“National are claiming ballot box tampering”.
If you are going to make such an incredibly serious thing can you please provide a reference. I want to see who is claiming this and exactly what they are saying.
I suspect this is a reference to LInkwater polling station in the Kaikoura electorate where 123 votes were falsely attributed to the Maori Party by clerical error. The locals all knew about the predominance of National voters in the area and questions were raised. All a minor weather event in a drinking vessel, really.
Thanks.
Hardly the story that our “cleangreen” friend was spouting is it?
“so desperate for power they will invent anything”
What utter rubbish, if that is all his(her) wild hyperbole is based on.
And half a dozen exclamation marks after each sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Yes they were getting a rather extreme set of reactions weren’t they?
Accidents happen and it is very easy to do something like that in the haste of the count on the night I should say. The critical bit is getting it right before the final results are announced.
I was once Returning Officer in a University Students Association election.
Long, long ago.
Someone accidentally put a set of 100 votes on the wrong pile while doing the count. It was spotted before the results were announced luckily as I would have had to go back and announce a different winner later on.
Those idiots national don’t get It . It’s the people it’s the people it’s the people.
When all our people get a fair share of OUR resources everyone benefits our sports stadiums full up all eCommerce flourishes all our bad stats will be reversed a healthy happy population is a must . No winning Sports team under funds its health programs or keeps all the money in managements pockets if you find a winning team that behaves like national and wins . YEA RIGHT never going to happen .Its the people that make a good economy not just money. One just has to cast the eyes across our World and see these country’s with large populations and a small resource base and they are flourishing because they no that happy healthy people = happy healthy economy the trick for the Coalition is to change thing and keep everyone happy ,
What I don’t get is we run computer models to predict the weather we run computation models to predict lots of things so what’s so why don’t we have computation models to give us in site on what is the best way to run a country’s economy and Government systems is it because some people don’t want this information out in the public hands because the most positive out comes are a total reverse OF THE BULLSHIT POLICY’S THAT THE neo liberals AROUND OUR WORLD ARE RAMMING DOWN OUR THROATS .Well even a uneducated broke ass Maori like me can see this. You all no that im a kiwi to Ka Pai
There’s lots of economic computational modelling being done. It’s just a lot less reliable than weather modelling for a very simple reason.
All computational models need equations to relate how different variable interact with each other.
For weather models, those equations are based on physics, with just a few empirically derived relations from observations and historical data where the physics theory isn’t yet sufficiently complete.
For most economic models, those equations are mostly from assumptions about human behaviour. Since they are assumptions, they are heavily influenced by the political worldview of whoever is making the assumptions.
Most scientific theories have assumptions. Even the physical modelling of the climate has assumptions. We simply don’t know everything and throw in an assumption. That said, scientific assumptions are usually backed by logic. In other words, the scientists have a reason for the assumptions that they use.
The problem with the assumptions used in economics is that they date back to Ricardo and further. Now, Ricardo and other economists of the time knew that they were assumptions and that they could be wrong. They expected that the assumptions that they used would be researched and the missing information filled in.
This hasn’t happened and the economics ‘profession’ is still using those same assumptions despite the fact that many have been proved wrong in other fields of study. It’s why I keep posting this video:
I say we should have modern computation models built as if one was using old info or technology to operate a organization now it would go broke.
Thanks you did confirm my assumption that there is political interference with all of our data
Don’t get all conspiratorial though @ eco Maori.
Some of it is just muppets running things. Some of it is intentional underfunding or down to cronyism.
THe Electoral Commission will be having a debrief apparently.
When they do, no doubt the reason for 123 Natzi votes attributed to their (once was Mary Party – going forward) will emerge.
Then there’ll be a ‘how come?’ married couple people with PR showed up with both sets of parents in tow demanding to vote (the 4 unable to speak a word of English or Te Reo) …. as well as it being acceptable for ballot boxes being taken home (rather than perhaps locking them up in the local Police Cell).
Well ….. maybe we should be getting concerned at muppets running things but I think it’s still down to idiocy rather than intent (going forward). Give them a pay rise maybe – and shift them sideways (preferably off a fucking cliff)
Actually….. it could be a PPP toll cliff – we could tax them on the way down.
A win win! They’d pay their debt to sussoighty, realise that with roights cum responsibilities, but if not …… whooooar
But whether human behaviour is considered at all is dependent on the branch of economics you are following. The neo-liberal economists like to think that economics is a science that can be reduced to formulas, algorithms and derivatives. People, beyond being consumers of mostly crap, have no other economic reason to exist.
The truth about National Party priorities on health and housing – killing young Kiwis before their time:
The biggest home owner in New Zealand, the state-owned Housing New Zealand Corp, has revealed it spent 52 times more last year hunting for the tiniest trace elements of a harmless contaminant than it spent looking for mould and asbestos, which kill dozens of children each year.
Figures released under the Official Information Act by Housing NZ show it spent $51.9 million on testing and remediation of meth on its properties in the last financial year, up from $21 million the previous year. Last year’s spending represented 10 percent of its entire annual maintenance and improvement budget, or the equivalent of an average of $8,000 per property. However, in the 2016 financial year, it spent only $433,623 on the testing and remediation of mould and $639,873 on asbestos.
Those meth testing guys must have the most awesome fucking lobbyists on the planet. Either that, or the current government has an interest in demonising the poor and finding ways to weasel out of its housing responsibilities – but it couldn’t possibly be that, could it? Must be just some awe-inspiring lobbying skills by the meth-testing industry…
Probably agree with you re Cleangreen’s excited lurch there Alwyn but what I’m smelling more particularly from you is utter terror…….the superiority and entitlement of a decade turned into smelly old chocolate pooling at your feet. Trashy bogan Paula would be very unpleasant to be around right now…….
“NZ Drug Foundation president Ross Bell said the science does not back up the need for such an industry and it has played on the fears of New Zealand people in order to make a profit.
“More concerning, he said the Government has fallen for these scare tactics and created new standards and an Act amendment, currently before a select committee, which will unjustifiably perpetuate this culture of fear.
“He called the meth testing and remediation industry ‘the biggest scam this country has ever seen'”
But only the inside lanes, mind. Wonder why that is.
Back in the early ’90s, I drove some German friends from Berlin to Dresden. Being not long after re-unification, the Autobahn was still pretty much as Hitler built it. They got me to drive in the fast lane, because the slow lane was incredibly corrugated and potholed. I tried driving in it to see if they were bullshitting me and it was so horrible I got back in the fast lane within a few hundred meters. “40 years of heavily-laden trucks heading east,” said Detlef. “But don’t worry, we’ll be able to drive in the right lane on the way back – the trucks always returned empty.”
Unfortunately for NZ, the trucks are heavily-laden in both directions.
Tariana Turia thinks homelessness hasn’t got worse over the last 9 years. Says homeless people aren’t the Govt's responsibility. @maraetv— Jackal (@Jackalblog) September 30, 2017
100% Pure spin and head in the sand all at the same time.
Of course it all looks fine sitting atop the Whanau Ora trough National provided from the Health Budget for her party.
Her enabling of NACT as leader of the MP makes her, Flavell, Sharples and what followed, such as the the self serving Marama Fox, directly culpable. Only Hone can hold his head high as he called them for what they are and walked away.
I have never forgotten Peter Sharples’ comment some years ago when he was Minister of Maori Affairs. He was (iirc) contemplating the possibility he might lose his seat at the next election (must have been 2011) and he said in an interview he would be in big trouble if he lost because he’d just bought a larger home and he needed his ministerial salary to pay off the mortgage.
I’m all for referenda, I mean hey something binding like an election would have made Syria a bit easier. Even something dumbly non-binding like the Australian gay marriage one has at least some civil purpose, if you squint. And seriously the Spanish federal police acting at the direction of the Spanish government on purely political direction is deeply corrupt.:
But I would not want Europe to split into further pointless factions. We went through that with the rump Yugoslavia in the 1990s and it is a vortex of puirity and ethnic cleanising for which there is no limiting principle and therefore no end, only blood and destruction. Not to mention the impending chaos of Brexit.
The Catalan government is walking into a trap that can be cured by actual region-to-state diplomacy rather than orchestrating its population into foolish separatism achieving nothing except the polished egos of a few.
Where you getting this idea that people merely seeking greater levels of accountability/empowerment are spiteful and hateful little beasties Ad? And where’s this idea that people seeking a greater level of civic identity have to be “orchestrated” coming from?
I’d guess you to be one of these people who watch Hollywood “end of the world” movies who actually and uncritically accepts the “nasty, brutish and short” sub-narrative that casts the working class (variously) as zombies/cannibals/tooled up misanthropes “out to get” the valiant middle class – the worthy survivors and sole suppositories of civilisation’s knowledge and hope. 🙄
Your first para is essentially an adherence dominant narratives.
An aside. There have been elections in Syria (maybe you missed them under all the bullshit “prop on a spoon” that was coming our way?)
You have some criticism of the actions of the Spanish state that you then excuse by appealing to some notion of a “greater good” (that resides in a centralised and rather far reaching nexus of institutional power) protecting us from ….well, some realisation or reification of a rather dim and fearful view of ourselves.
No, not “the Russians are coming”.
No T-90 tanks outside the bull ring.
Simply that a destabilised and fractured Europe is a Russian foreign policy objective, in order to gain piecemeal diplomatic leverage over Western Europe and to exercise direct political/military control over portions of Eastern Europe.
And here was me thinking that vast swathes of Eastern Europe had been pulled into an EU and/or NATO orbit, and that the US had more military bases in Europe than could shake a stick at…and some nuclear shit too…alongside a more or less free pass when it comes to promoting it’s political, cultural and economic norms throughout Europe.
But no. Seems I’m imagining stuff and there’s not nuffin to see there. Not a fing.
Well no. Not as “opposed to Russian tanks”. And we all know societal elites and governments reflect the will of populaces and make decisions accordingly, aye? 😉
Hmmm… Has the West been guilty of fostering unrest in Eastern Europe? Could this be retribution? Or could people be seeing phantoms? I suspect that this is part of the legacy of Franco’s victory and subsequent style of government.
I suspect that it’s both a legacy of Franco’s victory and heartily encouraged by Putin. A less coherent Europe provides a less coordinated response to Russian military expansionism into its bordering nations.
And bill – yeah, definitely “as opposed to Russian tanks”. Russian troops have an interesting habit of crossing Russian borders. Starting in Chechnya in the 1990s.
The peoples of Catalonia, who have been seeking greater autonomy since “whenever”, are just idiotic or witless agents of Morgan ‘Friedbrain’ Freeman’s Putin – just like the peoples of Scotland and Wales and Ireland and any other people who might seek measures of self governance.
Nek minute you’ll be saying that any thoughts around tino rangatiratanga are being melded by Evil Ruskies (capital E, capital R) …kinda like how any socialist was under the hypnotic sway of The Kremlin (capital T capital K) throughout the periods of the Red Scares (capital R, capital S)
If only they’d stop clicking into all that Russian social media stuff that’s egging them on, eh?
You should visit Europe. Seriously. Maybe even talk to ordinary Europeans. Report back on their sense of foreboding or fear with regards Russia. (I know, I know. They know not what they truly think because “Evil Putin and social media”)
There you go again: nowhere have I said that Catalan independence shouldn’t be entertained or considered.
You stated that the fear of decentralisation was due to some fear about whateverthefuckyou’reon.
My response was that a very strong argument for keeping a federalised nation-state system in Europe inside a centralised European organisation was the fact that Russia has upped its expansionist position in the last ten or fifteen years, and a key part of preventing this piecemeal expansion is to have a coordinated european response.
Nato and europe are expanding westwards because the countries bordering Russia fear invasion, see better trade opportunities in Europe, and request membership. Funnily enough, countries and regions seem to request to join Russia only after they’ve had leaders poisoned and Russian-speaking troops set up the polling stations.
As for the Catalans, fair cop to them. But don’t be surprised if a major purchaser of pro-independence social media ads is the russian foreign ministry, because western European discord helps their foreign policy objectives.
The US was previously wanting a weak Europe rubberstamping “NATO” (i.e. US) decisions, but now wants the rep of making it rain but without actually throwing cash around the club – in fact sitting down and splitting the bill strictly according to what everybody ordered. Yeah, THAT guy in the party when everyone orders pizza…
What I committed to in the first place was democratic responsiveness.
Your aside is pointless. Fresh elections are required in Syria.
The “greater good” argument is the same sad slippery slope I have seen multiple times, with no limiting principle. It goes like this:
1. Area A is richer than the rest of the place it belongs to.
2. Area A therefore pays more tax. (According to 2014 figures, Catalonia paid E9.89 more into Spain’s tax authorities than it received in spending – the equivalent of 5% of its GDP.)
3. Area A feels unfairly treated, and a little political movement is formed to achieve this, which brings in all sorts of mythic shit about their essential essentialness.
4. Everyone in the rest of the area knows it’s pure code for fuck the poor everywhere else so the rich area stays rich.
5. Civil war ensues, and no one but the arms suppliers gets any richer.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Syrians can determine their own internal political processes without our ‘wise council’.
But anyway. You want to turn the tables around on what was being referenced as “the greater good”?
Okay.
How long has it been that Catalonia has sought greater autonomy? What’s the history and reasoning?
And then, what about the Basque region? (It a richer area of France and Spain than other areas of those countries, is it?)
Scotland and/or Wales are imbued with all sorts of mythic shit about their essential essentialness are they?
Your “Area A” argument is entirely contrived and hardly representative. How could it be ffs, unless reality is that only wealthier regions seek political/cultural autonomy, and that all desire for political/cultural autonomy is driven solely by economic considerations.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Syrians can determine their own internal political processes without our ‘wise council’.
They did have a go at it, but discovered that totalitarian dictatorships have their own means of determining political processes, means that are highly unpleasant but also very effective. True enough that no amount of ‘wise counsel’ on our part can assist them though.
The Baathist government ceded every demand made of it (multi-party elections, freeing of prisoners etc).
Can you name a demand they didn’t attempt to satisfy?
Oh. That’s right. You simply don’t get that the bullshit in Syria has its roots in the somewhat historical conflict between the secularism of Arab “state socialism” (‘orrible oxymoron) and the religious extremism that some Shia Muslims indulge in.
It’s all “bad Assad regime” and “noble, freedom loving rebels”…just as the BBC, NBC, CNN, ABC and all the rest of the alphabet soup media keep saying.
I seem to recall Assad responding to protests with snipers and to the Arab Spring in general with the comment “Reform is not a seasonal issue,” but no doubt his party’s official version of events does indeed describe it acceding to every demand made by the protesters.
It’s certainly true that I “don’t get” how you can pretend a guy who inherited the country from his dad and maintains his rule via a massive police state and extensively skilled and experienced torturers is some kind of democratically-elected leader. But don’t fret, I also have no desire to “get” whatever it is that results in that mindset.
I recall that propaganda too PM. Seems the difference between us is that I questioned it and wondered at the numbers of dead police officers who had been shot off the back of supposedly peaceful protests. I admit, I had the whole Venezuelan coup scenario sitting at the back of my mind. Remember that? Remember who the snipers killing protesters were in that instance?
Anyway. You have no example of a demand not responded to in a positive fashion.
Assad didn’t inherit. He had to have the nod from the Baathist party apparatus. Not hugely democratic at all, but not ‘inheritance’ like Queeny following Georgie aye?
And now all elections are contested and the general populace has a vote – just like here.
Shia radicalism, that’s implacably opposed to anything that might be considered as a western notion of secularism (and by extension anything Baathist or socialist or state driven) – that I thought you were against (don’t you keep referring to Islamofascists?) – is the reason the Syrian state developed a huge and fucked up security apparatus.
You are out on a very, very, long and thin limb if you think Syria doesn’t need elections and won’t need help with ensuring they are free and fair.
As to your questions, it goes roughly like this:
It started way back, but they started getting really itchy about the same time Portugal had a war for proper independence from Spain in the 1730s under King Philip III. All about tax and preserving the existence of an independent nobility.
The independence impulse was repressed under Franco.
They got pretty substantial autonomy under the 1978 constitution.
They got even more in a 2006 statute, but Spain’s constitutional court reversed that.
Most of Spain’s economy has been shit since the GFC, but the north-east less so due to massive tourism.
Cultural considerations in Catalonia are a code – as they usually are – for protecting wealth, class, and tax.
You are out on a very, very, long and thin limb if you think Syria doesn’t need elections and won’t need help with ensuring they are free and fair.
I’m not on that limb. There have been free and fair elections in Syria and further ones are scheduled when current terms expire….just like as in other countries that hold multi-party parliamentary elections and/or contested presidential elections.
If you thought that was free and fair as an election I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
This is supremely the wrong time to start splitting further parts of Europe up further. Works great on tv getting sympathy. But that’s not where the work needs to be.
They need an argument about tax redistribution across Spain.
Not really but it appears to have been the West supported rebels that caused the problems.
Not to mention that Syrian embassies were shut down by numerous countries, meaning that Syrians within those countries couldn’t vote.
edit – and that’s “western supported Jihadists” – not “rebels”. (“Funny” how every fighter willingly picking up arms and fighting against the Syrian Arab Army is Shia, no?)
I saw this morning Teuila Blakely on the AM Show voted for Winstone Peters and prefers a National/NZ First coalition.
Considering she never has her eyes on the road and she distracts driver’s from having their eyes on the road – does this woman really know where she’s going?
Don’t do it—you’re only encouraging them. Online polls have about as much credibility as John Key’s assertion that he couldn’t remember his stance on the 1981 Springbok Tour.
I’ve heard of e-mail but what is this letter, as in “write a letter of objection” you mention?
Were they those things my grandparents used to talk about?
You can write a letter and deliver it by e-mail as an attachment. You can even write a letter, sign it, scan it in and deliver it by e-mail. The e-mail bit is new; the letter bit is not.
This is the plan eh, MMP isn’t delivering for New Zealanders.
Overheard at Mt hot pools last evening – “gotta get rid of this MMP, its all bullshit. We got the most votes, the , we got the, the majority and now winstons holding us to ransom…”
Catalan Independence Referendum results are through and very strongly pro; despite (or perhaps because of) Spanish state intimidation tactics:
[00:01] Jordi Turull, a Catalan regional government spokesman, said early on Monday that 90% of the 2.26 million Catalans who voted on Sunday voted in favour of independence. The region has 5.3 million voters…
[00:31] The turnout was 42%, say Catalan officials. On Sunday afternoon, the Spanish interior ministry said police had closed 79 of the 2,315 polling stations set up for the referendum. Earlier,, the Catalan government had reported that, despite the police’s efforts, voting was taking place in 96% of polling stations…
[00:36] Turull, the Catalan government spokesman, says authorities have calculated that a total of 770,000 votes were lost because of the disruption. “Four hundred schools [used as polling stations] have been sealed and many votes have been directly stolen,” he said.
“Your call is important to me and I will return your call as soon as I feel like it possible. Please leave your name & number and a short message after the national anthem beep. The answer still is No”.
Environmental ‘supergroup’ puts future government on notice
“Environmental issues were at the centre of the 2017 election campaign. No matter who ends up in Government, they will have a clear mandate and a responsibility to take action on fresh water, climate change, and conservation. And they should know that we will be right there to make sure they do.”
A winner in this year’s election was the New Zealand environment. It featured as a bigger concern amongst the electorate than ever before. All of you through your party manifestos made commitments to improve the state of our environment. We congratulate you for those promises.
As environmental leaders, we wish to offer our congratulations to all parties and to both sitting and new MPs for their election success. We also wish to acknowledge those parties and MPs who are departing Parliament and thank them for their work.
There is now a strong public expectation that whichever parties form the next Government, there must be clear gains for fresh water, the climate and conservation in the next three years.
We offer our help in achieving these gains:
FRESHWATER
It is clear that ecologically healthy freshwaters, and the ability of New Zealanders to safely swim in their rivers and lakes, will be a key measure of environmental success for the new Government. This can only be achieved if government facilitates and supports a transformation of the primary sector toward new, environmentally-friendly land uses and practices, coupled with tougher regulation and market signals which reflect the true costs of resource use.
CLIMATE
There must be a more structured and transparent approach to tackling the greatest challenge of our time – climate change. New Zealand’s emissions have continued to climb and we need an ambitious plan on how to reduce them. Transformative change is required through a new law to establish a statutory carbon budgeting process overseen by an independent Climate Commission to plan, monitor and report on the transition to net zero by 2050. Anything less betrays this and future generations.
CONSERVATION
The jewels in the crown of our national identity are the unique species which inhabit our lands, waters and wild places. We need the new Government to institute real measures to protect and enhance the viability of our precious species. This includes the health of the diverse and invaluable terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that sustain both them and valued introduced species. An increase in funding of DOC’s core budget must be a key component in that strategy.
These issues, and the many others that fall under the umbrella of “environment”, are at the heart of the richness of our quality of life in New Zealand, and underpin our international reputation. They are also at the core of a genuinely sustainable future and are therefore true legacy issues. The natural world is our home and there are few greater gifts we can bestow our children than a vibrant, vital and healthy natural world.
We promise to continue our strong advocacy for the environment and look forward to working with all political parties, both in the next government and in the opposition, to achieve positive gains for our environment.
Ad Wondered about the
“Rt. Hon. Bill English Leader, National Party”
after Lisa McLaren’s name?
Is that to mean English helped write it or is it a copy for his information?
Sue Moroney’s recent commitment to whistleblowing is to be commended. The Panel, RNZ National, Monday 2 October 2017
Jim Mora, Julia Hartley-Moore, Mike Rehu, Megan Whelan
First topic for the light and breezy once-over this afternoon was the Joanne Harrison fraud case. The Member of Parliament who pushed this case was Labour’s Sue Moroney, who dutifully answered a few questions from the Panelists about it. Sue Moroney did a very good job here, but she has not always defended whistleblowers as robustly as she did in the Harrison case.
In fact, an infamous performance by her on the Backbenchers television show in 2013 showed her to be anything BUT a defender of Edward Snowden…
WALLACE CHAPMAN: Here’s a simple question for you Sue Moroney. If the U.S. whistleblower sought asylum in New Zealand, would you support him? SUE MORONEY:[face frozen in rictus grin] Ahhhhhhhhhhh. [extended pause] No. I don’t think so. Ask me something that matters.
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A few weeks ago an invitation dropped into my email inbox to attend a joint Treasury/Motu seminar on recent, rather major, changes that had apparently been made to the discount rates used by The Treasury to evaluate proposals from government agencies. It was all news to me, but when ...
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With the Reserve Bank expected today to return the Official Cash Rate to where it was in mid-2022 comes a measure of how much of a psychological impact the rate has. Federated Farmers has published its latest six-monthly farm confidence survey, which shows that profit expectations have fallen and risen ...
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The Prime Minister says he's really comfortable with us not knowing the reoffending rate for his boot camp programme.They asked him for it at yesterday’s press conference, and he said, nah, not telling, have to respect people's privacy.Okay I'll bite. Let's say they release this information to us:The rate of ...
Warning 1: There is a Nazi theme at the end of this article related to the disabled community. Warning 2: This article could be boring!One day, last year, I excitedly opened up a Substack post that was about how to fight back, and the answer at the end was disappointing ...
This may be rhetorical but here goes: did any of you invest in the $Libra memecoin endorsed and backed by Argentine president and darling of the global Right Javier Milei (who admitted to being paid a fee for his promotion of the token)? You know, the one that soared above ...
Last week various of the great and good of New Zealand economics and public policy trooped off to Hamilton (of all places) for the annual Waikato Economics Forum, one of the successful marketing drives of university’s Vice-Chancellor. My interest was in the speeches delivered by the Minister of Finance and ...
The Prime Minister says the Government would be open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if a ceasefire was reached. The government has announced a $30 million spend on tourism infrastructure and biodiversity projects, including $11m spent to improve popular visitor sites and further $19m towards biodiversity efforts. A New Zealand-born ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler “But what about when the sun doesn't shine?!” Ah yes, the energy debate’s equivalent of “The Earth is flat!” Every time someone mentions solar or wind power, some self-proclaimed energy expert emerges from the woodwork to drop this supposedly devastating truth bomb: ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article I look into data on how well the rail network serve New Zealanders, and how many people might be able to travel by train… if we ran more than a ...
Hi,Before we get into Hayden Donnell’s new column about how yes, Donald Trump is definitely the Antichrist, I wanted to touch on something feral that happened in New Zealand last week.Members of Destiny Church pushed and punched their way into an Auckland library, apparently angry it was part of Pride ...
Despite delays, logjams and overcrowding in our emergency departments, funding constraints are limiting the numbers of nurses and doctors being trained. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, February 18 are:A NZ Herald investigation ...
Now that the US has ripped up the Atlantic alliance, Europe is more vulnerable now than at any time since the mid-1930s. Apparently, Europe and Ukraine itself will not have a seat at the table in the talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin that will ...
Olivia and Noah and Hana are going to the library!It is fun to go to the library. It has books and songs and mat time and people who smile at you and say, Hello Olivia, what have you been doing this morning?The library is more fun than the mall. At ...
New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X ...
“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted ...
In 2005, Labour repealed the long-standing principle of birthright citizenship in Aotearoa. Why? As with everything else Labour does, it all came down to austerity: "foreign mothers" were supposedly "coming to this country to give birth", and this was "put[ting] pressure on hospitals". Then-Immigration Minister George Hawkins explicitly gave this ...
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New reporting highlights how Brooke van Velden refuses to meet with the CTU but is happy to meet with fringe Australian-based unions. Van Velden is pursuing reckless changes to undermine the personal grievance system against the advice of her own officials. Engineering New Zealand are saying that hundreds of engineers ...
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Years of hard work finally paid off last week as the country’s biggest and most important transport project, the City Rail Link reached a major milestone with the first test train making its way slowly though the tunnels for the first time. This is a fantastic achievement and it is ...
Engineers are pleading for the Government to free up funds to restart stalled projects. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, February 17 are:Engineering New Zealand CEO Richard Templer said yesterday hundreds of ...
It’s one of New Zealand’s great sustaining myths: the spirit of ANZAC, our mates across the ditch, the spirit of Earl’s Court, Antipodeans united against the world. It is also a myth; it is not reality. That much was clear from a series of speakers, including a former Australian Prime ...
Many people have been unsatisfied for years that things have not improved for them, some as individuals, many more however because their families are clearly putting in more work, for less money – and certainly far less purchase on society. This general discontent has grown exponentially since the GFC. ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 9, 2025 thru Sat, February 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
A ballot for a single member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill (Adrian Rurawhe) The bill would extend union rights to employees in triangular relationships, where they are (nominally) employed by one party, but ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University BaLL LunLa/Shutterstock Sleep is the holy grail for new parents. So no wonder many tired parents are looking for something to help their babies sleep. A TikTok trend claims ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ranjana Gupta, Senior Lecturer, Accounting Department, Auckland University of Technology Jirsak/Shutterstock The profit made on every breakfast bowl of weet-bix is tax exempt, giving Sanitarium Health Food Company, owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, an advantage over other breakfast food companies. ...
A closer look at some of the homegrown talent currently commanding television screens around the globe. The new season of The White Lotus hit our screens this week, and with it a familiar face in New Zealand actor Morgana O’Reilly. To secure a role in one of the world’s most ...
"This is a crisis of the Government’s own making and the unit is another sign of desperation," said PSA acting national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesca Perugia, Senior Lecturer, School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University Australia’s housing crisis has created a push for fast-tracked construction. Federal, state and territory governments have set a target of 1.2 million new homes over five years. Increasing housing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ash Watson, Scientia Fellow and Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock When we’re uncomfortable we say the “vibe is off”. When we’re having a good time we’re “vibing”. To assess the mood we do a “vibe check”. And when the atmosphere in ...
What’s up with the man from Epsom? The leader of the Act Party has been in plenty of headlines in the last two weeks, ranging from a controversial letter to police on behalf of constituent Philip Polkinghorne (written before David Seymour was a minister) to an attempt to drive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Australian National University Newly published research has found clear evidence that openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer+ (LGBTIQ+) Australian politicians were disproportionately targeted with personal abuse on social media at the ...
Gilmore Girls, Schitt’s Creek, even The Vampire Diaries – they’re all set in tight-knit neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone. So what is it like to actually know your neighbours? My favourite television shows are set in tight-knit neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone. Characters attend town meetings where they debate local ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yanyan Hong, PhD Candidate in Communication and Media Studies, University of Adelaide IMDB On the surface, Ne Zha 2: The Sea’s Fury (2025), the sequel to the 2019 Chinese blockbuster Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child, is a high-octane, action-packed and ...
Wellington travellers say their buses are so hot they’re often forced to get off early and walk. Shanti Mathias explores the impact of non-functioning air conditioning on public transport. When Bella, a young professional living in Wellington, thinks about taking the bus, her first thought is “Ugh”. The bus might ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Kroen, Research Fellow Planning and Transport, RMIT University The cleanup is underway in northern Queensland following the latest flooding catastrophe to hit the state. More than 7,000 insurance claims have already been lodged, most of them for inundated homes and other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Subha Parida, Lecturer in Property, University of South Australia Carl Oberg/Shutterstock Houses and fire do not mix. The firestorm which hit Los Angeles in January destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings and forced 130,000 people to evacuate. The 2019–20 Australian megafires destroyed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Tasmania has been burning for more than two weeks, with no end in sight. Almost 100,000 hectares of bushland in the northwest has burned to date. This includes the Tarkine rainforest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney This week, the Productivity Commission released its much-awaited report into productivity growth in Australia’s housing construction sector. It wasn’t a glowing appraisal. The commission found physical productivity – the total number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pascale Lubbe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Royal spoonbills are among several new species that have crossed the Tasman and naturalised in New Zealand. JJ Harrison/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA When people arrived on the shores of Aotearoa ...
Stats NZ’s head is stepping down over the agency’s failure to safeguard census data, and more officials may soon be in the firing line, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. An ‘absolutely unacceptable’ failure Stats NZ chief ...
Health NZ is under greater government scrutiny, with the new health minister setting up a unit he says will "drive greater accountability and performance". ...
Manurewa Marae acknowledges should have done better at handling completed census forms, following an inquiry into steps government agencies took to protect data. ...
Police failed to protect people from protesters at a high-profile rally and made unlawful arrests at another, the Independent Police Conduct Authority says. ...
Comment: Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are making it easier for people to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum without having to handle digital wallets or private keys. These allow investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency through their regular brokerage accounts.This has opened the door for billions of dollars ...
Two long-awaited reports into alleged personal data misuse, centred on census collection and Covid-19 vaccination efforts at Manurewa Marae, were released yesterday. Here’s what you need to know.“Very sobering reading” was how public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche described his organisation’s long-awaited report into the alleged misuse of census ...
Backbench MPs reached new levels of patsy questions in an extraordinarily dull question time on Tuesday. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. “MPs ask questions to explore key issues ...
The New Zealand Government says the Cook Islands must share more information about the deals it has signed with China, following the release of an ‘action plan’ in the face of protests in the Pacific nation’s capital.The Cook Islands government has also revealed plans to spend $3 million on a ...
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Today National are claiming ballot box tampering is occurring now !!!!!!
They are so desperate for power they will invent anything at all now!!!!!
So the Labour, Green. NZ First coalition is the best option now to save our country.
We need to sack the corrupt Government now.
National are now watching their “career dissapation light” deminish inside their eye now, as the reality of MMP sets in.
“old father time” has caught up with them finally.
They couldn’t have got away with their wanton stealing of all our public assets, and the selloff’s forever could they?
“National are claiming ballot box tampering”.
If you are going to make such an incredibly serious thing can you please provide a reference. I want to see who is claiming this and exactly what they are saying.
I suspect this is a reference to LInkwater polling station in the Kaikoura electorate where 123 votes were falsely attributed to the Maori Party by clerical error. The locals all knew about the predominance of National voters in the area and questions were raised. All a minor weather event in a drinking vessel, really.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97402483/the-small-rural-township-that-stood-up-and-was-counted–wrongly?cid=edm:stuff:marlboroughexpress&bid=371546290
Thanks.
Hardly the story that our “cleangreen” friend was spouting is it?
“so desperate for power they will invent anything”
What utter rubbish, if that is all his(her) wild hyperbole is based on.
And half a dozen exclamation marks after each sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Some of the more rabid and unhinged of your ilk Alwyn….https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/10/data_entry_error_is_not_good_enough.html#comments
Yes they were getting a rather extreme set of reactions weren’t they?
Accidents happen and it is very easy to do something like that in the haste of the count on the night I should say. The critical bit is getting it right before the final results are announced.
I was once Returning Officer in a University Students Association election.
Long, long ago.
Someone accidentally put a set of 100 votes on the wrong pile while doing the count. It was spotted before the results were announced luckily as I would have had to go back and announce a different winner later on.
Those idiots national don’t get It . It’s the people it’s the people it’s the people.
When all our people get a fair share of OUR resources everyone benefits our sports stadiums full up all eCommerce flourishes all our bad stats will be reversed a healthy happy population is a must . No winning Sports team under funds its health programs or keeps all the money in managements pockets if you find a winning team that behaves like national and wins . YEA RIGHT never going to happen .Its the people that make a good economy not just money. One just has to cast the eyes across our World and see these country’s with large populations and a small resource base and they are flourishing because they no that happy healthy people = happy healthy economy the trick for the Coalition is to change thing and keep everyone happy ,
What I don’t get is we run computer models to predict the weather we run computation models to predict lots of things so what’s so why don’t we have computation models to give us in site on what is the best way to run a country’s economy and Government systems is it because some people don’t want this information out in the public hands because the most positive out comes are a total reverse OF THE BULLSHIT POLICY’S THAT THE neo liberals AROUND OUR WORLD ARE RAMMING DOWN OUR THROATS .Well even a uneducated broke ass Maori like me can see this. You all no that im a kiwi to Ka Pai
There’s lots of economic computational modelling being done. It’s just a lot less reliable than weather modelling for a very simple reason.
All computational models need equations to relate how different variable interact with each other.
For weather models, those equations are based on physics, with just a few empirically derived relations from observations and historical data where the physics theory isn’t yet sufficiently complete.
For most economic models, those equations are mostly from assumptions about human behaviour. Since they are assumptions, they are heavily influenced by the political worldview of whoever is making the assumptions.
Most scientific theories have assumptions. Even the physical modelling of the climate has assumptions. We simply don’t know everything and throw in an assumption. That said, scientific assumptions are usually backed by logic. In other words, the scientists have a reason for the assumptions that they use.
The problem with the assumptions used in economics is that they date back to Ricardo and further. Now, Ricardo and other economists of the time knew that they were assumptions and that they could be wrong. They expected that the assumptions that they used would be researched and the missing information filled in.
This hasn’t happened and the economics ‘profession’ is still using those same assumptions despite the fact that many have been proved wrong in other fields of study. It’s why I keep posting this video:
I say we should have modern computation models built as if one was using old info or technology to operate a organization now it would go broke.
Thanks you did confirm my assumption that there is political interference with all of our data
Don’t get all conspiratorial though @ eco Maori.
Some of it is just muppets running things. Some of it is intentional underfunding or down to cronyism.
THe Electoral Commission will be having a debrief apparently.
When they do, no doubt the reason for 123 Natzi votes attributed to their (once was Mary Party – going forward) will emerge.
Then there’ll be a ‘how come?’ married couple people with PR showed up with both sets of parents in tow demanding to vote (the 4 unable to speak a word of English or Te Reo) …. as well as it being acceptable for ballot boxes being taken home (rather than perhaps locking them up in the local Police Cell).
Well ….. maybe we should be getting concerned at muppets running things but I think it’s still down to idiocy rather than intent (going forward). Give them a pay rise maybe – and shift them sideways (preferably off a fucking cliff)
Actually….. it could be a PPP toll cliff – we could tax them on the way down.
A win win! They’d pay their debt to sussoighty, realise that with roights cum responsibilities, but if not …… whooooar
But whether human behaviour is considered at all is dependent on the branch of economics you are following. The neo-liberal economists like to think that economics is a science that can be reduced to formulas, algorithms and derivatives. People, beyond being consumers of mostly crap, have no other economic reason to exist.
From Newsroom – updated 2 hours ago:
The truth about National Party priorities on health and housing – killing young Kiwis before their time:
Those meth testing guys must have the most awesome fucking lobbyists on the planet. Either that, or the current government has an interest in demonising the poor and finding ways to weasel out of its housing responsibilities – but it couldn’t possibly be that, could it? Must be just some awe-inspiring lobbying skills by the meth-testing industry…
Another sham by national and this one is the tip of the iceberg
Probably agree with you re Cleangreen’s excited lurch there Alwyn but what I’m smelling more particularly from you is utter terror…….the superiority and entitlement of a decade turned into smelly old chocolate pooling at your feet. Trashy bogan Paula would be very unpleasant to be around right now…….
Thanks for highlighting this, Carolyn.
From your link
“NZ Drug Foundation president Ross Bell said the science does not back up the need for such an industry and it has played on the fears of New Zealand people in order to make a profit.
“More concerning, he said the Government has fallen for these scare tactics and created new standards and an Act amendment, currently before a select committee, which will unjustifiably perpetuate this culture of fear.
“He called the meth testing and remediation industry ‘the biggest scam this country has ever seen'”
The question now is, will Labour overturn this if they attain power?
Could have built 500+ houses and given them away for that $52m. Would have produced better social and economic outcomes.
From Stuff: new Kapiti Expressway “Road of National Significance” already needs resealing.
But only the inside lanes, mind. Wonder why that is.
Back in the early ’90s, I drove some German friends from Berlin to Dresden. Being not long after re-unification, the Autobahn was still pretty much as Hitler built it. They got me to drive in the fast lane, because the slow lane was incredibly corrugated and potholed. I tried driving in it to see if they were bullshitting me and it was so horrible I got back in the fast lane within a few hundred meters. “40 years of heavily-laden trucks heading east,” said Detlef. “But don’t worry, we’ll be able to drive in the right lane on the way back – the trucks always returned empty.”
Unfortunately for NZ, the trucks are heavily-laden in both directions.
From leaky homes to leaky roads.
Declining standards and cheap builds up against increased use.
The result is predictable shortened lifespan of the infrastructure.
If you want to keep your job you should do a mediocre job 😉
WTF is this?
Showing her true colours.
Yeah……Toryana Torya. Sad fraud.
Pre-senile dementia?
100% Pure spin and head in the sand all at the same time.
Of course it all looks fine sitting atop the Whanau Ora trough National provided from the Health Budget for her party.
Her enabling of NACT as leader of the MP makes her, Flavell, Sharples and what followed, such as the the self serving Marama Fox, directly culpable. Only Hone can hold his head high as he called them for what they are and walked away.
I have never forgotten Peter Sharples’ comment some years ago when he was Minister of Maori Affairs. He was (iirc) contemplating the possibility he might lose his seat at the next election (must have been 2011) and he said in an interview he would be in big trouble if he lost because he’d just bought a larger home and he needed his ministerial salary to pay off the mortgage.
That said it all for me.
I’m all for referenda, I mean hey something binding like an election would have made Syria a bit easier. Even something dumbly non-binding like the Australian gay marriage one has at least some civil purpose, if you squint. And seriously the Spanish federal police acting at the direction of the Spanish government on purely political direction is deeply corrupt.:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/01/dozens-injured-as-riot-police-storm-catalan-ref-polling-stations
But I would not want Europe to split into further pointless factions. We went through that with the rump Yugoslavia in the 1990s and it is a vortex of puirity and ethnic cleanising for which there is no limiting principle and therefore no end, only blood and destruction. Not to mention the impending chaos of Brexit.
The Catalan government is walking into a trap that can be cured by actual region-to-state diplomacy rather than orchestrating its population into foolish separatism achieving nothing except the polished egos of a few.
Where you getting this idea that people merely seeking greater levels of accountability/empowerment are spiteful and hateful little beasties Ad? And where’s this idea that people seeking a greater level of civic identity have to be “orchestrated” coming from?
I’d guess you to be one of these people who watch Hollywood “end of the world” movies who actually and uncritically accepts the “nasty, brutish and short” sub-narrative that casts the working class (variously) as zombies/cannibals/tooled up misanthropes “out to get” the valiant middle class – the worthy survivors and sole suppositories of civilisation’s knowledge and hope. 🙄
Might want to re-read the first paragraph of the comment. It’s better than guessing.
Your first para is essentially an adherence dominant narratives.
An aside. There have been elections in Syria (maybe you missed them under all the bullshit “prop on a spoon” that was coming our way?)
You have some criticism of the actions of the Spanish state that you then excuse by appealing to some notion of a “greater good” (that resides in a centralised and rather far reaching nexus of institutional power) protecting us from ….well, some realisation or reification of a rather dim and fearful view of ourselves.
I suspect the fear isn’t so much “ourselves” as “Russia”.
edit:… which seems to be expanding and improving on British foreign policy objectives
Aw ffs McFlock. You really want to peddle the “it’s the Russians! the Russians is coming!!” bullshit!!!?
Hmm – you heard the one about the Hollywood director, the actor and the embittered politician?
I guess you’ll be telling me to stop laughing and take it seriously 🙄
No, not “the Russians are coming”.
No T-90 tanks outside the bull ring.
Simply that a destabilised and fractured Europe is a Russian foreign policy objective, in order to gain piecemeal diplomatic leverage over Western Europe and to exercise direct political/military control over portions of Eastern Europe.
Really?
And here was me thinking that vast swathes of Eastern Europe had been pulled into an EU and/or NATO orbit, and that the US had more military bases in Europe than could shake a stick at…and some nuclear shit too…alongside a more or less free pass when it comes to promoting it’s political, cultural and economic norms throughout Europe.
But no. Seems I’m imagining stuff and there’s not nuffin to see there. Not a fing.
“Applied for membership” apparently equals “pulled into an EU and/or NATO orbit”.
As opposed to Russian tanks.
Well no. Not as “opposed to Russian tanks”. And we all know societal elites and governments reflect the will of populaces and make decisions accordingly, aye? 😉
Hmmm… Has the West been guilty of fostering unrest in Eastern Europe? Could this be retribution? Or could people be seeing phantoms? I suspect that this is part of the legacy of Franco’s victory and subsequent style of government.
I suspect that it’s both a legacy of Franco’s victory and heartily encouraged by Putin. A less coherent Europe provides a less coordinated response to Russian military expansionism into its bordering nations.
And bill – yeah, definitely “as opposed to Russian tanks”. Russian troops have an interesting habit of crossing Russian borders. Starting in Chechnya in the 1990s.
Sure thing McFlock.
The peoples of Catalonia, who have been seeking greater autonomy since “whenever”, are just idiotic or witless agents of Morgan ‘Friedbrain’ Freeman’s Putin – just like the peoples of Scotland and Wales and Ireland and any other people who might seek measures of self governance.
Nek minute you’ll be saying that any thoughts around tino rangatiratanga are being melded by Evil Ruskies (capital E, capital R) …kinda like how any socialist was under the hypnotic sway of The Kremlin (capital T capital K) throughout the periods of the Red Scares (capital R, capital S)
If only they’d stop clicking into all that Russian social media stuff that’s egging them on, eh?
You should visit Europe. Seriously. Maybe even talk to ordinary Europeans. Report back on their sense of foreboding or fear with regards Russia. (I know, I know. They know not what they truly think because “Evil Putin and social media”)
f.f.s.
oh, ffs.
There you go again: nowhere have I said that Catalan independence shouldn’t be entertained or considered.
You stated that the fear of decentralisation was due to some fear about whateverthefuckyou’reon.
My response was that a very strong argument for keeping a federalised nation-state system in Europe inside a centralised European organisation was the fact that Russia has upped its expansionist position in the last ten or fifteen years, and a key part of preventing this piecemeal expansion is to have a coordinated european response.
Nato and europe are expanding westwards because the countries bordering Russia fear invasion, see better trade opportunities in Europe, and request membership. Funnily enough, countries and regions seem to request to join Russia only after they’ve had leaders poisoned and Russian-speaking troops set up the polling stations.
As for the Catalans, fair cop to them. But don’t be surprised if a major purchaser of pro-independence social media ads is the russian foreign ministry, because western European discord helps their foreign policy objectives.
U.S.A tanks bring freedom ….. and are the recommended tool for dealing with Palestinian children throwing stones https://s14-eu5.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F736x%2F49%2F61%2F7b%2F49617b2af30f70729dd5f65026d69d94–david-and-goliath-palestine.jpg&sp=e7a43796171b9708ee367bd0363ce1d8
Russians fight terrorists …. the sort Cameron, May etc support ….. Isis/Al-nusrade Al Qaeda flavored demonocracy
that’s nice, reason.
Question: Israel’s in Europe now?
Another q: that looks like a cool video – is it a trailer for the next Assassin’s Creed game?
Actually, I suspect that the USA doesn’t want an over-powerful Europe either. I trust nobody!!
The US was previously wanting a weak Europe rubberstamping “NATO” (i.e. US) decisions, but now wants the rep of making it rain but without actually throwing cash around the club – in fact sitting down and splitting the bill strictly according to what everybody ordered. Yeah, THAT guy in the party when everyone orders pizza…
US foreign policy in the age of trump.
What I committed to in the first place was democratic responsiveness.
Your aside is pointless. Fresh elections are required in Syria.
The “greater good” argument is the same sad slippery slope I have seen multiple times, with no limiting principle. It goes like this:
1. Area A is richer than the rest of the place it belongs to.
2. Area A therefore pays more tax. (According to 2014 figures, Catalonia paid E9.89 more into Spain’s tax authorities than it received in spending – the equivalent of 5% of its GDP.)
3. Area A feels unfairly treated, and a little political movement is formed to achieve this, which brings in all sorts of mythic shit about their essential essentialness.
4. Everyone in the rest of the area knows it’s pure code for fuck the poor everywhere else so the rich area stays rich.
5. Civil war ensues, and no one but the arms suppliers gets any richer.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Syrians can determine their own internal political processes without our ‘wise council’.
But anyway. You want to turn the tables around on what was being referenced as “the greater good”?
Okay.
How long has it been that Catalonia has sought greater autonomy? What’s the history and reasoning?
And then, what about the Basque region? (It a richer area of France and Spain than other areas of those countries, is it?)
Scotland and/or Wales are imbued with all sorts of mythic shit about their essential essentialness are they?
Your “Area A” argument is entirely contrived and hardly representative. How could it be ffs, unless reality is that only wealthier regions seek political/cultural autonomy, and that all desire for political/cultural autonomy is driven solely by economic considerations.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Syrians can determine their own internal political processes without our ‘wise council’.
They did have a go at it, but discovered that totalitarian dictatorships have their own means of determining political processes, means that are highly unpleasant but also very effective. True enough that no amount of ‘wise counsel’ on our part can assist them though.
The Baathist government ceded every demand made of it (multi-party elections, freeing of prisoners etc).
Can you name a demand they didn’t attempt to satisfy?
Oh. That’s right. You simply don’t get that the bullshit in Syria has its roots in the somewhat historical conflict between the secularism of Arab “state socialism” (‘orrible oxymoron) and the religious extremism that some Shia Muslims indulge in.
It’s all “bad Assad regime” and “noble, freedom loving rebels”…just as the BBC, NBC, CNN, ABC and all the rest of the alphabet soup media keep saying.
I seem to recall Assad responding to protests with snipers and to the Arab Spring in general with the comment “Reform is not a seasonal issue,” but no doubt his party’s official version of events does indeed describe it acceding to every demand made by the protesters.
It’s certainly true that I “don’t get” how you can pretend a guy who inherited the country from his dad and maintains his rule via a massive police state and extensively skilled and experienced torturers is some kind of democratically-elected leader. But don’t fret, I also have no desire to “get” whatever it is that results in that mindset.
I recall that propaganda too PM. Seems the difference between us is that I questioned it and wondered at the numbers of dead police officers who had been shot off the back of supposedly peaceful protests. I admit, I had the whole Venezuelan coup scenario sitting at the back of my mind. Remember that? Remember who the snipers killing protesters were in that instance?
Anyway. You have no example of a demand not responded to in a positive fashion.
Assad didn’t inherit. He had to have the nod from the Baathist party apparatus. Not hugely democratic at all, but not ‘inheritance’ like Queeny following Georgie aye?
And now all elections are contested and the general populace has a vote – just like here.
Shia radicalism, that’s implacably opposed to anything that might be considered as a western notion of secularism (and by extension anything Baathist or socialist or state driven) – that I thought you were against (don’t you keep referring to Islamofascists?) – is the reason the Syrian state developed a huge and fucked up security apparatus.
You think it was developed “just ’cause”?
As usual, the rabbit hole goes way further down than I’m willing to follow.
You are out on a very, very, long and thin limb if you think Syria doesn’t need elections and won’t need help with ensuring they are free and fair.
As to your questions, it goes roughly like this:
It started way back, but they started getting really itchy about the same time Portugal had a war for proper independence from Spain in the 1730s under King Philip III. All about tax and preserving the existence of an independent nobility.
The independence impulse was repressed under Franco.
They got pretty substantial autonomy under the 1978 constitution.
They got even more in a 2006 statute, but Spain’s constitutional court reversed that.
Most of Spain’s economy has been shit since the GFC, but the north-east less so due to massive tourism.
Cultural considerations in Catalonia are a code – as they usually are – for protecting wealth, class, and tax.
I guess Syria needs elections like Iraq and Afghanistan needed the western “democratic” invasions in 2001 and 2003 eh?
You are out on a very, very, long and thin limb if you think Syria doesn’t need elections and won’t need help with ensuring they are free and fair.
I’m not on that limb. There have been free and fair elections in Syria and further ones are scheduled when current terms expire….just like as in other countries that hold multi-party parliamentary elections and/or contested presidential elections.
Further free and fair elections have been scheduled, and the ballot forms have already filled in /sarc
You mean like the one that was held and the rebels tried to prevent by killing people?
If Catalan want to be their own separate nation then we should be supporting them in that – not condemning them for it.
If you thought that was free and fair as an election I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
This is supremely the wrong time to start splitting further parts of Europe up further. Works great on tv getting sympathy. But that’s not where the work needs to be.
They need an argument about tax redistribution across Spain.
Not really but it appears to have been the West supported rebels that caused the problems.
Not really but it appears to have been the West supported rebels that caused the problems.
Not to mention that Syrian embassies were shut down by numerous countries, meaning that Syrians within those countries couldn’t vote.
edit – and that’s “western supported Jihadists” – not “rebels”. (“Funny” how every fighter willingly picking up arms and fighting against the Syrian Arab Army is Shia, no?)
Your position is in support the police violence and shooting in Catalonia, because it’s about a united Europe? Is that it Ad?
Some Utopian Beige world you live in mate, if you think violence is the answer to anything.
Edit:
Take 5 minutes to have a look on line at all the police brutality. And God Bless the Catalonia Fire Brigade.
I saw this morning Teuila Blakely on the AM Show voted for Winstone Peters and prefers a National/NZ First coalition.
Considering she never has her eyes on the road and she distracts driver’s from having their eyes on the road – does this woman really know where she’s going?
The blind leading the blind methinks.
yes,I found her nauseating to say the least .
Newshub online Poll: Should we get rid of MMP:
It was 51% “No”, when I did it. It’s now dropped down to 49%
Don’t do it—you’re only encouraging them. Online polls have about as much credibility as John Key’s assertion that he couldn’t remember his stance on the 1981 Springbok Tour.
+1
back at 51% No. I voted twice. Once on Chrome. Once on Firefox. (Just to show that it is possible.)
If you voted twice, I wonder how many times each of the National Party slaves pushed that “Yes” button.
These “polls” are an insult. Instead of participating in them, why not write a letter of objection to Newshub instead?
I’ve heard of e-mail but what is this letter, as in “write a letter of objection” you mention?
Were they those things my grandparents used to talk about?
You can write a letter and deliver it by e-mail as an attachment. You can even write a letter, sign it, scan it in and deliver it by e-mail. The e-mail bit is new; the letter bit is not.
I really will have to learn that I must put, probably above and below the comment when it is really only meant as a joke.
Probably? a good plan? probably.
It was a joke on a joke. I got your joke, but did you get mine?
This is the plan eh, MMP isn’t delivering for New Zealanders.
Overheard at Mt hot pools last evening – “gotta get rid of this MMP, its all bullshit. We got the most votes, the , we got the, the majority and now winstons holding us to ransom…”
Catalan Independence Referendum results are through and very strongly pro; despite (or perhaps because of) Spanish state intimidation tactics:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/oct/01/catalan-independence-referendum-spain-catalonia-vote-live
See Scoop today, both NZ Labour and National have left voicemail /or phoned and had a response from NZ First.
“Your call is important to me and I will return your call as soon as
I feel like itpossible. Please leave your name & number and a short message after thenational anthembeep. The answer still is No”.Tinder would have made the whole thing a bit faster.
Environmental ‘supergroup’ puts future government on notice
“Environmental issues were at the centre of the 2017 election campaign. No matter who ends up in Government, they will have a clear mandate and a responsibility to take action on fresh water, climate change, and conservation. And they should know that we will be right there to make sure they do.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1710/S00002/environmental-supergroup-puts-future-government-on-notice.htm
Anyone remember the joyous pro-union days of The Pajama Game?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0szHqIXQ2R8
Well, get ready for goodbye clothing machinists, and hello to machines that make clothes right down to the buttons:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2017-10-02/u-s-talking-to-north-korea-on-nukes-video
Good organising post-election.
Sure hoping this lot stay toe-to-toe against NZDairy and Fonterra inthe years to come:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1710/S00002/environmental-supergroup-puts-future-government-on-notice.htm
Dear Party leaders,
A winner in this year’s election was the New Zealand environment. It featured as a bigger concern amongst the electorate than ever before. All of you through your party manifestos made commitments to improve the state of our environment. We congratulate you for those promises.
As environmental leaders, we wish to offer our congratulations to all parties and to both sitting and new MPs for their election success. We also wish to acknowledge those parties and MPs who are departing Parliament and thank them for their work.
There is now a strong public expectation that whichever parties form the next Government, there must be clear gains for fresh water, the climate and conservation in the next three years.
We offer our help in achieving these gains:
FRESHWATER
It is clear that ecologically healthy freshwaters, and the ability of New Zealanders to safely swim in their rivers and lakes, will be a key measure of environmental success for the new Government. This can only be achieved if government facilitates and supports a transformation of the primary sector toward new, environmentally-friendly land uses and practices, coupled with tougher regulation and market signals which reflect the true costs of resource use.
CLIMATE
There must be a more structured and transparent approach to tackling the greatest challenge of our time – climate change. New Zealand’s emissions have continued to climb and we need an ambitious plan on how to reduce them. Transformative change is required through a new law to establish a statutory carbon budgeting process overseen by an independent Climate Commission to plan, monitor and report on the transition to net zero by 2050. Anything less betrays this and future generations.
CONSERVATION
The jewels in the crown of our national identity are the unique species which inhabit our lands, waters and wild places. We need the new Government to institute real measures to protect and enhance the viability of our precious species. This includes the health of the diverse and invaluable terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that sustain both them and valued introduced species. An increase in funding of DOC’s core budget must be a key component in that strategy.
These issues, and the many others that fall under the umbrella of “environment”, are at the heart of the richness of our quality of life in New Zealand, and underpin our international reputation. They are also at the core of a genuinely sustainable future and are therefore true legacy issues. The natural world is our home and there are few greater gifts we can bestow our children than a vibrant, vital and healthy natural world.
We promise to continue our strong advocacy for the environment and look forward to working with all political parties, both in the next government and in the opposition, to achieve positive gains for our environment.
Yours sincerely
Kevin Hague
Forest and Bird
Russel Norman
Greenpeace New Zealand
Livia Esterhazy
WWF New Zealand
Bryce Johnson
Fish & Game New Zealand
Gary Taylor
Environmental Defence Society
Guy Salmon
Ecologic
Lisa McLaren
Generation Zero
Ad Wondered about the
“Rt. Hon. Bill English Leader, National Party”
after Lisa McLaren’s name?
Is that to mean English helped write it or is it a copy for his information?
Sue Moroney’s recent commitment to whistleblowing is to be commended.
The Panel, RNZ National, Monday 2 October 2017
Jim Mora, Julia Hartley-Moore, Mike Rehu, Megan Whelan
First topic for the light and breezy once-over this afternoon was the Joanne Harrison fraud case. The Member of Parliament who pushed this case was Labour’s Sue Moroney, who dutifully answered a few questions from the Panelists about it. Sue Moroney did a very good job here, but she has not always defended whistleblowers as robustly as she did in the Harrison case.
In fact, an infamous performance by her on the Backbenchers television show in 2013 showed her to be anything BUT a defender of Edward Snowden…
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16062013/#comment-649149
So the trump administration is doing another surge,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/08/30/afghan-troop-surge-likely-to-include-thousands-of-paratroopers-marines-and-heavy-bombers/?utm_term=.c3bf73b90105
It seems that the pomes’ are joining in
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4332517/sas-afganistan-taliban-surge-trump/
We are supporting this madness in our own small way
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/337984/nz-to-send-more-defence-personnel-to-afghanistan