One of the modern mysteries of the current government is how Kelvin Davis went from being one of the most effective Members of the NZ Labour party while in opposition to one of its biggest liabilities when in government. His handling of the Corrections portfolio is risible. His answers to Guyon Espiner on Morning Report today were simply pathetic.
I don’t know how you can claim that when he did not even read a report on his area of responsibility (that has apparently been available since November) till last week.
I can claim it with the content of his response….the decision was based on the evidence of best practice.
Whether the projection of the number of incarcerations had deteriorated further had no bearing on that.
Would it be better for him to be able to say he had read that particular report before the decision?…of course, even if only for optics…would the content of that report have impacted the decision?….it would have only reinforced the need for the the decision taken.
Not particularly…I have no idea what reports/studies he HAS read (or any other politician for that matter) and as stated the latest report only reinforces the need to work on reducing prison musters.
I actually agree with the policy of smaller prisons rather than large ones however that doesn’t mean he is excused from reading reports about predicted increases in prison populations before he makes important decisions on what to do. I would at least expect him to read the report and re-evaluate his position based on the information.
It would make very little difference whether he had read the report or not. The government had a significant body of material that warned them of the negative consequences of their oil and gas decision, but they made it anyway. Arrogance is becoming a key characteristic of this government.
For once I agree with Baba Yaga, it was a stupid decision that won’t cut our CO2 emissions by one µg, but it will limit NZ’s future energy options with needless and possibly avoidable costs of importing fuel. We will run out of natural gas soon, it’s 50% cleaner burning than other fossil fuels. What a waste.
We will probably end up burning more coal and wood.
And your evidence for changing track towards renewables meaning we have to buy more fossil fuel offshore is? And burning more wood and coal?
Half of this argument is changing how people think about consumption, not stupid arguments over keeping consumption at the same level. Feeding into idiots like baba yaga and his fake attempt to be blissfully ignorant of the the impact of that mentality is producing. Is a bloody painful and tired debate – one which I might add we have had on this site for a very long time.
Time to accept we have to change, or take responsibility for being the person who supports the destruction of human habitation. Those are the choices at this stage. Between a wrecker or not.
Don’t worry yourself on behalf of the oil companies,
Aparently, they are getting everything they wanted
The Austrian player also reiterated that the New Zealand government’s decision to not issue any new offshore exploration permits would have no impact on existing permits and rights, meaning that if OMV drills a discovery well it can be converted into a production licence.
Chief financial officer Reinhard Florey said recently: “We are in a very good position in New Zealand. We’re having around 50% of all available exploration licences in New Zealand.
“So even if there would be a tender of licences right now, we would not go for it because we have sufficient licences for the next 10 years, 15 years to explore. So we don’t see any impact on our business, not on the production as well as on the exploration activities.”
Meanwhile government regulators have tied up the Greenpeace protest vessel Taitu to the wharf on pain of massive fines if they put to sea.
And Greenpeace Aotearoa Director Russel Norman and climate activist Sara Howel have been convicted in the courts of breaching the Anadarko Amendment against protesting offshore oil exploration.
I’m finding it interesting seeing which ministers are doing well and which are being quite arrogant.
I thought Grant Robertson which have got a bit drunk with power but no he’s making a good fist of finance and Kris Faafoi is doing well in consumer affairs and then compare them to the arrogance shown by Twyford or the incompetence by Curran as examples
In Twyfords defence, he does best work when he puffed up like a chicken, or he has himself under the pump.
As for Curran, I think myself and others questioned her ability, long before labour came to power. So that should not be a surprise to no one.
Look on the bright side, if you can only think of two it’s way better than the last government who had arrogance and incompetence across it’s whole cabinet.
Well David Clarks not living up to the pre election hype either (Jami-Lee Ross seems to be setting something up) , Littles apparent problem of not being able to talk to Winston before announcing policy, Nash is making some missteps (especially over briefing papers) and that’s not even counting what NZFirst have been up to
I also want to point out I don’t think any of the Labour MPs are stupid (well maybe Curran), they just seem to be not sure of what they’re doing
I refer back to my previous (vague) idea of a quick-fire training course for MPs before they’re allowed to do things in that being a minister is damn important yet its all about the on the job training which, to me anyway, seems horribly inefficient
We are better served with talented amateurs, rather than trained idiots who think they know what is best. I’m all for them making some mistakes, and we should let new governments and ministers make mistakes, and only punish them if they do not learn. We have a good mechanism for that – elections.
You should go to Wellington Puckish Rogue, and get why we don’t want the ministers trained by people in and outside that environment. And putting aside ideological capture – be it left or right I’m sure we agree we don’t want that.
“And putting aside ideological capture – be it left or right I’m sure we agree we don’t want that.”
Well no we don’t want that but its like the mistakes a minister makes can have extremely negative repercussions so maybe theres a middle ground that could be found
A small training session set up by senior National and Labour MPs thats not about policies but how to ask questions etc
Maybe even instead a rule book for incoming speakers written by Lockwood Smith and vetted by Labour and the Greens so as not to get another dud speaker…
I dunno it just doesn’t seem right that you have the most important jobs in the country and you learn it by on the job training only
Fair enough. I’ll watch some more. I still find it odd that he’s deputy PM given he presents poorly.
But you may be right and he’s the solid performer behind the leader.
I also thought about Bennett and wondering how come she’s where she is given her incompetence. But I’m happy for her to stay there and for Bridges to stay front and centre as well.
Don’ t doubt that he is…(after all hes been an MP for some time) but as Anne noted (and I agreed) he dosn’t appear confident in interview situations, particularly ones expected hostile…(and for PRs observation, that was something unmet as an opposition MP)…..and none of this is necessarily indicative of his competence in his portfolio(s), though it certainly will be painted thus by the opposition.
I agree Pat.Kelvin Davis is passionate and dedicated to what he truly believes in. I was thinking this morning that seeing as Guyon is so proud oh his mastery of Te Reo that Kelvin should just answer him in Te Reo. I believe that he would be very articulate using it.
The Government is setting out to reduce the prison population so the reported predicted increase will be a way to measure their success. What if the prisoner population stays around 10,000? Will this mark a huge success? And how come the Report predict that the 3,000 now on remand will become 6,000? Remember those on remand have not yet been convicted and for some who are convicted, they have already served the prison sentence on remand.
You may well be correct however it is the fact that Kelvin Davis is not all over this subject which is of concern. He’s doing an appalling job and this is from someone who thought he was great at holding the last government to account and scored numerous hits against them. It’s like he’s been replaced with some incompetent boob.
Perhaps Kelvin Davis ought to do what National did for nine years and refuse to appear on Morning Report, and only be interviewed by pro-government sycophants and then only when he feels like it?
The problem with Kelvin Davis is not his lack of competence (his past history is testament to that) it is his lack of confidence when facing hostile opponents either of the journo or politico variety. He needs some expert training how to cope with them.
Anyone who has listened to him at private functions where no media are present would know he is a actually a very capable speaker and on top of his portfolios, but it does not come across in the public arena.
“The problem with Kelvin Davis is not his lack of competence (his past history is testament to that) it is his lack of confidence when facing hostile opponents either of the journo or politico variety. He needs some expert training how to cope with them”
Thats the impression I get too….is a lack of self confidence in an interview situation ….and we have more than enough overconfident/arrogant politicians so it is not unwelcome.
Didn’t seem to be a problem when he was opposition, I thought he came across quite well (I mean I disagreed with what he was saying but he spoke well and was quite effective)
maybe there are other things going on for him. Of course you’d want him to crack preferably on the news. Real people do these jobs mate and they live real lives – stop being a creep.
Yep I’m sure you’d prefer that however your rightwing agenda is not the subject.
Why do rightwingers try to hunt out weakness, and even create perceived weakness, to drop someone and make them suffer? Politics? Masculinity? No, sport is the answer imo – the hunt – stupid pack behaviour and bully antics hiding deep insecurities.
I still think that Labour didn’t expect to get into power and so had the luxury of saying damn near anything they liked while in opposition but are now finding out its a different kettle of fish having to implement their pre-election promises
The dirty gnats are still finding their feet so it’s no wonder they are floundering so badly – for instance I doubt the public know ANY opposition member portfolios – I don’t know any, even Steven bridges – that’s for sure lol
But they are making the changes I wanted, unlike the Nats who mostly seem to sweep things under the carpet…….
I guess like anyone in anew job there is a bit of a learning curb. I was aware of this when labour was in opposition and the lost experienced people like king and cunliffe. There is very little previous ministerial experience in labour currently. But they will get that on the job.
I can’t really understand why so much criticism of Twyford. I think he’s working his butt off on two very difficult port folios with crusher braying at him (ridiculous the idea that he could have solved the housing crisis in 5 minutes)
Honestly thanks for outlining the concerns about Twyford.
It is a huge project they are undertaking ie building more affordable homes +++++it’s like any big project until you start it, you can’t really know what you are facing. Know this from my own home renovation projects. Even if you really shot up before hand things somehow unfold in unforeseen ways (I won’t bore you with the details here)……
The kiwi build apprenticeship thing is going ahead, heard some announcement about it very recently, but new apprentices will not yet have the experience to do the work. Yes the thing about fast tracking migrants for the job doesn’t fit with what they said about cutting back on migration (although they still may achieve that reduction). But needs must.
Twyford has signed off some great transport gains for Auckland (rail links), set up kiwi build, he I think is responsible for getting unoccupied houses eg owned by Auckland transport available for those needing emergency accommodation (better than motels) and he also got off his arse and phoned gluckman about the science behind meths testing.
So it might look a bit messy, but he’s working hard towards his targets, getting some smalls gains and setting it up so it’s good to go. After all it’s a massive task he has got
The big problem facing Twyford is, as you say, Kiwibuild is a huge undertaking with a lot riding on it, like a big gamble kind of thing, in that if he succeeds he (and Labour) will gain the kind of kudos Michael Joseph Savage received and can then look at three terms in office, at least (yeah its that big)
But if Kiwibuild fails he (and again Labour) will likely get the opposite reaction and all that entails
And at this stage it’s too early to tell. It might not be quite as black and white either, eg in areas outside Auckland kiwi build probably has more chance of success as the housing situation is quite as bad and the scale is less…….
I am reminded of what jacinda ardearn said (and I was sitting in the gallery when she said it) “I rather be the govt that tried and didn’t quite get their, than the govt that didn’t try at all” or words to that effect
It can’t succeed unless they use Savage’s funding model.
He’s just burnt a truckload of credibility trying to accommodate foreign investors – who will then limit his success just when he needs to push on through to a higher order of magnitude.
@exactly Stuart Munro and the foreign workers also undermining Labour’s so called Kiwi jobs and foreign buyers now even be bought in the mix to buy up the land and profit from it, or quasi private COO type companies be virtually given away public land in secret deals that are not providing much affordable housing aka HCL and if the buyers end up being foreigners or new residents who then rent them out after the withholding period, and the renters need more accomodation supplement to pay for the rising rents in the aforementioned Kiwibuild houses, it is gonna be a joke.
The NZ way seems to be market forces needing government money propping it up in a Kind of quasi public money for private profits. Not a nice story.
If they want to get Kiwibuild to succeed they need to use local and resident builders even if they have to train them on mass themselves, use local land and probably not sell them at all, as the city needs cheap rentals the most. Then use the rents to make more, exactly how private developers do it, only the profit goes back to the state to make more rentals!
I’m saying that Kiwibuild was/is being touted as a new rendition of the quarter acre dream, a continuation of Michael Joseph Savages ideas for state housing, a home and back yard for the kids to play in
All the marketing shows pictures of detached houses or town houses. Even the Kiwibuild logo is a house. Apartments are nowhere to be seen in the feel good PR images
It is interesting to see which Labour MPs are showing themselves in power, I mean Grant Robertson is doing quite well in that I thought he might have been one of the ones to get a bit arrogant but no hes doing well and Kris Faafoi is making a good fist on consumer affairs, again without the arrogance
Now compare those two that’re getting on with the job with someone like Twyford or Curran for example
“On 12 March, an explosion in Unit 1 was caused by the ignition of the hydrogen, destroying the upper part of the building. On 14 March, a similar explosion occurred in the Reactor 3 building,.”
actually I did edit the wikipage (simply pointing out the main differences between the two explosions, volume of material ejected and height of ejection) , it (the edit) lasted about five minutes.
Well the Lie must have begun with Tepco who controlled the initial analysis, Why this lie continues, lazyness?, ignorance? I really dont know ,
Huh – well Andre followed up with the tech analysis. You seem to be basing your opinion on your eyesight and limited knowledge of what you think a hydrogen explosion should look like. That is not evidence of a big lie.
Personally I think fukishima is such a massive disaster and cover up for real and the effects of that CONTINUING leakage of radiation into the ground and thus the sea are only now becoming known. That is where evidence of a big lie will be found imo.
Oh? Why is a hydrogen explosion not a satisfactory explanation?
Considering the enormous range of concentrations that hydrogen is explosive at, I don’t find it even slightly surprising that there could be a huge difference in the energy released by explosions in identical chambers. One could have exploded while there was still very little hydrogen while the other may have developed a much higher concentration before the explosion.
Even the assumption the explosions were in identical chambers is unwarranted, it seems the explosions were because the hydrogen was vented into the maintenance halls.
“Even the assumption the explosions were in identical chambers is unwarranted,”
Exactly! The video evidence clearly shows they were not.
think for a moment about the mechanics of how you might produce a vertical column of approx 1 kilometer (by comparison to the vent towers) of a great volume of material (observed falling) and then consider the dynamics of a hydrogen explosion (very fast!) in a light containment (the upper floor of the building)
reactor three was not “similar” to reactor one, certainly hydrogen explosion can be observed in both cases ( detonation, shock wave, bright flash) but what occurred after that was fundamentally different.
There’s plenty of reasons why there might be a much larger plume from one explosion than the other.
For instance, depending on maintenance operations, one of the halls may have had a large quantity of some sort of maintenance supplies that ignited, that either wasn’t present or wasn’t ignited in the other (because of a lower energy initial explosion).
Or there may be simple differences in the geometry and construction of the maintenance halls that accounts for the differences seen.
If both explosions were initiated by hydrogen that escaped from the containment vessel, which was generated in both cases by superheated steam reacting with zirconium inside the vessel, why is calling them “similar” a lie?
“For instance, depending on maintenance operations, one of the halls may have had a large quantity of some sort of maintenance supplies that ignited, that either wasn’t present or wasn’t ignited in the other (because of a lower energy initial explosion).”
Well if that was the case the wikipedia would say something like “the observed differences was due to the large amount of explosive material stored in the upper level of reactor three”
But that scenario does not address the major difference which is the vertical velocity and volume of the ejecta.
And I have some experience of physical objects being moved around by rapidly expanding gases, in experiments where everything we could think of was tightly controlled. And there were some pretty wild variations in outcomes even with initial conditions set to be as identical as possible.
So I don’t see a problem with describing those two explosions as “similar”, given the root causes of the two are the same. Given that there were likely to be substantial differences in initial conditions at the time of initiation, substantial differences in the appearance of the aftermath seems more likely than not.
Well thats the assumption you are steered towards by the description as “similar”
Best not question that assumption eh
easier to postulate “likely to be substantial differences in initial conditions” without any evidence and no such “differences” ever having been outlined.
I suggest you familiarize yourself with the differences between Detonation and Deflagration.
Ok, let’s take your new bit of theorising at face value (at a grand total of two comments it doesn’t seem to have attracted much attention). And no, I can’t be bothered trying to dig up a rebuttal of it.
So then the explosion at reactor 1 was the result of a known hazrd of pressuried water reactors (superheated steam reacting with zirconium cladding to produce hydrogen). Then reactor 3 explosion was due to a different but also well known hazard of pressurised water reactors. But somehow, probably due to technical differences of opinion among experts, the reactor 3 explosion is being misattributed to the same known hazard of pressurised water reactors as the explosion at 1.
How does this difference of opinion turn into a lie, let alone the foundations of some kind of conspiracy theory? Whether it was in fact a steam explosion or a hydrogen explosion doesn’t change the arguments against using that pressurised water reactor design.
How many times did Bridges say ‘spray and walk away’ this morning on Espiners show. I counted three but could have missed a few. AND he didn’t answer Guyons question as to whether he would forgo the Winter Allowance. I heard this morning that 140 people had opted out of it. Did you hear that Si. As for his amazement at Kelvin not having read report on figures on inmates rising the should just look to his right and ask the ever incompetent Paula Bennett to comment on this. When did she ever read ANYTHING? Going out on a limb here. NEVER?
Kelvin Davis performed well with the struggling Guyon this morning. Davis kept saying to the non responsive RNZ dummie, that Labour are not going to build mega prisons, but will develop ways to release prisoners on remand, and those suffering with Mental health problems. Thereby reducing the number of persons in prison.
Do not be misled by devotee TROLLS who suck on the incoherence of Simon Bridges.
Whatever, do not go with the trapsetting nonsense of people like Guyon and other low IQ RNZ so called journos.
While we are concentrating on banning plastic bags that are polluting our oceans and environment, can we also ban using components of plastic in our vehicle tyres please?
As “synthetic tyres” today now have the very same chemicals inert in them also as all plastics have.
Many benzene components are included in our commonly used tyres and these tyres have black carbon dust
Worse is that the carbon tyre dust that is emitted from one truck with 32 tyres will shed 100 times the plastic dust (cancer causing) more than just one car.
This toxic carbon tyre dust have been found its way to our artic ice caps.
Tyre black carbon dust has now been found to have been carried from our road pollution ‘runoff’ and transported in heavy rain into our roadside water ducts and water ‘sheds’ and then sent out to the rivers and coast to be transferred to the Antarctic ice caps by the prevailing ocean currents.
Scientists have found that the black carbon dust that may include tyre dust settles on the ice caps and accelerates the melting of our ice caps now.
Tyre particles are now known to travel far greater distances than previously known now.
Paper bags are the go. Ban the plastic bag! Too late to tax it as the oceans are dying! Oh that will upset investors so probably the government would prefer to kill the ocean rather than tackle taxing a company for polluting or even worse a foreign company, (but fine for ordinary commuters with petrol tax.).
@Fireblade – the Stuff tracker is a good idea but should show how many homes have been demolished to make way for the Kiwibuild aka the truth, they start with a negative as the National government booted out loads of vulnerable people to make these stylish new houses which if you look at Hobsenville and Tamaki are being marketed around $800k – well beyond what any renter or working or even middle class family can afford! Then put the houses into price banks… what they used to be $350k, now the 3 bed houses are $650k and going up… The other issue is that banks don’t like to lend on unstable jobs and so many jobs now are unstable…everything is harder because banks can afford to be choosy.
The WOF looks like a joke when they are now housing emergency families in demolition houses when the whole idea was to promise affordable safe houses! Before they fell into the Natz lies they should have looked a bit closer at the demographics of Auckland and what was driving up the prices! I know Labour and Greens trying to do the right thing, but +practicality+ needs to be looked at not just the latest +flash reports+ that clearly are a little amiss aka the staggering price increases of new builds…. lack of affordable houses… lack of rentals in any form… jobs still paying the same as a decade ago… It’s what they said about the wage trickle down in the 1980’s, never happened now we have the housing trickle down – is labour being fooled by their own liars again?
Thanks Andre a pleasure, view this scientific literature for clarity as the NZ document focuses on the amount of road tyre dust particles which is now very alarming to us all.
Then I Quote; from scientical reseach here at Alfred Weagner Institute.
This is just one sample of research that is recently discovered and as we agee particulates are from various sources we know clearly in NZ studies road dust from tyres is a hazard to be now taken seriously now.We now have to call these particles from tyres as “Microplastics ” as the scientists are.
Read the recent NZ publication also to see the NZ ageement that tyre wear now causes mass amounts of road dust pollution.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light.
Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples.
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
Identifying different types of microplastic and the movement of the ice could help us work out the source of these pollutants, say researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
Microplastics are particles, fibres or fragments which range in size from just a few thousandths of a millimetre to under five millimetres.
They come from multiple sources including from the breakdown of bigger plastic items.
For example, they could come from putting synthetic clothes through the laundry which are then washed to the sea, or from car tyre friction on roads, creating a dust of the particles.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light.
Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples.
The tiny fragments of plastic ranged from types widely used in packaging such as polyethylene, to paints, nylon, polyester and cellulose acetate which is commonly used in making cigarette filters
Identifying different types of microplastic and the movement of the ice could help us work out the source of these pollutants, say researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
Microplastics are particles, fibres or fragments which range in size from just a few thousandths of a millimetre to under five millimetres.
They come from multiple sources including from the breakdown of bigger plastic items.
For example, they could come from putting synthetic clothes through the laundry which are then washed to the sea, or from car tyre friction on roads, creating a dust of the particles.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light.
Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light. Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples
The process, reported in a study published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed there were far more microplastics than previous assessments
They study revealed that, with its process of freezing and melting sea ice, the Arctic is important in storing and transporting the plastic particles. Scientists said they could not yet say whether the particles released from melting sea ice stayed in the Arctic
The process, reported in a study published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed there were far more microplastics than previous assessments.
Gunnar Gerdts, whose laboratory made the measurements, said: ‘Using this approach, we also discovered plastic particles that were only 11 micrometres across.
‘That’s roughly one-sixth the diameter of a human hair, and also explains why we found concentrations of more than 12,000 particles per litre of sea ice – which is two to three times higher than what we’d found in past measurements’, he said.
They study revealed that, with its process of freezing and melting sea ice, the Arctic is important in storing and transporting the plastic particles.
WHAT ARE MICROPLASTICS AND HOW DO THEY GET INTO OUR WATERWAYS?
Microplastics are plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres (0.2 inches).
They have hit the headlines over recent years, as improper disposal has resulted in tonnes of waste making its way into the ocean.
Each year, tonnes of plastic waste fails to get recycled and dealt with correctly, which can mean they end up in marine ecosystems.
Although it’s unclear exactly how they end up in the water, microplastics may enter through simple everyday wear and tear of clothing and carpets.
Tumble dryers may also be a source, particularly if they have a vent to the open air.
Plastics don’t break down for thousands of years and it is estimated that there are already millions of items of plastic waste in the oceans. This number is expected to rise.
Studies have also revealed 700,000 plastic fibres could be released into the atmosphere with every washing machine cycle.
Current water systems are unable to effectively filter out all microplastic contamination, due to the varying size of particles.
The amount of plastic rubbish in the world’s oceans will outweigh fish by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to further recycle, a report released in 2016 revealed.
More than 80 per cent of the world’s tap water is contaminated with plastic, research published in September 2017 revealed.
The US has the highest contamination rate at 93 per cent, followed by Lebanon and India, experts from the University of Minnesota found.
France, Germany and the UK have the lowest levels, however, they still come in at 72 per cent.
Overall, 83 per cent of water samples from dozens of nations around the world contain microplastics.
Scientists warn microplastics are so small they could penetrate organs.
Bottled water may not be a safer alternative, as scientists have found contaminated samples.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes have been found to have consumed the plastics, whether directly or indirectly.
Previous research has also revealed microplastics absorb toxic chemicals, which are then released in the gut of animals.
That’s an impressive firehosing of irrelevant information.
I found precisely one mention of tyre dust in your DailyMail link, in the context of a phrase saying ‘hmm, we don’t really know where this stuff is coming from, maybe tyre dust, dunno?’
That rcaforum pdf was an impressive compilation of the composition of roadside dust contaminants and microdetail about their composition. But it was remarkably devoid about the hazards presented by the different contaminants. For instance, the section dealing with tyre dust failed to show any details around particulate size distribution, which is a critical bit of information in assessing the hazard. Although it did mention about less than 5% was small enough that it might become mobile again once it had settled on the ground. Nor did it contain any mention of uptake of these particles by marine life.
Meanwhile, scaremongering by joining together irrelevant factoids is how we end up with debacles like the meth-house testing scam.
mad heka duplicity alien was crowing in the Wairarapa Times Age yesterday morning that Winston Peters had been “FIRED” [sic] from the am show and was on two week suspension. Now he wont go back and merkin and dunnycan are really spitting the dummy. and besides what sort of juvenile language is that from a supposed adult.
why has politics in New Zealand descended into this sort of cocakamamie cross between reality teevee and womens weakly with the provincial rags as a support cast?
and for good measure Question time in the house has become a farce. if you dont believe me then watch and see for yourself. the nationals are like this pack of nitwitted drongos. One Brett Hudson asked a question to which he had just been given the answer.
The courts have finally got that case of including money loaned as some ones income in there assesment of money received fraudulently from winz they have ruled to clear the dept Ka pai.
There you go same day one week apart the only difference is the new Auckland fuel tax and no traffic jam today who said a fuel tax won’t decrease traffic.
Business conferenced allways go’s down in winter and what’s happening around Papatuanukue with trade won’t help plus most businesses are right-wing voters smitten that they lost the election.
Wow they found the Mokopunas lost in the Thailand caveing network that’s awesome I had my doubts but they are saved. Many thanks to the all the tangata who are part of the search team that found the Mokopunas.
There you go men behaveing badly at the basketball game between the Australian and the Philippins come on guys the whole Papatuanukue is watching you.
. Ka kite ano
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Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
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‘Targeting.” Crawl on broken glass for your entitlement.
Speak of the Devil….
What’s happening?
One of the modern mysteries of the current government is how Kelvin Davis went from being one of the most effective Members of the NZ Labour party while in opposition to one of its biggest liabilities when in government. His handling of the Corrections portfolio is risible. His answers to Guyon Espiner on Morning Report today were simply pathetic.
While his presentation was poor his reasoning was sound enough
I don’t know how you can claim that when he did not even read a report on his area of responsibility (that has apparently been available since November) till last week.
I can claim it with the content of his response….the decision was based on the evidence of best practice.
Whether the projection of the number of incarcerations had deteriorated further had no bearing on that.
Would it be better for him to be able to say he had read that particular report before the decision?…of course, even if only for optics…would the content of that report have impacted the decision?….it would have only reinforced the need for the the decision taken.
Guyon is over excited by a misperceived ‘gotcha’
Aren’t you the slightest bit concerned that he hadn’t seen the report until last week?
Not particularly…I have no idea what reports/studies he HAS read (or any other politician for that matter) and as stated the latest report only reinforces the need to work on reducing prison musters.
I actually agree with the policy of smaller prisons rather than large ones however that doesn’t mean he is excused from reading reports about predicted increases in prison populations before he makes important decisions on what to do. I would at least expect him to read the report and re-evaluate his position based on the information.
It would make very little difference whether he had read the report or not. The government had a significant body of material that warned them of the negative consequences of their oil and gas decision, but they made it anyway. Arrogance is becoming a key characteristic of this government.
Projecting much baba yaga.
All opinion, no substance.
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/94123/document-reveals-mbie-advised-energy-and-resources-minister-megan-woods-limit-oil-and-gas
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/104465563/government-warned-oil-decision-could-have-chilling-effect-in-investment-in-taranaki
I’ll post more if you want.
For once I agree with Baba Yaga, it was a stupid decision that won’t cut our CO2 emissions by one µg, but it will limit NZ’s future energy options with needless and possibly avoidable costs of importing fuel. We will run out of natural gas soon, it’s 50% cleaner burning than other fossil fuels. What a waste.
We will probably end up burning more coal and wood.
*Sigh* really.
And your evidence for changing track towards renewables meaning we have to buy more fossil fuel offshore is? And burning more wood and coal?
Half of this argument is changing how people think about consumption, not stupid arguments over keeping consumption at the same level. Feeding into idiots like baba yaga and his fake attempt to be blissfully ignorant of the the impact of that mentality is producing. Is a bloody painful and tired debate – one which I might add we have had on this site for a very long time.
Time to accept we have to change, or take responsibility for being the person who supports the destruction of human habitation. Those are the choices at this stage. Between a wrecker or not.
Global warming is a concern but not urgent to people facing wars, famines, ecological collapses, overfishing, depletion of soil and bees.
@Baba Yaga
Don’t worry yourself on behalf of the oil companies,
Aparently, they are getting everything they wanted
Meanwhile government regulators have tied up the Greenpeace protest vessel Taitu to the wharf on pain of massive fines if they put to sea.
And Greenpeace Aotearoa Director Russel Norman and climate activist Sara Howel have been convicted in the courts of breaching the Anadarko Amendment against protesting offshore oil exploration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcO4uYoQ2Pg
Guyon always plays the ‘gotcha game. He is predictable pain.
He enters interviews with a predetermined stance.
Sniggering Gyno would have a more difficult job springing his little traps if pollies made at least some effort not to make liars of themselves.
Listen to his responses and tell me that is what you should expect from a Minister of the Crown
https://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018651731
I’m finding it interesting seeing which ministers are doing well and which are being quite arrogant.
I thought Grant Robertson which have got a bit drunk with power but no he’s making a good fist of finance and Kris Faafoi is doing well in consumer affairs and then compare them to the arrogance shown by Twyford or the incompetence by Curran as examples
In Twyfords defence, he does best work when he puffed up like a chicken, or he has himself under the pump.
As for Curran, I think myself and others questioned her ability, long before labour came to power. So that should not be a surprise to no one.
Look on the bright side, if you can only think of two it’s way better than the last government who had arrogance and incompetence across it’s whole cabinet.
Should we mention the spy?
Too soon?
Well David Clarks not living up to the pre election hype either (Jami-Lee Ross seems to be setting something up) , Littles apparent problem of not being able to talk to Winston before announcing policy, Nash is making some missteps (especially over briefing papers) and that’s not even counting what NZFirst have been up to
I also want to point out I don’t think any of the Labour MPs are stupid (well maybe Curran), they just seem to be not sure of what they’re doing
I refer back to my previous (vague) idea of a quick-fire training course for MPs before they’re allowed to do things in that being a minister is damn important yet its all about the on the job training which, to me anyway, seems horribly inefficient
I thought Nash was one of yours 😉
We are better served with talented amateurs, rather than trained idiots who think they know what is best. I’m all for them making some mistakes, and we should let new governments and ministers make mistakes, and only punish them if they do not learn. We have a good mechanism for that – elections.
You should go to Wellington Puckish Rogue, and get why we don’t want the ministers trained by people in and outside that environment. And putting aside ideological capture – be it left or right I’m sure we agree we don’t want that.
“I thought Nash was one of yours”
No we’re good thanks 🙂
“And putting aside ideological capture – be it left or right I’m sure we agree we don’t want that.”
Well no we don’t want that but its like the mistakes a minister makes can have extremely negative repercussions so maybe theres a middle ground that could be found
A small training session set up by senior National and Labour MPs thats not about policies but how to ask questions etc
Maybe even instead a rule book for incoming speakers written by Lockwood Smith and vetted by Labour and the Greens so as not to get another dud speaker…
I dunno it just doesn’t seem right that you have the most important jobs in the country and you learn it by on the job training only
“Jami-Lee Ross seems to be setting something up”
Nah. Has already blown his load in the waiting room.
In the Jaws of the Dragon ?
He needs to lift his game but I’m not sure he can.
I agree he dosnt interview well…that dosnt necessarily mean he cant do his job competently….unlike say Paula Bennet who did neither
Fair enough. I’ll watch some more. I still find it odd that he’s deputy PM given he presents poorly.
But you may be right and he’s the solid performer behind the leader.
I also thought about Bennett and wondering how come she’s where she is given her incompetence. But I’m happy for her to stay there and for Bridges to stay front and centre as well.
Time will tell how competent he is behind the scenes…having said that, hes not the personality type youd want as party leader imo.
In person Davis is very well spoken and fluent in Te Reo. Probably just an off day
Don’ t doubt that he is…(after all hes been an MP for some time) but as Anne noted (and I agreed) he dosn’t appear confident in interview situations, particularly ones expected hostile…(and for PRs observation, that was something unmet as an opposition MP)…..and none of this is necessarily indicative of his competence in his portfolio(s), though it certainly will be painted thus by the opposition.
I agree Pat.Kelvin Davis is passionate and dedicated to what he truly believes in. I was thinking this morning that seeing as Guyon is so proud oh his mastery of Te Reo that Kelvin should just answer him in Te Reo. I believe that he would be very articulate using it.
Actually Davis hides behind TeReo to disguise his abject ignorance.
The Government is setting out to reduce the prison population so the reported predicted increase will be a way to measure their success. What if the prisoner population stays around 10,000? Will this mark a huge success? And how come the Report predict that the 3,000 now on remand will become 6,000? Remember those on remand have not yet been convicted and for some who are convicted, they have already served the prison sentence on remand.
You may well be correct however it is the fact that Kelvin Davis is not all over this subject which is of concern. He’s doing an appalling job and this is from someone who thought he was great at holding the last government to account and scored numerous hits against them. It’s like he’s been replaced with some incompetent boob.
Perhaps Kelvin Davis ought to do what National did for nine years and refuse to appear on Morning Report, and only be interviewed by pro-government sycophants and then only when he feels like it?
The problem with Kelvin Davis is not his lack of competence (his past history is testament to that) it is his lack of confidence when facing hostile opponents either of the journo or politico variety. He needs some expert training how to cope with them.
Anyone who has listened to him at private functions where no media are present would know he is a actually a very capable speaker and on top of his portfolios, but it does not come across in the public arena.
“The problem with Kelvin Davis is not his lack of competence (his past history is testament to that) it is his lack of confidence when facing hostile opponents either of the journo or politico variety. He needs some expert training how to cope with them”
Thats the impression I get too….is a lack of self confidence in an interview situation ….and we have more than enough overconfident/arrogant politicians so it is not unwelcome.
“lack of self confidence”
Didn’t seem to be a problem when he was opposition, I thought he came across quite well (I mean I disagreed with what he was saying but he spoke well and was quite effective)
maybe there are other things going on for him. Of course you’d want him to crack preferably on the news. Real people do these jobs mate and they live real lives – stop being a creep.
I’d prefer him to do the honourable thing and resign before he cracks up
Yep I’m sure you’d prefer that however your rightwing agenda is not the subject.
Why do rightwingers try to hunt out weakness, and even create perceived weakness, to drop someone and make them suffer? Politics? Masculinity? No, sport is the answer imo – the hunt – stupid pack behaviour and bully antics hiding deep insecurities.
“Why do rightwingers try to hunt out weakness, and even create perceived weakness, to drop someone and make them suffer?”
Like left wingers and their partners never do it themselves
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10411294
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11235412
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12066885
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11161586
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/05/settle-petal-ron-mark-told-off-for-sexist-remark.html
I still think that Labour didn’t expect to get into power and so had the luxury of saying damn near anything they liked while in opposition but are now finding out its a different kettle of fish having to implement their pre-election promises
Lol yes you mean opposition 101.
The dirty gnats are still finding their feet so it’s no wonder they are floundering so badly – for instance I doubt the public know ANY opposition member portfolios – I don’t know any, even Steven bridges – that’s for sure lol
Huh, Marty, you mean Simon Joyce don’t you?
At least bill Collins has gone lol
But Judith Bennett and Paula English are still there.
You are probably right about that pr.
But they are making the changes I wanted, unlike the Nats who mostly seem to sweep things under the carpet…….
I guess like anyone in anew job there is a bit of a learning curb. I was aware of this when labour was in opposition and the lost experienced people like king and cunliffe. There is very little previous ministerial experience in labour currently. But they will get that on the job.
I can’t really understand why so much criticism of Twyford. I think he’s working his butt off on two very difficult port folios with crusher braying at him (ridiculous the idea that he could have solved the housing crisis in 5 minutes)
“I can’t really understand why so much criticism of Twyford.”
Well off the top of my head (without googling) Labour made promises about housing including but not limited to:
Kiwibuild using apprenticeships which look to being dropped for foreign workers
Cutting back immigration but now allowing more foreign workers (see above)
Kiwis building the houses now looks to be either pre-fabs (not that i’m opposed to them) or simply buying the houses off developers
The houses being touted now looking like including apartments when it was described as homes for families (and all that entails)
The time frames for said houses being pushed back
The costs for the home raising
The easiest way for Twyford to shut National up is to start producing houses and at the moment i think 18 have been announced to be built
Kiwibuild was a major pre-election promise so of course National was going to attack it, especially given all of the above
Honestly thanks for outlining the concerns about Twyford.
It is a huge project they are undertaking ie building more affordable homes +++++it’s like any big project until you start it, you can’t really know what you are facing. Know this from my own home renovation projects. Even if you really shot up before hand things somehow unfold in unforeseen ways (I won’t bore you with the details here)……
The kiwi build apprenticeship thing is going ahead, heard some announcement about it very recently, but new apprentices will not yet have the experience to do the work. Yes the thing about fast tracking migrants for the job doesn’t fit with what they said about cutting back on migration (although they still may achieve that reduction). But needs must.
Twyford has signed off some great transport gains for Auckland (rail links), set up kiwi build, he I think is responsible for getting unoccupied houses eg owned by Auckland transport available for those needing emergency accommodation (better than motels) and he also got off his arse and phoned gluckman about the science behind meths testing.
So it might look a bit messy, but he’s working hard towards his targets, getting some smalls gains and setting it up so it’s good to go. After all it’s a massive task he has got
The big problem facing Twyford is, as you say, Kiwibuild is a huge undertaking with a lot riding on it, like a big gamble kind of thing, in that if he succeeds he (and Labour) will gain the kind of kudos Michael Joseph Savage received and can then look at three terms in office, at least (yeah its that big)
But if Kiwibuild fails he (and again Labour) will likely get the opposite reaction and all that entails
Agree or.
And at this stage it’s too early to tell. It might not be quite as black and white either, eg in areas outside Auckland kiwi build probably has more chance of success as the housing situation is quite as bad and the scale is less…….
I am reminded of what jacinda ardearn said (and I was sitting in the gallery when she said it) “I rather be the govt that tried and didn’t quite get their, than the govt that didn’t try at all” or words to that effect
It can’t succeed unless they use Savage’s funding model.
He’s just burnt a truckload of credibility trying to accommodate foreign investors – who will then limit his success just when he needs to push on through to a higher order of magnitude.
@exactly Stuart Munro and the foreign workers also undermining Labour’s so called Kiwi jobs and foreign buyers now even be bought in the mix to buy up the land and profit from it, or quasi private COO type companies be virtually given away public land in secret deals that are not providing much affordable housing aka HCL and if the buyers end up being foreigners or new residents who then rent them out after the withholding period, and the renters need more accomodation supplement to pay for the rising rents in the aforementioned Kiwibuild houses, it is gonna be a joke.
The NZ way seems to be market forces needing government money propping it up in a Kind of quasi public money for private profits. Not a nice story.
If they want to get Kiwibuild to succeed they need to use local and resident builders even if they have to train them on mass themselves, use local land and probably not sell them at all, as the city needs cheap rentals the most. Then use the rents to make more, exactly how private developers do it, only the profit goes back to the state to make more rentals!
“The houses being touted now looking like including apartments when it was described as homes for families (and all that entails)”
Are you saying families in many cities around the world do not live in apartments?
I’m saying that Kiwibuild was/is being touted as a new rendition of the quarter acre dream, a continuation of Michael Joseph Savages ideas for state housing, a home and back yard for the kids to play in
Not apartment blocks
Was/is it?
Don’t recall anyone touting that all homes would be detached houses on quarter acre blocks.
The policy in 2012 included apartment blocks.
Before the election the policy included apartments and terraced houses.
Where was the kiwibuild policy touted as a rendition of the quarter acre dream?
I’m not talking policy, I’m talking the “feelz”
Got any examples?
All the marketing shows pictures of detached houses or town houses. Even the Kiwibuild logo is a house. Apartments are nowhere to be seen in the feel good PR images
(google image search “kiwibuild”)
Certainly not just quarter acres though
As for the logo… a bit of projection there I think.
Simple solution Gos, stop listening to Guyon! he is a dork.
Guyon’s a dork because Kelvin Davis came across as a right plonker???
Guyon’s never been anything else.
actually i agree gos about kelvin being a plonker, but that doesn’t excuse Guyon or his presence on morning report.
Look on the bright side we could have had Greg Oc’onnor for minister of corrections! eeeek
Maybe someone’s vetting his reading list too closely gozzer.
It is interesting to see which Labour MPs are showing themselves in power, I mean Grant Robertson is doing quite well in that I thought he might have been one of the ones to get a bit arrogant but no hes doing well and Kris Faafoi is making a good fist on consumer affairs, again without the arrogance
Now compare those two that’re getting on with the job with someone like Twyford or Curran for example
Yeah ( breathless) so true wow good spotting onto it yeah nah maybe not really no rubbish boo.
A sympathetic interview.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2018/07/one-addict-s-story-of-being-evicted-by-housing-nz.amp.html
Poto Kingi has been told by HNZ she cannot apply for a home for three years after being evicted for meth (not cooking).
They tell her to go to a boarding house where the temptation of meth will be all around her. Choosing not to use she couch surfs instead.
here is an example of a mass lie
from wikipwdia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster#Units_1,_2,_and_3
“On 12 March, an explosion in Unit 1 was caused by the ignition of the hydrogen, destroying the upper part of the building. On 14 March, a similar explosion occurred in the Reactor 3 building,.”
I invite you to consider the evidence
here is footage from reactor one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJZo_8_LI90
and reactor three
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp2NnY16g0
These explosions are NOT “similar” there clearly is a fundamentally different process at reactor 3 explosion.
why the lie? and how has this lie continued in the face of video evidence?
Why don’t you edit the Wiki page and correct the “lie”? Anyway, who’s doing the lying, according to you?
actually I did edit the wikipage (simply pointing out the main differences between the two explosions, volume of material ejected and height of ejection) , it (the edit) lasted about five minutes.
Well the Lie must have begun with Tepco who controlled the initial analysis, Why this lie continues, lazyness?, ignorance? I really dont know ,
What I do know is that hydrogen explosion alone does not explain what is observed in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp2NnY16g0
You seem to be speaking with definitives – how do you know so much about hydrogen explosions?
ignorant comment marty. what do you know?
Huh – well Andre followed up with the tech analysis. You seem to be basing your opinion on your eyesight and limited knowledge of what you think a hydrogen explosion should look like. That is not evidence of a big lie.
Personally I think fukishima is such a massive disaster and cover up for real and the effects of that CONTINUING leakage of radiation into the ground and thus the sea are only now becoming known. That is where evidence of a big lie will be found imo.
Oh? Why is a hydrogen explosion not a satisfactory explanation?
Considering the enormous range of concentrations that hydrogen is explosive at, I don’t find it even slightly surprising that there could be a huge difference in the energy released by explosions in identical chambers. One could have exploded while there was still very little hydrogen while the other may have developed a much higher concentration before the explosion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_safety
Even the assumption the explosions were in identical chambers is unwarranted, it seems the explosions were because the hydrogen was vented into the maintenance halls.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconium_alloy#Oxidation_of_zirconium_by_steam
“Even the assumption the explosions were in identical chambers is unwarranted,”
Exactly! The video evidence clearly shows they were not.
think for a moment about the mechanics of how you might produce a vertical column of approx 1 kilometer (by comparison to the vent towers) of a great volume of material (observed falling) and then consider the dynamics of a hydrogen explosion (very fast!) in a light containment (the upper floor of the building)
reactor three was not “similar” to reactor one, certainly hydrogen explosion can be observed in both cases ( detonation, shock wave, bright flash) but what occurred after that was fundamentally different.
There’s plenty of reasons why there might be a much larger plume from one explosion than the other.
For instance, depending on maintenance operations, one of the halls may have had a large quantity of some sort of maintenance supplies that ignited, that either wasn’t present or wasn’t ignited in the other (because of a lower energy initial explosion).
Or there may be simple differences in the geometry and construction of the maintenance halls that accounts for the differences seen.
If both explosions were initiated by hydrogen that escaped from the containment vessel, which was generated in both cases by superheated steam reacting with zirconium inside the vessel, why is calling them “similar” a lie?
“For instance, depending on maintenance operations, one of the halls may have had a large quantity of some sort of maintenance supplies that ignited, that either wasn’t present or wasn’t ignited in the other (because of a lower energy initial explosion).”
Well if that was the case the wikipedia would say something like “the observed differences was due to the large amount of explosive material stored in the upper level of reactor three”
But that scenario does not address the major difference which is the vertical velocity and volume of the ejecta.
Have you actually viewed the video’s of the two events?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJZo_8_LI90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp2NnY16g0
simply dismissing the second event as “similar” to the first just does not work. .. look for yourself!
Yes, I did view the two videos.
And I have some experience of physical objects being moved around by rapidly expanding gases, in experiments where everything we could think of was tightly controlled. And there were some pretty wild variations in outcomes even with initial conditions set to be as identical as possible.
So I don’t see a problem with describing those two explosions as “similar”, given the root causes of the two are the same. Given that there were likely to be substantial differences in initial conditions at the time of initiation, substantial differences in the appearance of the aftermath seems more likely than not.
“given the root causes of the two are the same.”
Well thats the assumption you are steered towards by the description as “similar”
Best not question that assumption eh
easier to postulate “likely to be substantial differences in initial conditions” without any evidence and no such “differences” ever having been outlined.
I suggest you familiarize yourself with the differences between Detonation and Deflagration.
as well here is rather more plausible and well explained mechanism that could produce the observed events
http://www.fukuleaks.org/web/?p=3018
Ok, let’s take your new bit of theorising at face value (at a grand total of two comments it doesn’t seem to have attracted much attention). And no, I can’t be bothered trying to dig up a rebuttal of it.
So then the explosion at reactor 1 was the result of a known hazrd of pressuried water reactors (superheated steam reacting with zirconium cladding to produce hydrogen). Then reactor 3 explosion was due to a different but also well known hazard of pressurised water reactors. But somehow, probably due to technical differences of opinion among experts, the reactor 3 explosion is being misattributed to the same known hazard of pressurised water reactors as the explosion at 1.
How does this difference of opinion turn into a lie, let alone the foundations of some kind of conspiracy theory? Whether it was in fact a steam explosion or a hydrogen explosion doesn’t change the arguments against using that pressurised water reactor design.
Similar isn’t identical xanthy.
And you can link to the research proving this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJZo_8_LI90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp2NnY16g0
Ah, so you confirm that you’re talking out your arse.
Gotcha.
How many times did Bridges say ‘spray and walk away’ this morning on Espiners show. I counted three but could have missed a few. AND he didn’t answer Guyons question as to whether he would forgo the Winter Allowance. I heard this morning that 140 people had opted out of it. Did you hear that Si. As for his amazement at Kelvin not having read report on figures on inmates rising the should just look to his right and ask the ever incompetent Paula Bennett to comment on this. When did she ever read ANYTHING? Going out on a limb here. NEVER?
Deaf RNZ
Kelvin Davis performed well with the struggling Guyon this morning. Davis kept saying to the non responsive RNZ dummie, that Labour are not going to build mega prisons, but will develop ways to release prisoners on remand, and those suffering with Mental health problems. Thereby reducing the number of persons in prison.
Do not be misled by devotee TROLLS who suck on the incoherence of Simon Bridges.
Whatever, do not go with the trapsetting nonsense of people like Guyon and other low IQ RNZ so called journos.
“Whatever, do not go with the trapsetting nonsense of people like Guyon and other low IQ RNZ so called journos.”
agree wholeheartedly.
some time ago I decided to avoid the herald and one result was more exposure to RNZ… very disappointing.
where can I find real journalism of day to day events in NZ?
Most television and radio hosts/journalists suffer from very low IQ levels and sadly lack intelligence and have little common sense ?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201107/common-sense-is-neither-common-nor-sense
If you have 26 minutes in your day, well worth watching this interview with Seymour M. Hersh. You may remember him from such reporting as the:
My Lai Massacre
Korean Air Flight 007
Attack on pharmaceutical factory in Sudan
Dick Cheney
and the questioning of the killing of Osama bin Laden
Just to name a few. With Chris Hedges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejusjNsapO4&ab_channel=RTAmerica
Brilliant interview, how ironic that RT is usually more accurate than American corporate media
That isn’t hard. After all comparing Fox News and RT is like comparing identical twins with a brain deficit causing a childish lack of judgement.
Perhaps you shouldn’t be so hard on both of these deluded siblings, each so deranged by the objects of their pathetic adulation.
I’d be very careful with RT news though ropata. That said, I like this show, and redacted tonight.
‘Rid the use of plastic bags.’
While we are concentrating on banning plastic bags that are polluting our oceans and environment, can we also ban using components of plastic in our vehicle tyres please?
As “synthetic tyres” today now have the very same chemicals inert in them also as all plastics have.
Many benzene components are included in our commonly used tyres and these tyres have black carbon dust
Worse is that the carbon tyre dust that is emitted from one truck with 32 tyres will shed 100 times the plastic dust (cancer causing) more than just one car.
This toxic carbon tyre dust have been found its way to our artic ice caps.
Tyre black carbon dust has now been found to have been carried from our road pollution ‘runoff’ and transported in heavy rain into our roadside water ducts and water ‘sheds’ and then sent out to the rivers and coast to be transferred to the Antarctic ice caps by the prevailing ocean currents.
Scientists have found that the black carbon dust that may include tyre dust settles on the ice caps and accelerates the melting of our ice caps now.
Tyre particles are now known to travel far greater distances than previously known now.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/climate-connection-unraveling-the-surprising-ecology-of-dust
http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2016/03/22/the-damaging-effects-of-black-carbon/
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140610-connecting-dots-dust-soot-snow-ice-climate-change-dimick/
http://washingtonsblog.com/2014/03/realistic-ways-stop-melting-arctic-ice.html
Do any of your links mention tyre dust anywhere in them? Mind pointing out where? I had a skim through and didn’t see any.
While there’s plenty to be critical of with current tyre manufacturing and how they are used, dust is a long long way down the list of problems.
Paper bags are the go. Ban the plastic bag! Too late to tax it as the oceans are dying! Oh that will upset investors so probably the government would prefer to kill the ocean rather than tackle taxing a company for polluting or even worse a foreign company, (but fine for ordinary commuters with petrol tax.).
Kiwibuild Tracker.
Designed and built by Stuff staff. Methodology vetted by NZ Initiative economist Sam Warburton.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105105107/how-our-kiwibuild-tracker-works
@Fireblade – the Stuff tracker is a good idea but should show how many homes have been demolished to make way for the Kiwibuild aka the truth, they start with a negative as the National government booted out loads of vulnerable people to make these stylish new houses which if you look at Hobsenville and Tamaki are being marketed around $800k – well beyond what any renter or working or even middle class family can afford! Then put the houses into price banks… what they used to be $350k, now the 3 bed houses are $650k and going up… The other issue is that banks don’t like to lend on unstable jobs and so many jobs now are unstable…everything is harder because banks can afford to be choosy.
The WOF looks like a joke when they are now housing emergency families in demolition houses when the whole idea was to promise affordable safe houses! Before they fell into the Natz lies they should have looked a bit closer at the demographics of Auckland and what was driving up the prices! I know Labour and Greens trying to do the right thing, but +practicality+ needs to be looked at not just the latest +flash reports+ that clearly are a little amiss aka the staggering price increases of new builds…. lack of affordable houses… lack of rentals in any form… jobs still paying the same as a decade ago… It’s what they said about the wage trickle down in the 1980’s, never happened now we have the housing trickle down – is labour being fooled by their own liars again?
Just to prove how out of touch the act party are.
https://horizonpoll.co.nz/page/513/72-support-banning-letting-fees?gtid=7729406816510KOJ
Thanks Andre a pleasure, view this scientific literature for clarity as the NZ document focuses on the amount of road tyre dust particles which is now very alarming to us all.
http://rcaforum.org.nz/sites/public_files/documents/stormwateremissionfactors.pdf
Microplastics
Then I Quote; from scientical reseach here at Alfred Weagner Institute.
This is just one sample of research that is recently discovered and as we agee particulates are from various sources we know clearly in NZ studies road dust from tyres is a hazard to be now taken seriously now.We now have to call these particles from tyres as “Microplastics ” as the scientists are.
Read the recent NZ publication also to see the NZ ageement that tyre wear now causes mass amounts of road dust pollution.
http://rcaforum.org.nz/sites/public_files/documents/stormwateremissionfactors.pdf
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light.
Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples.
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5651783/Record-concentration-microplastics-Arctic-sea-ice-five-separate-locations.html
Identifying different types of microplastic and the movement of the ice could help us work out the source of these pollutants, say researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
Microplastics are particles, fibres or fragments which range in size from just a few thousandths of a millimetre to under five millimetres.
They come from multiple sources including from the breakdown of bigger plastic items.
For example, they could come from putting synthetic clothes through the laundry which are then washed to the sea, or from car tyre friction on roads, creating a dust of the particles.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light.
Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples.
The tiny fragments of plastic ranged from types widely used in packaging such as polyethylene, to paints, nylon, polyester and cellulose acetate which is commonly used in making cigarette filters
Identifying different types of microplastic and the movement of the ice could help us work out the source of these pollutants, say researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
Microplastics are particles, fibres or fragments which range in size from just a few thousandths of a millimetre to under five millimetres.
They come from multiple sources including from the breakdown of bigger plastic items.
For example, they could come from putting synthetic clothes through the laundry which are then washed to the sea, or from car tyre friction on roads, creating a dust of the particles.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light.
Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples.
Scientists bombarded microparticles in the ice samples with infrared light. Using a mathematical method they then analysed the radiation they reflected back to identify what was in the samples
The process, reported in a study published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed there were far more microplastics than previous assessments
They study revealed that, with its process of freezing and melting sea ice, the Arctic is important in storing and transporting the plastic particles. Scientists said they could not yet say whether the particles released from melting sea ice stayed in the Arctic
The process, reported in a study published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed there were far more microplastics than previous assessments.
Gunnar Gerdts, whose laboratory made the measurements, said: ‘Using this approach, we also discovered plastic particles that were only 11 micrometres across.
‘That’s roughly one-sixth the diameter of a human hair, and also explains why we found concentrations of more than 12,000 particles per litre of sea ice – which is two to three times higher than what we’d found in past measurements’, he said.
They study revealed that, with its process of freezing and melting sea ice, the Arctic is important in storing and transporting the plastic particles.
WHAT ARE MICROPLASTICS AND HOW DO THEY GET INTO OUR WATERWAYS?
Microplastics are plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres (0.2 inches).
They have hit the headlines over recent years, as improper disposal has resulted in tonnes of waste making its way into the ocean.
Each year, tonnes of plastic waste fails to get recycled and dealt with correctly, which can mean they end up in marine ecosystems.
Although it’s unclear exactly how they end up in the water, microplastics may enter through simple everyday wear and tear of clothing and carpets.
Tumble dryers may also be a source, particularly if they have a vent to the open air.
Plastics don’t break down for thousands of years and it is estimated that there are already millions of items of plastic waste in the oceans. This number is expected to rise.
Studies have also revealed 700,000 plastic fibres could be released into the atmosphere with every washing machine cycle.
Current water systems are unable to effectively filter out all microplastic contamination, due to the varying size of particles.
The amount of plastic rubbish in the world’s oceans will outweigh fish by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to further recycle, a report released in 2016 revealed.
More than 80 per cent of the world’s tap water is contaminated with plastic, research published in September 2017 revealed.
The US has the highest contamination rate at 93 per cent, followed by Lebanon and India, experts from the University of Minnesota found.
France, Germany and the UK have the lowest levels, however, they still come in at 72 per cent.
Overall, 83 per cent of water samples from dozens of nations around the world contain microplastics.
Scientists warn microplastics are so small they could penetrate organs.
Bottled water may not be a safer alternative, as scientists have found contaminated samples.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes have been found to have consumed the plastics, whether directly or indirectly.
Previous research has also revealed microplastics absorb toxic chemicals, which are then released in the gut of animals.
That’s an impressive firehosing of irrelevant information.
I found precisely one mention of tyre dust in your DailyMail link, in the context of a phrase saying ‘hmm, we don’t really know where this stuff is coming from, maybe tyre dust, dunno?’
That rcaforum pdf was an impressive compilation of the composition of roadside dust contaminants and microdetail about their composition. But it was remarkably devoid about the hazards presented by the different contaminants. For instance, the section dealing with tyre dust failed to show any details around particulate size distribution, which is a critical bit of information in assessing the hazard. Although it did mention about less than 5% was small enough that it might become mobile again once it had settled on the ground. Nor did it contain any mention of uptake of these particles by marine life.
Meanwhile, scaremongering by joining together irrelevant factoids is how we end up with debacles like the meth-house testing scam.
Donald Trump and his regime of grotesques are a horror show.
Unfortunately, the Democrats are led by people like Charles Schumer….
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/07/01/senator-charles-schumer-architect-abettor-accomplice-of-and-accessory-to-gazas-martyrdom/
Using natural fibers will lower the plastic particles from the clothes in the washing. Less nanoparticles to be absorbed also.
Whats with this Eco Maori see that all the left political party’s need to keep up with there strong causes links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOsM-DYAEhY&index=2&list=RDfKopy74weus
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/02/trump-fart-act-report-blows-through-washington#img-1 Ka kite ano
My latest blog post, defending the universality of the welfare state:
https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/of-useful-idiots-ii-the-universality-of-social-welfare-new-zealand-politics/
mad heka duplicity alien was crowing in the Wairarapa Times Age yesterday morning that Winston Peters had been “FIRED” [sic] from the am show and was on two week suspension. Now he wont go back and merkin and dunnycan are really spitting the dummy. and besides what sort of juvenile language is that from a supposed adult.
why has politics in New Zealand descended into this sort of cocakamamie cross between reality teevee and womens weakly with the provincial rags as a support cast?
and for good measure Question time in the house has become a farce. if you dont believe me then watch and see for yourself. the nationals are like this pack of nitwitted drongos. One Brett Hudson asked a question to which he had just been given the answer.
The courts have finally got that case of including money loaned as some ones income in there assesment of money received fraudulently from winz they have ruled to clear the dept Ka pai.
There you go same day one week apart the only difference is the new Auckland fuel tax and no traffic jam today who said a fuel tax won’t decrease traffic.
Business conferenced allways go’s down in winter and what’s happening around Papatuanukue with trade won’t help plus most businesses are right-wing voters smitten that they lost the election.
Wow they found the Mokopunas lost in the Thailand caveing network that’s awesome I had my doubts but they are saved. Many thanks to the all the tangata who are part of the search team that found the Mokopunas.
There you go men behaveing badly at the basketball game between the Australian and the Philippins come on guys the whole Papatuanukue is watching you.
. Ka kite ano