Open mike 02/06/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 2nd, 2015 - 169 comments
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openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

169 comments on “Open mike 02/06/2015 ”

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  1. Charles 1
    2 June 2015 at 8:23 am

    There are no reply buttons on the original post yesterday….

    “I got sick of explaining over and over again about the Green Party and James Shaw’s position on forming government with National (tl;dr, they won’t), so I wrote a synopsis,
    http://thestandard.org.nz/labour-and-the-greens-2/#comment-1023716…”

    It’s a good synopsis and I’m pretty sure I have the located the central intent of the message for myself. But (there’s always a but) if the Greens think this is acceptable rhetoric for the people on the street, they’re in for a surprise. I had to apply some thinking pressure to sort out what was being said. Let’s see if I can present the so-called obvious:

    1) James Shaw, personally, as an individual, would rule out any form of coalition with National. When asked, he would say, “No deal with National of any kind.”. He wouldn’t even work with developing policy with them. He might not even cross the road to piss in John Key’s ear if Key’s brain was on fire.

    2) James Shaw, Co-Leader for the Green Party, isn’t acting personally or as an individual when any one hears him speak in person or via the media.

    3) The Green Party of NZ and its members, are the only people who can decide whether The Greens enter coalition with National, and where Green Party policy might change or develop, or what it says.

    4) James Shaw cannot say to NZ, “The Greens will not enter coalition with National under any circumstances,” because it is not his right as Green Party co-leader to make that decision. He cannot predict the future response of the party members because the members want to make decisions as situations arise, not before. This leads to phrases such as, “Highly Unlikely” because it’s as close to certainty as he can get, without exceeding his role or disrespecting his party and members. All decisions in the Green Party are collective, and made as close to immediate as possible.

    This is understood, and for some here, plain as day. In a way, The Greens approach is good sense: policy reflects the people it affects, and you get to vote on the best information to hand. But let’s not think our echo chamber here represents what happens in real life.

    The explanation above is hard work, far too hard, and frustrating as hell to watch it play out. The Greens need to understand that. If you think I’m thick, then you should meet some of the people I know. They will never understand it. There is too much room to argue some very valid points in the way the Greens are doing things, and too many people arguing them.

    After a period of almost forever, average Jolene and Joe NZ still don’t understand that First Past the Post, hierarchical, top-down politics, is over. Every day they work in places where, what the boss says, goes. They see Leader and see Central Authority. They hear Leader, and think Leader has final say. No other style of leadership exist to them. The systems of collectivist-style philosophies are unknown and foreign. Why would they need to look for them? They’re more or less comfortable where they are. It works for them. If The Greens want to win in 2017 (whatever form that might take) they need to examine this point.

    It’s no good telling NZ over and over again that you’re doing it differently, without an intermediate step. It is naive to think enough people in NZ speak The Green Language, or will take the time to figure it out, and figure it out before 2017; and simply bad politics to ignore the obvious cultural influence of a country on political rhetoric. Either The Greens want to communicate with the people they need to influence, or they don’t. They can’t blame MSM on this. They have missed out a communicative step in a long-term project and instead of fixing it, blamed the people least able to understand.

    How hard would it be, how offensive to the Green mentality would it be, to ask the members for a release (essentially a 2 year commitment from the members et. al.) to allow James Shaw and Metiria Turei, to say, “NO COALITION WITH NATIONAL 2017”. Just this once, on this matter only: A release for the leaders to exceed their role and the philosophy of the Green Party, as an intermediate step to communicating with a constituency that does not speak the Green language.

    There may be better alternatives already known to party members. Clearly, however, all NZ is currently hearing when The Greens are questioned on collation issues are, “typical political weasel-words”.

    An important part of politics is about how you’re perceived by your public. To appear to staunchly refuse to make compromises among themselves and in their best interest, makes the genuine urgency of many Green issues to seem not so urgent after all. If the Greens can afford to wait Marx’s “400 years” for NZders to learn the Green Language, then…

    • Colonial Rawshark 1.1
      2 June 2015 at 8:33 am

      Mate, every day NZers appear to get MMP better than some parts of the political and parliamentary Left Wing. Don’t celebrate a left wing political class which is increasingly disconnected from what left wing voters want.

      At the end of the day the voters in NZ are perceptive and choose the politicians that they have the most confidence and certainty in, to run the nation.

      • weka 1.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:29 am

        I think that last bit is true, and the GP will be trusted much more if they can commnicate the above better. There was definitely confusion about the GP position at the last election, thanks largely to Corin Dann doing some gotcha on Russell Norman the week before polling day. We had some endless conversations about it here on ts, similar in some ways to what’s been happening in the past few days.

        • Colonial Rawshark 1.1.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:45 am

          Yes indeed – LAB and GR don’t have to agree on and pre-announce all aspects of policy ahead of the election – but they do need to demonstrate to the NZ voter that they trust each other, can work together, and can be politically effective together.

          The people who say that all this can be left until after Election Day results are announced are still living in an FPP dream world.

          • weka 1.1.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 11:22 am

            It’s an opportunity for them to pioneer a new way of doing MMP. Peters set the MMP agenda in a power and control/anti democratic way years ago. Time to change how things are done.

      • Ron 1.1.2
        2 June 2015 at 11:51 am

        … or more likely they choose the leaders whose parties have the funds to manipulate the public especially via MSM

        At the end of the day the voters in NZ are perceptive and choose the politicians that they have the most confidence and certainty in, to run the nation.

        • Colonial Rawshark 1.1.2.1
          2 June 2015 at 11:55 am

          Not entirely disagreeing with your point. But the way the Labour caucus imploded with ill-discipline within hours of the election result being announced pretty much proved the voters correct in not trusting them with the levers of Government.

    • Colville. 1.2
      2 June 2015 at 9:01 am

      Charles.
      By saying “NO COALITION WITH NATIONAL 2017” doesnt it give Labour carte blanche to just lock Greens out of coalition and just do a deal with Winston? like 2005?

      • aerobubble 1.2.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:14 am

        No. Labour need support from the Greens otherwise they cannot govern. Sure there is Winston. Now its argued that its because everyone knows Labour needs the Greens an Labour did not do enough to create a common platform that voters did not have confidence.

        Look take what happen with Northland, ACT lost power, Dunne and Seymour had to unite to help National win after the Northland loss. Why would ACT be looking to get a National MP to slide over to them but for the numbers. So how is it that ACT can do the sums yet media want us to believe Labour think the Greens have no power over them. Only reason, Labour don’t want to be in govt yet.

        • Colville. 1.2.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 12:08 pm

          Labour can just ignore the Greens and what can the Greens do? … Vote with National against Labour?

          • aerobubble 1.2.1.1.1
            3 June 2015 at 11:23 am

            Labour ignoring the Greens has done what? Ignoring the Greens means they stay in opposition where it Does not matter that they are ignoring the Greens.

      • weka 1.2.2
        2 June 2015 at 10:32 am

        “Charles.
        By saying “NO COALITION WITH NATIONAL 2017” doesnt it give Labour carte blanche to just lock Greens out of coalition and just do a deal with Winston? like 2005?”

        Labour are quite capable of doing that irrespective of what the GP do. The GP are stepping up in good faith and demonstrating that they’re ready to be in government and they’re not going to sell out on core principles. What you are suggesting is that they instead hide their intentions as a way of manipulating Labour into working with them. That would go against the GP’s core principles.

        It is still possible for a political party to be open, transparent, and favour democracy in NZ (and work in the way that MMP was intended).

      • Visubversa 1.2.3
        2 June 2015 at 12:23 pm

        Please stop repeating the old canard that Labour chose to “lock the Greens out” in 2005. Labour and the Green parties together did not have enough seats to form a government in 2005. Both NZ First and United Future refused absolutely to be part of any government which included the Green party. Labour had the choice – in Government without the Greens, or in Opposition with them. They chose to be in Government.

        Don’t believe me? – look up the figures.

    • David H 1.3
      2 June 2015 at 9:26 am

      @Charles.

      “He might not even cross the road to piss in John Key’s ear if Key’s brain was on fire.”

      Don’t you know, you cannot have a flame in a hard vacuum?

      • Puckish Rogue 1.3.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:24 am

        I think John Keys greatest gift is his ability to make the left constantly underestimate him

        • thatguynz 1.3.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 11:45 am

          Or perhaps it could be his innate ability to hoodwink those on the right into believing him..

          • Puckish Rogue 1.3.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 11:49 am

            Yes of course it is…sheesh

            When both chris Trotter and Michael Cullen are saying the left underestimate Key (to their detriment) don’t you think that maybe, just maybe the left have been underestimating him?

    • weka 1.4
      2 June 2015 at 10:26 am

      “The explanation above is hard work, far too hard, and frustrating as hell to watch it play out. The Greens need to understand that.”

      If you read my original comments in micky’s thread, they say this,

      “One of the challenges for the GP is how to simplify the above for the media and public, and have it in an easily explainable form. There was much confusion about this at the last election and it wasn’t communicated clearly.”

      http://thestandard.org.nz/labour-and-the-greens-2/#comment-1023057

      Sorry, but I skim read your long comment, and am wondering at the irony of you taking so many involved and unnecessary sentences to criticise the GP for being too complicated for the general public 😉

      I wrote the synopsis for the standard, which requires backup and links. I’d be interested in working on writing up the GP position, from an outsider’s perspective, into a simple and easily accessible form for use in the blogosphere (a twitter version would be great too). I’m not sure you and I are the right people to do that, all things considered, but willing to give it a go. Anyone else?

  2. Lynda Brown 2
    2 June 2015 at 9:10 am

    Surely there were other Greens who cringed with embarrassment at Metiria Turei saying this in her conference speech:
    “I have to say I feel a little bit like the Bachelorette. It’s certainly been a while since I’ve had four men chasing after me to become my partner. And while they may not have the rippling abs and paleo diet toned bodies of the TV version, our bachelors are all political Adonis’s.”
    Amazingly, she got a huge laugh.
    Why would she want to portray herself as some kind of desperate cougar?
    How does this squirmy sexism fit with Labour?
    I hate seeing young women MPs like Jacinda portrayed in the media as ‘babes’.
    This is on the same revolting scale.

    • te reo putake 2.1
      2 June 2015 at 9:18 am

      Meh. I think you know that this isn’t an example of sexism. More an example of a right wing beat up, actually.

      • Jenny Kirk 2.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 9:22 am

        TRP – totally agree Some people can’t see a joke when its right in front of their noses !

    • Puckish Rogue 2.2
      2 June 2015 at 9:22 am

      Just a politician trying to be funny and failing, no big deal really it happens in every political party

      • Colville. 2.2.1
        2 June 2015 at 9:33 am

        A Party Leader trying to be funny and failing?
        Like playing with a ponytail you mean?
        “no big deal really it happens in every political party”?

      • te reo putake 2.2.2
        2 June 2015 at 10:03 am

        Trying to be funny and failing? I think that may be you, Puckish. According the reports, Turei had the audience in stitches. Even Lynda Brown notes that in her comment above.

        • Puckish Rogue 2.2.2.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:29 am

          Naah I think its more the audience, its not like it was a hostile environment for her

      • stigie 2.2.3
        2 June 2015 at 4:29 pm

        Can you imagine if Key had said the some language as Turei ?

        He would have been pillared by the left.

        • te reo putake 2.2.3.1
          2 June 2015 at 4:49 pm

          I don’t think NZ cares about that, ackshully.

          • Colville. 2.2.3.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 6:27 pm

            Naaa… bad behaviour is always ok when the Left does it eh TRP ?

            Its just not possible for Woman from the Left to be sexist..if confronted about this Turei would call the it a racist attack!

            • te reo putake 2.2.3.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 6:47 pm

              Ok, I’ll bite. Explain how this is sexist.

              • Colville. …
                2 June 2015 at 8:08 pm

                How is it sexist for a woman in power to denigrate 4 male aspiring leaders as suitors? to liken their wanting to be Leaders of a political party to wanting her physically? and for her to reject at her whim?

                Stolen (below) from another site because I really dont want to validate your pathetic stance with any effort on my part..

                “Imagine John Key starting a speech like this:
                “I have to say I feel a little bit like the Bachelor.
                It’s certainly been a while since I’ve had four women chasing after me to become my partner.
                And while they may not have the blonde hair and diet toned bodies of the TV version, our bachelorettes are all political goddesses.”

                To call you a hypocrite just doesnt begin to describe the contempt I have for your position.

                You, My Son, need your fucking head read.

                • te reo putake …
                  2 June 2015 at 9:44 pm

                  So you don’t know why it’s sexist? Goodo. And yes, I can imagine Key making a speech like that. He’s pretty relaxed about that sort of thing. Nice feigned outrage, though. Muppet.

    • Colonial Rawshark 2.3
      2 June 2015 at 9:43 am

      “Political adonis”

      This is language which is of the Thorndon Bubble, speaking to the Thorndon Bubble.

      • te reo putake 2.3.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:07 am

        Jeez, you say some weird shit, CV. Apart from apparently misunderstanding the context of the phrase political Adonis, I think you probably need to rethink what the ‘thorndon bubble’ might be. Clue: it’s not a bunch of branch and regional reps at the AGM of the Green Party.

        • Colonial Rawshark 2.3.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:12 am

          Hey TRP, the shit I say sounds “weird” to you because it’s not designed for your consumption.

        • weka 2.3.1.2
          2 June 2015 at 10:36 am

          +1 a GP AGM is hardly representative of the Thorndon Bubble.

          • Colonial Rawshark 2.3.1.2.1
            2 June 2015 at 11:19 am

            The GP use languaging like “Political Adonis” with its rank and file membership and it’s considered standard mainstream Kiwi? OK.

            • weka 2.3.1.2.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 11:26 am

              I simply pointed out you were wrong in characterising the audience as a group of hard core politicos with no feel for the common man.

            • te reo putake 2.3.1.2.1.2
              2 June 2015 at 11:29 am

              It’s entirely mainstream in the context of a cultural reference to a TV show that has wide appeal in the mainstream which was delivered for comic effect to a sympathetic and, from the laughter, educated audience. On the other hand there are words that aren’t standard mainstream kiwi. Words like ‘languaging’, for example.

              • McFlock …
                2 June 2015 at 12:49 pm

                CR languages with ordinary New Zealanders every day, and has the knowing that they understandify not the term “Adonis”, because ordinary New Zealanders are all rude, brutish beasts of the land.

            • Draco T Bastard 2.3.1.2.1.3
              2 June 2015 at 11:57 am

              I’m pretty sure that most people would have understood the reference. It does, after all, get used quite often in other mainstream media.

  3. DH 3
    2 June 2015 at 9:24 am

    Is this happening much in ChCh?

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/68063552/ive-had-enough–canterbury-caravan-mum

    $300 week for a caravan park is bad enough, how much are rental houses down there?

    • David H 3.1
      2 June 2015 at 9:34 am

      Sometimes you have to ask yourself why are you staying in CHCH when things are so dire housing wise. Wouldn’t it be better to move out of town to where the rents are reasonable, and you are not being screwed over everyday by the Nats and their followers/hangers on.

      • Brendon Harre 3.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 9:59 am

        Christchurch is the 2nd largest mass of humanity in NZ, is it possible for those people to move somewhere else? Or do you mean only the poor should move. Away from schools, friends, family and jobs?

        The housing market has been allowed to become unaffordable because John Key and his crony -Brownlee care more about property owners and landlords than they do about buyers and renters.

        There is a lot they could have done to prevent escalating house prices and rents that have resulted in the poor falling out of the market completely.

        I discussed this last year. http://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/70493/fridays-top-10-brendon-harr%C3%A9-national-vs-labour-housing-affordability-uk-councils-spy

        This should be core Labour territory. Labour should go back to the basics and do what Micky Savage would have done.

        • Colonial Rawshark 3.1.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 1:01 pm

          Anything that Labour does nowadays would have to fit within the confines of a fiscally conservative, market led capitalist model.

      • DH 3.1.2
        2 June 2015 at 10:00 am

        She probably can’t afford to. You need a fair bit of capital to move and once you end up on the bones of your arse you can chew up your savings pretty quick.

        One of the traps of poverty is that every escape route from it costs money.

        • Brendon Harre 3.1.2.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:23 am

          Trina has family -at least one sister is mentioned. Also she has a work history in Christchurch and if you are looking for work then Christchurch is probably the best bet given her contacts and the number of new jobs compared to smaller centres.

    • Paul 3.2
      2 June 2015 at 9:55 am

      From the article.

      ‘After the 2011 earthquake Nesbitt was forced to move from her rental home because the landlord tripled the rent after renovations.’

      Scum slum landlords.

      • Belladonna 3.2.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:39 am

        When a woman is separated from her partner and has children she is not allowed to move to another city without her partner’s permission. Many women are stuck in an abusive relationship as they are unable to afford rents in Christchurch but are not able to move to a location where rents are affordable and have no option but to stay in that relationship.

        • RedBaronCV 3.2.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:52 pm

          Ah yes the Harem rules. He doesn’t have to be paying anything or even bothering to turn up to see the kids – they can be living in unneccessary poverty when a job and house in another town may be viable. He can have the money and afford to travel to see his kids.
          None of this matters a damm to the idiots at the courts who insist that the mother remains an unpaid child care convenience to the father even when he has no intention of looking after the kids.
          The court idiots will routinely spend far more on counselling, lawyers, judges and legal time than the costs of fares for the kids between two centres.

          There was an article published in the law journal about this sort of situation at the time of the quakes. It was really frightening – the shallow thinking, lack of understanding of kids and the secondary abuse of them was rife.

          • b waghorn 3.2.1.1.1
            3 June 2015 at 5:49 am

            I know a horrible little man child who only agreed to let his ex move with the kids if she let him off any and all support payments . on the plus side his kids are adults now and won’t go near the arsehole

            • RedBaronCV 3.2.1.1.1.1
              3 June 2015 at 7:53 am

              One of many unfortunately. A system that assists him with his bullying.

  4. Jo 4
    2 June 2015 at 9:31 am

    Latest Colmar poll; Andrew Little 9%. He is not a leader, the party knew that, the caucus knew that only the Unions couldn’t see it.

    David Shearer is a natural leader and the caucus was right to elect him the first time. Sure his inexperience showed and he could have done with more time in Parliament before he became leader. BUT the fact is he is a natural leader and that can’t be faked or taught by a PR consultant.

    There is no doubt in my mind if Labour had stuck with him, and several caucus members had put their own leadership ambitions aside, then Labour would now be sitting on the other side of the House.

    Labour needs to go back to electing their Leader in the caucus, this system is a disaster, all it does is foster a Leader on the caucus who no one wants and then everyone complains that they don’t support him, go figure. The caucus didn’t like Cunliffe actually he appeared to be one of the most disliked members and Little is proving to be absolutely tits and comes across as either very boring or angry………………9% and I am guessing it will go lower!

    • Anne 4.1
      2 June 2015 at 9:42 am

      Piffle!!!

      • Jo 4.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 2:18 pm

        Yes 9% is piffle!!!

        • Anne 4.1.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 2:35 pm

          I’ve been around the political traps one hell of a lot longer than you. That is clear from your naive comment. Guess what! Helen Clark’s rating in the 12 months after she became leader was less than 9%. If my memory serves me correctly it went as low as 6% – possibly lower. Guess you didn’t know that because you don’t sound like you have much political knowledge at all.

          David Shearer has the makings of maybe our best Foreign Affairs minister ever – in a Little-led government. His background lends itself to such a role. Why don’t you reflect on the fact you have much to learn…

          • Jo 4.1.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 2:56 pm

            Yes but she had the experience and numbers to stand up to Cullen when he tried to roll her. That is the big difference she was elected by her caucus and if Cullen had the numbers she would have been gone. After that she was stronger, she had the support of her caucus. Why? Simply because they elected her. Both Cunliffe and Little were not the choice of the caucus and it shows!

            David Shearer does have the makings of a fantastic Foreign Minister, for the very same reasons as he would also make an extremely good Prime Minister. I honestly can’t see Andrew Little as Foreign Minister, can you?

            • Colonial Rawshark 4.1.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 3:33 pm

              If fucking McCully can do it…

            • Clean_power 4.1.1.1.1.2
              2 June 2015 at 3:42 pm

              I agree with Anne. Shearer had his turn and failed miserably, proving to be inarticulate, indecisive, and no match for Key in Parliament. So far, Little has not done better but it is still early days to judge him. We have to wait.

              Finally, there is Robertson always waiting for the opportunity.

    • just saying 4.2
      2 June 2015 at 9:55 am

      ..Labour needs to go back to electing their Leader in the caucus…

      Welcome astroturfer.

      This made me laugh. If caucus is electing the leader then by definition Labour isn’t electing “their leader” just a few elite members are.

      But Shearer was the bigger laugh. I guess if National has to stand down for the odd term it’s good to have their proxies in place. I assume you’d like to see Davies and Nash and Goff etc. as his deputy dawgs.

      • Jo 4.2.1
        2 June 2015 at 2:21 pm

        They are not elite members, they are the elected Labour party MPs, put there to serve their party. If you don’t have faith in them to elect, who they consider to be the best leader, why were they selected to represent the party in the first place?

        • te reo putake 4.2.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 2:31 pm

          MP’s are selected to go to parliament. Their opinions on party leadership are respected, but are balanced against the opinions of members and affiliates, who also have an interest in the matter. Why should just a few dozen ‘elite’ members decide? What’s wrong with having a democratic process that involves all members and the unions that founded the party?

          • Jo 4.2.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 3:02 pm

            Because they work with them every day and they will have a far better idea of how they will perform as the leader and hopefully the PM, than simply a member of the party, who is basing their vote on what they see in the media. Helen Clark would never had a show of being elected under this system, but one of her strengths was the support she enjoyed from colleagues, when she stuffed up (and lets face it, she did occasionally) they didn’t all run for cover, but came out swinging in her defence.

            • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 3:36 pm

              Because they work with them every day and they will have a far better idea of how they will perform as the leader and hopefully the PM, than simply a member of the party, who is basing their vote on what they see in the media.

              And that’s a load of cods-wallop as well.

              The ‘leaders’ of a party have to be able to connect with the membership of the party and not just a few people in a smoky room.

              Helen Clark would never had a show of being elected under this system,

              Or she may have reached leadership sooner. She didn’t become NZ’s greatest leader because the people in caucus liked her.

    • David H 4.3
      2 June 2015 at 10:16 am

      Rubbish

    • thatguynz 4.4
      2 June 2015 at 10:23 am

      A truly inept comment. Faux concern for Labour. Now toddle off.

      • Jo 4.4.1
        2 June 2015 at 2:23 pm

        Inept? Is the Labour party returning to the popularity seen under Helen Clark or David Lange, or is the current leadership inept?

        • thatguynz 4.4.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 4:20 pm

          Yes inept – if you think the issue for the Labour Party is Andrew Little and that normal order would have been restored had they simply persevered with Shearer you need your head read.

          As for suggesting that going back to a caucus selected leader is a good thing… dear lord.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.5
      2 June 2015 at 12:19 pm

      Oh look, another RWNJ concern troll.

      • Jo 4.5.1
        2 June 2015 at 2:26 pm

        A troll would welcome the state of Labour and rejoice in their current position, all I did was suggest that how it worked before the rule changes resulted in a far better performing party. Don’t take my word for it, take another look at the election result and the polls.

        • te reo putake 4.5.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 2:43 pm

          Um, 2 election losses pre-democratic election, 1 since. The party membership is up since democratic election was bought in as well.

          • Jo 4.5.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 3:05 pm

            and remind me how many Leaders have there been, does the new system just mean everyone gets a go? How many Nat supporters joined so they could vote, I seem to remember a very prominent HK business woman joining!

            • te reo putake 4.5.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 3:13 pm

              There have been two leaders since democratisation. Cunliffe and Little. Yes, everyone gets a go, in the sense that its an open process when the gig comes up. And frankly, if Odgers wants to send the party money, that’s totally fine by me. She only gets one vote for her fiver, same as me.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.5.1.2
          2 June 2015 at 3:21 pm

          I called you a concern troll for a reason and that reason is that you’re putting forward a false concern about Labour’s polling. What makes you a RWNJ doing it is that you’re saying that Labour should go back to being exactly the same as National.

          • Jo 4.5.1.2.1
            2 June 2015 at 4:05 pm

            I don’t even know what a RWNJ is. Not doing something because National does it is not valid argument.

            If the respective parties were elected a candidate for President, the Labour system would be valid. A President works to a considerable degree separately from the Parliamentary wing of a party. But we don’t have that system, we are electing a leader of a party. The candidates come from the pool of MPs and first and foremost he/she is elected to lead these people. If the wishes of the MPs are trumped by the party members or in Little’s case the Union vote, it does nothing for the caucus moral or cohesion.

            Personally we select these people to represent us in Parliament and we should therefore trust their judgement to select from their midst the best Leader to lead them and the party.

            • Draco T Bastard 4.5.1.2.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 5:09 pm

              Not doing something because National does it is not valid argument.

              Good job I didn’t make that argument then.

              The candidates come from the pool of MPs and first and foremost he/she is elected to lead these people.

              That would only be true in authoritarian parties such as National.

              Personally we select these people to represent us in Parliament and we should therefore trust their judgement to select from their midst the best Leader to lead them and the party.

              There’s a difference between them representing the members of the party and them telling the members what to think. The way you describe is the latter.

    • Lanthanide 4.6
      2 June 2015 at 12:37 pm

      “David Shearer is a natural leader and the caucus was right to elect him the first time. Sure his inexperience showed and he could have done with more time in Parliament before he became leader.”

      So by your own admission, they in fact were not “right to elect him the first time”.

      Even less value in the rest of your comment.

      • Jo 4.6.1
        2 June 2015 at 2:31 pm

        He had a similar amount of Parliamentary experience as Little. The difference is he has talent as a leader and people who didn’t even vote Labour liked him. As I said Leadership comes from within and it can’t be taught or faked. Neither Little or Cunliffe have that natural talent.

        • te reo putake 4.6.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 2:35 pm

          Yeah, right. Little led the EPMU, which is a voluntary association of 40,000 kiwis who not only supported his leadership, they actually paid money every week to do so. Shearer had leadership experience, too, but only in a managerial sense.

          • Jo 4.6.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 4:13 pm

            Is the President of the EPMU an elected or appointed position?

            Obviously the skills needed to lead the EPMU are different than the Labour party and to position your self as the next PM. The longer he spends in the job the less comfortable he looks. His budget reply was terrible, actually it was so bad that it isn’t even up on the Labour party fb page, just a collage of different speakers.

            • Colonial Rawshark 4.6.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 4:18 pm

              patience Jo, even Helen Clark needed a second go to achieve victory in a General Election.

            • te reo putake 4.6.1.1.1.2
              2 June 2015 at 4:46 pm

              Elected, as I recall. Four year term, I think, and responsible to an exec made up of rank and file members in between times. The point is that Little has more leadership experience than anyone else in the caucus, by a considerable margin. And have a think about being the boss of a bunch of union organisers; from my experience they tend to be opinionated, driven, contrarian and not afraid to stand their ground … after leading 60 of them for ten years, caucus would be light relief. Which actually shows; there have been bugger all public divisions, leaks to the media etc since Little took over. Caucus is behind him. The party’s behind him. He’s actually doing a fine job.

        • Anne 4.6.1.2
          2 June 2015 at 2:43 pm

          My God, every time it opens it’s mouth it shows what a total ignoramus it is.

          [No need to (de)personalise things, Anne. While some of the comments have a whiff of the troll about them, for the time being lets assume Jo has a point of view which is more likely to be swayed by constructive argument than by abuse. TRP]

          • Jo 4.6.1.2.1
            2 June 2015 at 3:09 pm

            Have I attacked you in such a rude manner? Would you speak to me like that in person? I should hope not.

            Never write something you would not be willing to say in person, and as my very intelligent Grandmother taught me, good manners cost nothing.

            [lprent: Don’t try to moderate on this site. It is important to read the policy so you know what your responsibilities are on this site, and what ours are. Banned for a week. This should give you time to move your finger and mouth the long words. ]

            • Rodel 4.6.1.2.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 5:00 pm

              Granny taught you a lot of cliches which have served you well so far.

          • Anne 4.6.1.2.2
            2 June 2015 at 4:18 pm

            @TRP
            Ok, but I have no idea whether this Jo is male/female or an apprentice troll. My instincts suggest its the latter which means constructive argument is a complete waste of time and effort. His/her/the trolls attitude to date is indicative of a very nasty turn of mind and poor cognitive ability.

            • te reo putake 4.6.1.2.2.1
              2 June 2015 at 4:48 pm

              Yep, all of that is true. But I still have a sense that Jo is debating in good faith, even if he or she doesn’t have the benefit of our years of experience to draw on.

              • Anne …
                2 June 2015 at 5:54 pm

                Fair enough trp. If he/she is genuine then he/she is not going about his/her support of David Shearer in the right way. Indeed I think Shearer would be a bit suspicious of the support. As I said, my instincts tell me this ‘Jo’ is a troll. Time will tell. 🙂

                • te reo putake …
                  2 June 2015 at 6:05 pm

                  Agreed! I suspect DS is more than happy where he is now and has no intention of having another crack at the leadership. Minister of Foreign Affairs in the next Government?

        • Colonial Rawshark 4.6.1.3
          2 June 2015 at 2:49 pm

          Cunliffe was pretty good, before he got subsumed into the Thorndon Bubble thinking which surrounded the Leaders office.

          Shearer didn’t have it. At least Little knows all the ins and outs of the Labour Party and its people.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.6.1.4
          2 June 2015 at 3:24 pm

          The difference is he has talent as a leader and people who didn’t even vote Labour liked him.

          No he didn’t and National voters liking him puts Labour voters off.

          • Jenny Kirk 4.6.1.4.1
            2 June 2015 at 4:45 pm

            “” The difference is he has talent as a leader and people who didn’t even vote Labour liked him. “”

            Yeah – that’s the absolute giveaway, Draco and Anne. This Jo person is a troll.

            In fact, I’m finding if fascinating how many trolls have sprung up on The Standard over the last couple of days ……. James Shaw’s election as Green Party Leader and the hopeful noises coming out of Labour mouths re the two parties working cooperatively MUST be really worrying the right wing. There’s no other explanation for it !

  5. Puckish Rogue 5
    2 June 2015 at 9:32 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11457713

    This article demonstrated one of the major failings of the left in that heres someone young thats got on the property ladder and the response of the posters on here was distrust and vitriol

    He may have got help from his parents but so what? Most people who get into houses generally get help from parents in either loans, free rent, or guarantees

    Now maybe he did work all the hours available and maybe he didn’t but what most voters will see is a young man making use of whats available to him and getting ahaead and most people will say well done (if they have an opinion)

    The people who responded however showed their true colours and its an attitude that most voters disagree with

    • maui 5.1
      2 June 2015 at 10:05 am

      The idea that if you’re studying you can go out and buy your own house is quite frankly fanciful to 99.7% of students. It perpetuates this “dream” thinking that if you work hard you can achieve anything, and eventually become your own mini-overlord. The media loves this stuff, it plays on people’s jealousies and is a straight out ad for the broken capitalist system we have.

      • Puckish Rogue 5.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:33 am

        The point being that most voters think positively of what this guys done, the left act negatively towards it, the voters think the left is negative

        John Key goes up in the polls…not that hard to understand is it?

        • maui 5.1.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:57 am

          I don’t think most voters would think that. Most would relate his situation back to their own reality, as in can I afford a house? Probably not, and it’s getting less likely. The people who already own houses might congratulate him, but they’re coming from the standpoint of, look he’s done what I’ve done.

          It’s like every child being told from a young age you can be a professional rugby player, just keep on working at it. Unfortunately there’s only a small number who can, and the number is reducing.

          John Key goes up in the polls and life gets harder for most. The crunch will hit sooner or later.

          • Puckish Rogue 5.1.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 11:06 am

            That right there is the problem for the left, if you were right and I was wrong there’d be a labour/green governement right now but there isn’t because enough people (as an example) think good on that guy

            Until the left see that they’ll have to wait for 2020 to get back in power

            • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 12:32 pm

              because enough people (as an example) think good on that guy

              And while they’re doing that they’re destroying the society that’s propping them up. Yes, the crunch will come but I doubt if they’ll like it.

              • Puckish Rogue …
                2 June 2015 at 1:27 pm

                Meh, elections come and go National will eventually be kicked and labour will be in power and then they’ll get kicked and National will be in power and so forth and so forth

                A two party state is not a democracy but it beats the alternatives

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  2 June 2015 at 2:26 pm

                  There’s one alternative that a two party alternating dictatorship can’t beat and that’s an actual participatory democracy.

                  • Puckish Rogue …
                    2 June 2015 at 3:16 pm

                    In NZ? Good luck with that.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      2 June 2015 at 5:13 pm

                      Humans are a cooperative, socially driven species thus participatory democracy should come naturally to them. It’s probably this instinct that has forced democracy to rise against the authoritarians over the centuries.

      • Draco T Bastard 5.1.2
        2 June 2015 at 12:31 pm

        The media loves this stuff, it plays on people’s jealousies and is a straight out ad for the broken capitalist system we have.

        QFT

    • Brendon Harre 5.2
      2 June 2015 at 10:05 am

      That is completely BS. Why is it only possible to get on the housing ladder by renting to others while you live rent free with mummy and daddy?

      Is that the sort of NZ we want? We invest millions in our kids education and then when they grow up the housing market is rigged so they can’t go independently out into the world.

      • The Murphey 5.2.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:46 am

        This is a recycled story which appears every few years going back through the past 10+

        Nothing new with regards the message it is selling other than still people are suckered into talking about the ‘story’

        There will always be anomalies be they fact or fiction

        It’s not about to become the ‘norm’ it never has and it never will which is why this is a ‘story’

        Nothing more

        • Draco T Bastard 5.2.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 12:35 pm

          There will always be anomalies be they fact or fiction

          The exception to the rule which the MSM then trot out as if it’s the norm.

    • DH 5.3
      2 June 2015 at 10:15 am

      You’re really just showing how little you understand people. I read that article as portraying a boastful man claiming to have done it all by himself. I’ll admit to being distrustful of the claims made in the article for the reason being they didn’t add up.

      There’s a follow-up article to that one here;

      “Property investment not a reality for students – Association”

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=11458041

      If people want to brag about how successful they are then they should expect others to examine their claims. What offended people was not the ‘success’ of a person but the bragging which is still to be fully explained.

      • Puckish Rogue 5.3.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:36 am

        See thats your opinion, mine is he wasn’t bragging but explaining what he did and how he did it

        The left have forgotten how to speak to the people and expect the people to listen to the left

        • Macro 5.3.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 11:22 am

          There you go! Bragging again!
          And you wonder why we don’t listen to you?

          • Puckish Rogue 5.3.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 11:30 am

            and you probably wonder why the people of NZ arn’t listening to Labour

            • thatguynz 5.3.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 11:47 am

              I don’t wonder at all – I have some pretty informed views as to why people aren’t listening to Labour. That doesn’t detract from what is being said above however.

        • DH 5.3.1.2
          2 June 2015 at 12:38 pm

          “See thats your opinion, mine is he wasn’t bragging but explaining what he did and how he did it”

          Oh come now, your reading comprehension can’t be that bad your real ‘opinion’ is that you thought you’d shit-stir here by spouting provocative bollocks.

          The article doesn’t contain any useful explaining, it just raises questions. It’s an explanation-free zone. For example it says he saved his $45k deposit through working nights for a year at Countdown. Don’t tell us you actually believe supermarket jobs pay $55k?

          And as I noted in an earlier comment banks won’t normally make loans like that to people without any assets. The later article also notes he has student loan debt.

          The vein of the article is smug ‘work makes you free’ propaganda and it’s no surprise some people are irritated over it.

          • Puckish Rogue 5.3.1.2.1
            2 June 2015 at 1:29 pm

            Probably used his student living costs as well while getting free board

        • Paul 5.3.1.3
          2 June 2015 at 5:41 pm

          Tory tr***

    • aerobubble 5.4
      2 June 2015 at 10:24 am

      Wealth makes wealth. Of course a lot of boomers retiring and eating into the family wealth got ahead because of that foot up by their parents and are not now going to be passing on the wealth to their family. So of course a bunch of entitled boomers who got free everything, and were sold a housing bubble scam, are now rightly angry that they can’t turn their backs on their own responsibilities to pay forward to their own families. Key runs into govt, opens the door to investor migrants, and does nothing to build the homes they will need while a leaky home crisis ravaged the market and a GFC pushes the less well off into dire circumstances. Oh yeah lets all cheer how blantently ugly the economy is being ground down by this class of idiot politicians.

      • Clean_power 5.4.1
        2 June 2015 at 10:29 am

        What? What are you trying to say, aerobubble?

        • Puckish Rogue 5.4.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 10:51 am

          John Key is bad?

          • b waghorn 5.4.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 11:52 am

            Yes he is ,you’re finally working it out.

            • Puckish Rogue 5.4.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 12:00 pm

              Better get used to him then, he’ll be leader until 2019-2020 depending on when hes had enough

              • Draco T Bastard …
                2 June 2015 at 12:43 pm

                Considering how tired he looks lately he’s already had enough. His problem is that if he leaves then National will be out of the door and won’t be able to continue to screw over NZ for his masters in the US.

                • Puckish Rogue …
                  2 June 2015 at 12:57 pm

                  My sources (and by sources I mean stuff I made up) tell me hes got another three years left in him before he retires as Sir John Key

                • Colonial Rawshark …
                  2 June 2015 at 6:09 pm

                  Paula Bennett for PM

        • aerobubble 5.4.1.2
          3 June 2015 at 11:36 am

          Boomers have be bribed, and when the bills came due the govt removed what boomers got for free. And the wonderfully perverse thing is now they have to raid their own family inter generational wealth to pay for retirement. Fact is its simple accountancy, you can live on a income, or you can force costs on society and borrow to finance the same standard of living off the same income, which then does not keep up and you’re whole boomer generation ends up paying and paying and finally eating itself. And all the boomers needed to have done was say no to the conservative revolution. There is a reason the financial sector is so huge, debt, huge debt growing and growing sustaining more and more quants and forcing the general population into debt to maintain their lifestyle.
          In order to maintain the debt Key opened the door for million roller migrants, who now buy and make Auckland even less affordable and harder to find kiwi workers. Now don’t get me wrong migration is good, but its not being used to build and stronger economy its being used to keep the debt binge going a bit longer.

    • Crashcart 5.5
      2 June 2015 at 1:17 pm

      I didn’t see the guy himself as bad. I saw the article as a complete miss representation of the situation.

      The headline gave the impression that even a student can buy a house in Auckland. Then you find out that the story is the guy basiically lived with no sleep by working at night and studying during the day. Stayed with his perants rent free (I like most people I know had to start paying board to my parents the moment I left secondary school) and even then had to give up the idea of owning a home in Auckland and instead get a property to rent out in Hamilton.

      Now good on him if all of this is accurate and he has managed to get on the ladder. Hardley a ringing endorsment of the current state of the housing market in NZ.

      • Jenny Kirk 5.5.1
        2 June 2015 at 4:28 pm

        And if he’s living with his parents, working at night, and studying during the day, Crashcart @ 5.5 then he’s probably not doing his own shopping, cleaning his room (let alone a house), making his own meals either. In other words, he’s had it handed to him on a plate ! That is NOT your average student nor how the average person can get to own a rental property in another town.

  6. Atiawa 6
    2 June 2015 at 11:08 am

    Heres a link to an opinion piece on Littles views regarding superannuation and some context on what he said and what was reported.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/opinion/68927671/the-facts-about-those-comments

    • te reo putake 6.1
      2 June 2015 at 11:14 am

      An excellent piece, Atiawa! Thanks for putting it up.

      • Jenny Kirk 6.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 4:30 pm

        I agree TRP and Atiawa – and useful to have to counter all the rightwing comments likely to come up in future (including those from our contrary mate CV below !)

    • Colonial Rawshark 6.2
      2 June 2015 at 12:01 pm

      So the conclusion to sorting out the future of Super is – let’s start pouring money back in to the world financial markets (“Cullen Fund”) in the search for economic and financial growth (which is destroying the future of this very finite planet).

      Yeah I think the Left need to sort out a few incongruities here.

      • Atiawa 6.2.1
        2 June 2015 at 12:16 pm

        Take it up with your local LEC branch. Convince them, then go and convince the LEC. Once you have succeeded in convincing those two democratic forums the next step is likely the policy committee.
        Of course if you fail at the first or second hurdle, then it’s plain old fashion hearts & mind’s campaigning.
        Good luck.

        • Colonial Rawshark 6.2.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 12:26 pm

          Nah there are better less time and energy wasting strategies than trying to push change through the sclerotic entrenched hierarchies.

          Plenty of people see how philosophically and practically incongruent pushing for and expecting more economic growth is during this long descent, and there is no time to wait for Labour to catch up to what is already bloody obvious to many others.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    2 June 2015 at 11:44 am

    African people don’t want your stinky T-shirts, and other mythbusters – video

    As I say, the West doesn’t need to ‘help’ Africa or any other nation. What we really need to do is get out of their way and stop taking their resources off of them.

    • Colonial Rawshark 7.1
      2 June 2015 at 12:30 pm

      China and Asia in general is changing the face of Africa.

      • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 2:20 pm

        China and Asia in general are causing the same problems that the West has for centuries – they’re taking away the resources that those people need to develop their own society so as to enrich themselves.

        • Colonial Rawshark 7.1.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 2:25 pm

          China and Asia are causing a different set of problems for Africa than the west but they are also putting a hell of a lot of money into both social and economic infrastructure there.

          Another major difference is that China has no wish to set up colonial rule in Africa, and are more than happy with African nations ruling themselves in whatever style of government works for them.

          • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 2:50 pm

            China and Asia are causing a different set of problems for Africa than the west but they are also putting a hell of a lot of money into both social and economic infrastructure there.

            Sovereign monetary policy means that no other country is needed to invest in social and economic infrastructure. And then there’s the stories coming out that show that China and Asia have actually been worse for the local communities than other foreign ‘investors’.

            • Colonial Rawshark 7.1.1.1.1.1
              2 June 2015 at 6:18 pm

              Sovereign monetary policy means that no other country is needed to invest in social and economic infrastructure.

              As you know, I am a fan of currency sovereignty. But there are some limitations. You may still need USD to buy Caterpillar heavy equipment, Japanese yen to buy Mitsubishi CNC machine tools and Indian rupees to buy generics made by Cipla and Lupin.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                2 June 2015 at 6:58 pm

                In the case of developing nations they use their resources to build up their infrastructure to produce those things themselves. Same as we and every other developed nation did.

                This seems to be something that the First World has forgotten:

                We did not start off as industrialised and built up the capability over centuries.

                It is through this change process that a society develops and matures. Trade prevents that maturation process.

  8. marty mars 8
    2 June 2015 at 12:20 pm

    Big ups to Andrew Little for this

    Labour leader Andrew Little said the people were not a threat, and would be extremely unlikely to make it to New Zealand.

    “We had all this at the time they passed the Immigration Amendment Bill a couple of years ago, there was talk about hordes of refugees coming down from Indonesia, and from Asia – it has never happened, it’s most unlikely to happen.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/69027808/peoplesmuggling-boat-credible-risk-and-threat-to-nz

  9. NickS 9
    2 June 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Ugh: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/legal-fight-revoke-unlawful-abortion-license-goes-high-court-6328321

    This is what we get from both main party’s unwillingness to update the Abortion Act.

    Anyhow, hopefully the court rules in favour of Family Planning, as the services they provide fill the regional holes and reduce the distances required to travel for an abortion. As the main reason for combining medical and surgical abortion services during the drafting of the Act was due risk factors concerning medical abortion. Risk factors that are now far, far lower.

  10. McFlock 10
    2 June 2015 at 3:05 pm

    Hmmm.
    The astroturfers are busy today, trying to stir up division within and between Labour and the Greens.

    Key says today that a boat that couldn’t make it to Australia from Indonesia last week is a credible threat to our border security.

    All the stops pulled out to save McCully, really? Or has tugger been giving away bottles of wine again?

    • Puckish Rogue 10.1
      2 June 2015 at 3:19 pm

      Lets be honest here, whatever people do on here to forment trouble between Labour and the Greens is nothing compared to what Labour have done to and will continue to do to the Greens

      The Greens constantly put out to Labour and in return Labour continue to disrespect the Greens

      • McFlock 10.1.1
        2 June 2015 at 3:56 pm

        Thanks for your concern. Duly noted.

        Now you can go and man the beaches against the hordes of boat people ol’ tugger is worried about…

        • Puckish Rogue 10.1.1.1
          2 June 2015 at 4:07 pm

          Its not concern, I like the fact that Labour shaft the Greens whenever they get the opportunity as it makes Nationals chances of leading better

          • McFlock 10.1.1.1.1
            2 June 2015 at 4:31 pm

            yeah, my apologies. I forgot you were a moral vacuum for a moment.

  11. Draco T Bastard 11
    2 June 2015 at 3:12 pm

    How America Is Turning into a 3rd World Nation in 4 Easy Steps

    In the 1950’s when our economy still embraced Hamilton’s 11-point plan, manufacturing used to account for a quarter of GDP, but today it accounts for around a tenth, replaced by the low-wage service sector and Wall Street. And this new economy can’t support a middle class. A service sector can’t create lasting wealth, nor can Wall Street.

    Before NAFTA, the average American taxpayer earned an inflation-adjusted income of $33,400 a year. By 2008, that number dropped to just $33,000. Working Americans maxed out their credit cards and took out a second mortgage on their homes just to make ends meet. Eventually, even that wasn’t enough to make ends meet.

    We are, of course, going down the same road as the US and that road leads to enrichment of the already rich, poverty for everyone else and essentially turning us back into a feudal state with the rich as the new aristocrats.

  12. John Shears 12
    2 June 2015 at 4:11 pm

    So I have scrolled down to subject 8 and skim read a load of utter drivel, sadly.
    In the meantime kids are going to school in unsafe buildings which were reported in 2012 ( some pupils who started then will have left or are about to) this is nothing short of a national disgrace and the NATIONAL PARTY , the Minister and John Key all be both ashamed and hauled over the coals for this complete lack of action.

    Come on Standardistas stuck into get into a real problem and get some results
    for these students and their teachers instead of sniping away at
    one another. The fact that it will not be sorted till 2017 is hard to believe.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11458555

  13. jimmyben 13
    2 June 2015 at 4:17 pm

    The last NZ and UK elections both point to a divide between the commentariat classes and voters.
    It is evident with the Greens hanging their hat on the Climate Change thing.
    This is shown repeatedly to be something the great unwashed simply do not buy into.
    It is hard to take seriously someone who really believes CO2 is a “pollutant”.

    [lprent: Ah a idiot who doesn’t understand anything about science. But also one who hasn’t shown why this comment has *anything* to do with the post. Moved to OpenMike. ]

    • dukeofurl 13.1
      2 June 2015 at 5:07 pm

      Pollutant is not a good word for something that has been around since the earth had an atmosphere.

      Better to call it a slow release time bomb

  14. repateet 14
    2 June 2015 at 5:32 pm

    I see on Kiwiblog that Peter Hughes of the Ministry of Education has been named chief executive of the year.

    What? He would not have been fit to be the doormat to the office of Clarence Beeby.
    http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5b17/beeby-clarence-edward

    • Kiwiri 14.1
      2 June 2015 at 7:18 pm

      Anyone can find what salary band is he on, as well as what is his remuneration package?

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    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
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    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
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    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
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    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
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    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
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    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
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    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
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    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
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    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
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    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
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    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
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    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
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    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
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    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
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    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
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    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
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    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
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    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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