Good news about the selection of Claire Szabo as Labour party president. I think she is well qualified to do a great job. She has certainly done good things at Habitat for Humanity.
She was surely the no.1 choice by far given who she was up against.
I take it you don't approve of the appointment of Claire? I think she will handle things significantly better than the last unionist. The handling of the complaints weren't exactly handled well by the last unionist Nigel Haworth.
IMO, your whole comment @ 1.1.2.1 was a misinterpretation of Jimmy’s comment @ 1.1.2, in which he highlighted or opined rather that newly elected President will handle of “the complaints” [my bold] better than the previous President, who, of course lost his job for exactly that reason.
Somehow, you took this to mean that the “party presidents sole prerequisite to fill the role is the ability to handle complaints” [sic] and that Jimmy “expect[s] the position to be a glorified councillor role” [sic]. In other words, you were making it up.
On the lack of any other evidence that szabo was better than phillips in Jimmy’s eyes, I was demeaning of Jimmy's statement that Szabo was the far superior candidate. Apart from Szabo not being a unionist and being able to handle complaints better in Jimmy's eyes, I am yet to be convinced that Jimmy's statement is true
edit – or that selecting a CEO over a Unionist a year out from an election was a good thing for the party.
[Ok, it seems it is time to wear my Moderator hat.
Jimmy opined that she would handle complaints better. That is a strong argument because the previous President lost his job because of his poor handling of complaints. I suppose this assertion by Jimmy @ 1 got up your nose “[s]he was surely the no.1 choice by far given who she was up against.” You reacted to it with and based on your assumptions but did not ask Jimmy for his reasons nor did you give a counter-argument as to why the other candidate was a better choice in your opinion. You were not interested in a debate or a contest of opinions, just in lashing out at Jimmy. As you said, you were “demeaning” Jimmy’s statements and opinions. By extension, you were also demeaning the choice of the successful candidate. Do you think you know better than the LPNZ?
Jimmy did not make the comparison between CEO and Unionist. In fact, it was you who came up with it @ 1.1.
Lastly, whether or not “selecting a CEO over a Unionist a year out from an election was a good thing for the party” is your question, not Jimmy’s.
Please stop demeaning people’s opinions and agree to disagree if you cannot reach a compromise position. Please stop attributing words or meanings to other commenters and stick to what is said, i.e. don’t make up shit. As long as you stick to the simple and lenient rules of this site, you’re free to provide your opinion here – Incognito]
Hopefully there are no more skeletons to appear. I think she will be far better than the other candidates at helping them to get re-elected in 2020. She is quite a smart lady……but then…thats just my opinion.
She has a music degree from Auckland, an education degree from Trinity in Dublin, a degree in commerce and administration from Victoria, and a masters in public administration from Harvard.
At Habitat for Humanity, she oversaw the operations of 11 charities that delivered housing to low-income people in New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Nepal.
When was he a trade unionist? I thought he was a retired Professor from Auckland University. He was, about 12 years ago the President of the University Staff Association but that isn't normally anything like a a professional full-time union job
You are absolutely correct. However I really don't think my interpretation can be regarded as anything other than warranted.
On the other hand I think Sacha's very funny suggestion may be a little, but only a little, unlikely.
Perhaps he was a member of Oswald Moseley's lot from before WW 2? That had various names, starting with The British Union of Fascists in 1932 but always included the word Union.
Nuance and context are not your strong suits apparently.
Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with people of goodwill and families in housing need, to eliminate sub-standard housing.
We were involved with H4H for a number of years. Like all things human they aren't perfect or above all criticism, but we were impressed at the very real results they could deliver.
A good organisation, with good people doing mostly good things. Claire's background with them is a positive sign.
The organisation might be an NGO, but blairite neo liberals worshipped NGO CEO's. The perfect meld of Private and Public apparently.
This is not a criticism of Szabo per se, it's more questioning why Labour would choose a CEO over a Trade Unionist, at a time when Labour is losing touch with largely blue collar working electorates who need the unions more and more to ensure job security.
Your framing is a little off, IMO. They chose the better candidate and I’d like to think the reasons and criteria for this decision were broader and more nuanced than your comparison of CEO vs. Trade Unionist.
I have no idea about who worships whom or what but you obviously know more about this and think this is relevant to the election of President of the LPNZ.
Not all NGOs are non-profit organisations but that nuance is also lost in your comments.
Did you notice the two organisations with which she was associated- English language learning for migrants, and Habitat for Humanty New Zealand. Who? Read this.
its not <I>shining</I> paragons I’m after. It’s just not ngo pseudo neo-liberals. Think the blairite third way is good for society? Support Szabo. I’m allowed to reserve judgement
"Ardern’s experience of the past two years may have changed her perception of the neoliberal status-quo. Like David Lange before her, the Prime Minister appears to have entered office with a belief that economists, like electricians, were apolitical technicians. If the lights no longer come on – call an electrician. If an economy no longer delivers for the poor and the marginalised – then order Treasury economists to fix it. Two years on, there are signs that Ardern is beginning to grasp why “political economy” has always been a clearer term than “economics”. The wisely cynical are forever reminding us that “you can’t keep politics out of politics”. Well, it’s even more impossible to keep it out of economics!"
I'm reminded of some matter that Labour brought forward before one election and John Key was dismissive and annoyed because 'they were turning it into a political matter.' The understanding that everything is political, has somehow been disregarded and has slipped away to be replaced by the understanding that economics and business is everything that the country exists for; which is now the agreed axiom.
"The understanding that everything is political, has somehow been disregarded and has slipped away to be replaced by the understanding that economics and business is everything that the country exists for; which is now the agreed axiom"
True. (Hence the Ministry for Everything). And you can't really blame anyone that's grown up knowing nothing else (Jacinda for example).
It'll take a while for it all to be dismantled but as Rache used to say ….. "It won't happen overnight, but it will happen" (in this space going forward)
The man is dead, but NZ authorities cannot even tell his widow who he was working for.
Ordinarily, in a country with a non-FITH opposition, Lees-Galloway would be comprehensively grilled about this failure, no doubt largely attributable to the previous administration but clearly not fixed.
Health and safety, ACC, minimum wage legislation, none of it will survive if this kind of black economy is allowed to.
"The house where Yu died is located in an upmarket new development. A "sold" sign is planted freshly out the front. It has a quotable value of almost $2 million.
The new owner didn't have any details about the previous work on the house and the agent who sold the property declined to comment."
None of that BS stymies an investigation….for a property to get a CCC there is a paper trail and for a mortgage a CCC is required …and the real estate agent may not comment to a journalist but he/she should have a harder time denying officials
Edit
NZ isn't short of driven workers with useful skills – train them up in prison, turn it into more like a Borstal with decent facilities and respectful treatment of them as humans who have bad tendencies which need to be watched carefully, but try to get them making things, working under better conditions than this poor dead worker, and give them suspended sentences so they can work for a trial period, say 90 days which the employers are so keen on.
We regard ourselves as a practical nation rather than an intellectual one, but I fear we have fooled ourselves on the practical, and reject the intellectual. (Citizens who have skills and experience could do as well if they could choose their mix of advisers, not all bureaucrats.)
There is a better future for these young fellers if someone has the wit to guide and control them along the right path. Try giving them similar training to those given to puppies, who people in general seem to care more about than immature humans needing guidance. These prisoners showed initiative to get to their home-made home brew; puppies will do a lot for treats. Try that psychological approach; set small goal, reward for achievement, then another, same or extra coaching, discussion about why,
Chief custodial officer Neil Beales said they were found climbing in and out of a skip on 29 October.
They were drunk on home-brew, which can be made from fermenting fruit and sugar.
All five prisoners were sacked from the workshop and three were moved to the Otago Corrections Facility.
"This is clearly unacceptable. Prisoners who take part in employment activities and industry training are expected to take this privilege and responsibility seriously," Mr Beales said.
Seriously?? They are dying for some fun, and after a long period of not having any, overdid it. They are immature and need to learn control and with the right training program would go from being puppies to mature dogs with a healthy attitude, keeping themselves and their aggressive urges under control.
Agreed – shouldn't be a big deal – bit of a swim in summer is hardly sociopathy – we had water fights pretty much every day when I started fishing – no-one got hurt.
If it's rehabilitation they should be learning home brewing – and moderate as opposed to binge drinking culture – they'll want those skills outside.
Part of it though, is systematic prejudice against employing NZers. The liquor store owner knows no kiwi will accept no or short pay, much less paying their boss for an employment history for immigration purposes. The hort labour contractors know no kiwi will pay them up to ten grand for a job. But the government has fallen down on the job, allowing these rorts to become not merely feasible, but standard.
So, never mind telling us about all the new cops – how about a few dozen extra immigration and labour inspectors.
This shit is rampant. Half the construction sites out in the Eastern Suburbs were populated by imported Chinese labourers (scaffolding in particular), everyone's being paid under the table, there's no discernible chain of command, minimal paperwork, safety is a hilarious joke and whenever an inspector shows up they scatter like cockroaches when someone turns the lights on. My step-son was out there and he said the number of shady operators was jaw-dropping.
Aussie is the same and their buildings are falling apart.
Still, these are workers and should have workers rights, ACC cover, and everything else applicable. The story really annoyed me because I see a scumbag employer flouting NZ law at every turn and getting away with it, while the victim's family suffers and has no recourse unless they have Triad connections. At the very least both ACC and IRD should hammer these guys with ongoing audits, penalties etc and council should do everything it can to ensure the workers are legit and the buildings will not be a threat to life in the future.
I'm guessing the employer will continue on unimpeded.
If coming down hard on it I wonder if the govt are fearful of generating ammunition for contrary lobbyists. The build rate would slow right down and we might see headlines like 'The coalition oversees a build rate of negative 20 houses.'
I do agree with contributors above and if a slowing build rate is the price of cleaning up the black economy we should pay it. Officials should walk onto random sites and ask to be directed to the boss, shoulder tap him and advise him he has been selected for an IRD, ACC and employee status audit. I think news of such a program would spread through the black economy operators like an Aussie bushfire and the fines, tax due etc imposed would go a long way to financing such a program.
There is an LBPs name and number tied to the site and that LBP is tied to a company and he/she responsible for subbies re control….there are areas of control and pressure that can be applied IF the will is there.
someone gets injuries on a major site all hell is released. A little housing site, nothing. Someone died here and from my reading the inaction is at the highest level of concern. And we now have a Labour led govt. 🤢
what we close our eyes to, we ACCEPT
Tinkering and 'failed' restructures ain't going to cut it either. I'm not sure I L-G is to blame totally either, other than it's taking a while to realise where the problems lay. I'll not be surprised if he's dropped in the muck again before too long.
I was amused to look at MBIE's website yesterday (after seeing that link, and knowing the work Anu Kaloti and others have been doing for years now) where they're encouraging people to either ring an 0800 number or Crimestoppers where they see examples of exploitation. It's only recently MBIE have been taking the problem seriously – past couple of years – but unfortunately they can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time.
(Calls to Crimestoppers often result in nothing happening, and everything to do with INZ and the Labour Inspectorate is now regarded with such cynicism that if it wasn't so serious, it'd be a joke)
It might actually take a few more cases of Ministers being embarrassed before anything substantial happens.
ILG is to blame in principle, more than in fact. But having inherited a box of bastards – the kind of mess that takes a lot of unraveling – is it too much to ask for clear evidence that the matter is being addressed? We the people pay him pretty well to shoulder that responsibility.
/Agree. I'm trying to be as charitable as possible on account of his apparently being a nice guy – or so I'm told. (Probably too nice)
On another thread somewhere, I think Weka and others were referring to 'low hanging fruit' that could have been picked instead of being left on the tree to burn the coalition's political capital. Things like this are low hanging fruit.
There are a few things that should've been made very clear from the outset (via channels of course) ….. such as
Any public servant that thinks it OK to employ the likes of T&C to spy on people isn't suited to the public service.
Likewise, any public servant that worked alongside the likes of a James Casson and said nothing isn't fit to be a public servant.
I could go on. But also any politician that thinks the sort of behaviour and pushback we've seen from some in the senior ranks and does nothing about it probably deserves to lose an election
Do you mean he is not to blame for "In total, these changes are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000. Without these changes there would be up to 10,000 more houses needed and up to 20,000 more vehicles on our roads annually. Our immigration system will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is functioning well." . Given that the last years net increase was larger than before Labour came into govt.
If you cannot keep a promise DON'T make one. Thanks to this govt. for being the problem AND not the solution.
What I do recall of Labour's immigration policy (as opposed to what has been implemented as a coalition), was a third tranche to its policy directed at bolstering the regions.
I remember making a submission at the time that immigration policy was going to be the bull in the China shop, and when Labour and Greens were formulating policy, and that the system and administrative structure as it stood was not good for purpose – reliant on sustained growth for an economic benefit (and all its associated ticket clippers), rather than sustainable growth for a healthy society.
We have this "According to MBIE, a total of 475,920 people were in this country on work, residence or student visas at the end of October, almost 10% of the total population and up 3.6% compared to the same time last year.
That included 202,917 people on work visas,187,164 on residence visas and 85,839 on student visas."
As someone earlier here said NZ imports cheap labour to allow marginal business to thrive, and undercut/suppress local wages. So we have business using govt. welfare to allow an increasing large portion of the pop. to only marginally exist/survive.
I've always believed that if the only way a business, ANY sort of business can survive is by underpaying people a livable wage, then it is NOT a viable business. And the system we've designed/copied/stolen and continue to operate is reliant on all that (including what's usually an enterage of needless ticket clippers) will eventually fail. In fact the longer it's allowed to go on, the probability of a more disruptive (even violent) outcome is possible.
You can look at any of them where exploitative practices have taken hold – whether its a Chorus outsourcing to outsourcers, or supermarkets, or restaurant chains, or what's going on in the building sector – the system we've designed/stolen/copied/opted for has been one that enables all that.
And now that people are beginning to wake up to it all (some politicians included), it's designers/plagiarists/adherents to the current economic orthodoxy are feeling a little uneasy – as they should be.
It'll have to run its course a little longer however. It's probably a little bit too late for Jacinda to get out her Mark Richardson index finger and wave it the directions where deserved. I just hope she gets another term so that a little more of her transformational ' and 'kind' vision' (Christ I hate that word) is progressed. (I just watched Q+A and the interview with Tame. I think she's got the message)
There's still quite a bit of that low hanging fruit across various portfolios she'd be able to fall back on, but she better be quick
Boris was possibly in the drama club when he was at uni. If not he still hankers to perform and clown in the footlights, though not as perceptively as Monty Python. Boris is a snake of a different order.
Something happening involving building – a step up, hooray! But the Marlborough Council had not been given a handout so they rubbish it. Could that be what is behind the obstacles put this Council put in the way of tiny houses? The Council might like developers with whom they have buddy relationships?
Anyone thinking of building or living in a relocatable home is strongly encouraged to get in touch with council to discuss their options.
Options = how the council can gouge everything possible from you. Next big issues in Marlborough will be unconsented treehouses and illegal rain water collections.
Building consent rules are there for very good reasons. This guy was a builder so is basically some kind of scam artist if he doesn't think the rules apply to whatever he was building.
Tiny houses can be great but there definately needs to be some law changes to allow for them without jeopardizing public health or the local communities that they will wind up going into. For example, any log burners should comply with fire safety (indeed the whole tiny house should) and be compliant with the most stringent air pollution standards in NZ (alternatively, compliant within the district or otherwise permanently removed).
Maybe only one THOW should be allowed on a property at any one time unless at a specified and consented site. Consent fees must be applied to all THOW to pay for oversight and compliance costs but perhaps at a reduced rate subsidised by government and the taxpayer to help get people into housing. Suitable financial or othet deterrents could be applied to deter breaches (e.g. dumping of sewerage or of rubbish, illegal water connections or electrical connections).
Not keen on the most stringent air pollution standards for logburners. It makes them incredibly expensive – not to construct, but for the manufacturer to recover their certification costs. And it's a nonsense, with road traffic contributing a huge proportion of the suspended particulate matter in city air. It's things like this which drive up cost without increasing value that need to justify themselves before being imposed with all the weight of local authority. Because of their small size tiny houses typically use the smallest logburners, and don't make excessive use of them – or the occupants would roast.
I agree that having the most stringent air pollution standards would probably make all current tiny log burners ineligible as it is so expensive to get certification. However, in some places (depending on local weather, geography and type and quantity of solid fuel burners) winter air pollution regularly exceeds the WHO maximums for PM 10 particulate sizes in addition to other sorts of air pollution. I think everybody should have some basic constraints on the pollution that they create – whether you live in a big house or a tiny house, similarly for car exhausts or agricultural or industrial or anything else.
I don't have any references for the above statements about PM10 but the info is easily found on regional council websites such as ECAN Environment Canterbury.
There are larger size very low emmision burners but no tiny ones yet that I know of in NZ. I don't know what the solution is to heating a tiny home is but if it was to be located in a city or town with winter pollution issues surely they could either go gas or electric heating.
This leads me back to my main concern – the complexity of regulating for this relatively new type of housing and the unintended problems caused by no or poor regulation.
It's certainly tough in places like Christchurch when there's a temperature inversion layer roofing over the smog in winter. But the vehicle particulates are as much tyre dust as exhausts. Both tiny houses, and larger roads, are better screened by vegetation. Breaks the wind, reduces noise, and soaks up a proportion of undesirable matter.
There certainly need to be rules about tiny houses but you sound too rigid. There needs to be an area where there are allocated places for them to go, perhaps a leased spot where there are services to hook up to.
Greywarshark – I was being a bit provocative but I do think there need to be some really well-thought out law changes – in my opinion people with tiny houses should bear some of the cost of compliance otherwise others (ratepayers and the rest of us) will have to bear the burden of any negative effects and the cost for the extra burden on infrastructure etc.
One of the great benefits of tiny houses is the flexibility of where they can be placed so some THOW "villages" would work and be useful but they could also be placed on private property.
One of my concerns is unintended consequences e.g. unscrupulous landlords set up multiple substandard THOWs on a property and rent them out at high prices.
I am actually really pro tiny houses and really want them to work for everybody including the communities that they turn up in.
Well I feel like you but just wanted to emphasise that the approach is too negative at present with some Councils needing to set up reasonable protocols for differing areas and types of scheme.
Edit:
This from Bowalley Road on P the drug to beat all drugs, that reaches parts of you that other drugs never found. Sounds like shit, but that word isn't strong enough to convey how bad it is.
For thinking people to read and be aware of. A different sort of setback from what we have encountered so far, which are legion. Those of us trying to keep an overview, can we be as positive as possible, while not ignoring the things going on, or we'll get too cast down; I will anyway.
Letter to – Grant Robertson Labour finance Minister.
Dear Grant, – Our NGO has represented the community since 2001 on issues of community environmental and residential public health and wellbeing; quote;
“In association with other Community Groups, NHTCF and all Government Agencies since 2001.
• Health and wellbeing.
• East Coast Transport Project”
Today 2nd December 2019,
the Labour Party has announced that a large infrastructure funding will get a big increase now.
All of the press in in a buzz over the reported infrastructure funding boost that will be made here.
Our east coast communities also now await the funding boost to our regional Gisborne/HB rail freight/passenger services that need to be made here.
National had decimated our regions rail services during their time and had left these regions without rail services for 7 long years since 2012.
end;
Abridged;
So Labour In the year of refection and in mirth we wish you a merry Xmas and a very successful shining 2020.
I usually are the holder of that cup, but we need to believe will get better as the human spirit claims we do or we become despondent disturbed and depressed but I hope this 2020 does become better for everyone.
And thank you kind Sir. And a Merry Christmas to you.
However I must apologise for the description of the rain. A friend who saw it has pointed out to me the other, rather unfortunate, meaning to "golden rain". I had completely overlooked it and I really didn't mean to wish that on you.
Still, I am a little cheered by the CB poll that has just come out. I now see why Grant was so keen to get out some "transformational" projects like doing up the toilet blocks or suchlike at the schools. He would have known from his parties own polls what was coming up on the CB poll and anything must look better than the last two years of failure when going into the summer break.
I’m always puzzled as to why people seem so easily buoyed or depressed by poll results, particularly CB polls of all things. Seems to me they have a problem. I often wonder whether they also believe horoscopes or read them with slight smile, just in case there’s a kernel of truth in there somewhere 😉
I couldn’t find it in the Companies Register of the NZ Companies Office although they clearly claim to be an NGO and a company. I’m probably looking in the wrong place.
It doesn’t let them off the astroturfing hook; this has been alleged here previously and I think there is an element of truth in it. Apparently, it is just one person and his family, not a genuine community group. All I’m after is evidence to the contrary.
Some people state (in error more usually) that they are an NGO when they actually mean to state that they are a non-registered NFP (not for profit) which as Weka, pointed out, could be anyone or anybody.
You allude (justifiably) to the expectation by the wider public along with social media contributors and readers that when identifying as an NGO, he/she/it holds him/her/itself out as being an identifiable, non government organisation.
Indeed, most limited liability companies are NGO's too.
The issue you raise is quite valid. I just wish that representatives of/from various communities would get their acronyms sorted.
As pointed out by Weka, it appears to be a legitimate New Zealand Incorporated Society and where incorporated societies are allowed to be part of (say a shareholder or stakeholder of) another entity such as a company.
This is sometimes where the NGO expression can be misinterpreted whereby they wish to assert that they are not connected to government (central, regional or local) but that they may still derive some benefit from a commercial operation not being associated with government.
Most usually, in New Zealand they will simply state themselves to be INC or INCP to avoid confusion. Sometimes the term; “incorporated group” will suffice.
I'm ok with a single person and their family running a community group, but I agree I wouldn't call it an NGO (which has a more formal status).
However, CEAC is as a registered Incorporated Society, and that means there are rules around members and such. I'm not going to link, but on the face of it, it seems legit to me.
Got an message from a mate in China saying that pretty much every banks in his city is having what we would call a BANK RUN. Traffic is stalled, while people madly trying to get their cash out of their banks. It's been happening for days on end, and now police and military are standing outside the banks. His bank accounts have been frozen and he's been told he can not take any money out of China.
Triggers are going to be somthing for historians weka. Could have been the the fact other banks have collapsed or been taken over by the state. Or it could be as simple as a rumour. We going to have to wait to learn what triggered this.
Blowback from the Social Credit program is a possibility too. I've been told by people who are there that your bank card not working is often the first sign your rating has taken a hit, or your public transport card.
thanks adam, I wasn't sure how that worked. Is the reason for it less like to be known because it's China, or would this happen elsewhere too? (a run starts and the cause isn't necessarily known).
I didn't have time to read it but put the links and dates. There has been uncertainty since March this year. So what triggered it at that time is relevant too.
Yeah he been told he can't take any money out. This is different from the daily cap, he glad he was being paid in US dollars into a account in Japan.
How wide spread, not sure, another mate said he hadn't seen any runs, he is living in a major city. But another mate in a rural area says the Runs have been going off and on for about a month now.
So I wonder what future alternatives for the People's Republic of China banking system?
Maybe it will be the first really significant major economic nation to move away from cash entirely, except at very low (village type) level, more at small value barter alternative than anything else.
How about their centrally managed financial institutions (that is, those banks and other financial service institutions aligned to the Central Party) announcing the widespread launch of their own crypto-currency system backed by the thousands and thousands of tonnes of gold reserves (real gold, that is) which they apparently have squirreled away?
Not sure if it's connected but here, Northern Thailand ,there were more that what's seems usual Chinese changing many big bricks of Chinese notes for baht.
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Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time.A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
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Wow …has everyone slept in today?
Good news about the selection of Claire Szabo as Labour party president. I think she is well qualified to do a great job. She has certainly done good things at Habitat for Humanity.
She was surely the no.1 choice by far given who she was up against.
Labour’s neo-liberaliam shone through with the election of a CEO over a unionist
So, business as usual. No surprises.
I take it you don't approve of the appointment of Claire? I think she will handle things significantly better than the last unionist. The handling of the complaints weren't exactly handled well by the last unionist Nigel Haworth.
So a party presidents sole prerequisite to fill the role is the ability to handle complaints?
Either the Labour Party is expecting loads of skeletons to come out of the closet or you expect the position to be a glorified councillor role
Either your reading comprehension is severely lacking, because that’s not what Jimmy said or implied, or you’re simply trolling.
Jimmy's only recommendations in favour of Claire so far are
1) not a unionist and,
2) should supposedly handle complaints better than haworth.
can you show me something else i'm supposed to have read in Jimmy's comment that wasn't there?
IMO, your whole comment @ 1.1.2.1 was a misinterpretation of Jimmy’s comment @ 1.1.2, in which he highlighted or opined rather that newly elected President will handle of “the complaints” [my bold] better than the previous President, who, of course lost his job for exactly that reason.
Somehow, you took this to mean that the “party presidents sole prerequisite to fill the role is the ability to handle complaints” [sic] and that Jimmy “expect[s] the position to be a glorified councillor role” [sic]. In other words, you were making it up.
On the lack of any other evidence that szabo was better than phillips in Jimmy’s eyes, I was demeaning of Jimmy's statement that Szabo was the far superior candidate. Apart from Szabo not being a unionist and being able to handle complaints better in Jimmy's eyes, I am yet to be convinced that Jimmy's statement is true
edit – or that selecting a CEO over a Unionist a year out from an election was a good thing for the party.
[Ok, it seems it is time to wear my Moderator hat.
Jimmy opined that she would handle complaints better. That is a strong argument because the previous President lost his job because of his poor handling of complaints. I suppose this assertion by Jimmy @ 1 got up your nose “[s]he was surely the no.1 choice by far given who she was up against.” You reacted to it with and based on your assumptions but did not ask Jimmy for his reasons nor did you give a counter-argument as to why the other candidate was a better choice in your opinion. You were not interested in a debate or a contest of opinions, just in lashing out at Jimmy. As you said, you were “demeaning” Jimmy’s statements and opinions. By extension, you were also demeaning the choice of the successful candidate. Do you think you know better than the LPNZ?
Jimmy did not make the comparison between CEO and Unionist. In fact, it was you who came up with it @ 1.1.
Lastly, whether or not “selecting a CEO over a Unionist a year out from an election was a good thing for the party” is your question, not Jimmy’s.
Please stop demeaning people’s opinions and agree to disagree if you cannot reach a compromise position. Please stop attributing words or meanings to other commenters and stick to what is said, i.e. don’t make up shit. As long as you stick to the simple and lenient rules of this site, you’re free to provide your opinion here – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 2:40 PM.
Good one incognito,
Some are very upset at labour shinning again.
Hopefully there are no more skeletons to appear. I think she will be far better than the other candidates at helping them to get re-elected in 2020. She is quite a smart lady……but then…thats just my opinion.
She is quite a smart lady.
She is indeed:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12289804
When was he a trade unionist? I thought he was a retired Professor from Auckland University. He was, about 12 years ago the President of the University Staff Association but that isn't normally anything like a a professional full-time union job
Thanks Alwyn, for pointing that out. FWIW, nobody mentioned trade unionist.
True. Could have been an Irish unionist. #quals
Or the International Democrat Union (IDU).
Maybe even a taxpayers unionist..
You are absolutely correct. However I really don't think my interpretation can be regarded as anything other than warranted.
On the other hand I think Sacha's very funny suggestion may be a little, but only a little, unlikely.
Perhaps he was a member of Oswald Moseley's lot from before WW 2? That had various names, starting with The British Union of Fascists in 1932 but always included the word Union.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Union_of_Fascists
Nuance and context are not your strong suits apparently.
Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with people of goodwill and families in housing need, to eliminate sub-standard housing.
Charities Registration: CC28026
https://habitat.org.nz/
We were involved with H4H for a number of years. Like all things human they aren't perfect or above all criticism, but we were impressed at the very real results they could deliver.
A good organisation, with good people doing mostly good things. Claire's background with them is a positive sign.
She was also involved with Language Partners – another very positive non-profit – the folk who got me into ELT back in the day.
The organisation might be an NGO, but blairite neo liberals worshipped NGO CEO's. The perfect meld of Private and Public apparently.
This is not a criticism of Szabo per se, it's more questioning why Labour would choose a CEO over a Trade Unionist, at a time when Labour is losing touch with largely blue collar working electorates who need the unions more and more to ensure job security.
Your framing is a little off, IMO. They chose the better candidate and I’d like to think the reasons and criteria for this decision were broader and more nuanced than your comparison of CEO vs. Trade Unionist.
I have no idea about who worships whom or what but you obviously know more about this and think this is relevant to the election of President of the LPNZ.
Not all NGOs are non-profit organisations but that nuance is also lost in your comments.
Did you notice the two organisations with which she was associated- English language learning for migrants, and Habitat for Humanty New Zealand. Who? Read this.
https://habitat.org.nz/about/
She was a CEO and will therefore have top management experience- a good qualification for a party president.
But somehow, Climaction, to then accuse her election as a shining example of neo-liberalism is a logical jump that you might need to explain more.
Especially if you are choosing to criticise somewhat egregiously someone with a management report like this.
https://management.co.nz/article/young-executive-year-claire-szabó-change-leader
Pronounced shinning according to clean green.
its not <I>shining</I> paragons I’m after. It’s just not ngo pseudo neo-liberals. Think the blairite third way is good for society? Support Szabo. I’m allowed to reserve judgement
Szabo was mentioned at Te Standard two days ago – were you asleep? 🙂
Just having the weekend off!
"Ardern’s experience of the past two years may have changed her perception of the neoliberal status-quo. Like David Lange before her, the Prime Minister appears to have entered office with a belief that economists, like electricians, were apolitical technicians. If the lights no longer come on – call an electrician. If an economy no longer delivers for the poor and the marginalised – then order Treasury economists to fix it. Two years on, there are signs that Ardern is beginning to grasp why “political economy” has always been a clearer term than “economics”. The wisely cynical are forever reminding us that “you can’t keep politics out of politics”. Well, it’s even more impossible to keep it out of economics!"
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/102826/chris-trotter-argues-jacinda-arderns-year-delivery-was-naivety-very-particular-kind
They have proven to be slow learners but let us hope that learn they have
I'm reminded of some matter that Labour brought forward before one election and John Key was dismissive and annoyed because 'they were turning it into a political matter.' The understanding that everything is political, has somehow been disregarded and has slipped away to be replaced by the understanding that economics and business is everything that the country exists for; which is now the agreed axiom.
"The understanding that everything is political, has somehow been disregarded and has slipped away to be replaced by the understanding that economics and business is everything that the country exists for; which is now the agreed axiom"
True. (Hence the Ministry for Everything). And you can't really blame anyone that's grown up knowing nothing else (Jacinda for example).
It'll take a while for it all to be dismantled but as Rache used to say ….. "It won't happen overnight, but it will happen" (in this space going forward)
The recent death of a black economy construction worker in Auckland highlights how completely out of control our erstwhile immigration policy is.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/117551892/death-of-a-migrant-under-the-table-workers-building-aucklands-multimillion-dollar-homes
The man is dead, but NZ authorities cannot even tell his widow who he was working for.
Ordinarily, in a country with a non-FITH opposition, Lees-Galloway would be comprehensively grilled about this failure, no doubt largely attributable to the previous administration but clearly not fixed.
Health and safety, ACC, minimum wage legislation, none of it will survive if this kind of black economy is allowed to.
Find it difficult to believe that an investigation couldnt identify the individuals involved in the construction of any building if the will was there
Aye, there's the rub.
You can imagine the home owner who decided to hire shonky builders may suddenly become uncommunicative..
you can…and then you can imagine the lack of a CCC
Yet the article says this one has been sold with nary a mention of missing paperwork.
"The house where Yu died is located in an upmarket new development. A "sold" sign is planted freshly out the front. It has a quotable value of almost $2 million.
The new owner didn't have any details about the previous work on the house and the agent who sold the property declined to comment."
None of that BS stymies an investigation….for a property to get a CCC there is a paper trail and for a mortgage a CCC is required …and the real estate agent may not comment to a journalist but he/she should have a harder time denying officials
Can you sell a house without one?
only for cash,,,and theres still a paper trail
Edit
NZ isn't short of driven workers with useful skills – train them up in prison, turn it into more like a Borstal with decent facilities and respectful treatment of them as humans who have bad tendencies which need to be watched carefully, but try to get them making things, working under better conditions than this poor dead worker, and give them suspended sentences so they can work for a trial period, say 90 days which the employers are so keen on.
We regard ourselves as a practical nation rather than an intellectual one, but I fear we have fooled ourselves on the practical, and reject the intellectual. (Citizens who have skills and experience could do as well if they could choose their mix of advisers, not all bureaucrats.)
There is a better future for these young fellers if someone has the wit to guide and control them along the right path. Try giving them similar training to those given to puppies, who people in general seem to care more about than immature humans needing guidance. These prisoners showed initiative to get to their home-made home brew; puppies will do a lot for treats. Try that psychological approach; set small goal, reward for achievement, then another, same or extra coaching, discussion about why,
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/404562/drunk-prisoners-swim-in-skip-attack-guard
The inmates were meant to be working in the engineering workshop at Christchurch Men’s Prison, where their tasks included filling skips with water to check for holes.
Chief custodial officer Neil Beales said they were found climbing in and out of a skip on 29 October.
They were drunk on home-brew, which can be made from fermenting fruit and sugar.
All five prisoners were sacked from the workshop and three were moved to the Otago Corrections Facility.
"This is clearly unacceptable. Prisoners who take part in employment activities and industry training are expected to take this privilege and responsibility seriously," Mr Beales said.
Seriously?? They are dying for some fun, and after a long period of not having any, overdid it. They are immature and need to learn control and with the right training program would go from being puppies to mature dogs with a healthy attitude, keeping themselves and their aggressive urges under control.
Agreed – shouldn't be a big deal – bit of a swim in summer is hardly sociopathy – we had water fights pretty much every day when I started fishing – no-one got hurt.
If it's rehabilitation they should be learning home brewing – and moderate as opposed to binge drinking culture – they'll want those skills outside.
Part of it though, is systematic prejudice against employing NZers. The liquor store owner knows no kiwi will accept no or short pay, much less paying their boss for an employment history for immigration purposes. The hort labour contractors know no kiwi will pay them up to ten grand for a job. But the government has fallen down on the job, allowing these rorts to become not merely feasible, but standard.
So, never mind telling us about all the new cops – how about a few dozen extra immigration and labour inspectors.
This shit is rampant. Half the construction sites out in the Eastern Suburbs were populated by imported Chinese labourers (scaffolding in particular), everyone's being paid under the table, there's no discernible chain of command, minimal paperwork, safety is a hilarious joke and whenever an inspector shows up they scatter like cockroaches when someone turns the lights on. My step-son was out there and he said the number of shady operators was jaw-dropping.
Aussie is the same and their buildings are falling apart.
Still, these are workers and should have workers rights, ACC cover, and everything else applicable. The story really annoyed me because I see a scumbag employer flouting NZ law at every turn and getting away with it, while the victim's family suffers and has no recourse unless they have Triad connections. At the very least both ACC and IRD should hammer these guys with ongoing audits, penalties etc and council should do everything it can to ensure the workers are legit and the buildings will not be a threat to life in the future.
I'm guessing the employer will continue on unimpeded.
Paying labourers on $500 a week says to me there is not a labour shortage, just a shortage of labour that is happy to be exploited.
If coming down hard on it I wonder if the govt are fearful of generating ammunition for contrary lobbyists. The build rate would slow right down and we might see headlines like 'The coalition oversees a build rate of negative 20 houses.'
I do agree with contributors above and if a slowing build rate is the price of cleaning up the black economy we should pay it. Officials should walk onto random sites and ask to be directed to the boss, shoulder tap him and advise him he has been selected for an IRD, ACC and employee status audit. I think news of such a program would spread through the black economy operators like an Aussie bushfire and the fines, tax due etc imposed would go a long way to financing such a program.
Great idea David Mac. Psychology is a subtle weapon.
You'd think. Wonder how often they do.
There is an LBPs name and number tied to the site and that LBP is tied to a company and he/she responsible for subbies re control….there are areas of control and pressure that can be applied IF the will is there.
Nailed in one “ If there is a will”
someone gets injuries on a major site all hell is released. A little housing site, nothing. Someone died here and from my reading the inaction is at the highest level of concern. And we now have a Labour led govt. 🤢
what we close our eyes to, we ACCEPT
Se 2.1.1 above Stuart.
Tinkering and 'failed' restructures ain't going to cut it either. I'm not sure I L-G is to blame totally either, other than it's taking a while to realise where the problems lay. I'll not be surprised if he's dropped in the muck again before too long.
I was amused to look at MBIE's website yesterday (after seeing that link, and knowing the work Anu Kaloti and others have been doing for years now) where they're encouraging people to either ring an 0800 number or Crimestoppers where they see examples of exploitation. It's only recently MBIE have been taking the problem seriously – past couple of years – but unfortunately they can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time.
(Calls to Crimestoppers often result in nothing happening, and everything to do with INZ and the Labour Inspectorate is now regarded with such cynicism that if it wasn't so serious, it'd be a joke)
It might actually take a few more cases of Ministers being embarrassed before anything substantial happens.
ILG is to blame in principle, more than in fact. But having inherited a box of bastards – the kind of mess that takes a lot of unraveling – is it too much to ask for clear evidence that the matter is being addressed? We the people pay him pretty well to shoulder that responsibility.
/Agree. I'm trying to be as charitable as possible on account of his apparently being a nice guy – or so I'm told. (Probably too nice)
On another thread somewhere, I think Weka and others were referring to 'low hanging fruit' that could have been picked instead of being left on the tree to burn the coalition's political capital. Things like this are low hanging fruit.
There are a few things that should've been made very clear from the outset (via channels of course) ….. such as
Any public servant that thinks it OK to employ the likes of T&C to spy on people isn't suited to the public service.
Likewise, any public servant that worked alongside the likes of a James Casson and said nothing isn't fit to be a public servant.
I could go on. But also any politician that thinks the sort of behaviour and pushback we've seen from some in the senior ranks and does nothing about it probably deserves to lose an election
It must be hard to concentrate on doing a good job when your staff are helping run crap like the Sroubeck affair to embarrass you.
Do you mean he is not to blame for "In total, these changes are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000. Without these changes there would be up to 10,000 more houses needed and up to 20,000 more vehicles on our roads annually. Our immigration system will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is functioning well." . Given that the last years net increase was larger than before Labour came into govt.
If you cannot keep a promise DON'T make one. Thanks to this govt. for being the problem AND not the solution.
https://www.labour.org.nz/immigration
What I do recall of Labour's immigration policy (as opposed to what has been implemented as a coalition), was a third tranche to its policy directed at bolstering the regions.
I remember making a submission at the time that immigration policy was going to be the bull in the China shop, and when Labour and Greens were formulating policy, and that the system and administrative structure as it stood was not good for purpose – reliant on sustained growth for an economic benefit (and all its associated ticket clippers), rather than sustainable growth for a healthy society.
You decide which has come to pass
We have this "According to MBIE, a total of 475,920 people were in this country on work, residence or student visas at the end of October, almost 10% of the total population and up 3.6% compared to the same time last year.
That included 202,917 people on work visas,187,164 on residence visas and 85,839 on student visas."
As someone earlier here said NZ imports cheap labour to allow marginal business to thrive, and undercut/suppress local wages. So we have business using govt. welfare to allow an increasing large portion of the pop. to only marginally exist/survive.
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/102752/work-visa-approvals-9-year-ago-residence-visa-approvals-128
I've always believed that if the only way a business, ANY sort of business can survive is by underpaying people a livable wage, then it is NOT a viable business. And the system we've designed/copied/stolen and continue to operate is reliant on all that (including what's usually an enterage of needless ticket clippers) will eventually fail. In fact the longer it's allowed to go on, the probability of a more disruptive (even violent) outcome is possible.
You can look at any of them where exploitative practices have taken hold – whether its a Chorus outsourcing to outsourcers, or supermarkets, or restaurant chains, or what's going on in the building sector – the system we've designed/stolen/copied/opted for has been one that enables all that.
And now that people are beginning to wake up to it all (some politicians included), it's designers/plagiarists/adherents to the current economic orthodoxy are feeling a little uneasy – as they should be.
It'll have to run its course a little longer however. It's probably a little bit too late for Jacinda to get out her Mark Richardson index finger and wave it the directions where deserved. I just hope she gets another term so that a little more of her transformational ' and 'kind' vision' (Christ I hate that word) is progressed. (I just watched Q+A and the interview with Tame. I think she's got the message)
There's still quite a bit of that low hanging fruit across various portfolios she'd be able to fall back on, but she better be quick
Brexit –
Boorish is sugaring the pill before the workers realise just how sick they will be after Brexit.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2019/nov/29/buy-british-boris-johnson-promises-more-state-aid-for-jobs-after-brexit-video
Boris was possibly in the drama club when he was at uni. If not he still hankers to perform and clown in the footlights, though not as perceptively as Monty Python. Boris is a snake of a different order.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2iHwcNj1wM
22/11 Report on meeting of Parties.
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50525245 : General election 2019: Sturgeon says indyref2 needed because of Brexit
Something happening involving building – a step up, hooray! But the Marlborough Council had not been given a handout so they rubbish it. Could that be what is behind the obstacles put this Council put in the way of tiny houses? The Council might like developers with whom they have buddy relationships?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/404394/cavalier-builder-fined-over-five-unconsented-tiny-homes-in-backyard
Options = how the council can gouge everything possible from you. Next big issues in Marlborough will be unconsented treehouses and illegal rain water collections.
Building consent rules are there for very good reasons. This guy was a builder so is basically some kind of scam artist if he doesn't think the rules apply to whatever he was building.
Tiny houses can be great but there definately needs to be some law changes to allow for them without jeopardizing public health or the local communities that they will wind up going into. For example, any log burners should comply with fire safety (indeed the whole tiny house should) and be compliant with the most stringent air pollution standards in NZ (alternatively, compliant within the district or otherwise permanently removed).
Maybe only one THOW should be allowed on a property at any one time unless at a specified and consented site. Consent fees must be applied to all THOW to pay for oversight and compliance costs but perhaps at a reduced rate subsidised by government and the taxpayer to help get people into housing. Suitable financial or othet deterrents could be applied to deter breaches (e.g. dumping of sewerage or of rubbish, illegal water connections or electrical connections).
Not keen on the most stringent air pollution standards for logburners. It makes them incredibly expensive – not to construct, but for the manufacturer to recover their certification costs. And it's a nonsense, with road traffic contributing a huge proportion of the suspended particulate matter in city air. It's things like this which drive up cost without increasing value that need to justify themselves before being imposed with all the weight of local authority. Because of their small size tiny houses typically use the smallest logburners, and don't make excessive use of them – or the occupants would roast.
I agree that having the most stringent air pollution standards would probably make all current tiny log burners ineligible as it is so expensive to get certification. However, in some places (depending on local weather, geography and type and quantity of solid fuel burners) winter air pollution regularly exceeds the WHO maximums for PM 10 particulate sizes in addition to other sorts of air pollution. I think everybody should have some basic constraints on the pollution that they create – whether you live in a big house or a tiny house, similarly for car exhausts or agricultural or industrial or anything else.
I don't have any references for the above statements about PM10 but the info is easily found on regional council websites such as ECAN Environment Canterbury.
There are larger size very low emmision burners but no tiny ones yet that I know of in NZ. I don't know what the solution is to heating a tiny home is but if it was to be located in a city or town with winter pollution issues surely they could either go gas or electric heating.
This leads me back to my main concern – the complexity of regulating for this relatively new type of housing and the unintended problems caused by no or poor regulation.
It's certainly tough in places like Christchurch when there's a temperature inversion layer roofing over the smog in winter. But the vehicle particulates are as much tyre dust as exhausts. Both tiny houses, and larger roads, are better screened by vegetation. Breaks the wind, reduces noise, and soaks up a proportion of undesirable matter.
There certainly need to be rules about tiny houses but you sound too rigid. There needs to be an area where there are allocated places for them to go, perhaps a leased spot where there are services to hook up to.
Greywarshark – I was being a bit provocative but I do think there need to be some really well-thought out law changes – in my opinion people with tiny houses should bear some of the cost of compliance otherwise others (ratepayers and the rest of us) will have to bear the burden of any negative effects and the cost for the extra burden on infrastructure etc.
One of the great benefits of tiny houses is the flexibility of where they can be placed so some THOW "villages" would work and be useful but they could also be placed on private property.
One of my concerns is unintended consequences e.g. unscrupulous landlords set up multiple substandard THOWs on a property and rent them out at high prices.
I am actually really pro tiny houses and really want them to work for everybody including the communities that they turn up in.
Well I feel like you but just wanted to emphasise that the approach is too negative at present with some Councils needing to set up reasonable protocols for differing areas and types of scheme.
I BEE
T(h)e Earl of East Bluff.
Where the why meets the for sure.
Firstly, for my First One opinion on hot Mike of the day: Laws and Orders.
If you, ewes, me, myself and I ain't dun or said nuffin' wrong, we've got nuffin' to worry about.
Wha ?
Edit:
This from Bowalley Road on P the drug to beat all drugs, that reaches parts of you that other drugs never found. Sounds like shit, but that word isn't strong enough to convey how bad it is.
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-bi-partisan-commitment-to-x-ing-p.html
For thinking people to read and be aware of. A different sort of setback from what we have encountered so far, which are legion. Those of us trying to keep an overview, can we be as positive as possible, while not ignoring the things going on, or we'll get too cast down; I will anyway.
When I first read this comment I thought that you were replying to "whetherreport" at comment 6.
It seemed pretty appropriate to that comment somehow.
It could well have applied to me (and my intro post), but I don't know if this was what he (greywarshark) intended his post to highlight.
Besides, I'm can be a crazy writer without the use of such products, but by comparison you could liken it in a way.
You remind me of somebody…
He just can't stay away.
Well Greywarshark
here's our regional community wish-list for ‘father Grant Xmas’
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1912/S00005/ceac-wants-funding-for-rail-freightpassenger-services.htm
Letter to – Grant Robertson Labour finance Minister.
Dear Grant, – Our NGO has represented the community since 2001 on issues of community environmental and residential public health and wellbeing; quote;
“In association with other Community Groups, NHTCF and all Government Agencies since 2001.
• Health and wellbeing.
• East Coast Transport Project”
Today 2nd December 2019,
the Labour Party has announced that a large infrastructure funding will get a big increase now.
All of the press in in a buzz over the reported infrastructure funding boost that will be made here.
Our east coast communities also now await the funding boost to our regional Gisborne/HB rail freight/passenger services that need to be made here.
National had decimated our regions rail services during their time and had left these regions without rail services for 7 long years since 2012.
end;
Abridged;
So Labour In the year of refection and in mirth we wish you a merry Xmas and a very successful shining 2020.
" a very successful shining 2020.".
And I'm sure he wishes you the same thing. May any rain that falls on you be golden.
I’m afraid that any shining that goes on next year will be, for most people like the film of that name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film)
Gee Alwyn it's not like you to be so negative.
I usually are the holder of that cup, but we need to believe will get better as the human spirit claims we do or we become despondent disturbed and depressed but I hope this 2020 does become better for everyone.
Merry Xmas to you too.
And thank you kind Sir. And a Merry Christmas to you.
However I must apologise for the description of the rain. A friend who saw it has pointed out to me the other, rather unfortunate, meaning to "golden rain". I had completely overlooked it and I really didn't mean to wish that on you.
Still, I am a little cheered by the CB poll that has just come out. I now see why Grant was so keen to get out some "transformational" projects like doing up the toilet blocks or suchlike at the schools. He would have known from his parties own polls what was coming up on the CB poll and anything must look better than the last two years of failure when going into the summer break.
I’m always puzzled as to why people seem so easily buoyed or depressed by poll results, particularly CB polls of all things. Seems to me they have a problem. I often wonder whether they also believe horoscopes or read them with slight smile, just in case there’s a kernel of truth in there somewhere 😉
The "why" has never bothered me so much as the "how". The rollercoaster can't be healthy.
There we go again 🙁
Where is that NGO of yours registered and what is the name/URL of its website?
Do you know that that astroturfing gets banned here on TS? If you don’t know what astroturfing is I’d suggest you look it up.
This? https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429043063611/
Although lots of community groups aren't registered anywhere (which is valid).
Ta
I couldn’t find it in the Companies Register of the NZ Companies Office although they clearly claim to be an NGO and a company. I’m probably looking in the wrong place.
It doesn’t let them off the astroturfing hook; this has been alleged here previously and I think there is an element of truth in it. Apparently, it is just one person and his family, not a genuine community group. All I’m after is evidence to the contrary.
Some people state (in error more usually) that they are an NGO when they actually mean to state that they are a non-registered NFP (not for profit) which as Weka, pointed out, could be anyone or anybody.
You allude (justifiably) to the expectation by the wider public along with social media contributors and readers that when identifying as an NGO, he/she/it holds him/her/itself out as being an identifiable, non government organisation.
Indeed, most limited liability companies are NGO's too.
The issue you raise is quite valid. I just wish that representatives of/from various communities would get their acronyms sorted.
Thank you.
The link that Weka provided suggests that they are indeed registered but I could not confirm that!?
What you describe is a deceitful online behaviour AKA astroturfing. Politicians are not the only ones who should be held to a high(er) standard.
I'll give you the details in the back end.
As pointed out by Weka, it appears to be a legitimate New Zealand Incorporated Society and where incorporated societies are allowed to be part of (say a shareholder or stakeholder of) another entity such as a company.
This is sometimes where the NGO expression can be misinterpreted whereby they wish to assert that they are not connected to government (central, regional or local) but that they may still derive some benefit from a commercial operation not being associated with government.
Most usually, in New Zealand they will simply state themselves to be INC or INCP to avoid confusion. Sometimes the term; “incorporated group” will suffice.
I'm ok with a single person and their family running a community group, but I agree I wouldn't call it an NGO (which has a more formal status).
However, CEAC is as a registered Incorporated Society, and that means there are rules around members and such. I'm not going to link, but on the face of it, it seems legit to me.
Got an message from a mate in China saying that pretty much every banks in his city is having what we would call a BANK RUN. Traffic is stalled, while people madly trying to get their cash out of their banks. It's been happening for days on end, and now police and military are standing outside the banks. His bank accounts have been frozen and he's been told he can not take any money out of China.
https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3039563/guo-shuqing-watchdog-chinas-us40-trillion-banking-and
do you know what triggered that?
Nov 14 2019 Australian Financial Review https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/china-regulators-move-to-defuse-jitters-after-two-bank-runs-20191114-p53aju
Nov 14 2019 https://www.caixinglobal.com/2019-11-14/cx-daily-chinas-bank-regulators-try-to-defuse-bank-run-jitters-101483162.html
This from June 2019 from reuters – https://www.reuters.com/article/china-market-banks/china-introduces-risk-hedging-tool-for-bank-debt-amid-market-jitters-about-smaller-lenders-idUSL4N23H271
This from March 2019 – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-20/chinese-banks-record-fundraising-signals-industry-jitters
what triggered it?
Triggers are going to be somthing for historians weka. Could have been the the fact other banks have collapsed or been taken over by the state. Or it could be as simple as a rumour. We going to have to wait to learn what triggered this.
Blowback from the Social Credit program is a possibility too. I've been told by people who are there that your bank card not working is often the first sign your rating has taken a hit, or your public transport card.
thanks adam, I wasn't sure how that worked. Is the reason for it less like to be known because it's China, or would this happen elsewhere too? (a run starts and the cause isn't necessarily known).
I didn't have time to read it but put the links and dates. There has been uncertainty since March this year. So what triggered it at that time is relevant too.
That's concerning, did they say how wide spread it is? Military outside banks and frozen accounts…..whats going on.
Edit: Would it be because of the new daily cap when withdrawing offshore? https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2126252/china-puts-us1500-daily-personal-cap-overseas-bank-card
Cheers for the link. Interesting reading, $40 trillion is a massive financial sector, the exploitation potential would be enormous.
And what up with the recent news about having to register ones phone with facial id…
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50587098
Yeah he been told he can't take any money out. This is different from the daily cap, he glad he was being paid in US dollars into a account in Japan.
How wide spread, not sure, another mate said he hadn't seen any runs, he is living in a major city. But another mate in a rural area says the Runs have been going off and on for about a month now.
So I wonder what future alternatives for the People's Republic of China banking system?
Maybe it will be the first really significant major economic nation to move away from cash entirely, except at very low (village type) level, more at small value barter alternative than anything else.
How about their centrally managed financial institutions (that is, those banks and other financial service institutions aligned to the Central Party) announcing the widespread launch of their own crypto-currency system backed by the thousands and thousands of tonnes of gold reserves (real gold, that is) which they apparently have squirreled away?
Not sure if it's connected but here, Northern Thailand ,there were more that what's seems usual Chinese changing many big bricks of Chinese notes for baht.
been happening for a month or more apparently.
https://news.bitcoin.com/another-bank-run-highlights-chinas-brewing-financial-crisis/
one positive is the chinese banking system is isolated…but they are our biggest customer
I have been looking into what is being done with recycled plastics now. In the North Island. good for fence posts.
For instance: https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/solutions/soft-plastics/products
https://www.futurepost.co.nz/