggles about planning to vote InternetMana…
what a load of crap.
join the party if you are that concerned.
get some input into policy.
tell people what they can do to make things better.
stop this whining that is little better than national party whingeing dressed up to look like something else.
begone foul spirit.
dimebag russell says : “what a load of crap.
join the party if you are that concerned.”
What a stupid idea.
If our doctors were not doing their job. Dimebag russells best answer, would be to suggest that maybe the sick people, should need to study to become doctors themselves
The national party is not whining .They have little need to whine.The way things are going, they will very likely win the next election.
I know of plenty of people, from last elections, whom might have voted Labour. But they said they didn’t feel it was worth while. This will happen again this election. Especially when we have people like dimebag russell, demanding these folk, all need to join the party, train to become politicians
Its the politicians job to let these people know,why its worthwhile to vote. Its not my job.Hell people like me don’t even have the wherewithal ,to go get in touch with these sorts of people personally
Only an ignorant idiot would think it was the voters job, to get out and go drum-up voting-interest
If these are the sorts of people, behind the labour party. Then little wonder so many folks done see it as even worthwhile voting for Labour
Not really a stupid idea at all Pete, a political party is reflective of those who are its members, that is where the policies of the party are formed,
If you choose to sit on the sidelines never becoming involved then you have to accept that how a party looks at those they may want to help, but, have little actual experience of what they experience as a real life situation will be delivered via the real life experiences of those in the party, and, the party as all organisms are inclined to do will serve its members first…
bad12 ,yes i agree its a great idea, except for it not always being possible, “for everyone”, to have time left,in which to get personally involved, in the way that dimebag suggested.
Its easy to fob someone off, by just saying that they should decide to get involved themselves, if they feel there is a real problem.So be it , if people here decide to simply dismiss what ive said.
But this still doesn’t disprove the possibility that a problem may indeed exist.And there must be some good reason why Labour voters don’t care to vote. Labour voters are not the same as National voters. Labour voters are more in need of “being led” to believe their is in fact hope. And they are less likely to believe there might be hope , if they are “feeling” forgotten , and worthless
Do you? deny that many people within NZ, are not getting a very fair deal.
If you don’t deny it. Then please explain to me, why it is,that we are not seeing evidence of it,being display widely on the media,for all the general public to see.Especially when its only months away, from an election. An election, that the Labour party is still not looking so very much like winning
Are they hoping? to be able to lose the election, once again
Labour voters need to be “led to believe” , that voting is indeed worthwhile. For too many of them, are the kind of people, whom have given up hope
Labour voters want to vote for a Labour Party. If they cannot see an actual Labour Party around they will not vote.
Hence the results of that recent poll showing support falling away from Labour, but not going to any other party, simply going into undecided instead. If Labour gave those people real red reasons to vote, they would be back in a flash.
By the way I calculated today that under Labour’s scheme I’m basically going to get my Super at about 66.8 years of age, while most MPs in Parliament voting for it will happily get theirs at 65. Plus of course their very generous Parliamentary retirement plans. Also known as the baby boomer generation voting solely for their own interests, again.
And of course we can’t afford super going into the future, but Labour is happy to speculate that we will be able to afford tax cuts in their second term.
Pete, not fucking likely, that i am going to sit here and provide you with such explanations as you demand,
You only have to read the pages of the Standard to find the answers to your questions,and, as far as me personally providing any answers to you on/about the Labour Party, forget that too as i have not been a member of that Party for so many years i forget when my membership lapsed…
yes thats right roniie and that is what the national party are good at..
but mainly taking peoples money off them.
they too squeamish to do the dirty work themselves and people going missing are to ohard to hide in this country.
they are evil malignant spirits and they need exorcising.
Just watched the ending of that. Mcnamara was a car company accountant and look where he ended up? But I have to say that I was not impressed by Stacy Daniels on ‘Media Take’ straight after. I have to tell her that neither Carol Hirschfiled, Judy Bailley and Wendie Petrie are my mother and nor are they in any way the mother of the nation. If you believe this media nonsense then you have been suckered into a false consciousness that is very dangerous to cleave to. Their jobs are to put a nice face onto the crap that comes between selling soap and other false promises. They are talking heads and thats all.
Outstanding example of doublespeak and UK nuclear weapons in the mainstream media
“The reason why we set up the commission was to stimulate a debate that we perceive has been dominated by electoral calculation. We believe Britain is well placed to lead global nuclear disarmament by renewing Trident.”
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Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last 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. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New 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. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for 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. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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(i found this on my rounds this morn..’tis very cool..)
“..Patatap: the addictive art app that turns your keyboard into a music machine – interactive..”
“..Press any letter on your keyboard –
Prepare to be amazed – and kill a lot of time..”
(cont..)
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/ng-interactive/2014/jun/30/patatap-addictive-art-app-that-turns-your-keyboard-into-a-music-machine-interactive
Thanks for this – it is very cool, indeed.
Are we borrowing less since asset sales, do you know?
The asset sale may cover the 4B year interest bill.
As I recall it, one of the more stupid aspects of the asset sales was that the returns for the assets were higher than the interest rates on the loans.
So if it covers $4bil interest bills, we’re foregoing >$4bil in profits.
If anyone ever tells you the economy is being well run, link them to this…
http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/newzealand
That is good.
Opposition should stik it up on an Auckland motorway billboard to illustrate the borrow and spend wastrel actions of this government.
It says,
You could wrap $1 bills around the Earth 278 times with the debt amount!
If you lay $1 bills on top of each other they would make a pile 7,796 km, or 4,844 miles high!
BUT, we don’t have $1 bills and don’t know their size either!
Needs to be reworded?
Clemgeopin, quick question, did you see the site is not solely for calculating NZ debt?
I hadn’t. Ok, in that case, it would have been better to have stated, ‘US $1 bills’
Thanks Paul. I have saved that clock to show those who don’t recognize the debt that this Government has and is running up.
chrs 4 that..i’ve whoar-ed it..
I’m not particularly worried about debt incurred for capital expenditure. I’d rather have hospitals and schools here and now and pay them off over the lives of these assets than have to wait to save up and pay for them. If we can afford to service the debt over the years, it’s not a big issue. And as a good Keynesian knows, borrowing and spending in tough times is perfectly appropriate.
It’s when we borrow to pay for operational expenditures such as tax cuts that I have a problem.
Or we could have created the money to pay for those assets without debt and no need to save money.
The biggest problem with Keynes was that he was still working to protect the rich despite, seemingly, understanding that the rich were the problem.
The government should never be borrowing at all, ever. In fact, I’d say that the government borrowing is a massive misunderstanding of economics.
Thanks Paul, that is a great link! Especially when you look at Finland, who is held up as a great country to emulate by a number of commentators here and their net debt per citizen is almost twice that of NZ! http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/finland
We are also lower per citizen than Norway, Belgium, Austria, Canada, France, Germany…..I could go on, but I think your point about National keeping debt under control has been well made.
National was forced to rack up debt for several reasons:
1) the GFC caused out economy to shrink by 3% in one year
2) the Christchurch earthquake. We had to borrow money to pay for this. The alternative was to leave Christchurch to rot.
3) huge spending and future spending promises by Labour in the 2000s, during a time of relative economic prosperity, meant that we were all of a sudden spending beyond our means. We are only now getting back to a position where we can actually pay our way.
1) so maybe not the best time to give $2 billion a year in tax cuts ?
2) ‘total Government spending on the rebuilding of Christchurch will be $15 Billion by 2028’
– Bill English Budget speech to Parliament 2014
3) see point 1
Given that all government buildings, infrastructure etc have to have recovery insurance and most home owner did too, it would be reasonable to assert that this will not necessary be part of the debt. If it is NZ has been taken to to cleaners big time by the insurers and god forbid if something like this happens again. Lets not forget that Christchurch is unearthing costs and liabilities even after 3 years and who knows what will hear about tomorrow.
What irritates me about that is that it has the citizens share and the household share as being exactly the same.
(john oliver works his magic..)
..i am such an oliver fan-boy..i feel he has eclipsed both stewart and colbert..
http://www.alternet.org/video/watch-john-oliver-rants-about-how-america-celebrates-gay-pride-home-exports-anti-gay-hatred
Bad news from the US “The Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to public sector unions Monday, limiting their ability to automatically deduct dues from public workers who nevertheless benefit from union-negotiated contracts. ”
We can only hope that NZ doesn’t follow suit.
The US political and justice systems are quite different from pretty much any other country in the world, so generally what goes on in the US, stays in the US.
only legally, not ideologically
already happens in NZ.
Unions negotiate the contracts, and it just becomes the generic contract for all employees.
+1
Which is why belonging to a union was compulsory – it stops the free-loading that the free-marketeers say that they’re against.
Trev is imo, one of those people that is quite smart and silly at the same time – he has hit the smart side with this one – it will get the headlines, get people talking and increase his chances of being reelected – and you never know I’m sure moa would be over the moon to be born again, raised for meat and their skin, kept in cages or even ‘free range’. And why not, it’s not like there are any other issues to worry about so win win win.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10216641/Time-to-bring-back-the-moa
It’s an interesting thing to make a campaign issue (and the tories will probably fall into it by calling him Moa Mallard or something), but it does provide a handy segue into all sorts of issues like regional development, environmental preservation, environmental tourism, revitalising the spirit of kiwi ingenuity, cutting-edge technology and blue skies research – all that good stuff.
If business has a sole obligation to make profit…
Then how can it satisfy the needs of institutions which have obligations which have nothing to do with making a profit?
e.g. – electricity supply to elderly in winter
e.g. – hospitals bringing people back to health
e.g. – housing to those who cannot provide for themselves
e.g. – teaching children how to read and write
e.g. – the list goes on
why do people insist that the business model is capable of more than they admit business owes as an obligation? These people make no sense.
Yet curiously these same people claim there is an obligation on the people to help business….
e.g. – money for farming businesses water
e.g. – electricity companies to deepen the NZX
e.g. – loans to keep Joyce’s mediaworks solvent
e.g. – taxpayer support for greedy finance company investors
I truly shake my head ………
I personally believe these people are both shallow thinking and duplicitous in pushing this nonsense
i responded to slylands on this in the other thread vto. You may or may not want to read it.
Should the country at the center of the, in my opinion, wrongful use of the Diplomatic Immunity case be named???,
i would suggest no, naming the country will simply have the less thinking in our society blaming all the citizens of that country for the abhorrent actions of one of its Diplomats,
My view is that Slippery the Prime Minister should for once in His miserable Premiership actually behave like one and tell the Embassy/High Commission involved to bring the alleged perpetrator of that crime back here to face His accuser in our courts or send the whole Embassy/High Commission back to their country of origin…
the liar in chief says he asked for the guy to be charged at home before he left the country. No one has asked him for proof though.
The current situation in my opinion is simply a misuse of the ability for Diplomatic staff to have immunity,
Diplomatic immunity is simply a device intended to retain diplomatic relations even in a situation where two countries are apparently hostile toward each other and as a device which prohibits one country from holding another’s diplomats to ransom via trumped up criminal charges,
This isn’t a situation of alleged espionage or any other political wrongdoing, it is an alleged serious offense against a citizen of the host country and by refusing to waive the alleged offenders immunity the country of His origin is effectively condoning such alleged behavior…
Agreed. It is an outdated notion vis a vis violent and sexual crimes.
Then we should have no problems complying with extraditing Kim Dotcom who is already a convicted criminal.
Huh? What’s the connection?
There isn’t any, it’s just another example of the ethical illiteracy endemic on the right.
What? Dotcom is not claiming diplomatic immunity?Extradition is only possible as part of due process at law. In New Zealand that due process is tested and exercised by our Courts if one wishes to challenge it. What country are you from?
Forget about unpcnzcougar – unbrainedthickasaplanknzcougar wins. Doesn’t get even that simple little detail right. Phew ! It’s a disconnect bound to have something to do with ”bloody unions” or “I Hate Hone” or such. So favoured by idiots trying to appear knowing. Or pique that KDC’s richer than GodKey ?
one of those old fierce-eyed rightwing women..
..hands probably trembling from too much gin..
..or too little gin..
..a helmet-hairdo..
..tacky jewellery..
..am i close..?..there..
..old..rightwing..lady..?
The “Liar in Chief” is such a shallow little prick. He warned against releasing details of this criminal because a judge ordered name suppression. Oh the irony when one of Key’s best friends (the hideous Cameron Slater) has no such regard for a judges orders…
Whaleoil will release the name this afternoon.
…after his mate Key gives him the details.
If you haven’t already seen it, the country involved is available on google fender.
There is meant to be a press conference in ________ today with their Foreign Affairs Minister.
Wasn’t hard to find on the interweb, assuming the news source from within the country is correct. Not a place with a terrific respect for women’s rights and somewhere where sodomy is still a criminal offence. But in our top ten for exports, so that may have played a part.
I think the way you refer to the Prime Minister is disrespectful. There is no way I would have referred to Helen Clark in those terms despite her serious shortcomings.
The situation here is simple as. It has happened many times world over. The Vienna Convention.
Suddenly it is the Prime Minister’s fault. You are both being absurd.
Regular Old World Emily Post you SSLands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Post
Manners, manners, manners and etiquette. Huh !
Yes manners are very important. And it is “srylands”. I request that you stop distorting my name.
I can no longer tolerate this.
Don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out.
and yet you can tolerate children living in poverty and 160-odd thousand unemployed.
Choice ! How will your intolerance manifest SSLands ? Troublesome SSGlands ? Unleashed SSBands ? Clenched SSHands ? On your head SSStands ?
well i mean..miserylands…
..were you polite to the poor as you fucked them over..?
..(‘cos that’s what matters..eh..?)
..fascists can be very well-mannered…
..one of the few good things you can say about them..
..polite..with clean-fingernails..
..is that you miserylands..?
srylands operates a whole swag of identities over a number of websites. He uses odd combinations of letters to make up his usernames because that makes it easier to search within webpages for his many, many interactions.
When we play around with the spelling it makes it so much harder for him to keep track of all his work.
Ha Ha SSLands, you will tolerate what we dish up to you, you have ‘choice’ tho, toddle off to Blubber boy’s sewer where you obviously belong and have asmooch fest with all your friends…
‘I can no longer tolerate this’ says Sslands. How funny. He gathers himself up to his full height, climbs on a table for further extension, and berates us as being disgraceful and rude to him. This in response to his propaganda on how the world works well for him, and we should accept what we have as The Only Way, The Right Way, The Truth and The Word, and abase ourselves as it is TINA.
The natives are revolting! Yes sir, they definitely are.
‘liar-in-chief’ is hardly vitriolic/purple..there..miserylands..
..it is just stating the truth..
..he is the current ‘chief’..
..and when his lips move..you can tell he is ‘lying’…
..hence..’liar-in-chief’..geddit..?
..(do you need a copy of the blip-list..?..
..as a handy-to-have reminder..?..)
SSLands, typical ‘wing-nuts’ diversionary tactic, ”it has happened many times the world over”, and this makes it right for us as a nation just to let the alleged perpetrator of an alleged sexual attack and home invasion simply walk away from the misuse of the convention of immunity for diplomats???
You are indeed a sick little individual and thus you should exhibit no surprise that the majority of commenter’s treat you as a mere spitoon here…
I think the way the Prime Minister refers to and deals with us as citizens, and misleads us, abuses our trust and misuses our public property, is disrespectful!
I don’t know why the country and the diplomat’s names were suppressed – judges order? In which case I don’t have a huge problem with it.
Nor do I have an issue with the Vienna Convention.
However, we should be looking very closely at the nature of our diplomatic relationship with a country that shields alleged offenders like this if that country both preserves immunity and fails to take its own legitimate criminal proceedings against the suspect in a serious offence.
But it’s early days yet.
True Mac, tis early days, from my wireless at one o’clock comes news that the country in question,(and i have no real care exactly which country this is),is considering sending the alleged offender back to New Zealand,
If that is true i can only but express my applause for them ”doing the right thing”,
The news added a codicil that the country involved would only do so IF the alleged offender were to receive a fair trial and would be guaranteed no physical harm,
The country concerned can be assured that i at least have tested the system of Justice in this country on a number of occasions and except for the overall power imbalance expressed in the State Versus the individual, our system of Justice especially where a case is ‘high profile’ is relatively fair,
Although i can point to isolated incidences of extra-judicial ”harm” coming to defendants from those employed by the State the country concerned can be assured that as far as can be ascertained such harm is not sanctioned by the higher levels of our State,
my suggestion to the State concerned would be to negotiate the return of this alleged offender and while doing so also negotiate in which country any sentence should be served should He be found guilty along with which countries ‘Parole Board’ will be the arbiter of His release and any conditions of that release from any sentence imposed…
“… A free market in news is not the same as a free press, unless freedom is defined so narrowly that it refers only to the power of government, rather than to the power of money…”
Topical piece from Monboit.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/30/censorship-newsroom-freedom-of-expression
Thanks. And another good one from Monbiot.
I think there is one journalist who stands out above all others in the NZ media and I urge everyone to listen to Wayne Brittenden’s ‘Counterpoint’ on Radio New Zealand (easily Googled)
Brittenden presents refreshing, factual and insightful analyses of topics such as the TPPA, Ukraine and Iraq situations, incarceration and the private prison industry.
I think his presentations are ‘fair, balanced and unafraid’.
The TPPA one is particularly interesting…
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2590769/wayne-brittenden-s-counterpoint
+1
Appointing someone like Colin Peacock or Jeremy Rose as head of News and Current Affairs wouldn’t be a bad idea either in terms of raising public service journalism and editorial standards.
peacock sat in for one of the regulars recently..he did good work..
Jim Mora: 1974
Chris Trotter: 1981
Colin Peacock: 1991
(oh, and Holly Walker, 2005)
Editor’s of Otago University Student’s Association paper, Critic. No wonder the Nats wanted voluntary student membership of their organisations.
@PU … yep, heard that.
C Peackock has a good history and vast experience, and can hardly be regarded as partisan.
I imagine the privatisers would fear him too much though. Besides, their programme of destruction and crony hack appointments is already well underway – by no means irreversible.
I remember someone once asked me on this site whether I thought public media could EVER be restored to something that represents the values of PSB.
Actually, I’m even more convinced now than I was then that it can be. I’m not so sure whether the political opposition (of whatever stripe) is that committed to it however. It’s a shame really, because if they actually thought about it, it’s probably the MOST important thing that should be on the political agenda – up there with child and other poverty et al (since its generally the means by which political and other policy is conveyed to ‘the masses’).
[Rant check! STOP! Keep your powder dry OwT]
Whilst I’ve supported both the save TVNZ7 and CBB, I don’t really think they’re ambitious enough (not that I’m an ambitious person myself).
There’s actually one existing umbrella institution that could deal very nicely to the bullshit we’ve been experiencing over the past 6 (PLUS) years – and without crony appointments of personnel with bullshit titles on huge salaries. (Somewhat simpler than what even Tim Selwyn was proposing elsewhere).
@ Rodel I agree about Wayne Brittenden. Listen hard to him as the management moochers at Radionz will drop him before too long. They have an advertisement that raves about how good Jim Mora’s Panel is. ‘Comments from the leading people in NZ’ or such. They can’t possibly keep Wayne who would provide a measuring standard too high for the opinionated chattering class to compare to.
Radionz likes the Panel to be leaders in opinion-making, and then gives them the scarce air time that makes them leaders, because nobody else gets a chance to enter with their informed and experienced spiel into the chat show. A really vicious circle. Coffee froth is what we are damned to receive, and the more difficult conditions get, the more we will get along with beer froth and champagne bubbles as the ‘leaders’ toast each other in forced gaiety.
What is it about ACT MPs thinking swearing and signing documents means nothing?
I mean when the 3 legged pig with lipstick wins Epsom, how should we greet its swearing in to parliament, its electoral return or anything it ever signs.
I hadnt realised quite what a serial fuckwit garrett was…
Awatere fraud
Banks signing false return
Garrett stealing identity of dead baby, false affidavit, assault,
Hang your head in shame people of Epsom. There is a clear pattern here.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10759020
The reason Garret was suspended from the bar was for swearing a false affidavit.
Some one needs to point that out to the editor of the herald.
3 legged pig with lipstick? Is Beth Houlbrooke running?
Really classy Populuxe, fascinating what slips out from beneath the veneer.
well..i just had to go and find her..
..and i went to her facebook page..
..and had a bit of a spray..
..it was fun..
..dunno how long the comments will stay up…
..heh..!
..i might seek out other act candidate facebook pages..
..(excuse the non-vegan simile)..but it really is like shooting ducks in a barrel..)
Some people don’t know all that you people do.
This from google
Beth Houlbrooke is a retired business woman and mother who has resided in the Warkworth area for 20 years.
She has a lifetime connection to the area with a humble family bach on the Takatu Peninsula.
In partnership with her husband Barry she has been a farmer, and owner of a number of successful small businesses.
She is very humble, has served on all the education entities in which her children are involved, and wants the best of everything for everybody with less bureaucracy and has joined ACT to advance the commonsense individualistic policies that they purvey. (My version of her info summary.)
Labour announced a good piece of policy on migration from the Pacific yesterday. This could be part of a wider Pacific strategy, aimed at energising not just Pasifika but palangi voters:
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/why-labour-needs-pacific-strategy.html
David Cunliffe should fly to Port Vila, shake hands with Green PM of Vanuatu Carilles, and express his solidarity with that country’s attempts to create a nuclear-free, demilitarised Pacific where societis like Kanaky and West Papua are decolonised and the US-China Cold War is defused…
Joe Natuman of the Vanua’aku Pati replaced Moana Carcasses a month ago, after he lost a motion of no confidence. The Vanuatu parliament is a place of unsteady loyalties, with coalitions constantly changing, but it was significant that for a year the minority Greens were seen as the honest brokers there.
Granted, I haven’t watched any TV1 news lately, but has there been any coverage of the hilarious disaster that the #TeamKey hashtag has become?
I’m pretty sure if David Cunliffe had launched an ill-advised Twitter campaign, there would be constant CUNLIFFE MUST RESIGN CAN HE BE TRUSTED headlines. Maybe even some clearly pre-written editorials & WHAT IS CUNLIFFE’S MOST DIABOLICAL GAFFE polls.
Glad you said that, as last nights TV1 news had the results of a poll “should David Cunliff resign”. Knowing the outcome of the smear campaign against DC I wonder why they ran this news item. WTF. What had DC done for them to continue with this resignation crap. Before the ad break the usual shock horror must see the results after the break etc. Can’t remember exact figures but the majority of labour and non labour supporters said he should not. Not happy with that we then had Shearer interviewed and when they were told by Shearer that he was loyal to DC the female anchor person had a last snide remark like that’s what David Shearer says at the moment.
Did not really take much notice perhaps someone on here can either confirm or deny what I have written.
If there hasn’t been any I would now like to see similar polls on “how people feel about the smear campaign orchestrated by Key and the Herald” and also one asking the same questions about Collins resigning.
You can watch it here:
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/poll-backs-cunliffe-stay-but-shearer-favourite-replacement-6015723
Another example of a journalist spinning a story in order to make David seem unpopular IMO.
Probably worth a complaint of bias, but there are so many …
Too many simple knuckle-dragging jonos I think. Is it all right to call them knuckle-dragging or is that lifting my veneer? Or perhaps I lost my shine long ago.
NZ Herald continues with its recent form of ludicrously overstated stories:
Startling front page headline of the printed version “Cow hits Car”
First sentence of actual story “A Dunedin driver who smashed into a cow”
alternate headline:..’jersey punches out volvo’..
Lack of steering sees steer staring at stairway to heaven?
Nice one.
Questions For Oral Answer July 1
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/about-parliament/see-hear/ptv
answer to number 10 will be interesting
none of it was ‘interesting’..
..it was all just national cracking weak moa-jokes..
..one of the worst i have seen..and i’ve seen some bad ones..
did smith not wonder why the greens want to save dolphins in hawaii?
i couldn’t hear him for the moa-jokes..
Good to see the web version of Aljazeera reporting on:
“New Zealand Opposition Takeover National Party Hashtag”
http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201406301922-0023887
(You have to scroll down to get to the good bits.)
Door knocking in Red Areas in Hutt South.
Hi I’m from The National Party.
Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? Will that help?
A. Yeah!!
Do you like that idea from John Key?
A . Yeah Too right.
Do you think John Key is doing a good job?
A. Sort of.
Do you think Labour/ Greens NZF and Hone Harawira would be a great government?
A. No way.
So will you consider voting National and John Key for Prime Minister in September.
A Probably.
Thanks
My prognosis: Took one look at you and lied to get rid of you
if it ever happened that way.
I liked the cult of personality, though – three mentions of John Key, only opening and closing with “National” to try and do a bit of positive association.
How was Chris? Did he offer you a cuppa?
🙂
Given you’re a proven liar, I suspect the real transcript is more like this:
Door knocking in Red Areas in Hutt South (ie all of Hutt South, except Bob Jones’s place).
Hi I’m from The National Party.
A: Oh, really? Are you lost?
Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? Will that help?
A: Yeah, well it would have helped, six years ago.
Do you like that idea from John Key?
A: I liked that idea when it was from the Greens and Labour, six years ago.
Do you think John Key is doing a good job?
A: Sort of. But I don’t know what that job is. Do you?
Do you think Labour/ Greens NZF and Hone Harawira would be a great government?
A: Great? They’d be awesome!
So will you consider voting National and John Key for Prime Minister in September?
A: Probably. For about a micro second.
Thanks.
A: Fuck off.
lol…cat laughed too!
Cheers, Chooky. Fish in barrel etc.
Do you give away free cigarettes to those promising to vote National…
Considering the size of Trev’s majority in Hutt South you would be scratching to know which is a red or blue ‘area’ in that electorate,
Considering your previous trail of elongated bullshit i would have to consider this is simply part of the toilet paper trail…
Hutt South’s like Mana – some striking social contrast – Deep Red territory next to Deep Blue territory. Now that Naenae’s headed off to the Hipster’s Rimutaka, I’d say Wainui would be the major Red stronghold. Along with Moera (though that, too, may have moved to Rimutaka, not sure). Hutt Central, Boulcott and, above all, Woburn are the deepest Blue suburbs (as blue as a new tatoo). Increasingly gentrified Petone (once as Red as a Railway Shed back in mid-20th Century) is now pale Orange, as are one or two other formerly Blood Red areas.
have you thought of offering oral-sex..?
..a blow-vote..?..as it were..?
did you tell them you were recording the conversation?
Door knocking in Red Areas in Hutt South.
A. Of course. Was that policy copied from the progressive parties?
A . I like the idea but I think Key and National are thieves of policies of other parties for votes though it is against their RWNjob agenda..
A. Yes, primarily for the wealthy, the privileged and the powerful.
A. You bet! Those leaders have more sense, integrity, care, conscience, fairness and concern than any of your rich bastards in National or Act can ever have.
A. You have the bloody cheek! Bugger off, fool.
*Thanks
A : You are welcome. The whole lot of you may be going to hell when you reach the Pearly gates! Sorry about that. Take that as a warning,dude. It isn’t too late to get out of the dark side. See ya!
Lol…like it!
” Hi I’m from The National Party. Did you know we have brought in free doctors visits for children under 13 and free prescriptions? ”
Unfortunately this won’t happen until July 2015 so if your child is between 5 and 13 and falls ill before then and you can’t afford to pay, then …….
If #teamgetlostkey had truly cared they would have brought this in today. Now some children may really suffer. How can such a cynical and profit driven group of so called humans have been given the mandate to run this country.What is wrong with us?
..+ 1
..i hope labour is promising to do better than that..
..and a.s.a.p. after the election..as possible..
@ fishyanis
you never knocked on a door in your life.
you are just a liar.
Perhaps John Key might need to spend a little more time in his own Helensville electorate?
I hear that’s he’s not there much – seems he spends lots of time in Wellington and overseas looking after the interests of his corporate and U$A bankster mates?
Will John Key stand down as Leader of the National Party, if Public Watchdog Penny Bright beats him for the Helensville electorate vote?
Quite simply – why would the voting public of Helensville waste their electorate vote on John Key. when he’ll be Number One on National’s Party List, and get in anyway?
If Helensville folk vote STRATEGICALLY , and electorate vote ‘Public Watchdog’ Penny Bright for Helensville, they can get ‘two for one’ – sort of thing…..
A proven, hardworking, effective advocate for the 99% PM – Penelope Mary Bright, vs a proven, hardworking advocate for the `1% – PM John Key.
Want some evidence to support this?
Try this: (for starters ….)
What more do you expect from the ‘poodle from Wall St’ John Key, who is STILL a shareholder in the Bank of America?
NZ MPs ‘Register of Financial Interests’ )just downloaded today):
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20141/2e04287ad20ee5da12a308149e59bb16d7f47ce5
(Pg 30)
Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
Little Nell – property investment, Aspen, Colorado
Bank of America – banking
4 Beneficial interests in, and trusteeships of, trusts
JP & BI Key Family Trust
Aldgate Trust (blind trust)
(Scroll down and watch the news clip – May 2010 about John Key’s ‘insider trading in Tranz Rail’ and his not-so-blind trusts?)
https://plus.google.com/107879574662689768068/posts/CGQpVTbDorP
Cheers!
Penny Bright
(Evidence of ‘working for the 99%’ as one of two successful Appellants in the Occupy Auckland Appeal.)
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OCCUPY-AUCKLAND-APPEAL-APPLICATION-BY-APPELLANT-BRIGHT-TO-ADDUCE-NEW-EVIDENCE-pdf.pdf
http://www.dodgyjohnHASgone.com
Next – ‘shonky’ John Key?
(Meant of course in a caring way …… 🙂
Penny when you pay your rates, and show some common sense, you will have more credibility.
Banking is not evil. Neither is holding shares in banks. If you are a Kiwisaver member you probably hold Bank of America stock.
Srylands, please provide evidence that all of your bills are paid.
p.s. “There Is No Alternative” to your credibility remaining sub-zero.
slylands please provide evidence you are a real person.
Penny commands a lot more respect than right wing folk who can only add snide insults to this blog.
No, that would be the psychopathic banksters.
She does, you don’t.
+100…GO Penny!…Go GIRL!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11285543
Surely he meant to add ‘in New Zealand’ to that statement? Or is it yet another disgustingly ignorant example of how the impact of this event upon the victim is never considered by those in power?
Further to a comment on Israel-Palestine I put on yesterday, to round the picture out I should add:
It is possible Israel could strike harder in Gaza, which has been tense throughout the kidnapping drama as militants fired rockets at southern Israel and Israel responded with airstrikes. On Monday night there were reports that the Israeli Air Force was in the skies above Gaza.
Palestinians don’t get far with peace talks, likewise Israelis. Someone always manages to put a spanner in the works. Perhaps the status quo suits some bodies.
Never in the dangerous fray himself , a master of bureaucratic manipulation and intrigue, in love to a fault with secrecy, willing to undertake any crime under the sun so long as it leads to profit, deeply relishing every moment of evil he is able to engineer, and a master of masking it all through adroit, politically-attuned public relations aimed at people too stupid to question him — all while paying absolutely no attention to what his past clearly demonstrates he has done, thus thoroughly frustrating the decent folks all around him.
Is this Key,Cunliffe,Cheney or Leopold?.
Perfect description of my younger brother when we were four and five….
bad12
LOL But who is Ronnie Chow referring to? Is there a prize? I hope I know the answer.
Lolz Ronnie is my new ”guru” His word (a gender assumption there),must remain unquestioned…
Traditionally,once upon a time, Labour used to be the party that would be prepared to stand up for the poor, and any other people not getting a fair deal.It was a party, who’s politicians would get out there in among the people,seeking to find evidence of any people not getting a fair deal.
There is many people not getting a fair deal.Even to the extent of beneficiary’s being refused help with very severe dental problems.And so much more
Labour expects to have their people, become prepared to step out to vote for them.But sadly many of their people have lost hope.Many see little good reason, to even care about voting.
Why? would Labour voters, think it worthwhile to bother to step-out to vote for Labour politician’s,when Labour politicians don’t even seem so bothered to be prepared to help publicly highlight the plight of these sorts of people whom are not getting a fair deal under rule of National government
Its getting closer and closer to voting time. And the people that Labour needs to get interested, in getting active involved in voting. Are busy feeling pretty much like they have been totally forgotten
People feeling that way. Are not inclined to think to vote. Because they feel like the games-lost,already. They feel like nobody seems to even care , so then why even bother to vote
Labour needs to be getting out there,busy, tracking these people down. Finding out exactly where they are.Finding out what problems they are dealing with. And then also make it very publicly known (on TV)
Only “then” will Labout voters , start to begin to think like, it really might be very worth while voting.
Because people whom have given up hope, need to be personally reminded,and shown, “how” hope exists. As well as the way forward, so as to go-get help
I’m traditional a Labour voter. I’ve always voted Labour.
But to be honest, i’m starting to feel mighty embarrassed .That it seems like these Labour politicians, are not even so-bothered, to care to make the “most mileage”,out of their peoples problems and misery
Why? would they expect to have their people bothered with stepping-up to vote for them
And i raised my weeping eyes to toward the stars and other celestial bodies and cried, why, why, oh why please tell me why oh why, befor breaking out in a fit of the giggles about planning to vote InternetMana…
@ pete..
..+ 1..
..well-said/summarised…
what a load of crap.
join the party if you are that concerned.
get some input into policy.
tell people what they can do to make things better.
stop this whining that is little better than national party whingeing dressed up to look like something else.
begone foul spirit.
dimebag russell says : “what a load of crap.
join the party if you are that concerned.”
What a stupid idea.
If our doctors were not doing their job. Dimebag russells best answer, would be to suggest that maybe the sick people, should need to study to become doctors themselves
The national party is not whining .They have little need to whine.The way things are going, they will very likely win the next election.
I know of plenty of people, from last elections, whom might have voted Labour. But they said they didn’t feel it was worth while. This will happen again this election. Especially when we have people like dimebag russell, demanding these folk, all need to join the party, train to become politicians
Its the politicians job to let these people know,why its worthwhile to vote. Its not my job.Hell people like me don’t even have the wherewithal ,to go get in touch with these sorts of people personally
Only an ignorant idiot would think it was the voters job, to get out and go drum-up voting-interest
If these are the sorts of people, behind the labour party. Then little wonder so many folks done see it as even worthwhile voting for Labour
Not really a stupid idea at all Pete, a political party is reflective of those who are its members, that is where the policies of the party are formed,
If you choose to sit on the sidelines never becoming involved then you have to accept that how a party looks at those they may want to help, but, have little actual experience of what they experience as a real life situation will be delivered via the real life experiences of those in the party, and, the party as all organisms are inclined to do will serve its members first…
bad12 ,yes i agree its a great idea, except for it not always being possible, “for everyone”, to have time left,in which to get personally involved, in the way that dimebag suggested.
Its easy to fob someone off, by just saying that they should decide to get involved themselves, if they feel there is a real problem.So be it , if people here decide to simply dismiss what ive said.
But this still doesn’t disprove the possibility that a problem may indeed exist.And there must be some good reason why Labour voters don’t care to vote. Labour voters are not the same as National voters. Labour voters are more in need of “being led” to believe their is in fact hope. And they are less likely to believe there might be hope , if they are “feeling” forgotten , and worthless
Do you? deny that many people within NZ, are not getting a very fair deal.
If you don’t deny it. Then please explain to me, why it is,that we are not seeing evidence of it,being display widely on the media,for all the general public to see.Especially when its only months away, from an election. An election, that the Labour party is still not looking so very much like winning
Are they hoping? to be able to lose the election, once again
Labour voters need to be “led to believe” , that voting is indeed worthwhile. For too many of them, are the kind of people, whom have given up hope
Labour voters want to vote for a Labour Party. If they cannot see an actual Labour Party around they will not vote.
Hence the results of that recent poll showing support falling away from Labour, but not going to any other party, simply going into undecided instead. If Labour gave those people real red reasons to vote, they would be back in a flash.
By the way I calculated today that under Labour’s scheme I’m basically going to get my Super at about 66.8 years of age, while most MPs in Parliament voting for it will happily get theirs at 65. Plus of course their very generous Parliamentary retirement plans. Also known as the baby boomer generation voting solely for their own interests, again.
And of course we can’t afford super going into the future, but Labour is happy to speculate that we will be able to afford tax cuts in their second term.
WTF.
Pete, not fucking likely, that i am going to sit here and provide you with such explanations as you demand,
You only have to read the pages of the Standard to find the answers to your questions,and, as far as me personally providing any answers to you on/about the Labour Party, forget that too as i have not been a member of that Party for so many years i forget when my membership lapsed…
blah blah blah.
take ya stuff with ya and dont come back.
Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively impose domination over others.
yes thats right roniie and that is what the national party are good at..
but mainly taking peoples money off them.
they too squeamish to do the dirty work themselves and people going missing are to ohard to hide in this country.
they are evil malignant spirits and they need exorcising.
great doco on maori tv @ 8.30..’fog of war’..
Just watched the ending of that. Mcnamara was a car company accountant and look where he ended up? But I have to say that I was not impressed by Stacy Daniels on ‘Media Take’ straight after. I have to tell her that neither Carol Hirschfiled, Judy Bailley and Wendie Petrie are my mother and nor are they in any way the mother of the nation. If you believe this media nonsense then you have been suckered into a false consciousness that is very dangerous to cleave to. Their jobs are to put a nice face onto the crap that comes between selling soap and other false promises. They are talking heads and thats all.
@ Dimebag
+1
Dimebag, i had to resist the urge not to use douchebag here, the name is Stacey Morrison thanks, at least get something right,
Outstanding example of doublespeak and UK nuclear weapons in the mainstream media
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/01/trident-nuclear-missile-renewal-study
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