Jen, I very much appreciate all of your posts/comments/insight about Syria, they are informative and as a result, am learning more and more about the situation over. Just wanted to say THANKS 🙂
Not sure. I have had a couple of queries about the server responses this morning. I’m not having any problems from Singapore. But I will have a look at the server now that I am awake excessively early.
If it is of any help, I have had the same problem intermittently over the last month or so. I use Vodaphone.
My workaround has been to use the back arrow at top of page to get back to the comment I wrote; select all the comment text and copy it; then open a separate TS in a new tab; go to post and comment I want to reply to or to the comment box for a new comment; paste and quickly submit. Pain in a..e but seems to work most times.
Re the original TS comment that won’t work and times out, I keep that open and recommend copying your comment rather than cutting it, as a backup to losing what you have written.
looking at my rather elderly and overloaded “smart” phone, I wonder if it’s a client-end thing just taking a while to run basic tasks?
Or maybe their cookies need to be cleared and refresh the page?
in other words their device is concentrating so much on sending stuff and reloading the page that it takes too long to process a request to or from the server?
Good to see a bit of pressure being put on these dodgy organisations.
They take 6 billion out of our economy every year.
And they have been found to cheat their customers and lie to officials.
Time to get tough with these crooked groups.
We should nationalise the banks and take money away from the control of private overseas interests
Banks under scrutiny, told to prove they have clean hands.
The country’s leading banks have been ordered to prove they are not ripping off their customers like their Australians counterparts have been doing.
A royal commission into Australia’s financial services sector has found banks have cheated customers and lied to regulators.
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and Reserve Bank spoke with the heads of New Zealand banks on Monday seeking concrete evidence the same was not happening here.
“We’ve asked them to provide reassurances to us that they have scrubbed their business models, and they have a basis for being confident that those issues don’t exist here,” FMA chief executive Rob Everett said.
Much of New Zealand’s financial sector is run by local offshoots of the same organisations now in the gun across the Tasman.
“Disability groups are accusing the Health Ministry of being mean-spirited and tight-fisted in its efforts to claw back money it gave out as a result of the pay equity settlement.
About 20,000 staff in the disability sector were included in the historic $2 billion deal that came into force in July.
Since then some employers have been overpaid but argue they should be able to keep the money.
Under the pay equity deal, care and support workers got a 21 percent wage increase.
To help make life easier for employers the ministry decided to pay the money in advance for this financial year to ensure disability services had a buffer of cash on hand to pay the new rates.
But the funding included a 2.2 percent annual inflation adjustment, which some providers have since been paid again in their new 12 monthly government contracts.
The ministry now wants to recoup the double payments by making a one off funding cut.”
For a start…and this is a really, really important point…the New Zealand Disability Support Network, of which Bennie is the Big Cheese, is not a ‘disability group’.
It is an organisation set up to represent the interests of Contracted Providers of government funded disability supports.
“Representing the interests” = ensuring the terms and conditions of the hotly negotiated contracts favour the Provider, who can neglect (in some cases to death), abuse and in some cases torture disabled clients and almost never be held properly to account.
The immediate past CEO formerly worked for the Ministry of Health.
This is not a happy clappy ‘we love the disabled’ group.
This is a hard core lobby group….
“What We Do
We are a network of organisations and individuals involved in providing disability support services.
We provide a strong voice to government on matters of policy, service design and legislation.
We promote innovation, quality services, research and deliver a provider development programme.
We ensure good communication with members and support for regional networks.
We contribute to government working parties and reference groups.
We respond to government requests for advice and input.
Membership Options
Level 1
For organisations with revenue of $10 million or more $6000+GST
Level 2
For organisations with revenue of $5 million to $10 million $4000+GST
Level 3
For organisations with revenue of $3 million to $5 million $3000+GST
Level 4
For organisations with revenue of $1.5 million to $3 million $1500+GST
Level 5
For organisations with revenue of $1 million to $1.5 million $1000+GST
Level 6
For organisations with revenue of $500,000 to $1 million $500+GST”
They linked with the PSA back in 2015 to raise concerns about the push to have more disabled people using Individualised Funding rather than being reliant on the often unreliable Contracted Providers.
Interesting reaction from some of the care workers from the provider organsiations and the PSA when users of IF told of how successful they had found having this control, how satisfying it was to be able to pay their workers up to $20 per hour (remember the providers were largely paying minimum wage at this stage) AND, after meeting all of their employer obligations were still (in some cases) able to return unused portions of their funding to the Ministry of Health at the end of the year.
No doubt in my mind that the roll out of IF was negatively impacted by poor administration and support by the Contracted Providers hosting the IF $$$…because of course it wouldn’t be proper for there not to be a commercial opportunity in the scheme somewhere, the more snouts in the trough the better…but the folk making best use of IF had managed to largely bypass these troughers.
The new System Transformation for disability supports has a strong emphasis on IF or Personal Budgets, which the NZDSN and the PSA are not entirely ecstatic about.
The new Labour govt in New Zealand decided to appeal the Human Rights Tribunal ruling that former Attorney General acted unlawfully by withholding evidence in my case.
@nzlabour is now officially defending what National did to my family. Increasing cost and prolonging injustice.”
I am interested in the Human Rights aspect of this case and was wondering if anyone else has come across anything through the media about the Crown’s appeal of the Human Rights Tribunal ruling that former Attorney General acted unlawfully by withholding evidence in Kim Dotcom’s case.
Having read the Human Rights Tribunal ruling I am interested on what basis the Crown has grounded their appeal.
Disgusting, lawyers out of control again, no wonder NZ productivity is down and we can’t pick out own apples or build a house anymore, too many lawyers (we have about 26% more practising lawyers per person that the UK which is supposedly a financial hub, why do we need so many lawyers in NZ, when we seem to be a mostly agricultural and construction economy?).
Even a Moron should be able to work out that not releasing Dot coms information held about him from government agencies when he was being publicly persecuted in a bizarre inappropriate and ultimately found illegal police/cops/FBI shakedown…. was wrong. Now to waste more taxpayers money on lawyers appealing it… outrageous.
What’s the legal bill so far for NZ taxpayers – 5 million and counting just on the lawyers… because Hollywood is too cheap to fight it’s own battles and our over represented NZ lawyers are only too keen to be troughers at the government purse and now wasting more money on appeals that show Kiwis citizens that our government love harassment and lack decency to see even the most basic of issues effecting privacy…
Whether this is a decision by the new “Labour Government “, as suggested by KDC and Bradbury is questionable, however.
As you know from reading the Human Rights Review Tribunal ruling, the “Crown” as the original defendant in this case comprised Crown Law as First Defendant and then in order, the Attorney-General, DPMC, Immigration, MBIE, MFAT, MOJ, and NZ Police as the other 2nd to 8th Defendents.
The Solicitor-General as Chief Executive of the Crown Law Office, and the Attorney-General are the two main Law Officers of the Crown.
The Attorney-General has two roles in government – one as the senior Law Officer of the Crown requiring the A-G to act independently free of political considerations on some matters; and the other as a Minister of the Crown with ministerial responsibilities with its associated political partisanship.
The Attorney-General as senior Law Officer has principle responsibility for the Government’s administration of the law which is exercised in conjunction with the Solicitor- General as is the junior Law Officer.
OTOH: “Subject only to the Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General is the government’s chief legal adviser and advocate in the courts. In practice, the Solicitor-General provides advice directly to Ministers, departments and agencies of government and will appear as Senior Counsel for government interests in litigation and in particular appellate court matters. A key responsibility is to advise the government on constitutional questions.
The Solicitor-General also exercises a number of specific functions within the Crown’s prosecution process. These include responsibility for the prosecution of criminal jury trials and Crown representation in appeals against conviction and sentences.
By statute the Solicitor-General can exercise almost all of the statutory functions conferred on the Attorney-General. As the non-political Law Officer, the Solicitor-General has traditionally assumed responsibility for the exercise of those functions that should be undertaken independently of the political process, most notably the prosecution functions.
However, it has long been recognised that the nature and value of the office within government lies in part on the Solicitor-General’s duty to give independent advice and, in relation to certain functions, to act independently. That independence is of considerable constitutional importance. Such impartial advice can be seen to be given without political direction, even on politically contentious issues.”
In terms of the role of the Solicitor-General as the chief adviser and advocate in relation to the courts and the specific functions of this role in respect of the prosecution process, it could be that this decision to appeal the KDC HRRT ruling has been made by the Solicitor-General acting independently.
Please note that this is conjecture on my part, but I would be really interested to know whether this has been the case. If so, it cannot be sheeted to the “Government” per se – of whatever political persuasion or composition.
I will be following this appeal with interest, both from this aspect and the one you raised – the grounds that the appeal is being based on.
“The Crown” certainly did not make a great impression on the HRRT in terms of their original actions and the presentation of their defence to the Tribunal.
Sections (8) to (13) summarise the Tribunal’s impressions re KDC versus the Crown as witnesses rather succinctly.
“False Clarke Gayford rumours: Police and PM Jacinda Ardern respond to widely circulated fake slurs” by David Fisher.
Jacinda via Clarke is the victim of false news and Dirty Tricks are alive and well. Yuck!
Jacinda Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford has been under an unprecedented assault of baseless rumour and false innuendo with the apparent intent of dragging down the Prime Minister.
For the past seven months, Gayford has been the subject – on social media and via word of mouth – of untrue allegations and accusations.
The sheer scale and nature of the claims have led to Police Commissioner Mike Bush taking the extraordinary step of signing off a media release that rejects the speculation.
One News last night had a disturbing story about allegations that Corrections officers had sexually assaulted prisoners – and that Corrections was for some reason not bothering to track these allegations:
How do Labour and Green supporters here feel about it being years before the welfare overhaul comes about?
Anecdotally, I know most weren’t expecting changes over night, but now that Labour have indicated it may not come about until after the next election, how do you feel about the delay?
Personally, considering some of the horror stories coming out of WINZ one would have thought Labour would have made the overhaul a priority.
The Green Party seem rather silent on the matter. Especially so now they have Marama as co-leader.
Maybe the poor would get more welfare if they banded together and formed a religion…. see Gloriavale below, but I don’t think they are the only ones who can gather substantial government benefits in this way… funny how the tinder date women got her benefit cut, but this sort of practise is ok, (maybe because they are rich and a harder target?).
“The problem is that poor families really can’t wait until the deliberations of a welfare working group, they’ve already had to wait far too long and we’re picking up the social cost of that every day, we’re hearing from the sector about how … things have got worse.” – Susan St John.
Seeing as the welfare overhaul was part of Labour’s confidence and supply deal with the Greens, it’s surprising the Greens have nothing to say on the delay.
So much for the notion of the Greens keeping Labour in check. I’m starting to think my vote for the Greens was a waste of time.
Sue Bradford? She understood that time is something you don’t have when you are hungry and homeless….
Welfare has been allowed to get into a mess and a lot of people who don’t need benefits get them, while working people increasingly need them because the wages are so low, while those who need benefits them don’t get them, so that the costs overrun and more and more ‘reforms’ can be justified, at the same time this means less left people vote left (because their lives have got worse) and more right people vote right (because welfare feels like a bottomless pit)…
Yes, savenz, Sue Bradford understands that time is something you don’t have when you are hungry and homeless.
A lot of people I know that voted left have given up on so-called left wing parties and no longer partake in elections. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a right-winger that doesn’t vote.
10. Overhaul the welfare system, ensure access to entitlements, remove excessive sanctions and review Working For Families so that everyone has a standard of living and income that enables them to live in dignity and participate in their communities, and lifts children and their families out of poverty.
a. Safe sleeping environment devices will be made available for vulnerable families.
Nothing about timing but if there is nothing immediate in the Budget in a couple of weeks, then yes the left have cause to be concerned.
The drawn-out timing (up to 3 years from now) was announced by Labour’s Social Development Minister on the last episode of the Nation.
What blew me away was there was nothing from the Greens on this drawn-out timing, yet when it came to the less well off subsidising those that can afford a new EV, the Greens were quick to publicly announce they are considering it. Despite it going against their social justice stance.
So instead of speaking up on the drawn-out timing to help the less well off, they decided to speak up on a policy proposal that will benefit the well to do at the expense of the less well off.
Due to their lack of the vote, I don’t expect the Greens to enforce all the changes they campaigned on. However, I do expect them to speak up and show us how they are working on trying to secure more.
What we’ve got is them gifting questions to the opposition and telling us they are considering getting the less well off to subsidise the well to do.
I dont actually. I know enough about them to understand they do not indulge in the tail wagging the dog and will abide by the letter and intent of agreements they sign.
“They do not indulge in the tail wagging the dog and will abide by the letter and intent of agreements they sign.”
And in saying that, are you implying speaking up and showing us how they are working on trying to secure more doesn’t abide by the letter and intent of agreements they’ve signed? Because that would be incorrect, despite what you claim to know.
Addionally, Tracey, your question reminds me of the stance some centrist take. We don’t have to worry and cater to the left as they have nowhere else to turn too.
One of the issues of welfare seems to be some unusual arrangements allowed, such as the Gloriavale community who seem to have copious amounts of children who apparently need government welfare support, giving their WFF’s (estimated over 3 million a year in WFF welfare payments to the families who then put it in the wealthy community leaders bank accounts)… God provides in mysterious ways… someone was also complaining how they got such a good ero report when they are segregated and girls taught women’s work. I believe Gloriavale also qualify for some education funding for their own schools from the tax payer to the tune of $200,000… to teach that sort of stuff… God via the tax payers provides again, it seems.
Just a wee heads up on the ‘news’ that hemp is good food, and being permitted as food, and kiwi farmers might move into it as an alternate income to milking.
This is all true. BUT, and it’s a biggie…
Hemp is an accumulator of heavy metals. Cadmium, that comes with many Phosphate fertilisers, is a widespread problem on Dairy (and other) land, with levels threatening to shut certain land from production, or out of specific markets (EU). Our Councils are already fully aware of this issue.
So, here’s what actually needs to happen.
We identify the (so much) polluted land, and grow Hemp for FIBRE, until the land is cleared for food. The Hemp will detoxify the land while making a profit for Farmers. Talk about a gift horse. Now let’s see if anyone’s listening.
It’s an elegant solution to an enormous potential screw up.
I think there’s a project in Australia looking to use a salt bush for a similar use, specifically for heavy metails and radioactive stuff. The idea being that the salt bush absorbs the pollutants, and it’s then taken and burned and the metals collected (radioactive rope might be an issue).
These types of plants are called hyperaccumulators, and were initially discovered as inhabitants of serpentine soils and mine tailings. Unfortunately most grew too small or too slow to be of use but science continues the search. Did you know some clever folks have found a strain of Brassica juncea to harvest gold from tailings?
The Am Show Mark I would not have liked to be in your shoes when that bomb went off
on the Black Caps tour of Pakistan in 2002 that would have been unexpected and made me ——-my pants.
We should be great full that OUR Tipunas had the forsight to use diplomacy and intelligence to work together to leave us all this beautiful country Aoteraroa .
One phenomenon about this school PEE description is that it confirms my concerns that there is heaps of PEE out there and there is good reason to call out people using the word CRACK in any way in public is not acceptable.Duncan there need to be a advertising campaign showing what PEE does to you as soon as I heard about PEE we talked to our children about the bad side affects of PEE it is easy to see PEE users some people just don’t know how easy it is to see all addicts.
Gossip is a human trait everyone does it I take all information with a grain of salt untill I get it confirmed from other sources some people take gossip as a fact and use it to harm other people Good name like the sandflies are doing to me but are thats OK Eco Maori is just a broke brown person with no rights. Ka kite ano P.S its good that my———– know that I am innocent
I say that what happen in that NZ School is unacceptable and who ever dreamt that up should be canned full stop P.S we should never let it be accepted that PEE becomes a common thing in New Zealand as this type of behavior will do make it the norm. I wonder what that principal career was before he started teaching I think I know what it was
The Am Show Negative gearing is not just used by house owners business use it to structure there business to avoid paying tax that’s a fact we need to even the playing feild for all If they middle class are worried about there retirement they should join that great Labour invention Kiwi saver Ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub tangata I agree with that drug councler its insane to expose te Mokopunas to that information on PEEEEE.
ITS obvious that the fuel companies are running campaign to maximise their profits. The Queen horses
Phil and Tyrone are magnificently beautiful animals I will be getting me A horse or 2 soon as I build my Pa back home.
Nice tie Mike many thanks to the good Tangata Sea cleaner for there great work Ka pai
There is a lot of different foods we eat that can cause harm to animals like chocolate is never to be fed to dogs as it hypes them up and could cause more damage to the dog good on the Australian for putting there foot down on this issue. Ka kite ano
Newshub you would think the sandflys would spend there time chasing the PEEEEE dealers instead of wasting there time and resources harrsing ECO MAORI knowing how much is on the street and that the Mokopunas are using the poison Ana to kai Ka kite ano P.S I think they have there priorities worng
The Crowd goes Wild Mulls and Melissa you will be a good team I have a hard time with the sandflys always harresmeing me on the roads to keep my self control I just tell myself that they are trying to minupulate my behaviour and calm down I’m not letting them change my behaviour muppets.
Monty Betham is a excellent ambassador for Rugby League and the Warriors many thanks from ECO MAORI Monty for your good work Ka kite ano Wairangi is going to be brused after that Monty
The Crowd goes Wild To admit one needs glass is to admit one is getting long in the tooth Melissa it took me a couple of years to admit I needed glasses lol Ka kite ano
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
How come I keep getting this when I try to post a comment about my time in Syria?
I wonder why.
Me too. Still getting it.
Will try again.
Nope.
Well your BRIEF comments seem to make it through.
It’s obviously a conspiracy.
Yeah, bit like the Arab spring, was a CIA plot, regime change, conspiracy theory.
Will try again.
Will try again
Nope.
A little help here.
Anything with the word starting with Sy…. and ending with ….ria seems to be blocked.
Syria.
Nope got thru.
Still the same.
Something with the Server.
Lynn is working on it.
Jen, I very much appreciate all of your posts/comments/insight about Syria, they are informative and as a result, am learning more and more about the situation over. Just wanted to say THANKS 🙂
Because even the server is bored shitless with that topic?
“Ay Rabs”, “Head Choppers”, “Rag Heads”, Who cares about them.
Kill them all.
Just do it quietly.
Eh, Sacha?
Fill your boots – in the nearest phone booth.
Not sure. I have had a couple of queries about the server responses this morning. I’m not having any problems from Singapore. But I will have a look at the server now that I am awake excessively early.
Thanks
I can’t see anything wrong. It may just be the usual network glitching between systems in NZ.
FYI: Two of the reported incidents seem to involve vodafone.
Must be a real doozy of a glitch.
Far Out.
(Do young people still say that).
Stick with it Lynn, we are rooting for you.
If it is of any help, I have had the same problem intermittently over the last month or so. I use Vodaphone.
My workaround has been to use the back arrow at top of page to get back to the comment I wrote; select all the comment text and copy it; then open a separate TS in a new tab; go to post and comment I want to reply to or to the comment box for a new comment; paste and quickly submit. Pain in a..e but seems to work most times.
Re the original TS comment that won’t work and times out, I keep that open and recommend copying your comment rather than cutting it, as a backup to losing what you have written.
Sorry for the bad grammar in the above.
looking at my rather elderly and overloaded “smart” phone, I wonder if it’s a client-end thing just taking a while to run basic tasks?
Or maybe their cookies need to be cleared and refresh the page?
in other words their device is concentrating so much on sending stuff and reloading the page that it takes too long to process a request to or from the server?
Good to see a bit of pressure being put on these dodgy organisations.
They take 6 billion out of our economy every year.
And they have been found to cheat their customers and lie to officials.
Time to get tough with these crooked groups.
We should nationalise the banks and take money away from the control of private overseas interests
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/356418/banks-under-scrutiny-told-to-prove-they-have-clean-hands
A starter for anyone interested in learning how banking works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AC6RSau7r8
Would love to see our government switch to kiwibank.
Bill English continues to chase his dream of a low-wage economy
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/356412/bill-english-joins-board-of-australia-retail-giant
Serving politician on a private company board?
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving ‘group’.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/356424/cruel-irony-as-ministry-claws-back-pay-advance
“Disability groups are accusing the Health Ministry of being mean-spirited and tight-fisted in its efforts to claw back money it gave out as a result of the pay equity settlement.
About 20,000 staff in the disability sector were included in the historic $2 billion deal that came into force in July.
Since then some employers have been overpaid but argue they should be able to keep the money.
Under the pay equity deal, care and support workers got a 21 percent wage increase.
To help make life easier for employers the ministry decided to pay the money in advance for this financial year to ensure disability services had a buffer of cash on hand to pay the new rates.
But the funding included a 2.2 percent annual inflation adjustment, which some providers have since been paid again in their new 12 monthly government contracts.
The ministry now wants to recoup the double payments by making a one off funding cut.”
For a start…and this is a really, really important point…the New Zealand Disability Support Network, of which Bennie is the Big Cheese, is not a ‘disability group’.
It is an organisation set up to represent the interests of Contracted Providers of government funded disability supports.
“Representing the interests” = ensuring the terms and conditions of the hotly negotiated contracts favour the Provider, who can neglect (in some cases to death), abuse and in some cases torture disabled clients and almost never be held properly to account.
The immediate past CEO formerly worked for the Ministry of Health.
FYI
https://www.nzdsn.org.nz/members-2/
This is not a happy clappy ‘we love the disabled’ group.
This is a hard core lobby group….
“What We Do
We are a network of organisations and individuals involved in providing disability support services.
We provide a strong voice to government on matters of policy, service design and legislation.
We promote innovation, quality services, research and deliver a provider development programme.
We ensure good communication with members and support for regional networks.
We contribute to government working parties and reference groups.
We respond to government requests for advice and input.
Membership Options
Level 1
For organisations with revenue of $10 million or more $6000+GST
Level 2
For organisations with revenue of $5 million to $10 million $4000+GST
Level 3
For organisations with revenue of $3 million to $5 million $3000+GST
Level 4
For organisations with revenue of $1.5 million to $3 million $1500+GST
Level 5
For organisations with revenue of $1 million to $1.5 million $1000+GST
Level 6
For organisations with revenue of $500,000 to $1 million $500+GST”
They linked with the PSA back in 2015 to raise concerns about the push to have more disabled people using Individualised Funding rather than being reliant on the often unreliable Contracted Providers.
An interesting hui in Auckland ( http://disabilityconnect.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Invite-to-individualised-funding.pdf) there was much hand wringing from PSA and NZDSN about the pitfalls of increased control by disabled people over their allocated funding.
Interesting reaction from some of the care workers from the provider organsiations and the PSA when users of IF told of how successful they had found having this control, how satisfying it was to be able to pay their workers up to $20 per hour (remember the providers were largely paying minimum wage at this stage) AND, after meeting all of their employer obligations were still (in some cases) able to return unused portions of their funding to the Ministry of Health at the end of the year.
No doubt in my mind that the roll out of IF was negatively impacted by poor administration and support by the Contracted Providers hosting the IF $$$…because of course it wouldn’t be proper for there not to be a commercial opportunity in the scheme somewhere, the more snouts in the trough the better…but the folk making best use of IF had managed to largely bypass these troughers.
The new System Transformation for disability supports has a strong emphasis on IF or Personal Budgets, which the NZDSN and the PSA are not entirely ecstatic about.
Tough.
I read Kim Dotcom’s following announcement through Twitter (https://twitter.com/KimDotcom) on the 29/4 which reads;
“KimDotcom@KimDotcom
The new Labour govt in New Zealand decided to appeal the Human Rights Tribunal ruling that former Attorney General acted unlawfully by withholding evidence in my case.
@nzlabour is now officially defending what National did to my family. Increasing cost and prolonging injustice.”
I am interested in the Human Rights aspect of this case and was wondering if anyone else has come across anything through the media about the Crown’s appeal of the Human Rights Tribunal ruling that former Attorney General acted unlawfully by withholding evidence in Kim Dotcom’s case.
Having read the Human Rights Tribunal ruling I am interested on what basis the Crown has grounded their appeal.
Cheers, S.T.
Disgusting, lawyers out of control again, no wonder NZ productivity is down and we can’t pick out own apples or build a house anymore, too many lawyers (we have about 26% more practising lawyers per person that the UK which is supposedly a financial hub, why do we need so many lawyers in NZ, when we seem to be a mostly agricultural and construction economy?).
Even a Moron should be able to work out that not releasing Dot coms information held about him from government agencies when he was being publicly persecuted in a bizarre inappropriate and ultimately found illegal police/cops/FBI shakedown…. was wrong. Now to waste more taxpayers money on lawyers appealing it… outrageous.
What’s the legal bill so far for NZ taxpayers – 5 million and counting just on the lawyers… because Hollywood is too cheap to fight it’s own battles and our over represented NZ lawyers are only too keen to be troughers at the government purse and now wasting more money on appeals that show Kiwis citizens that our government love harassment and lack decency to see even the most basic of issues effecting privacy…
Thanks for the update, ST. I am also interested as to what basis the “Crown” is using for it’s appeal.
Having Googled to see if there is any further information, all I could find was KDC’s tweet and a blog post on TDB by Martyn Bradbury which provides no further information.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/30/labour-party-attack-kim-dotcom-major-blunder/
Whether this is a decision by the new “Labour Government “, as suggested by KDC and Bradbury is questionable, however.
As you know from reading the Human Rights Review Tribunal ruling, the “Crown” as the original defendant in this case comprised Crown Law as First Defendant and then in order, the Attorney-General, DPMC, Immigration, MBIE, MFAT, MOJ, and NZ Police as the other 2nd to 8th Defendents.
The Solicitor-General as Chief Executive of the Crown Law Office, and the Attorney-General are the two main Law Officers of the Crown.
The Attorney-General has two roles in government – one as the senior Law Officer of the Crown requiring the A-G to act independently free of political considerations on some matters; and the other as a Minister of the Crown with ministerial responsibilities with its associated political partisanship.
The Attorney-General as senior Law Officer has principle responsibility for the Government’s administration of the law which is exercised in conjunction with the Solicitor- General as is the junior Law Officer.
OTOH:
“Subject only to the Attorney-General, the Solicitor-General is the government’s chief legal adviser and advocate in the courts. In practice, the Solicitor-General provides advice directly to Ministers, departments and agencies of government and will appear as Senior Counsel for government interests in litigation and in particular appellate court matters. A key responsibility is to advise the government on constitutional questions.
The Solicitor-General also exercises a number of specific functions within the Crown’s prosecution process. These include responsibility for the prosecution of criminal jury trials and Crown representation in appeals against conviction and sentences.
By statute the Solicitor-General can exercise almost all of the statutory functions conferred on the Attorney-General. As the non-political Law Officer, the Solicitor-General has traditionally assumed responsibility for the exercise of those functions that should be undertaken independently of the political process, most notably the prosecution functions.
However, it has long been recognised that the nature and value of the office within government lies in part on the Solicitor-General’s duty to give independent advice and, in relation to certain functions, to act independently. That independence is of considerable constitutional importance. Such impartial advice can be seen to be given without political direction, even on politically contentious issues.”
http://www.crownlaw.govt.nz/about-us/law-officers/
In terms of the role of the Solicitor-General as the chief adviser and advocate in relation to the courts and the specific functions of this role in respect of the prosecution process, it could be that this decision to appeal the KDC HRRT ruling has been made by the Solicitor-General acting independently.
Please note that this is conjecture on my part, but I would be really interested to know whether this has been the case. If so, it cannot be sheeted to the “Government” per se – of whatever political persuasion or composition.
I will be following this appeal with interest, both from this aspect and the one you raised – the grounds that the appeal is being based on.
“The Crown” certainly did not make a great impression on the HRRT in terms of their original actions and the presentation of their defence to the Tribunal.
Sections (8) to (13) summarise the Tribunal’s impressions re KDC versus the Crown as witnesses rather succinctly.
https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Decisions/2018-nzhrrt-7-dotcom-v-crown-law-others.pdf
Thanks veutoviper…..will wait and see what appears next then…..good points raised and noted which I appreciate your response.
“False Clarke Gayford rumours: Police and PM Jacinda Ardern respond to widely circulated fake slurs” by David Fisher.
Jacinda via Clarke is the victim of false news and Dirty Tricks are alive and well. Yuck!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12043351
Ugh scary stuff
One News last night had a disturbing story about allegations that Corrections officers had sexually assaulted prisoners – and that Corrections was for some reason not bothering to track these allegations:
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2018/05/how-can-they-not-track-this.html
Excellent to see that the school workers’ strikes are spreading across more states in the USA: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/05/01/us-teachers-strikes-spread-across-five-states/
How do Labour and Green supporters here feel about it being years before the welfare overhaul comes about?
Anecdotally, I know most weren’t expecting changes over night, but now that Labour have indicated it may not come about until after the next election, how do you feel about the delay?
Personally, considering some of the horror stories coming out of WINZ one would have thought Labour would have made the overhaul a priority.
The Green Party seem rather silent on the matter. Especially so now they have Marama as co-leader.
Maybe the poor would get more welfare if they banded together and formed a religion…. see Gloriavale below, but I don’t think they are the only ones who can gather substantial government benefits in this way… funny how the tinder date women got her benefit cut, but this sort of practise is ok, (maybe because they are rich and a harder target?).
I see from your link the Government is going to look into it.
“The problem is that poor families really can’t wait until the deliberations of a welfare working group, they’ve already had to wait far too long and we’re picking up the social cost of that every day, we’re hearing from the sector about how … things have got worse.” – Susan St John.
Seeing as the welfare overhaul was part of Labour’s confidence and supply deal with the Greens, it’s surprising the Greens have nothing to say on the delay.
So much for the notion of the Greens keeping Labour in check. I’m starting to think my vote for the Greens was a waste of time.
Sue Bradford? She understood that time is something you don’t have when you are hungry and homeless….
Welfare has been allowed to get into a mess and a lot of people who don’t need benefits get them, while working people increasingly need them because the wages are so low, while those who need benefits them don’t get them, so that the costs overrun and more and more ‘reforms’ can be justified, at the same time this means less left people vote left (because their lives have got worse) and more right people vote right (because welfare feels like a bottomless pit)…
Yes, savenz, Sue Bradford understands that time is something you don’t have when you are hungry and homeless.
A lot of people I know that voted left have given up on so-called left wing parties and no longer partake in elections. In fact, I’ve yet to meet a right-winger that doesn’t vote.
From the confidence and supply agreement:
https://www.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/NZLP%20%26%20GP%20C%26S%20Agreement%20FINAL.PDF
Nothing about timing but if there is nothing immediate in the Budget in a couple of weeks, then yes the left have cause to be concerned.
The drawn-out timing (up to 3 years from now) was announced by Labour’s Social Development Minister on the last episode of the Nation.
What blew me away was there was nothing from the Greens on this drawn-out timing, yet when it came to the less well off subsidising those that can afford a new EV, the Greens were quick to publicly announce they are considering it. Despite it going against their social justice stance.
So instead of speaking up on the drawn-out timing to help the less well off, they decided to speak up on a policy proposal that will benefit the well to do at the expense of the less well off.
What the hell are they up too?
“I’m starting to think”
Gosh, starting to? You really are a feeble little troll.
No. I’m a disappointed Green voter.
feeble.
When it comes to social justice,”feeble” and largely good for nothing is how the Greens are currently coming across.
You are such a try-hard.
It’s a pity and a real let down the Greens aren’t trying harder.
Can you explain how you thought a party polling around 5% last September was going to be able to enforce all the changes you wanted in 6 months?
Due to their lack of the vote, I don’t expect the Greens to enforce all the changes they campaigned on. However, I do expect them to speak up and show us how they are working on trying to secure more.
What we’ve got is them gifting questions to the opposition and telling us they are considering getting the less well off to subsidise the well to do.
Do you not share my disappointment, Tracey?
I dont actually. I know enough about them to understand they do not indulge in the tail wagging the dog and will abide by the letter and intent of agreements they sign.
“I know enough about them…”
Do you?
So you are happy and have no problem with them gifting questions away and considering getting the less well off to subsidise the well to do?
“They do not indulge in the tail wagging the dog and will abide by the letter and intent of agreements they sign.”
And in saying that, are you implying speaking up and showing us how they are working on trying to secure more doesn’t abide by the letter and intent of agreements they’ve signed? Because that would be incorrect, despite what you claim to know.
If not, what was your point?
” I’m starting to think my vote for the Greens was a waste of time. ” where do you think your vote would have been used better?
Nowhere, at this stage. Hence, my desire to see the Greens up their game.
Addionally, Tracey, your question reminds me of the stance some centrist take. We don’t have to worry and cater to the left as they have nowhere else to turn too.
One of the issues of welfare seems to be some unusual arrangements allowed, such as the Gloriavale community who seem to have copious amounts of children who apparently need government welfare support, giving their WFF’s (estimated over 3 million a year in WFF welfare payments to the families who then put it in the wealthy community leaders bank accounts)… God provides in mysterious ways… someone was also complaining how they got such a good ero report when they are segregated and girls taught women’s work. I believe Gloriavale also qualify for some education funding for their own schools from the tax payer to the tune of $200,000… to teach that sort of stuff… God via the tax payers provides again, it seems.
Government to investigate Gloriavale’s use of Working for Families payments
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/05/government-to-investigate-gloriavale-s-use-of-working-for-families-payments.html
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/22/dr-liz-gordon-bees-guns-and-cults-recent-happenings-in-education/
Q: what’s the difference between Centrepoint and Gloriavale?
A: one’s a commune run by a convicted sexual predator, and the other was run by Bert Potter.
Actually the answer is no difference. Both are run by sexual predators. Your attempt at humour is weak and illplaced imo
With the budget fast approaching- I hope those senior members of the govt will be reminded repeatedly of what was said at election time.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/10/what-labour-promised.html
https://www.labour.org.nz/10_reasons
Unlike in 99 (when the reverse was the case) last year is appearing to be over promised and under delivered
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103480388/cheaper-gp-visits-delayed-as-govt-admits-it-cant-afford-this-year
So we are now prioritising what will be spent.
How can we trust any Politician?? National – Labour what really is the difference? Promise then renege, BUT we didn’t know…. Really
You thought Labour was significantly different to National in terms of behaviour? Why?
I think we all need a bit of a laugh today – so here we are.
The NZ is being left off of maps conspiracy – Jacinda Ardern and Rhys Darby
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2018/05/jacinda-ardern-rhys-darby-campaign-to-get-nz-on-world-maps-in-hilarious-video.html
Just a wee heads up on the ‘news’ that hemp is good food, and being permitted as food, and kiwi farmers might move into it as an alternate income to milking.
This is all true. BUT, and it’s a biggie…
Hemp is an accumulator of heavy metals. Cadmium, that comes with many Phosphate fertilisers, is a widespread problem on Dairy (and other) land, with levels threatening to shut certain land from production, or out of specific markets (EU). Our Councils are already fully aware of this issue.
So, here’s what actually needs to happen.
We identify the (so much) polluted land, and grow Hemp for FIBRE, until the land is cleared for food. The Hemp will detoxify the land while making a profit for Farmers. Talk about a gift horse. Now let’s see if anyone’s listening.
It’s an elegant solution to an enormous potential screw up.
Let’s get this right.
I think there’s a project in Australia looking to use a salt bush for a similar use, specifically for heavy metails and radioactive stuff. The idea being that the salt bush absorbs the pollutants, and it’s then taken and burned and the metals collected (radioactive rope might be an issue).
But it’s an interesting idea.
Nice heads up on the saltbush thank you.
These types of plants are called hyperaccumulators, and were initially discovered as inhabitants of serpentine soils and mine tailings. Unfortunately most grew too small or too slow to be of use but science continues the search. Did you know some clever folks have found a strain of Brassica juncea to harvest gold from tailings?
GOLD! (that always gets attention).
Mustard?
Lol that’ll end up in a posey michelin star restaurant
‘
Spider 16.
A love story
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/103579347/the-extraordinary-life-and-death-of-the-worlds-oldest-known-spider
The Am Show Mark I would not have liked to be in your shoes when that bomb went off
on the Black Caps tour of Pakistan in 2002 that would have been unexpected and made me ——-my pants.
We should be great full that OUR Tipunas had the forsight to use diplomacy and intelligence to work together to leave us all this beautiful country Aoteraroa .
One phenomenon about this school PEE description is that it confirms my concerns that there is heaps of PEE out there and there is good reason to call out people using the word CRACK in any way in public is not acceptable.Duncan there need to be a advertising campaign showing what PEE does to you as soon as I heard about PEE we talked to our children about the bad side affects of PEE it is easy to see PEE users some people just don’t know how easy it is to see all addicts.
Gossip is a human trait everyone does it I take all information with a grain of salt untill I get it confirmed from other sources some people take gossip as a fact and use it to harm other people Good name like the sandflies are doing to me but are thats OK Eco Maori is just a broke brown person with no rights. Ka kite ano P.S its good that my———– know that I am innocent
I say that what happen in that NZ School is unacceptable and who ever dreamt that up should be canned full stop P.S we should never let it be accepted that PEE becomes a common thing in New Zealand as this type of behavior will do make it the norm. I wonder what that principal career was before he started teaching I think I know what it was
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/103580992/quakes-rattle-the-northeast-of-the-south-island
The Am Show Negative gearing is not just used by house owners business use it to structure there business to avoid paying tax that’s a fact we need to even the playing feild for all If they middle class are worried about there retirement they should join that great Labour invention Kiwi saver Ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub tangata I agree with that drug councler its insane to expose te Mokopunas to that information on PEEEEE.
ITS obvious that the fuel companies are running campaign to maximise their profits. The Queen horses
Phil and Tyrone are magnificently beautiful animals I will be getting me A horse or 2 soon as I build my Pa back home.
Nice tie Mike many thanks to the good Tangata Sea cleaner for there great work Ka pai
There is a lot of different foods we eat that can cause harm to animals like chocolate is never to be fed to dogs as it hypes them up and could cause more damage to the dog good on the Australian for putting there foot down on this issue. Ka kite ano
Newshub you would think the sandflys would spend there time chasing the PEEEEE dealers instead of wasting there time and resources harrsing ECO MAORI knowing how much is on the street and that the Mokopunas are using the poison Ana to kai Ka kite ano P.S I think they have there priorities worng
The Crowd goes Wild Mulls and Melissa you will be a good team I have a hard time with the sandflys always harresmeing me on the roads to keep my self control I just tell myself that they are trying to minupulate my behaviour and calm down I’m not letting them change my behaviour muppets.
Monty Betham is a excellent ambassador for Rugby League and the Warriors many thanks from ECO MAORI Monty for your good work Ka kite ano Wairangi is going to be brused after that Monty
The Crowd goes Wild To admit one needs glass is to admit one is getting long in the tooth Melissa it took me a couple of years to admit I needed glasses lol Ka kite ano