I cannot help but be disgusted at people who plump for the Chinese takeover of this country. IMO they are no better than those in Europe who collaborated with the Nazi occupiers.
Says someone who would wave their little Chinese flag when the PLA marches up Queen St, along with O’Sullivan, Farrar, Slater, Williams, Hosking and co.
Deng Xiao-peng (the man who I regard as the most influential figure over the past 40 years), said that ‘to get rich is glorious’. Meaning that the Chinese put the making of money over all else. Why else do you think there are no enviromental or labour laws in China?
And what would you do, enlist and fight to save NZ? I bet not.
The history of world is countries being taken over, via military means, economic means and in some cases by invitaion
Its interesting to note that this very country was taken over (but I’m guessing you think thats ok) but you keep warning us against the yellow peril millsy
+100 millsy…”Chinese put the making of money over all else. Why else do you think there are no enviromental or labour laws in China?”…I am afraid that this is the case….Look no further than the trashing of Tibet
The argument seems to be the Chinese can help provide a distribution network, thus generate further growth. Overlooking that a 50% share of the returns will then go to the Chinese, reducing local return from any new growth.
Moreover, ignoring the potential the NZ company has to generate its own growth and secure a contract with a major Chinese distributor. Ensuring the benefits of new growth remains in local hands. Not to mention maintaining full company control.
Know how the ‘money guys’ of this country took the monies we generated and ‘pissed it up the wall’ in a manner of speaking…took it and pumped it into various overseas ‘casino’ type investments, or funneled all the profit streams to their banking mates overseas? And know how most everyone still gets up in the morning and bends over or kneels down for those same guys before they rush out to ‘make a buck’?
I think your ire is seriously misplaced.
If money is needed because NZ set itself up as a fucking toilet cistern that flushed everything away to elsewhere, then where the fuck do you think the money is going to come from if not from elsewhere?
If you’re going to be angry (and I see no reason why you shouldn’t be) then at least be angry at the right people…the ones who have gouged and who continue to gouge this country for all it’s worth.
I get the feeling that the company has been purposely run into the red to justify the merger with Shanghai Maling. There seems to be quite a disconnection between the board in their nice new corporate offices (in the custom refurbished chief main post office) and the farmer cooperative shareholders. The pressure is definitely now on to get the early votes before any counteroffer can emerge:
Silver Fern Farms could be facing insolvency if shareholders do not approve a 50:50 joint venture with Chinese company Shanghai Maling.
Voting has opened on the proposal before a meeting of shareholders at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium on October 16…
The company had carried excessive debt for many years, creating a financial constraint on the operations of the business.
While debt had been reduced significantly over the last two years and was expected to be about $140million to $160million at the end of September, that was considered to be still too high.
Due to the highly seasonal nature of the business, there was a very significant investment in net working capital through the season. Depending on the season, that would normally result in peak debt levels up to $200million higher than opening debt.
New Zealand farmers have had plenty of chances to get local coalitions together.
They are just freaking lucky Shanghai Mailing isn’t asking for a whole bunch more than 50% control, given the dump trucks of cash they are about to roll in to Silver Fern’s Dunedin headquarters.
It’s a nice little schadenfreude for all the 19th century Chinese gold miners in Otago who were treated so badly.
I get a little melancholic over foreign ownership, particularly when there is Ngai Tahu and plenty of old Otago money that could have had a crack at it.
Coulda-woulda-shoulda.
After the melancholy, I remember the political track record of cattle farmers in New Zealand, and it kind of passes.
There have been attempts, but getting the board to go along with it is the problem (from The Chairman’s link above):
Previous reports of an offer by agribusinessman John Rodwell said he had put together a group of New Zealand interests that had offered to put up $40 million for a key stake in Silver Fern Farms (SFF).
SFF chairman Rob Hewett said at the time the Shanghai Maling offer was made public that the Rodwell offer was a significant amount of money but “wasn’t as good [as Shanghai Maling] and didn’t have banking support at this stage”.
Fellow meat processor and co-operative Alliance Group said it had also submitted a bid which was rejected.
Cochrane said shareholders and SFF itself should call the banking consortium’s bluff over calling in its contracts…
“SFF is not only bankable but provides a genuinely attractive investment proposition. “Why else are foreign investors seeking control?” Cochrane asked.
SFF’s year end debt of $140m represented only 20 per cent of total assets as opposed to 46 per cent two years previous when the debt was over $300m.
… And behind that the members of the Board, whom the Meat Industry Excellence group have tried valiantly to stack, and the vacillating voting supplier farmers.
As for the Alliance proposal, why the hell the government could not see how close this was to the dairy industry in the early 2000’s prior to the legislated amalgamation into Fonterra. Same for Zespri. Form locally owned entities in the broader interests of New Zealand. Government inaction here is so ridiculous.
If you are wondering why the general public is so uninformed and consumer focused here is a sample of Granddaddy Herald news – (note the online main article about the mega mall is even recycled from a couple of weeks ago! I guess with the Herald redundancies they just have 1 well connected Nat supporting Journo to recycle advertisements and rebundle them into advertorials)
Mega mall opens today
Naholo has teammates scrambling
Big Wednesday: 209 lucky winners
Apology over parking tickets
Singer begs NZ ‘Beliebers’ for privacy
Foreign policy
Foreign Minister Murray McCully blasts Security Council impotence
Nothing about Dotcom case or TPPA legal challenge that I can see.
You’re right. The Heralds getting worse. Todays paper is also blatantly pushing an Albany retirement village in an advertorial amongst the news that celebrates International day of older persons.
“It’s like living in Club Med or on a cruise ship every day,” coos the paper.
I get enough of that in the free midweek rag that I wrap the rubbish in without getting it in the Herald.
Damn semantics if it was not for the actual meaning of words someone could say something and some one else say they said something completely different.
I am sure she and her good friend John have had a chat. Likewise she is no fool and understands how trade deal negotiations work, the benefits there of, as does labour. She only has the benefit of not having to play silly politics to keep the standards readers happy in her statements
Probably all those people who have vigorously defended this agreement for many months and attacked anyone against it. If they truly looked at deals based on face value they could have stayed quiet until the deal is on the table.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
“No she didn’t. She said “So of course New Zealand has to be in on the action with a [TPPA] and go for the very best deal it can.””
Nice selective quoting, What she actually said was:
“What always haunts one as the New Zealand Prime Minister is ‘will there be a series of trade blocks you’re not part of?’. Because that’s unthinkable for New Zealand, an exporter and small trading nation. So of course New Zealand has to be in on the action with the TPP and go for the very best deal it can.”
I’d hardly expect Helen Clark, given her current position in the UN, to speak out against the NZ Government’s position on the TPPA.
Also, given that she was a proponent of free trade (eg – China, and trying to open discussions with the USA ) and seeing as how she has never, not to my knowledge, changed her position on free trade, then I’d guess she might do no more than harbour private concerns about the government’s ‘game plan’.
But sure, carry on with the tribal spear throwing…
She had a knack with TV reporters of thinking quickly while speaking slowly and very succinctly. I think she scared them more than Key does. Like Muldoon. And it worked. Key charms them. And it works. Labour’s leaders struggle with who to emulate I suspect.
I hope that the Green MPs, and their supporters, are feeling embarrassed when they read this story in the Dom/Post this morning. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/72564945/super-fund-and-infratil-set-to-make-400pc-return-on-z-energy-stake
If it is accurate we must be truly grateful that they, and their fellow idiots in the Labour Party had no influence on the New Superannuation funds policies in the last few years. Adopting the “no investment in fossil fuels” strategy as advocated by Russel Norman would have cost the fund about $3 million per day if this story is correct.
I trust all those who supported the Green view will now apologise.
NZSuper Fund has found plenty of other ways to make landfills full of cash other than fossil fuels for quite some time. If the Greens were in power and retooled the NZSuper governing legislation for that criteria, the world would not end.
How much will it cost the planet – and your grandchildren?
But you don’t give a shit about that so I don’t expect you have ever thought about it – just so long as no 1 is ok!
“I trust all those who supported the Green view will now apologise.”
Why? Their view is that fossil fuel divestment is critical to minimise AGW damage and all that that entails, and that this outweighs making shitloads of money.
I trust now you will apologise to everyone’s grandchildren.
Where is the coverage of the Kim Dotcom extradition case? now we are in court i notice all his cheerleaders here and on the daily blog are awfully silent. Is it because the fat german isn’t what he made himself out to be and everyone rushed to friend him as he was against John Key?
The left feting and promoting KDC and making the pilgrimage to Mecca (sorry) the pilgrimage to Coatsville told enough of the voters all they needed to know and they voted accordingly
Or to put it a little more accurately you could start by saying that
“Russel Norman claims that he” etc, etc.
Still, I suppose we should simply accept that Russel is a politician and like all of them he would say anything he thought he could get away with.
Rather like Corbyn in a way. There is a story in the Dom/Post today. It is on page B1 but I can’t find it on-line. Apparently in his speech to the Party Conference big sections were lifted from a speech originally written by a free-lancer in the 1980’s and which has been offered to every Labour leader since. They all declined to use it.
Corbyn’s spokesman originally denied the source of the material and claimed similarities were “pure coincidence” Finally he had to admit that his team had spoken to the original author.
Why do left leaders feel the need to lie as a first option about things that really don’t matter?
Alwyn, I know that you work for Crosby Textor* and they don’t have to pay you particularly well because you are an ideological willing worker. So of course you are going to tell lies about politics and do so in a creepy smeary way rather than just coming out with it and saying you hate the GP.
*see how that works? Smear, smear.
I don’t believe all politicians lie, so am happy to judge each on their behaviour. Norman has no reason to lie in that situation and his account is entirely plausible so I’m happy enough to go with his version.
“I discovered for the first time that Corbyn had used the passage almost exactly in the form I offered it to him (and others). I also discovered that some British media were suggesting that his use was unauthorised. This is quite untrue. I am delighted that the passage has been used, and am sorry that a spurious story might detract from its message. I have many disagreements with Corbyn, but I now have to admire his rhetorical judgment. On the issues where I agree with him, particularly on fundamental values of his party and mine, he is welcome to call on me for other uplifting and memorable tropes.“
I wasn’t aware that a paper, or papers was claiming that Corbyn didn’t have permission to use the material. That isn’t really relevant though is it?
Corbyn’s problem is that his spokesman’s first reaction seems to have been to deny that it was written by someone else and wasn’t directly written by Corbyn. He claimed that the same words being used was “pure coincidence”. Then he was forced to back-down and admit that they had spoken to the original author and that the words did come from Heller. If the spokesman didn’t know, which is possible but seems unlikely, he could simply have said something like “I don’t know where the original material came from. I’ll find out.” Then he could say later that it came unsolicited from Heller and that Corbyn liked it, or something like that.
It is the original denial that becomes the story. If they had started by saying that the ideas had come from Heller in the first place there would have been no story would there? It was lying about it and then having to admit to the lie that caused all the problem.
I was providing background for those who might not have known what you were talking about.
As I understand it, the article reprinted in The Press/Dom Post was from the Daily Telegraph, wasn’t it? Something about another faux pas in a beleaguered leadership?
Why are you so quick to call it a ‘lie’? You yourself provide a quite believable account of how it could have been a minor error on the part of a spokesman.
Haven’t ‘lefties’ here been accused of wrongly calling Key himself (much less one of his spokespeople) a liar despite having much stronger grounds for the claim than is present here?
Labour MP Clare Curran, who hails from the Deep South, was at Dotcom’s Coatesville estate “at least twice, and once with a large suitcase”, a source said. She caught a taxi once and was chauffeured another time. But why the baggage?
Curran confirmed she did go to the mansion twice, but can’t recall travelling heavy.
“I was probably on my way to or from home,” she told The Diary.
Theres probably more that managed to fly under the radar
Pretty sure the Right have had more people at (and surrounding) Coatseville than the Left.
Everything Key says is not true PR, and his laughing jibes about all of the left and KDC are patently false. Even on this site the left and the left have attacked each other over KDC damage tot he election.
Yes I wasn’t clear enough, there are some on the left with integrity and principles and they did say, prior to the election, that KDC wasn’t going to help the left and good on them for saying that (you know who you are) but sadly they’re in the minority
Plus this yesterday on NRT, and reposted on this very site:
Kim Dotcom’s extradition hearing is currently underway, and it appears to have hit a hurdle: the government can’t find key documentation… A key question in extradition hearings is whether the supporting documents have been produced to the court. The fact that they can’t do that (and apparently failed to follow due process in briefing the Minister, creating instant grounds for judicial review) makes them look like a bunch of muppets.
I wouldn’t worry about it too much Chooky, KDC will eventually get his day in court (american court that is) where he’ll be finally be able to prove the veracity of his claims
You mean apart from comment sin Open Mike and other places? Oh and the entire post about the stuff up the MOJ has made of the warrant and other paperwork?
IF the MSM is quiet, you might want to ask yourself why.
“The key difference between the Russian and Western campaigns in Syria is that Moscow has been asked for help Damascus officially, unlike the US who “neither waited for the Syrian government to ask for help, nor had a mandate from the UN,” experts say.
‘Washington gives tacit support’
“US’ “tacit support” for the Russian operation is a major change to its previous stance, and the reason is that “the Western bombing of Islamic State has been a complete failure,” says John Laughland, Director of Studies, Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris.
“We know that Washington and Moscow are cooperating and that Washington is giving tacit support. It’s precisely the result of the meeting that occurred in the UN building between presidents Putin and Obama. Moscow would inform Washington about its airstrikes in order to prevent any kind of accidents, any kind of conflict breaking out,” he said….
What else would you expect from her – she is as wedded to the FTA’s as Grocer and equally misguided. Who was it that pushed through our disastrous FTA with China? And where are we now? Billions in debt. Unemployment around 6% and no sign of reducing, 25% of youth under and unemployed. 25% of our children living in poverty, underfunding of health and record numbers of people living on the streets or in shoddy housing. All the result of exporting jobs overseas and importing crap from off shore. FTA’s are so good for us arn’t they.
The thing is tho Draco – it’s not even a level playing field. NZ has to be the most naive of all nations when it comes to opening our borders to all manner of crap. And the amazing thing is – after 30 years of this idiocy – will still expect other countries to do the same as us! Here we think we have this amazing deal with China when we can export unsawn logs and get wine bottles in return! We can’t export sawn timber – China won’t allow that – they want the jobs of saw milling for themselves. Similarly with almost every other product. We allow carte blanche the importation of almost every imaginable product thereby under cutting almost all of our productive capacity – in the hope that we can export the unprocessed product of of our agriculture, fisheries and forestry.This is the only “economic” plan that NZ has had since 1984. And we wonder why our economy is so sick.
I know I’m preaching to the converted here – you understand this as well if not better than I. But we – u and me and the others on here have to keep repeating this theme because it is only when the penny finally drops with those wedded to the “conventional wisdom” will we ever be able to move ahead as a country
The image was used as an visual affect. The fact that it was a stillborn is largely irrelevant as the image of an aborted child (in the context of discussion) would have been similar.
However, they should have foreseen this type of attack, thus used real footage.
Did it occur to you than an abortion in those circumstances (late term, 20+ weeks) would be more likely because of medical necessity than an unwanted pregnancy?
Interesting stat on infoshare: 67 out of 13,000 abortions occurred after the twentieth week of gestation.
The image was used “as visual effect” in order to misrepresent the issue of abortion.
The image was used as an visual affect. The fact that it was a stillborn is largely irrelevant as the image of an aborted child (in the context of the discussion) would have been similar.
What’s so hard to understand about that?
If the visual affect is the same, where is the manipulation?
In the visual context (with the two being the same) it is irrelevant.
You (by highlighting this allegation) are attempting to take it out of that context.
Moreover, It’s rather ironic seeing you attempting to get upon a high horse defending an organization that’s accused of profiting from the sale of body parts.
A near-term still-birth is not anatomically (let alone “visually”) “the same” as 99.5% of abortions, and the abortions that might look the same probably took place as a result of a medical emergency in order to save a life that actually exists, rather than one that potentially, in your imagination, might exist.
the only thing that the two foetuses necessarily have in common is that neither is ever going to be a living human being, and even a healthy foetus is not viable at that stage.
In addition to the differences in mode of leaving the woman’s body, your assumption is that serious developmental differences were not the reason for the fact of the stillbirth or the need for the medical procedure of abortion.
Would you prefer “an organisation with leaders closely connected to a terrorist organisation” as a more accurate description? It doesn’t really improve their reputation.
The phone number for Operation Rescue’s senior policy advisor, Cheryl Sullenger, was found on the dashboard of Scott Roeder’s car.[32] At first Sullenger, who was convicted for conspiring to blow up a California abortion clinic in 1988, denied any contact with him, saying that her phone number is freely available online. Then, she revised her statements, indicating that she informed Scott Roeder of where Dr Tiller would be at specific times[…]
That’s not a smear, that’s a pretty solid connection.
By the State (Government) and related authorities.
Organizations as such tend to attract the odd extremist. They can’t be held accountable for the individual actions of a few nutters.
When you’ve got something showing they have been convicted of terrorism (or are officially declared terrorist) then you’ll have something of substance. But for now, you’re still attempting to smear by association.
Again, when you’ve got something showing they have been convicted of terrorism (or are officially declared terrorist) then you’ll have something of substance.
Er, wouldn’t the people who might “officially declare” them a terrorist organisation be the same “State (Government) and related authorities” you dismiss as unreliable in the very same comment?
That you’re citing rabid hate machine the Alliance Defending Freedom makes me think you should fuck off back to where you belong.
Partnered with more than 300 like-minded institutions, including the Federalist Society, the Home School Legal Defense Association, the rabidly anti-LGBT Pacific Justice Institute, the Thomas More Law Center, anti-gay hate group the Family Research Council, the Heritage Foundation, and the now-defunct “ex-gay” organization Exodus International.
Filed a brief supporting statutory bans on gay sex in Lawrence v. Texas, the 2003 case in which the Supreme Court ultimately found state anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional.
Opposed anti-bullying efforts in public schools, calling for exceptions for speech or actions based on religious views and decrying “tolerance training” and “special protection” for LGBT students.
Created its own “Day of Truth” to combat the Day of Silence, which commemorates LGBT victims of bullying, harassment, and violence.
Crusaded against a gay-inclusive Boy Scouts of America, calling the BSA’s decision to allow gay scouts an assault on “freedom” and working with churches that sponsor scout troops to work around the new membership policy.
Offered free representation to Iowa county recorders who refused to provide same-sex couples with marriage licenses.
Dispatched chief counsel Benjamin Bull to Russia to meet with Yelena Mizulina, the legislative leader of that country’s crackdown on LGBT people.
Represented 18 plaintiffs challenging the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that for-profit employers cover contraception at no additional cost to employees.
[lprent: Please be a little more careful when you paste crap HTML into our pages. It “FUBAR’ed” the page because
1. you put in li tags without an enclosing ul or ol
2. you started with a i tag and didn’t close it (besides you should have used blockquote and /blockquote)
I manually fixed it. But this isn’t something that I plan to make a career of. ]
One can only assume you have nothing credible to put forward.
*sniff*
joe90 …
30 August 2015 at 10:17 am
Planned Parenthood commissioned an independent review of the videos and the conclusion – yet another dishonest smear campaign waged by unhinged, deceptive anti-choice arseholes.
A thorough review of these videos in consultation with qualified experts found that they do not present a complete or accurate record of the events they purport to depict.
Each release by CMP contained a short edited video, between eight and fifteen minutes in length, that intercuts clips from the undercover recordings with other content, and a “full footage” video that claims to provide the raw, unedited footage of each interview. A video forensics expert, a television producer, an independent transcription agency, and Fusion GPS staff reviewed this material. While these analysts found no evidence that CMP inserted dialogue not spoken by Planned Parenthood staff, their review did conclude that CMP edited content out of the alleged “full footage” videos, and heavily edited the short videos so as to misrepresent statements made by Planned Parenthood representatives. In addition, the CMP transcript for the “full footage” video shot at Planned Parenthood’s Gulf Coast facility in Texas differs substantially from the content of the tape.
At this point, it is impossible to characterize the extent to which CMP’s undisclosed edits and cuts distort the meaning of the encounters the videos purport to document. However, the manipulation of the videos does mean they have no evidentiary value in a legal context and cannot be relied upon for any official inquiries unless supplemented by CMP’s original material and forensic authentication that this material is supplied in unaltered form. The videos also lack credibility as journalistic products.
URGENT! TPPA – WALK AWAY! PROTEST! TODAY 1 October 2015
Focus – John Key / shareholder in Bank of America!
Have new petition focused on John Key + plenty of TPPA leaflets!
Plus banners / placards / John Key / Tim Groser masks / street theatre!
WHEN: Today 1 October 2015
TIME: 3 – 5.30pm
WHERE: Outside Auckland University
Symonds St / Grafton Rd intersection
_____________________________________________________
WORDING OF NEW PETITION:
To Prime Minister John Key
MP for Helensville
We, the undersigned:
Are deeply concerned that as a key advocate for the ‘Trans-PacificPartnership Agreement’ (TPPA), you are a shareholder in the Bank of America, as detailed in the 2015 MPs Register of Financial Interests: (Pg 29)
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
………………………………………….
Bank of America – banking”
We see this as a serious ‘conflict of interest’, given that big banks like the Bank of America, stand to benefit, and profit from this pro-corporate TPPA.
If this National Government, which you lead, does not ‘walk away’ from the secretive, undemocratic, ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement’ (TPPA), then we pledge to campaign vigorously amongst our friends, families, neighbours and workmates, for the voting public to ‘walk away’ from National.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
……
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
‘Open Letter’ to Auckland Mayor and Councillors / ALL MPs / Media:
“Please provide evidence proving that I have ever stated anything that was factually inaccurate, concerning Auckland Council, or Auckland Council CCOs.”
Kind regards
Penny Bright
…………………..
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
Oh come on you know key is just a little puppy who is addicted to pats ,he’ll try and please any one who is vocal enough.
I suspect he’s got father issues.
When Oz signed a FTA with China – they retained their right to block foreign buying of property and they got a better deal on dairy than we did.
When we signed one, we gave Chinese the same rights to invest here as those in Oz, and that included property ownership.
Our negotiators are second rate.
But what could we expect we gave the world free trade for nothing, all we have left to give is governance sovereignty.
Back in the 80’s the left of the Labour caucus took pineapple lumps (nuclear free status) and gave away the economy to the free market. A position on Cabinet and a chance to be leader by adhering to the deal. Once one learns that the climb up the ladder is enabled by betraying those below, there is no position that is then out of reach.
When did Jim Mora and co EVER discuss the TPPA seriously? The Panel, Radio NZ National, Thursday 1 October 2015
Jim Mora, Beck Eleven, Kevin Milne
After noting that the old trougher Helen Clark has undermined the Labour Party by backing the TPPA [1], host Jim Mora then said: “We’re not having another big discussion about the TPPA now…”
“Another big discussion”? I would appreciate it if someone tell us when Mora’s light chat show dealt with the TPPA in more than a perfunctory, scoffing fashion, leave alone any “big discussion”.
The only topics that Mora—or more likely, Richard Griffin—deals with in any depth are coffee, football and vexillology.
Mora’s appalling panel discuss declining ratings on TV3 without even mentioning the boycott of the channel after the political axing of Campbell Live.
Self censorship or total ignorance by the woeful panel.
Mora must have self censored.
His Tory bones doesn’t allow debate of topics that question his comfortable life.
Well spotted Paul. But why did neither Beck Eleven nor Kevin Milne dare to mention it? My bet is that they know that “management”, i.e. John Key’s man Richard Griffin, would not approve, so they kept silent.
Mora is on now. No idea what they are saying. It’s just white noise. Regarding Clark. A while ago my husband told me he had been speaking to a Nat. Party stalwart who told him that at a Nat P meeting they were told that according to a local NP mp that NZ would be shocked if they knew how often Clark had flown into NZ to have secret meetings with key. I scorned the idea but am now wondering if there is some truth in it. Also, has she seen the text that is so secret, if so is she happy that the good citizens of NZ are being treated like mushrooms.
Helen Clark’s unwelcome re-entry into New Zealand politics, unsurprisingly endorsing the undemocratic and secretive National government, is a reminder how little serious scrutiny has been carried out on her actions in government. (The foul abuse and ridiculous campaigns by the likes of David Farrar, Whaleoil, Ian Wishart and the rest of the National Party’s foaming right wing army do not qualify as serious.)
Helen comes to NZ quite a few times each year, usually as a leg on one of the enormous trips that her work requires. They are hardly a secret – they show up on facebook. Her husband Peter lives here and so do her parents. I rather suspect that has more to do with it than with anything else. /irony
But being at the UNDP and with NZ trying to get onto the security council (and now on it), it isn’t that surprising that John Key was trying to catch her when she was here.
It is probably like the amount that every kiwi politicians and diplomat going to New York seems to try to get a meeting with her if she is in town. Just like they try to get time with whoever is the ambassador and/or their staff if they get to Washington. It is about getting local information. /sarc
Not everything is about the damn TPPA /irritation
I suspect that when we finally find out what is in the TPPA, it is going to be way worse than expected even two years ago. I’ll disagree with Helen unless I can see a considerable movement from what has been leaked. The problems it is going to cause for the tech export industry alone is going to be immense.
It beggars belief how so many people create false conspiracies about everything Helen does. And she’s always been open about her travels and activities. Since her mother died, she phones her Dad (now in his nineties) every day. She and her husband hook up whenever they can – she comes to NZ whenever she can fit it in… he goes to her in New York 2 or 3 times a year. That’s my understanding anyway.
In other words, her trips to NZ are for personal reasons and have nothing to do with politics. Of course she keeps in touch with friends she made during her political years, but she made it clear from the start of her new career that NZ politics was out of bounds as far as she was concerned. All the indications are: she has kept strictly to that resolution.
Ffloyd, that is mischief-making on the part of the National Party dirty tricks brigade. You know, the one ‘wot John Key knows nuffink about’ even though it was closely linked to his office.
In the last term of the Clark govt. some of the malice ridden fantasies spread around about Helen – and indeed her husband – were utterly grotesque. The worst were by word of mouth because if they had appeared in print, the courts would have been submerged in defamation suits brought by all manner of people.
“I think Story‘s a GREAT show! I think Heather’s doing BRILLIANTLY.”
Kevin Milne’s ludicrously false praise does his reputation no good at all. The Panel, Radio NZ National, Thursday 1 October 2015
Jim Mora, Beck Eleven, Kevin Milne
Since John Key’s man Richard Griffin has obviously forbidden him from dealing with anything “boring” (i.e., serious) during his program, host Jim Mora has to find SOMETHING to talk about each day. So the program is full of chatter, over a bed of endless laughter, about virtually meaningless trivia taken straight off the bottom of the page on Google News.
This afternoon, casting about desperately for something to take up five minutes or so in the last part of the program, Mora noted that Television One’s god-awful Rawdon Christie vehicle, Breakfast, had been canned. This led on to a bit of chat about the (possibly terminal) decline of TV3. Utterly unmemorable, except for this horrible example of misplaced loyalty to a friend by Kevin Milne….
KEVIN MILNE: I think Story‘s a GREAT show! I think Heather’s doing BRILLIANTLY….
As time is almost up, the host utters one of the few straight-up statements he’s made in weeks….
JIM MORA: We’ve got ninety seconds. Now, uh, we can’t speak very usefully about Islamic State….
With the Reserve Bank expected today to return the Official Cash Rate to where it was in mid-2022 comes a measure of how much of a psychological impact the rate has. Federated Farmers has published its latest six-monthly farm confidence survey, which shows that profit expectations have fallen and risen ...
Kiwis Disallowed From Waiting Lists Based on Arbitrary MeasuresWellington hospital are now rejecting patients from specialist waiting lists due to BMI (body mass index).This article from Rachel Thomas for The Post says it all (emphasis mine):A group of Porirua GPs are sounding alarm bells after patients with body mass indexes ...
The Prime Minister says he's really comfortable with us not knowing the reoffending rate for his boot camp programme.They asked him for it at yesterday’s press conference, and he said, nah, not telling, have to respect people's privacy.Okay I'll bite. Let's say they release this information to us:The rate of ...
Warning 1: There is a Nazi theme at the end of this article related to the disabled community. Warning 2: This article could be boring!One day, last year, I excitedly opened up a Substack post that was about how to fight back, and the answer at the end was disappointing ...
This may be rhetorical but here goes: did any of you invest in the $Libra memecoin endorsed and backed by Argentine president and darling of the global Right Javier Milei (who admitted to being paid a fee for his promotion of the token)? You know, the one that soared above ...
Last week various of the great and good of New Zealand economics and public policy trooped off to Hamilton (of all places) for the annual Waikato Economics Forum, one of the successful marketing drives of university’s Vice-Chancellor. My interest was in the speeches delivered by the Minister of Finance and ...
The Prime Minister says the Government would be open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if a ceasefire was reached. The government has announced a $30 million spend on tourism infrastructure and biodiversity projects, including $11m spent to improve popular visitor sites and further $19m towards biodiversity efforts. A New Zealand-born ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler “But what about when the sun doesn't shine?!” Ah yes, the energy debate’s equivalent of “The Earth is flat!” Every time someone mentions solar or wind power, some self-proclaimed energy expert emerges from the woodwork to drop this supposedly devastating truth bomb: ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article I look into data on how well the rail network serve New Zealanders, and how many people might be able to travel by train… if we ran more than a ...
Hi,Before we get into Hayden Donnell’s new column about how yes, Donald Trump is definitely the Antichrist, I wanted to touch on something feral that happened in New Zealand last week.Members of Destiny Church pushed and punched their way into an Auckland library, apparently angry it was part of Pride ...
Despite delays, logjams and overcrowding in our emergency departments, funding constraints are limiting the numbers of nurses and doctors being trained. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, February 18 are:A NZ Herald investigation ...
Now that the US has ripped up the Atlantic alliance, Europe is more vulnerable now than at any time since the mid-1930s. Apparently, Europe and Ukraine itself will not have a seat at the table in the talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin that will ...
Olivia and Noah and Hana are going to the library!It is fun to go to the library. It has books and songs and mat time and people who smile at you and say, Hello Olivia, what have you been doing this morning?The library is more fun than the mall. At ...
New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X ...
“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted ...
In 2005, Labour repealed the long-standing principle of birthright citizenship in Aotearoa. Why? As with everything else Labour does, it all came down to austerity: "foreign mothers" were supposedly "coming to this country to give birth", and this was "put[ting] pressure on hospitals". Then-Immigration Minister George Hawkins explicitly gave this ...
And I just hope that you can forgive usBut everything must goAnd if you need an explanation, nationThen everything must goSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Today, I’d like to talk about a couple of things that happened over the weekend:Brian Tamaki’s Library Invasion and ...
New reporting highlights how Brooke van Velden refuses to meet with the CTU but is happy to meet with fringe Australian-based unions. Van Velden is pursuing reckless changes to undermine the personal grievance system against the advice of her own officials. Engineering New Zealand are saying that hundreds of engineers ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill. This Bill represents a positive step towards addressing serious issues around unlawful disparities in pay by protecting workers’ rights to discuss their pay and conditions. This Bill also provides welcome support for helping tackle the prevalent gender and ...
Years of hard work finally paid off last week as the country’s biggest and most important transport project, the City Rail Link reached a major milestone with the first test train making its way slowly though the tunnels for the first time. This is a fantastic achievement and it is ...
Engineers are pleading for the Government to free up funds to restart stalled projects. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, February 17 are:Engineering New Zealand CEO Richard Templer said yesterday hundreds of ...
It’s one of New Zealand’s great sustaining myths: the spirit of ANZAC, our mates across the ditch, the spirit of Earl’s Court, Antipodeans united against the world. It is also a myth; it is not reality. That much was clear from a series of speakers, including a former Australian Prime ...
Many people have been unsatisfied for years that things have not improved for them, some as individuals, many more however because their families are clearly putting in more work, for less money – and certainly far less purchase on society. This general discontent has grown exponentially since the GFC. ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 9, 2025 thru Sat, February 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
A ballot for a single member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill (Adrian Rurawhe) The bill would extend union rights to employees in triangular relationships, where they are (nominally) employed by one party, but ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
Health NZ is under greater government scrutiny, with the new health minister setting up a unit he says will "drive greater accountability and performance". ...
Manurewa Marae acknowledges should have done better at handling completed census forms, following an inquiry into steps government agencies took to protect data. ...
Comment: Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are making it easier for people to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum without having to handle digital wallets or private keys. These allow investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency through their regular brokerage accounts.This has opened the door for billions of dollars ...
Two long-awaited reports into alleged personal data misuse, centred on census collection and Covid-19 vaccination efforts at Manurewa Marae, were released yesterday. Here’s what you need to know.“Very sobering reading” was how public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche described his organisation’s long-awaited report into the alleged misuse of census ...
Backbench MPs reached new levels of patsy questions in an extraordinarily dull question time on Tuesday. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. “MPs ask questions to explore key issues ...
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The New Zealand Government says the Cook Islands must share more information about the deals it has signed with China, following the release of an ‘action plan’ in the face of protests in the Pacific nation’s capital.The Cook Islands government has also revealed plans to spend $3 million on a ...
Comment: The recent attack by Destiny Church front groups on a Drag science show at Te Atatū library crossed a line. This wasn’t the first time that Brian Tamaki, the multimillionaire self-appointed ‘apostle’, has ordered acts of aggression against the queer community. Last year, Drag Story Time events were targeted, ...
Martina Salmon is well versed in the fast-paced action on a netball court, but even she was caught by surprise with the speed at which her career changed tack last year.Staying in the fast lane is only part of her drive this season.Fresh off a nine-day camp in Sydney with ...
Last night I may as well have been in Taihape. Or, closer to home, for me at least, somewhere in the Wairarapa. Or Tūrangi, even – which is near where we used to spend the summer when I was a child. For there was that same gorgeous small town feeling ...
Having Auckland’s food scraps dumped onto your rural backyard sounds scandalous, but in the North Island town of Reporoa there’s no fuss about the thousands of tonnes carted here every week.From the same site as one truck drops the waste, another truck picks up fertiliser to spread on local sheep ...
Negotiating rights over freshwater in Treaty settlement negotiations could have extended negotiations a decade, a Ngāi Tahu leader says.Tribal leaders, and its umbrella body, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, have taken the Attorney-General to court in a bid to have the Crown recognise its rangatiratanga (chiefly authority) over wai māori ...
Analysis: Poor safeguarding of New Zealanders’ data could be a widespread practice within the public service and certainly within the health system, according to the findings of an independent inquiry into allegations of misused census and Covid-19 vaccination information.The Public Service Commission’s review, led by consultant Pania Gray and former ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Stone, Principal Research Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Having dense breasts is a clear risk factor for breast cancer. It can also make cancers hard to spot on mammograms. Yet you ...
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Farmer John Cochrane said the white knight needed to make his move soon.
“We can’t disclose who it is but whoever it is needs to go public by the end of the week,” Cochrane said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/72560581/new-suitor-claimed-to-be-in-wings-for-silver-ferns-farms
Lot of unpatriotic comments below that article.
I cannot help but be disgusted at people who plump for the Chinese takeover of this country. IMO they are no better than those in Europe who collaborated with the Nazi occupiers.
IMO you don’t know what you’re talking about and are resorting to hyperbole
You seem to have thing about china taking over NZ, its starting to sound a little racist
Says someone who would wave their little Chinese flag when the PLA marches up Queen St, along with O’Sullivan, Farrar, Slater, Williams, Hosking and co.
Deng Xiao-peng (the man who I regard as the most influential figure over the past 40 years), said that ‘to get rich is glorious’. Meaning that the Chinese put the making of money over all else. Why else do you think there are no enviromental or labour laws in China?
Soon they will get rid of them here.
And what would you do, enlist and fight to save NZ? I bet not.
The history of world is countries being taken over, via military means, economic means and in some cases by invitaion
Its interesting to note that this very country was taken over (but I’m guessing you think thats ok) but you keep warning us against the yellow peril millsy
@millsy (1.1.1.1) re your final two sentences re Chinese labour laws, relating to NZ …
We are almost there now!
+100 millsy…”Chinese put the making of money over all else. Why else do you think there are no enviromental or labour laws in China?”…I am afraid that this is the case….Look no further than the trashing of Tibet
http://freetibet.org/about/environment
http://freetibet.org/about/human-rights
http://www.tibet.org/Activism/Rights/chinajustice.html
For heaven’s sake China is a country – we feel the same way about Australia.
I’m sure you do, I’m not so sure Millsy does
The argument seems to be the Chinese can help provide a distribution network, thus generate further growth. Overlooking that a 50% share of the returns will then go to the Chinese, reducing local return from any new growth.
Moreover, ignoring the potential the NZ company has to generate its own growth and secure a contract with a major Chinese distributor. Ensuring the benefits of new growth remains in local hands. Not to mention maintaining full company control.
Know how the ‘money guys’ of this country took the monies we generated and ‘pissed it up the wall’ in a manner of speaking…took it and pumped it into various overseas ‘casino’ type investments, or funneled all the profit streams to their banking mates overseas? And know how most everyone still gets up in the morning and bends over or kneels down for those same guys before they rush out to ‘make a buck’?
I think your ire is seriously misplaced.
If money is needed because NZ set itself up as a fucking toilet cistern that flushed everything away to elsewhere, then where the fuck do you think the money is going to come from if not from elsewhere?
If you’re going to be angry (and I see no reason why you shouldn’t be) then at least be angry at the right people…the ones who have gouged and who continue to gouge this country for all it’s worth.
Why can’t she be aggrieved by the actions of both? In some cases, they’re one and the same.
” IMO they are no better than those in Europe who collaborated with the Nazi occupiers.”
This Chinese Company or the Goverment of China remind you of Nazi Germany?
I get the feeling that the company has been purposely run into the red to justify the merger with Shanghai Maling. There seems to be quite a disconnection between the board in their nice new corporate offices (in the custom refurbished chief main post office) and the farmer cooperative shareholders. The pressure is definitely now on to get the early votes before any counteroffer can emerge:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/business/357776/chinese-deal-vital-sff-says
So really; the base debt is less than the seasonal variation of the business. This all feels like a giant scam.
New Zealand farmers have had plenty of chances to get local coalitions together.
They are just freaking lucky Shanghai Mailing isn’t asking for a whole bunch more than 50% control, given the dump trucks of cash they are about to roll in to Silver Fern’s Dunedin headquarters.
It’s a nice little schadenfreude for all the 19th century Chinese gold miners in Otago who were treated so badly.
To be completely honest when you look at all the options that could possibly come to be, China taking over NZ isn’t so bad
I get a little melancholic over foreign ownership, particularly when there is Ngai Tahu and plenty of old Otago money that could have had a crack at it.
Coulda-woulda-shoulda.
After the melancholy, I remember the political track record of cattle farmers in New Zealand, and it kind of passes.
There has been a number of local offers, but its seems the banks don’t support them.
The Chinese will also be expecting a share of the company’s assets and a return on their money to go with their 50% control.
I think the Chinese have pushed it to limit. Asking for more now would have blown it for them. They’ll be playing the long game.
Ad
There have been attempts, but getting the board to go along with it is the problem (from The Chairman’s link above):
… And behind that the members of the Board, whom the Meat Industry Excellence group have tried valiantly to stack, and the vacillating voting supplier farmers.
As for the Alliance proposal, why the hell the government could not see how close this was to the dairy industry in the early 2000’s prior to the legislated amalgamation into Fonterra. Same for Zespri. Form locally owned entities in the broader interests of New Zealand. Government inaction here is so ridiculous.
@ Pasupial
Apparently, the Chinese offer has banking support.
Wherever there is potential to gain, there is always potential for underhanded behaviour.
However, policing of this in NZ seems rather relaxed.
If you are wondering why the general public is so uninformed and consumer focused here is a sample of Granddaddy Herald news – (note the online main article about the mega mall is even recycled from a couple of weeks ago! I guess with the Herald redundancies they just have 1 well connected Nat supporting Journo to recycle advertisements and rebundle them into advertorials)
Mega mall opens today
Naholo has teammates scrambling
Big Wednesday: 209 lucky winners
Apology over parking tickets
Singer begs NZ ‘Beliebers’ for privacy
Foreign policy
Foreign Minister Murray McCully blasts Security Council impotence
Nothing about Dotcom case or TPPA legal challenge that I can see.
You’re right. The Heralds getting worse. Todays paper is also blatantly pushing an Albany retirement village in an advertorial amongst the news that celebrates International day of older persons.
“It’s like living in Club Med or on a cruise ship every day,” coos the paper.
I get enough of that in the free midweek rag that I wrap the rubbish in without getting it in the Herald.
Much easier if you think of the NZHerald as a great big full colour advertising spreadsheet, salted with a little gossip and opinion.
Open the Herald if you want to know what to buy. Which show to go to.
That’s it.
But there is this….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/maori/news/article.cfm?c_id=252&objectid=11521631
which IMHO, is well worth a read.
Yeah, Interesting. Pity Granny didn’t allow comments. I bet plenty would’ve been rippers.
Yes, but it would have been dominated by the “Duff’s a Bounty Bar” brigade on one side and the reactionary rednecks on the other.
And the message he tries to get across…about cultures adapting and changing, and the devolution of traditional power structures is lost.
He is saying in this piece pretty much verbatim what I have been told in conversations with (mostly) rural Maori.
Sad.
Good to see Helen Clark backing the TPP from NY this morning on breakfast and while meeting with John Key
No she didn’t. She said “So of course New Zealand has to be in on the action with a [TPPA] and go for the very best deal it can.”
She was talking in generic terms about trade deals.
Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/world/john-key-helen-clark-discuss-tppa-2015100107#ixzz3nG5HO7MT
Semantics Micky, she backs it and realises been out of it is no option
Damn semantics if it was not for the actual meaning of words someone could say something and some one else say they said something completely different.
Plus, she’s right.
And was right on trade long, long before John Key.
“And realises been out of it is no option”
Without even knowing what we’re signing up too?
Only an idiot would come to that conclusion.
I am sure she and her good friend John have had a chat. Likewise she is no fool and understands how trade deal negotiations work, the benefits there of, as does labour. She only has the benefit of not having to play silly politics to keep the standards readers happy in her statements
See my post at 3.1.2.1
So yes to a TPPA but no to this particular TPPA, glad thats cleared up
It’s clear she is saying we need to be in on the negotiations, in an attempt to secure a good deal.
It doesn’t automatically mean we will secure a good deal, thus it’s not an endorsement to sign it.
I agree, anything less would be a disgrace.
I was replying to mickysavages dancing on the head of a pin arguement
One picture tells you what Helen and Key said in private:
http://www.3news.co.nz/world/john-key-helen-clark-discuss-tppa-2015100107
Read their body language. They agreed on NOTHING.
Meh, just two alphas jockeying for top position
It doesn’t automatically mean we will secure a good deal, thus it’s not an endorsement to sign it.
Who has any position other than this?
Probably all those people who have vigorously defended this agreement for many months and attacked anyone against it. If they truly looked at deals based on face value they could have stayed quiet until the deal is on the table.
If they truly looked at deals based on face value they could have stayed quiet until the deal is on the table.
There’s only one side being noisy.
“No she didn’t. She said “So of course New Zealand has to be in on the action with a [TPPA] and go for the very best deal it can.””
Nice selective quoting, What she actually said was:
“What always haunts one as the New Zealand Prime Minister is ‘will there be a series of trade blocks you’re not part of?’. Because that’s unthinkable for New Zealand, an exporter and small trading nation. So of course New Zealand has to be in on the action with the TPP and go for the very best deal it can.”
Not really, but its to be expected.
I’d hardly expect Helen Clark, given her current position in the UN, to speak out against the NZ Government’s position on the TPPA.
Also, given that she was a proponent of free trade (eg – China, and trying to open discussions with the USA ) and seeing as how she has never, not to my knowledge, changed her position on free trade, then I’d guess she might do no more than harbour private concerns about the government’s ‘game plan’.
But sure, carry on with the tribal spear throwing…
Good to see Key supporters admiring Clark’s opinion
Theres quite a lot to admire about Ms Clark which is why John Key has modelled quite a bit of his leadership on her
You’d think successive Labour leaders would try to emulate more of her style
She had a knack with TV reporters of thinking quickly while speaking slowly and very succinctly. I think she scared them more than Key does. Like Muldoon. And it worked. Key charms them. And it works. Labour’s leaders struggle with who to emulate I suspect.
I hope that the Green MPs, and their supporters, are feeling embarrassed when they read this story in the Dom/Post this morning.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/72564945/super-fund-and-infratil-set-to-make-400pc-return-on-z-energy-stake
If it is accurate we must be truly grateful that they, and their fellow idiots in the Labour Party had no influence on the New Superannuation funds policies in the last few years. Adopting the “no investment in fossil fuels” strategy as advocated by Russel Norman would have cost the fund about $3 million per day if this story is correct.
I trust all those who supported the Green view will now apologise.
30 pieces of silver, eh?
30 pieces of silver, eh?
NZSuper Fund has found plenty of other ways to make landfills full of cash other than fossil fuels for quite some time. If the Greens were in power and retooled the NZSuper governing legislation for that criteria, the world would not end.
How much will it cost the planet – and your grandchildren?
But you don’t give a shit about that so I don’t expect you have ever thought about it – just so long as no 1 is ok!
+1
Exactly. Making money out of something that kills you isn’t a winning position.
“I trust all those who supported the Green view will now apologise.”
Why? Their view is that fossil fuel divestment is critical to minimise AGW damage and all that that entails, and that this outweighs making shitloads of money.
I trust now you will apologise to everyone’s grandchildren.
Where is the coverage of the Kim Dotcom extradition case? now we are in court i notice all his cheerleaders here and on the daily blog are awfully silent. Is it because the fat german isn’t what he made himself out to be and everyone rushed to friend him as he was against John Key?
this is the real moment of truth.
My enemies enemy is my friend, nothing else matters
The left cuddling up to this fruadster is becoming a little uncomfortable
It is in court so we need to be careful what we comment on. And remind me where TS authors cuddled up to Dotcom.
I’ve always believed that the enemy of my enemey might also be my enemy as well, something the left in NZ doesn’t quite understand
Which enemy?
1. John Key
2. Judith Collins
3. US style police tactics and spying
4. the empire that will impose its laws on anyone, anywhere
The left feting and promoting KDC and making the pilgrimage to Mecca (sorry) the pilgrimage to Coatsville told enough of the voters all they needed to know and they voted accordingly
Citation please. A visit by Russel Norman for a chat does not make a pilgrimage by the left.
esp given Norman went there to ask KDC to not form the IP because of the damage it would do.
Really? I didn’t know that Norman has said why he went? Mind you I would have been looking for it in MSM
Just double checked. He talked to KDC about the IT sector, and about not forming the IP incase it meant National got back in.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11200563
Or to put it a little more accurately you could start by saying that
“Russel Norman claims that he” etc, etc.
Still, I suppose we should simply accept that Russel is a politician and like all of them he would say anything he thought he could get away with.
Rather like Corbyn in a way. There is a story in the Dom/Post today. It is on page B1 but I can’t find it on-line. Apparently in his speech to the Party Conference big sections were lifted from a speech originally written by a free-lancer in the 1980’s and which has been offered to every Labour leader since. They all declined to use it.
Corbyn’s spokesman originally denied the source of the material and claimed similarities were “pure coincidence” Finally he had to admit that his team had spoken to the original author.
Why do left leaders feel the need to lie as a first option about things that really don’t matter?
Alwyn, I know that you work for Crosby Textor* and they don’t have to pay you particularly well because you are an ideological willing worker. So of course you are going to tell lies about politics and do so in a creepy smeary way rather than just coming out with it and saying you hate the GP.
*see how that works? Smear, smear.
I don’t believe all politicians lie, so am happy to judge each on their behaviour. Norman has no reason to lie in that situation and his account is entirely plausible so I’m happy enough to go with his version.
HI alwyn,
Background concerning Corbyn’s use of Richard Heller’s words:
“I discovered for the first time that Corbyn had used the passage almost exactly in the form I offered it to him (and others). I also discovered that some British media were suggesting that his use was unauthorised. This is quite untrue. I am delighted that the passage has been used, and am sorry that a spurious story might detract from its message. I have many disagreements with Corbyn, but I now have to admire his rhetorical judgment. On the issues where I agree with him, particularly on fundamental values of his party and mine, he is welcome to call on me for other uplifting and memorable tropes.“
@Puddleglum.
I wasn’t aware that a paper, or papers was claiming that Corbyn didn’t have permission to use the material. That isn’t really relevant though is it?
Corbyn’s problem is that his spokesman’s first reaction seems to have been to deny that it was written by someone else and wasn’t directly written by Corbyn. He claimed that the same words being used was “pure coincidence”. Then he was forced to back-down and admit that they had spoken to the original author and that the words did come from Heller. If the spokesman didn’t know, which is possible but seems unlikely, he could simply have said something like “I don’t know where the original material came from. I’ll find out.” Then he could say later that it came unsolicited from Heller and that Corbyn liked it, or something like that.
It is the original denial that becomes the story. If they had started by saying that the ideas had come from Heller in the first place there would have been no story would there? It was lying about it and then having to admit to the lie that caused all the problem.
alwyn,
I was providing background for those who might not have known what you were talking about.
As I understand it, the article reprinted in The Press/Dom Post was from the Daily Telegraph, wasn’t it? Something about another faux pas in a beleaguered leadership?
Why are you so quick to call it a ‘lie’? You yourself provide a quite believable account of how it could have been a minor error on the part of a spokesman.
Haven’t ‘lefties’ here been accused of wrongly calling Key himself (much less one of his spokespeople) a liar despite having much stronger grounds for the claim than is present here?
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Russel-Norman-on-his-two-meetings-at-Kim-Dotcoms-mansion/tabid/506/articleID/40565/Default.aspx
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11201739
Labour MP Clare Curran, who hails from the Deep South, was at Dotcom’s Coatesville estate “at least twice, and once with a large suitcase”, a source said. She caught a taxi once and was chauffeured another time. But why the baggage?
Curran confirmed she did go to the mansion twice, but can’t recall travelling heavy.
“I was probably on my way to or from home,” she told The Diary.
Theres probably more that managed to fly under the radar
And your point is?
Pretty sure the Right have had more people at (and surrounding) Coatseville than the Left.
Everything Key says is not true PR, and his laughing jibes about all of the left and KDC are patently false. Even on this site the left and the left have attacked each other over KDC damage tot he election.
Yes I wasn’t clear enough, there are some on the left with integrity and principles and they did say, prior to the election, that KDC wasn’t going to help the left and good on them for saying that (you know who you are) but sadly they’re in the minority
I await the day when you realise your friend (Key) is really your enemy).
All politicians are my enemy, its merely a matter of who is going to have the least amount of impact on my life
We understand it just fine. It’s National and their supporters who keep having us cuddling up to those who are bad for NZ.
@ Nessalt and Reddelusion… Does this help?…obviously you can’t read..or haven’t read and got up to date on Dotcom trial:
‘The Government can’t find the original notices in the Kim Dotcom case? Is this a joke?’
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/09/30/the-government-cant-find-the-original-notices-in-the-kim-dotcom-case-is-this-a-joke/
Also getting up to date with Nicky Hager :
‘Police plotted to arrest and spy on Nicky Hager – the most interesting parts of 1 year on from Dirty Politics ‘
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/09/30/police-plotted-to-arrest-and-spy-on-nicky-hager-the-most-interesting-parts-of-1-year-on-from-dirty-politics/
Plus this yesterday on NRT, and reposted on this very site:
http://thestandard.org.nz/nrt-muppets/
I wouldn’t worry about it too much Chooky, KDC will eventually get his day in court (american court that is) where he’ll be finally be able to prove the veracity of his claims
+ 100
I wouldn’t be so sure – and neither were Sony.
Everything looking like the US and NZ governments getting egg all over their face with all charges against KDC being dropped.
They have “found” the paper work. Yeah right. More lies. Let have them put them online so we can verify them!
#savekim
You mean apart from comment sin Open Mike and other places? Oh and the entire post about the stuff up the MOJ has made of the warrant and other paperwork?
IF the MSM is quiet, you might want to ask yourself why.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQqQIwAGoVChMI0vOe1P2fyAIVBoyUCh0DqQfQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2015%2F9%2F28%2F9409847%2Fmegaupload-extradition-hearing-kim-dotcom&usg=AFQjCNF_-8WHnnRWD3cQ0r4n9GY8fLa2dg&bvm=bv.104226188,d.dGo
The other side of the story:
‘Russian military in Syria: ‘Diametrically different approach’
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/317035-syria-isis-russia-troops/
“The key difference between the Russian and Western campaigns in Syria is that Moscow has been asked for help Damascus officially, unlike the US who “neither waited for the Syrian government to ask for help, nor had a mandate from the UN,” experts say.
‘Washington gives tacit support’
“US’ “tacit support” for the Russian operation is a major change to its previous stance, and the reason is that “the Western bombing of Islamic State has been a complete failure,” says John Laughland, Director of Studies, Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in Paris.
“We know that Washington and Moscow are cooperating and that Washington is giving tacit support. It’s precisely the result of the meeting that occurred in the UN building between presidents Putin and Obama. Moscow would inform Washington about its airstrikes in order to prevent any kind of accidents, any kind of conflict breaking out,” he said….
Obama wants Assad (a democratically elected leader) replaced.
https://youtu.be/iU__J3pKKf8
Can one imagine the US response if it were Assad saying Obama should go?
Very good to see former PM Helen Clark supporting the TPP
http://www.3news.co.nz/world/john-key-helen-clark-discuss-tppa-2015100107#axzz3nGTi3I2f
No no you don’t understand, she was only talkign about TPPAs in general, not this specific TPPA
There is a difference apparantly 🙂
See my post at 3.1.2.1
What else would you expect from her – she is as wedded to the FTA’s as Grocer and equally misguided. Who was it that pushed through our disastrous FTA with China? And where are we now? Billions in debt. Unemployment around 6% and no sign of reducing, 25% of youth under and unemployed. 25% of our children living in poverty, underfunding of health and record numbers of people living on the streets or in shoddy housing. All the result of exporting jobs overseas and importing crap from off shore. FTA’s are so good for us arn’t they.
+ 1
These ‘trade’ agreements are bogus trojan horses full of nasty capitalists.
+1
The free-marketeers don’t seem to understand that if we had the level playing field that is necessary for free-trade to work none would happen.
The thing is tho Draco – it’s not even a level playing field. NZ has to be the most naive of all nations when it comes to opening our borders to all manner of crap. And the amazing thing is – after 30 years of this idiocy – will still expect other countries to do the same as us! Here we think we have this amazing deal with China when we can export unsawn logs and get wine bottles in return! We can’t export sawn timber – China won’t allow that – they want the jobs of saw milling for themselves. Similarly with almost every other product. We allow carte blanche the importation of almost every imaginable product thereby under cutting almost all of our productive capacity – in the hope that we can export the unprocessed product of of our agriculture, fisheries and forestry.This is the only “economic” plan that NZ has had since 1984. And we wonder why our economy is so sick.
I know I’m preaching to the converted here – you understand this as well if not better than I. But we – u and me and the others on here have to keep repeating this theme because it is only when the penny finally drops with those wedded to the “conventional wisdom” will we ever be able to move ahead as a country
+100 Macro
So, you cite Clark when you agree with her?
Terrorist admits deceit.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/this-wasnt-an-abortion-cnn-forces-anti-planned-parenthood-group-to-admit-fiorina-was-wrong/
Another beat up and appeal to the ignorant.
The image was used as an visual affect. The fact that it was a stillborn is largely irrelevant as the image of an aborted child (in the context of discussion) would have been similar.
However, they should have foreseen this type of attack, thus used real footage.
And no, they’re not a terrorist organization.
Did it occur to you than an abortion in those circumstances (late term, 20+ weeks) would be more likely because of medical necessity than an unwanted pregnancy?
Interesting stat on infoshare: 67 out of 13,000 abortions occurred after the twentieth week of gestation.
The image was used “as visual effect” in order to misrepresent the issue of abortion.
If the visual affect is the same, where is the misrepresentation?
try asking women about the differences between miscarrying and having an abortion.
The anti-abortion activists lied in a fairly gross and manipulative way, and got caught out, what’s do hard to understand about that?
Try sticking to the context of the discussion.
The image was used as an visual affect. The fact that it was a stillborn is largely irrelevant as the image of an aborted child (in the context of the discussion) would have been similar.
What’s so hard to understand about that?
If the visual affect is the same, where is the manipulation?
Dishonest use of images of a personal tragedy is irrelevant, really?.
https://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/the-center-for-bio-ethical-reform-promotes-illegally-taped-video-of-perineum-and-premature-delivery-and-fiorina-supports-them/
In the visual context (with the two being the same) it is irrelevant.
You (by highlighting this allegation) are attempting to take it out of that context.
Moreover, It’s rather ironic seeing you attempting to get upon a high horse defending an organization that’s accused of profiting from the sale of body parts.
Planned Parenthood do not profit from ‘body parts for sale’.
Watch this to see the lack of knowledge and honesty the anti-choice republicans exhibit,
Yes, it was used to support a lie.
What do you presume they were lying about?
They implied that it was the normal abortion when it isn’t. That implication is lie and you know it.
Yes, they should have foreseen this type of attack, thus used real footage.
But, apart from that, the visualization used was the same as what was being implied.
What “visual effect” are you talking about?
A near-term still-birth is not anatomically (let alone “visually”) “the same” as 99.5% of abortions, and the abortions that might look the same probably took place as a result of a medical emergency in order to save a life that actually exists, rather than one that potentially, in your imagination, might exist.
The one were an image of a stillborn was used.
In the context of discussion, the visual representation in this case is the same, regardless if the baby was a stillborn or aborted.
I’m not questioning the legitimacy of an abortion, I’m concerned about the goings on before and after the fact.
And you assert that based on what?
On the information I’ve seen. Thus, they are being challenged on the use of the stillborn image and not the actual visual comparison.
Well, forgive me if I don’t take your word for it.
After all, the discussion is about somebody making misleading claims about illegal footage in order to further their political agenda.
How do you know that the “information you have seen” wasn’t similarly lied about?
Don’t take my word for it. Use you own commonsense.
A stillborn at 20 weeks would generally be as developed as a aborted foetus at 20 weeks. Thus, the visual comparison is the same.
ROBERTS: Lexi, do you hope that the organization that put together this video reaches out and apologizes to you or offers any sort of explanation?
LEXI FRETZ: No. I have talked to them directly and we’ve cleared the air and my husband and I are fine that it’s been used.
http://www.lifenews.com/2015/09/29/msnbc-got-a-big-surprise-while-pushing-its-abortion-agenda-on-mom-of-this-stillborn-baby/
Seems it’s no longer illegal use.
the only thing that the two foetuses necessarily have in common is that neither is ever going to be a living human being, and even a healthy foetus is not viable at that stage.
In addition to the differences in mode of leaving the woman’s body, your assumption is that serious developmental differences were not the reason for the fact of the stillbirth or the need for the medical procedure of abortion.
Connections to the operation rescue terror network makes them terrorists.
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/07/17/board-member-behind-planned-parenthood-video-close-ties-abortion-clinic-violence/
No, it doesn’t.
Hence, they’re not officially considered a terrorist organization.
Therefore, claiming so is incorrect, but continuing to do so assists your smear-tactic affect.
Would you prefer “an organisation with leaders closely connected to a terrorist organisation” as a more accurate description? It doesn’t really improve their reputation.
That’s also incorrect.
Operation Rescue is also not officially considered a terrorist organization.
But hey, if attempted smears is all you’ve got, go for it.
“Officially” – by whom?
One of their staff (who was convicted for conspiring to blow up a California abortion clinic) fed the various movements of a doctor to the doctor’s murderer.
That’s not a smear, that’s a pretty solid connection.
By the State (Government) and related authorities.
Organizations as such tend to attract the odd extremist. They can’t be held accountable for the individual actions of a few nutters.
When you’ve got something showing they have been convicted of terrorism (or are officially declared terrorist) then you’ll have something of substance. But for now, you’re still attempting to smear by association.
Feel free to try again.
lol
“Odd” extremist – one convicted bombing conspirator feeding information to a murderer with the same political agenda.
One is accidental, two is more than careless.
Again, when you’ve got something showing they have been convicted of terrorism (or are officially declared terrorist) then you’ll have something of substance.
Constructing a bomd that’s planted outside a family planning clinic doesn’t count as “terrorism”?
(or are officially declared terrorist)
Er, wouldn’t the people who might “officially declare” them a terrorist organisation be the same “State (Government) and related authorities” you dismiss as unreliable in the very same comment?
You seem to be a little confused.
I didn’t dismiss the state (Government) and related authorities as unreliable.
True – I apologise. Shouldn’t drink and comment.
No evidence of manipulation in Planned Parenthood videos
http://www.adfmedia.org/files/CoalfireCMPvideosReport.pdf
That you’re citing rabid hate machine the Alliance Defending Freedom makes me think you should fuck off back to where you belong.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/12/04/meet-alliance-defending-freedom-foxs-favorite-a/197132
[lprent: Please be a little more careful when you paste crap HTML into our pages. It “FUBAR’ed” the page because
1. you put in li tags without an enclosing ul or ol
2. you started with a i tag and didn’t close it (besides you should have used blockquote and /blockquote)
I manually fixed it. But this isn’t something that I plan to make a career of. ]
Wake up.
I’m citing a independent report prepared by Coalfire Systems, Inc.
I see you’re still playing the smear-tactic game.
One can only assume you have nothing credible to put forward.
*sniff*
joe90 …
30 August 2015 at 10:17 am
Planned Parenthood commissioned an independent review of the videos and the conclusion – yet another dishonest smear campaign waged by unhinged, deceptive anti-choice arseholes.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30082015/#comment-1064529
Yes, I’ve seen the report, hence I posted a link to another independent review refuting it.
But you can’t be arsed citing the independent review refuting it.
No need really. I provided a link to the report. Surely you can read it yourself?
Yeah, apologies, blockquote it is then – thought the i > would work but obviously not
FYI
URGENT! TPPA – WALK AWAY! PROTEST! TODAY 1 October 2015
Focus – John Key / shareholder in Bank of America!
Have new petition focused on John Key + plenty of TPPA leaflets!
Plus banners / placards / John Key / Tim Groser masks / street theatre!
WHEN: Today 1 October 2015
TIME: 3 – 5.30pm
WHERE: Outside Auckland University
Symonds St / Grafton Rd intersection
_____________________________________________________
WORDING OF NEW PETITION:
To Prime Minister John Key
MP for Helensville
We, the undersigned:
Are deeply concerned that as a key advocate for the ‘Trans-PacificPartnership Agreement’ (TPPA), you are a shareholder in the Bank of America, as detailed in the 2015 MPs Register of Financial Interests: (Pg 29)
“Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)
2 Other companies and business entities
………………………………………….
Bank of America – banking”
We see this as a serious ‘conflict of interest’, given that big banks like the Bank of America, stand to benefit, and profit from this pro-corporate TPPA.
If this National Government, which you lead, does not ‘walk away’ from the secretive, undemocratic, ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement’ (TPPA), then we pledge to campaign vigorously amongst our friends, families, neighbours and workmates, for the voting public to ‘walk away’ from National.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
……
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
FYI
‘Open Letter’ to Auckland Mayor and Councillors / ALL MPs / Media:
“Please provide evidence proving that I have ever stated anything that was factually inaccurate, concerning Auckland Council, or Auckland Council CCOs.”
Kind regards
Penny Bright
…………………..
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
………………..
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
It’s over. In my opinion TPP will pass this weekend. Key is being to smirky
Let’s hope all the pressure applied from many different groups in nz has made get a deal worth having.
It was always going to be a good deal for NZ, you lefties will not be able to stand there and take credit for it
Be interesting to see the public reaction to this “good deal”.
Oh come on you know key is just a little puppy who is addicted to pats ,he’ll try and please any one who is vocal enough.
I suspect he’s got father issues.
Oops. somebody broke it. Looks like it could be This one but I could be wrong on that.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11521631
Alan Duff doesn’t pull his punches. I would find it hard to disagree with what he has to say.
When Oz signed a FTA with China – they retained their right to block foreign buying of property and they got a better deal on dairy than we did.
When we signed one, we gave Chinese the same rights to invest here as those in Oz, and that included property ownership.
Our negotiators are second rate.
But what could we expect we gave the world free trade for nothing, all we have left to give is governance sovereignty.
Back in the 80’s the left of the Labour caucus took pineapple lumps (nuclear free status) and gave away the economy to the free market. A position on Cabinet and a chance to be leader by adhering to the deal. Once one learns that the climb up the ladder is enabled by betraying those below, there is no position that is then out of reach.
When did Jim Mora and co EVER discuss the TPPA seriously?
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Thursday 1 October 2015
Jim Mora, Beck Eleven, Kevin Milne
After noting that the old trougher Helen Clark has undermined the Labour Party by backing the TPPA [1], host Jim Mora then said: “We’re not having another big discussion about the TPPA now…”
“Another big discussion”? I would appreciate it if someone tell us when Mora’s light chat show dealt with the TPPA in more than a perfunctory, scoffing fashion, leave alone any “big discussion”.
The only topics that Mora—or more likely, Richard Griffin—deals with in any depth are coffee, football and vexillology.
Anything else gets the once-over-lightly. [2]
[1] http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72604363/former-pm-clark-backs-controversial-trade-deal
[2] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20082015/#comment-1060938
Mora’s appalling panel discuss declining ratings on TV3 without even mentioning the boycott of the channel after the political axing of Campbell Live.
Self censorship or total ignorance by the woeful panel.
Mora must have self censored.
His Tory bones doesn’t allow debate of topics that question his comfortable life.
Well spotted Paul. But why did neither Beck Eleven nor Kevin Milne dare to mention it? My bet is that they know that “management”, i.e. John Key’s man Richard Griffin, would not approve, so they kept silent.
Obviously they both need the money.
Mora is on now. No idea what they are saying. It’s just white noise. Regarding Clark. A while ago my husband told me he had been speaking to a Nat. Party stalwart who told him that at a Nat P meeting they were told that according to a local NP mp that NZ would be shocked if they knew how often Clark had flown into NZ to have secret meetings with key. I scorned the idea but am now wondering if there is some truth in it. Also, has she seen the text that is so secret, if so is she happy that the good citizens of NZ are being treated like mushrooms.
Helen Clark’s unwelcome re-entry into New Zealand politics, unsurprisingly endorsing the undemocratic and secretive National government, is a reminder how little serious scrutiny has been carried out on her actions in government. (The foul abuse and ridiculous campaigns by the likes of David Farrar, Whaleoil, Ian Wishart and the rest of the National Party’s foaming right wing army do not qualify as serious.)
Chris Laidlaw gave her a free and uninterrupted platform last year….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06012014/#comment-753962
As did Lisa Owen a couple of months ago….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29082015/#comment-1064147
The only decent grilling she ever got was by John Campbell.
Helen comes to NZ quite a few times each year, usually as a leg on one of the enormous trips that her work requires. They are hardly a secret – they show up on facebook. Her husband Peter lives here and so do her parents. I rather suspect that has more to do with it than with anything else. /irony
But being at the UNDP and with NZ trying to get onto the security council (and now on it), it isn’t that surprising that John Key was trying to catch her when she was here.
It is probably like the amount that every kiwi politicians and diplomat going to New York seems to try to get a meeting with her if she is in town. Just like they try to get time with whoever is the ambassador and/or their staff if they get to Washington. It is about getting local information. /sarc
Not everything is about the damn TPPA /irritation
I suspect that when we finally find out what is in the TPPA, it is going to be way worse than expected even two years ago. I’ll disagree with Helen unless I can see a considerable movement from what has been leaked. The problems it is going to cause for the tech export industry alone is going to be immense.
Thanks for that lprent.
It beggars belief how so many people create false conspiracies about everything Helen does. And she’s always been open about her travels and activities. Since her mother died, she phones her Dad (now in his nineties) every day. She and her husband hook up whenever they can – she comes to NZ whenever she can fit it in… he goes to her in New York 2 or 3 times a year. That’s my understanding anyway.
In other words, her trips to NZ are for personal reasons and have nothing to do with politics. Of course she keeps in touch with friends she made during her political years, but she made it clear from the start of her new career that NZ politics was out of bounds as far as she was concerned. All the indications are: she has kept strictly to that resolution.
+100
Ffloyd, that is mischief-making on the part of the National Party dirty tricks brigade. You know, the one ‘wot John Key knows nuffink about’ even though it was closely linked to his office.
In the last term of the Clark govt. some of the malice ridden fantasies spread around about Helen – and indeed her husband – were utterly grotesque. The worst were by word of mouth because if they had appeared in print, the courts would have been submerged in defamation suits brought by all manner of people.
+100 Anne
“I think Story‘s a GREAT show! I think Heather’s doing BRILLIANTLY.”
Kevin Milne’s ludicrously false praise does his reputation no good at all.
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Thursday 1 October 2015
Jim Mora, Beck Eleven, Kevin Milne
Since John Key’s man Richard Griffin has obviously forbidden him from dealing with anything “boring” (i.e., serious) during his program, host Jim Mora has to find SOMETHING to talk about each day. So the program is full of chatter, over a bed of endless laughter, about virtually meaningless trivia taken straight off the bottom of the page on Google News.
This afternoon, casting about desperately for something to take up five minutes or so in the last part of the program, Mora noted that Television One’s god-awful Rawdon Christie vehicle, Breakfast, had been canned. This led on to a bit of chat about the (possibly terminal) decline of TV3. Utterly unmemorable, except for this horrible example of misplaced loyalty to a friend by Kevin Milne….
KEVIN MILNE: I think Story‘s a GREAT show! I think Heather’s doing BRILLIANTLY….
As time is almost up, the host utters one of the few straight-up statements he’s made in weeks….
JIM MORA: We’ve got ninety seconds. Now, uh, we can’t speak very usefully about Islamic State….
Masochists and aficionados of the comedy of mortification may like to check out just how “BRILLIANTLY” Heather is doing…..
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24082015/#comment-1062391
Are you sure he said it’s the Breakfast show that’s been canned?
I know the Good Morning show’s going to be axed in December (no loss really, it’s pretty much just compered infomercials from what little I’ve seen).
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/72506926/tvnzs-good-morning-show-to-be-axed
I haven’t heard or been able to find anything suggesting Breakfast ‘s for the chop as well though.
Thanks for that, my friend. I knew it was too much to hope that Christie and co. had been consigned to the scrap-heap.
I’ll miss Good Morning; it was so bad and so crass it was almost a masterpiece.
Highlights include:
1.) Wallace Chapman, Willie Jackson and Miles Davis discussing “relationship woes”….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08062013/#comment-645516
2.) Jeanette Thomas interviewing a foolish luvvie who vapoured moronically about the Anders Breivik massacre without mentioning that he was a Christian or a terrorist….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28082015/#comment-1063760
So the government’s “investment approach” to social security is NOT really a proper investment approach, according to Bill Rosenberg from the CTU:
http://union.org.nz/sites/union.org.nz/files/Investment%20Approach%20is%20not%20an%20investment%20approach%20-%20Rosenberg_0.pdf
Yet more proof of the flawed welfare reforms we have been served up!