An excellent article in the Herald about the loss of wetlands in our country.
Every time I read passages like these and then hear all the spin and lies about New Zealand being his wonderfully beautiful country, it makes me sad.
New Zealanders are rapidly becoming like American people – ignorant and deluded about the real state of their own country.
Once this place was a beautiful land, covered in forest and wetland and full of the sound of native birds.
Now it is a polluted industrial farm.
“…about the state of their own country”. Partial quotes, James, selected to say something different from the writer’s intention – a Tory-troll-trick if ever I saw one.
Most Americans wouldn’t know what and where New Zealand is. A few years ago research showed that a majority of US college graduates were incapable of placing the location of Miami on a map correctly.
I didn’t really believe that people from the US were as ignorant of the world as they are until I was in New York at a conference.
The people there were all well educated, at least to the extent that they were all University graduates.
I was asked where I came from. I replied New Zealand and got a blank stare.
I explained that it was near Australia. I thought they might have heard of that place.
Another blank stare and then I was asked “Is that in Scandinavia?”
I kid you not. It was terrifying to find how insular they were.
Don’t say that in Lynn’s hearing. He might think you were insulting his profession.
It was actually a SHARE conference attended by about 8,000 IT specialists.
Only time in my life I have knowingly talked to people who worked for the CIA. And no, they weren’t spies but MVS specialists.
A long time ago though. Back in the days when mainframes ruled.
The Herald calls it weird weather.
Rachel Stewart asks ” are we worried yet?”
Floods.
Heatwaves.
Storms.
High sea temperatures.
Tidal surges.
We have entered the age of consequences.
The severity of the impacts of climate change depends on the reaction of us and our governments.
Email your MP.
Organise local meetings.
Reduce your carbon footprint- ear less meat.
Reduce your carbon footprint- catch public transport
Speak to your Local councillors.
Inform all your friends.
Change the way you live.
And when you feel your skin burning after a minute or two in the sun that isnt age making your skin sensitive. Its the loss of ozone allowing more UV rays down.
Measurements show that the decline in chlorine, resulting from an international ban on chlorine-containing manmade chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), has resulted in about 20 percent less ozone depletion during the Antarctic winter than there was in 2005 — the first year that measurements of chlorine and ozone during the Antarctic winter were made by NASA’s Aura satellite.
“We see very clearly that chlorine from CFCs is going down in the ozone hole, and that less ozone depletion is occurring because of it,” said lead author Susan Strahan, an atmospheric scientist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Consider how much wealth is concentrated at coastal locations as they become rather more uncomfortable to live in due to sea levels, weather, erosion etc
Interesting when that population migrates to the hills they already own permanently.
I may have missed it, but I don’t think I heard the phrase ‘climate change’ mentioned on either Prime or TV1 at all last night.
No explanation was offered for the ‘unusual’ weather, and certainly no suggestion that this will become the new ‘normal’ next year and the year after . . .
By inference, the king tides were caused by the closeness of the moon etc, with the suggestion that we can relax folks, such a combination won’t happen again until 2037!
You seem to be suggesting that to say that tides are caused by the moon means someone denies climate change??
Do you not understand that king tides (as with all tides) are caused by the moon? We have spring and king tides every year and have had them since well before humans walked the earth. These tides are nothing to do with anthropogenic global warming.
Climate change denial? I don’t think there’s a person on earth who denies climate change.
This is twice you have made the statement Rachael Stewart ask “are we worried yet?”
And of course yet again there is nothing of the sort in the link you provided.
Your stuff was wrong the first time. It’s not worth repeating and being wrong again.
Please stop telling lies and making up quotes.
[Okay James. I just backtracked through all this smash. Rachel Stewart has in deed asked “Are we worried yet” in relation to AGW. Ed’s attribution was correct and he provided a link to a weather related article and suggested action people might want to take if they are (to recycle the quote from Rachel Stewart) “worried yet”. How’s about you take the day off and consider whether you want to be coming here side-swiping reasonable commentary?] – Bill
Why – didn’t make the quote you made up true – you are still a liar.
So since you are throwing up links – got anything where she says what you attribute to her?
As opposed to trying to bluster your way out of your lies.
From memory weka pulled you up on this same lie last time.
[just as well Bill has already moderated this, because I’m getting sick of the bickering. I don’t like the way that Ed is framing that, but he’s not lying. If you want to call someone a liar, you need a much better argument than you’re presenting.
I also don’t like people trying to bring me into their arguments like that. Do the actual work and go look up what I said and link to it, and then no-one has to rely on your memory.
Ed has made considerable effort in the past year to change how he comments. Given how much aggro you seem to generate onsite, how about you do the same? – weka]
However to help stop things like this if ed is going to quote someone and then provide a link they should be the same source. That’s just good nettiqute.
Most of what Ed wrote wasn’t contained in the associated link, but you thought you would try and catch him out anyway.
And he was talking about the Herald when mentioning Stewart – that was obvious too. Why would you then think you would find the quote in a stuff article.
Ed we had snow in Gore in Christmas period 1965. Mataura Ensign/ Southland Times, had a picture of an ice cream truck in 6 inches of powder snow. I know that is 4/5 weeks earlier in the summer. Key in “when it snowed in Gore at Christmas” to google.
However, when insurance companies are adjusting their own secondary insurance against weather events, you know the events are increasing in intensity and happening at shorter intervals. Cheers.
“There is a cooling and there is a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming, right? That wasn’t working too well because it was getting cold all over the place. The ice caps were going to melt, they were going to be gone by now but now they’re setting records,” Trump started.
Good morning Breakfast people I’m changing my bank the sandflys infected all the staff there with there virus and hypnotized them with that shiny object .The Lady bank teller was the star off the sandflys main play yesterday. The sandflys also interfered with my plans to improve my whano future if something happens to me by convincing the bank staff that I’m not worthy of a $100.000 life insurance policy . P.S they are scared and desperate did you see my reply to graywarsharks attack on eco maori mana yesterday
Ana to kai
Yes that was my thought on the mokos lungs function Hayley .
I cast my thoughts to when I was 9 living with my MAMA I was always last in a race I just made our bed went to school peeled the spuds for tea weeded the garden .
When she died I move up Te Tairawhiti rideing horses eeling hunting diving swimming in the Waiapu river I soon started getting into the top 3 of races at school I ran over the top the other players at rugby to . P.S At least I have free speech and can express my views to the rest of the world. Ka kite ano
Many thanks for Interviewing Meng Foon .
I never liked the name of my birth place as that sends out a subliminal message that damages the Mana of Gisborne and also damages the Mana of the people
Turanganui-a-kiwa is the correct Name The only poverty in Turanganui-a-kiwa is imposed by Gisborne man and ECO MAORI has him on the back foot.
The flat land grows the best food for the world the Maunga mountains has some of the best hunting for Boar and Deer in the world Tangaroa/sea has the best Tarakihi fish in Aotearoa Paua Koura blind eels pipi mussles flounder .Te awa/rivers has heaps of Tuna Koura . OUR Manga Hikurangi is the FIRST place in the Papatuanuku /Earth to see the SUN one of the most sun shine hours in Aotearoa . There is something positive in everything I say . Because Cook caste that name on Turanganui-a-kiwi the European population has not exploded and that would have made Maori a minority in Turanganui-a-kiwa I have plans for my Home Land I know that Meng Foon has read East coast myths and ledgions by WIllam Porter .Ka pai. P.S I prefer internet Banking because a lot of my clients use checks I have to go into the bank to deposit there checks . Ka kite ano
Back in the day I would get home from Tangaroa the cupboards were empty as my mom relationship with the stepfather had ended I would walk down to the local supermarket and full a shopping trolley up with groceries full the cupboards pay the shop bill which i had restricted to bread and milk pay mom board than I would walk to the local video shop hire videos Bud Spencer and Terence Hill E.C.T .
There were no cash flow cards in those days .I banked with Trust Bank I change Banks and they gave me a checkbook lol .It was other people that would get me to go out to the pub as I was a boy from Te tairawhiti I never really like the after effects the next morning of killing ones brain cells . I had plenty of money in those days it was others who advised me to buy a car my first 2 lasted 3 months my EH 1969 Holden has a good story to got with its demise I will tell you about that later LOL Ka kite ano
with respect Eco I like your posts when I can br bothered to read them…..could I suggest you do much shorter posts with the occasioal long one when you are really wound up…this would work better for everyone
I will keep that in mind Im just comunacations to the people in our Media that Tau toko me do the people wonder why these people support me. It because these people are in the know. They know what I say about OUR system is true who else to have a ear to the ground than OUR MSM. The neoliberals MSM are supporting the sandflys to damage my Mana. There are some people I Tau toko who support the sandflys and they are getting persecuted by the people on social media Ana to kai PS they will learn to be loyal to ECO MAORI. Ka pai + one can just jump ahead of my post and carry on your debate
Ka kite ano
Quote: The question is: Will there be a possibility to bring environmental justice into a sort of maybe even eco-socialist approach to addressing this?
We’ve seen just one indication in Cape Town that’s been quite explosive, and that’s the use of shit. I know shitstorms and shit houses and shitholes are regularly discussed in the United States, but in Cape Town, shit has been used by people in the townships, Khayelitsha specifically, as a weapon of the weak, because there aren’t flush toilets in these sites. There are chemical toilets and various kinds of pit latrines, and that gives the poor people the ability to take their buckets, their large plastic containers, and use those as weapons. We’ve begun to see a class struggle take place over water, or specifically the lack of water.Quote End.
with respect Eco I like your posts when I can br bothered to read them…..could I suggest you do much shorter posts with the occasioal long one when you are really wound up…this would work better for everyone
Cue industry outrage. Now is that because tourism has fallen off it’s perch as #1 foreign exchange earner or because someone’s been telling porkies.
The first explanation is happening, tourism is a cyclic industry and it’s slowing down. The last year has been slowing and the last couple of months have been very quiet. Also we’ve noticed visitors spending with cash, rather than on card. Happens when people are on strict budgets, when set amount of cash runs out they stop spending. Two sides to this, visitors are coming from economies that are doing less well than New Zealand and from further down the value scale than previously. Could be some interesting times ahead for the industry.
Second explanation is quite possible. Most tourism “reporting” in media is just reprints of corporate press releases, usually saying how great X company’s prospects are, we’re such a safe bet for that loan Mr Banker. TIA, and others, are also very adept at using spurious figures to push the barrow, ie the line that freedom campers spending $5000 over 50 days are better for the economy than middle aged visitor spending $4000 over 10 days.
Add in a National government that saw tourism as a cash cow to be flogged to death with as many visitors as can be brought in as possible and no thought about yield and sustainability and we have the making of a huge crash as soon as there’s the slightest chilling of the global economy. From where we sit as small independent retailers in the industry 8% is a little light, but we only see people who see value in handmade items made in New Zealand. Lower value markets may be holding up a bit. 8% is also a fairly small drop, at our end -50% or +100% has happened in the 30+ years we’ve been in the game.
While the argument for banks may hold some water, policyholders of an insurance company haven’t invested in the company, thus see no annual return, hence shouldn’t be expected to carry an insurers risk.
I think he’d say something like formenting happy mischief but if I was advising National (we still haven’t come to terms on the contract) I’d be suggesting they prepare a few questions for next question time around this
“Fine day to protest a spy base in Waihopai! Seriously, it’s time to stop helping Donald Trump (or anyone else) unlawfully spy on our Asia Pacific neighbours ”
– Where’s the insult?:
The insult is that shes saying the government (Labour & NZFirst) is helping Donald Trump unlawfully spy
– For that matter, where does she say that the Labour government is illegally spying?
Well she says unlawfully spy so, not being a lawyer, I take that to mean illegally spying
As for Labour government well I had assumed Labour & NZFirst were in power so probably not something that can be blamed on John Key this time 🙂
“probably not something that can be blamed on John Key this time”
You really aren’t trying hard enough.
Everything is John Key’s fault. EVERYTHING.
Write that out 1,000 times to help you remember.
[That’s right “Puckish”. It didn’t go through. Word of warning. Throw huge, pointless comments like that again and the only thing that will go through is your name onto the blacklist (regardless of context)] – Bill
alwyn’s correct. Pucky; your inability to see that is also Key’s fault – he mesmerized you with his cold-fish snake-eyes and crocodile-grin and oily-tongue. Plus, if you were a journalist, wine and promises of seats in the jet.
“The insult is that shes saying the government (Labour & NZFirst) is helping Donald Trump unlawfully spy”
I don’t see how that’s an insult if it’s true. It’s just her telling the truth. Or are you saying that she shouldn’t tell the truth? Is there a way she could have told the truth that wasn’t insulting in your eyes?
“– For that matter, where does she say that the Labour government is illegally spying?
Well she says unlawfully spy so, not being a lawyer, I take that to mean illegally spying”
Technically she said that a NZ spy base helps another State illegally spy on a third party. She didn’t say that NZ was doing the spying. But it could be that we provide generic support that enables the US in less direct ways. I don’t know much about it, but if you do, by all means tell us.
“As for Labour government well I had assumed Labour & NZFirst were in power so probably not something that can be blamed on John Key this time 🙂”
Oh I’m pretty sure that Key had his sticky little fingers all over that shit and thus is a contributor.
Well Metiria Turei called him a racist last year and not a lot happened. I suspect he has better things to do with his time than worry about what a political party disagreeing with some of his party’s policies. He’ll be used to it by now.
Those are convincing arguments and I’m quite sure that if Golriz Ghahraam was to put them to Winston The Peters then I’m sure he’ll understand and won’t take offence at all 🙂
If fact checking, perhaps it would be a good idea to ask real experts rather than just do a bit of a google-check – the second comment neatly summarises the bias in the information provided by National :
“Why is the ‘average’ income generally used when this is distorted by those on extremely high incomes. Surely it is the median income that should be used to provide a much clearer idea what most people have to survive on. The median income from wages and salaries is about $48,000 and 50% of workers will earn that or less. The living wage is currently calculated at $20.20 for a full time worker which = around $42,000 a year (the income necessary to meet normal living expenses). 50% of workers struggle to receive a living wage. The median income is only around $80 a week (after tax) above the living wage, which is about the cost of a full tank of petrol. ” Thanks to Dave Kennedy and others making comments.
We need to pay much more attention to median earnings. Disrtibution of earnings matters!. If all real income gains go to the top 1%, then average incomes will rise in both dollar terms and in real value – but median earnings would stay the same in dollar terms (no pay rise), and drop in real terms (lower spending power). , but median earnings in in real terms
They’ve done some good, and a fair chunk of what they’re up to may develop positively in the near future – the building and Pike River programs for example.
But it takes a mighty generous interpretation to call signing a TPP with ISDS a success. The claim that foreign speculators have been closed out is very slender, with large farm and factory sales in the news every day. And there is little or no substantive action on the use of cheap migrants in agriculture, horticulture and construction.
Had Labour succeeded a competent responsible government their actions could have been described as ‘knocking it out of the park’. But they succeeded a hot mess riddled with corruption, and they will need to do quite a bit more to begin to turn it around.
We have Waitangi day coming up and some people are talking court /War over water in my view against a Labour lead government which is the government that cares for Maori and the common people I.E Maori will be shooting its own foot like what happened with the foreshore and seabed issue it is not a wise move this move will put wind in the sails of national and could limit the time labour have in government to 1 term .Water is a big issue but it is not a issue that needs urgent attention leave it alone till after the next elections. Get the treaty settlements sorted first and use the money to lift OUR Maori cultural people MANA with all of the people of Aotearoa and Papatunuku
I have read some articles on Maori and OUR water issues and there was a lot of negative feed back against Maori in the comments section you see I always read what the people are saying in the comments section of a article . The big picture is we want the people of Aotearoa to all back Maori when we find a solution to this issue going to court will turn them against US.OUR Tepuna said He aha te mea nui o te ao He tangata he tangata he tangata this ring true now as we are a minority .People that are to Radical will turn the majority of the people against US Don’t let Titewhai Harawira or the likes of her stuff up this good thing we have with a Jacinda lead labour government Like Titewhai did with Helen Clark labour government any idiot can be radical not many can find a wise solution that please all the people in Aotearoa and this should be the goal of all our wise MAORI Leaders as this will lift Maoris Mana like ECO MAORI is doing right now neolibrels national people don’t want Maori to have MANA they want us to provide all the services for them and there wealth foreign m8 so they can enjoy all the beautiful wonders of Aotearoa while we have to work OUR asses off just to servive. That’s is what has happened in the last 9 years thanks to Titewhai Harawira why is she wearing sun glasses what is she hiding I will put up two links in a post below this one as this device can not bring them up Ana to kai Ka kite ano
There you go bill English stirring up his neolibrels racist idiots by stating that IWI have cash coming out there ears Graeme Hart has more cash than all the iwi put together what the fuck national are at it again. He also states that Jacinda doesn’t know a thing about Waitangi she has more advisors on the subject than anyone. I Say shut up if he wants to make a statement about Waitangi and Maori issues than he should grow some balls and make them at Waitangi Ana to Ka I here’s the link
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1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
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An excellent article in the Herald about the loss of wetlands in our country.
Every time I read passages like these and then hear all the spin and lies about New Zealand being his wonderfully beautiful country, it makes me sad.
New Zealanders are rapidly becoming like American people – ignorant and deluded about the real state of their own country.
Once this place was a beautiful land, covered in forest and wetland and full of the sound of native birds.
Now it is a polluted industrial farm.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11986182
“New Zealanders are rapidly becoming like American people – ignorant and deluded”
A seeepingn statement like that regarding – is ignorant and deluded.
“…about the state of their own country”. Partial quotes, James, selected to say something different from the writer’s intention – a Tory-troll-trick if ever I saw one.
Even adding that bit – my comment and your ignorance of Americans continues
So why not just use the quote rather than selectively changing the context?
lol, you’re objecting to Americans being called ignorant and deluded but not Kiwis.
Got to watch those pesky seeping statements!
Most Americans wouldn’t know what and where New Zealand is. A few years ago research showed that a majority of US college graduates were incapable of placing the location of Miami on a map correctly.
tbf I probably couldn’t place some NI towns on a map.
I didn’t really believe that people from the US were as ignorant of the world as they are until I was in New York at a conference.
The people there were all well educated, at least to the extent that they were all University graduates.
I was asked where I came from. I replied New Zealand and got a blank stare.
I explained that it was near Australia. I thought they might have heard of that place.
Another blank stare and then I was asked “Is that in Scandinavia?”
I kid you not. It was terrifying to find how insular they were.
Maybe it’s just the kind of people that go to the conferences you go to 😈
Don’t say that in Lynn’s hearing. He might think you were insulting his profession.
It was actually a SHARE conference attended by about 8,000 IT specialists.
Only time in my life I have knowingly talked to people who worked for the CIA. And no, they weren’t spies but MVS specialists.
A long time ago though. Back in the days when mainframes ruled.
Draft dodgers.
“War is God’s way of teaching Americans geography” Ambrose Bierce
The Herald calls it weird weather.
Rachel Stewart asks ” are we worried yet?”
Floods.
Heatwaves.
Storms.
High sea temperatures.
Tidal surges.
We have entered the age of consequences.
The severity of the impacts of climate change depends on the reaction of us and our governments.
Email your MP.
Organise local meetings.
Reduce your carbon footprint- ear less meat.
Reduce your carbon footprint- catch public transport
Speak to your Local councillors.
Inform all your friends.
Change the way you live.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/101093755/when-the-storm-hit-granity-the-west-coast-town-being-eaten-alive
Couldn’t pay me enough to live on the coast at sea level.
One min in
https://youtu.be/SipxiZabLxA
And when you feel your skin burning after a minute or two in the sun that isnt age making your skin sensitive. Its the loss of ozone allowing more UV rays down.
Particularly bad for NZ with the hole hovering over us early summer.
Catches a lot of tourists / stupid kiwis out and surprises the ockers who think it’s like theirs.
While true their is some good news:
Thanks DTB for some good news as to improvement.
Consider how much wealth is concentrated at coastal locations as they become rather more uncomfortable to live in due to sea levels, weather, erosion etc
Interesting when that population migrates to the hills they already own permanently.
Yeah, I stopped watching that when they mentioned the US military spraying heavy metals throughout the atmosphere.
Quite true, Ed.
I may have missed it, but I don’t think I heard the phrase ‘climate change’ mentioned on either Prime or TV1 at all last night.
No explanation was offered for the ‘unusual’ weather, and certainly no suggestion that this will become the new ‘normal’ next year and the year after . . .
By inference, the king tides were caused by the closeness of the moon etc, with the suggestion that we can relax folks, such a combination won’t happen again until 2037!
Climate change denial by omission?
Simply following the practice of other msm outlets…..I hear it’s a sackable offence in Murdoch’s empire to publish/broadcast the term.
You want credible scientific fact based reporting then you’ll need to gut Tvnz and turn it into a proper public broadcaster.
The Salinger effect…
No in New Zealand people don’t call it climate change.
It’s weird weather.
If our media and business and political leaders called it climate change, that would mean they would have to do something radical.
Like abandon neoliberal capitalism.
And that would hurt their profits.
And affect their indulgent lifestyle.
So they call it weird weather.
+1
The environment has a low profile with the new government…RMA reforms appear on the back burner
You seem to be suggesting that to say that tides are caused by the moon means someone denies climate change??
Do you not understand that king tides (as with all tides) are caused by the moon? We have spring and king tides every year and have had them since well before humans walked the earth. These tides are nothing to do with anthropogenic global warming.
Climate change denial? I don’t think there’s a person on earth who denies climate change.
Do you cut and paste your own bullshit?
This is twice you have made the statement Rachael Stewart ask “are we worried yet?”
And of course yet again there is nothing of the sort in the link you provided.
Your stuff was wrong the first time. It’s not worth repeating and being wrong again.
Please stop telling lies and making up quotes.
[Okay James. I just backtracked through all this smash. Rachel Stewart has in deed asked “Are we worried yet” in relation to AGW. Ed’s attribution was correct and he provided a link to a weather related article and suggested action people might want to take if they are (to recycle the quote from Rachel Stewart) “worried yet”. How’s about you take the day off and consider whether you want to be coming here side-swiping reasonable commentary?] – Bill
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11756771
Did you read this, James?
Yep. But two points.
1 that’s not the link you quoted. And Rachael Stewart still didn’t say what you are quoting her as saying.
Please stop making up quotes for people in things they never said.
Sorry just saw that was Robert not ed. Point remains – it’s still a false quote.
https://twitter.com/RFStew/status/917823231293190144
Or this?
Why – didn’t make the quote you made up true – you are still a liar.
So since you are throwing up links – got anything where she says what you attribute to her?
As opposed to trying to bluster your way out of your lies.
From memory weka pulled you up on this same lie last time.
[just as well Bill has already moderated this, because I’m getting sick of the bickering. I don’t like the way that Ed is framing that, but he’s not lying. If you want to call someone a liar, you need a much better argument than you’re presenting.
I also don’t like people trying to bring me into their arguments like that. Do the actual work and go look up what I said and link to it, and then no-one has to rely on your memory.
Ed has made considerable effort in the past year to change how he comments. Given how much aggro you seem to generate onsite, how about you do the same? – weka]
Is this the one you are looking for?
https://twitter.com/RFStew/status/952826052824285184
Ahh there you go.
I stand corrected and apologise to ed.
However to help stop things like this if ed is going to quote someone and then provide a link they should be the same source. That’s just good nettiqute.
Most of what Ed wrote wasn’t contained in the associated link, but you thought you would try and catch him out anyway.
And he was talking about the Herald when mentioning Stewart – that was obvious too. Why would you then think you would find the quote in a stuff article.
You owe Robert an apology too.
Happy with James’ day-off in lieu 🙂
Good Luck with that!
mod notes for you to read and respond to when you get back.
Thank you Bill.
@ Ed (2) … and in Cromwell here, we woke up to a fresh dumping of snow on the mountain tops this morning, in February!
To deny the existence of climate change is foolish. I think we should be concerned.
Snow in Cromwell in February.
Oh my gosh. We are in deep trouble.
I’m beginning to agree with those that we may have left it too late.
Please Jacinda – urgent action.
NZ had snow around this time last year as well.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11785674
Ed we had snow in Gore in Christmas period 1965. Mataura Ensign/ Southland Times, had a picture of an ice cream truck in 6 inches of powder snow. I know that is 4/5 weeks earlier in the summer. Key in “when it snowed in Gore at Christmas” to google.
However, when insurance companies are adjusting their own secondary insurance against weather events, you know the events are increasing in intensity and happening at shorter intervals. Cheers.
Well as the Chump said on a recent interview:
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/trump-was-just-asked-point-blank-whether-he-believed-in-climate-change-his-answer-was-truly-bizarre/
So with snow in Feb! after a record heat wave… He must be right!
/sarc
Good morning Breakfast people I’m changing my bank the sandflys infected all the staff there with there virus and hypnotized them with that shiny object .The Lady bank teller was the star off the sandflys main play yesterday. The sandflys also interfered with my plans to improve my whano future if something happens to me by convincing the bank staff that I’m not worthy of a $100.000 life insurance policy . P.S they are scared and desperate did you see my reply to graywarsharks attack on eco maori mana yesterday
Ana to kai
Yes that was my thought on the mokos lungs function Hayley .
I cast my thoughts to when I was 9 living with my MAMA I was always last in a race I just made our bed went to school peeled the spuds for tea weeded the garden .
When she died I move up Te Tairawhiti rideing horses eeling hunting diving swimming in the Waiapu river I soon started getting into the top 3 of races at school I ran over the top the other players at rugby to . P.S At least I have free speech and can express my views to the rest of the world. Ka kite ano
Many thanks for Interviewing Meng Foon .
I never liked the name of my birth place as that sends out a subliminal message that damages the Mana of Gisborne and also damages the Mana of the people
Turanganui-a-kiwa is the correct Name The only poverty in Turanganui-a-kiwa is imposed by Gisborne man and ECO MAORI has him on the back foot.
The flat land grows the best food for the world the Maunga mountains has some of the best hunting for Boar and Deer in the world Tangaroa/sea has the best Tarakihi fish in Aotearoa Paua Koura blind eels pipi mussles flounder .Te awa/rivers has heaps of Tuna Koura . OUR Manga Hikurangi is the FIRST place in the Papatuanuku /Earth to see the SUN one of the most sun shine hours in Aotearoa . There is something positive in everything I say . Because Cook caste that name on Turanganui-a-kiwi the European population has not exploded and that would have made Maori a minority in Turanganui-a-kiwa I have plans for my Home Land I know that Meng Foon has read East coast myths and ledgions by WIllam Porter .Ka pai. P.S I prefer internet Banking because a lot of my clients use checks I have to go into the bank to deposit there checks . Ka kite ano
Back in the day I would get home from Tangaroa the cupboards were empty as my mom relationship with the stepfather had ended I would walk down to the local supermarket and full a shopping trolley up with groceries full the cupboards pay the shop bill which i had restricted to bread and milk pay mom board than I would walk to the local video shop hire videos Bud Spencer and Terence Hill E.C.T .
There were no cash flow cards in those days .I banked with Trust Bank I change Banks and they gave me a checkbook lol .It was other people that would get me to go out to the pub as I was a boy from Te tairawhiti I never really like the after effects the next morning of killing ones brain cells . I had plenty of money in those days it was others who advised me to buy a car my first 2 lasted 3 months my EH 1969 Holden has a good story to got with its demise I will tell you about that later LOL Ka kite ano
with respect Eco I like your posts when I can br bothered to read them…..could I suggest you do much shorter posts with the occasioal long one when you are really wound up…this would work better for everyone
I will keep that in mind Im just comunacations to the people in our Media that Tau toko me do the people wonder why these people support me. It because these people are in the know. They know what I say about OUR system is true who else to have a ear to the ground than OUR MSM. The neoliberals MSM are supporting the sandflys to damage my Mana. There are some people I Tau toko who support the sandflys and they are getting persecuted by the people on social media Ana to kai PS they will learn to be loyal to ECO MAORI. Ka pai + one can just jump ahead of my post and carry on your debate
Ka kite ano
Cape Town running out of water, soon coming to a place near us – or as described here , a shit storm to come?
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20921
Quote: The question is: Will there be a possibility to bring environmental justice into a sort of maybe even eco-socialist approach to addressing this?
We’ve seen just one indication in Cape Town that’s been quite explosive, and that’s the use of shit. I know shitstorms and shit houses and shitholes are regularly discussed in the United States, but in Cape Town, shit has been used by people in the townships, Khayelitsha specifically, as a weapon of the weak, because there aren’t flush toilets in these sites. There are chemical toilets and various kinds of pit latrines, and that gives the poor people the ability to take their buckets, their large plastic containers, and use those as weapons. We’ve begun to see a class struggle take place over water, or specifically the lack of water.Quote End.
Thanks Sabine. That link clearly lays out some socio/political context that’s only been hinted at in other Cape Town pieces I’ve read.
with respect Eco I like your posts when I can br bothered to read them…..could I suggest you do much shorter posts with the occasioal long one when you are really wound up…this would work better for everyone
MBIE revises Tourism figures down 8%
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/revision-tourism-data-criticised
Cue industry outrage. Now is that because tourism has fallen off it’s perch as #1 foreign exchange earner or because someone’s been telling porkies.
The first explanation is happening, tourism is a cyclic industry and it’s slowing down. The last year has been slowing and the last couple of months have been very quiet. Also we’ve noticed visitors spending with cash, rather than on card. Happens when people are on strict budgets, when set amount of cash runs out they stop spending. Two sides to this, visitors are coming from economies that are doing less well than New Zealand and from further down the value scale than previously. Could be some interesting times ahead for the industry.
Second explanation is quite possible. Most tourism “reporting” in media is just reprints of corporate press releases, usually saying how great X company’s prospects are, we’re such a safe bet for that loan Mr Banker. TIA, and others, are also very adept at using spurious figures to push the barrow, ie the line that freedom campers spending $5000 over 50 days are better for the economy than middle aged visitor spending $4000 over 10 days.
Add in a National government that saw tourism as a cash cow to be flogged to death with as many visitors as can be brought in as possible and no thought about yield and sustainability and we have the making of a huge crash as soon as there’s the slightest chilling of the global economy. From where we sit as small independent retailers in the industry 8% is a little light, but we only see people who see value in handmade items made in New Zealand. Lower value markets may be holding up a bit. 8% is also a fairly small drop, at our end -50% or +100% has happened in the 30+ years we’ve been in the game.
I wish I could just post the photo…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/101095847/stormy-night-for-stranded-tourists-as-storm-wreaks-havoc-across-south-island
“West Coast storm ‘like a fire hose’ tore down coastline, tossing rubbish buried 20 years ago…”
Storm surges exposes 20 year old rubbish dump, and that plastic looks just like new….
thanks. I’m going to do a post, so the photo and tip is great.
The New Zealand Initiative thinks we should consider an OBR for insurers.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/100937565/bank-haircuts-and-insurance-holes
While the argument for banks may hold some water, policyholders of an insurance company haven’t invested in the company, thus see no annual return, hence shouldn’t be expected to carry an insurers risk.
The NZI is a privately funded lobby group for the super wealthy. Pays to keep it in mind.
Yes, I’m well aware of that, thanks.
This comes across as an attempt to test the waters.
The metvuw forecast shows we have tropical incursions for the first two weeks of February:
http://metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain®ion=swp&noofdays=10
Hot and sticky for a while folks.
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/02/green_mp_accuses_her_own_government_of_illegal_spying.html
Someone should tell her its probably not a good idea to insult Labour and NZFirst, if she wants any Green bills to be supported that is
Someone should tell Farrar she became an MP, not an employee..
I think he’d say something like formenting happy mischief but if I was advising National (we still haven’t come to terms on the contract) I’d be suggesting they prepare a few questions for next question time around this
Not technically something she’s a Minister of, so technically fine commenting.
Preaching to her converted i’m sure she is, but worth her having a chat with Shaw I would’ve thought.
“Someone should tell her its probably not a good idea to insult Labour and NZFirst, if she wants any Green bills to be supported that is”
Where’s the insult? Or are you suggesting that MPs should be a hive mind?
For that matter, where does she say that the Labour government is illegally spying?
Or are just fomenting mischief?
“Fine day to protest a spy base in Waihopai! Seriously, it’s time to stop helping Donald Trump (or anyone else) unlawfully spy on our Asia Pacific neighbours ”
– Where’s the insult?:
The insult is that shes saying the government (Labour & NZFirst) is helping Donald Trump unlawfully spy
– For that matter, where does she say that the Labour government is illegally spying?
Well she says unlawfully spy so, not being a lawyer, I take that to mean illegally spying
As for Labour government well I had assumed Labour & NZFirst were in power so probably not something that can be blamed on John Key this time 🙂
“probably not something that can be blamed on John Key this time”
You really aren’t trying hard enough.
Everything is John Key’s fault. EVERYTHING.
Write that out 1,000 times to help you remember.
I actually tried to but it won’t go through 🙂
[That’s right “Puckish”. It didn’t go through. Word of warning. Throw huge, pointless comments like that again and the only thing that will go through is your name onto the blacklist (regardless of context)] – Bill
Warning heeded
alwyn’s correct. Pucky; your inability to see that is also Key’s fault – he mesmerized you with his cold-fish snake-eyes and crocodile-grin and oily-tongue. Plus, if you were a journalist, wine and promises of seats in the jet.
I think I’m starting to break free of the spell, I googled “john key is head of the illuminati”
and I came across this website: http://taurangamusicsux.com/index.php/news/45-john-key-denied-entry-into-illuminati
The scales are falling from my eyes
😁
“The insult is that shes saying the government (Labour & NZFirst) is helping Donald Trump unlawfully spy”
I don’t see how that’s an insult if it’s true. It’s just her telling the truth. Or are you saying that she shouldn’t tell the truth? Is there a way she could have told the truth that wasn’t insulting in your eyes?
“– For that matter, where does she say that the Labour government is illegally spying?
Well she says unlawfully spy so, not being a lawyer, I take that to mean illegally spying”
Technically she said that a NZ spy base helps another State illegally spy on a third party. She didn’t say that NZ was doing the spying. But it could be that we provide generic support that enables the US in less direct ways. I don’t know much about it, but if you do, by all means tell us.
“As for Labour government well I had assumed Labour & NZFirst were in power so probably not something that can be blamed on John Key this time 🙂”
Oh I’m pretty sure that Key had his sticky little fingers all over that shit and thus is a contributor.
“I don’t see how that’s an insult if it’s true.”
Indeed.
Moreover, if true, that should be the concern – not her highlighting of it.
If being the key word, Winston Peters isn’t one to take any sort of slight lightly
Well Metiria Turei called him a racist last year and not a lot happened. I suspect he has better things to do with his time than worry about what a political party disagreeing with some of his party’s policies. He’ll be used to it by now.
If being the (John) key word, I get the feeling that Winston Peters doesn’t take any perceived slights lightly
The truth being something that should have been ascertained before accusations of insults were made.
Those are convincing arguments and I’m quite sure that if Golriz Ghahraam was to put them to Winston The Peters then I’m sure he’ll understand and won’t take offence at all 🙂
At some point the Greens will have to decide if they’re in government.
Clearly it’s too early.
Hi PR,
I will bite, it is not unlawful to ride a motorbike without a WOF, it is illegal though.
It seems that the media are still prepared to meekly accept spin without real thinking –
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101053555/truth-or-fable-factchecking-bill-englishs-big-speech
If fact checking, perhaps it would be a good idea to ask real experts rather than just do a bit of a google-check – the second comment neatly summarises the bias in the information provided by National :
“Why is the ‘average’ income generally used when this is distorted by those on extremely high incomes. Surely it is the median income that should be used to provide a much clearer idea what most people have to survive on. The median income from wages and salaries is about $48,000 and 50% of workers will earn that or less. The living wage is currently calculated at $20.20 for a full time worker which = around $42,000 a year (the income necessary to meet normal living expenses). 50% of workers struggle to receive a living wage. The median income is only around $80 a week (after tax) above the living wage, which is about the cost of a full tank of petrol. ” Thanks to Dave Kennedy and others making comments.
We need to pay much more attention to median earnings. Disrtibution of earnings matters!. If all real income gains go to the top 1%, then average incomes will rise in both dollar terms and in real value – but median earnings would stay the same in dollar terms (no pay rise), and drop in real terms (lower spending power). , but median earnings in in real terms
Yes, this is a fairer measure.
Who is up for Greens female leader?
Marama Davidson has some big announcement on the Sunday.
Anyone else notice that the Labour-led government just did exactly what it said it would do, over 100 days, and knocked it out of the park?
They’ve done some good, and a fair chunk of what they’re up to may develop positively in the near future – the building and Pike River programs for example.
But it takes a mighty generous interpretation to call signing a TPP with ISDS a success. The claim that foreign speculators have been closed out is very slender, with large farm and factory sales in the news every day. And there is little or no substantive action on the use of cheap migrants in agriculture, horticulture and construction.
Had Labour succeeded a competent responsible government their actions could have been described as ‘knocking it out of the park’. But they succeeded a hot mess riddled with corruption, and they will need to do quite a bit more to begin to turn it around.
Okay, so they’ve got really shit weather down on the West Coast with the road blocked by at least one slip and hundreds of travelers stranded.
Why, oh why is there still no cell phone coverage???
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11957404
Would have thought the previous Minster for Tourism, what’s his face, would have got this sorted.
Perhaps this could be tacked onto the “To Do” list?
Nah.
West Coasts only attraction is it’s in the 1950s.
Jacinda has started well in her 5 day visit to the North. A real Leader. So proud of her.
We have Waitangi day coming up and some people are talking court /War over water in my view against a Labour lead government which is the government that cares for Maori and the common people I.E Maori will be shooting its own foot like what happened with the foreshore and seabed issue it is not a wise move this move will put wind in the sails of national and could limit the time labour have in government to 1 term .Water is a big issue but it is not a issue that needs urgent attention leave it alone till after the next elections. Get the treaty settlements sorted first and use the money to lift OUR Maori cultural people MANA with all of the people of Aotearoa and Papatunuku
I have read some articles on Maori and OUR water issues and there was a lot of negative feed back against Maori in the comments section you see I always read what the people are saying in the comments section of a article . The big picture is we want the people of Aotearoa to all back Maori when we find a solution to this issue going to court will turn them against US.OUR Tepuna said He aha te mea nui o te ao He tangata he tangata he tangata this ring true now as we are a minority .People that are to Radical will turn the majority of the people against US Don’t let Titewhai Harawira or the likes of her stuff up this good thing we have with a Jacinda lead labour government Like Titewhai did with Helen Clark labour government any idiot can be radical not many can find a wise solution that please all the people in Aotearoa and this should be the goal of all our wise MAORI Leaders as this will lift Maoris Mana like ECO MAORI is doing right now neolibrels national people don’t want Maori to have MANA they want us to provide all the services for them and there wealth foreign m8 so they can enjoy all the beautiful wonders of Aotearoa while we have to work OUR asses off just to servive. That’s is what has happened in the last 9 years thanks to Titewhai Harawira why is she wearing sun glasses what is she hiding I will put up two links in a post below this one as this device can not bring them up Ana to kai Ka kite ano
Heres the link
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99362109/mori-freshwater-rights-set-to-be-a-stumbling-block-for-coalition-government and 2
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101112369/national-government-only-ever-wanted-a-treaty-settlement-on-their-terms–ngpuhi-leader I will not be very polite and will discredited anyone who FUCKS this up Ka pai
There you go bill English stirring up his neolibrels racist idiots by stating that IWI have cash coming out there ears Graeme Hart has more cash than all the iwi put together what the fuck national are at it again. He also states that Jacinda doesn’t know a thing about Waitangi she has more advisors on the subject than anyone. I Say shut up if he wants to make a statement about Waitangi and Maori issues than he should grow some balls and make them at Waitangi Ana to Ka I here’s the link
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101041017/government-not-expecting-all-smooth-sailing-as-it-heads-north-to-waitangi Ka kite ano