Build and leaseback arrangements, where private companies own the buildings, would help free up funds.
ACT party policy. It includes school buildings.
The money they have allocated for roads would fund all the buildings, and better fund health with public money.
The lease cost burden would result in allowing others to run for profit hospitals – the old funder provider split.
Charter hospitals.
And at some point, the public will find out the only way to access a GP is via health insurance.
Then it will be Charter primary health centres.
The UK will have a taxpayer funded NHS and we won’t. They will have higher wages and productivity, and higher levels of home ownership and the media will report of their post Brexit decline.
Why, they have CGT and estate tax to fund government. And we do not. We have a government that provides what it thinks the precariat deserves, so they can retain lifestyles for the wealthy and well to do.
Newstalk ZB seems to be on a mission to get everyone to buy medical insurance which benefits private hospitals.
There seems to be a noticeable shift towards a two-tier health system. As Tui says in the sidebar, this government is happy to promote privatisation of the health system in NZ.
My understanding is that Shane Reti has interests in private hospital(s)-maybe TS commentators know more on this.
Presumably it was on this basis that HM staff acting like cyborgs to the Hive mind …
Earlier this year, Health New Zealand told ministers given the scale of investment required, "a range of options for different financing and commercial arrangements may be needed".
Build and leaseback arrangements, where private companies own the buildings, would help free up funds.
They also floated "Public Private Partnerships", and said they are widely used overseas.
Health NZ chief infrastructure and investment officer Jeremy Holman said PPPs are "a whole spectrum of how the private sector could work with the private sector from that side of it so there are many different options in there".
On the suggestion (haha), Minister of Health Shane Reti said: "I won't reiterate all the advantages and disadvantages. The most obvious is the freeing up of capital that the Crown can then deploy elsewhere."
The National-NZ First Agreement, as to funding
Renegotiate the Crown funding agreement with St John with a view to meeting a greater portion of their annualised budget.
• Ensure Plunket is funded to do their job properly.
• Ensure proper funding for birthing units and maternity care, including providing for a three day stay for new mothers
National claim to be focused on better health outcomes.
Will they measure access to primary health care (even those enrolled find timely appointments difficult)?
1.1 Targeting better health outcomes
Having transparent targets with regular, robust reporting helps identify where the system is falling short and focuses effort on improving outcomes. The last National Government delivered improved health outcomes across a range of priority areas by establishing clear targets for the sector and regularly reporting performance against
them for each region of the country.
Research into the previous National Government’s target for faster treatment in hospital emergency departments found a significant decrease in mortality rates among those admitted to emergency departments, with around 700 fewer deaths in one year than predicted if pre-target trends had continued.
That’s why it’s no surprise that when Labour abandoned the focus on health targets and embarked on a hugely disruptive back-office restructure, actual health outcomes for New Zealanders suffered, with wait times blowing out, access to cancer treatment reducing, and childhood immunisation rates plummeting.
Using a pandemic in such a way is par for political discourse
National will restore health targets and publish progress against them by region each quarter so New Zealanders can see how well the health system is serving their community.
This will drive improvement in outcomes and have a significant impact on ensuring better, faster and more convenient healthcare for New Zealanders.
What Arab or majority Muslim state could possibly want to normalise relations with Israel after this?
From 'StandWithUs' Israeli Fact Sheet on the Abraham Accords:
The Abraham Accords are a series of treaties normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, facilitated by the U.S. Administration[1] between August and December, 2020. In the span of five short months, these four Arab states joined Egypt and Jordan in making peace with Israel. The agreements were called “The Abraham Accords” in honor of Abraham – the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam[2].
……According to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 80 percent of Palestinians “describe their feelings towards [the Abraham Accords] as: treason, abandonment, and insult.” [24]
…..Other Arab and Muslim states such as Oman, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are rumored to be considering normalization with Israel as well.
The Abraham Accords multi-partner deal to normalise diplomatic and trade and political ties between the US, the pro-US totalitarian Arab dictatorships and autocracies, and the Apartheid settler state of Israel, was set to ensure US led Western dominance of this oil rich region of the globe in perpetuity.
Normalising relations between all the pro-US Arab states and Israel, was on the condition that the Arab States would ignore, or at least not object, to Israel's slow strangulation and takeover of the Palestinian Arab territories.
The Abraham Accords would be the death knell of the Palestinian people's dream of an independent sovereign state, free from Israeli occupation and oppression.
Instead, following the Hamas led attack on October 7, and Israel's genocidal retaliation, the bell is being tolled for the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords Time Line:
'The Intercept' June 2022 – (15 monthis before October 7, 2023)
Intel Report Warned Abraham Accords Would Fuel Violence
In 2020, as then-President Donald Trump was busy touting the newly signed Abraham Accords as a historic peace agreement in the Middle East, his own Department of Homeland Security was warning that the agreement, far from ushering in peace, heightened the risk of terrorism, according to a document obtained by The Intercept under the Freedom of Information Act….
'The Intercept' October 9, 2023 – (2 Days after the Hamas led attack on Israel)
Biden Doubled Down on the Abraham Accords — to “Devastating Consequences”
The Biden administration’s policy of ignoring conditions in Gaza contributed to this weekend’s explosion of violence.
…..The [Biden] administration has centered its regional policy on the expansion of the “Abraham Accords,” a set of diplomatic normalization agreements between Israel and regional ArFab countries. It is an effort in which President Joe Biden has sunk much resources and political capital.
The de facto premise behind the accords, initiated under former President Donald Trump and led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, was to “solve” the Israel–Palestine conflict by simply ignoring the Palestinians and treating their conditions as irrelevant.
….Yousef Munayyer, a nonresident senior fellow at the Arab Center Washington. “The Biden administration’s policy has been to simply ignore the tragic situation on the ground, perhaps more than any other administration. It’s deliberate ignorance that has had very devastating consequences.”
Days before the conflict began, speaking at a public event on September 29, national security adviser Jake Sullivan praised the administration’s Middle East policy, stating that “the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades.”
“The ignorance and hubris it took to make a statement like that is stunning,” said Munayyer.
…..Gaza’s residents have lived under permanent for over a decade and a half, without the prospect of a diplomatic process anywhere on the horizon — let alone a solution. Their desperation had been building for years prior to the present war. Palestinian demonstrators, many of whom had never left Gaza in their lives, have organized several large protest marches toward the Israel-run border fence in recent years. They were met with indiscriminate gunfire from Israeli forces that killed civilians as well as medical personal….
……In 2018, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wrote a letter in Hebrew to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asking him to take a “calculated risk” in agreeing to a long-term truce with Hamas…..
Netanyahu ultimately rejected the entreaty for a broader truce. The U.S. did not apply any notable pressure on Israel to pursue this or other possible openings.
'Alarabiya News' 30 September, 2024 at the UN (358 days and counting, after October 7, 2024)
Israel can live in peace with Arab states if Palestinian state established: Jordan FM
Arab countries are “willing to guarantee the security of Israel” if Israel ends its occupation and a Palestinian state is established, Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi said during a press conference held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“All of us in the Arab world here, want a peace in which Israel lives in peace and security, accepted, normalized with all Arab countries in the context of ending the occupation, withdrawing from Arab territory, allowing for the emergence of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Safadi said on Friday shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu gave his speech.
“The Israeli prime minister came here today and said that Israel is surrounded by those who want to destroy it,” he told the press.
“We are here, members of the Muslim-Arab committee, mandated by 57 Arab and Muslim countries, and I can tell you very unequivocally all of us willing to right now guarantee the security of Israel in the context of Israel ending the occupation and allowing for the emergence of a Palestinian state,” the Jordanian minister said.
Netanyahu “is creating that danger because he simply does not want the two-state solution. If he does not want the two-state solution, can you ask Israeli officials what is their end-game — other than just wars and wars and wars?”
“The amount of damage that this Israeli government has done — 30 years of efforts to convince people that peace is possible, this Israeli government killed it. The amount of dehumanization, hatred, bitterness, will take generations to navigate through,” the Jordanian minister added.
Israel is only thinking about “destroy[ing] Gaza, inflame[ing] the West Bank, destroy[ing] Lebanon,” according to Safadi.
“We have no partner for peace in Israel, there is a partner for peace in the Arab world, and that’s why the international community needs to move.”
Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip has reduced the territory to rubble and killed at least 41,586 people since October 7. The Israeli government said it launched its war in retaliation for the Hamas attack on southern Israel in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 100 were taken hostage.
What if Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, that Sinwar put in a letter written in Hebrew to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, would October 7 have been prevented? (Sinwar had studied Hebrew and became fluent during his 22 years of incarceration in the Israeli prison system, until he was freed in a prisoner swap).
What if Israel instead of launching a genocidal war of retribution against the Gaza strip had negotiated a prisoner exchange?, would the Abraham Accords still have been possible?
We will never know.
One thing we know for certain, is that any hopes of the Abraham Accords to normalise relations between America's Arab allies and Israel are finished now..
What if Israel instead of launching a genocidal war of retribution against the Gaza strip had negotiated a prisoner exchange?, would the Abraham Accords still have been possible?
We will never know.
What if Hamas hadn't launched a terror raid into Israel, deliberately targeting civilians? One thing is sure, tens of thousands of Palestinians would still be alive, if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Israel.
And the Abraham Accords would still have been possible. Of course, Hamas doesn't want the Abraham Accords. And there is a credible argument that the terror raid was deliberately timed to derail a Saudi-Israel agreement.
……One thing is sure, tens of thousands of Palestinians would still be alive, if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Israel.
12 hundred Israelis would still be alive, if 'they' sic. hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Hamas.
…..before Hamas’ attack on October 7, Israeli forces had already killed 234 Palestinians in the West Bank this year, while settlers were responsible for nine more killings…..
'Al Jazeera' January 3, 2023 (9 months before October 7)
…Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir has entered the compound that houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, in a move that threatens a backlash from Palestinians who have labelled the act an “unprecedented provocation”.
Maybe if the Israeli's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer of a truce and had agreed to stop killing Palestinians in their own land. Maybe if the Israeli's governmentl Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir had not conducted an "unprecedented provocation" against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, important not just to religious Palestinians but to secular and even Christian Palestinians as a symbol of their culture and history.
Belladonna; "if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response…"
Presumably by "they" you mean Hamas.
Yahya Sinwar, the recognised architect and director of Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, is not just a political and military leader, Sinwar is a recognised Islamic Hafiz, meaning that he has memorised the whole of the Koran. as such Sinwar would take a provocation against the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque very seriously.
Having been released in a prisoner swap himself, Sinwar probably thought he could repeat the exercise.
And miscalculated what Israel's response to his October 7 attack and taking of hostages would be.
Similarly, Netanyahu has miscalculated what the International response to his genocide in Gaza would be. Especially what the response of the Arab nations, to any normalisation of ties with Israel, ending Israel's hope of achieving the Abraham Accords with its Arab neighbours.
'Time' magazine, December 4, 2023 (two months after October 7)
…..the Accords was proving that the Palestinian issue was no longer an obstacle for Israel’s relationships in the region, as Arab states dropped their demand for a Palestinian state as a condition to normalizing ties with Israel. The pact promised regional security despite allowing Israel to bypass the rights of 6 million Palestinians living under daily brutality, military occupation, and apartheid rule to establish alliances with authoritarian regional regimes. As many of us predicted at the time—myself included—that was always bound to fail. The shocking Hamas attack on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people in Israel, has now made that clear to all.
……Rather than curbing Israeli abuses, the Accords emboldened successive Israeli governments to further ignore Palestinian rights. In the first year after the Accords, settler violence dramatically increased in the West Bank. Following the election of Israel’s most right-wing government in history in 2022, cabinet ministers openly called for the annexation of the West Bank and announced massive settlement expansions. In the year leading up to Oct. 7, Israeli forces had already killed almost 200 Palestinians in the West Bank…..
JERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) – Israel will hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar even if it takes years, the head of Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a recording aired by Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Sunday….
….."The cabinet has set us a goal, in street talk, to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar. It will take a few years but we will be there to do it." [Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar]
Zionism is a complex concept, with multiple possible meanings.
This includes a historical meaning of Zionism. The belief that there should be a country of Israel, roughly corresponding to the Biblical country as a homeland for the Jewish people.
In the conflict in the Gaza Strip (a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel) and beyond, 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter' labels are a matter of perspective. My sympathy for the plight of Israelis is tempered by the knowledge that tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have died during the expansion of this asymmetric war.
CNN video showed chaotic scenes as bodies were pulled from rubble after the overnight attack on the religious site in Deir el Balah, where Palestinians were sheltering.
“The mosque was a shelter for displaced people, there are no militants or anything inside,” said Nabil Nadda, who was nearby when the strike happened. “Just people who have no shelter, tents, or homes so they sheltered in the mosque.”
The Israeli military confirmed it carrying out strikes on both sites, calling them “precise” and said were targeting Hamas “command and control” centers.
Imho, the Israeli leadership has lost its collective mind – they see eradication of any and all potential enemies as the only way forward/out, and are behaving like hopped-up pest exterminators.
Maybe somewhere in the back of your own minds, you think that anti-Semitism is a bad thing. So it's better not to own up to it.
I'll refrain speculating out loud about what lies behind your attempt at an "anti-Semitism" smear – better to consider the future of surviving Israeli, Palestinian and, more recently, Lebanese civilians.
One Year After Oct. 7, Israel Sees a Future at War
[7 Oct 2024]
Security officials estimate that the military will need to fight for at least another year in Gaza, and forces will need to be stationed there for years to come …
The last time that restructuring the Middle East by force was contemplated seriously was after al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on America, when US President George W Bush and Tony Blair, the UK’s prime minister, were getting ready to invade Iraq in 2003.
The invasion of Iraq did not purge the Middle East of violent extremism. It made matters worse.
The priority for those who want to stop this war should be a ceasefire in Gaza. It is the only chance to cool matters and to create a space for diplomacy. This year of war started in Gaza. Perhaps it can end there too.
Simply reflecting back the attempted 'Zionist' smear (it's clearly a smear in Jenny's mind)
I do hope you're also bearing in mind the future of the Sudanese civilians, as well. Somehow that deadly civil war (with significantly higher casualty rates, and associated civilian displacement and deaths, than Gaza), seems to slip the mind of the 'concerned' commentators on TS.
Do I believe that the State of Israel should exist, today.
Interesting if blunt question. They've had 70 years to make it work and it's worse than ever. They’ve really fucked it up so maybe time to pull the pin on Israel as a concept.
….there is a credible argument that the terror raid was deliberately timed to derail a Saudi-Israel agreement.
You think?
Maybe the Palestinians fear, was that Israel’s Slow-Motion Genocide in Occupied Palestine being carried out, with the complicity of not only the US and its Western allies, but would also now be joined by America's repressive Arab allies as well?
Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, meant a permanent state of war existed between Hamas and Israel.
Israel's excuse for the massive number of Palestinian civilian deaths, including 15 thousand children and infants, is that, 'bad things happen in war'
An interesting question to ask on the Jewish New Year.
For the same reason the Christian God and Moslem God did not prevent the deaths of Christians by other Christians and Moslems by other Moslem – or by each other.
For those of faith, it is obvious. This is a human dominion, and God can redeem the dead.
I used the term, God can redeem the dead, in the context that this is how a God could/does intervene without interfering in a human dominion of the mortal realm.
The corruption of power is what it is.
That men of religion have and would abuse power in our human dominion, does not discredit God or the concept (though Jordan Peterson does raise doubts here for anyone remotely feminist or questioning the utility of hierarchy/patriarchy as heritage).
But it is why Voltaire was of the opine that those of a supremacist religion (or political creed) should not hold power over others.
Keeping the human dominion free of such corruption is on us.
I find it hard to agree with someone who supports genocide, but in this case Biden is not wrong.
From the above link supplied by Belladonna:
Hamas attack aimed to disrupt Saudi-Israel normalization, Biden says
By Reuters
October 21, 2023
….Biden suggested Saudi wanted to recognize Israel in the comments he made at a campaign fundraiser.
Saudi Arabia, a Middle East powerhouse and home to Islam's two holiest shrines, gave its blessing to Gulf neighbors United Arab Emirates and Bahrain establishing relations with Israel in 2020 under the previous U.S. administration of Donald Trump.
It should come as no surprise to anyone, that the'autocratic' leaders of the repressive state of Saudi Arabia, would want to seek common ground with the 'fascist' leaders of the apartheid state of Israel. And that the US wants to facilitate this partnership.
It's not a secret,
Both states support US hegemony in the Middle East. Both states are forgiven any crime, as long as they support US hegemony in the Middle East.
To fully dominate and secure this oil rich region, it is in the interest of the US to reconcile the pro-US petro states with the US backed settler state of Israel,
The position of yet another Minister in the C of C government has been questioned.
A Minister serving her boss, the Tsar of inadequate regulation, or lipspittle (dribble down apologetics of failure to act), as they call it at Atlas NeTwerk.
Yes first we proffer ridicule, then we campaign and then we vote and win.
Many of the items we use every day that are in our wardrobes, living rooms and workplaces are tainted by modern slavery. Yet there is no legal obligation for businesses, including our large corporations, to do the most basic checks that the people who made the items they sell are not enslaved to do so.
This makes it almost impossible for Kiwis to have confidence that what we buy and use isn’t supporting slavery.
This “don’t-ask, don’t-tell” approach means New Zealand is out of step with international efforts to eradicate modern slavery in supply chains.
Iran sent a highly choreographed & highly telegraphed warning to Israel last April, where Israel, the USA, the UK and Jordan all got plenty of time to prepare for an attack of largely OWA (One-Way Attack) drone and cruise missiles – easily intercepted – with a few IRBMs thrown in to show what Iran could achieve. Israel basically ignored the warning, and now they've been hit by 300-500 IRBMs, many (most?) of which seem to have accurately hit their targets. Notable by their absence this time is active US and British military help in intercepting these ballistic missiles, or threats of US action against Iran. Israel is also being sent a message by omission from the Americans.
Despite its size this attack by Iran is yet another warning to Israel. The Iranians have several thousand ballistic missiles and a vast arsenal of OWA drones and cruise missiles. A full-on attack would involve a sustained saturation and segmented attack by OWAD, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Hopefully (but unlikely) this Iranian attack will sober up an Israel drunk on violence and cause them to pause and think.
and now they've been hit by 300-500 IRBMs, many (most?) of which seem to have accurately hit their targets. Notable by their absence this time is active US and British military help in intercepting these ballistic missiles, or threats of US action against Iran. Israel is also being sent a message by omission from the Americans.
The effective targeting of the missiles seems to be rather questionable. Al Jazeera (closest thing to an independent source on the Middle East) – certainly doesn't make this claim. The only source claiming to have significant numbers on target is Iran state TV (hardly a reliable source)
I just heard a guy say on RNZ that "dozens" of the ballistic missiles got through Israel's incredibly expensive Iron Dome system today.
Surely Israel knows that Iran has serious quantities of military hardware. Biden will be telling them to back off retaliation and stick to fighting Hezbollah and Hamas.
A guy on Al Jazeera this morning said that Israel's economy is tanking.
From The Guardian today: “Moody’s cut the country’s credit rating two notches to “Baa1” last week and warned of a drop to ‘junk’ if the current heightened tensions with Hezbollah turned into a full-scale conflict.”
Do you actually have source for this? I've not seen reports from anyone (apart from Iranian state TV) that a significant number of missiles hit (let alone hit the targets they were directed towards).
Al Jazeera (my go-to source for Middle Eastern news), doesn't mention any significant hit rate.
To me, this video appears to be the clearest example of a substantial number of ballistic missile projectiles getting through. Angle, speed, & impact are indicative of incoming warheads. Also, note the horizontal spread of the impact points, which is indicative of a CEP. 1/2
Cheers Joe…I watched those videos a few times on El Jazeera and it certainly looked like quite a few were hitting the ground unscathed. Whether they hit any important targets is another thing….but to be honest I'm not sure that was the reason Iran fired them.
Both Iranian attacks on Israel so far seem to have been something of a warning. If they were serious they could have done much more damage.
From the Net, which is never wrong:
"US Air Force Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Congress in 2023 that Iran had “over 3,000” ballistic missiles, according to a report this year from the Iran Watch website at the Wisconsin Project"
I saw an interpretation that the impacts were into open ground, and Iron Dome left them alone to concentrate on missiles that were going to hit the defended target.
Iron Drome isn't designed to intercept ICBM's and IRBM's.
David's Sling & the Arrow ABM System are designed to intercept ICBM's and IRBM's.
The way the Iranians are use their various Missiles, is saturation attack, design to overload the IDF Missile Defence to the point of failure ie the Radar/ Tracking system goes bugger this shit I'm shutting down or degrades to a point it can't shoot every incoming Missile.
And yet one of the duopoly had wanted even less choice, as it moved to strengthen its domination…..
Earlier this year the country's biggest supermarket operator agreed to bring its North and South Island divisions together to create a national co-operative.
The boards of Foodstuffs North and South Island divisions currently operate separately and run a number of well-known brands including New World, Pak'n'Save and Four Square.
The Commerce Commission threw a spanner into that….
On Tuesday, the Commerce Commission declined the proposal saying it would substantially lessen competition.
Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said the merger would have lowered costs and improved operational support for the company.
And, FFS, does he believe his own lies ?
He told Midday Report it also would have brought grocery prices down.
The commerce commission should have never allowed the merger of Countdown and Foodtown and Woolworths.
They must have at some stage also allowed Foodstuffs Auckland and Foodstuffs Wellington to merge as I remember our company had three separate accounts for Foodstuffs around 13 years ago.
I agree. The creation of the duopoly has entrenched their position, and enabled them to shut out smaller competition, bully suppliers, and raise prices for consumers.
The 'competition' is artificial at best (as is the petrol company model).
It's not that long ago (20 yrs) that everyone in Queenstown would go down to Invercargill once a month / fortnight to do a shop at the large city supermarkets. along with that would be clothes, new cars, furniture, the lawyer and accountant, and dentist. All were much cheaper in town. Whiteware and carpets however were an aberration and much better buying at home with hotel / motel refits (tourists flooding the room…) and the massive number of new builds. Made for a rather different town and way of life.
Once faxes and email came about the Invercargill supermarkets did a courier service which was very popular and we didn't to go down as much.
Eventually Queenstown became big enough to get the big box supermarkets, we went from 2 x 4 Square, to a New World, to the lot, in 10 years. along with that came some of the other national retailers, and the money that used to be spent in Invercargill got spent at home and we started to get a city economy.
Lack of perceived retail competition in small towns is a function of the town's size, people adapt, and there's ways around it. In the Wairoa case I suspect most of the business would go to Napier, it's only 120km (we're 200km from Invercargill) so driving or courier is easy.
One of the insights I've got from one of our local supermarket operators is how hard it's been for the local supermarket to break into the established trade with Invercaargill, even when pricing became the same. I'd presume there'd be a similar thing going on in the Wairoa retail market.
Despite linking to it, this article goes on to mislead by saying that conversion to forestry is the reason for lower stock numbers. The line from Fed Farmers in seeking changes to government policy.
It is only the main reason in some areas.
In some regions it is sheep to dairy (esp Canterbury/Southland), and some beef to dairy (esp Waikato).
“An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected”,
Mr. Guterres appealed to international donors to provide urgent support for the $426 million humanitarian appeal launched in Beirut.
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert issued a statement
"Every rocket and missile fired, every bomb dropped and every ground raid conducted pull the parties further from the vision set out in Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and the conditions needed for the safe return of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.
This cycle of violence will not end well – for anyone. A sliver of opportunity remains for diplomacy to succeed. The question now is whether it will be seized or squandered."
Two different factors – Israel leaving Lebanon (likely in weeks) and an end to Gaza IDF presence in Gaza (dependent on some agreement).
The question is whether Hezbollah would resume attacks on Israel after they left Lebanon, if there is no agreement as per Gaza.
A lot of the media organisations have “experts” who insist Israel has to respond to the "180" IRBM fired off by Iran.
Given there were no strikes (being over an hour), the reasoning for this is a bit like Trump logic – gotta hit back, this is unsound some/a lot of the time.
It seems that there is a determination to infer there is an unacceptable free speech for a public person, or a requirement that some views be untenable for the foreign affairs spokesperson of a political party.
It seems that there is a determination to infer there is an unacceptable free speech for a public person, or a requirement that some views be untenable for the foreign affairs spokesperson of a political party.
Well, adopting this attitude towards comments from politicians will certainly reduce the 'gotcha' media stories, not to mention the number of posts on TS.
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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 ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The passage of time hasn’t been kind to Ngāi Tahu.When its High Court hearing over wai māori (freshwater) commenced last week, 52 months after the claim was filed, the tribe mourned the loss of two named first plaintiffs – Bishop Richard Wallace, of Makaawhio, and Theo Bunker, of Wairewa – ...
Margie Apa, Nicholas Jones, Diana Sarfati, the board of Health New Zealand … and will Lester Levy be next?The biggest names in our health service are tumbling like dominos.It’s been called a bloodbath and a crisis.What’s going on?Every day there’s a new story about shortages, patients having to wait for ...
Opinion: The coalition Government’s recent revisions to the business investor visa, officially the Active Investor Plus but commonly known as the ‘golden visa’, has put pay-for-residency back in the headlines. While many object to the commodification of citizenship implicit in this policy, questions should be asked about its potential as ...
One Christmas, to thank him for helping me hugely with my writing (on a mentor scheme), I sent Michael King a dark blue cashmere scarf. I chose it with the awful knowledge that he was battling cancer, and I somehow thought it might keep him warm and make him feel ...
Comment: Readers may recall the commentaries from academics that appeared on these pages as well as on many media outlets, alarmed and appalled by the disbanding of the Marsden panels for humanities and the social sciences.The Marsden Fund is a “blue skies” initiative established by Simon Upton in the 1990s. ...
Comment: US is capitulating to Moscow’s demands before negotiations over Ukraine even begin The post The day the West died appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Asia Pacific Report Two Palestinian resistance groups have condemned “the brutal assault” on prisoners at Ofer Prison, saying it was “barbaric criminal behaviour that reflects the fascist and terrorist nature of” Israel. In the joint statement, Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) called the attack a “miserable attempt” by Israel ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist in Avarua, Rarotonga Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown hopes to have “an opportunity to talk” with the New Zealand government to “heal some of the rift”. Brown returned to Avarua on Sunday afternoon (Cook Islands Time) following his week-long state visit to China, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sonia R. Grover, Clinical Professor of Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne Polina Zimmerman/Pexels Menstruation, or a period, is the bleeding that occurs about monthly in healthy people born with a uterus, from puberty to menopause. This happens when the endometrium, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ella Barclay, Senior Lecturer, School of Art and Design, Australian National University Despite the perceived outrage at Khaled Sabsabi’s depiction of Hassan Nasrallah in his 2007 work You, Australian art has long made subjects of outlaws and questionable figures. And it is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Pryke, Honorary Research Associate, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney Lisa Tomasetti/Opera Australia “It’s an old song”, Hermes (Christine Anu) sings at the opening of Hadestown, but “we’re gonna sing it again and again”. Based on a ...
An additional $13 million will be invested in tourism infrastructure, including upgrading huts and resolving the backlog in Milford Sound concessions. ...
The reality is that we have no obligation to tolerate the intolerant. They are using violence to shut down and silence others. The result of tolerating intolerant views is the loss of everyone’s freedom of speech except for the one who most effectively ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Davis, Associate Professor in Conservation, Edith Cowan University Adwo/Shutterstock Humans have been poisoning rodents for centuries. But fast-breeding rats and mice have evolved resistance to earlier poisons. In response, manufacturers have produced second generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as bromadiolone, widely ...
Alex Casey unearths Simon Court’s full sales pitch for how menstrual cups could end poverty. On Friday last week, Act MP Simon Court was accused of “mansplaining” during a parliamentary committee hearing about benefit sanctions. After submitter Rachel Dibble shared her concerns about period poverty and the impact that sanctions ...
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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NZPF called for a slowdown of the curriculum change, asking for one subject at a time, so that teachers and principals could be fully trained and feel confident and competent to implement the changes, New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) President ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Indonesia’s TVOne launched an AI news presenter in 2023.T.J. Thomson Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off at lightning speed in the past couple of years, creating disruption in ...
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https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/01/health-nz-urges-govt-to-consider-privately-run-public-hospitals/
The 40 year mission to destroy our health system and privatize it appears to be complete!
ACT party policy. It includes school buildings.
The money they have allocated for roads would fund all the buildings, and better fund health with public money.
The lease cost burden would result in allowing others to run for profit hospitals – the old funder provider split.
Charter hospitals.
And at some point, the public will find out the only way to access a GP is via health insurance.
Then it will be Charter primary health centres.
The UK will have a taxpayer funded NHS and we won’t. They will have higher wages and productivity, and higher levels of home ownership and the media will report of their post Brexit decline.
Why, they have CGT and estate tax to fund government. And we do not. We have a government that provides what it thinks the precariat deserves, so they can retain lifestyles for the wealthy and well to do.
Newstalk ZB seems to be on a mission to get everyone to buy medical insurance which benefits private hospitals.
There seems to be a noticeable shift towards a two-tier health system. As Tui says in the sidebar, this government is happy to promote privatisation of the health system in NZ.
My understanding is that Shane Reti has interests in private hospital(s)-maybe TS commentators know more on this.
You suffer or you pay.
There's already a 3-tier system:
Private insurance, ACC, and the poor sods who can't afford insurance (or are uninsurable), and not covered by ACC.
Thanks psych….excellent info.
I don't remember Reti mentioning that during the election campaign.
Dr Cigaretti is well ensconced in the private sector–check out PLA’s 1.2.2 links.
The National-ACT Agreement included this.
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778592/National_ACT_Agreement.pdf?1700778592
Presumably it was on this basis that HM staff acting like cyborgs to the Hive mind …
The National-NZ First Agreement, as to funding
(Most of their focus was on seniors policy)
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778597/NZFirst_Agreement_2.pdf?1700778597
National claim to be focused on better health outcomes.
Will they measure access to primary health care (even those enrolled find timely appointments difficult)?
Using a pandemic in such a way is par for political discourse
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18436/attachments/original/1696286925/Better_Health_Outcomes.pdf?1696286925
The Hubris of Empire
Abraham Accords deal dies in the ruins of Gaza, US to Blame
The Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, hammers another nail into the coffin lid of the Abraham Accords.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/09/30/israel-can-live-in-peace-with-arab-states-if-palestinian-state-established-jordan-fm
What Arab or majority Muslim state could possibly want to normalise relations with Israel after this?
From 'StandWithUs' Israeli Fact Sheet on the Abraham Accords:
The Abraham Accords multi-partner deal to normalise diplomatic and trade and political ties between the US, the pro-US totalitarian Arab dictatorships and autocracies, and the Apartheid settler state of Israel, was set to ensure US led Western dominance of this oil rich region of the globe in perpetuity.
Normalising relations between all the pro-US Arab states and Israel, was on the condition that the Arab States would ignore, or at least not object, to Israel's slow strangulation and takeover of the Palestinian Arab territories.
The Abraham Accords would be the death knell of the Palestinian people's dream of an independent sovereign state, free from Israeli occupation and oppression.
Instead, following the Hamas led attack on October 7, and Israel's genocidal retaliation, the bell is being tolled for the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords Time Line:
'The Intercept' June 2022 – (15 monthis before October 7, 2023)
'The Intercept' October 9, 2023 – (2 Days after the Hamas led attack on Israel)
'Alarabiya News' 30 September, 2024 at the UN (358 days and counting, after October 7, 2024)
What if Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, that Sinwar put in a letter written in Hebrew to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, would October 7 have been prevented? (Sinwar had studied Hebrew and became fluent during his 22 years of incarceration in the Israeli prison system, until he was freed in a prisoner swap).
What if Israel instead of launching a genocidal war of retribution against the Gaza strip had negotiated a prisoner exchange?, would the Abraham Accords still have been possible?
We will never know.
One thing we know for certain, is that any hopes of the Abraham Accords to normalise relations between America's Arab allies and Israel are finished now..
What if Hamas hadn't launched a terror raid into Israel, deliberately targeting civilians? One thing is sure, tens of thousands of Palestinians would still be alive, if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Israel.
And the Abraham Accords would still have been possible. Of course, Hamas doesn't want the Abraham Accords. And there is a credible argument that the terror raid was deliberately timed to derail a Saudi-Israel agreement.
12 hundred Israelis would still be alive, if 'they' sic. hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Hamas.
'Al Jazeera' January 3, 2023 (9 months before October 7)
Maybe if the Israeli's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer of a truce and had agreed to stop killing Palestinians in their own land. Maybe if the Israeli's governmentl Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir had not conducted an "unprecedented provocation" against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, important not just to religious Palestinians but to secular and even Christian Palestinians as a symbol of their culture and history.
Belladonna; "if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response…"
Presumably by "they" you mean Hamas.
Yahya Sinwar, the recognised architect and director of Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, is not just a political and military leader, Sinwar is a recognised Islamic Hafiz, meaning that he has memorised the whole of the Koran. as such Sinwar would take a provocation against the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque very seriously.
Having been released in a prisoner swap himself, Sinwar probably thought he could repeat the exercise.
And miscalculated what Israel's response to his October 7 attack and taking of hostages would be.
Similarly, Netanyahu has miscalculated what the International response to his genocide in Gaza would be. Especially what the response of the Arab nations, to any normalisation of ties with Israel, ending Israel's hope of achieving the Abraham Accords with its Arab neighbours.
'Time' magazine, December 4, 2023 (two months after October 7)
And how's that working out for the people of Palestine?
Of course, the Hamas leadership are safely in Qatar… so not exposed to any risk.
And now for the facts:
Here's a question for you Belladonna.
Are you a Zionist?
Hamas leadership, safe in Qatar – not subject to the Israeli troop attacks in Gaza (unlike the ordinary Palestinians).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-says-hamas-will-remain-in-doha-as-long-as-group-remains-useful-for-mediation/
Not really heartbroken about terrorist leaders being targeted for assassination. Much rather see this than ordinary people being killed.
What do you mean by Zionist?
You tell me.
What is your understanding of the word Zionist?
And do you consider yourself to be one?
I just find it interesting, that of all the pro-Israel commenters on this site, including you, not one of you will identify as a Zionist.
Why is that, do you think?
Maybe somewhere in the back of your own minds you think that Zionism is a bad thing. So it is better not to own up to it.
But who knows? Give me your thoughts.
Zionism is a complex concept, with multiple possible meanings.
This includes a historical meaning of Zionism. The belief that there should be a country of Israel, roughly corresponding to the Biblical country as a homeland for the Jewish people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism
I think that many pro-Palestinian activists have adopted their own interpretation of 'Zionist' – which is why people are reluctant to use the term.
If by Zionism, you mean 'Do I believe that the State of Israel should exist, today'. Then my answer is: Yes, I do.
I find it 'interesting' that the anti-Israel commenters on this site, including you, are so concerned with 'gotcha' identifications.
Maybe somewhere in the back of your own minds, you think that anti-Semitism is a bad thing. So it's better not to own up to it.
In the conflict in the Gaza Strip (a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel) and beyond, 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter' labels are a matter of perspective. My sympathy for the plight of Israelis is tempered by the knowledge that tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have died during the expansion of this asymmetric war.
Imho, the Israeli leadership has lost its collective mind – they see eradication of any and all potential enemies as the only way forward/out, and are behaving like hopped-up pest exterminators.
I'll refrain speculating out loud about what lies behind your attempt at an "anti-Semitism" smear – better to consider the future of surviving Israeli, Palestinian and, more recently, Lebanese civilians.
Simply reflecting back the attempted 'Zionist' smear (it's clearly a smear in Jenny's mind)
I do hope you're also bearing in mind the future of the Sudanese civilians, as well. Somehow that deadly civil war (with significantly higher casualty rates, and associated civilian displacement and deaths, than Gaza), seems to slip the mind of the 'concerned' commentators on TS.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_impact_of_the_Sudanese_civil_war_(2023%E2%80%93present)
A smear for a smear makes the whole world… smeary.
https://www.amnestykenya.org/silent-horrors-urgent-call-for-action-in-gaza-and-sudan/
Time for a ceasefire in Gaza, and Sudan, imho – how about you?
Nicely done – I must be a Zionist too
Interesting if blunt question. They've had 70 years to make it work and it's worse than ever. They’ve really fucked it up so maybe time to pull the pin on Israel as a concept.
You think?
Maybe the Palestinians fear, was that Israel’s Slow-Motion Genocide in Occupied Palestine being carried out, with the complicity of not only the US and its Western allies, but would also now be joined by America's repressive Arab allies as well?
Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, meant a permanent state of war existed between Hamas and Israel.
Israel's excuse for the massive number of Palestinian civilian deaths, including 15 thousand children and infants, is that, 'bad things happen in war'
Not just me – it's been widely reported that the timing of the Hamas terrorist attack seems calculated.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-attack-aimed-disrupt-saudi-israel-normalization-biden-2023-10-20/
And Hamas' excuse for conducting a terror raid deliberately targeted against civilians is?
The Jewish God Yahweh did not stop 6 million Jews dying in the death camps.
Why?
Fail to see what Yahweh has to do with a Muslim terrorist organization.
Maybe the Jewish God believed the Jews needed punishing
Maybe Allah believes that the Palestinian Arabs need punishing.
Seems more likely, given the current outcomes.
Gods can be vengeful – I like (the safety of) atheism, within secularism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_state#/media/File:Map_of_secular_states.svg
Perhaps you should share your thoughts with Koina.
Fwiw, I’m sharing my thoughts with all Standardistas – how about you?
So you have something in common with those legitimising imperialism/colonialism as the means by which the Christian or Moslem God acts to evangelise.
Conflating human events with God's will. How do you explain cancer then?
An interesting question to ask on the Jewish New Year.
For the same reason the Christian God and Moslem God did not prevent the deaths of Christians by other Christians and Moslems by other Moslem – or by each other.
For those of faith, it is obvious. This is a human dominion, and God can redeem the dead.
Yeah – like they said about the Cathars in France – "kill them all, God will know his own".
I used the term, God can redeem the dead, in the context that this is how a God could/does intervene without interfering in a human dominion of the mortal realm.
The corruption of power is what it is.
That men of religion have and would abuse power in our human dominion, does not discredit God or the concept (though Jordan Peterson does raise doubts here for anyone remotely feminist or questioning the utility of hierarchy/patriarchy as heritage).
But it is why Voltaire was of the opine that those of a supremacist religion (or political creed) should not hold power over others.
Keeping the human dominion free of such corruption is on us.
'Seems'?
I find it hard to agree with someone who supports genocide, but in this case Biden is not wrong.
From the above link supplied by Belladonna:
It should come as no surprise to anyone, that the 'autocratic' leaders of the repressive state of Saudi Arabia, would want to seek common ground with the 'fascist' leaders of the apartheid state of Israel. And that the US wants to facilitate this partnership.
It's not a secret,
Both states support US hegemony in the Middle East. Both states are forgiven any crime, as long as they support US hegemony in the Middle East.
To fully dominate and secure this oil rich region, it is in the interest of the US to reconcile the pro-US petro states with the US backed settler state of Israel,
The position of yet another Minister in the C of C government has been questioned.
A Minister serving her boss, the Tsar of inadequate regulation, or lipspittle (dribble down apologetics of failure to act), as they call it at Atlas NeTwerk.
Yes first we proffer ridicule, then we campaign and then we vote and win.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/02/opinion-nzs-current-laws-wont-tackle-modern-slavery/
Iran sent a highly choreographed & highly telegraphed warning to Israel last April, where Israel, the USA, the UK and Jordan all got plenty of time to prepare for an attack of largely OWA (One-Way Attack) drone and cruise missiles – easily intercepted – with a few IRBMs thrown in to show what Iran could achieve. Israel basically ignored the warning, and now they've been hit by 300-500 IRBMs, many (most?) of which seem to have accurately hit their targets. Notable by their absence this time is active US and British military help in intercepting these ballistic missiles, or threats of US action against Iran. Israel is also being sent a message by omission from the Americans.
Despite its size this attack by Iran is yet another warning to Israel. The Iranians have several thousand ballistic missiles and a vast arsenal of OWA drones and cruise missiles. A full-on attack would involve a sustained saturation and segmented attack by OWAD, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Hopefully (but unlikely) this Iranian attack will sober up an Israel drunk on violence and cause them to pause and think.
The effective targeting of the missiles seems to be rather questionable. Al Jazeera (closest thing to an independent source on the Middle East) – certainly doesn't make this claim. The only source claiming to have significant numbers on target is Iran state TV (hardly a reliable source)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/1/israel-says-iran-launches-missile-attack-warns-residents-to-shelter
There are also credible reports that the US helped shoot down the missile attack (they have a carrier group in the region).
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-us-prepared-israel-defend-iranian-attack/story?id=114393069
I just heard a guy say on RNZ that "dozens" of the ballistic missiles got through Israel's incredibly expensive Iron Dome system today.
Surely Israel knows that Iran has serious quantities of military hardware. Biden will be telling them to back off retaliation and stick to fighting Hezbollah and Hamas.
A guy on Al Jazeera this morning said that Israel's economy is tanking.
From The Guardian today: “Moody’s cut the country’s credit rating two notches to “Baa1” last week and warned of a drop to ‘junk’ if the current heightened tensions with Hezbollah turned into a full-scale conflict.”
Well done Bibi.
Do you actually have source for this? I've not seen reports from anyone (apart from Iranian state TV) that a significant number of missiles hit (let alone hit the targets they were directed towards).
Al Jazeera (my go-to source for Middle Eastern news), doesn't mention any significant hit rate.
As I said a guy on RNZ said "dozens got through". However, this BBC article explains that the Iron Dome is "up to 90% effective".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20385306
If you saw the words "up to 90% discount" in a shop you would assume 50% discount. But lets be generous and say the ID is 80% effective.
That means that 36 missiles got through (20%x180). Three dozen.
Remember these missiles take only 12 minutes from Iran to Israel. I suggest you try not to swallow the IDF propaganda Bella.
So no link to any source. The equivalent to 'a bloke in the pub said'
Your maths appears to be ignoring the fact that US sources have confirmed that they shot down Iranian missiles, as well as the Israeli Iron Dome
Do try not to swallow Iranian propaganda, BG.
You’ll note that I’ve sourced from Al Jazeera – hardly likely to be IDF propaganda.
Next you will be telling me that Netanyahu is right to dismiss the two-state solution.
Just like the support of both Iran and Hamas for the two state solution /sarc/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-state_solution#Non-governmental_supporters_of_a_two-state_solution
Dude's day job is researching nuclear strategy and missile technology at the Oslo Nuclear Project .
@FRHoffmann1
To me, this video appears to be the clearest example of a substantial number of ballistic missile projectiles getting through. Angle, speed, & impact are indicative of incoming warheads. Also, note the horizontal spread of the impact points, which is indicative of a CEP. 1/2
https://x.com/FRHoffmann1/status/1841169498197402021
@FRHoffmann1
I count what appear to be 4 intercepts in this video and 10+ impacts.
https://x.com/FRHoffmann1/status/1841172303737942077
Cheers Joe…I watched those videos a few times on El Jazeera and it certainly looked like quite a few were hitting the ground unscathed. Whether they hit any important targets is another thing….but to be honest I'm not sure that was the reason Iran fired them.
Both Iranian attacks on Israel so far seem to have been something of a warning. If they were serious they could have done much more damage.
From the Net, which is never wrong
:
"US Air Force Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Congress in 2023 that Iran had “over 3,000” ballistic missiles, according to a report this year from the Iran Watch website at the Wisconsin Project"
You target densely populated areas with ballistic missiles to kill civilians.
I saw an interpretation that the impacts were into open ground, and Iron Dome left them alone to concentrate on missiles that were going to hit the defended target.
Iron Drome isn't designed to intercept ICBM's and IRBM's.
David's Sling & the Arrow ABM System are designed to intercept ICBM's and IRBM's.
The way the Iranians are use their various Missiles, is saturation attack, design to overload the IDF Missile Defence to the point of failure ie the Radar/ Tracking system goes bugger this shit I'm shutting down or degrades to a point it can't shoot every incoming Missile.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David%27s_Sling&wprov=rarw1
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_(missile_family)
Good point Scud…now you mention it I have heard that before. (Dome not Drome)
Something most who use our wonderful supermarket duopoly, already knew..
And yet one of the duopoly had wanted even less choice, as it moved to strengthen its domination…..
The Commerce Commission threw a spanner into that….
And, FFS, does he believe his own lies ?
The commerce commission should have never allowed the merger of Countdown and Foodtown and Woolworths.
They must have at some stage also allowed Foodstuffs Auckland and Foodstuffs Wellington to merge as I remember our company had three separate accounts for Foodstuffs around 13 years ago.
I agree. The creation of the duopoly has entrenched their position, and enabled them to shut out smaller competition, bully suppliers, and raise prices for consumers.
The 'competition' is artificial at best (as is the petrol company model).
In Wanaka you have the choice of New World downtown or New World 3 Parks.
Plus 2 tiny 4 Square's.
It is a near-total lock.
That's a monopoly!
Wairoa just has New World.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hawkes-bay/129325309/the-small-town-with-a-new-17m-supermarket
I suspect that the locals would rather have a cheaper supermarket, and lower prices….
It's not that long ago (20 yrs) that everyone in Queenstown would go down to Invercargill once a month / fortnight to do a shop at the large city supermarkets. along with that would be clothes, new cars, furniture, the lawyer and accountant, and dentist. All were much cheaper in town. Whiteware and carpets however were an aberration and much better buying at home with hotel / motel refits (tourists flooding the room…) and the massive number of new builds. Made for a rather different town and way of life.
Once faxes and email came about the Invercargill supermarkets did a courier service which was very popular and we didn't to go down as much.
Eventually Queenstown became big enough to get the big box supermarkets, we went from 2 x 4 Square, to a New World, to the lot, in 10 years. along with that came some of the other national retailers, and the money that used to be spent in Invercargill got spent at home and we started to get a city economy.
Lack of perceived retail competition in small towns is a function of the town's size, people adapt, and there's ways around it. In the Wairoa case I suspect most of the business would go to Napier, it's only 120km (we're 200km from Invercargill) so driving or courier is easy.
One of the insights I've got from one of our local supermarket operators is how hard it's been for the local supermarket to break into the established trade with Invercaargill, even when pricing became the same. I'd presume there'd be a similar thing going on in the Wairoa retail market.
Yes, much of the weekly shop goes to either Gisborne or Napier.
Of course, both are dependent on roading infrastructure (the area was badly hit by Gabrielle)
But, of course, the bigger issue is that shopping at either requires access to a car – which is not a given in a pretty economically deprived area.
Use this site, when checking media stories on farming.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/livestock-numbers/
Despite linking to it, this article goes on to mislead by saying that conversion to forestry is the reason for lower stock numbers. The line from Fed Farmers in seeking changes to government policy.
It is only the main reason in some areas.
In some regions it is sheep to dairy (esp Canterbury/Southland), and some beef to dairy (esp Waikato).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/rural/350432833/declining-sheep-numbers-last-straw-smithfield-plant
Land use for forestry has not gone up in the past 20 years.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/agricultural-and-horticultural-land-use
It seems cost of living difficulties are being caused by excessive executive remuneration.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350436094/how-rise-manager-driving-cost-living?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1&utm_source=localised_module#cxrecs_s
Presumably not by an absence of CGTs or wealth taxes etc..
UN and 2006 Resolution 1701 reprise in 2024.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155221
Two different factors – Israel leaving Lebanon (likely in weeks) and an end to Gaza IDF presence in Gaza (dependent on some agreement).
The question is whether Hezbollah would resume attacks on Israel after they left Lebanon, if there is no agreement as per Gaza.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155196
A lot of the media organisations have “experts” who insist Israel has to respond to the "180" IRBM fired off by Iran.
Given there were no strikes (being over an hour), the reasoning for this is a bit like Trump logic – gotta hit back, this is unsound some/a lot of the time.
3 posts this week, insisting that an MP be made to apologise by his party and media for a retweet (since deleted).
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/
It seems that there is a determination to infer there is an unacceptable free speech for a public person, or a requirement that some views be untenable for the foreign affairs spokesperson of a political party.
Or a journalist (SBS), in Oz
https://thejewishindependent.com.au/hate-speech-complaint-against-high-profile-broadcaster
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/08/28/acclaimed-journalist-charged-with-anti-semitism/
The criticism, that state of Israel violence begets violence, can be read by anyone subscribing to Haaretz.
It is probably celebrated by Jews worldwide as a sign of their vibrant political culture.
Too strong a wine for "others"?
Well, adopting this attitude towards comments from politicians will certainly reduce the 'gotcha' media stories, not to mention the number of posts on TS.
No, free speech is not diminished by a questioning of censorship.
I can't work out whether you:
Or have some other opinion altogether.
Of course not. You've just confused yourself after trying to make a silly response to my post.
SPC, this is the specific kiwiblog column address, otherwise it just gets the blog top post.
Did the deleted tweet use the actual word "justifiable" or in context, was it more accurately, "understandable"?