First he illuminates the political psychology that drives Winston:
I’m writing about the long list of this government’s initiatives which New Zealand First has vetoed or stymied over the past three years, many of which were campaign promises made by Labour or the Greens, some of which were in the coalition agreement signed by New Zealand First.
But here’s the thing. I think Winston Peters wants people like me to write that piece. Not only that: I suspect the only reason Peters keeps scuttling policies of a government that he is Deputy! Prime! Minister! of! is to generate media about it. And this is because Peters knows the voters most available to him are the most socially conservative people in the country.
He knows his competitor for those votes is the National Party. So he’s attempting to demonstrate his value to those voters by showing them that he can, if he wishes, prevent Labour and the Greens from doing anything meaningful in government. Which, full credit to him, he can. He’s the most powerful deputy prime minister we’ve ever seen.
Then he lists 9 election promises from 2017 that Winston hasn't delivered on – then he lists 8 things he stopped Labour & the Greens doing. Then the tactical analysis:
say nothing throughout the policy development process, not even indicating he’ll vote for something right up until the last minute, just before the public announcement, and then gleefully letting it be known that he’s withdrawn his support. It is a chaotic, anarchic way to conduct coalition politics and it wastes a huge amount of money and time that could be spent governing the country. But it wins him the most media attention.
It's a persuasive critique. Winston seemed to be operating in the right spirit the first couple of years, but his credibility has become increasingly nebulous.
the most socially conservative people in the country.
ie the most backward, unthoughtful, cosseted people in the country, apart from well-off farmers who always have the edge of weather events and changing commodity prices to prick at them. They tend to vote for National.
Winston has become a male version of Paula Bennett, having gone through rigorous self-awareness and makeover programs for body and clothing, to catch the eye of the various groups they pander to.
One of O’Rourke’s most memorable lines was: “First we got all the money. Then we got all the votes. Now we’ve got all the power!” Bennett’s celebration boogie, in anticipation of Muller’s failure to win O’Rourke’s electoral trifecta, has about it the same bracing honesty. Speaking of her hardcore National colleagues, she once told a startled journalist: “We didn’t come to Wellington to fuck spiders!” And wasn’t that the truth?
Um, dunno. Could be. Ask Gosman. And the Nat leader apparently can't think or write for himself, nor do pr without help.
National’s new boss has Janet Wilson handling his media and Matthew Hooton writing his speeches. Both are highly professional political and public relations specialists, and Muller is lucky to have them.
when a traditional Catholic talks about “applied Christianity” – what, exactly, does he mean?
Re-launching the Inquisition, obviously. He's a traditionalist. But best not to actually announce any such trad catholic methodology. Wokeists would get even more shrill.
Then there's the spectre of radical conservatism. Looming? Lamely, limply.
With some justification, they see identity politics as intrinsically hostile to the unequal distribution of power and wealth under patriarchal capitalism. Take patriarchy out of the capitalist equation and, in the view of the radical conservatives, it will fall.
No worries. The residual patriarchy is well-entrenched. Not a cloud on their horizon. Doesn't really matter how many hallucinations the rabble gets off on.
Indeed, it was to forestall such a radical-conservative deviation into Trumpland that the coup against Simon Bridges was mounted. That it succeeded only because the erratic Judith Collins anticipated taking more satisfaction from shafting Bridges and Bennett than from saving them, merely reinforces the scale of the dysfunction currently besetting the National Party.
JC mastermind, not a new thesis. JC superstar? Never. Not even close.
I'd be really interested in seeing the group of hard line christian conservatives that he mentions being given a lot more publicity for their views with names mentioned. Much like I'd like to know what church our police commissioner is apparently so fond of – the christian bit much mentioned but source not named.
The atheist’s favourite blood sport: demonising Christians or any religion for that matter. You can you recognise them miles away by the strong smell of garlic on their breath and their ‘arguments’ that are ironically outlandish.
Hey, if you meant me I've never been an atheist. I did acknowledge my lifelong belief in a universal spirit in response to something Adam posted a couple of months back.
I don't call it god because that might create the impression that I believe in the genocidal schizoprenic one encounters in the bible.
And christians spent most of the past two millennia acting like demons in a concerted attempt to persuade everyone else that they actually were, so no really need for anyone to demonise them. They already did it to themselves!
People who project much tend to take things (too) personal, in my experience. If you feel ‘harassed’ by my comment then I’ll apologise; you seem very defensive.
You appear to have a habit of broad generalisations and stereotypes. Just saying.
I'll out myself, I think theism (Jewish, Christian or Moslem) sucks.
While I am no atheist, it's just so obvious that those who stole the authority to declare God are just outright frauds and their followers really believe in them and the cult others then organised around their fraud.
Er Incog. The very conservative christians in the USA have been very active (supreme court appointments) in trying to skew institutions so that their views of what is socially correct are inflicted upon other's choices. Its not the religion as such but the lengths that are gone to by some of the cohort. Unfortunately these groups are usually called fundamental or conservative with the religion name (not necessarily christian) as the second part. Perhaps we need to habitually rename them. Bigot springs to mind. And where these very strong views are held they can influence the secular choices if they hold power in a secular organisation.
Fisheries, still no cameras on boats – well no surprise there really. Why would anyone want to be watched trawling and trenching the seabed right to its last dying breath. And shall we call out the perpetrators refusing cameras?
NZ Super entitlement for Residence holders gone through the first reading of changing to 20 years. Absolutely right on the money – pun intended.
I wondered if the super entitlement should be more nuanced. Is it 20 years before 65 or just 20 years which for some could mean 5 years of work, 10 years of self support then bingo? Also perhaps more of a sliding scale, the 20 year block then pro rata entitlement for the next 20 years?
I was thinking of no income tax for them but they still have to pay GST. It would also be a maximum five year visa though and none of this permanence. At the end of the 5 years they'd have the option to become a citizen (if they met all criteria).
I paid $500 to become a resident back in '99, so lived here for more than 20 years. Worked, paid taxes, never had any trouble with the law apart from being pinged going 65 in a 60 zone, had a citizen child, bought a house out of earned wages and not imported foreign cash the same as every other kiwi usually does. You can fuck off telling me I can’t vote or take a pension.
I should be granted citizenship, without paying for it now after all this time. What they gonna do? Use the fee to test for good character?
The problem with permanent residences is that it allows control of NZ politics by other countries once they've got enough of their agents here – and it really doesn't take a lot to alter an election.
In other words, allowing permanent residence is an open attack route.
And, yes, altering it now would mean giving those who meet the criteria their citizenship. Of course, for many that would mean having to drop the citizenship of their home country if they accepted it.
Somebody should study the impact of our immigration policy on the make-up of the populations and voting behaviour of those recent immigrants when they’re NZ citizens. Some countries allow for dual citizenship. I don’t think it is easy to alleviate your concerns about permanent residents.
For it to be free or a nominal amount for long time permanent residents with good character. I don't have objections to getting it, but then I'm still okay with things as they are, as long as there's no fascist dictate that discriminates against me in the works.
Great to see the UK government offering citizenship to 3 million people oppressed by the Chinese government within Hong Kong. A total political gift to Boris Johnson.
If that 3 million were to accept the offer, yes the tories would probably encounter some kind of housing challenge. Perhaps it's only that wide open so they can out-flank Labour and become the pro-immigrant party? Pardon my cynicism.
Likely those who flee HK will be the militants that the commo regime wants to capture. All others in HK will not be intitial targets. In that respect the plan seems clever: it tests the credibility of the pro-regime leader who declared that only the militants will be dealt with via the new law.
The miracle is that this is exactly counter to the Conservative Party anti-immigration rhetoric that has won them so many elections over two decades.
And of course I'm not going to presume to write a re-settlement policy, but you can guarantee that it will be done gradually.
There's about 350,000 UK passport holders in Hong Kong. You would expect a chunk of those will be thinking hard about returning soon.
There's a further 2.6 million other eligible – and they would need to commit to the UK for six years before they can apply for citizenship. That's a pretty graduated approach.
British National Overseas Passport holders in Hong Kong were granted special status in the 1980s but currently have restricted rights and are only entitled to visa-free access to the UK for six months.
We can certainly point to all the other times Britain refused entry to people under massive duress. Granted.
Nothing naive about the UK Muttonbird. When you look at their history, it seems they are often quantum dealers at the political level, being in two different positions at the same time.
Wow. A politically astonishing move, and one that complements a number of things that are moving very quickly right now.
Now link that with the CANZUK proposal I've referenced below @8.0 and you can see how Aus/NZ would fit together with this.
A Hong Kong daispora of that scale would have fascinating potential. The CCP's oppression of 20% of the human race is not a stable arrangement, I believe it will crumble within a decade; we need to be thinking of what may come after.
Sadly, instead and standing up as a principled nation with more international political capital to spend than we have had in decades, we get to just talk up a big game.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has expressed the New Zealand Government’s deep disappointment at the passage by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee of a national security law for Hong Kong.
“New Zealand has consistently emphasised its serious concern about the imposition of this legislation on Hong Kong without inclusive consultation or the proper involvement of all of Hong Kong’s institutions,” said Mr Peters.
“We share the international community’s stake in preserving the high degree of autonomy and freedom available to Hong Kong and its people under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework.
"It is this autonomy and freedom, together with open governance, judicial independence, and consensus on the rule of law that has been fundamental to Hong Kong's growth as a global financial and economic hub since 1997.
“As a strong supporter of the rule of law, we firmly believe that the maintenance of security in Hong Kong must be pursued in accordance with the obligations enshrined in Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the United Nations’ human rights covenants incorporated within it, and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
“This is a critical moment for fundamental human rights and freedoms protected in Hong Kong for generations. New Zealand will be studying the legislation carefully, and closely monitoring its implementation and impact on the people of Hong Kong, with whom we share close links,” said Mr Peters.
I mean, laudable words from the Foreign Minister, but the inability to make so much as a token gesture to practically help these people shows that a lot of Ardern's strong international standing remains due to luck and youth.
You believe the CCP's oppression will crumble within a decade? They'd better get in line – political stability is another dwindling resource on finite planet Earth.
I wonder what else you believe will “crumble” within a decade?
Human-assisted crumbling of ‘our‘ natural environments is real – no belief required.
China is an empire and one under increasing internal and external pressure.
Unfortunately, like all dictators Xi will seek war as a means of promoting nationalism.
We see that on the India China LOAC, the South China Sea, the cyber attack on Australia, the incursion into Taiwan and Japanese airspace with fighters, the sinking of a Vietnamese and a Philipino fishing boat, and so on.
Make no mistake, there will be a war within the next 10 years (unless Xi is forced out by the Li faction, which is possible as there is a clear split in the politburo) and one that China will lose. Nei Mongolia, Xinjiang, Xizang/Tibet will be nations 20 years from now.
"He studied at the University of Avignon, but was forced to leave after just over a year when the university closed due to an outbreak of the plague." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostradamus
If only he'd been around to give Australasian Unis advanced warning of Covid-19. Those institutions are really missing their Chinese (and Indian) takeaways right now.
Yes. If Xi continues to make mistakes and miscalculations there will be real pressure to oust him from with the party factions. That would certainly remove a lot of immediate pressure for the rest of the world, but would only kick the can down the road on the CCP's many other structural problems.
If Xi continues to make mistakes and miscalculations there will be real pressure to oust him from with the party factions. That would certainly remove a lot of immediate pressure for the rest of the world
Or, more likely, it could be the trigger that pushes Xi to actually start a war. Nothing like a war to keep people in line.
From a humanitarian perspective that may well be the case francesa. However culturally they are a Turkic people, and perhaps a case could be made for Turkey in particular, or Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan to step up first.
Then of course there is the question of why they should be forced into becoming refugees in the first place, and the onus for that lies firmly with the CCP.
If the Uighurs are culturally a Turkic people, aren't the Hong Konger's a Chinese people which NZers for the most part aren't .
I'm not sure why you think the wealthy of Hong Kong , one of the most unequal cities in the world are a good fit for the sort of society we would like to see in NZ(hopefully)
I think the wealthy are more interested in protecting their wealth(which they will most definitely lose as Hong Kong becomes more integrated with China) than any notions of democracy you ascribe to them
Hong Konger's a Chinese people which NZers for the most part aren't.
I think that's the point I made elsewhere, it's a mistake to see the people of China as a single monolithic culture, when on closer examination they really are not. In particular the Hong Kongers have a very long cosmopolitan history of being an outward looking trading people, quite different to the much more insular, nationalistic mainlanders to the north of them.
South China is a wild mess of hills and mountains extending south from the same ranges that so constrain the Yangtze. Such rugged topography has a similar impact on cultural and political unity— and wealth— as the rough terrain of say Mexico or the Balkans. Very few coherent large powers have ever arisen in the south.
The climate is far more subtropical than the northern temperate zones of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, was always physically isolated, and historically the area has always been much easier for maritime outsiders to reach than it was for the northern mainlanders.
The lack of large river plains to grow food has meant these cities have always imported a large fraction of their food supply, and their large deep water ports made this relatively easy, compared to the northern coast which is flat, choked off by sandbars and offering few decent ports. These people have always traded, just to survive.
Southern China is also the remaining stronghold of most of the ethnic minorities, further reinforcing their sense of regional uniqueness. Combine all these factors and secessionist impulses have run deep among Hong Kongers much longer than the current crisis. Put them anywhere in the world, and they adapt quickly, it's part of their cultural DNA.
I doubt if Boris would win kudos from the millions of Brits who voted for the Tories in the last general election on a platform of reducing immigration. Why on Earth would 3 million Hong Kongers want to flee to blighted Blighty anyway?
Because they value freedom. Because they despise the evil Chinese Empire as much as most of the rest of the world does. And the UK, far from being blighted, is still a much sought after residency.
And Brexit was not so much about anti immigration, but rather the mass undermining of western society by Merkels ludicrous no borders stance.
Because they despise the evil Chinese Empire as much as most of the rest of the world does.
I draw a clear line between the vast mass of the Chinese people and the CCP. It's the regime I find objectionable, not the people.
You only have to look at Hong Kong and Taiwan to see what the mainland could and should have looked like if it hadn't been run by a pack of power mad thugs for 50 years.
Agree Red, but 70 years of a mix of an almost totally closed state and, from the early 90s, semi closed, have created a mindset that leaves many in mainland China effectively brainwashed.
The older generations of mainland Chinese are just plain racist, which is not surprising. Even the younger Chinese, many of whom travel and study overseas are still seriously blinkered about just how superior their country is.
Remember, even in China today, the Chinese are still taught that they are the only pure race on earth (Han Tzu), and the oldest continuous civilisation. With indoctrination like that from a young age, reinforced by a state directed and controlled media all their lives, scarce wonder that even the ordinary mainland Chinese still supports their government, no matter what.
You only have to look at Hong Kong and Taiwan to see what the mainland could and should have looked like if it hadn't been run by a pack of power mad thugs for 50 years.
Taiwan was run by a bunch of power mad thugs for decades after the previous Chinese dynasty moved themselves there. They did calm down a bit but it must still be remembered that they were, and are, an invasion of Taiwan.
Lost amid all the military conflicts and great-power tussles of the 20th century, however, is the voice and history of Taiwan’s indigenous people, who today number over 500,000, or 2% of the country’s population. Like indigenous peoples in other countries in the world, they’ve experienced hundreds of years of exploitation and colonization from a series of conquerors. “We… have witnessed the deeds and words of those who came to this island, including the Spanish, the Dutch, the Koxinga Kingdom, the Qing Kingdom, the Japanese, and the Republic of China,” the letter says. Koxinga refers to the Japanese-born Chinese conqueror who fled Ming dynasty China to establish a government in Taiwan in 1661, then under Dutch control. Koxinga himself is claimed as a national hero (paywall) by Japan, Taiwan, and China, underscoring the complex history and notions of identity in that part of the world.
Maybe to avoid the coming persecution at the hands of the ccp. I wonder how many Uighurs would take a blue passport now? Or Tibetans? Or christians?
And it's quite probable the British would accept any British National Overseas Passport holding Hong Kong immigrants with much open arms than they ever did the Poles and other east Europeans who would work under the table for less than minimum wage, and those who would immediately sign on for benefits paid for by UK tax payers, and send child support payments back 'home'.
Certainly not all 3m would likely leave for the UK, but it would give a fair fraction of them an option they do not have right now.
And if as I suggested above that the UK became part of a CANZUK agreement that included freedom of travel to Canada, Australian and NZ, well such an offer would immediately become a lot more valuable.
Lose your nana often enough at the people telling you things you really need to hear but don't want to, then they learn to de-emphasise it. Which then comes back around to bite you even harder at a later date.
I do not think the phrase "puff piece" means what you think it means.
Unless you are trying to suggest that piece was excessively complimentary to the Dotard of Doltistan by hinting there might be some sort of functioning cognition inside that echoing cranial cavity, rather than just simple random impulses towards self-gratification.
A freedom of travel agreement would be the next major step if and when COVID is brought under control.
Personally I can see it working, but the major assumption it is based on is freedom of navigation, the ability to safely ship goods around the planet, without risk of interference. We've more or less taken this as a given since the end of WW2, thanks to the default security put in place by the US Navy, but that is going away very soon. The US will continue to control the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic. If Aus/NZ/France can provide cover to the mid Pacific, then getting goods to Canada, transhipping by rail, then across the Atlantic to the UK would in principle provide a reasonable conduit for the CANZUK deal to work.
I still prefer a SE Asian alliance as the geography favours it. Plus you have to say that after watching the Brexit debacle, no-one wants to let the Brits be in charge of anything ever again. But there is no special reason why we have to pick one lane or the other, and a post-COVID, post-BREXIT CANZUK configuration looks to be a thing.
Seems a nicely imaginative scheme on first impression. "CANZUK International is a non-profit advocacy organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada." Unless someone is quick to spot a downside, I reckon it would operate as a helpful complement to any regional alliance, as you suggest.
I note the sort of people that manage to claw (these days, bluff and jibe) their way to the top positions in a trading partner as giving some ideas of what can be expected from that place/country.
Toronto Canada is where they elected as Mayor someone with the same proclivities as Trump, and when he died they elected – his brother, I think.
However it may be a case of choosing the best offering from a lot that is a bad job. If that's what's offering at the auction house at this time, maybe we should consider it on the basis that something is better than nothing, and it's unlikely there are going to be better paths towards something more like our ideal. Are there any better choices? Perhaps have to settle for pragmatism?
I think you'll find Indonesia and Australia only tolerate one another, the "Boat People" illegal migrants leaving Indonesian shores for Aus created an issue for Indonesia as the Australian Navy was turning boats around and returning them to Indonesia, the Navy bought old life boats and loaded the boat people into them, scuttling the vessel at sea, the life boats were GPS controlled with the engine area locked, the life boat would just land at one of the beaches in Indonesia.
A percieved problem that the Australian Govt used it as a political foot ball to denegrade asylum seekers, more than 85% were found to be legitimate refugees, but that didn't stop them from locking them up for 6 yrs on a remote island in the middle of nowhere at a cost of $2.5B a year
Adam Adams. She like Simon Bridges and Judith Collins trained as a lawyer. She like those others has demonstrated that the concept of 'justice' is beyond her.
She demonstrated that with the Pora case. She had a title at the time – the Minister of 'Justice.'
Why was Adams so out and then so in? She wasn't getting her own way with the Bridges regime. She was just like another 8 or 9 year old girl playing 'clubs' and making up huts. She wasn't Queen Bee so decided to take her dolls home. She could see the writing on the electoral wall and didn't want to be a loser and not be in Government.
The environment changed and the new 'in crowd' was where she could be 'in' and the breath of fresh air with the changes would see them governing.
One of the being pleasures about National losing the election would be seeing Adams po faced after September 19.
Todd Muller has just been asked (at press conference) about National's attack ads.
He said he hasn't seen them. He is the leader.
A Prime Minister has vastly more work to do and issues to address than any leader of the opposition. But Todd can't even spare the time to see the ads put out by his party, under his name.
(obviously he's lying, but if we pretend he isn't – it's worse!).
Pleading ignorance is NOT an acceptable excuse, it shows up the lack of Leadership that he continually displays, one of the biggest issues for me is that belief of self entitlement, you know, we don't have to justify our actions, we should be running the country not the group that was democratically elected.
Muller reminds of Bolger, less aggressive than most Nat MPs, but he didn't last long and then we entered the Ruthinasia era, which took the country backwards, fast.
Muller is a temporary leader, the one to take the fall at the election and then be replaced with the next John Key choice, Luxon
Gone because of substantive actions (and remember he was penalised for the quarantine travel) or because of media harassment and beat ups over fixable issues?
I think the media need to be very careful about overstating any "crime" and blowing it out of proportion because when there is a actually a serious issue it gets tossed into the same basket and the perpetrator can feel free to ignore the backlash and stay in the job.
This helps contribute to political instability but no doubt the media are enjoying the results of their tantrums. Shows who’s really in control after being shown as lightweight.
Gone because of prolonged incompetence. This is a Health Minister who went for a 20km drive to the beach, took a bike ride, then moved house, all during the lockdown. Who went MIA during a global pandemic. Who pubicly threw the DG of Health under the bus. This is the same MoH who the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ED decribed as having “rambling, confused or nonsensical” leadership, and who called his political leadership "fiscally irresponsible" and without vision (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12253092).
So blame the media all you like, but this guy gave them ammunition in spades.
But you don't care that Bridges drove weekly more than 900k weekly each way for a committee that was specifically set up to be run ONLINE, he didn't resign, no, he was overthrown by his mates, replaced with a human being.
Clark achieved more for the Health system in the time he was there than the previous Govt did in a decade.
I've seen it. Most, if not all, are government initiatives. Any minister of health could have 'achieved' those. But only David Clark could have driven to a beach, moved house and gone moungtain biking during a health crisis lock down. Or mismanaged opening the borders so badly. Gone MIA during the lockdown. I could go on, but I'm almost feeling sorry for the guy.
Maybe David Clark resigning is to remove a distraction and National will claim it as their work ably helped by media. Good on him for stepping down but the denigration was not justified in my opinion.
Not the 'only major obstacle'. Twyford is still there, despite the fiasco of Auckland Light Rail and Kiwi Build. This will come back to haunt Labour during the election campaign.
Only difference between Clark and Twyford is that Twyford knows no shame. Ardern is weak (in this area) and should have had him quietly put to sleep for the good of the party, and of NZ.
Ardern will get Labour re-elected in spite of itself. She has a team with such a shallow talent pool she has had to hand the Health portfolio (albeit temporarily) to the Minster of Education. And that's just a week or so after calling in Megan Woods to sort out Twyfords balls ups in housing and Clark's screwing up the quarantine. Thank goodness for the handful of highly competent people around the PM. The rest are f'wits.
Agreed, our internationally respected PM does have some highly competent people around her. IMHO Judith Collins is currently the greatest political 'talent' the Nats have, with the possible exceptions of Drs Smith and Yang.
Technology + sewer. Just watched pipe experts unroll a plastic pipe which looked like a limp silver snakeskin, and insert it into a dodgy sewer pipe. Heat is pumped into the pipe to inflate it and then it sets hard. A new sewer pipe. Minimal digging up of road.
The sewers in most towns have limited life but whoever invented this dramatic cost effective solution deserves recognition.
It has been said for years in the USA that Brooklyn Bridge is falling down. Perhaps they pioneered the repair system over there; and then moved to sewers.
The sewers in all big cities are needing cleaning out – 'fat bergs' etc. They are a solid reflection of what goes along them below ground, and an analogy? for above-ground communication and actions. It illustrates civilisation stuck in its own excrement, literally and physically. But maybe we can shine our little candle in the world, after cleaning up a bit using this technology
It's a technology that's been getting press in the composites industry for decades. Pretty sure I was reading about it as far back as the 90s. So it seems fairly well proven by now.
UV curing seems preferable to heat curing – if the liner is inflated hard against the old pipe walls heat is conducted away quick enough that it takes an awful lot to get it up to high enough temp for long enough to get a good cure. Whereas to UV cure it you only need to send the robot with the UV light down it at a specific speed and you can be very confident of the quality and uniformity of cure.
Thanks Andre and others. Glad there might be a way to fix the thousands of Km of ageing sewers. The people up the road had clouds of steam issuing into a frosty morning so must have been using heat rather than UV light.
There has been relining of other sorts of pipes for a while. The gas companies used the existing pipes and threaded a new one through them. That resulted in a stoush with the IRD . Was it deductible repairs and maintenance or a depreciable capital asset
Yes and yes to 14. maybe we could get a couple of them back to do a lot of training in this area because there are a lot of pipes that need it . Happy to volunteer my sewer laterals for training purposes!
Could this be sent to the National caucus so they could seal their leaks? I'm sure they'd like the silver bit and then it's a matter of science, really.
I see Muller has just reinstated Bridges back into the "Team", he will take over the foreign affairs portfolio from Brownlee, that'll be handy for him, he'll be able to visit China for some financial support prior to the election, no doubt
And our latest group of "leaders" with zero flexibility and unable to create a new path. I'd have been so much more impressed if they had asked for a package to reskill teachers who had left the profession but wanted a short paid updating course to return, And another package to enable graduates to do some limited teaching while being supported to finish qualifications again with a suitable maybe part time wage. And more part time positions to keep some of the older teachers for a little longer?
Interesting, seems it was only a year ago that principles were saying they didn't want teachers from overseas as they didn't meet the NZ standards, most rejected for an accent.
I know of two currently active teachers who are in their 70s and loving teaching, even more so than 5 yrs ago
I had wondered if that might be the source. I saw a small mention here from the cops that they had been called to some of our facilities for parties and other guest to guest interactions. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't some FWB going on but apparently they review the security tapes too. Hopefully offsite so staff can't conceal their own misdemeanours.
Thank goodness that won't happen when thousands of students arrive in NZ, away from home for the first time in their lives, all in university accommodation together.
It is called socialising nowadays and Tinder is Social Media. People shouldn’t be so judgemental about what other people do in their own time. However, when guards are meant to be working, it is in the boss’ time, obviously. In which case they should be sacked for getting in the sack. The Taxpayer shouldn’t have to pay for free sex!
Umm, I think Observer was being tongue in cheek, not judgemental.
And yeah, Muller is big on the idea but leaves out the detail of actually how we would apply quarantine to all these new visitors, particularly as the numbers would be overwhelming.
Best we take things slowly, as this government is doing. Inevitably better ways of managing c19, whether by vaccine or antibody stimulation and supplementation is on the horizon.
Is Megan Woods going to go after Woodcock for his blatant lying. Until he fronts up with evidence of his claims he is a liar and should be held accountable..imho
The Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs at 17 on the list.
Not an important enough portfolio for Todd to take seriously. If he has, then if the best they can do is a former dreadfully bad leader, their ranks are thinner than we thought.
Maybe he thought Bridges had something to offer for the upcoming election, as we know, Bridges is big on procuring donations from donors and some of those donors probably come from overseas.
The plan B crowd also seem to have run out of countries who are doing it better.
Bunch of shitbirds the lot of 'em. NZ's response hasn't been perfect, but there aren't a lot of countries who did it better. And can you imagine Bridges or Muller being in charge? Fucking hell, we'd be as screwed as the UK.
True.. Sweden, Australia – suddenly the people who claimed they were doing it better have faded away.
By the time Election day comes, maybe nobody will be able to point to a country that has achieved better than NZ economically either. (That will ruin somebody's election campaign.. If so, I will enjoy the bathos.)
I remember having to point out to drug rehab residential manager that the person trying to get informed about addiction as part of necessary steps for change, couldn't handle it. He could read a page but at the end hadn't retained the points made from the print he read. So he was distressed and appeared to not be trying, getting negative feedback. They had not realised how long, long-term use could affect the brain.
So after that am I against marijuana? No. But it has to be managed carefully. I was disappointed to read that Fonterra was growing it. I would like some recovered people who were committed to responsible plantings with limited potency, to be able to handle some of the growing. Give them a chance to do something they know FGS. Fonterra to stick to its dairy addiction er skills.
I have a relation who is an alcoholic. He is lucky to be alive and it has got in the way of him being a reliable good man able to think things through, tough things out. Drinking was strong in the 1950-70's and lives were diminished by the culture of drinking to excess. No doubt still is. Restraint needed to be 'cultivated', and if marijuana had been cultivated, perhaps that would have been learned.
What has forbidding marijuana ever done for us? It has led us to drugs and crime being connected and brought lively lads and lasses into the police orbit when they would otherwise not have been. Mr Asia in Australia and here was mostly white by the way if you connect drugs and not being pakeha together.
Now it is time to bring mj out in the open, let people grow their own with some controls – a few plants, not commercially. Lighten up, let people out of the controls of might-be that scared NZs throw at every desire for change. See how it goes and if something is unsatisfactory after a three year run, and a review, then make changes. Just don't cop out and throw your hands up in the air. Making sensible decisions for the country is the job of a citizen in a democracy, not sitting back and applying moralistic strictures just because no-one you know ever uses it. That verges on theocracy.
New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X ...
“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted ...
In 2005, Labour repealed the long-standing principle of birthright citizenship in Aotearoa. Why? As with everything else Labour does, it all came down to austerity: "foreign mothers" were supposedly "coming to this country to give birth", and this was "put[ting] pressure on hospitals". Then-Immigration Minister George Hawkins explicitly gave this ...
And I just hope that you can forgive usBut everything must goAnd if you need an explanation, nationThen everything must goSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Today, I’d like to talk about a couple of things that happened over the weekend:Brian Tamaki’s Library Invasion and ...
New reporting highlights how Brooke van Velden refuses to meet with the CTU but is happy to meet with fringe Australian-based unions. Van Velden is pursuing reckless changes to undermine the personal grievance system against the advice of her own officials. Engineering New Zealand are saying that hundreds of engineers ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill. This Bill represents a positive step towards addressing serious issues around unlawful disparities in pay by protecting workers’ rights to discuss their pay and conditions. This Bill also provides welcome support for helping tackle the prevalent gender and ...
Years of hard work finally paid off last week as the country’s biggest and most important transport project, the City Rail Link reached a major milestone with the first test train making its way slowly though the tunnels for the first time. This is a fantastic achievement and it is ...
Engineers are pleading for the Government to free up funds to restart stalled projects. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, February 17 are:Engineering New Zealand CEO Richard Templer said yesterday hundreds of ...
It’s one of New Zealand’s great sustaining myths: the spirit of ANZAC, our mates across the ditch, the spirit of Earl’s Court, Antipodeans united against the world. It is also a myth; it is not reality. That much was clear from a series of speakers, including a former Australian Prime ...
Many people have been unsatisfied for years that things have not improved for them, some as individuals, many more however because their families are clearly putting in more work, for less money – and certainly far less purchase on society. This general discontent has grown exponentially since the GFC. ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 9, 2025 thru Sat, February 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
A ballot for a single member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill (Adrian Rurawhe) The bill would extend union rights to employees in triangular relationships, where they are (nominally) employed by one party, but ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato It’s an unfortunate fact that bad people sometimes want guns. And while laws are designed to prevent guns falling into the wrong hands, the determined criminal can be highly resourceful. There are three main ...
Asia Pacific Report Two independent Jewish Voices groups in Aotearoa New Zealand have written an open letter to the government condemning the Zionist “colonisation” project leading to genocide and criticising the role of the NZ Jewish Council for its “unelected” and “uncritical support” for Israel. The groups, Alternative Jewish Voices ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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, Monday 17 February appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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COMMENTARY:By Paul G Buchanan Here is a scenario, but first a broad brush-painted historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world ...
Using his `agent of chaos' theory combined with a reality check, Danyl Mclauchlan shreds the NZF myth. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/02-07-2020/the-winston-peters-paradox/
First he illuminates the political psychology that drives Winston:
Then he lists 9 election promises from 2017 that Winston hasn't delivered on – then he lists 8 things he stopped Labour & the Greens doing. Then the tactical analysis:
It's a persuasive critique. Winston seemed to be operating in the right spirit the first couple of years, but his credibility has become increasingly nebulous.
"but his credibility has become increasingly nebulous."
His credibility was shot to shit a lot long ago than the current govt tbf.
"NO"
/sarc
ie the most backward, unthoughtful, cosseted people in the country, apart from well-off farmers who always have the edge of weather events and changing commodity prices to prick at them. They tend to vote for National.
Winston has become a male version of Paula Bennett, having gone through rigorous self-awareness and makeover programs for body and clothing, to catch the eye of the various groups they pander to.
Chris Trotter waxes lyrical this morn, seeing a Nat defeat in the electoral pipeline: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/07/02/why-todd-muller-and-national-are-toast/
Um, dunno. Could be. Ask Gosman. And the Nat leader apparently can't think or write for himself, nor do pr without help.
Re-launching the Inquisition, obviously. He's a traditionalist. But best not to actually announce any such trad catholic methodology. Wokeists would get even more shrill.
Then there's the spectre of radical conservatism. Looming? Lamely, limply.
No worries. The residual patriarchy is well-entrenched. Not a cloud on their horizon. Doesn't really matter how many hallucinations the rabble gets off on.
JC mastermind, not a new thesis. JC superstar? Never. Not even close.
Oh lively summary DF. Interesting POV.
I'd be really interested in seeing the group of hard line christian conservatives that he mentions being given a lot more publicity for their views with names mentioned. Much like I'd like to know what church our police commissioner is apparently so fond of – the christian bit much mentioned but source not named.
Look what this small group has managed in the USA
The atheist’s favourite blood sport: demonising Christians or any religion for that matter. You can you recognise them miles away by the strong smell of garlic on their breath and their ‘arguments’ that are ironically outlandish.
Hey, if you meant me I've never been an atheist. I did acknowledge my lifelong belief in a universal spirit in response to something Adam posted a couple of months back.
I don't call it god because that might create the impression that I believe in the genocidal schizoprenic one encounters in the bible.
And christians spent most of the past two millennia acting like demons in a concerted attempt to persuade everyone else that they actually were, so no really need for anyone to demonise them. They already did it to themselves!
People who project much tend to take things (too) personal, in my experience. If you feel ‘harassed’ by my comment then I’ll apologise; you seem very defensive.
You appear to have a habit of broad generalisations and stereotypes. Just saying.
No need to apologise as I was merely seeking clarification. And yes, there do tend to be exceptions to generalisations.![🙄](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f644.svg)
If you feel you are one such, and were aggrieved at being filed into an historical category by means of conventional labels, welcome to human society…
Has it occurred to you that I might be in the same ‘category’ as you are?
Here is a generalisation for you: all individuals are unique and (yet) they have a lot in common with one another.
No, it hadn't. Are you? And that generalisation of yours does double duty (also being a truism).
I detected a potential lack of imagination but didn’t want to assume anything let alone jump to conclusions.
That generalisation is also a paradox.
I'll out myself, I think theism (Jewish, Christian or Moslem) sucks.
While I am no atheist, it's just so obvious that those who stole the authority to declare God are just outright frauds and their followers really believe in them and the cult others then organised around their fraud.
Er Incog. The very conservative christians in the USA have been very active (supreme court appointments) in trying to skew institutions so that their views of what is socially correct are inflicted upon other's choices. Its not the religion as such but the lengths that are gone to by some of the cohort. Unfortunately these groups are usually called fundamental or conservative with the religion name (not necessarily christian) as the second part. Perhaps we need to habitually rename them. Bigot springs to mind. And where these very strong views are held they can influence the secular choices if they hold power in a secular organisation.
2 issues stick out today:
Fisheries, still no cameras on boats – well no surprise there really. Why would anyone want to be watched trawling and trenching the seabed right to its last dying breath. And shall we call out the perpetrators refusing cameras?
NZ Super entitlement for Residence holders gone through the first reading of changing to 20 years. Absolutely right on the money – pun intended.
Perhaps we have been framing the cameras in boats the wrong way
in Alaska it is framed as a tv show Deadliest Catch – perhaps we tell the fishing companies that these are for NZ version of this![🤔](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f914.svg)
[Fixed typo in user name]
Missing the point are we?
That's a good idea – tv show. like the cop shows that are invasive of the desired privacy of land crims.
Horrodutus – sorry about typo – what's wrong with yours?
I wondered if the super entitlement should be more nuanced. Is it 20 years before 65 or just 20 years which for some could mean 5 years of work, 10 years of self support then bingo? Also perhaps more of a sliding scale, the 20 year block then pro rata entitlement for the next 20 years?
Permanent residence holders should not have the right to vote nor be entitled to Super Annuation.
In fact, we should do away with permanent residence. If they want all the benefits of being a citizen then they should become a citizen.
A special tax rate for foreigners living and working here?
It would have to be lower than for citizens if they're going to be denied representation and a state pension.
I was thinking of no income tax for them but they still have to pay GST. It would also be a maximum five year visa though and none of this permanence. At the end of the 5 years they'd have the option to become a citizen (if they met all criteria).
Ta
I paid $500 to become a resident back in '99, so lived here for more than 20 years. Worked, paid taxes, never had any trouble with the law apart from being pinged going 65 in a 60 zone, had a citizen child, bought a house out of earned wages and not imported foreign cash the same as every other kiwi usually does. You can fuck off telling me I can’t vote or take a pension.
I should be granted citizenship, without paying for it now after all this time. What they gonna do? Use the fee to test for good character?
The problem with permanent residences is that it allows control of NZ politics by other countries once they've got enough of their agents here – and it really doesn't take a lot to alter an election.
In other words, allowing permanent residence is an open attack route.
And, yes, altering it now would mean giving those who meet the criteria their citizenship. Of course, for many that would mean having to drop the citizenship of their home country if they accepted it.
Somebody should study the impact of our immigration policy on the make-up of the populations and voting behaviour of those recent immigrants when they’re NZ citizens. Some countries allow for dual citizenship. I don’t think it is easy to alleviate your concerns about permanent residents.
What has to happen for you to become a citizen?
For it to be free or a nominal amount for long time permanent residents with good character. I don't have objections to getting it, but then I'm still okay with things as they are, as long as there's no fascist dictate that discriminates against me in the works.
I'm confused about the Team NZ thing. I would have thought they would be selling TV rights, not paying for them. But then I am just an old lady.
I agree with you Janice.
Great to see the UK government offering citizenship to 3 million people oppressed by the Chinese government within Hong Kong. A total political gift to Boris Johnson.
https://time.com/5862191/uk-citizenship-hong-kong-china-law
But one of the last tiny lights of democracy within the Chinese realm just turned a near-invisible shade.
Taiwan could not have been given a clearer threat of what they will lose – and that we will all lose.
Interesting conversations taking place in Australia.
https://youtu.be/0oQExE1E_FM
How is Britain going to house 3 million Hong Kong Chinese when they have just Brexited in order to stop immigration?
This offer is as meaningless as the one country two systems document they naively signed with China.
If that 3 million were to accept the offer, yes the tories would probably encounter some kind of housing challenge. Perhaps it's only that wide open so they can out-flank Labour and become the pro-immigrant party? Pardon my cynicism.
Likely those who flee HK will be the militants that the commo regime wants to capture. All others in HK will not be intitial targets. In that respect the plan seems clever: it tests the credibility of the pro-regime leader who declared that only the militants will be dealt with via the new law.
Yep, Boris is probably betting no-one wants to come to his shit-hole country.
No, he'll be hoping that all the financial business that flows through HK will gravitate to the UK if all of HK's 'financial geniuses' move there.
The miracle is that this is exactly counter to the Conservative Party anti-immigration rhetoric that has won them so many elections over two decades.
And of course I'm not going to presume to write a re-settlement policy, but you can guarantee that it will be done gradually.
There's about 350,000 UK passport holders in Hong Kong. You would expect a chunk of those will be thinking hard about returning soon.
There's a further 2.6 million other eligible – and they would need to commit to the UK for six years before they can apply for citizenship. That's a pretty graduated approach.
British National Overseas Passport holders in Hong Kong were granted special status in the 1980s but currently have restricted rights and are only entitled to visa-free access to the UK for six months.
We can certainly point to all the other times Britain refused entry to people under massive duress. Granted.
But this is not one of them.
The oligarchs of Hong Kong should fit in with the ethos of the City of London at least as well as the Russian oligarchs
Nothing naive about the UK Muttonbird. When you look at their history, it seems they are often quantum dealers at the political level, being in two different positions at the same time.
Wow. A politically astonishing move, and one that complements a number of things that are moving very quickly right now.
Now link that with the CANZUK proposal I've referenced below @8.0 and you can see how Aus/NZ would fit together with this.
A Hong Kong daispora of that scale would have fascinating potential. The CCP's oppression of 20% of the human race is not a stable arrangement, I believe it will crumble within a decade; we need to be thinking of what may come after.
Sadly, instead and standing up as a principled nation with more international political capital to spend than we have had in decades, we get to just talk up a big game.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has expressed the New Zealand Government’s deep disappointment at the passage by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee of a national security law for Hong Kong.
“New Zealand has consistently emphasised its serious concern about the imposition of this legislation on Hong Kong without inclusive consultation or the proper involvement of all of Hong Kong’s institutions,” said Mr Peters.
“We share the international community’s stake in preserving the high degree of autonomy and freedom available to Hong Kong and its people under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework.
"It is this autonomy and freedom, together with open governance, judicial independence, and consensus on the rule of law that has been fundamental to Hong Kong's growth as a global financial and economic hub since 1997.
“As a strong supporter of the rule of law, we firmly believe that the maintenance of security in Hong Kong must be pursued in accordance with the obligations enshrined in Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the United Nations’ human rights covenants incorporated within it, and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
“This is a critical moment for fundamental human rights and freedoms protected in Hong Kong for generations. New Zealand will be studying the legislation carefully, and closely monitoring its implementation and impact on the people of Hong Kong, with whom we share close links,” said Mr Peters.
I mean, laudable words from the Foreign Minister, but the inability to make so much as a token gesture to practically help these people shows that a lot of Ardern's strong international standing remains due to luck and youth.
You believe the CCP's oppression will crumble within a decade? They'd better get in line – political stability is another dwindling resource on finite planet Earth.
I wonder what else you believe will “crumble” within a decade?
Human-assisted crumbling of ‘our‘ natural environments is real – no belief required.
“Species are becoming extinct 100 times faster than they would without human impacts.”
https://populationmatters.org/campaigns/anthropocene
The article you link obviously went for the conservative value:
Extinction Rates Soar to 1,000 Times Normal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction
Thanks for that DTB. The 'Population Matters' people might have thought it wise to use the more defendable and still scary estimate.
China is an empire and one under increasing internal and external pressure.
Unfortunately, like all dictators Xi will seek war as a means of promoting nationalism.
We see that on the India China LOAC, the South China Sea, the cyber attack on Australia, the incursion into Taiwan and Japanese airspace with fighters, the sinking of a Vietnamese and a Philipino fishing boat, and so on.
Make no mistake, there will be a war within the next 10 years (unless Xi is forced out by the Li faction, which is possible as there is a clear split in the politburo) and one that China will lose. Nei Mongolia, Xinjiang, Xizang/Tibet will be nations 20 years from now.
Channelling Nostradamus?
If only he'd been around to give Australasian Unis advanced warning of Covid-19. Those institutions are really missing their Chinese (and Indian) takeaways right now.
Yes. If Xi continues to make mistakes and miscalculations there will be real pressure to oust him from with the party factions. That would certainly remove a lot of immediate pressure for the rest of the world, but would only kick the can down the road on the CCP's many other structural problems.
Or, more likely, it could be the trigger that pushes Xi to actually start a war. Nothing like a war to keep people in line.
How about the Uighurs Red, wouldn't they be more worthy.?
They could come straight to us from Idlib,Syria.
https://cgpolicy.org/articles/uighur-jihadists-in-syria/
From a humanitarian perspective that may well be the case francesa. However culturally they are a Turkic people, and perhaps a case could be made for Turkey in particular, or Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan to step up first.
Then of course there is the question of why they should be forced into becoming refugees in the first place, and the onus for that lies firmly with the CCP.
If the Uighurs are culturally a Turkic people, aren't the Hong Konger's a Chinese people which NZers for the most part aren't .
I'm not sure why you think the wealthy of Hong Kong , one of the most unequal cities in the world are a good fit for the sort of society we would like to see in NZ(hopefully)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-15/how-hong-kong-s-taxes-spawned-billionaires-and-bred-inequality
I think the wealthy are more interested in protecting their wealth(which they will most definitely lose as Hong Kong becomes more integrated with China) than any notions of democracy you ascribe to them
Hong Konger's a Chinese people which NZers for the most part aren't.
I think that's the point I made elsewhere, it's a mistake to see the people of China as a single monolithic culture, when on closer examination they really are not. In particular the Hong Kongers have a very long cosmopolitan history of being an outward looking trading people, quite different to the much more insular, nationalistic mainlanders to the north of them.
South China is a wild mess of hills and mountains extending south from the same ranges that so constrain the Yangtze. Such rugged topography has a similar impact on cultural and political unity— and wealth— as the rough terrain of say Mexico or the Balkans. Very few coherent large powers have ever arisen in the south.
The climate is far more subtropical than the northern temperate zones of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, was always physically isolated, and historically the area has always been much easier for maritime outsiders to reach than it was for the northern mainlanders.
The lack of large river plains to grow food has meant these cities have always imported a large fraction of their food supply, and their large deep water ports made this relatively easy, compared to the northern coast which is flat, choked off by sandbars and offering few decent ports. These people have always traded, just to survive.
Southern China is also the remaining stronghold of most of the ethnic minorities, further reinforcing their sense of regional uniqueness. Combine all these factors and secessionist impulses have run deep among Hong Kongers much longer than the current crisis. Put them anywhere in the world, and they adapt quickly, it's part of their cultural DNA.
I doubt if Boris would win kudos from the millions of Brits who voted for the Tories in the last general election on a platform of reducing immigration. Why on Earth would 3 million Hong Kongers want to flee to blighted Blighty anyway?
Because they value freedom. Because they despise the evil Chinese Empire as much as most of the rest of the world does. And the UK, far from being blighted, is still a much sought after residency.
And Brexit was not so much about anti immigration, but rather the mass undermining of western society by Merkels ludicrous no borders stance.
Because they despise the evil Chinese Empire as much as most of the rest of the world does.
I draw a clear line between the vast mass of the Chinese people and the CCP. It's the regime I find objectionable, not the people.
You only have to look at Hong Kong and Taiwan to see what the mainland could and should have looked like if it hadn't been run by a pack of power mad thugs for 50 years.
Agree Red, but 70 years of a mix of an almost totally closed state and, from the early 90s, semi closed, have created a mindset that leaves many in mainland China effectively brainwashed.
The older generations of mainland Chinese are just plain racist, which is not surprising. Even the younger Chinese, many of whom travel and study overseas are still seriously blinkered about just how superior their country is.
Remember, even in China today, the Chinese are still taught that they are the only pure race on earth (Han Tzu), and the oldest continuous civilisation. With indoctrination like that from a young age, reinforced by a state directed and controlled media all their lives, scarce wonder that even the ordinary mainland Chinese still supports their government, no matter what.
Taiwan was run by a bunch of power mad thugs for decades after the previous Chinese dynasty moved themselves there. They did calm down a bit but it must still be remembered that they were, and are, an invasion of Taiwan.
Maybe to avoid the coming persecution at the hands of the ccp. I wonder how many Uighurs would take a blue passport now? Or Tibetans? Or christians?
And it's quite probable the British would accept any British National Overseas Passport holding Hong Kong immigrants with much open arms than they ever did the Poles and other east Europeans who would work under the table for less than minimum wage, and those who would immediately sign on for benefits paid for by UK tax payers, and send child support payments back 'home'.
Certainly not all 3m would likely leave for the UK, but it would give a fair fraction of them an option they do not have right now.
And if as I suggested above that the UK became part of a CANZUK agreement that included freedom of travel to Canada, Australian and NZ, well such an offer would immediately become a lot more valuable.
I really shouldn't troll our local Pavlov's dogs by posting this – but hey, cheap laughs.
Guarantee they will do one on China, closer to polling.
Saudi Arabia. North Korea. Syrian Kurds. Soooo so many targets.
He is partial to some dictator.
Lose your nana often enough at the people telling you things you really need to hear but don't want to, then they learn to de-emphasise it. Which then comes back around to bite you even harder at a later date.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/01/politics/trump-intel-briefings-russia/index.html
Jesus Andre
I can't believe you are fooled by that puff piece.
I do not think the phrase "puff piece" means what you think it means.
Unless you are trying to suggest that piece was excessively complimentary to the Dotard of Doltistan by hinting there might be some sort of functioning cognition inside that echoing cranial cavity, rather than just simple random impulses towards self-gratification.
Thanks for that endorsement of Russia's soft power Andre .They can swing things to their favour on the smell of an oily rag! Kudos!
Roll over Crosby /Textor you has beens.Roll over Cambridge Analytica you expensive failures with the Toff backers
Pootee can do it for a fraction of the outlay
Guess he just must be smarter.
Us Rooskie trollers got to troll
Perhaps Andre has just been duped by the fake promise of a Amazon Prime card… I know.. it hurts.
Hilarious!
While I still maintain a strong SE Asia alliance is the natural geographic configuration NZ should be looking to, there is a Plan B that works to our cultural strengths … CANZUK.
Right now it looks like the four governments are on board with this and are quietly working towards a free trade agreement. Already Morrison, Ardern and Peters have initiated talks.
A freedom of travel agreement would be the next major step if and when COVID is brought under control.
Personally I can see it working, but the major assumption it is based on is freedom of navigation, the ability to safely ship goods around the planet, without risk of interference. We've more or less taken this as a given since the end of WW2, thanks to the default security put in place by the US Navy, but that is going away very soon. The US will continue to control the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic. If Aus/NZ/France can provide cover to the mid Pacific, then getting goods to Canada, transhipping by rail, then across the Atlantic to the UK would in principle provide a reasonable conduit for the CANZUK deal to work.
I still prefer a SE Asian alliance as the geography favours it. Plus you have to say that after watching the Brexit debacle, no-one wants to let the Brits be in charge of anything ever again. But there is no special reason why we have to pick one lane or the other, and a post-COVID, post-BREXIT CANZUK configuration looks to be a thing.
Seems a nicely imaginative scheme on first impression. "CANZUK International is a non-profit advocacy organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada." Unless someone is quick to spot a downside, I reckon it would operate as a helpful complement to any regional alliance, as you suggest.
I note the sort of people that manage to claw (these days, bluff and jibe) their way to the top positions in a trading partner as giving some ideas of what can be expected from that place/country.
Toronto Canada is where they elected as Mayor someone with the same proclivities as Trump, and when he died they elected – his brother, I think.
Here is something about the deceased Mayor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Rob_Ford_video_scandal
However it may be a case of choosing the best offering from a lot that is a bad job. If that's what's offering at the auction house at this time, maybe we should consider it on the basis that something is better than nothing, and it's unlikely there are going to be better paths towards something more like our ideal. Are there any better choices? Perhaps have to settle for pragmatism?
Australia and Indonesia need to form a real defence alliance treaty.
It would not be hard to expand ANZUS to include Indonesia and Singapore.
Everyone can figure out what that nine-dashed line is doing.
I think you'll find Indonesia and Australia only tolerate one another, the "Boat People" illegal migrants leaving Indonesian shores for Aus created an issue for Indonesia as the Australian Navy was turning boats around and returning them to Indonesia, the Navy bought old life boats and loaded the boat people into them, scuttling the vessel at sea, the life boats were GPS controlled with the engine area locked, the life boat would just land at one of the beaches in Indonesia.
Agree with the history.
The larger common threat must unify them.
Indonesia's blind eye being turned to people smugglers and trafficking (and the money and crime involved) also caused a problem for Australia.
A percieved problem that the Australian Govt used it as a political foot ball to denegrade asylum seekers, more than 85% were found to be legitimate refugees, but that didn't stop them from locking them up for 6 yrs on a remote island in the middle of nowhere at a cost of $2.5B a year
On paper that's a good idea Ad, but as others have said there is a fair legacy of distrust that would make it a tough ask to achieve.
But with the right leaders in place I could see it happening if the CCP's expansionary rhetoric and punking turns into something serious.
So as well as Bennett and Collins switcheroo, why was Amy Adams so out and then so in? She certainly had little sympathy for Teina Pora.
Adam Adams. She like Simon Bridges and Judith Collins trained as a lawyer. She like those others has demonstrated that the concept of 'justice' is beyond her.
She demonstrated that with the Pora case. She had a title at the time – the Minister of 'Justice.'
Why was Adams so out and then so in? She wasn't getting her own way with the Bridges regime. She was just like another 8 or 9 year old girl playing 'clubs' and making up huts. She wasn't Queen Bee so decided to take her dolls home. She could see the writing on the electoral wall and didn't want to be a loser and not be in Government.
The environment changed and the new 'in crowd' was where she could be 'in' and the breath of fresh air with the changes would see them governing.
One of the being pleasures about National losing the election would be seeing Adams po faced after September 19.
Masterly summation.![yes yes](https://cdn.ckeditor.com/4.11.3/full-all/plugins/smiley/images/thumbs_up.png)
Todd Muller has just been asked (at press conference) about National's attack ads.
He said he hasn't seen them. He is the leader.
A Prime Minister has vastly more work to do and issues to address than any leader of the opposition. But Todd can't even spare the time to see the ads put out by his party, under his name.
(obviously he's lying, but if we pretend he isn't – it's worse!).
Pleading ignorance is NOT an acceptable excuse, it shows up the lack of Leadership that he continually displays, one of the biggest issues for me is that belief of self entitlement, you know, we don't have to justify our actions, we should be running the country not the group that was democratically elected.
Muller reminds of Bolger, less aggressive than most Nat MPs, but he didn't last long and then we entered the Ruthinasia era, which took the country backwards, fast.
Muller is a temporary leader, the one to take the fall at the election and then be replaced with the next John Key choice, Luxon
No, I think he is trying to ape John Key, who told obvious fibs, but got admiration for it from his fans. But no admiration coming this time.
Minister Clark has resigned.
Whew!
Gone.
And good riddance.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12344904
Totally agree. Clark was a cowardly incompetent weasel with a history of avoiding responsibility.
Now we just need to get rid of that other embarrassment, Twyford, and maybe Labour will sail into a second term.
'Unhelpful distraction': Health Minister David Clark resigns'
It would be helpful to put heading of any Herald articles as they don't give anything away in their link.
Oh to be you. Righteous pillock. To Peter ch h.
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one" – Mr Spock.
Total contrast between Labour (take one for the team) and National (team? what team?).
Ardern can be ruthless. Muller is toothless.
Ardern ruthless? I could give her many compliments, but that isn't one of them. In the end, this incompetent idiot had to sack himself.
Gone because of substantive actions (and remember he was penalised for the quarantine travel) or because of media harassment and beat ups over fixable issues?
I think the media need to be very careful about overstating any "crime" and blowing it out of proportion because when there is a actually a serious issue it gets tossed into the same basket and the perpetrator can feel free to ignore the backlash and stay in the job.
This helps contribute to political instability but no doubt the media are enjoying the results of their tantrums. Shows who’s really in control after being shown as lightweight.
Gone because of prolonged incompetence. This is a Health Minister who went for a 20km drive to the beach, took a bike ride, then moved house, all during the lockdown. Who went MIA during a global pandemic. Who pubicly threw the DG of Health under the bus. This is the same MoH who the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ED decribed as having “rambling, confused or nonsensical” leadership, and who called his political leadership "fiscally irresponsible" and without vision (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12253092).
So blame the media all you like, but this guy gave them ammunition in spades.
But you don't care that Bridges drove weekly more than 900k weekly each way for a committee that was specifically set up to be run ONLINE, he didn't resign, no, he was overthrown by his mates, replaced with a human being.
Clark achieved more for the Health system in the time he was there than the previous Govt did in a decade.
Clark achieved very little as it happens. Labour was always going to put more money into Health, even if Donald Trump had been the Minister.
I'd say you need to look at some facts, Clark did far more in Health in 2.5 years than the previous Govt did in 9.
There's a good post in the David Clark resigns Topic outlining the achievments he was responsible for, it's actually quite an impressive list.
I've seen it. Most, if not all, are government initiatives. Any minister of health could have 'achieved' those. But only David Clark could have driven to a beach, moved house and gone moungtain biking during a health crisis lock down. Or mismanaged opening the borders so badly. Gone MIA during the lockdown. I could go on, but I'm almost feeling sorry for the guy.
Maybe David Clark resigning is to remove a distraction and National will claim it as their work ably helped by media. Good on him for stepping down but the denigration was not justified in my opinion.
They can claim it, but a resignation always kills a story. They wanted to shout "Resign" for weeks more.
Public opinion has been clear (it may not be fair, but politics rarely is). The only major obstacle to Ardern's re-election has removed himself.
Now only Twyford and Lees-Galloway to go?
Clark's domain was health. For that in 2020 read Covid-19. How'd that go?
What are (were) Twyford and Lees-Galloway's areas? How are they going?
There is no evidence at all that they are obstacles to Labour's vote (as in polling of the wider public, not reckons on political blogs).
Clark was – in effect – up against Ashley Bloomfield. There is no comparison in other portfolios.
QFT
Nah – labour should go for a civil service restructure to get some better performance out of some entrenched nests.
Not the 'only major obstacle'. Twyford is still there, despite the fiasco of Auckland Light Rail and Kiwi Build. This will come back to haunt Labour during the election campaign.
Only difference between Clark and Twyford is that Twyford knows no shame. Ardern is weak (in this area) and should have had him quietly put to sleep for the good of the party, and of NZ.
Ardern will get Labour re-elected in spite of itself. She has a team with such a shallow talent pool she has had to hand the Health portfolio (albeit temporarily) to the Minster of Education. And that's just a week or so after calling in Megan Woods to sort out Twyfords balls ups in housing and Clark's screwing up the quarantine. Thank goodness for the handful of highly competent people around the PM. The rest are f'wits.
Agreed, our internationally respected PM does have some highly competent people around her. IMHO Judith Collins is currently the greatest political 'talent' the Nats have, with the possible exceptions of Drs Smith and Yang.
No argument from me. Except I'd change the "some" to "a few".
Of course you would.![laugh laugh](https://cdn.ckeditor.com/4.11.3/full-all/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.png)
Not my opine, they've given National and the media a scalp. They will now both
1. target other ministers instead.
2. pose the lack of a permanent replacement as indicative of a lack of depth and use it for campaign advantage.
Because it's all they have apart from their common gated community upper 50% middle class interest.
Technology + sewer. Just watched pipe experts unroll a plastic pipe which looked like a limp silver snakeskin, and insert it into a dodgy sewer pipe. Heat is pumped into the pipe to inflate it and then it sets hard. A new sewer pipe. Minimal digging up of road.
The sewers in most towns have limited life but whoever invented this dramatic cost effective solution deserves recognition.
Did anyone else know about this?
I think some engineers were flown in from Germany to do just this in Wellington in April/May – special exemption but had to quarantine.
It has been said for years in the USA that Brooklyn Bridge is falling down. Perhaps they pioneered the repair system over there; and then moved to sewers.
The sewers in all big cities are needing cleaning out – 'fat bergs' etc. They are a solid reflection of what goes along them below ground, and an analogy? for above-ground communication and actions. It illustrates civilisation stuck in its own excrement, literally and physically. But maybe we can shine our little candle in the world, after cleaning up a bit using this technology
It's a technology that's been getting press in the composites industry for decades. Pretty sure I was reading about it as far back as the 90s. So it seems fairly well proven by now.
UV curing seems preferable to heat curing – if the liner is inflated hard against the old pipe walls heat is conducted away quick enough that it takes an awful lot to get it up to high enough temp for long enough to get a good cure. Whereas to UV cure it you only need to send the robot with the UV light down it at a specific speed and you can be very confident of the quality and uniformity of cure.
Thanks Andre and others. Glad there might be a way to fix the thousands of Km of ageing sewers. The people up the road had clouds of steam issuing into a frosty morning so must have been using heat rather than UV light.
There has been relining of other sorts of pipes for a while. The gas companies used the existing pipes and threaded a new one through them. That resulted in a stoush with the IRD . Was it deductible repairs and maintenance or a depreciable capital asset
Yes and yes to 14. maybe we could get a couple of them back to do a lot of training in this area because there are a lot of pipes that need it . Happy to volunteer my sewer laterals for training purposes!
[Fixed error in e-mail address]
Could this be sent to the National caucus so they could seal their leaks? I'm sure they'd like the silver bit and then it's a matter of science, really.
I see Muller has just reinstated Bridges back into the "Team", he will take over the foreign affairs portfolio from Brownlee, that'll be handy for him, he'll be able to visit China for some financial support prior to the election, no doubt
Jian Yang and Xi Jinping will be pleased.
Undoubtedly.
They need all the campaign funds they can muster.
And our latest group of "leaders" with zero flexibility and unable to create a new path. I'd have been so much more impressed if they had asked for a package to reskill teachers who had left the profession but wanted a short paid updating course to return, And another package to enable graduates to do some limited teaching while being supported to finish qualifications again with a suitable maybe part time wage. And more part time positions to keep some of the older teachers for a little longer?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/300047135/principals-want-foreign-teachers-exempted-from-border-restrictions
RBCV +100
Further thought – schools could even interview returnees first and offer the job subject to successful completion of the refresher course
Interesting, seems it was only a year ago that principles were saying they didn't want teachers from overseas as they didn't meet the NZ standards, most rejected for an accent.
I know of two currently active teachers who are in their 70s and loving teaching, even more so than 5 yrs ago
People thought NZ quarantine was a shambles but we ain’t got nothing on Victoria
A report in the Herald Sun claims that guards also had sex with quarantine guests who may have been infected with COVID-19.
I had wondered if that might be the source. I saw a small mention here from the cops that they had been called to some of our facilities for parties and other guest to guest interactions. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't some FWB going on but apparently they review the security tapes too. Hopefully offsite so staff can't conceal their own misdemeanours.
People are having sex?
Thank goodness that won't happen when thousands of students arrive in NZ, away from home for the first time in their lives, all in university accommodation together.
(actual National party policy …)
It is called socialising nowadays and Tinder is Social Media. People shouldn’t be so judgemental about what other people do in their own time. However, when guards are meant to be working, it is in the boss’ time, obviously. In which case they should be sacked for getting in the sack. The Taxpayer shouldn’t have to pay for free sex!
Umm, I think Observer was being tongue in cheek, not judgemental.
And yeah, Muller is big on the idea but leaves out the detail of actually how we would apply quarantine to all these new visitors, particularly as the numbers would be overwhelming.
Best we take things slowly, as this government is doing. Inevitably better ways of managing c19, whether by vaccine or antibody stimulation and supplementation is on the horizon.
Yes, I got that and so was I (i.e. thong in cheek); I thought that was obvious but maybe not.
Can't say I agree that Nash should have apologised…he's only made NZF look stronger.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300046795/stuart-nash-apologises-to-winston-peters-and-shane-jones-over-fisheries-comments
Is Megan Woods going to go after Woodcock for his blatant lying. Until he fronts up with evidence of his claims he is a liar and should be held accountable..imho
The Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs at 17 on the list.
Not an important enough portfolio for Todd to take seriously. If he has, then if the best they can do is a former dreadfully bad leader, their ranks are thinner than we thought.
Colonel Comrade looks after the foreign stuff.
Maybe he thought Bridges had something to offer for the upcoming election, as we know, Bridges is big on procuring donations from donors and some of those donors probably come from overseas.
If Russiagate was an actual rather than a metaphorical dog, it would have been shot as rabid long ago.
Just caught up with the recent stats on Covid19 for Australia, 81 new cases today and 807 active cases, NZ has 2 new cases and 18 active cases.
I'd say It'll be a while before we have a travel bubble given the Federal Govt controls the border.
I think NZ has achieved an excellent outcome thus far, something every NZer should be proud of
Apparently quarantine security guards were having sex with returnees in Melbourne facilities.
Kind of puts our case of the two Covid-Karens in perspective.
7 billion people think NZ has handled Covid superbly….Muller thinks it has been a shambles.
And Mike Hosking kept shouting that Australia was doing it better! (He seems to have gone all quiet on that point…)
The plan B crowd also seem to have run out of countries who are doing it better.
Bunch of shitbirds the lot of 'em. NZ's response hasn't been perfect, but there aren't a lot of countries who did it better. And can you imagine Bridges or Muller being in charge? Fucking hell, we'd be as screwed as the UK.
True.. Sweden, Australia – suddenly the people who claimed they were doing it better have faded away.
By the time Election day comes, maybe nobody will be able to point to a country that has achieved better than NZ economically either. (That will ruin somebody's election campaign.. If so, I will enjoy the bathos.)
I remember having to point out to drug rehab residential manager that the person trying to get informed about addiction as part of necessary steps for change, couldn't handle it. He could read a page but at the end hadn't retained the points made from the print he read. So he was distressed and appeared to not be trying, getting negative feedback. They had not realised how long, long-term use could affect the brain.
So after that am I against marijuana? No. But it has to be managed carefully. I was disappointed to read that Fonterra was growing it. I would like some recovered people who were committed to responsible plantings with limited potency, to be able to handle some of the growing. Give them a chance to do something they know FGS. Fonterra to stick to its dairy addiction er skills.
I have a relation who is an alcoholic. He is lucky to be alive and it has got in the way of him being a reliable good man able to think things through, tough things out. Drinking was strong in the 1950-70's and lives were diminished by the culture of drinking to excess. No doubt still is. Restraint needed to be 'cultivated', and if marijuana had been cultivated, perhaps that would have been learned.
What has forbidding marijuana ever done for us? It has led us to drugs and crime being connected and brought lively lads and lasses into the police orbit when they would otherwise not have been. Mr Asia in Australia and here was mostly white by the way if you connect drugs and not being pakeha together.
Now it is time to bring mj out in the open, let people grow their own with some controls – a few plants, not commercially. Lighten up, let people out of the controls of might-be that scared NZs throw at every desire for change. See how it goes and if something is unsatisfactory after a three year run, and a review, then make changes. Just don't cop out and throw your hands up in the air. Making sensible decisions for the country is the job of a citizen in a democracy, not sitting back and applying moralistic strictures just because no-one you know ever uses it. That verges on theocracy.
And it's not like NZs a leader in Marijuana reform, many countries and states have made change, many of them a decade ago.
There's an old saying
Everything is good for you in moderation, well nearly everything
7 billion people think NZ has handled Covid superbly….Muller thinks it has been a shambles.