I'm impressed with the ANZ threatening to essentially disinvest from New Zealand due to the proposed increased capital reserves required by our Reserve Bank.
They will of course be lobbying hard for Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, and BNZ to follow with them. A proper capital strike.
ANZ is 61% owned by US shareholders. Westpac 58% US owned.
Hold tight Mr Orr.
Stay the course Prime Minister Ardern and Minister Robertson.
No one in Wellington would fail to see this as a threat close to that the IMF made in Muldoon's time.
Anyone on The Standard: withdraw your accounts from the ANZ and shift your mortgages to a local bank.
Send them a letter saying that you are doing it and why.
ANZ are now clearly the enemy of this government and its banking regulator and of New Zealand.
A former ANZ manager says staff were sacked for deleting emails from customer files because they didn't want to get bad feedback about their service.
The woman, who does not want to be identified, said human resources was told to call 85 employees into disciplinary meetings and "sack them on the spot".
I've never understood why anyone here would use any of them foreign banks – have felt that way since I first thought about it in the early seventies. I suppose it makes me seem like some kind of nationalist, yet I became internationalist in the sixties.
Anyway, it would be cool if the ANZ robots did vamoose, and the other invaders followed them. Someone would argue that we need foreign capital for investment, so the foreign banks are an essential conduit. My bias is toward resilience as a nation, and dependence on foreigners seems worse than dependence on nanny state.
Anyone who responds to a takeover by deciding to remain in captivity to the takers doesn't deserve much respect, do they? Poor praxis. Switch to a bank that didn't succumb (TSB, Cooperative) if you don't like Kiwibank…
Dunno Dennis, what about telling them your going to change and they give you so much free stuff it becomes not worthwhile changing, so you remain a customer and keep screwing them.
Does that actually happen?? Perhaps in a target market, such as young high-earners with mortgages living high on credit cards. The debt-is-cool syndrome seems to have been killed by the gfc (unless you look at slow learners).
its not difficult to understand….it was well displayed by the the subprime mortgage experience in the US….you change to the Aussie banks because they will advance the funds (perhaps at a better rate) you desire that the NZ owned institutions will not.
I never encountered that problem! Got all my mortgages from ASB before they sold out to Oz, repaid them no problem. Can't see why anyone else is unable to do the same. Never heard of kiwi banks refusing loans to kiwis. Are you suggesting that all our younger generations are so incompetent that our banks don't trust them??
thats an odd take…..theres plenty of anecdotes where kiwibank (and the like ) have declined finance where the Oz banks have obliged…sometimes they both offer but the best deal is from the Aussies…I can think of numerous examples in recent years from friends and family….you must also remember that the big 4 (oz banks) have the bulk of the market by volume ….even if they wanted the NZ banks cannot absorb that risk in the short term
I understand that competition in the market produces under-cutting, and foreign invaders with deep pockets win those battles, but I don't get why American banks, or British etc, don't feature. Too small a market to bother, I suppose.
I guess the Oz capture of our market was an easy local expansion. Perhaps kiwis are unpatriotic in banking because they think `they're all capitalists, so who cares?"
ANZ may well reduce their investment in NZ but it will have little to do with capital requirements or deposit insurance rather it is their exposure to the (esp)Auckland and rural mortgage markets that will drive it…markets they were instrumental in overcooking.
The RBNZ and NZ depositors have no obligation to underwrite the profits of ANZ (or any other) shareholders.
I am not surprised by the banks pushing back. You can't expect the banks to simply accept a doubling of the capital adequacy ratio, without any debate. On the face of it the doubling seems excessive, given that the banks were among the few in the world with no problems during the GFC.
This "view" that they are the enemy of the government simply because they contest the RBNZ governor's view is akin to dictatorship. In a democracy these things are (and should be) contestable. In fact the RBNZ recognises that because they have set up a submissions process. They don't just impose it.
The gist of the explanation in the media at the time (Bernard Hickey et al) was that banks here had been collectively prudent. Which is to say that they had adhered to traditional banking practice, whereas deregulation in the USA had induced a culture shift into competitive gambling via derivatives. That shift even pulled in British & European banks, as exemplified by various bank failures there…
Indeed, Blazer. Clearly Wayne has forgotten how close the banks here came to having a bank run, hence the need (at the time) for the Government guarantee.
I don’t recall any risk of a bank run in NZ in 2009. There was never any suggestion that the Aussie banks were a risk. The “run” was on second tier lenders such as finance companies. A number got a government guarantee, most notably Canterbury Finance.
By that, I meant sure no risk to banks here – here the concern was finance companies.
As for Oz there was no risk to banks, but for a temporaory confidence issue – the government guarantee indicated they saw no risk – because there was none.
Given the escalation of property values and mortgage repayments only affordable while interest rates are low and people retain jobs: there is a growing risk to banks on both sides of the ditch.
Essentially governments have to hold down the OCR so people can afford to own their properties at these values – economic policy has become hostage to these banks. The profits being made on the back of this are of windfall proportions – it is past time to increase the capital reserve ratios.
Billionaire trucking magnate Lindsay Fox, whose family investment fund owned 10 per cent of Bank of Queensland and also had an interest in cash-security firm Armaguard, told Rudd there had been unusually large cash withdrawals and a lack of deposits.
Rudd tells AFR Weekend: "This was big. We feared a run on the banks on the Monday and we knew from our own private contacts around the country there was a massive rush to cash on the Friday and they were fearing lines outside banks."
Across the road from the Brisbane offices of Rudd and Swan that week, an unusual, steady line of Queenslanders queued up at the Suncorp automatic teller machine.
Rudd's office was receiving phone calls from business people and concerned citizens signalling a crisis of confidence was beginning to engulf local banks
Keys arguments are all about the short term outcomes for him and the other employees (executives) not bank stability which is the prime role of the RBNZ.
“And so it was concluded that New Zealand had little choice but to follow suit. As a matter of economics, there probably was little real choice but to follow the Australian lead. But the timing was all about politics. Neither economic nor financial stability would have been jeopardised if we hadn’t had a deposit guarantee scheme announced before the banks opened on Monday morning. We’d have been much better to have taken a bit more time and hashed out some of the details with the Minister in his office in Wellington, not at campaign launches and then, as the day went on, airport lounges (at one point late that afternoon I – who’d talked to the Minister perhaps twice in my life previously – was deputed to ring Dr Cullen and get his approval or some detail or other of the scheme). But I guess it might have left open a brief window in which critics might have suggested that New Zealand politicians were doing less for their citizens and their economy than their Australian counterparts.”
I don't think they did get a government guarantee – isn't that the time when it was emphasised that if a bank did get into difficulties, then after reserves had been used, there would be a 'haircut' of a percentage of deposits before government stepped in. I may be wrong but I also thought there was a charge to government by the banks for that limited guarantee. The possibility of losing part of your money from a bank deposit was a surprise to many, and not surprisingly does not appear to be widely advertised by the banks. I believe that there was assistance given to banks at the time of the gfc – Bill English went oversees shortly after being elected telling potential lenders to the government how strong a financial position they had inherited from the previous government – some of the government borrowing at that time was to lend to banks (including I think the ANZ) because they were having difficulties borrowing . . .
If all banks have the same calculation of required capital, that may affect the margin they need to keep up their return on capital – and in New Zealand at least there are no effective competitors; our Finance industry has largely disappeared – due to not having held enough capital for tough times . . .
Talking about government regulation is possibly more palatable than talking about executive benefits though.
"I don't think they did get a government guarantee – isn't that the time when it was emphasised that if a bank did get into difficulties, then after reserves had been used, there would be a 'haircut' of a percentage of deposits before government stepped in. I may be wrong"
You are wrong. It was a full guarantee. It was necessary because the Australian Government was about too announce a guarantee of the banks in Australia that would not apply to New Zealand deposits in the bank subsidiaries in New Zealand. The "run" would not have been away from the bank itself. It would most probably have been from the subsidiary in New Zealand to the home bank in Australia. It would have been the only rational thing for a New Zealand depositor to do as the outflow of money from the New Zealand bank would have put their liquidity at risk.
They should never have included the likes of SCF in the scheme. What Cullen was thinking of is still hard to understand, or forgive.
Banks are not institutions there for the public good Wayne. They are privately owned corporations there to maximise the return to their shareholders. No more, no less.
As a result, if they doo not like the requirements of their existence in this country, then they know where the door is.
So you are saying the banks have no rights, that they can't even debate an issue central to their existence.
Of course New Zealand could run the economy as you suggest. Just impose whatever rules we like. But as most countries who have tried that option have found out, there are consequences.
That is why the RBNZ actually has a submission process, which is more than just window dressing.
If the Aussie banks (actually they all have New Zealand shareholders and are listed on the NZX) simply decamped, how do you think the NZ economy would look like the day after?
sounds like you like the banks there wayne surprise surprise – maximise profit that is what a bank is and does – even an ex cabinet minister knows that surely.
What other industry gets to choose the terms of their regulatory existence Wayne?
And not only that, when you look at recent history, the ANZ does not exactly fill people with confidence that they are there for them. Despite two ‘junior staffers’ raising the alarm over Hisco’s expenses, nothing happened and the ANZ hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory with the Royal Commission into Banking in Australia either.
They will use the system to their own benefit as far as they can push it.
ANZ does what the fuck it wants, and customers vote with their feet.
I see no reason why anyone should entrust a bank with their hard earned money if that bank will not guarantee that it is actually able of refunding these deposits.
And that is the crux of the matter right dear Wayne, it is not the banks money that they want to gamble with.
as for ANZ decamping, guess what, other banks – that have no issue with regulations and rules – will pick up that business that ANZ does not want.
That where your wrong Sabine but saying that most people think the same Your deposit legally is simply a claim or a debt on the bank and you are a creditor, what the bank does with that money is the banks call, its now the banks money In essence your just a creditor to the bank secured as much by capital holding requirements and deposit insurance It is totally warranted a bank has it’s say on capital requirements if it’s whole business is based on return on capital
There isn't a debate. If AD's summary is largely correct, ANZ is suggesting it might take the option of turning its back on NZ profits if their capital reserves are required to go too high.
I'm sure RBNZ will factor that into their reserves of fucks to give.
ANZ pulling out would give more opportunity to other banks to grow, including the local banks.
Well, if you had a system that simply imposed rules and laws without any submission process, that would be akin to dictatorship.
Which is why New Zealand doesn't run that way. All our laws and regulatory processes have extensive submission processes for those affected and for the public. It is a basic hallmark of democracy.
Legal people. Inorganic. And like the book & doco explained back in '03/04, psychopathic in accord with diagnostic practice.
Remedy: corporate charters that require consideration of the effects of corporate decisions on all affected stakeholders, and laws that enforce accountability on execs.
" All our laws and regulatory processes have extensive submission processes for those affected and for the public. It is a basic hallmark of democracy. "
Please explain the indecent use of urgency that occurred during nationals term in office.
Urgency is basically extended hours. Not like the system that used to exist in the 1980’s and 1990’s. These days all bills go through a select committee process with public submissions. The exception is tax bills. Governments (both National and Labour) tend to pass these in one sitting.
The only thing "akin to a dictatorship" here is ANZ – both in its internal structure of hierarchical authority and in its attempt to dictate to a democratically elected government. Any rights we give to private dictatorships should be contingent on them acting in ways that serve the public good. Once they cease to do that and focus predominantly on their own private good, we don't need to be excessively attentive to their rights.
Ultimately we need to democratise all centres of economic and political power – which means entities such as the ANZ wouldn't exist in the same way as they do now.
Did not see conversation last week but I recall that most shares are bought through a limited number of big global institutions including US-based ones. Does not mean the ultimate shareholders are American, or even not Australian. Just means the system is un-transparent.
"Anyone on The Standard: withdraw your accounts from the ANZ and shift your mortgages to a local bank. "
Which one would you suggest? KiwiBank are saying that they may not survive if the new regulations are implemented as they won't be able to raise the new capital required. Their shareholders seem to be of the view that there is likely to be no economic return from any more investment.
I don't think they are going to be a very good bank to shift to in the new climate of RBNZ policies if that is the case.
Of course I know more about it than people who run the bank.
The GFC,I saw it coming.
The reality is the big banks rely on a tacit Govt Guarantee,the 'too big to fail' argument.
You saw the attempts of the National party when in power to undermine KB,Kiwisaver,the Cullen Fund..and the rewards for doing so are glaringly ..obvious.
I like my co-operative bank. Seriously i ditched ANZ a few years ago after some really fucked up customer service on their part and many emails/phonecalls and call in person to a branch. I have not missed it, i have no issue doing my banking, paying my bills and serving my mortgage.
so yeah, there really is no reason to stay with a bank that despises its customers and only views them as dairy cows to be milked while the going is good and dropped when the going gets tough.
Yes I had a similar situation with the ANZ. They didn't care about me, and I certainly don't need them; there are plenty of other money-fakirs where they came from, and the newer kiwi banks from building societies have a good grasp on the system and offer courteous and quick service, very helpful. https://www.sbsbank.co.nz/about-us/sbs-bank/history
Was Southland Building Society.
Banking day-to-day, TSB all the way – they routinely top the customer satisfaction rankings and have a decent-sized local branch offering foreign currency and other services. The Co-operative Bank is good too – have one investment account with them, and an under-used current account. No need to use foreign-owned banks.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for TSB or The Co-operative Bank, but do recommend these banks to friends.
I am pretty sure that the TSB is the only Kiwi bank that is separate from using some of the services of the big commercial banks. I think that Kiwibank uses Westpac as 'collecting'? bank.
Bank customer surveys/polls are at odds with Infused's "dog shit" 'evaluation', although to be fair those surveys don't include “dog shit" on their ranking scale.
ANZ CEO Hisco (what was his 'exit' package again?) should have been be dog tucker, but corruption is the new normal under Sir John 'Haven' Key’s ‘watch’.
Yes, something surely stinks, but it’s not “dog shit“.
They’re all shit: horseshit, bullshit, bird shit, chicken shit, stir shit. But ANZ is the worst shit of all and thick as bat shit; Sir John would know as he’s some kind of connoisseur of bat shit.
So why wasn't Cally-Jo at least given a motel room? Instead, she slipped through the cracks when standing in front of the people who should have helped, and she was holding a newborn baby.
Surely that lacks compassion – it lacks basic common sense. Why did this happen?
No shit?! You mean the guy is so powerful even out of govt that he can stop a govt department doing what it's supposed to do? Wow, folks will be impressed…
But the Nats and their friends in the media – I'm thinking Garner particularly – are attempting to cleanse the previous government's record on the erosion of social services and pretend that inherited social issues are something which mysteriously 'just were'.
This allows them to apply current negative headlines on social issues to the Labour government and accuse them of inaction, false promises, etc.
I haven't actually seen what the Nats propose to do on housing and social spending at all, have you? It’s a policy desert out there.
The current government has continued to make owning a rental property less desirable. In a country where renting is trending upward, without exception the many property managers I regularly speak with have had shrinking portfolios for 3 years. Over the past 3 months 4000 people required emergency housing, double the figure of 12 months ago.
This situation is a runaway train well on it's way to a washed out bridge. 'It's National's fault' is the response of empty, unimaginative, water treading time wasters.
What's the Action Plan Labour? Blame National? How many Cally Jo's will that house?
I guess those earthquakes we had in Christchurch several years ago were John Keys fault too! Lets hope the All Blacks win the world cup else poor old JK will get the blame for that too.
but a lot of the shit that people in christchurch had to endure was due to the willful incompetence of the then government.
Poor old JK, poor old JK had a choice to make in the years that he was PM, run a decent government for all, or raise GST on those that have to pay it – the end consumer, drop taxes on those that don't need it, sell every asset that was not nailed and glued to the wall, and allow for hte wholesale of NZ to the highest overseas bidder in order to advance his own little career.
Poor old JK, had a choice to be a prime minister, and instead he choose to pull ponytails, run bad soap jokes on the radio, cut the widowers benefit, cut study allowances for beneficiaries, and settled homeless people with tens of thousands of dollars of in debt for 'emergency housing' to the tune of 2000$ per week in a fucking motel – for this price they could have rented a proper house for homeless.
so keep your poor old jk to yourself, cause there is nothing that will make that man ever a decent human being, and his legacy to NZ is a squandered 26 million for the Laser Kiwi Flag (i would have loved that one!), children and families living in vans near football fields that have open toilets.
All blacks will play as good or as bad as they always do, other teams will do the same, and if JK is given half a chance he will crawl up the arse of that male blond knicker model who also played ball and pretend to me a man of the people.
a scum on the run – you cannot hide the truth martin – you are tainted and will never be clean.
The European far-right activist given money by the man accused of the Christchurch mosque killings has attempted to share it with victims of the attack.
Austrian Martin Sellner was sent $2500 last year by the accused gunman, who was then living in Australia. Fifty-one people were killed and dozens injured in the March attacks.
Victim Support said on Monday it has received a donation of $1242 from "a donor identified as Martin Sellner from a Gmail account.
A spokeswoman said Victim Support "does not believe it would be appropriate for us to receive this payment" and it would be returned to the donor or donated elsewhere.
The tribunal, backed by evidence and consensus from witnesses, determined institutional racism and individual racism exists in the health system.
The tribunal concluded both forms of racism were impacting on Māori health.
"The severity and persistence of health inequity Māori continue to experience indicates the health system is institutionally racist, and that this, including the personal racism and stereotyping that occurs in the primary care sector, particularly impacts on Māori.
"We accept that institutional racism is a determinant of health and wellbeing."
Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield agreed. "We have now some quite good evidence that racism at a range of levels does determine access, experience and outcomes in the healthcare system," said Bloomfield.
We know this or those of us interested know it. We must front up before it can be fixed but often I feel like Tariana
"Former Associate Health Minister Dame Tariana Turia sat through some of the inquiry. She is the chair of the National Hauora Coalition, one of the two main claimants.
"I got to the point I wanted to break down and bloody sob," said Turia. "I suppose I should just be grateful I haven't got much longer to live and put up with it. I want something better for my moko (grandchildren) and kids, and for our people.""
if ethnic groups are higher risk and they require information delivered a certain way to get cut-through/buy in or whatever – if your specialist isn't of that ethnic group or can't for whatever reason deliver to that higher risk group in the way that they can hear – who is supposed to change. Yes the majority rules and that means great swathes of people who aren't the majority could miss out. That seems to be the evidence – the report shows it is as much racism as anything.
It is well-established by now that the biggest influences on health outcomes (about 70%) are beyond the health sector – mainly poverty, social capital, etc. Too easy for us to say it's about people not looking after themselves.
Al Gore gets talked about a lot due to his championing the environment.
Jerry Brown was talking to Kathryn on 9toNoon this a.m. and he is also well versed in the problems and solutions through being in California which was an early adopter of change, and so able to take on board the size of the problem that we are still grappling with and trying to wriggle away from.
Gabby, the only "saddy" here is the one who called you that. Not worth considering or replying to, imo. His ‘comments’ above (if you can even call them that) say much more about him than about you.
Nice – so a post about health deficiencies and racism for Māori in our system where gabby says get off the p to help and I'm the bad one for calling them saddy?
good to know what side of the fence you are on, thanks for clarifying
Cool story, eh? Transcontinental trip to munch on lemmings. Good to see they provided a satellite's view tracking the trip so you can see its digressions & speed on the ice. Must be a food instinct motivating it (rather than a random trajectory).
The Southland environmental concerns are advancing. I got this message.
As you may be aware two motions on the topic will be debated at our meeting on 3 July 2019. The first motion is, ‘That the Council declares a Climate emergency’.
The second motion is ‘Environment Southland acknowledges that climate change is an important issue which we have to engage with. The Council commits to applying best practice and best science to its responsibilities and accords urgency to developing an action plan’. Please see our agenda.
As someone concerned about climate change you may be interested in a recently released report that was commissioned by all four Southland councils, Regional Climate Change Impact Assessment by the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), which is available on our website.
So tomorrow. If anyone wants to give encouragement now is the time.
Was anyone else having an attack of the deja vus this morning as the PM explained how intense negotiations managed to persuade that philanthropic organisation Amazon to film the LOTR telly series here in New Zealand?
There were many, many interesting and challenging posts here on TS back then about the nefarious goings on in this sector….where are those commenters now?
Sadly, Rosemary, I have to say yes to an attack of deja vu. And yes, I was one of the commenters last round.
I live in South Wellington and knew a lot of people who were involved in the last round of the LOTR etc films saga – meaning people who were actually involved in the making of the films. These included quite a few NZers* who worked in the industry or benefitted from the making of the films by providing support services such as catering, renting out property etc.
But as well as NZers, there were many, many film industry people* from overseas who moved here 'for the duration' of from months to some years – taking up rental properties in the south and eastern suburbs of Wellington, educating their children in our local schools etc. This in turn provided some peripheral employment such as child care etc.but usually of a low wage nature.
However, the situation now is very different. Rental property in these suburbs (which range for poor to well heeled) is now extremely hard to get and rental prices have gone through the roof, leaving low income families, beneficiaries, students etc out in the cold, couch surfing, doubling up, many families etc, in crowded accommodation etc. AirB& B is partially responsible but just plain old scarcity of property is the problem. In my suburb, many people are turning garages into accommodation for family, or to make money out of AirB&B, and other forms of rental with question marks over resource consents, meeting sanitary codes etc.
I am not sure whether the Amazon venture will be based in Wellington, but it would seem likely that the facilities at Weka etc will probably be used. If these south/east Wellington suburbs (or any part of Wellington for that matter) are faced with the influx that we experienced during the LOTR film years then things are likely to get to even worse … I am not sure that these factors/ consequences have even been considered in making these decisions to continue to push the film industry here.
I have now reread the RNZ link and Queenstown is expected to feature in the venture. Considering their current accommodation crisis …madness????
* While there were certainly a portion of high paid film people involved in the LOTR etc film projects, ( eg actors, directors, producers, etc) many/most of the people employed were not high paid at all – whether NZers or from overseas.
Thank you vw for your full and considered response. I'm a bit of a looker -backer, (must be an age thing) and am increasingly finding today's hot topics uncomfortably familiar. So I go back and have a read what was being said back then by 'this side' about how the 'other side' managed this issue of putting butter on the paws of film companies….and I damn near choke on the irony.
I guess this is politics and the reality is (the PM did not to my recollection utter those words this morning…please don't tell me if she did or I'll be tempted to abandon all hope) that this is how the game is played.
Sadly, it will take a stronger government than this to turn this around so more benefit from these ventures.
The accommodation aspect had not occurred to me….and of course you're right. Where are these folks going to stay?
Being a more often than not house bus dweller, my first reaction would be for these visitors to rent some of the vast fleet of motorhomes we have in NZ. Not only from the rental companies, but there are a couple of outfits that facilitate private motorhome owners to rent their vans out. (Not us, under any circumstances.)
Of course Queenstown is on the list of places where campers are simply not welcome….
I suppose there are a couple of those unwanted Kiwibuild houses free….
I'm in this industry and accomodation will be a problem in Queenstown for the periods they will be shooting there. That's because there'll be a high proportion of non-locals involved.
Productions do make decisions based on things like the availability of accommodation. But it wouldn't be beyond them with a budget of this size to set up a temporary town!
Not so much in Auckland where most of the crew, production and extras will be local apart from a few heavyweights up from Wellington.
Of the main criteria overseas productions consider:
New Zealand has a permanent advantage with shooting locations and particularly the variety of different and untouched landscapes in close proximity.
There's a temporary advantage with the incentive scheme and to a lesser extend the exchange rate. Also, our crews are good and cheap (weak worker representation).
Where we fail is, as always, infrastructure. Studio space is awful, most productions having to use commercial warehouse space rather than proper sound studios which are few and far between. No one want to take the risk although that might be changing.
Lastly, American producers love to be on set, and NZ is a long way from anywhere. Canada is much closer and Europe is exciting and they can take their families. We can't do much about that, though.
In short, NZ landscapes and money is what swung this epic production here. Hopefully I can get a decent piece of it.
One more thing to consider is how long will actual outdoor landscapes be required in film-making…
We're probably heading for a huge overshoot in residential accomodation in Queenstown. Too much development that's got a long way ahead of the local economy's ability to support. By the time this gets up and running all the builder's toys will be for sale on the road side, and To Let signs will be everywhere.
A lot of the new lower end hotels have been built to be easily adapted to worker accomodation as well, so the shift in tourism away from low yield markets could easily be taken up by a couple of film projects.
The tricky bit in Queenstown is where it's all based, most of the likely sites have been turned into housing. Although they could displace all the rental cars around Frankton (there's about 3Ha of them) but that's all next to the airport so difficult for a soundstage.
Oops, missed that bit – will blame that on massive head cold, not age! Also now noticed that the article also talks about building studios in Queenstown. Perhaps in a perverse way it could end up being a plus for the accommodation crisis there if as part of the agreement to build studios they had to provide an accommodation town as suggested by Muttonbird – but a permanent one, rather than a temporary one.
Empathy on the head cold but mine is in its easing stages. Just wait for Shane Jones and his provincial slush fund to swoop in and subsidise productions by underwriting both studio and workers' housing in that impoverished region.
Al Gore gets talked about a lot due to his championing the environment.
Jerry Brown was talking to Kathryn on 9toNoon this a.m. and he is also well versed in the problems and solutions through being in California which was an early adopter of change, and so able to take on board the size of the problem that we are still grappling with and trying to wriggle away from.
Surely the right wingnut as Americans like to say will be voting for Trump again
Those voters who believed Trump's campaign talk about bringing back the troops , diminishing the military spend and using the money for repairing run down American infrastructure, and voted accordingly , could very well be interested in Gabbard.
These are the voters disappointed by Trump, and not necessarily right wing, unless anti imperialism passes for right wing in your circles
Those voters sucked in by the Fifth Avenue Fraud's talk about bringing home the troops, diminishing military spend and putting the money towards infrastructure showed a remarkable capacity for hearing only what they wanted to hear and ignoring the massive red flags thrown up by King Con's other talk. So yeah, they may indeed be suckered again by a few bait words from Gabbard and ignore the ugly realities of her total position which includes being pro-droning, surgical strikes, and cool with torture.
But look at the names mentioned in the Buzzfeed article (and links within) that are enthusiastic about Gabbard. You don't reckon Tucker Carlson, David Duke, Ann Coulter, Matt Drudge, Mike Cernovich, Steve Bannon, Richard Spencer et al are right-wing?
Shouldn't be too hard on themselves going into 3 days to get things sorted that part of the world, look at Brexit for a comparision, even here it took a while longer to sort out the coalition govt.
Would have thought the approach would be having sorted a majority block that agrees as one that a clear signal should be sent to the populace in the picks, that a progressive step has been taken by the EU in response to the changed vote direction & preliminary bounds for what those might entail. Then that block by majority decides the best candidates that can combine that with the practicalities of the tasks. Then you have the unanimous confirmatory vote.
The old cart before the horse problem of politics is universal though.
Gordon Campbell on how the Americans are helping us realise the scale of the Operation Burnham fiasco.
Purely in terms of natural justice, it seems bizarrely unfair that the NZDF is feeding evidence to the inquiry heads that it is simultaneously denying to the legal teams representing the co-authors and the villagers. That is the definition of a whitewash, and whitewash jobs shouldn’t have to cost $7 million.
Apart from the excellent Paula Penfold, our television "reporters" rarely mention it, and our radio stations are virtually silent. Maybe one of these days Annie Goldson will do another of her Afghanistan-based documentaries on it….
Being considerate. National & Labour have supported plastic since it appeared here in the early 1950s. It's only fair, then, to give them the opportunity to switch from supporting plastic pollution to eliminating it. So the Greens are standing back to watch the Nat/Labs fall over themselves competing to be first to solve the problem. Courtesy in politics is a timely radical move, eh?
"She's already laughing at him!" That halfwit Ben Shapiro being owned back in 2011
A couple of days ago, some fool on this mostly excellent forum claimed that Shapiro "is no idiot or racist." Just watch this and see if you think he's anything other than a sad, deluded idiot….
Idiot ideologue goes after Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and their dangerous ilk.
Long before Andrew Neil pulled his wings off, Ben Shapiro had been thoroughly humiliated by Connie Martinson and, in this disastrous appearance, by Thom Hartmann…..
This bloke is especially egregious, because he seems to think he's an intellectual. He's not anything of the sort—as his embarrasing interviews with Connie Martinson, Thom Hartmann, and Andrew Neil show, he lacks the wherewithal to defend his outrageous statements with any semblance of coherent argument.
Shapiro is the American equivalent of Mike Hosking: he's pushy, self-involved, unembarrassable, and overwhelms weaker souls by talking non-stop and very quickly.
On the nail Morrissey – I listened for a while to this Shapiro guy – just as you describe. Unpleasant and obsessed with his own opinion to the point of mania.
Its good to see that our scientists have shown their concern on human caused climate change
More than 50 of New Zealand's top scientists call on Government to declare climate emergency
More than 50 of New Zealand's top scientists are calling for a declaration of a national climate emergency.
Some 52 signatories are current and former winners of the prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, an $800,000 grant given to 10 researchers each year to help retain and develop New Zealand's top scientific minds.
Quentin Atkinson, a professor at the University of Auckland, said scientists needed to be more vocal and urgent in pushing for change climate change ka kite ano link below.
Did you notice that the stuff ups in railway in Auckland stopped after Eco Maori pointed out the shit I no it a bit hard for you people living in your glass houses to believe but the rednecks will do anything to cheat a win didn't you see the links to national in that group. trump is empowering them in many ways
The correction of house prices is good for KIWIs first home buyers.
The business servaye is running by business who back national just more manipulation by them.
Why did nike put that flag on there new shoes good job for the damage to the brand for putting a flag on there shoes that support the old slave trade in America.
Tuwharetua will not have been happy about all that waste water going into the taonga Taupo.
It's great that Tuwharetua IWI is working with Oranga tamariki to fix their troubled tamariki whanau.
Te puni kokiri is going back to focus on Maori wellbeing .
Its good to see Maori rising in our new government ka pai.
Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa being discriminated against because of their ta moko people have respect each other come on get on we have a beautiful country.
Lagarde was somewhat of a surprising choice to lead the ECB, having previously said she wasn't interested in any of the senior eurozone roles, including the ECB presidency. She would also be, not just the first woman to head the ECB, but the first non-economist and the first without any central banking experience
Once German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen won the coveted presidency of the European Commission, however, the next most senior position available, the ECB presidency, was always going to be nominated by the other major European power, France.
Lagarde, a former French finance minister widely respected for her eight-year leadership of the IMF, was sponsored by French President Emmanuel ka kite ano link below.
Good story George Monbiot that is exactly how I see OUR Papatuanuku people's reality being manipulated by the billionaires money to suit their greedy goals of being untouchable. Ma te wa time are changing now .
After urging land reform I now know the brute power of our billionaire press
A report I helped publish has led to attacks and flat-out falsehoods in the rightwing media. It’s clear whose interests they serve
All billionaires want the same thing – a world that works for them. For many, this means a world in which they are scarcely taxed and scarcely regulated; where labour is cheap and the planet can be used as a dustbin; where they can flit between tax havens and secrecy regimes, using the Earth’s surface as a speculative gaming board, extracting profits and dumping costs. The world that works for them works against us.
So how, in nominal democracies, do they get what they want? They fund political parties and lobby groups, set up fake grassroots (Astroturf) campaigns and finance social media ads. But above all, they buy newspapers and television stations. The widespread hope and expectation a few years ago was that, in the internet age, news controlled by billionaires would be replaced by news controlled by the people: social media would break their grip. But social media is instead dominated by stories the billionaire press generates. As their crucial role in promoting Nigel Farage, Brexit and Boris Johnson suggests, the newspapers are as powerful as ever.
They use this power not only to promote the billionaires’ favoured people and ideas, but also to shut down change before it happens. They deploy their attack dogs to take down anyone who challenges the programme. It is one thing to know this. It is another to experience it. A month ago I and six others published a report commissioned by the Labour party called Land for the Many. It proposed a set of policies that would be of immense benefit to the great majority of Britain’s people: ensuring that everyone has a good, affordable home; improving public amenities; shifting tax from ordinary people towards the immensely rich; protecting the living world; and enhancing public control over the decisions that affect our lives. We showed how the billionaires and other oligarchs ka kite ano link below.
Its good that the rapid fire human killing guns are being taken off the streets.
Auckland is in a water shortage the people didn't take heed on conserving water they need a get the massage across with the media about the driest last 3 months in years.
That American Judge is discriminatory against the poor common people lettings a boy off serious charges because he is rich .?????
The microplasm bovine virus issue got blown out of the hemisphere because national tried to hide it swept it under the carpet the virus just kept on spreading.
I do think that our government needs to set up a climate change ministry to help people mitigate climate change issues.
Its cool that Oranga Rehua Marae program is getting a funding boost to help repair the damage caused by the Christchurch earthquake.
The Tuia 250 years since Captain Cook arrived celebration will or can be used as a tool to increase tangata whenua O Aotearoa mana wairua if we use it wisely.
Awesome to see te tamariki kapa haka going strong in Whakatane.
Ka pai to the tamariki of Ruatoki for their win in the kapa haka competition.
Mana Wahine gathering that is cool most Maori Wahine have great roles in our society' men just need to Show them the respect they deserve for gifting us Pepi.
Whanau more evidence that climate change is our reality .We have to stop burning carbon to protect our decendince mokopuna futures.
Giant heat dome over Alaska
All-time heat records are at risk in Alaska in the coming days as a massive and abnormally intense area of high pressure locks in and strengthens over the US region.
This heat dome is expected to produce temperatures near and above the highest values ever recorded for multiple days, particularly in southern parts of the state. It's the latest in a slew of record-shattering heat events in Alaska
Anchorage is predicted to match or best its highest-temperature ever recorded of 30 degrees Celsius (set in 1969) on five straight days between July 4 and 8. It could even flirt with 32C.
The US National Weather Service in Anchorage wrote that most of southern Alaska will be "downright hot with many locations in the 80s (high 20s) and even low 90s (low 30s)."
Activists say comments by Opec head prove world opinion is turning against fossil fuels
Greta Thunberg and other climate activists have said it is a badge of honour that the head of the world’s most powerful oil cartel believes their campaign may be the “greatest threat” to the fossil fuel industry.
The criticism of striking students by the trillion-dollar Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) highlights the growing reputational concerns of oil companies as public protests intensify along with extreme weather
Mohammed Barkindo, the secretary general of Opec, said there was a growing mass mobilisation of world opinion against oil, which was “beginning to … dictate policies and corporate decisions, including investment in clean energy.
He said the pressure was also being felt within the families of Opec officials because their own children “are asking us about their future because … they see their peers on the streets campaigning against Ka kite ano link below.
Mana Wahine its good to see more Wahine on the Papatuanuku stage with power. Kia kaha the men are making a big mess of our Papatuanuku at the minute.
When it comes to global leadership trends, men with the big egos appear to be back; Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro to name a few.
But despite the trend, there’s also been moves to foster a more feminist approach to foreign policy
Lyric Thompson, director of policy and advocacy at the International Centre for Research on Women in Washington DC, says a feminist foreign policy is for all, the concept reflects that for the most part, foreign policy has been designed to reinforce the largely male-dominated and patriarchal structures in the global economy today.
“…it’s not saying only look at women, it’s saying look at the power structures that are expressed in a way that we organise everything from defence to trade to diplomacy and think about ways that we can restructure practice that enables a more equitable approach that is inclusive of folks that have historically been marginalised, including but not limiting to women
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
I'm impressed with the ANZ threatening to essentially disinvest from New Zealand due to the proposed increased capital reserves required by our Reserve Bank.
They will of course be lobbying hard for Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, and BNZ to follow with them. A proper capital strike.
ANZ is 61% owned by US shareholders. Westpac 58% US owned.
Hold tight Mr Orr.
Stay the course Prime Minister Ardern and Minister Robertson.
No one in Wellington would fail to see this as a threat close to that the IMF made in Muldoon's time.
Anyone on The Standard: withdraw your accounts from the ANZ and shift your mortgages to a local bank.
Send them a letter saying that you are doing it and why.
ANZ are now clearly the enemy of this government and its banking regulator and of New Zealand.
Very well said Ad, absolutely agree with you.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/113898959/anz-manager-85-staff-out-the-door-for-deleting-emails
+100
Thanks for info about USA holding Ad. Now we know what is screwing us.
I've never understood why anyone here would use any of them foreign banks – have felt that way since I first thought about it in the early seventies. I suppose it makes me seem like some kind of nationalist, yet I became internationalist in the sixties.
Anyway, it would be cool if the ANZ robots did vamoose, and the other invaders followed them. Someone would argue that we need foreign capital for investment, so the foreign banks are an essential conduit. My bias is toward resilience as a nation, and dependence on foreigners seems worse than dependence on nanny state.
In praxis franko, some of us may have been posb customers who got taken over.
Anyone who responds to a takeover by deciding to remain in captivity to the takers doesn't deserve much respect, do they? Poor praxis. Switch to a bank that didn't succumb (TSB, Cooperative) if you don't like Kiwibank…
Dunno Dennis, what about telling them your going to change and they give you so much free stuff it becomes not worthwhile changing, so you remain a customer and keep screwing them.
Does that actually happen?? Perhaps in a target market, such as young high-earners with mortgages living high on credit cards. The debt-is-cool syndrome seems to have been killed by the gfc (unless you look at slow learners).
Not me I'm a low earner , no debt, go without the crap and save.
its not difficult to understand….it was well displayed by the the subprime mortgage experience in the US….you change to the Aussie banks because they will advance the funds (perhaps at a better rate) you desire that the NZ owned institutions will not.
I never encountered that problem! Got all my mortgages from ASB before they sold out to Oz, repaid them no problem. Can't see why anyone else is unable to do the same. Never heard of kiwi banks refusing loans to kiwis. Are you suggesting that all our younger generations are so incompetent that our banks don't trust them??
thats an odd take…..theres plenty of anecdotes where kiwibank (and the like ) have declined finance where the Oz banks have obliged…sometimes they both offer but the best deal is from the Aussies…I can think of numerous examples in recent years from friends and family….you must also remember that the big 4 (oz banks) have the bulk of the market by volume ….even if they wanted the NZ banks cannot absorb that risk in the short term
I understand that competition in the market produces under-cutting, and foreign invaders with deep pockets win those battles, but I don't get why American banks, or British etc, don't feature. Too small a market to bother, I suppose.
I guess the Oz capture of our market was an easy local expansion. Perhaps kiwis are unpatriotic in banking because they think `they're all capitalists, so who cares?"
not sure about the Yanks but weve had the Poms here…they sold out.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10641807
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bank_of_New_Zealand
And the Indians and Chinese have shown up recently
not sure about the Yanks but weve had the Poms here…they sold out.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10641807
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bank_of_New_Zealand
And the Indians and Chinese have shown up recently
https://bankdashboard.rbnz.govt.nz/balance-sheet
Because the local banks are utter shit
ANZ may well reduce their investment in NZ but it will have little to do with capital requirements or deposit insurance rather it is their exposure to the (esp)Auckland and rural mortgage markets that will drive it…markets they were instrumental in overcooking.
The RBNZ and NZ depositors have no obligation to underwrite the profits of ANZ (or any other) shareholders.
https://bankdashboard.rbnz.govt.nz/asset-quality
Hear hear Ad.
I think ANZ would rather we talked about their discomfort with Maria Folau and her support of her husband.
Don't let the door hit their backside on the way out.
I wonder if Mr Brownlee is available to show them some shortcuts through the airport.
I am not surprised by the banks pushing back. You can't expect the banks to simply accept a doubling of the capital adequacy ratio, without any debate. On the face of it the doubling seems excessive, given that the banks were among the few in the world with no problems during the GFC.
This "view" that they are the enemy of the government simply because they contest the RBNZ governor's view is akin to dictatorship. In a democracy these things are (and should be) contestable. In fact the RBNZ recognises that because they have set up a submissions process. They don't just impose it.
How were they among the few with no problems during the GFC?
They had to be Govt guaranteed,that is a huge leg up.
The gist of the explanation in the media at the time (Bernard Hickey et al) was that banks here had been collectively prudent. Which is to say that they had adhered to traditional banking practice, whereas deregulation in the USA had induced a culture shift into competitive gambling via derivatives. That shift even pulled in British & European banks, as exemplified by various bank failures there…
Indeed, Blazer. Clearly Wayne has forgotten how close the banks here came to having a bank run, hence the need (at the time) for the Government guarantee.
I don’t recall any risk of a bank run in NZ in 2009. There was never any suggestion that the Aussie banks were a risk. The “run” was on second tier lenders such as finance companies. A number got a government guarantee, most notably Canterbury Finance.
You're usually wrong.
SPC,
Do you actually recall anything about the Aussie banks being at risk, or are you just being contrarian.
You're usually wrong, but right about that. Shy agreemeent with right wingers syndrome.
By that, I meant sure no risk to banks here – here the concern was finance companies.
As for Oz there was no risk to banks, but for a temporaory confidence issue – the government guarantee indicated they saw no risk – because there was none.
Given the escalation of property values and mortgage repayments only affordable while interest rates are low and people retain jobs: there is a growing risk to banks on both sides of the ditch.
Essentially governments have to hold down the OCR so people can afford to own their properties at these values – economic policy has become hostage to these banks. The profits being made on the back of this are of windfall proportions – it is past time to increase the capital reserve ratios.
Glad you said that SPC – we should know this but it seems to go in one ear and out the other any time it is pointed out.
Well Aussies remember.
Billionaire trucking magnate Lindsay Fox, whose family investment fund owned 10 per cent of Bank of Queensland and also had an interest in cash-security firm Armaguard, told Rudd there had been unusually large cash withdrawals and a lack of deposits.
Rudd tells AFR Weekend: "This was big. We feared a run on the banks on the Monday and we knew from our own private contacts around the country there was a massive rush to cash on the Friday and they were fearing lines outside banks."
Across the road from the Brisbane offices of Rudd and Swan that week, an unusual, steady line of Queenslanders queued up at the Suncorp automatic teller machine.
Rudd's office was receiving phone calls from business people and concerned citizens signalling a crisis of confidence was beginning to engulf local banks
https://www.afr.com/news/economy/the-gfc-remembered-ten-years-ago-it-was-all-about-saving-the-banks-20180924-h15spj
Keys arguments are all about the short term outcomes for him and the other employees (executives) not bank stability which is the prime role of the RBNZ.
Are you joking?
The entire US banking and insurance system was bailed out. +/- 100%.
Ergo the entire central banking cartel was bailed out.
RBA / RBNZ / et al.
Here's some evidence of that, One Two.
https://youtu.be/n0NYBTkE1yQ?t=147
@Wayne
The Government guarantee was introduced to prevent a run of deposits across the Tasman, where there was a depositors guarantee.
At the time, there was also a higher demand for NZ hundred dollar notes as more money was being withdrawn locally.
“And so it was concluded that New Zealand had little choice but to follow suit. As a matter of economics, there probably was little real choice but to follow the Australian lead. But the timing was all about politics. Neither economic nor financial stability would have been jeopardised if we hadn’t had a deposit guarantee scheme announced before the banks opened on Monday morning. We’d have been much better to have taken a bit more time and hashed out some of the details with the Minister in his office in Wellington, not at campaign launches and then, as the day went on, airport lounges (at one point late that afternoon I – who’d talked to the Minister perhaps twice in my life previously – was deputed to ring Dr Cullen and get his approval or some detail or other of the scheme). But I guess it might have left open a brief window in which critics might have suggested that New Zealand politicians were doing less for their citizens and their economy than their Australian counterparts.”
https://croakingcassandra.com/2018/10/12/looking-back-to-the-deposit-guarantee/
as usual Waynes memory is selective
I don't think they did get a government guarantee – isn't that the time when it was emphasised that if a bank did get into difficulties, then after reserves had been used, there would be a 'haircut' of a percentage of deposits before government stepped in. I may be wrong but I also thought there was a charge to government by the banks for that limited guarantee. The possibility of losing part of your money from a bank deposit was a surprise to many, and not surprisingly does not appear to be widely advertised by the banks. I believe that there was assistance given to banks at the time of the gfc – Bill English went oversees shortly after being elected telling potential lenders to the government how strong a financial position they had inherited from the previous government – some of the government borrowing at that time was to lend to banks (including I think the ANZ) because they were having difficulties borrowing . . .
If all banks have the same calculation of required capital, that may affect the margin they need to keep up their return on capital – and in New Zealand at least there are no effective competitors; our Finance industry has largely disappeared – due to not having held enough capital for tough times . . .
Talking about government regulation is possibly more palatable than talking about executive benefits though.
"I don't think they did get a government guarantee – isn't that the time when it was emphasised that if a bank did get into difficulties, then after reserves had been used, there would be a 'haircut' of a percentage of deposits before government stepped in. I may be wrong"
You are wrong. It was a full guarantee. It was necessary because the Australian Government was about too announce a guarantee of the banks in Australia that would not apply to New Zealand deposits in the bank subsidiaries in New Zealand. The "run" would not have been away from the bank itself. It would most probably have been from the subsidiary in New Zealand to the home bank in Australia. It would have been the only rational thing for a New Zealand depositor to do as the outflow of money from the New Zealand bank would have put their liquidity at risk.
They should never have included the likes of SCF in the scheme. What Cullen was thinking of is still hard to understand, or forgive.
Banks are not institutions there for the public good Wayne. They are privately owned corporations there to maximise the return to their shareholders. No more, no less.
As a result, if they doo not like the requirements of their existence in this country, then they know where the door is.
+1 yep – pretty basic stuff
Kevin,
So you are saying the banks have no rights, that they can't even debate an issue central to their existence.
Of course New Zealand could run the economy as you suggest. Just impose whatever rules we like. But as most countries who have tried that option have found out, there are consequences.
That is why the RBNZ actually has a submission process, which is more than just window dressing.
If the Aussie banks (actually they all have New Zealand shareholders and are listed on the NZX) simply decamped, how do you think the NZ economy would look like the day after?
so you are saying… the starting line for bull…
sounds like you like the banks there wayne surprise surprise – maximise profit that is what a bank is and does – even an ex cabinet minister knows that surely.
What other industry gets to choose the terms of their regulatory existence Wayne?
And not only that, when you look at recent history, the ANZ does not exactly fill people with confidence that they are there for them. Despite two ‘junior staffers’ raising the alarm over Hisco’s expenses, nothing happened and the ANZ hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory with the Royal Commission into Banking in Australia either.
They will use the system to their own benefit as far as they can push it.
well its really simple right?
ANZ does what the fuck it wants, and customers vote with their feet.
I see no reason why anyone should entrust a bank with their hard earned money if that bank will not guarantee that it is actually able of refunding these deposits.
And that is the crux of the matter right dear Wayne, it is not the banks money that they want to gamble with.
as for ANZ decamping, guess what, other banks – that have no issue with regulations and rules – will pick up that business that ANZ does not want.
You have heard of the 'market provideth' mantra?
That where your wrong Sabine but saying that most people think the same Your deposit legally is simply a claim or a debt on the bank and you are a creditor, what the bank does with that money is the banks call, its now the banks money In essence your just a creditor to the bank secured as much by capital holding requirements and deposit insurance It is totally warranted a bank has it’s say on capital requirements if it’s whole business is based on return on capital
Would that mean a lot of debt being written off waynee?
There isn't a debate. If AD's summary is largely correct, ANZ is suggesting it might take the option of turning its back on NZ profits if their capital reserves are required to go too high.
I'm sure RBNZ will factor that into their reserves of fucks to give.
ANZ pulling out would give more opportunity to other banks to grow, including the local banks.
"…akin to dictatorship."
What blithering nonsense.
Well, if you had a system that simply imposed rules and laws without any submission process, that would be akin to dictatorship.
Which is why New Zealand doesn't run that way. All our laws and regulatory processes have extensive submission processes for those affected and for the public. It is a basic hallmark of democracy.
In our democracy, roughly how many votes does each bank ‘get’?
oh you….shh….one vote per account held?
+1
Corporations are people too doncha know! (shouldn't be)
Legal people. Inorganic. And like the book & doco explained back in '03/04, psychopathic in accord with diagnostic practice.
Remedy: corporate charters that require consideration of the effects of corporate decisions on all affected stakeholders, and laws that enforce accountability on execs.
Yeah, yeah, lets trust the ANZ! Lol . I am about to move my Kiwisaver fund from them……………
" All our laws and regulatory processes have extensive submission processes for those affected and for the public. It is a basic hallmark of democracy. "
Please explain the indecent use of urgency that occurred during nationals term in office.
Urgency is basically extended hours. Not like the system that used to exist in the 1980’s and 1990’s. These days all bills go through a select committee process with public submissions. The exception is tax bills. Governments (both National and Labour) tend to pass these in one sitting.
The only thing "akin to a dictatorship" here is ANZ – both in its internal structure of hierarchical authority and in its attempt to dictate to a democratically elected government. Any rights we give to private dictatorships should be contingent on them acting in ways that serve the public good. Once they cease to do that and focus predominantly on their own private good, we don't need to be excessively attentive to their rights.
Ultimately we need to democratise all centres of economic and political power – which means entities such as the ANZ wouldn't exist in the same way as they do now.
'ANZ is 61% owned by US shareholders. Westpac 58% US owned.'
As I alluded to last week and was told that was nonsense.
ANZ has not bothered adhering to capital requirements for the last 5 years anyway.
Their departure would be great.Totally independent from ANZ Australia when it suits,and totally dictated to when it doesn't.
Maybe a trade off threat to prevent an inquiry as per the revelations across the Tasman.
Be a test of Govt resolve .
Did not see conversation last week but I recall that most shares are bought through a limited number of big global institutions including US-based ones. Does not mean the ultimate shareholders are American, or even not Australian. Just means the system is un-transparent.
"Anyone on The Standard: withdraw your accounts from the ANZ and shift your mortgages to a local bank. "
Which one would you suggest? KiwiBank are saying that they may not survive if the new regulations are implemented as they won't be able to raise the new capital required. Their shareholders seem to be of the view that there is likely to be no economic return from any more investment.
I don't think they are going to be a very good bank to shift to in the new climate of RBNZ policies if that is the case.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/113913216/kiwibank-warns-investors-may-starve-it-of-investment-under-reserve-bank-plans#comments
Kiwibank is for all intents and purposes Govt owned.
It can raise capital easily.
Why do you think the Big 4 banks are so profitable?What can they do,that KB can't?
Did you bother to read the article I linked to?
You clearly think you know more about it than the people who run the bank. What gives you such confidence and why should we believe you?
Yes I read it.
Of course I know more about it than people who run the bank.
The GFC,I saw it coming.
The reality is the big banks rely on a tacit Govt Guarantee,the 'too big to fail' argument.
You saw the attempts of the National party when in power to undermine KB,Kiwisaver,the Cullen Fund..and the rewards for doing so are glaringly ..obvious.
I like my co-operative bank. Seriously i ditched ANZ a few years ago after some really fucked up customer service on their part and many emails/phonecalls and call in person to a branch. I have not missed it, i have no issue doing my banking, paying my bills and serving my mortgage.
so yeah, there really is no reason to stay with a bank that despises its customers and only views them as dairy cows to be milked while the going is good and dropped when the going gets tough.
SAME. Find Cooperative Bank great Sabine @ 1.7.2 Get a few dollars back each year and no fees.
Yes I had a similar situation with the ANZ. They didn't care about me, and I certainly don't need them; there are plenty of other money-fakirs where they came from, and the newer kiwi banks from building societies have a good grasp on the system and offer courteous and quick service, very helpful.
https://www.sbsbank.co.nz/about-us/sbs-bank/history
Was Southland Building Society.
https://www.sbsbank.co.nz/about-us/sbs-bank/leadership/corporate-governance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBS_Bank
Banking day-to-day, TSB all the way – they routinely top the customer satisfaction rankings and have a decent-sized local branch offering foreign currency and other services. The Co-operative Bank is good too – have one investment account with them, and an under-used current account. No need to use foreign-owned banks.
Disclaimer: I don’t work for TSB or The Co-operative Bank, but do recommend these banks to friends.
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7876-satisfaction-with-new-zealand-banks-remains-high-201902142231
I am pretty sure that the TSB is the only Kiwi bank that is separate from using some of the services of the big commercial banks. I think that Kiwibank uses Westpac as 'collecting'? bank.
Tsb are dog shit. Kiwi bank have no cash no infrastructure and no one who knows anything
Bank customer surveys/polls are at odds with Infused's "dog shit" 'evaluation', although to be fair those surveys don't include “dog shit" on their ranking scale.
ANZ CEO Hisco (what was his 'exit' package again?) should have been be dog tucker, but corruption is the new normal under Sir John 'Haven' Key’s ‘watch’.
Yes, something surely stinks, but it’s not “dog shit“.
They’re all shit: horseshit, bullshit, bird shit, chicken shit, stir shit. But ANZ is the worst shit of all and thick as bat shit; Sir John would know as he’s some kind of connoisseur of bat shit.
Ha – penny just dropped re Key's off the cuff "thick as bat shit" assessment.
Co-operative Bank: https://www.co-operativebank.co.nz/
TSB: https://www.tsb.co.nz/about/history
Snap!
TSB consistently wins customer service awards compared with the other banks in NZ. No idea what they are like for mortgages.
and snap
You need to read the fine print on that survey to see how bogus it is
“Bogus“? Care to explain why, or are you only capable of flinging infused shit?
Is Consumer NZ's methodology also “bogus“?
“Local banks have outstripped the big four Australian banks for service…”
“Aussie-owned banking giants ANZ and ASB ranked last.”
https://www.interest.co.nz/business/93065/consumer-nz-survey-finds-tsb-co-op-bank-and-kiwibank-customers-are-happy-anz-and-asb customers are less so.
John Key bet against our currency in the past to gain. He has no loyalty to us.
ANZ has always worked against NZer's best interests, and do need reining in from excessive capital creation through marginal house and farm loans.
Hisco has shown a small sample of the entitled self interested way bankers live.
The Government should immediately institute a Banking Commission as in Australia.
Two words.
John Key
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/07/duncan-garner-lack-of-compassion-from-a-government-that-promised-to-end-homelessness.html
No shit?! You mean the guy is so powerful even out of govt that he can stop a govt department doing what it's supposed to do? Wow, folks will be impressed…
His is an enduring legacy.
I think the average person in the street is starting to realise how much the last government dropped the ball/did sweet FA.
The enduring legacy of Key is 9 years of austerity and the creation of a multitude of problems associated with underfunding everything.
The homelessness issue is just the tip of a pretty rotten iceberg.
Yes.
But the Nats and their friends in the media – I'm thinking Garner particularly – are attempting to cleanse the previous government's record on the erosion of social services and pretend that inherited social issues are something which mysteriously 'just were'.
This allows them to apply current negative headlines on social issues to the Labour government and accuse them of inaction, false promises, etc.
I haven't actually seen what the Nats propose to do on housing and social spending at all, have you? It’s a policy desert out there.
The current government has continued to make owning a rental property less desirable. In a country where renting is trending upward, without exception the many property managers I regularly speak with have had shrinking portfolios for 3 years. Over the past 3 months 4000 people required emergency housing, double the figure of 12 months ago.
This situation is a runaway train well on it's way to a washed out bridge. 'It's National's fault' is the response of empty, unimaginative, water treading time wasters.
What's the Action Plan Labour? Blame National? How many Cally Jo's will that house?
Gosh, you mean the government still hasn't fixed the homelessness problem? They've been in power more than a year now!
I guess those earthquakes we had in Christchurch several years ago were John Keys fault too! Lets hope the All Blacks win the world cup else poor old JK will get the blame for that too.
nope the earthquakes were not his fault.
but a lot of the shit that people in christchurch had to endure was due to the willful incompetence of the then government.
Poor old JK, poor old JK had a choice to make in the years that he was PM, run a decent government for all, or raise GST on those that have to pay it – the end consumer, drop taxes on those that don't need it, sell every asset that was not nailed and glued to the wall, and allow for hte wholesale of NZ to the highest overseas bidder in order to advance his own little career.
Poor old JK, had a choice to be a prime minister, and instead he choose to pull ponytails, run bad soap jokes on the radio, cut the widowers benefit, cut study allowances for beneficiaries, and settled homeless people with tens of thousands of dollars of in debt for 'emergency housing' to the tune of 2000$ per week in a fucking motel – for this price they could have rented a proper house for homeless.
so keep your poor old jk to yourself, cause there is nothing that will make that man ever a decent human being, and his legacy to NZ is a squandered 26 million for the Laser Kiwi Flag (i would have loved that one!), children and families living in vans near football fields that have open toilets.
All blacks will play as good or as bad as they always do, other teams will do the same, and if JK is given half a chance he will crawl up the arse of that male blond knicker model who also played ball and pretend to me a man of the people.
Wow…you must feel better after that rant. It's amazing he has been out of politics for how long? Brings to mind a song from Frozen…."Let it go…..".
Out of interest, who is the blonde knicker model who also played ball?
That handshake was cursed, man.
Don't let fake “human rights defenders” smear Nils Melzer
https://twitter.com/caitoz/status/1145645207796367361
a scum on the run – you cannot hide the truth martin – you are tainted and will never be clean.
shameful so shameful
We know this or those of us interested know it. We must front up before it can be fixed but often I feel like Tariana
Best to link to the actual information …
https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/inquiries/kaupapa-inquiries/health-services-and-outcomes-inquiry/
thanks for doing that for me and so graciously too – you're a credit to your name
Health outcomes arent the same for people with different risk factors and lifestyle choices- food , alcohol, smoking being the biggies
My specialist says that around 1/3 of his patients dont attend the clinics he runs for ongoing monitoring.
They wont have the same outcomes as those who do.
here's the challenge though
if ethnic groups are higher risk and they require information delivered a certain way to get cut-through/buy in or whatever – if your specialist isn't of that ethnic group or can't for whatever reason deliver to that higher risk group in the way that they can hear – who is supposed to change. Yes the majority rules and that means great swathes of people who aren't the majority could miss out. That seems to be the evidence – the report shows it is as much racism as anything.
It is well-established by now that the biggest influences on health outcomes (about 70%) are beyond the health sector – mainly poverty, social capital, etc. Too easy for us to say it's about people not looking after themselves.
Al Gore gets talked about a lot due to his championing the environment.
Jerry Brown was talking to Kathryn on 9toNoon this a.m. and he is also well versed in the problems and solutions through being in California which was an early adopter of change, and so able to take on board the size of the problem that we are still grappling with and trying to wriggle away from.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018702246/california-governor-jerry-brown-on-climate-action
Such a significant report is hard to summarise. Fortunately, Gabrielle Baker has been following this whole Tribunal hauora process for over a decade: https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/02-07-2019/landmark-findings-on-maori-health-lay-a-clear-challenge-to-the-crown/
Keep them off the P and away from Bobbybrown then Tariana.
Gabby for PM – no nonsense here. Straighten up and fly right!
yep gappy for pee minister all right – urine it
saddy is that what you did – get off the pee – lol didn't think so – keep trying there you never know
Gabby, the only "saddy" here is the one who called you that. Not worth considering or replying to, imo. His ‘comments’ above (if you can even call them that) say much more about him than about you.
Nice – so a post about health deficiencies and racism for Māori in our system where gabby says get off the p to help and I'm the bad one for calling them saddy?
good to know what side of the fence you are on, thanks for clarifying
The great arctic journey.Fox travels from Svalbard to Canada in two and a half months.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ecology/2019/06/arctic-fox-across-polar-ice-makes-record-run-svalbard-canada-25-month
Cool story, eh? Transcontinental trip to munch on lemmings. Good to see they provided a satellite's view tracking the trip so you can see its digressions & speed on the ice. Must be a food instinct motivating it (rather than a random trajectory).
The Southland environmental concerns are advancing. I got this message.
As you may be aware two motions on the topic will be debated at our meeting on 3 July 2019. The first motion is, ‘That the Council declares a Climate emergency’.
The second motion is ‘Environment Southland acknowledges that climate change is an important issue which we have to engage with. The Council commits to applying best practice and best science to its responsibilities and accords urgency to developing an action plan’. Please see our agenda.
As someone concerned about climate change you may be interested in a recently released report that was commissioned by all four Southland councils, Regional Climate Change Impact Assessment by the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), which is available on our website.
So tomorrow. If anyone wants to give encouragement now is the time.
Kia kaha Robert.
Was anyone else having an attack of the deja vus this morning as the PM explained how intense negotiations managed to persuade that philanthropic organisation Amazon to film the LOTR telly series here in New Zealand?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/393416/very-high-level-talks-secure-filming-for-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series
Of course the promised repeal of the nasty Hobbit Enabling Act…. https://thestandard.org.nz/a-rushed-law-is-a-bad-law/ is not going to happen.
'Parties have reached a consensus.'
There were many, many interesting and challenging posts here on TS back then about the nefarious goings on in this sector….where are those commenters now?
https://thestandard.org.nz/tag/the-hobbit/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umj0gu5nEGs
As the saying goes…consensus changes nothing, nor does consensus lead to improvements
Consensus = Status Quo
Gosh! Someone tell the Green Party.
Sadly, Rosemary, I have to say yes to an attack of deja vu. And yes, I was one of the commenters last round.
I live in South Wellington and knew a lot of people who were involved in the last round of the LOTR etc films saga – meaning people who were actually involved in the making of the films. These included quite a few NZers* who worked in the industry or benefitted from the making of the films by providing support services such as catering, renting out property etc.
But as well as NZers, there were many, many film industry people* from overseas who moved here 'for the duration' of from months to some years – taking up rental properties in the south and eastern suburbs of Wellington, educating their children in our local schools etc. This in turn provided some peripheral employment such as child care etc.but usually of a low wage nature.
However, the situation now is very different. Rental property in these suburbs (which range for poor to well heeled) is now extremely hard to get and rental prices have gone through the roof, leaving low income families, beneficiaries, students etc out in the cold, couch surfing, doubling up, many families etc, in crowded accommodation etc. AirB& B is partially responsible but just plain old scarcity of property is the problem. In my suburb, many people are turning garages into accommodation for family, or to make money out of AirB&B, and other forms of rental with question marks over resource consents, meeting sanitary codes etc.
I am not sure whether the Amazon venture will be based in Wellington, but it would seem likely that the facilities at Weka etc will probably be used. If these south/east Wellington suburbs (or any part of Wellington for that matter) are faced with the influx that we experienced during the LOTR film years then things are likely to get to even worse … I am not sure that these factors/ consequences have even been considered in making these decisions to continue to push the film industry here.
I have now reread the RNZ link and Queenstown is expected to feature in the venture. Considering their current accommodation crisis …madness????
* While there were certainly a portion of high paid film people involved in the LOTR etc film projects, ( eg actors, directors, producers, etc) many/most of the people employed were not high paid at all – whether NZers or from overseas.
Thank you vw for your full and considered response. I'm a bit of a looker -backer, (must be an age thing) and am increasingly finding today's hot topics uncomfortably familiar. So I go back and have a read what was being said back then by 'this side' about how the 'other side' managed this issue of putting butter on the paws of film companies….and I damn near choke on the irony.
I guess this is politics and the reality is (the PM did not to my recollection utter those words this morning…please don't tell me if she did or I'll be tempted to abandon all hope) that this is how the game is played.
Sadly, it will take a stronger government than this to turn this around so more benefit from these ventures.
The accommodation aspect had not occurred to me….and of course you're right. Where are these folks going to stay?
Being a more often than not house bus dweller, my first reaction would be for these visitors to rent some of the vast fleet of motorhomes we have in NZ. Not only from the rental companies, but there are a couple of outfits that facilitate private motorhome owners to rent their vans out. (Not us, under any circumstances.)
Of course Queenstown is on the list of places where campers are simply not welcome….
I suppose there are a couple of those unwanted Kiwibuild houses free….
Plenty of billionaires' holiday palaces to rent to taxdodging movie companies.
I'm in this industry and accomodation will be a problem in Queenstown for the periods they will be shooting there. That's because there'll be a high proportion of non-locals involved.
Productions do make decisions based on things like the availability of accommodation. But it wouldn't be beyond them with a budget of this size to set up a temporary town!
Not so much in Auckland where most of the crew, production and extras will be local apart from a few heavyweights up from Wellington.
Of the main criteria overseas productions consider:
New Zealand has a permanent advantage with shooting locations and particularly the variety of different and untouched landscapes in close proximity.
There's a temporary advantage with the incentive scheme and to a lesser extend the exchange rate. Also, our crews are good and cheap (weak worker representation).
Where we fail is, as always, infrastructure. Studio space is awful, most productions having to use commercial warehouse space rather than proper sound studios which are few and far between. No one want to take the risk although that might be changing.
Lastly, American producers love to be on set, and NZ is a long way from anywhere. Canada is much closer and Europe is exciting and they can take their families. We can't do much about that, though.
In short, NZ landscapes and money is what swung this epic production here. Hopefully I can get a decent piece of it.
One more thing to consider is how long will actual outdoor landscapes be required in film-making…
…anyone seen the trailer for Lion King?
Thanks for that M/bird. Hope you get a piece of the action and moolah to match.
We're probably heading for a huge overshoot in residential accomodation in Queenstown. Too much development that's got a long way ahead of the local economy's ability to support. By the time this gets up and running all the builder's toys will be for sale on the road side, and To Let signs will be everywhere.
A lot of the new lower end hotels have been built to be easily adapted to worker accomodation as well, so the shift in tourism away from low yield markets could easily be taken up by a couple of film projects.
The tricky bit in Queenstown is where it's all based, most of the likely sites have been turned into housing. Although they could displace all the rental cars around Frankton (there's about 3Ha of them) but that's all next to the airport so difficult for a soundstage.
Auckland: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/393416/very-high-level-talks-secure-filming-for-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series
Oops, missed that bit – will blame that on massive head cold, not age! Also now noticed that the article also talks about building studios in Queenstown. Perhaps in a perverse way it could end up being a plus for the accommodation crisis there if as part of the agreement to build studios they had to provide an accommodation town as suggested by Muttonbird – but a permanent one, rather than a temporary one.
Empathy on the head cold but mine is in its easing stages. Just wait for Shane Jones and his provincial slush fund to swoop in and subsidise productions by underwriting both studio and workers' housing in that impoverished region.
So yesterday it was Winston accusing people of being anti-immigration.
Today Labour handing out subsidies to the entertainment industry they said were evil for 9 years in opposition to the richest man in the world
You couldn't make it up
I also noticed Ardern is only half ditching the hobbit law and people still can't strike
Chris T go back to Sauron and lick his boots.
Al Gore gets talked about a lot due to his championing the environment.
Jerry Brown was talking to Kathryn on 9toNoon this a.m. and he is also well versed in the problems and solutions through being in California which was an early adopter of change, and so able to take on board the size of the problem that we are still grappling with and trying to wriggle away from.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018702246/california-governor-jerry-brown-on-climate-action
Tulsi! The winner from the first debate.
Funny video with two, yes two good jokes about Meghan McCain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWoo90eoM58&feature=em-uploademail&ab_channel=TheJimmyDoreShow
Yup, she's quite the hit with the right-wingnut and MAGA crowd.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/tulsi-gabbard-maga-debate
??
Surely the right wingnut as Americans like to say will be voting for Trump again
Those voters who believed Trump's campaign talk about bringing back the troops , diminishing the military spend and using the money for repairing run down American infrastructure, and voted accordingly , could very well be interested in Gabbard.
These are the voters disappointed by Trump, and not necessarily right wing, unless anti imperialism passes for right wing in your circles
Those voters sucked in by the Fifth Avenue Fraud's talk about bringing home the troops, diminishing military spend and putting the money towards infrastructure showed a remarkable capacity for hearing only what they wanted to hear and ignoring the massive red flags thrown up by King Con's other talk. So yeah, they may indeed be suckered again by a few bait words from Gabbard and ignore the ugly realities of her total position which includes being pro-droning, surgical strikes, and cool with torture.
But look at the names mentioned in the Buzzfeed article (and links within) that are enthusiastic about Gabbard. You don't reckon Tucker Carlson, David Duke, Ann Coulter, Matt Drudge, Mike Cernovich, Steve Bannon, Richard Spencer et al are right-wing?
Andre thinks those dastardly Russians are controlling her, francesca. Pay him no mind.
Shouldn't be too hard on themselves going into 3 days to get things sorted that part of the world, look at Brexit for a comparision, even here it took a while longer to sort out the coalition govt.
https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/02/eu-leaders-seek-to-break-stalemate-on-top-jobs.
Would have thought the approach would be having sorted a majority block that agrees as one that a clear signal should be sent to the populace in the picks, that a progressive step has been taken by the EU in response to the changed vote direction & preliminary bounds for what those might entail. Then that block by majority decides the best candidates that can combine that with the practicalities of the tasks. Then you have the unanimous confirmatory vote.
The old cart before the horse problem of politics is universal though.
Has anyone else read this compelling Report?
Gordon Campbell on how the Americans are helping us realise the scale of the Operation Burnham fiasco.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1907/S00010/gordon-campbell-on-the-uss-operation-burnham-evidence.htm
Apart from the excellent Paula Penfold, our television "reporters" rarely mention it, and our radio stations are virtually silent. Maybe one of these days Annie Goldson will do another of her Afghanistan-based documentaries on it….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/review-of-he-toki-huna-new-zealand-in.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-disturbing-story-behind-willie.html
Where are the Greens in leading the way to stop plastics at their source ?
There is so much more to do than just banning plastic carry bags.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/07/02/end-of-life-plastic-solutions-not-as-important-as-sources-greenpeace/
Being considerate. National & Labour have supported plastic since it appeared here in the early 1950s. It's only fair, then, to give them the opportunity to switch from supporting plastic pollution to eliminating it. So the Greens are standing back to watch the Nat/Labs fall over themselves competing to be first to solve the problem. Courtesy in politics is a timely radical move, eh?
Banning further oil drilling tackles the source.
"She's already laughing at him!" That halfwit Ben Shapiro being owned back in 2011
A couple of days ago, some fool on this mostly excellent forum claimed that Shapiro "is no idiot or racist." Just watch this and see if you think he's anything other than a sad, deluded idiot….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTMXRe7PPoM
Idiot ideologue goes after Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and their dangerous ilk.
Long before Andrew Neil pulled his wings off, Ben Shapiro had been thoroughly humiliated by Connie Martinson and, in this disastrous appearance, by Thom Hartmann…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W1NURCkQHM
Thanks I hadn't seen that one Morrissey, it's always nice to see bigots being exposed for the morons that they are.
This bloke is especially egregious, because he seems to think he's an intellectual. He's not anything of the sort—as his embarrasing interviews with Connie Martinson, Thom Hartmann, and Andrew Neil show, he lacks the wherewithal to defend his outrageous statements with any semblance of coherent argument.
Shapiro is the American equivalent of Mike Hosking: he's pushy, self-involved, unembarrassable, and overwhelms weaker souls by talking non-stop and very quickly.
On the nail Morrissey – I listened for a while to this Shapiro guy – just as you describe. Unpleasant and obsessed with his own opinion to the point of mania.
Its good to see that our scientists have shown their concern on human caused climate change
More than 50 of New Zealand's top scientists call on Government to declare climate emergency
More than 50 of New Zealand's top scientists are calling for a declaration of a national climate emergency.
Some 52 signatories are current and former winners of the prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, an $800,000 grant given to 10 researchers each year to help retain and develop New Zealand's top scientific minds.
Quentin Atkinson, a professor at the University of Auckland, said scientists needed to be more vocal and urgent in pushing for change climate change ka kite ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/113946213/more-than-50-of-new-zealands-top-scientists-call-on-government-to-declare-climate-emergency
Kia ora Newshub.
Did you notice that the stuff ups in railway in Auckland stopped after Eco Maori pointed out the shit I no it a bit hard for you people living in your glass houses to believe but the rednecks will do anything to cheat a win didn't you see the links to national in that group. trump is empowering them in many ways
The correction of house prices is good for KIWIs first home buyers.
The business servaye is running by business who back national just more manipulation by them.
Why did nike put that flag on there new shoes good job for the damage to the brand for putting a flag on there shoes that support the old slave trade in America.
Ka kite ano.
Kia ora te ao Maori news.
Tuwharetua will not have been happy about all that waste water going into the taonga Taupo.
It's great that Tuwharetua IWI is working with Oranga tamariki to fix their troubled tamariki whanau.
Te puni kokiri is going back to focus on Maori wellbeing .
Its good to see Maori rising in our new government ka pai.
Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa being discriminated against because of their ta moko people have respect each other come on get on we have a beautiful country.
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/tgIqecROs5M
Its good to see that there are more Wahine getting on power on the Papatuanuku stage. Congratulations
OPINION: After some intense horse-trading, International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde has been anointed Mario Draghi's successor as president of the European Central Bank. That signals a continuity of European monetary policy that won't please Donald Trump.
Lagarde was somewhat of a surprising choice to lead the ECB, having previously said she wasn't interested in any of the senior eurozone roles, including the ECB presidency. She would also be, not just the first woman to head the ECB, but the first non-economist and the first without any central banking experience
Once German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen won the coveted presidency of the European Commission, however, the next most senior position available, the ECB presidency, was always going to be nominated by the other major European power, France.
Lagarde, a former French finance minister widely respected for her eight-year leadership of the IMF, was sponsored by French President Emmanuel ka kite ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/world/113980452/christine-lagarde-to-inherit-an-ailing-eurozone-and-an-unhappy-donald-trump
Some Eco Maori music for the minute
https://youtu.be/hlfQVvsNLFk
They play the same games no matter where Eco Maori goes
Good story George Monbiot that is exactly how I see OUR Papatuanuku people's reality being manipulated by the billionaires money to suit their greedy goals of being untouchable. Ma te wa time are changing now .
After urging land reform I now know the brute power of our billionaire press
A report I helped publish has led to attacks and flat-out falsehoods in the rightwing media. It’s clear whose interests they serve
All billionaires want the same thing – a world that works for them. For many, this means a world in which they are scarcely taxed and scarcely regulated; where labour is cheap and the planet can be used as a dustbin; where they can flit between tax havens and secrecy regimes, using the Earth’s surface as a speculative gaming board, extracting profits and dumping costs. The world that works for them works against us.
So how, in nominal democracies, do they get what they want? They fund political parties and lobby groups, set up fake grassroots (Astroturf) campaigns and finance social media ads. But above all, they buy newspapers and television stations. The widespread hope and expectation a few years ago was that, in the internet age, news controlled by billionaires would be replaced by news controlled by the people: social media would break their grip. But social media is instead dominated by stories the billionaire press generates. As their crucial role in promoting Nigel Farage, Brexit and Boris Johnson suggests, the newspapers are as powerful as ever.
They use this power not only to promote the billionaires’ favoured people and ideas, but also to shut down change before it happens. They deploy their attack dogs to take down anyone who challenges the programme. It is one thing to know this. It is another to experience it. A month ago I and six others published a report commissioned by the Labour party called Land for the Many. It proposed a set of policies that would be of immense benefit to the great majority of Britain’s people: ensuring that everyone has a good, affordable home; improving public amenities; shifting tax from ordinary people towards the immensely rich; protecting the living world; and enhancing public control over the decisions that affect our lives. We showed how the billionaires and other oligarchs ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/03/land-reform-brute-power-billionaire-press-attacks
Kia ora Newshub.
Its good that the rapid fire human killing guns are being taken off the streets.
Auckland is in a water shortage the people didn't take heed on conserving water they need a get the massage across with the media about the driest last 3 months in years.
That American Judge is discriminatory against the poor common people lettings a boy off serious charges because he is rich .?????
The microplasm bovine virus issue got blown out of the hemisphere because national tried to hide it swept it under the carpet the virus just kept on spreading.
I do think that our government needs to set up a climate change ministry to help people mitigate climate change issues.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora te ao Maori news.
Its cool that Oranga Rehua Marae program is getting a funding boost to help repair the damage caused by the Christchurch earthquake.
The Tuia 250 years since Captain Cook arrived celebration will or can be used as a tool to increase tangata whenua O Aotearoa mana wairua if we use it wisely.
Awesome to see te tamariki kapa haka going strong in Whakatane.
Ka pai to the tamariki of Ruatoki for their win in the kapa haka competition.
Mana Wahine gathering that is cool most Maori Wahine have great roles in our society' men just need to Show them the respect they deserve for gifting us Pepi.
Ka kite ano
Whanau more evidence that climate change is our reality .We have to stop burning carbon to protect our decendince mokopuna futures.
Giant heat dome over Alaska
All-time heat records are at risk in Alaska in the coming days as a massive and abnormally intense area of high pressure locks in and strengthens over the US region.
This heat dome is expected to produce temperatures near and above the highest values ever recorded for multiple days, particularly in southern parts of the state. It's the latest in a slew of record-shattering heat events in Alaska
Anchorage is predicted to match or best its highest-temperature ever recorded of 30 degrees Celsius (set in 1969) on five straight days between July 4 and 8. It could even flirt with 32C.
The US National Weather Service in Anchorage wrote that most of southern Alaska will be "downright hot with many locations in the 80s (high 20s) and even low 90s (low 30s)."
Ka kite ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/114010402/alaska-set-for-record-heat
'Biggest compliment yet': Greta Thunberg welcomes oil chief's 'greatest threat' label
Activists say comments by Opec head prove world opinion is turning against fossil fuels
Greta Thunberg and other climate activists have said it is a badge of honour that the head of the world’s most powerful oil cartel believes their campaign may be the “greatest threat” to the fossil fuel industry.
The criticism of striking students by the trillion-dollar Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) highlights the growing reputational concerns of oil companies as public protests intensify along with extreme weather
Mohammed Barkindo, the secretary general of Opec, said there was a growing mass mobilisation of world opinion against oil, which was “beginning to … dictate policies and corporate decisions, including investment in clean energy.
He said the pressure was also being felt within the families of Opec officials because their own children “are asking us about their future because … they see their peers on the streets campaigning against Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/05/biggest-compliment-yet-greta-thunberg-welcomes-oil-chiefs-greatest-threat-label
Some Eco Maori music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/5Yj4j_lZMBo
Mana Wahine its good to see more Wahine on the Papatuanuku stage with power. Kia kaha the men are making a big mess of our Papatuanuku at the minute.
When it comes to global leadership trends, men with the big egos appear to be back; Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro to name a few.
But despite the trend, there’s also been moves to foster a more feminist approach to foreign policy
Lyric Thompson, director of policy and advocacy at the International Centre for Research on Women in Washington DC, says a feminist foreign policy is for all, the concept reflects that for the most part, foreign policy has been designed to reinforce the largely male-dominated and patriarchal structures in the global economy today.
“…it’s not saying only look at women, it’s saying look at the power structures that are expressed in a way that we organise everything from defence to trade to diplomacy and think about ways that we can restructure practice that enables a more equitable approach that is inclusive of folks that have historically been marginalised, including but not limiting to women
Ka kite ano link below.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2018702171/feminist-foreign-policy