Jacinda needs to wake up as this climate change report in September says it all.
How come freight road transport is still rising at an alarming rate of 6% annually while rail freight is still retreating?
Trucks are now coming from al over the central North Island with logs and are still “double handling” before dropping logs to Napier port?
Road transport claimed rail was “not viable because of double handling but trucks are now double handling too?
So our road transport (GHG) ‘Greenhouse gas emissions’ are now rising, while if government switched to using rail freight they would would reduce road freight (GHG) emissions. Jacinda; “Lets do this”
“Climate and Environment
New U.N. climate report: Monumental change already here for world’s oceans and frozen regions
Growing coastal flooding is inevitable, and damage to corals and other marine life has already been unleashed”
Water has been used to transport logs since we've chopped them down. I wonder if a tug with a purpose built net could deliver 100 truckloads to Marsden Point from the Far North in a few days.
Hook the net onto a Chinese ship and they wouldn't need loading. The Chinese ship could be filled with something else, tow the logs home. Float them down a slipway in China, straight into drying racks then saws.
Starting to hurt – I'm sure his pants would spontaneously combust in his wee fireside chat – what a turkey
Donald Trump has insisted he has “done nothing wrong” and does not deserve to be impeached, and made the extraordinary suggestion that he appear on live TV to read the full transcript of his controversial phone call with the Ukrainian president in a “fireside chat”.
How Don the Con locks in his support – he manipulates the situation so those that do get suckered into supporting him don't dare withdraw that support for fear of looking really stupid for ever having supported him in the first place.
As we should have heard from Hillary Clinton also in this way; – as she destroyed quote;"the sensitive government cellphone records" – FBI had ordered Hillary to supply them with before Hilary stopped wiping those records from her phone and covered it up by destroying the 30 000 files.
So why did she do this after being requested by FBI to surrender the files to them?
We know that the FBI/CIA are both historically corrupt.
But is is puzzling why Hillary was so keen on destroying the files instead of being "transparent.
So Donald trump is now challenging all by opening up the debate in public.
This is refreshing as the Democratic party won't do this,
As the impeachment inquiry was done under a "closed door policy" and Trump is opening it up for all to see and this is a positive move by trump..
I apologise if I have missed an earlier thread on this topic but surely this is an issue that is timely and shows again, quite clearly, how we shouldn't trust our economy to a party that still believes in the efficacy of the free market and self regulation. The Nat's will be using every tool at their disposal to discredit the Government over the next ten months and Dirty Politics will raise its head again. The leaky homes scandal goes on and on and it needs to be held up as a placard for all to see.
Dyer arrives at a fix price of 47 billion. It could only ever be a rough estimate. Leaky homes are NZ's housing herpes. I think we're stuck with it for 100 years. Even those builds deemed to be sound, in 50 years when another bedroom is being added on, there will be walls opened up lined in black fur.
As time passes, it looks more and more like the home owner will be responsible for setting it right.
The fiasco deserves to be a segment on 'Great technological disasters of the 20th Century.' at least Twyford just hasn't built many, we whacked up 1000's of these kid's garden forts.
Add to the leaky homes fungus-filled, there will be infrastructure failures because of low quality or too lean reinforcement or poorly fixed structures. That will result in spectacular failures similar to the 2011 CTV (Canterbury Television) building.
We have a history of mismanagement and disasters in NZ, which were entirely preventable by following good and precautionary practices. This morning the Erebus disaster was discussed by Kim in an interesting and poignant recall of that history and the thoughts of a grand-daughter to remember the tragedy of the plane crash and deaths, and the caring of the people doing the recovery and identification work.
"I've got an easy and cheap way to build one of those houses from an exotic location. (where it never rains or quakes)."
I think Erebus is like most of the incidents explored on that 'Mayday' TV show. Aircraft catastrophes so often seem to be 2 or more circumstances lining up in a row that leads to calamity.
Faulty navigational data loaded before take-off, a Captain thinking he was 10 miles to starboard and a white-out blizzard blows in.
With leaky homes, we organised the blizzard.
Now we have a standards regime frightened of getting anything that resembles egg on it's face. Friend of mine had a final inspection done recently. He failed on many points, most of them 'Tough but fair enough, it's in the code'. But an imperfection in the paintwork??
The LBP scheme fails in that it allows the regulatory authority to absolve itself of responsibility. As the only authority for building it should take full responsibility for the standard and compliance of the build. That is why we pay the fees and costs associated with consents. However, the LBP reduces local authority exposure to financial liability for future failures.
Many LBP roles are supervisory or managerial, and I suspect there are multiple signoffs by the registered LBP when they have had very little or nothing to do onsite. There is a whole industry around the consenting process that has work outsourced by local authorities, that contributes very little to design and build quality and nothing in the way of considered planning.
(A friend of mine also failed to get her compliance certificate until the second coat of paint was completed. Her basement toilet – however – was LBP certified, and never worked without backing up and spraying the small room with the result.)
The Wellingtonian met dozens of leaky home owners while researching Rottenomics. Their tales were harrowing.
"If you don't have anywhere else to go, you are trapped inside a house that is making you sick. These homes have made a lot of people sick. You are not just sick, you are demoralised. It's a downward cycle," he said.
Many lacked the money to fix their homes, and were trapped in decaying buildings.
Mental health problems and suicide would result one would think, and their numbers are rising. And it is so dispiriting to live in such a lying society, one that used to say it was classless, and praise itself to the skies, and the 1984 events show that was just propaganda, with no commitment to keep it good for all.
I know of a couple who purchased one of the Orewa leaking apartments while they were living and working overseas. Because the purchase was a rental investment, the IRD effectively reimbursed them a significant part of the remediation build as it acted as a major loss for that particular property, which reduced their overall income on their property portfolio.
It always struck me as a major failure that those who invested in these properties – and had alternative living arrangements – were able to access those financial levers that owner occupiers could not.
It seems to show an inherent bias in the system that looks after people in business making money from something, and those who are just providing for their essential living needs get the run-around. The citizen is not in the picture, and the very small businessman too has to manage without much concern about their welfare.
An interesting interview on Radionz with a deep-sea-cave diver. Clever stuff, and using tech innovations that could be crucial in understanding our seas.
Hopefully you stuck with RNZ @greywarshark for that wot followed (William Dalrymple). We might just be in time to prevent a repeat of it all. It doesn't have to be inevitable
10:05 William Dalrymple – the anarchic rise of the East India Company
Across a 30 year writing career, Scottish historian, broadcaster and critic William Dalrymple has been preoccupied with the history and culture of India.
It's the country he now calls home for half the year, spending summers in his native Scotland. With family connections to India dating back for generations, his latest book The Anarchy traces the 'relentless rise', dazzling heyday, and the sometimes shameful past of the East India Company.
At the peak of its powers, this prototype for the vast multinationals of today exerted as much power and influence as any nation state.
I remember Dalrymple saying that the East India Company had control over much of India and its wealth and industry, from a building in UK of 35? people. It was a fiefdom run for the benefit of scheming, wealthy people, and willing to squeeze the great continent of India dry. It had been going since Shakespeare's time until finally in thmid 1800's the Brits took control after it enabled the Great Bengal Famine, which is a similar stain to the Irish Potato Famine than the Lords and Ladies of Britain found acceptable to bring about.
Dalrymple mentioned Brexit and I think Boorish and to me it is a case of deja vu. The Cons are going all out for wallet weighting. They have managed to screw the people, tighten welfare and bring people to a state of degeneration in England, and I don't know if in the Wales and Scotland kingdoms they have been able to limit the downfall.
He points out that Brit made their loot (a Moghul word?) from stealing from India and from trading in the Carribean with slaves and sugar. So the might of Britain is tainted, and the people running the country are also, and no doubt have gifted their art of cunning thievery with low ethics through their family lines to the present Cons as exemplified in the swingeing swindlers in the UK Government.
I think it might be a good idea to then listen to the interview with Lady Anne Glenconner and her remniscences? of her life and relationship with Princess Margaret. She was married to Lord Colin Tennent who was very rich.
He would be similar to the top people in the East India Company and no doubt the present-day Cons. Lady Anne looks back wryly but fondly and draws a wise summary:
"[At one stage] he took off to Africa .. the whole point was you got in a canoe, went off to look animals. This lady had broken her leg and she couldn't get into the canoe. Colin was absolutely furious, came back and said 'Anne, I've had the most ghastly holiday. I think I've behaved very badly.' I said 'Colin, I really don't want to hear'. It was sort of fairly endearing."
Colin's temper was so bad he was banned for life from British Airways after an incident in California which involved him lying down on the plane kicking and screaming because there wasn't a first-class seat for him – then getting escorted off the flight by police.
Wealth is sometimes the only difference between eccentricity and madness, Anne says.
"If you're eccentric you have to have money, you can't be a poor eccentric. If you're poor then it's mad, if you're very rich then you're eccentric."
Yep, well you can see where the neo-liberal blind faith is taking us. It's now so ingrained into 'the powers that be' that they often don't even realise that it drives them in everything they do. There's a generation that's grown up knowing nothing else.
Dalrymple was a good way to end the week. Lest I offend some on TS, I opted for TDB with this:
You can't if you want certain products or services. But not everything has to be commodified and marketed. Education, knowledge, art, music for example doesn't have to be solely for the purpose of gaining a profit (above what it takes to support people actually providing it with a livable income) .
There's stuff and things that are part of the commons. Water, the air we breath, nature. Neo-libs would privatise and sell it all for a profit and as many ticket clippers as they can get away with if they thought they could keep the natives from getting restless. Especially failed pig farmers and perpetual growth merchants.
As a matter of interest OwT – have you ever written a comment under a post by MB that criticises the tone and content of it? And was yours conspicuous by its absence?
Not that I recall @greywarshark but it's possible. Do you mean – as in things going into a black hole? I've seen one or two people complain about their comments getting lost/censored but I don't think there's anything sinister in it.
IMHO, it's probably been a bit of a septem horribilis for some in Labour.
As Shane 'mis-spoke', Labour seems to have 'mis-calculated', and all of it not that necessary given a little more forethought.
While Ministers and senior public servants were 'inside the tent' pissing out and over each other, they mis-calculated the number 'outside the tent' now wanting to piss in.
In a bicultural/multicultural society where its Anglo-Saxon Toffs (and even some of those lesser Noble Savage types) let it be known to their offspring who is an acceptable partner, and who isn't – under threat of their inheretance; where transactional relationships such as 'fuckbuddies', 'friends with benefits', 'Facebooked hookups', 'open relationships', 'swinging' and Married At First Sight matchmakers are all a bit of humour and acceptable; or even where its just more convenient to just wank oneself silly over a bit of porn (at the taxpayers' expense if possible)…..
somehow the idea of parents and a few aunties and 'cousin sisters' getting together to suggest who might be suitable candidates for marriage is something we can't get our heads around.
Apparenty, the latter should jump on the next plane out of here because the next thing you know, they'll be wanting to bring the whole village with them.
The mis-calculation seems to have been the degree to which offense might be taken – not only from the loyal Labour supporters, but also from the sizable number who don't usually vote despite their eligability. They might even start to rival the Blue Dragons especially if eventually, they managed to get the whole bloody village here.
My suspicions are that there are concessions that could have been negotiated (acceptable to the 3 partners in this marriage), and with egos remaining intact. Things that relate to the growing realisation that the neo-liberal religion is a failure.
And if there weren't any concessions that could have been made, we ( either Labour, Labout/Green, Labour/Green/NZ1 supporters)are potentially in deeper shit than I imagined.
Why Cannabis & Euthanasia should be a referendum and why Abortion should not
I found fault with showing an image of Slavoj Zizek the 'peoples' philosopher but putting a saying attributed to MB beside it.
I found fault with lumping important ethical matters together for a convenient package. Each needs separate consideration as they are about our life, which is special to us, and how we live it and others allow us to live it.
And something else, can't remember. There is one comment shown, not mine which I would like to have seen even if there was no answering comment or a short disagreement.
And interestingly the comment was from a prosaic materialist who seemed more concerned about drugs, police controls, and whether insurance costs could be brought down by having less drug-fuelled accidents.
OK. Actually I vaguely remember reading that now at the time because of TrevS's comment that is still there.
I'm not sure whether the site is as resilient as TS though (having a guru maintaining it). TDB probably has one or two woopsies from time to time.
In both cases (TDB and TS), I just see myself as a guest when commenting with the sites' owners having the prerogative to run them as they see fit. I'm just glad they both exist
True about the sites, but when it comes to censoring, refusing opinions it is interesting how much self-criticism they will apply. It may of course be that they will take notice but not put or leave the comment up. I don't see it as a freedom of expression matter, more a willingness to see a wider spectrum as long as the commenter doesn't go on and too frequent.
Or we could spend our money in constant testing and workshops and committees working out what was needed last year, and five years later implementing part of that. That would be smart if you are one of those who want to provide less and less good service and help to citizens and turn the country eventually to private service, with basics for those who can't afford it. Then wait for those with a humane and ethical sense and some money, to start a charity hospital etc. as the hospital in Christchurch.
The Government’s plan to help older New Zealanders live well, Better Later Life – He Oranga Kaumātua 2019 to 2034, was launched by Seniors Minister Tracey Martin today.
“Better Later Life takes a fresh look at what is required to ensure everyone gets the chance to live well as they get older and help ensure we create opportunities for everyone to participate, contribute and be valued as they age,” Minister Martin says.
How good it would be if there was a Minister for Parents and Young Adults who was devoted to getting the resources they need to help them in their important tasks, so – 'we create opportunities for everyone to participate, contribute and be valued '. We have our ideas arse-about! We lay out deck chairs for the old age pensioners who are to be kept healthy so they can please themselves what they do for the community, of course remembering that taking interest in one’s own family is doing stuff for oneself. Some though may have to pick up their family from the total failure of the government's failure to have a well-run enterprising, sharing, distributive economy of a country that aims for vitality, creativity, well-being and opportunities for all its citizens.
The logic for the encouragement to vaping is to give nicotine addicts an alternative to tobacco (given the tar in tobacco is a carcinogen). Which sort of ignores the existence of nicotine patches and the fact that vaping is also a new means to addict young people to nicotine who have never smoked before.
Then there is the fact that vaping is itself not without risk – so encouraging it is encouraging a product that will harm its users.
For mine, vaping should only be allowed by prescription and only for tobacco addicts.
There is growing evidence that vaping THC is particularly dangerous. And as time goes by the so called extent or degree to which vaping is deemed safer than tobacco is narrowing – as more reports come in of lung damage (and vaping is still fairly recent so this is a salutatory warning).
Edit https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/402337/cockleshell-design-still-part-of-dunedin-council-s-plan
This Dunedin plan fits in with what I see as 20th century thinking. Nice design, grand in line with a Sydney Opera House special look. But those days are over, and more money than we know where to look, is going to be needed to resettle people and establish new transport routes with lots of planning and perhaps innovative engineering when the tide comes in and comes in and stays.. Where do these business people actually go to in their heads at night my lovely? A song coming on!
We have a possible fire starter in the back wings of Nelson city on the Council table, with some ratepayer money and some private, and they have encouraged Ngati Koata to invest also, and a keen lot of councillors all excited about its future for tourism. Where will tourism be in 10-15 years and will they have recovered the $50 mill envisaged when it is to be built over 10 years?
Do people remember the little harnesses that parents put on toddlers to ensure they didn't stray back in the 1960-70s? We need big ones for pollies local and central now.
What do you do when you live next door to people who do everything at the top of the decibel range? I can sympathise with this woman, having had such things happen, separately, and am lucky now that the man next door doesn't fly into many rages outside, telling his phone to fuck off. I can ignore it when it is just a few minutes of loud conversation.
A pet cockatoo at the centre of a bitter neighbourhood dispute because of its screeching has been cleared of wrongdoing, in a case described by an Adelaide judge as "completely unjustified"….
In the claim, she said the family's cockatoo screeches, their dogs bark "day and night", their young children play outside and "often scream as loud as they can" and the man whistles while he mows the lawn…
Investigations by the City of Prospect council disproved the allegations, including a report that found the noise generated by the cockatoo was not excessive and there was no cause for complaint.
The family, however, lodged a counter-claim, alleging the woman harassed them by needlessly calling the police to their property 15 times in five months, including six times because of "loud talking on Christmas Day".
Have guns, will shoot. Civilians or police, guns should be kept to the minimum, and knives etc are practically impossible to control.
A 7 year old girl is out of intensive care in Chicago after being shot in the neck in a gang confrontation.
The girl was one of several people shot in US cities during Halloween night activities. In the San Francisco Bay area community of Orinda, California, police said four people were killed in a shooting at a party. And in the eastern Utah community of Roosevelt, one man was fatally shot and a second man was stabbed to death at a party.
Are inmates still having to share cells. Changing back to single cells would be a significant and practical start. The guy up for violence has probably been threatened as a low-life in the system by the others for attacking a child. Get real government, pull your finger out and fix these blatant, obvious defects.
Building a big credit balance from taking down reasonable welfare measures is loopy and anyone impressed by these savings is a degenerate, even when they look okay on the outside.
Jail could be described as society admitting failure with socialisation. Some should be kept in for life, in some sort of isolation with safe communication with others, and some should be held for a month with the rest of the sentence suspended. There should be no double bunking.
There should be the question – What do you want to do that is positive for you, and will help you to not get back in prison? And for some it will involve going to a different location so they are away from the situation that brought them back to prison.
We could look at things, try things, differently – those things you mention are small-fry to desire compared to the very nasty crimes that have brought these people to be imprisoned, even taking drugs, (I'm not up with the street terms so imagine 'poontang' is some drug). If they can learn self-control, set themselves goals, acquire some idea of empathy for others including for their own inner consciousness, through holding those things in min
This approach would also push for other less materialistic, less immoral or debauched thinking and encouraging more spiritual, naturistic, self-respecting and reflecting thinking. That would possibly be found in the Maori programs, but would encourage both personal growth and then being involved in group experiences, both passive and active as in haka, sports of a non-contact nature where old ways of anger and bullying did not find direct expression in violent acts. Often getting an ex-con to talk to such prisoners and run discussion groups where mindsets shift could be a major step to finding a new way.
New ways have to be found in everything. The old ways have brought us to the brink of ruin.
Here is one from July but the rant is still very fresh and (lacking in) taste, ie tasteless. Spoiler – is not at all PC and contains various abusive language.
And I click da-boom what you refer to. Are you alleging that the sort of people who carry out spying details, are the type that end up in prison with egregious crime lists pinned to their orange jumpsuits?
I hope all countries can attend this vital meeting in Madrid as some with less putea will have bigger problems than wealthier countries hence their voices need to be heard.
Greta Thunberg asks for lift back across Atlantic as climate meeting shifts to Madrid
Swedish teenager needs help getting back to Europe following the COP25 meeting’s move from Chile to Spain.
As delegates to the COP25 climate summit scramble to adjust to a last-minute change of venue from Santiago to Madrid, one of the highest-profile attendees has stuck out a metaphorical thumb on social media to ask for a lift across the Atlantic.
Teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was speaking in California during a stop on her low-emissions journey from Sweden to Chile, tweeted that she was now in need of a ride to Spain.
Thunberg, who refuses to fly because of the carbon emissions involved, had been travelling by boat, train and electric car when the new venue was announced
“It turns out I’ve travelled half around the world, the wrong way:)…If anyone could help me find transport I would be so grateful,” she tweeted from Los Angeles.
Thunberg arrived in New York for the UN climate summit in August after a 14-day journey across the Atlantic in a sailing boat. Since then she has been travelling via train and an electric car borrowed from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Harjeet Singh, of environmental group ActionAid International, said moving the summit from Chile to Spain with only four weeks’ notice “presents real barriers to participation” for delegates from the southern hemisphere.
“Hotels in Madrid are already full. Last-minute flights are expensive. Visas can be difficult to obtain at short notice. This sudden decision is likely to shift the balance of power towards the wealthier countries of the global north,” he added in a statement.
It is the second time that UN authorities have had to scramble to find a new meeting place. Brazil originally welcomed the gathering then backed out after rightwing president Jair Bolsonaro took office.
Teresa Ribera, Spain’s ecological transition minister, said on Twitter on Saturday: “Dear Greta, it would be great to have you here in Madrid. You’ve made a long journey and help all of us to raise concern, open minds and enhance action. We would love to help you to cross the Atlantic back.”
We can see evedince of Ancient cultures collapseing I always thought that they collapsed because of their environment being compromised and not being able to sustain the population. Now here is the evidence of climate change collapseing society's
SCIENTISTS have stumbled across what could answer the mysterious and sudden collapse of the powerful Mesopotamian Empire some 4,000 years ago.
Mesopotamia was a huge empire that spanned much of the Middle East, including modern day Iraq, Kuwait, eastern Syria, south eastern Turkey and bordering regions. A kingdom settled on fertile lands within the Tigirs-Euphrates, Mesopotamia suddenly collapsed over a relatively short period time, eluding scientists and researchers through the age
Now, however, a study’s findings may point towards a potential answer: that Mesopotamia was caught up in a giant dust storm that the empire couldn’t cope with, resulting in inability to grow crops, famine and mass social upheaval.
Dr Tsuyoshi Watanabe of Hokkaido University, involved in the study, said in a statement: “Although the official mark of the collapse of the Akkadian Empire is the invasion of Mesopotamia by other populations, our fossil samples are windows in time showing that variations in climate significantly contributed to the empire’s decline.
You can not run a country like a business they are totally different business people run country for the wealthiest first and the rest get budget cuts.
That's good the insolvency laws change to protect the small businesses that are owed money for their services.
What amazes is why we are not taking about crime dropping in Aotearoa.
That's cool A containerised education unit to educate tamariki about wool great quality's as we change to a carbon neutral society wool will become very important in our society. A lot of Aotearoa natural export will be sort after as well.
I can remember when the 2 tennis Stars were new to the TV scene's.
Our birds are very important part of our wildlife I like all birds species they can do what humans dream.
Aotearoa has a mild stable environment we should be grateful for the great weather we have.
In Climate Lessons, a scientist explains what their research has taught them about climate change.
We live on a collection of islands that straddle the cool waters of the Southern Ocean and the warmth of the subtropical Pacific – stretching all the way from the warm beaches of Northland to the rugged and windswept beauty of Stewart Island, with large mountains ranges running down the spines of both Te Ika a Maui and Te Wai Pounamu. This stark combination of geography and topography has a significant influence on how we experience the present impacts of climate change, and what we can expect into the future.
It has been my life's work to use climate models to make predictions about New Zealand's future, but even more importantly to try and understand what they are telling us about how the world works. I believe that for us to make important decisions based on model predictions, we need to really understand them, and this matters even more as Artificial Intelligence becomes widespread in our lives.
You see all thing need to be respected and protected our Glacier provid water for billions the stability of local weather and trap carbon more than forest do.
Glacial rivers absorb carbon faster than rainforests, scientists find
‘Total surprise’ discovery overturns conventional understanding of rivers
Seascape: the state of our oceans is supported
In the turbid, frigid waters roaring from the glaciers of Canada’s high Arctic, researchers have made a surprising discovery: for decades, the northern rivers secretly pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a rate faster than the Amazon rainforest.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, flip the conventional understanding of rivers, which are largely viewed as sources of carbon emissions.
It was a total surprise,” said Dr Kyra St Pierre, a biologist at the University of British Columbia and lead researcher on the project. “Given what we know about the rivers though … the findings are intuitive when you think about it. But we were initially very surprised to see what we did.”
The discovery came from time spent collecting meltwater samples on Ellesmere Island, in Canada’s Nunavut territory, where several glaciers flow into Lake Hazen. The team of researchers also gathered samples in the Rocky Mountains and Greenland.
“We have a pretty good understanding of the state of glaciers globally,” said St Pierre. “One thing we don’t know much about is the meltwaters and what happens when it … flows into rivers and downstream lakes.”
In temperate rivers, a bounty of organic material – plant life and fish – results in higher levels of decomposition, meaning the bodies of water emit a far greater amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they absorb.
But glacial rivers, with their milky appearance and silt-laden composition, are not very hospitable to aquatic life, leading to far less organic decay – and little carbon output
That's awesome that Aotearoa and Australia are going to work together on tangata whenua issues I think Australia has a lot to do to give equality for their Tangata Whenua Aotearoa still has a bit to do to as well .
Its great to see Maori standing for Council seats. But you see Wairoa And Te Tairawhiti had very strong economy's in the 1970s there economy have not been nurtured at all by previous Government hence high unemployment that is not good for tangata.
Cool Shotover adventures is introduceding Maori Culture into their operations.
Ka pai to the 2 Maori playwrights writers winning their prize it will be good to see there mahi.
Stuff’s Sinead Boucher and NZME Takeover Leader James (Jim) GrenoonStuff Promotes Brooke Van VeldenYesterday, I came across an incredulous article by Stuff’s Kelly Dennett.It was a piece basically promoting David Seymour’s confidante and political ally, ACT’s #2, Brooke Van Velden. I admit I read the whole piece, incredulous at its ...
When Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers stood at the dispatch box this evening to announce the 2025–26 Budget, he confirmed our worst fears about the government’s commitment to resourcing the Defence budget commensurate with the dangers ...
The proposed negotiation of an Australia–Papua New Guinea defence treaty will falter unless the Australian Defence Force embraces cultural intelligence and starts being more strategic with teaching languages—starting with Tok Pisin, the most widely spoken language in ...
Bishop ignores pawnPoor old Tama Potaka says he didn't know the new RMA legislation would be tossing out the Treaty clause.However, RMA Minister Bishop says it's all good and no worries because the new RMA will still recognise Māori rights; it's just that the government prefers specific role descriptions over ...
China is using increasingly sophisticated grey-zone tactics against subsea cables in the waters around Taiwan, using a shadow-fleet playbook that could be expanded across the Indo-Pacific. On 25 February, Taiwan’s coast guard detained the Hong Tai ...
Yesterday The Post had a long exit interview with outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier, in which he complains about delinquent agencies which "haven't changed and haven't taken our moral authority on board". He talks about the limits of the Ombudsman's power of persuasion - its only power - and the need ...
Hi,Two stories have been playing over and over in my mind today, and I wanted to send you this Webworm as an excuse to get your thoughts in the comments.Because I adore the community here, and I want your sanity to weigh in.A safe space to chat, pull our hair ...
A new employment survey shows that labour market pessimism has deepened as workers worry about holding to their job, the difficulty in finding jobs, and slowing wage growth. Nurses working in primary care will get an 8 percent pay increase this year, but it still leaves them lagging behind their ...
Big gunBig gun number oneBig gunBig gun kick the hell out of youSongwriters: Ascencio / Marrow.On Sunday, I wrote about the Prime Minister’s interview in India with Maiki Sherman and certainly didn’t think I’d be writing about another of his interviews two days later.I’d been thinking of writing about something ...
The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel has surprised the country. This has caused some to question the logic of the Australia-United States alliance and risks legitimising China’s economic coercion. ...
OPINION & ANALYSIS:At the heart of everything we see in this government is simplicity. Things are simpler than they appear. Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Behind all the public relations, marketing spin, corporate overlay e.g. ...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Wang Zhongying, chief national expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute, and Kaare Sandholt, chief international expert, China Energy Transformation Programme of the Energy Research Institute China will need to install around 10,000 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar capacity ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
With many of Auckland’s political and bureaucratic leaders bowing down to vocal minorities and consistently failing to reallocate space to people in our city, recent news overseas has prompted me to point out something important. It is extremely popular to make car-dominated cities nicer, by freeing up space for people. ...
When it comes to fleet modernisation programme, the Indonesian navy seems to be biting off more than it can chew. It is not even clear why the navy is taking the bite. The news that ...
South Korea and Australia should enhance their cooperation to secure submarine cables, which carry more than 95 percent of global data traffic. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific intensify, these vital connections face risks from cyber ...
The Parliament Bill Committee has reported back on the Parliament Bill. As usual, they recommend no substantive changes, all decisions having been made in advance and in secret before the bill was introduced - but there are some minor tweaks around oversight of the new parliamentary security powers, which will ...
When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. A decision to proceed with development, deferred since July, was unexpectedly announced on 21 ...
All my best memoriesCome back clearly to meSome can even make me cry.Just like beforeIt's yesterday once more.Songwriters: Richard Lynn Carpenter / John BettisYesterday, Winston Peters gave a State of the Nation speech in which he declared War on the Woke, described peaceful protesters as fascists, said he’d take our ...
Regardless of our opinions about the politicians involved, I believe that every rational person should welcome the reestablishment of contacts between the USA and the Russian Federation. While this is only the beginning and there are no guarantees of success, it does create the opportunity to address issues ...
Once upon a time, the United States saw the contest between democracy and authoritarianism as a singularly defining issue. It was this outlook, forged in the crucible of World War II, that created such strong ...
A pre-Covid protest about medical staffing shortages outside the Beehive. Since then the situation has only worsened, with 30% of doctors trained here now migrating within a decade. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: The news this morning is dominated by the crises cascading through our health system after ...
Bargaining between the PSA and Oranga Tamariki over the collective agreement is intensifying – with more strike action likely, while the Employment Relations Authority has ordered facilitation. More than 850 laboratory staff are walking off their jobs in a week of rolling strike action. Union coverage CTU: Confidence in ...
Foreign Minister Penny Wong in 2024 said that ‘we’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacific—that’s the reality.’ China’s arrogance hurts it in the South Pacific. Mark that as a strong Australian card ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
In the past week, Israel has reverted to slaughtering civilians, starving children and welshing on the terms of the peace deal negotiated earlier this year. The IDF’s current offensive seems to be intended to render Gaza unlivable, preparatory (perhaps) to re-occupation by Israeli settlers. The short term demands for the ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 16, 2025 thru Sat, March 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy:Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb.Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the island’s relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. It’s a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australia’s national intelligence ...
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...
Hi,Journalism was never the original plan. Back in the 90s, there was no career advisor in Bethlehem, New Zealand — just a computer that would ask you 50 questions before spitting out career options. Yes, I am in this photo. No, I was not good at basketball.The top three careers ...
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview.The Kākā by Bernard Hickey Hoon: Trumpism ...
Wolff, who describes Trump as truly a ‘one of a kind’, at a book launch in Spain. Photo: GettyImagesIt may be a bumpy ride for the world but the era of Donald J. Trump will die with him if we can wait him out says the author of four best-sellers ...
Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within days—not decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, Washington Post/$, Wired/$, ...
I have argued before that one ought to be careful in retrospectively allocating texts into genres. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) only looks like science-fiction because a science-fiction genre subsequently developed. Without H.G. Wells, would Frankenstein be considered science-fiction? No, it probably wouldn’t. Viewed in the context of its time, Frankenstein ...
Elbridge Colby’s senate confirmation hearing in early March holds more important implications for US partners than most observers in Canberra, Wellington or Suva realise. As President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defence for ...
China’s defence budget is rising heftily yet again. The 2025 rise will be 7.2 percent, the same as in 2024, the government said on 5 March. But the allocation, officially US$245 billion, is just the ...
Concern is growing about wide-ranging local repercussions of the new Setting of Speed Limits rule, rewritten in 2024 by former transport minister Simeon Brown. In particular, there’s growing fears about what this means for children in particular. A key paradox of the new rule is that NZTA-controlled roads have the ...
Speilmeister:Christopher Luxon’s prime-ministerial pitches notwithstanding, are institutions with billions of dollars at their disposal really going to invest them in a country so obviously in a deep funk?HAVING WOOED THE WORLD’s investors, what, if anything, has New Zealand won? Did Christopher Luxon’s guests board their private jets fizzing with enthusiasm for ...
Christchurch City Council is one of 18 councils and three council-controlled organisations (CCOs) downgraded by ratings agency S&P. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories shortest:Standard & Poor’s has cut the credit ratings of 18 councils, blaming the new Government’s abrupt reversal of 3 Waters, cuts to capital ...
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Even though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...
What is going on with the price of butter?, RNZ, 19 march 2025: If you have bought butter recently you might have noticed something - it is a lot more expensive. Stats NZ said last week that the price of butter was up 60 percent in February compared to ...
I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...
You’d beDrunk by noon, no one would knowJust like the pandemicWithout the sourdoughIf I were there, I’d find a wayTo get treated for hysteriaEvery dayLyrics Riki Lindhome.A varied selection today in Nick’s Kōrero:Thou shalt have no other gods - with Christopher Luxon.Doctors should be seen and not heard - with ...
Two recent foreign challenges suggest that Australia needs urgently to increase its level of defence self-reliance and to ensure that the increased funding that this would require is available. First, the circumnavigation of our continent ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom/$3, NZ Herald/$, Stuff, BusinessDesk/$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT/$, WSJ/$, Bloomberg/$, New York Times/$, The Atlantic-$, The ...
According to RNZ’s embedded reporter, the importance of Winston Peters’ talks in Washington this week “cannot be overstated.” Right. “Exceptionally important.” said the maestro himself. This epic importance doesn’t seem to have culminated in anything more than us expressing our “concern” to the Americans about a series of issues that ...
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of "Climate Fresk" and at a guess, this will also be the case for many of you. I stumbled upon it in the self-service training catalog for employees at the company I work at in Germany where it was announced ...
Japan and Australia talk of ‘collective deterrence,’ but they don’t seem to have specific objectives. The relationship needs a clearer direction. The two countries should identify how they complement each other. Each country has two ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the OPC’s decision to issue a code of practice for biometric processing. Our view is that the draft code currently being consulted on is stronger and will be more effective than the exposure code released in early 2024. We are pleased that some of the revisions ...
Australia’s export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships. The Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on ...
Minister Shane Jones is introducing fastrack ‘reforms’ to the our fishing industry that will ensure the big players squeeze out the small fishers and entrench an already bankrupt quota system.Our fisheries are under severe stress: the recent decision by theHigh Court ruling that the ...
In what has become regular news, the quarterly ETS auction has failed, with nobody even bothering to bid. The immediate reason is that the carbon price has fallen to around $60, below the auction minimum of $68. And the cause of that is a government which has basically given up ...
US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have dominated headlines in India in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Trump announced that his reciprocal tariffs—matching other countries’ tariffs on American goods—will go into effect on 2 April, ...
Hi,Back in June of 2021, James Gardner-Hopkins — a former partner at law firm Russell McVeagh — was found guilty of misconduct over sexually inappropriate behaviour with interns.The events all related to law students working as summer interns at Russell McVeagh:As well as intimate touching with a student at his ...
Climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has slammed National for being ‘out of touch’ by sticking to our climate commitments. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:ACT’s renowned climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has accused National of being 'out of touch' with farmers by sticking with New Zealand’s Paris accord pledges ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Check against delivery.Kia ora koutou katoa It’s a real pleasure to join you at the inaugural New Zealand infrastructure investment summit. I’d like to welcome our overseas guests, as well as our local partners, organisations, and others.I’d also like to acknowledge: The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and other Ministers from the Coalition ...
Planning consultants have told the High Court that tangata whenua in general, and Ngāi Tahu in particular, have substantial influence over freshwater policy and decisions.Tim Ensor, principal planner at Tonkin & Taylor, and Gerard Willis, a director of the firm Enfocus, appeared as Crown witnesses in the weeks-long case taken ...
"These decisions will place the most significant restrictions on New Zealanders movements in modern history," then-PM Jacinda Ardern said in announcing our first Covid lockdown. ...
On Tuesday, the Electoral Commission released its proposed changes to electorate boundaries. Joel MacManus takes a closer look at a few electorates where new maps could mean big political changes. Rongotai Shifts left Julie Anne Genter was a surprise winner on election night when she became Rongotai’s first Green MP ...
Until 2020, it was possible to book a voyage on a cargo ship. Today, it’s virtually impossible, despite being a greener, languid alternative to air travel. Before the time of te Tiriti, there were few passenger ships. Crossing the Pacific in 1830? Usually, only a merchant could take you – ...
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Opinion: As I sat down to write this, I was struck by a perplexing realisation: there were two very different ways I could frame this same message. I could choose an approach that completely avoided terms such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, an approach that reflects the imposed framework increasingly ...
Riley Chance claims in his angry story in ReadingRoom about the failures of the Public Lending Right (PLR) that the New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) and its members are happy with and doing nicely from the current PLR system. Au contraire. The lack of any progress to the PLR ...
Brown was able to make grand promises in his 2022 campaign, unconstrained by any real understanding of how the council and its agencies worked The post Which promises is Mayor Brown really keeping? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Lawrence Smith hates to even say ‘rubbish dump’, even though he works at a place where more than half of Auckland’s waste is tipped.“It is a modern-day engineered landfill,” the chief engineer of Waste Management tells The Detail.Standing next to a noisy canon spraying an odour-killing bleach over the waste ...
The surprise election of Kirsty Coventry as president of the most powerful sports body in the world gives Barbara Kendall goosebumps.“It’s one of the most monumental events in the history of women’s leadership in sport,” she says. “I’m shocked and I don’t think the magnitude of it all will hit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tax cuts are the centrepiece of the Albanese government’s cost-of-living budget bid for re-election in May. The surprise tax measures mean taxpayers will receive an extra tax cut of up to A$268 from July 1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Digital Storytelling Team, The Conversation, The Conversation What’s the theme? Many budget measures are aimed at easing cost of living. The headline announcement is tax cuts: everyone will get one, but not until July 1 2026. Other major spends are on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra By the standards of pre-election budgets, this one is surprisingly modest. There are only a handful of new revenue and spending initiatives. The Budget Paper 2 book, which contains new measures, is a slim ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Today’s budget is a cautious and responsible response to the cost-of-living pressures facing voters. As noted ahead of budget night, many of the major spending initiatives had already ...
Asia Pacific Report A Fiji-based Pacific solidarity group supporting the indigenous Palestine struggle for survival against the Israeli settler colonial state has today issued a statement condemning Fiji backing for Israel. In an open letter to the “people of Fiji”, the Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network (F4P) has warned “your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University A report in The Atlantic today sent shockwaves through Washington and beyond: senior US officials shared military operations for a bombing campaign against Houthi ...
Ngāti Ruanui’s Crown-mandated agency said the south Taranaki iwi wasn’t opposed to improving the resource management system. But Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui kaiwhakahaere Rachel Arnott said they totally rejected not carrying over Treaty obligations. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Watson, Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Hans Wismeijer/Shutterstock In 2022, Australia and many other nations agreed to protect 30% of their lands and waters by 2030 to arrest the rapid decline in biodiversity. ...
Under proposals released by the Representation Commission, the electorates of Ōhāriu, Mana, and Ōtaki will be scrapped, and replaced by two new seats: Kenepuru, and Kāpiti. ...
"Swarbrick’s bill is antisemitic as it denies Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, the right to self defense, a right granted to all other sovereign states." ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irene Nikoloudakis, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Adelaide Getty Images Being robbed is a horrible experience under any circumstances. But being robbed by your employer involves a unique betrayal of trust. So it was a sign of real progress when ...
By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The Papua New Guinea government has admitted to using a technology that it says was “successfully tested” to block social media platforms, particularly Facebook, for much of the day yesterday. Police Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr said the “test” was done under the framework ...
Jacinda needs to wake up as this climate change report in September says it all.
How come freight road transport is still rising at an alarming rate of 6% annually while rail freight is still retreating?
Trucks are now coming from al over the central North Island with logs and are still “double handling” before dropping logs to Napier port?
Road transport claimed rail was “not viable because of double handling but trucks are now double handling too?
So our road transport (GHG) ‘Greenhouse gas emissions’ are now rising, while if government switched to using rail freight they would would reduce road freight (GHG) emissions. Jacinda; “Lets do this”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/09/25/new-un-climate-report-massive-change-already-here-worlds-oceans-frozen-regions/
“Climate and Environment
New U.N. climate report: Monumental change already here for world’s oceans and frozen regions
Growing coastal flooding is inevitable, and damage to corals and other marine life has already been unleashed”
There is the inconsistency of growing trees for GW mitigation when we transport the logs the way we do.
Water has been used to transport logs since we've chopped them down. I wonder if a tug with a purpose built net could deliver 100 truckloads to Marsden Point from the Far North in a few days.
Hook the net onto a Chinese ship and they wouldn't need loading. The Chinese ship could be filled with something else, tow the logs home. Float them down a slipway in China, straight into drying racks then saws.
Starting to hurt – I'm sure his pants would spontaneously combust in his wee fireside chat – what a turkey
How Don the Con locks in his support – he manipulates the situation so those that do get suckered into supporting him don't dare withdraw that support for fear of looking really stupid for ever having supported him in the first place.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/11/01/the-five-people-who-could-have-stopped-trump-229894
the
full
report
yeah, right. Tui.
Come on EW, rub their fucking noses in it. Katie Hill for VP!
https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1189988232626417664
https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1189988079249035271
Sadly, she's not old enough to become veep. She was born in 1987.
The unemployed ex husband will be sued for damages and thus not receive one penny in the divorce settlement. Stupid as.
'November 2019' – Happy Blade Runner day.
I look forward to hearing from Don "the accused".
As we should have heard from Hillary Clinton also in this way; – as she destroyed quote;"the sensitive government cellphone records" – FBI had ordered Hillary to supply them with before Hilary stopped wiping those records from her phone and covered it up by destroying the 30 000 files.
So why did she do this after being requested by FBI to surrender the files to them?
We know that the FBI/CIA are both historically corrupt.
But is is puzzling why Hillary was so keen on destroying the files instead of being "transparent.
So Donald trump is now challenging all by opening up the debate in public.
This is refreshing as the Democratic party won't do this,
As the impeachment inquiry was done under a "closed door policy" and Trump is opening it up for all to see and this is a positive move by trump..
But her emails!
Pffft
My local paper recently published a review of Peter Dyer's book "The story of New Zealand's leaky home disaster". I then found this article on Stuff, reviewing the same book, https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/116236850/the-rottenomics-of-the-47-billion-leaky-homes-market-failure?fbclid=IwAR0UC0-Et8k8JJMqfy8dPNx7H2bK23sT84RbCYu94yfYtl5ru_bTd6AxeAY.
I apologise if I have missed an earlier thread on this topic but surely this is an issue that is timely and shows again, quite clearly, how we shouldn't trust our economy to a party that still believes in the efficacy of the free market and self regulation. The Nat's will be using every tool at their disposal to discredit the Government over the next ten months and Dirty Politics will raise its head again. The leaky homes scandal goes on and on and it needs to be held up as a placard for all to see.
Dyer arrives at a fix price of 47 billion. It could only ever be a rough estimate. Leaky homes are NZ's housing herpes. I think we're stuck with it for 100 years. Even those builds deemed to be sound, in 50 years when another bedroom is being added on, there will be walls opened up lined in black fur.
As time passes, it looks more and more like the home owner will be responsible for setting it right.
The fiasco deserves to be a segment on 'Great technological disasters of the 20th Century.' at least Twyford just hasn't built many, we whacked up 1000's of these kid's garden forts.
Add to the leaky homes fungus-filled, there will be infrastructure failures because of low quality or too lean reinforcement or poorly fixed structures. That will result in spectacular failures similar to the 2011 CTV (Canterbury Television) building.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/99420943/why-is-noone-being-prosecuted-for-the-ctv-building-collapse-tragedy (2017)
We have a history of mismanagement and disasters in NZ, which were entirely preventable by following good and precautionary practices. This morning the Erebus disaster was discussed by Kim in an interesting and poignant recall of that history and the thoughts of a grand-daughter to remember the tragedy of the plane crash and deaths, and the caring of the people doing the recovery and identification work.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018720412/granddaughter-of-erebus-victim-on-her-quest-for-the-truth
We fell prey to discount fashion.
"I've got an easy and cheap way to build one of those houses from an exotic location. (where it never rains or quakes)."
I think Erebus is like most of the incidents explored on that 'Mayday' TV show. Aircraft catastrophes so often seem to be 2 or more circumstances lining up in a row that leads to calamity.
Faulty navigational data loaded before take-off, a Captain thinking he was 10 miles to starboard and a white-out blizzard blows in.
With leaky homes, we organised the blizzard.
Now we have a standards regime frightened of getting anything that resembles egg on it's face. Friend of mine had a final inspection done recently. He failed on many points, most of them 'Tough but fair enough, it's in the code'. But an imperfection in the paintwork??
The LBP scheme fails in that it allows the regulatory authority to absolve itself of responsibility. As the only authority for building it should take full responsibility for the standard and compliance of the build. That is why we pay the fees and costs associated with consents. However, the LBP reduces local authority exposure to financial liability for future failures.
Many LBP roles are supervisory or managerial, and I suspect there are multiple signoffs by the registered LBP when they have had very little or nothing to do onsite. There is a whole industry around the consenting process that has work outsourced by local authorities, that contributes very little to design and build quality and nothing in the way of considered planning.
(A friend of mine also failed to get her compliance certificate until the second coat of paint was completed. Her basement toilet – however – was LBP certified, and never worked without backing up and spraying the small room with the result.)
"Builders who could not convince insurers their work was sound would not be able to operate"
Yeah that'll fix it. Let insurance companies be the watchdog.
God stiffen the bloody crows!
From the link in 6.1
The Wellingtonian met dozens of leaky home owners while researching Rottenomics. Their tales were harrowing.
"If you don't have anywhere else to go, you are trapped inside a house that is making you sick. These homes have made a lot of people sick. You are not just sick, you are demoralised. It's a downward cycle," he said.
Many lacked the money to fix their homes, and were trapped in decaying buildings.
Mental health problems and suicide would result one would think, and their numbers are rising. And it is so dispiriting to live in such a lying society, one that used to say it was classless, and praise itself to the skies, and the 1984 events show that was just propaganda, with no commitment to keep it good for all.
I know of a couple who purchased one of the Orewa leaking apartments while they were living and working overseas. Because the purchase was a rental investment, the IRD effectively reimbursed them a significant part of the remediation build as it acted as a major loss for that particular property, which reduced their overall income on their property portfolio.
It always struck me as a major failure that those who invested in these properties – and had alternative living arrangements – were able to access those financial levers that owner occupiers could not.
It seems to show an inherent bias in the system that looks after people in business making money from something, and those who are just providing for their essential living needs get the run-around. The citizen is not in the picture, and the very small businessman too has to manage without much concern about their welfare.
An interesting interview on Radionz with a deep-sea-cave diver. Clever stuff, and using tech innovations that could be crucial in understanding our seas.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018720417/cave-diver-jill-heinerth
Hopefully you stuck with RNZ @greywarshark for that wot followed (William Dalrymple). We might just be in time to prevent a repeat of it all. It doesn't have to be inevitable
OwT I thought that Dalrymple was riveting.
10:05 William Dalrymple – the anarchic rise of the East India Company
Across a 30 year writing career, Scottish historian, broadcaster and critic William Dalrymple has been preoccupied with the history and culture of India.
It's the country he now calls home for half the year, spending summers in his native Scotland. With family connections to India dating back for generations, his latest book The Anarchy traces the 'relentless rise', dazzling heyday, and the sometimes shameful past of the East India Company.
At the peak of its powers, this prototype for the vast multinationals of today exerted as much power and influence as any nation state.
I remember Dalrymple saying that the East India Company had control over much of India and its wealth and industry, from a building in UK of 35? people. It was a fiefdom run for the benefit of scheming, wealthy people, and willing to squeeze the great continent of India dry. It had been going since Shakespeare's time until finally in thmid 1800's the Brits took control after it enabled the Great Bengal Famine, which is a similar stain to the Irish Potato Famine than the Lords and Ladies of Britain found acceptable to bring about.
Dalrymple mentioned Brexit and I think Boorish and to me it is a case of deja vu. The Cons are going all out for wallet weighting. They have managed to screw the people, tighten welfare and bring people to a state of degeneration in England, and I don't know if in the Wales and Scotland kingdoms they have been able to limit the downfall.
He points out that Brit made their loot (a Moghul word?) from stealing from India and from trading in the Carribean with slaves and sugar. So the might of Britain is tainted, and the people running the country are also, and no doubt have gifted their art of cunning thievery with low ethics through their family lines to the present Cons as exemplified in the swingeing swindlers in the UK Government.
I think it might be a good idea to then listen to the interview with Lady Anne Glenconner and her remniscences? of her life and relationship with Princess Margaret. She was married to Lord Colin Tennent who was very rich.
He would be similar to the top people in the East India Company and no doubt the present-day Cons. Lady Anne looks back wryly but fondly and draws a wise summary:
"[At one stage] he took off to Africa .. the whole point was you got in a canoe, went off to look animals. This lady had broken her leg and she couldn't get into the canoe. Colin was absolutely furious, came back and said 'Anne, I've had the most ghastly holiday. I think I've behaved very badly.' I said 'Colin, I really don't want to hear'. It was sort of fairly endearing."
Colin's temper was so bad he was banned for life from British Airways after an incident in California which involved him lying down on the plane kicking and screaming because there wasn't a first-class seat for him – then getting escorted off the flight by police.
Wealth is sometimes the only difference between eccentricity and madness, Anne says.
"If you're eccentric you have to have money, you can't be a poor eccentric. If you're poor then it's mad, if you're very rich then you're eccentric."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018719473/lady-anne-glenconner-i-ve-got-a-hell-of-a-lot-of-very-good-stories
Yep, well you can see where the neo-liberal blind faith is taking us. It's now so ingrained into 'the powers that be' that they often don't even realise that it drives them in everything they do. There's a generation that's grown up knowing nothing else.
Dalrymple was a good way to end the week. Lest I offend some on TS, I opted for TDB with this:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/11/02/the-daily-blog-open-mic-saturday-2nd-november-2019/
How do I avoid engaging with neo liberals if I want a phone, electricity and a car? It drives everything we all do.
If I want a fishing boat and enough savings to get my kid through Uni I can't see how I can do it without engaging with neo liberal gameplay.
I'm encouraging Xero, Contact energy, Spark, Nissan…aren't we all?
You can't if you want certain products or services. But not everything has to be commodified and marketed. Education, knowledge, art, music for example doesn't have to be solely for the purpose of gaining a profit (above what it takes to support people actually providing it with a livable income) .
There's stuff and things that are part of the commons. Water, the air we breath, nature. Neo-libs would privatise and sell it all for a profit and as many ticket clippers as they can get away with if they thought they could keep the natives from getting restless. Especially failed pig farmers and perpetual growth merchants.
As a matter of interest OwT – have you ever written a comment under a post by MB that criticises the tone and content of it? And was yours conspicuous by its absence?
Not that I recall @greywarshark but it's possible. Do you mean – as in things going into a black hole? I've seen one or two people complain about their comments getting lost/censored but I don't think there's anything sinister in it.
Come on – we are on the left and our job is to find sinister wherever it lurks!
Oh – Do you mean as in https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/11/01/the-daily-blog-open-mic-saturday-2nd-november-2019/ now seems to have disappeared up it's own derriere?
If so – here's the comment:
IMHO, it's probably been a bit of a septem horribilis for some in Labour.
As Shane 'mis-spoke', Labour seems to have 'mis-calculated', and all of it not that necessary given a little more forethought.
While Ministers and senior public servants were 'inside the tent' pissing out and over each other, they mis-calculated the number 'outside the tent' now wanting to piss in.
In a bicultural/multicultural society where its Anglo-Saxon Toffs (and even some of those lesser Noble Savage types) let it be known to their offspring who is an acceptable partner, and who isn't – under threat of their inheretance; where transactional relationships such as 'fuckbuddies', 'friends with benefits', 'Facebooked hookups', 'open relationships', 'swinging' and Married At First Sight matchmakers are all a bit of humour and acceptable; or even where its just more convenient to just wank oneself silly over a bit of porn (at the taxpayers' expense if possible)…..
somehow the idea of parents and a few aunties and 'cousin sisters' getting together to suggest who might be suitable candidates for marriage is something we can't get our heads around.
Apparenty, the latter should jump on the next plane out of here because the next thing you know, they'll be wanting to bring the whole village with them.
The mis-calculation seems to have been the degree to which offense might be taken – not only from the loyal Labour supporters, but also from the sizable number who don't usually vote despite their eligability. They might even start to rival the Blue Dragons especially if eventually, they managed to get the whole bloody village here.
My suspicions are that there are concessions that could have been negotiated (acceptable to the 3 partners in this marriage), and with egos remaining intact. Things that relate to the growing realisation that the neo-liberal religion is a failure.
And if there weren't any concessions that could have been made, we ( either Labour, Labout/Green, Labour/Green/NZ1 supporters)are potentially in deeper shit than I imagined.
Where I noticed that my comment vanished was on this from MB – TDB:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/10/29/why-cannabis-euthanasia-should-be-a-referendum-and-why-abortion-should-not/
Why Cannabis & Euthanasia should be a referendum and why Abortion should not
I found fault with showing an image of Slavoj Zizek the 'peoples' philosopher but putting a saying attributed to MB beside it.
I found fault with lumping important ethical matters together for a convenient package. Each needs separate consideration as they are about our life, which is special to us, and how we live it and others allow us to live it.
And something else, can't remember. There is one comment shown, not mine which I would like to have seen even if there was no answering comment or a short disagreement.
And interestingly the comment was from a prosaic materialist who seemed more concerned about drugs, police controls, and whether insurance costs could be brought down by having less drug-fuelled accidents.
OK. Actually I vaguely remember reading that now at the time because of TrevS's comment that is still there.
I'm not sure whether the site is as resilient as TS though (having a guru maintaining it). TDB probably has one or two woopsies from time to time.
In both cases (TDB and TS), I just see myself as a guest when commenting with the sites' owners having the prerogative to run them as they see fit. I'm just glad they both exist
True about the sites, but when it comes to censoring, refusing opinions it is interesting how much self-criticism they will apply. It may of course be that they will take notice but not put or leave the comment up. I don't see it as a freedom of expression matter, more a willingness to see a wider spectrum as long as the commenter doesn't go on and too frequent.
Beto drops out.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beto-orourke-2020-election-drops-out_n_5d52c5fbe4b0cfeed1a39b41
Looking like Kamala Harris won't last much longer either …
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-new-hampshire_n_5dbc8703e4b0fffdb0f698e8
More weasel words from the state.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/117080021/were-committed-to-safe-staffing-levels–tdhb
The DHB has a green, yellow red system to know the levels of 'busyness' in its ED. A system DHBs wanted implemented for exactly this reason.
The notion that they need an enquiry is dishonest, stalling and borderline neglectful.
Mandatory nurse/patient ration of 1 to four. Simple, unambiguous and easy to implement. Just need to open the purse strings.
If we want the health system to never change how it does things, by all means set a fixed ratio across the board.
Or we could spend the same money doing things smarter and keep the staff increases for areas like ED where I agree it is the most sensible answer.
Or we could spend our money in constant testing and workshops and committees working out what was needed last year, and five years later implementing part of that. That would be smart if you are one of those who want to provide less and less good service and help to citizens and turn the country eventually to private service, with basics for those who can't afford it. Then wait for those with a humane and ethical sense and some money, to start a charity hospital etc. as the hospital in Christchurch.
https://charityhospital.org.nz/our-services/
https://charityhospital.org.nz/
I'd say we agree what smart is not.
I was talking in the context of ED when I mentioned the ratio. This is from a 30 year veteran of our local ED.
They have seen many 'smart' initiatives come and go, almost exclusively imposed from above. The beauty of the ratio is that it is simple.
That doesn't mean no other initiatives, but a ratio is an excellent measure of any initiative.
I agree, in ED.
The Government’s plan to help older New Zealanders live well, Better Later Life – He Oranga Kaumātua 2019 to 2034, was launched by Seniors Minister Tracey Martin today.
“Better Later Life takes a fresh look at what is required to ensure everyone gets the chance to live well as they get older and help ensure we create opportunities for everyone to participate, contribute and be valued as they age,” Minister Martin says.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1911/S00007/better-later-life-launched.htm
How good it would be if there was a Minister for Parents and Young Adults who was devoted to getting the resources they need to help them in their important tasks, so – 'we create opportunities for everyone to participate, contribute and be valued '. We have our ideas arse-about! We lay out deck chairs for the old age pensioners who are to be kept healthy so they can please themselves what they do for the community, of course remembering that taking interest in one’s own family is doing stuff for oneself. Some though may have to pick up their family from the total failure of the government's failure to have a well-run enterprising, sharing, distributive economy of a country that aims for vitality, creativity, well-being and opportunities for all its citizens.
The logic for the encouragement to vaping is to give nicotine addicts an alternative to tobacco (given the tar in tobacco is a carcinogen). Which sort of ignores the existence of nicotine patches and the fact that vaping is also a new means to addict young people to nicotine who have never smoked before.
Then there is the fact that vaping is itself not without risk – so encouraging it is encouraging a product that will harm its users.
For mine, vaping should only be allowed by prescription and only for tobacco addicts.
There is growing evidence that vaping THC is particularly dangerous. And as time goes by the so called extent or degree to which vaping is deemed safer than tobacco is narrowing – as more reports come in of lung damage (and vaping is still fairly recent so this is a salutatory warning).
Edit
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/402337/cockleshell-design-still-part-of-dunedin-council-s-plan
This Dunedin plan fits in with what I see as 20th century thinking. Nice design, grand in line with a Sydney Opera House special look. But those days are over, and more money than we know where to look, is going to be needed to resettle people and establish new transport routes with lots of planning and perhaps innovative engineering when the tide comes in and comes in and stays.. Where do these business people actually go to in their heads at night my lovely? A song coming on!
We have a possible fire starter in the back wings of Nelson city on the Council table, with some ratepayer money and some private, and they have encouraged Ngati Koata to invest also, and a keen lot of councillors all excited about its future for tourism. Where will tourism be in 10-15 years and will they have recovered the $50 mill envisaged when it is to be built over 10 years?
Do people remember the little harnesses that parents put on toddlers to ensure they didn't stray back in the 1960-70s? We need big ones for pollies local and central now.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8JOi1q5ugs
What do you do when you live next door to people who do everything at the top of the decibel range? I can sympathise with this woman, having had such things happen, separately, and am lucky now that the man next door doesn't fly into many rages outside, telling his phone to fuck off. I can ignore it when it is just a few minutes of loud conversation.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/pet-cockatoo-centre-adelaide-neighbourhood-dispute-cleared-wrongdoing
A pet cockatoo at the centre of a bitter neighbourhood dispute because of its screeching has been cleared of wrongdoing, in a case described by an Adelaide judge as "completely unjustified"….
In the claim, she said the family's cockatoo screeches, their dogs bark "day and night", their young children play outside and "often scream as loud as they can" and the man whistles while he mows the lawn…
Investigations by the City of Prospect council disproved the allegations, including a report that found the noise generated by the cockatoo was not excessive and there was no cause for complaint.
The family, however, lodged a counter-claim, alleging the woman harassed them by needlessly calling the police to their property 15 times in five months, including six times because of "loud talking on Christmas Day".
Have guns, will shoot. Civilians or police, guns should be kept to the minimum, and knives etc are practically impossible to control.
A 7 year old girl is out of intensive care in Chicago after being shot in the neck in a gang confrontation.
The girl was one of several people shot in US cities during Halloween night activities. In the San Francisco Bay area community of Orinda, California, police said four people were killed in a shooting at a party. And in the eastern Utah community of Roosevelt, one man was fatally shot and a second man was stabbed to death at a party.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/young-girl-shot-in-neck-trick-treating-us
Are inmates still having to share cells. Changing back to single cells would be a significant and practical start. The guy up for violence has probably been threatened as a low-life in the system by the others for attacking a child. Get real government, pull your finger out and fix these blatant, obvious defects.
Building a big credit balance from taking down reasonable welfare measures is loopy and anyone impressed by these savings is a degenerate, even when they look okay on the outside.
Look at this absolute horror story re sharing cells…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/spotlight/news/article.cfm?c_id=1504095&objectid=12109680
Jail could be described as society admitting failure with socialisation. Some should be kept in for life, in some sort of isolation with safe communication with others, and some should be held for a month with the rest of the sentence suspended. There should be no double bunking.
There should be the question – What do you want to do that is positive for you, and will help you to not get back in prison? And for some it will involve going to a different location so they are away from the situation that brought them back to prison.
What if they reply a Penthouse,a Porsche and some poontang?
We could look at things, try things, differently – those things you mention are small-fry to desire compared to the very nasty crimes that have brought these people to be imprisoned, even taking drugs, (I'm not up with the street terms so imagine 'poontang' is some drug). If they can learn self-control, set themselves goals, acquire some idea of empathy for others including for their own inner consciousness, through holding those things in min
This approach would also push for other less materialistic, less immoral or debauched thinking and encouraging more spiritual, naturistic, self-respecting and reflecting thinking. That would possibly be found in the Maori programs, but would encourage both personal growth and then being involved in group experiences, both passive and active as in haka, sports of a non-contact nature where old ways of anger and bullying did not find direct expression in violent acts. Often getting an ex-con to talk to such prisoners and run discussion groups where mindsets shift could be a major step to finding a new way.
New ways have to be found in everything. The old ways have brought us to the brink of ruin.
Given the other contents of the briefcase, poontang must be a type of pie.
Edit
Pie – good. Jonathan Pie – very good.
Here is one from July but the rant is still very fresh and (lacking in) taste, ie tasteless. Spoiler – is not at all PC and contains various abusive language.
(https://www.facebook.com/JonathanPieReporter/videos/478841486001399/?v=478841486001399
And I click da-boom what you refer to. Are you alleging that the sort of people who carry out spying details, are the type that end up in prison with egregious crime lists pinned to their orange jumpsuits?
'poontang' is 'pussy'….not the feline kind!
ruiner of innocence, you.
Kia Ora Breakfast.
Papatuanuku is a real miracle that humans are literally turning into a nightmare
There were heaps of fireworks getting lit were I was yesterday nite and the night before.
A digger stuck in the mud I can remember someone give a bull CV first day he got the digger stuck.
Early Child Education is a very important mahi.
Ka kite Ano
I hope all countries can attend this vital meeting in Madrid as some with less putea will have bigger problems than wealthier countries hence their voices need to be heard.
Greta Thunberg asks for lift back across Atlantic as climate meeting shifts to Madrid
Swedish teenager needs help getting back to Europe following the COP25 meeting’s move from Chile to Spain.
As delegates to the COP25 climate summit scramble to adjust to a last-minute change of venue from Santiago to Madrid, one of the highest-profile attendees has stuck out a metaphorical thumb on social media to ask for a lift across the Atlantic.
Teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was speaking in California during a stop on her low-emissions journey from Sweden to Chile, tweeted that she was now in need of a ride to Spain.
Thunberg, who refuses to fly because of the carbon emissions involved, had been travelling by boat, train and electric car when the new venue was announced
“It turns out I’ve travelled half around the world, the wrong way:)…If anyone could help me find transport I would be so grateful,” she tweeted from Los Angeles.
Thunberg arrived in New York for the UN climate summit in August after a 14-day journey across the Atlantic in a sailing boat. Since then she has been travelling via train and an electric car borrowed from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Harjeet Singh, of environmental group ActionAid International, said moving the summit from Chile to Spain with only four weeks’ notice “presents real barriers to participation” for delegates from the southern hemisphere.
“Hotels in Madrid are already full. Last-minute flights are expensive. Visas can be difficult to obtain at short notice. This sudden decision is likely to shift the balance of power towards the wealthier countries of the global north,” he added in a statement.
It is the second time that UN authorities have had to scramble to find a new meeting place. Brazil originally welcomed the gathering then backed out after rightwing president Jair Bolsonaro took office.
Teresa Ribera, Spain’s ecological transition minister, said on Twitter on Saturday: “Dear Greta, it would be great to have you here in Madrid. You’ve made a long journey and help all of us to raise concern, open minds and enhance action. We would love to help you to cross the Atlantic back.”
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/03/greta-thunberg-asks-for-lift-back-across-atlantic-as-climate-meeting-shifts-to-madrid
We can see evedince of Ancient cultures collapseing I always thought that they collapsed because of their environment being compromised and not being able to sustain the population. Now here is the evidence of climate change collapseing society's
SCIENTISTS have stumbled across what could answer the mysterious and sudden collapse of the powerful Mesopotamian Empire some 4,000 years ago.
Mesopotamia was a huge empire that spanned much of the Middle East, including modern day Iraq, Kuwait, eastern Syria, south eastern Turkey and bordering regions. A kingdom settled on fertile lands within the Tigirs-Euphrates, Mesopotamia suddenly collapsed over a relatively short period time, eluding scientists and researchers through the age
Now, however, a study’s findings may point towards a potential answer: that Mesopotamia was caught up in a giant dust storm that the empire couldn’t cope with, resulting in inability to grow crops, famine and mass social upheaval.
Dr Tsuyoshi Watanabe of Hokkaido University, involved in the study, said in a statement: “Although the official mark of the collapse of the Akkadian Empire is the invasion of Mesopotamia by other populations, our fossil samples are windows in time showing that variations in climate significantly contributed to the empire’s decline.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1198516/ancient-history-latest-news-mesopotamia-iraq-syria-middle-east-dust-storm-archaeology-scie/amp
Kia Ora 1 News.
Smog carbon Air pollution is a big problem in most cities.
We need to stop burning stuff to protect our futures environment.
A new River Queen for Kaiapoi the locals seen quite happy.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
I think that Iwi should be included in the discussion on our Wai Awa and Tangaroa.
Catfish are in our Awa they are a fast breeders.
Good to see someone savings some of the native fresh Wai species of Aotearoa.
Ka pai to Waitaha for getting there Kapa Haka going.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Breakfast.
You can not run a country like a business they are totally different business people run country for the wealthiest first and the rest get budget cuts.
That's good the insolvency laws change to protect the small businesses that are owed money for their services.
What amazes is why we are not taking about crime dropping in Aotearoa.
That's cool A containerised education unit to educate tamariki about wool great quality's as we change to a carbon neutral society wool will become very important in our society. A lot of Aotearoa natural export will be sort after as well.
I can remember when the 2 tennis Stars were new to the TV scene's.
Our birds are very important part of our wildlife I like all birds species they can do what humans dream.
Ka kite Ano
Aotearoa has a mild stable environment we should be grateful for the great weather we have.
In Climate Lessons, a scientist explains what their research has taught them about climate change.
We live on a collection of islands that straddle the cool waters of the Southern Ocean and the warmth of the subtropical Pacific – stretching all the way from the warm beaches of Northland to the rugged and windswept beauty of Stewart Island, with large mountains ranges running down the spines of both Te Ika a Maui and Te Wai Pounamu. This stark combination of geography and topography has a significant influence on how we experience the present impacts of climate change, and what we can expect into the future.
It has been my life's work to use climate models to make predictions about New Zealand's future, but even more importantly to try and understand what they are telling us about how the world works. I believe that for us to make important decisions based on model predictions, we need to really understand them, and this matters even more as Artificial Intelligence becomes widespread in our lives.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/117080103/climate-lessons-how-global-warming-affects-new-zealands-wind-and-rain
You see all thing need to be respected and protected our Glacier provid water for billions the stability of local weather and trap carbon more than forest do.
Glacial rivers absorb carbon faster than rainforests, scientists find
‘Total surprise’ discovery overturns conventional understanding of rivers
Seascape: the state of our oceans is supported
In the turbid, frigid waters roaring from the glaciers of Canada’s high Arctic, researchers have made a surprising discovery: for decades, the northern rivers secretly pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a rate faster than the Amazon rainforest.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, flip the conventional understanding of rivers, which are largely viewed as sources of carbon emissions.
It was a total surprise,” said Dr Kyra St Pierre, a biologist at the University of British Columbia and lead researcher on the project. “Given what we know about the rivers though … the findings are intuitive when you think about it. But we were initially very surprised to see what we did.”
The discovery came from time spent collecting meltwater samples on Ellesmere Island, in Canada’s Nunavut territory, where several glaciers flow into Lake Hazen. The team of researchers also gathered samples in the Rocky Mountains and Greenland.
“We have a pretty good understanding of the state of glaciers globally,” said St Pierre. “One thing we don’t know much about is the meltwaters and what happens when it … flows into rivers and downstream lakes.”
In temperate rivers, a bounty of organic material – plant life and fish – results in higher levels of decomposition, meaning the bodies of water emit a far greater amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they absorb.
But glacial rivers, with their milky appearance and silt-laden composition, are not very hospitable to aquatic life, leading to far less organic decay – and little carbon output
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/25/scientists-glacial-rivers-absorb-carbon-faster-rainforests
Kia 1 NEWS
That's awesome that Aotearoa and Australia are going to work together on tangata whenua issues I think Australia has a lot to do to give equality for their Tangata Whenua Aotearoa still has a bit to do to as well .
Droughts and Global warming are hand in hand.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Its great to see Maori standing for Council seats. But you see Wairoa And Te Tairawhiti had very strong economy's in the 1970s there economy have not been nurtured at all by previous Government hence high unemployment that is not good for tangata.
Cool Shotover adventures is introduceding Maori Culture into their operations.
Ka pai to the 2 Maori playwrights writers winning their prize it will be good to see there mahi.
Ka kite Ano.