Looking closely at that I don’t think he’s done any actual damage and most people will just giggle and get on with their lives. There’s no reason to jail or even punish him.
And, I guess there’s no/little information on what jobs the under-paid people are actually doing? All seems to hide behind some fog, whereby employers can just decide to employ people at less than minimum wage if it suits them.
And shame on the government for issuing these obnoxious exemptions, based obviously on a person’s physical disability, which is no indicator of someone’s work performance!
Discrimination at its worst.
“And, of course…very hard to find out who exactly these people are…”
But what we do know is that they will undoubtedly be friends/supporters/bank rollers of the Natz!
Most of the exemptions are likely to relate to intellectual rather than physical impairment. The system was set up by the last Labour govt, so its application has not been partisan. Some parties are promising to overturn the policy if elected.
Yes sheltered workshops etc, set up for social reasons to benift mentally impaired Tend to do things like secondary packaging, overlabelling etc. Firms outsource to them as cheap, thus a win win albeit slower and some times lower quality for firm plus cost of moving product to and from workshop , if these workshops are forced to pay market rates they would no longer exist, and again they are set up more for social reasons not financial. morale of story don’t jump to outrage before doing a modicum of research
If we knew who these firms were that had Minimum Wage Exemptions we would be in a much better position to express outrage.
But we don’t, usually.
I can recall only one ‘business’ that employed people with learning disabilities who came out and spoke publicly about the whys and wherefores…. Southland Disability Enterprises.
Now the workers here seem happy, and most importantly engaged. There is no doubt that being at work provides many benefits to them…a pity that the benefits don’t extend to actually being able to get off a benefit. In enterprises like this, where there is a direct environmental benefit it would be more than appropriate for the Gummint to stump up and subsidise wages.
OTOH…I heard that some of the companies that contract to airlines to refurbish headsets and package meals also use below minimum wage employees….unconscionable for an entirely profit driven company.
A couple I personally know hired a man who was intellectually disabled as a relief milker, and he was a really hard reliable worker. They paid him the same rate as they would any other worker. Though they had to let him go, for unerelated reasons which I am not willing to disclose here.
Yes. I did not put it up there because the claims in it cover a broader field, and also because lprent’s post is more focused on the science of climate change than this piece is.
What are we being softened up for? There is another story today about some research that has been around for a while linking it to the Bill English so called “social investment ” approach.
This social investment approach should more accurately be called out for what it is – data amassed by building a data base of the entire population ( massive snooping – sod privacy concerns) and used to typecast ( and creating a self fulfilling expectation – the circular loop) who may not do so well in life.
Once again – nothing about homing in on the perpetrators or causes of bad outcomes whether it be working out who will be a major tax cheat , an upper class domestic violence perpetrator, belong to a political party that has policy settings designed to cause community chaos and the rest.
So why are we getting this steady stream of RW propaganda – fix all social problems with an 18 page brochure?
I always shake my head at this type of ‘research’. If it really was possible to predict the outcome at age 3 then logic dictates it must be impossible to change the outcome (*) so what’s the point of it?
* if you can change the outcome then obviously you can’t predict the outcome.
Well done RedBaronCV. Let’s watch neoliberalism totally cock this one up like every social issue it ‘adresses’.
Sadly Neoliberslism still haunts the Labour Party.
Yes I am suspicious of the motives.
Most RW social policy seems to consist of initiatives akin to driving someone 5 K’s out of town, turning around and driving 1 k back towards town then pushing them out and telling them that they were better off than they were 5 minutes ago.
Looking at what Nact does rather than what it says is interesting:
Take prisons – apparently Bill doesn’t want to build anymore according to a recent story – but didn’t they defund some of the voluntary prison visiting charities? For the amount of money that would go into something like that you’d only need about 1 success a year to pay for it.
Or the defunding of Rape Crisis Centre’s & Women’s Refuges which also have considerable donated support and volunteer involvement but they give about $400,000 to the White Ribbon Trust ( which really has no donated funds) and the money is spent on a salary and a promotional campaign to make them look like Nact are doing something.
Why doesn’t White Ribbon have to do the hard yards the refuges have to do around money? Maybe Bill needs to push the line that violence costs male taxpayers lots of tax so they had better get together and pay attention rather than hitting at the outcome of the poor behaviour.
I looked up the Dunedin Study last time it was mentioned here. There’s a huge amount of reports on it but that’s all they are – studies of a study. The data doesn’t lie but I found the conclusions reached from data are often highly subjective and well nigh useless.
That link led to another here which has some interesting snippets;
“Spanish officials are also currently intensely interested in the Dunedin Study, Moffitt says, because their adolescents are currently facing similar rates of youth unemployment and economic failure to those experienced by young Kiwis in the late 1980s.
“I think that was actually the major event that has happened in the Dunedin Study members’ lives – that terrible economic recession New Zealand went through quietly on its own when they were 15. Many of them had expected to leave school and go into full employment – which is what had always been the way in New Zealand – and then suddenly the financial rug was pulled out from underneath them – the youth unemployment rate went up to 30 per cent. I think this cohort lived through something that was unique – other countries weren’t suffering it then, but are now.”
Now that seriously conflicts with the claims about predicting outcomes from the age of 3. Clearly the economic environment we’re brought up in plays a large part in our future outcomes.
It’s all bollocks anyway, all these researchers & beancounters seem able to do is identify problems we already know about while never coming up with the right answers.
This is all about tightening up eligibility for social programs to the point where only 1% qualify, and the rest of us will be left to our own devices.
Bwaghorn
I saw a comment that you are withdrawing from commenting and am personally sorry. I have enjoyed reading your comments from farming NZ so if you can come in this year and drop in some information from your experience then please. Hope you are well and can be back after a break.
Cheers , nothing wrong with me , just a possible change in lifestyle will cut down my comments, ad to that the more i’ve learnt to think due to hanging around here the more i realise i don’t know, and i don’t really have the large amount of time it would take to educate myself to the standard level.
i also only said might fade away , it’ll be harder to give up my occasional ranting here than it was to give up smoking.
Happy new years
There’s no deficiencies in your thinking or your contribution here. There’s plenty of educated idiots here whose comments don’t rate a click, but I’m always interested in what you have to say.
I am listening to Radionz interview and the woman is very lively and doing lots of things and doing further tertiary education. She says she wants her life to matter, learning about stuff and passing on the information etc.
Sounds a really good motto for each of us.
11.15 Jesse Milligan
Food with Mawera Karetai
If you want to make the perfect peach chutney you better tune in to hear Mawera Karetai
wildcook.co.nz
Probably on live audio later. Nice to listen to.
The universal basic income — a cash payment made to every individual in the country — has been critiqued recently by some commentators. Among other things, these writers dislike the fact that a UBI would deliver individuals income in a way that is divorced from working. Such an income arrangement would, it is argued, lead to meaninglessness, social dysfunction, and resentment.
One obvious problem with this analysis is that passive income — income divorced from work — already exists. It is called capital income. It flows out to various individuals in society in the form of interest, rents, and dividends. According to Piketty, Saez, and Zucman (PSZ), around 30% of all the income produced in the nation is paid out as capital income.
If passive income is so destructive, then you would think that centuries of dedicating one-third of national income to it would have burned society to the ground by now.
Well, society’s been burned to the ground before by those with excessive passive income and it’s getting that way again. There’s a very good reason why every major religion in the world bans usury and yet our entire capitalist system is based upon it.
Government programmes should be retitled to its true name which is a welfare programs. Take Internet entrepreneurs for one. There’s maybe 40 steps to actually turn on the Internet. Tech capitalist only hit on maybe the last two steps, the rest was publicly funded research. But tech entrepreneurs take the discount and laugh all the way to the bank. I’m mildly surprised the public has allowed themselves to be fooled but sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Great link, shows up the (lack of) morality of UBI opponents… they actually like a system that spreads inequality and poverty
A national UBI would work very similarly. The US federal government would employ various strategies (mandatory share issuances, wealth taxes, counter-cyclical asset purchases, etc.) to build up a big wealth fund that owns capital assets. Those capital assets would deliver returns. And then the returns would be parceled out as a social dividend. If you have a problem with this, but not the current arrangement where capital income is paid out in huge sums to small fractions of our society, then your issue is not really with passive income. It can’t be.
Labour Hame is the blog site of the Labour Party in Scotland.
Brave: the editor/moderator had allowed strongly critical debates to rage in the past few days. Some serious soul searching writing.
Yes. Watching Scottish Labour over the past few years was like watching a slow motion train wreck in a movie.
It is possible the same could happen south of the border.
The Tories could divide on a Constitutional question: half the population see membership of the EU as an essential part of their identity and/or economic wellbeing.
Similar questions arise in Labour: I can’t see the mass of new on-line Corbyn supporting members being anti-European. The trouble for Corbyn is he will loose them with his current weak engagement on a defining constitutional and existential question.
The biggest upheaval of English and U.K. politics since 1922 and 1945?
“All changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.”
Yeats, Easter 1916, oft quoted by Alex Salmond.
I think you will find that Charles will stand aside to let William take the throne, spending the rest of his life as a roving animal rights ambassador or something.
just watch Bennett bash us all with her sob story of how she was a solo mum . I bet she will not tell us who looked after her baby while she went to universality or what Party was in power that made it possible for her to go .
” I bet she will not tell us ………… what Party was in power that made it possible for her to go “.
Why would she not tell you?
She started University in 1994 apparently and had certainly graduated sometime prior to the 1999 election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Bennett#Early_life_and_career
I guess she would have to say it was the National Government wouldn’t she?
Thank you to Jim Bolger.
And those of us who have been on a benefit during the 90s and the present day (mostly long term ill/disabled hence the long time frame) will tell you that despite how bad it became for us in the 90s, it was a hell of a lot easier to be on a benefit then than it is now.
Obviously Ruth and Jenny just weren’t extreme enough even for Paula, or perhaps they just weren’t as psychopathic.
Kay
The intention is to gradually strip away government ie collective help until you are as dependent on charity as the poor in Victorian times even to after WW2 in Britain.
The Poor Law introduced by Elizabeth 1 as basic rights would be what they (the elites and in power) are ready to revert to.
In NZ we already have people sleeping on the street etc. Drugs and RTDs to degrade the young as in the old days, Gin, drunk for a penny, dead drunk for tuppence. They want the poor and indigent to sink and match the situation that they already imagine. It’s beyond belief but it is observable so therefore believe.
A few pearls of wisdom from our resident establishment supporter, Sam C’s brother.
Man, I just cant believe how much salt in the wound happened to these types first with Trump winning then Key leaving. Man that must smart like billio.
Trump is a loon and would have been beaten by any half decent Dem candidate. Pity the Dems but up Hillary instead.
Tho I hope Trump spends the next 8 years erasing anything the vacuous Obumbler did while in office.
I applaud Key for going, I hope he goes sits in the sun for a long time drinks a lot and catches up on reading a lot of crap novels.
He has done so much for NZ and for so little. Its not as tho he needed the job is it.
Gabby.
Key was reported in 2007 (I think by NBR) of being worth $50Mil.
If he left it in the hands of a competent but middling conservative investment house he will be worth $150 Mil now.
I dont think he needed the pay packet .
” I applaud Key for going, I hope he goes sits in the sun for a long time drinks a lot and catches up on reading a lot of crap novels.
He has done so much for NZ and for so little. Its not as tho he needed the job is it. ”
^ This ones got it bad . Pining for a lost love after Key ditched them.
Sam C’s little brother … its over. Keys gone.
And must we really have to drag out Blips Honest John list every time you display your separation anxiety over Keys ditching you? Its getting rather embarrassing seeing you display this unhealthy clinging on to the past about Keys artificial economy based on cheap immigration labor and an equally artificial housing bubble. And the surveillance of the populace Key initiated when he was Obama’s little puppy.
Keys gone. Accept it. And you are the last person he gives a damn about.
Jumped up hippie idea? You must be out of your damn mind. How hippie is an organised mass workers’ party? If I’m a hippie, so were Kautsky and Bernstein, two people you won’t have heard of.
There’s nothing more hippie and flaky than Internet Mana who lost the 2014 election for the left.
Incoherence can often be mistaken for radicalism, that’s the mistake you make
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The Mana movement has always acted out of bottom up decision making matrixes – That’s English for tikanga. It just happens to overlap with the most vulnerable people in New Zealand. It’s fundamental to any maori structure.
I’m also a big believer in matching personality with process. If fighting hard for Pani me te rawakori and loses upsets you, I suggest you go join ACT.
The Mana Movment put the Internet Mana merger to a vote which obviously went through with only one vote the difference. So when you dis Hone for the merger your dissing 5000 people. I was a bit more straight up at the time and said it was a dumb idea and drag Sue back in and apologise. But the vote was counted, water under the bridge now
Many of the government departments and agencies initiated post WW2 were run and staffed with war criminals who were supported and funded by ‘corporate families’ in the USA
What major difference will Labour offer in November. Housing nope mats already doing that. I guess it will be asking the hard working poor to pay for free education of students to get students and their families votes
Great work and I welcome the release of any information that exposes those in power.
My only issue is that these activists do not hold left leaning governments to account in the same way, in spite of the left leaning governments having (by far) the very worst human rights records.
[lprent: This reads to me like a deliberate diversion Quite what it has to do with the post wasn’t established and whoever this is reads like another idiot “justice campaigner” who has spent way too much time reading comic books.
Banned for 4 weeks. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
So 5 million people starving to death in 1932 was imaginary?
All those ghosts will be so relieved.
oh and..”Pol Pot (1925-1998) and his communist Khmer Rouge movement led Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During that time, about 1.5 million Cambodians out of a total population of 7 to 8 million died of starvation, execution, disease or overwork.”
Here he is again , Sam C’s brother , citing examples of extremes ( aka communism ) to justify their neo liberal greed.
Its an old ploy of Sam and Davids, – indeed any of these paid up card carrying National party Key sycophantic types ( they’re still hurting bad from Keys ditching them ) – they love to spread the fallacy about social democracy being the same as communism.
Its part of their instructions to do so.
But, – its old , its boring , and past its use by date . Like neo liberalism. The sad thing is , both Sam and David C are a little…slow… on the update and don’t realize they’re not only making a fool of themselves willingly – they are being laughed at by their masters all at the same time.
It’s actually a 3 stage process designed so any one can leave the farm, do work, then go back to the farm. 1) inform yourself 2)mobilise 3)act to control leaders. And then go back to the farm.
So you have never heard of Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and Hitler ? Just a few legends in the socialist hall of fame.
I suggest you should probably refrain from comment until you educate yourself a bit. Those people were able to take things to the extreme because of ignorant apologists like you.
The left needs to raise its game and connect with the people it professes to represent.
Meanwhile, on Earth, the vast majority of NZ lefties are social democrats. That doesn’t stop flaccid unoriginal toryboys pretending that working for families is communism by stealth, of course.
Kayaker paddles all the way around NZ. 431 days on the water. A great feat.
Radionz 10:41 pm on 31 December 2016
An Auckland woman has finished circumnavigating the country by kayak for charity.
Lynn Paterson has spent 431 days on the water since setting off in October last year.
Others have circumnavigated the country in sections, but Ms Paterson is the first to do so in one fell swoop.
Her support crew tracked her in her overnight accommodation, a campervan.
She said her biggest fear was failing to complete the trip.
“I’ve sort of kept it a little bit quiet until I got ’round Cape Reinga and all of the West Coast – until I started to feel that actually, yes, I am going to make it”, she said.
“Because any day you could fall over and damage yourself, an arm or something, and then I wouldn’t have been able to achieve it. So yes, I am starting to be very proud of myself.”
Ms Paterson has raised more than $7000 for the Mental Health Foundation while doing her circumnavigation.
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In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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 ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
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HOLLYWEED
a hard nights’ work for an LA stoner
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-01/high-life-vandal-changes-infamous-hollywood-sign-hollyweed
Looking closely at that I don’t think he’s done any actual damage and most people will just giggle and get on with their lives. There’s no reason to jail or even punish him.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/87711139/calls-to-end-discriminatory-minimum-wage-exemption-scheme
Did y’all know that there is a whopping total of 868 Minimum Wage Exemption permits issued in New Zealand?
That’s 868 New Zealand employers who have permission from our government to pay disabled workers much less than the minimum wage.
868 arseholes who think that disabled people are worth less than….what?….’normal’ people.
868 businesses happy to exploit people with disabilities to generate profit.
And, of course…very hard to find out who exactly these people are…
And, I guess there’s no/little information on what jobs the under-paid people are actually doing? All seems to hide behind some fog, whereby employers can just decide to employ people at less than minimum wage if it suits them.
Here’s some information from a series that Radionz and Mike Gourley is doing – this No.2 1/1/17 is on employment, sheltered workshops,. social contact for disabled, what government wants. They are thinking of doing away with the minimum wage that has been the basic pay for some years.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/spectrum/audio/201828573/to-have-an-ordinary-life-part-2
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201828573
Could you leave another comment please. I want to see if turning off an option cures your persistent auto-moderation.
Rosemary McDonald (2) …
This is disgraceful Rosemary.
And shame on the government for issuing these obnoxious exemptions, based obviously on a person’s physical disability, which is no indicator of someone’s work performance!
Discrimination at its worst.
“And, of course…very hard to find out who exactly these people are…”
But what we do know is that they will undoubtedly be friends/supporters/bank rollers of the Natz!
Most of the exemptions are likely to relate to intellectual rather than physical impairment. The system was set up by the last Labour govt, so its application has not been partisan. Some parties are promising to overturn the policy if elected.
Yes sheltered workshops etc, set up for social reasons to benift mentally impaired Tend to do things like secondary packaging, overlabelling etc. Firms outsource to them as cheap, thus a win win albeit slower and some times lower quality for firm plus cost of moving product to and from workshop , if these workshops are forced to pay market rates they would no longer exist, and again they are set up more for social reasons not financial. morale of story don’t jump to outrage before doing a modicum of research
If we knew who these firms were that had Minimum Wage Exemptions we would be in a much better position to express outrage.
But we don’t, usually.
I can recall only one ‘business’ that employed people with learning disabilities who came out and spoke publicly about the whys and wherefores…. Southland Disability Enterprises.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/spectrum/audio/201795847/a-business-with-heart
Now the workers here seem happy, and most importantly engaged. There is no doubt that being at work provides many benefits to them…a pity that the benefits don’t extend to actually being able to get off a benefit. In enterprises like this, where there is a direct environmental benefit it would be more than appropriate for the Gummint to stump up and subsidise wages.
OTOH…I heard that some of the companies that contract to airlines to refurbish headsets and package meals also use below minimum wage employees….unconscionable for an entirely profit driven company.
A couple I personally know hired a man who was intellectually disabled as a relief milker, and he was a really hard reliable worker. They paid him the same rate as they would any other worker. Though they had to let him go, for unerelated reasons which I am not willing to disclose here.
An opinion piece by Stephen Hawking that is worth a read. By his account, the good of our species and our planet depends upon our willingness to address inequality. One observation that gives a snapshot of our time is of people who have access to cell-phones but lack drinkable water. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/01/stephen-hawking-dangerous-time-planet-inequality?CMP=fb_gu
a post that would not be out of place in LPrent’s “Living without our fridge”
Yes. I did not put it up there because the claims in it cover a broader field, and also because lprent’s post is more focused on the science of climate change than this piece is.
Scaredy cat Olwyn?
Didn’t want to risk a ban?
hmmmmm suggest you don’t go there, mate
😆 you got me there garibaldi – doing my best to fly under the radar.
illiberal liberals
Looks like respect to me. Maybe you could take leaf out of Olwyn’s book?
😈
+1
Laughter Is The Best Medicine. Laugh till you cry, and then laugh again ironically.
Jonathan Pie’s 2016 rant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oeaHOzuQbM
What are we being softened up for? There is another story today about some research that has been around for a while linking it to the Bill English so called “social investment ” approach.
This social investment approach should more accurately be called out for what it is – data amassed by building a data base of the entire population ( massive snooping – sod privacy concerns) and used to typecast ( and creating a self fulfilling expectation – the circular loop) who may not do so well in life.
Once again – nothing about homing in on the perpetrators or causes of bad outcomes whether it be working out who will be a major tax cheat , an upper class domestic violence perpetrator, belong to a political party that has policy settings designed to cause community chaos and the rest.
So why are we getting this steady stream of RW propaganda – fix all social problems with an 18 page brochure?
life outcomes
I always shake my head at this type of ‘research’. If it really was possible to predict the outcome at age 3 then logic dictates it must be impossible to change the outcome (*) so what’s the point of it?
* if you can change the outcome then obviously you can’t predict the outcome.
Well done RedBaronCV. Let’s watch neoliberalism totally cock this one up like every social issue it ‘adresses’.
Sadly Neoliberslism still haunts the Labour Party.
Yes I am suspicious of the motives.
Most RW social policy seems to consist of initiatives akin to driving someone 5 K’s out of town, turning around and driving 1 k back towards town then pushing them out and telling them that they were better off than they were 5 minutes ago.
Looking at what Nact does rather than what it says is interesting:
Take prisons – apparently Bill doesn’t want to build anymore according to a recent story – but didn’t they defund some of the voluntary prison visiting charities? For the amount of money that would go into something like that you’d only need about 1 success a year to pay for it.
Or the defunding of Rape Crisis Centre’s & Women’s Refuges which also have considerable donated support and volunteer involvement but they give about $400,000 to the White Ribbon Trust ( which really has no donated funds) and the money is spent on a salary and a promotional campaign to make them look like Nact are doing something.
Why doesn’t White Ribbon have to do the hard yards the refuges have to do around money? Maybe Bill needs to push the line that violence costs male taxpayers lots of tax so they had better get together and pay attention rather than hitting at the outcome of the poor behaviour.
I looked up the Dunedin Study last time it was mentioned here. There’s a huge amount of reports on it but that’s all they are – studies of a study. The data doesn’t lie but I found the conclusions reached from data are often highly subjective and well nigh useless.
That link led to another here which has some interesting snippets;
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/80402120/Dunedin-providing-the-data-that-could-shape-humanitys-future
This bit here…..
“Spanish officials are also currently intensely interested in the Dunedin Study, Moffitt says, because their adolescents are currently facing similar rates of youth unemployment and economic failure to those experienced by young Kiwis in the late 1980s.
“I think that was actually the major event that has happened in the Dunedin Study members’ lives – that terrible economic recession New Zealand went through quietly on its own when they were 15. Many of them had expected to leave school and go into full employment – which is what had always been the way in New Zealand – and then suddenly the financial rug was pulled out from underneath them – the youth unemployment rate went up to 30 per cent. I think this cohort lived through something that was unique – other countries weren’t suffering it then, but are now.”
Now that seriously conflicts with the claims about predicting outcomes from the age of 3. Clearly the economic environment we’re brought up in plays a large part in our future outcomes.
It’s all bollocks anyway, all these researchers & beancounters seem able to do is identify problems we already know about while never coming up with the right answers.
This is all about tightening up eligibility for social programs to the point where only 1% qualify, and the rest of us will be left to our own devices.
Bwaghorn
I saw a comment that you are withdrawing from commenting and am personally sorry. I have enjoyed reading your comments from farming NZ so if you can come in this year and drop in some information from your experience then please. Hope you are well and can be back after a break.
Me too – enjoyed the farming perspective comments – do pop in occasionally if you can
Me three. I missed their comment, but if true that is a loss for the site 🙁
Cheers , nothing wrong with me , just a possible change in lifestyle will cut down my comments, ad to that the more i’ve learnt to think due to hanging around here the more i realise i don’t know, and i don’t really have the large amount of time it would take to educate myself to the standard level.
i also only said might fade away , it’ll be harder to give up my occasional ranting here than it was to give up smoking.
Happy new years
There’s no deficiencies in your thinking or your contribution here. There’s plenty of educated idiots here whose comments don’t rate a click, but I’m always interested in what you have to say.
I am listening to Radionz interview and the woman is very lively and doing lots of things and doing further tertiary education. She says she wants her life to matter, learning about stuff and passing on the information etc.
Sounds a really good motto for each of us.
11.15 Jesse Milligan
Food with Mawera Karetai
If you want to make the perfect peach chutney you better tune in to hear Mawera Karetai
wildcook.co.nz
Probably on live audio later. Nice to listen to.
The UBI already exists for the 1%
Well, society’s been burned to the ground before by those with excessive passive income and it’s getting that way again. There’s a very good reason why every major religion in the world bans usury and yet our entire capitalist system is based upon it.
Government programmes should be retitled to its true name which is a welfare programs. Take Internet entrepreneurs for one. There’s maybe 40 steps to actually turn on the Internet. Tech capitalist only hit on maybe the last two steps, the rest was publicly funded research. But tech entrepreneurs take the discount and laugh all the way to the bank. I’m mildly surprised the public has allowed themselves to be fooled but sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Great link, shows up the (lack of) morality of UBI opponents… they actually like a system that spreads inequality and poverty
Yep. What they’re concerned with is them not being special.
At current interest rates on reasonably secure investments I doubt if the PSZ figure is accurate these days.
Considering the ongoing fall in wages at the bottom I wouldn’t be surprised if the amount going to the top 1% was the same or even more.
SORT YOURSELVES OUT PLEASE.
Labour Hame is the blog site of the Labour Party in Scotland.
Brave: the editor/moderator had allowed strongly critical debates to rage in the past few days. Some serious soul searching writing.
http://labourhame.com/sort-yourselves-out-please/
http://labourhame.com/scotlands-place-in-Europe/
They both beg the question: is it too late for Labour in Scotland to mend its ways.
Wasn’t the 2000s the time to ask and answer that question. They didn’t, and the consequence is their near total electoral implosion.
Yes. Watching Scottish Labour over the past few years was like watching a slow motion train wreck in a movie.
It is possible the same could happen south of the border.
The Tories could divide on a Constitutional question: half the population see membership of the EU as an essential part of their identity and/or economic wellbeing.
Similar questions arise in Labour: I can’t see the mass of new on-line Corbyn supporting members being anti-European. The trouble for Corbyn is he will loose them with his current weak engagement on a defining constitutional and existential question.
The biggest upheaval of English and U.K. politics since 1922 and 1945?
“All changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.”
Yeats, Easter 1916, oft quoted by Alex Salmond.
Add into the maelstrom of the 2017 politics of Scotland and England the scenario of the accession of Prince Charles to the throne……
THAT would be like adding jet fuel to a fire!! Even hardened Scots Unionists find him hard to accept.
I think you will find that Charles will stand aside to let William take the throne, spending the rest of his life as a roving animal rights ambassador or something.
just watch Bennett bash us all with her sob story of how she was a solo mum . I bet she will not tell us who looked after her baby while she went to universality or what Party was in power that made it possible for her to go .
” I bet she will not tell us ………… what Party was in power that made it possible for her to go “.
Why would she not tell you?
She started University in 1994 apparently and had certainly graduated sometime prior to the 1999 election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Bennett#Early_life_and_career
I guess she would have to say it was the National Government wouldn’t she?
Thank you to Jim Bolger.
And those of us who have been on a benefit during the 90s and the present day (mostly long term ill/disabled hence the long time frame) will tell you that despite how bad it became for us in the 90s, it was a hell of a lot easier to be on a benefit then than it is now.
Obviously Ruth and Jenny just weren’t extreme enough even for Paula, or perhaps they just weren’t as psychopathic.
Kay
The intention is to gradually strip away government ie collective help until you are as dependent on charity as the poor in Victorian times even to after WW2 in Britain.
The Poor Law introduced by Elizabeth 1 as basic rights would be what they (the elites and in power) are ready to revert to.
In NZ we already have people sleeping on the street etc. Drugs and RTDs to degrade the young as in the old days, Gin, drunk for a penny, dead drunk for tuppence. They want the poor and indigent to sink and match the situation that they already imagine. It’s beyond belief but it is observable so therefore believe.
Has anyone hear of Peter Jackson’s Film Mausoleum .. I mean museum .. recently ?
This from December about a proposed Convention Centre (urgh) and movie museum, foregrounding Lord of the Rings?
.. that was before the magnitude 7.8 (Mw) earthquake in the South Island
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Kaikoura_earthquake
and ongoing tremors
https://www.geonet.org.nz/
http://info.geonet.org.nz/display/home/2016/11/14/M7.8+Kaikoura+Earthquake%3A+Latest+updates
http://info.geonet.org.nz/display/quake/2016/11/14/M7.8+Kaikoura+Quake%3A+Future+Scenarios+and+Aftershock+Forecasts
which top any frisson Peter Jackson can come up with.
OK. I haven’t found anything more recent than December on the planned museum/conference centre.
There are two things that the National government have completely and totally failed on.
They are Housing and climate change.
These are kthe governments two weakest positions.
Not Shitty rivers, not the economy , not any other topic
These two things are what what any winning election strategy needs to be about.
We must hit the Nats where they are weakest.
Where they have no credbible defence for their behaviour.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/11/homeless-shock-daisy-may-hudson-film-half-way
We must hit the Nats where they are weakest.
Kiwi build is nothing more than talking points
No idea what Labour is going to do regarding climate change doesn’t seem to be anything on their website, obviously not a pirioty
Struggle to see what you’re going to hit the Nats with?
Correction Andrew. It’s tikanga my boy. Not some jumped up hippie idea floating around you brainless mind
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
By the way, Sanders 2020 all day. Plug over
LOL sure.
If Sanders wins the nomination in 2020 I will eat this laptop.
Sanders flying on the back of a pig is more likely.
A few pearls of wisdom from our resident establishment supporter, Sam C’s brother.
Man, I just cant believe how much salt in the wound happened to these types first with Trump winning then Key leaving. Man that must smart like billio.
Wow . So much delusion in one short comment.
Trump is a loon and would have been beaten by any half decent Dem candidate. Pity the Dems but up Hillary instead.
Tho I hope Trump spends the next 8 years erasing anything the vacuous Obumbler did while in office.
I applaud Key for going, I hope he goes sits in the sun for a long time drinks a lot and catches up on reading a lot of crap novels.
He has done so much for NZ and for so little. Its not as tho he needed the job is it.
It remains to be seen how much he needed the job.
Gabby.
Key was reported in 2007 (I think by NBR) of being worth $50Mil.
If he left it in the hands of a competent but middling conservative investment house he will be worth $150 Mil now.
I dont think he needed the pay packet .
” I applaud Key for going, I hope he goes sits in the sun for a long time drinks a lot and catches up on reading a lot of crap novels.
He has done so much for NZ and for so little. Its not as tho he needed the job is it. ”
^ This ones got it bad . Pining for a lost love after Key ditched them.
Sam C’s little brother … its over. Keys gone.
And must we really have to drag out Blips Honest John list every time you display your separation anxiety over Keys ditching you? Its getting rather embarrassing seeing you display this unhealthy clinging on to the past about Keys artificial economy based on cheap immigration labor and an equally artificial housing bubble. And the surveillance of the populace Key initiated when he was Obama’s little puppy.
Keys gone. Accept it. And you are the last person he gives a damn about.
Doesn’t matter who the leader of the free world is. You can still make money either way.
I’m also a Sanders supporter.
Jumped up hippie idea? You must be out of your damn mind. How hippie is an organised mass workers’ party? If I’m a hippie, so were Kautsky and Bernstein, two people you won’t have heard of.
There’s nothing more hippie and flaky than Internet Mana who lost the 2014 election for the left.
Incoherence can often be mistaken for radicalism, that’s the mistake you make
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The Mana movement has always acted out of bottom up decision making matrixes – That’s English for tikanga. It just happens to overlap with the most vulnerable people in New Zealand. It’s fundamental to any maori structure.
I’m also a big believer in matching personality with process. If fighting hard for Pani me te rawakori and loses upsets you, I suggest you go join ACT.
Hone’s accident just before the election was also a factor in his campaigning.
The Mana Movment put the Internet Mana merger to a vote which obviously went through with only one vote the difference. So when you dis Hone for the merger your dissing 5000 people. I was a bit more straight up at the time and said it was a dumb idea and drag Sue back in and apologise. But the vote was counted, water under the bridge now
Lionel: CIA weaponised the term “Conspiracy Theory” through its media outlets since 1967
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZg-p_c3TQ
…be a conspiracy analyst not a conspiracy theorist… wise words.
There is a guy at VUW who runs a line in this area
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/psyc/about/staff/marc-wilson
Many of the government departments and agencies initiated post WW2 were run and staffed with war criminals who were supported and funded by ‘corporate families’ in the USA
What major difference will Labour offer in November. Housing nope mats already doing that. I guess it will be asking the hard working poor to pay for free education of students to get students and their families votes
Who’s Mat ?
Grant Robertson is obsessed by this since it worked in 2005 but that souffle does not rise twice.
like tax cuts you mean?
” Housing nope mats already doing that.”
Who’s Mat ?
Great work and I welcome the release of any information that exposes those in power.
My only issue is that these activists do not hold left leaning governments to account in the same way, in spite of the left leaning governments having (by far) the very worst human rights records.
[lprent: This reads to me like a deliberate diversion Quite what it has to do with the post wasn’t established and whoever this is reads like another idiot “justice campaigner” who has spent way too much time reading comic books.
Banned for 4 weeks. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
“left leaning governments having (by far) the very worst human rights records”
Provide links to evidence, please. Facts about New Zealand governments would be best. We can wait.
Sacha.
Has New Zild really ever had a true lefty govt?
I mean with a true Lefty like Stalin or Pol Pot at the helm?
Oh look, Davy-wavy made a joke!
Congratulations Davy. What a clever boy!
Spot on OAB for once.
The idea of a real Left Govt in NZ is truly laughable.
Laugh? I nearly did.
OAB.
I am happy to just laugh at you.
You are showing a complete lack of understanding about democratic structures.
Sam.
tell me what part of democratic am I not understanding WRT Stalin or Pol Pot?
Youd have to find a link between dictators and New Zealand first before you could have a proper discussion about it.
Easy to find to find a link between the Left, and murderous dictators.
But you know that.
One of the few things the Left is great at is starving and killing poor people.
So millions of labourers starved and killed themselves did they? I’ll give you a hint. That didn’t happen.
So 5 million people starving to death in 1932 was imaginary?
All those ghosts will be so relieved.
oh and..”Pol Pot (1925-1998) and his communist Khmer Rouge movement led Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During that time, about 1.5 million Cambodians out of a total population of 7 to 8 million died of starvation, execution, disease or overwork.”
Good Leftys all.
What do you think you are talking about now?
Bro. You’re pushing tinfoil muh boi. You need to go and study more
Here he is again , Sam C’s brother , citing examples of extremes ( aka communism ) to justify their neo liberal greed.
Its an old ploy of Sam and Davids, – indeed any of these paid up card carrying National party Key sycophantic types ( they’re still hurting bad from Keys ditching them ) – they love to spread the fallacy about social democracy being the same as communism.
Its part of their instructions to do so.
But, – its old , its boring , and past its use by date . Like neo liberalism. The sad thing is , both Sam and David C are a little…slow… on the update and don’t realize they’re not only making a fool of themselves willingly – they are being laughed at by their masters all at the same time.
Poor Sam and David C.
Katipo, who is the Sam?
Like I know my Brothers and if one posts on here I will be rather surprised 😉
Well, … if it isn’t the bored little troll brother of Sam C himself.
Well , well , well.
yawn.
It’s actually a 3 stage process designed so any one can leave the farm, do work, then go back to the farm. 1) inform yourself 2)mobilise 3)act to control leaders. And then go back to the farm.
So you have never heard of Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao and Hitler ? Just a few legends in the socialist hall of fame.
I suggest you should probably refrain from comment until you educate yourself a bit. Those people were able to take things to the extreme because of ignorant apologists like you.
The left needs to raise its game and connect with the people it professes to represent.
What famous NZ names you list. #pffft
Meanwhile, on Earth, the vast majority of NZ lefties are social democrats. That doesn’t stop flaccid unoriginal toryboys pretending that working for families is communism by stealth, of course.
Sadly, even parrots learn quicker than you.
President Dopey-Changenothing looks really saintly in this picture
Eighteen days of ineffectiveness to go….
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/politics/obama-defends-legacy-on-twitter
Kayaker paddles all the way around NZ. 431 days on the water. A great feat.
Radionz 10:41 pm on 31 December 2016
An Auckland woman has finished circumnavigating the country by kayak for charity.
Lynn Paterson has spent 431 days on the water since setting off in October last year.
Others have circumnavigated the country in sections, but Ms Paterson is the first to do so in one fell swoop.
Her support crew tracked her in her overnight accommodation, a campervan.
She said her biggest fear was failing to complete the trip.
“I’ve sort of kept it a little bit quiet until I got ’round Cape Reinga and all of the West Coast – until I started to feel that actually, yes, I am going to make it”, she said.
“Because any day you could fall over and damage yourself, an arm or something, and then I wouldn’t have been able to achieve it. So yes, I am starting to be very proud of myself.”
Ms Paterson has raised more than $7000 for the Mental Health Foundation while doing her circumnavigation.
Can we get a new rule?
One where by anyone who goes ‘you lefties’ and then talks about regressive dictatorships – gets a week off?