It irks me that Hooten’s sign off says PR and Excelcium not former National Party staffer etc etc.
He may be miffed that this latest revelation makes him look a little foolish.
To sugest that Clark and Wall not knowing equates to every Nat Health Minister and DHB Chair not knowing since 2010 is disingenous at best.
Of course the hospital is still operating. How could it not? It serves the largest population catchment in Auckland and that catchment contains many over representated in illness stats.
Were they supposed to close and send the patients to Colemans new employers private hospitals? At private rates paid for by the taxpayer?
Does the cost to fix include the cost of relocating the services within the building being repaired?
Speaking of former NActs, the greatest skill of Tony Ryall (Simpson Grierson’s head of pubic policy, Minister of Health 2008-2014) was putting in place health the targets and budget stretching that bedevil the public health services today, and walking away before the sh-ortages hit the fan.
Tony Ryall – I remember a political commentator saying that he had been adept at keeping health on low profile while he was Minister. Managing down, austerity reigns, that will get you a good outcome when you step down as a pollie.
This illustrates the awful moral hazard that faces the citizens with business reigning over us. There is no desire for government to see that anything is done well or goes well for the mass of the citizens, because there is a private company that can profit from undertaking the remedial work. It’s a factory chain of robotic ‘wealth creators’ (euphemism), and we are being passed from one work station to another.
But the work done for and on us does not have to conform to any excellence except what shows on the surface. There are no solid regulations that are practical and have teeth and are monitored and activated.
No, or few regulations on business, but yes for citizens. Every step and breath that citizens take is being regulated by business through their servant entity, government. So sneer at the promise of a brave new world of neoliberalism, freemarketing and freebooting (now add freebotting).
The rights and opportunities we had achieved for us all have been given away and we are left with nothing positive just being exploited! We have swopped our magic beans for a cow! Go climb that beanstalk Jacky and steal back our golden future from the giant, and good luck to you pilgrim.
No, or few regulations on business, but yes for citizens. Every step and breath that citizens take is being regulated by business through their servant entity, government. So sneer at the promise of a brave new world of neoliberalism, freemarketing and freebooting (now add freebotting).
QFT
I’ll add this bit from Why we can’t afford the rich:
Though it never admits it, neoliberalism is a political-economic movement that seeks to legitimise widening economic inequalities and defend rentier interests above all others. Rentiers can live off others regardless of their gender, race, sexuality and so on.
The majority of us are slaves to keeping the rich wealthy. That’s how capitalism is designed.
I love a good rant grey, especially when it’s so much better than I could have done. An excellent point on our regulatory environment and the differences in it for businesses and citizens.
And some people still think politics doesn’t affect them. Only when enough citizens pay attention, will the politicians change that neo-liberal regulatory environment instead of just stitching up the fraying edges.
miravox
There was some point before one of the elections that Key denied the seriousness of some criticism saying that the naysayers were making politics out of it whatever it was. We are so green that we are like spirulina if we don’t understand that everything done and said is political and has effects on all the citizens – Politics’R US!
Wikipedia
political
adjective: political
1.
relating to the government or public affairs of a country.
“a period of political and economic stability”
Way to go – Participatory democracy – Everyone start studying politics as it is taught, so you are knowledgable when the time for making good future decisions comes.
Hooten is probably right. DHB heads might be compelled by the Nat Govt to hide that sort of information from the media but they can’t keep it out of the books. Building depreciation and deferred maintenance is financial information with an absolute requirement it be reported in the annual accounts.
The Audit Office signed off the annual report of CMDHB, if anything was deliberately missed out I’d expect to see the Audit Office descend on that DHB like a plague of locusts. Politicians might get away with bullshitting about financial matters but accountants and senior managers sure can’t (not when they’re discovered anyway).
It still surprises me that so many people can report on an issue like this without any of them even bothering to take the time to read the annual reports of the party in question. It should be the first thing interested people do, the annual accounts of all Govt departments are a free download for anyone to peruse.
No that was what I saw as the initial brouha tracey; that the Nat Govt was (allegedly) pressuring DHB heads to defer maintenance and keep quiet about it in order to make their own books look better.
The claims that have been made about costs should be in the annual report. I scanned through a few of them and saw few surprises there. The possible existence of asbestos in old buildings, for example, has been acknowledged for years in their books. They just state they’ won’t make provision for it as a liability until if/when it’s discovered and needs addressing. That’s fair enough.
The annual reports are worth reading IMO. They can contain a lot of fluff in the intro but the financial statements contained within the reports are a serious business, they make a statutory declaration on the truthfulness of those.
All of these issues result from one aspect of our society: Our desire to do everything on the cheap.
It’s why we have shoddy infrastructure, why our economic development has slowed and why farming is still a major industry.
Things is, it will cost us far more in the long run. More environmental damage by the farms and more for repairs on substandard houses and infrastructure.
But it does allow the RWNJs to cut taxes for the rich.
Audrey Young showed her true blue colours yesterday when she attacked those using the term Dirty Politics to describe the behaviour of right wing scum trolls who have attacked Clarke Gayford.
She is either an incompetent journalist or a dishonest one.
Audrey’s an enabler like the hosk etc. Shes attacking the rhetoric rather then the issue of deliberately placed malicious content for political advantage, who and why ?
That’s not even journalism of any sort that’s pushing an agenda…..removal of the term from the narrative that’s interwoven in many minds with the national party.
They really don’t like the truth or it being played out in public as that’s going to hurt further at the polls.
DP operates at two levels. At the sinister level it aims to drag all politics down to gutter politics with associated gutter ‘journalism’ and similar (and worse) shit in MSM and social media, respectively. You cannot fight it easily without falling in this trap, which is why DP is so insidious and effective! Lefties have particular difficulty with tackling DP and are very prone to becoming victims of it because they like to take and come (down) from the ‘moral high ground’. Of course, this makes the Left the ideal target of DP, in fact the only one; the Left cannot turn the tables despite RWNJs arguing otherwise.
Young suggested that when Ardern used the phrase ‘dirty politics’, Ardern was deliberately sending a dog whistle to conspiracy theorists on the left (like you) to assume it was the Nats who were responsible for the Gayford rumours and to put the boot in.
It worked a treat; just about every man and his dog (after being whistled) on this site yesterday did just that.
You were played Ed. You ended up no better than the original rumour mongers. But you served Jacinda’s purpose.
It has been a meme being pushed. Probably the most notable proponent (and probable originator – it has his style) was Hooten.
But it has been interesting watching the attempts to push the “reverse black ops” meme all over the place. Entirely done in those hushed “I have a little secret” tone that the alt-ridiculous seem to love.
Oh well I guess it makes them feel like they are in the know. And makes the suckers feel bigger than they really are
Riiiiiight grantoc, better she said nothing and just let the rumour die… oh wait is wasnt dying it was spreading, like all the dirty little rumours that swirled during Clark’s leadership.
Past behaviour is a good predictor of future etc etc
Nats and their arms lengthers have form. You are the one spinning.
What do you mean Clarke attackers? Who are you talking about?
Actual ” take the moral high ground” is something of the same strategy of these DP ers… first they swirl the rumour and watch it grow, then when someone responds, they join the chorus of vouces saying “turn the other cheek”, cos they know they win twice cos the rumour keeps swirling into more and more ears.
Scum is something that floats to the top, is mostly unpleasant in nature and if not removed spoils the flavour of the wholesome stuff underneath. As a metaphor I’m not sure it’s so badly chosen. It is somewhat inflammatory though…
Tracy Watkins opines on the dirty politics claim. She notes Clark was subject the relentless rumours while in office and Key to rumours when he left. Ardern subject in office… via her partner. Despite the pattern being
Labour rumours in office
National rumours post resignation
She concludes it isnt a strategy by a political party…
She tried to write a balanced article but that last sentence or so…
We know Nats rarely dish the dirt themselves and have a history of using arms length folk to do it. And yes it is proven james
The defining characteristics about the aging dinosaur media like Soper, Young, and O’Sullivan is chronological decrepitude, intellectual morbidity and a resulting torpid professional lassitude.
The chronological and intellectual decadence of that generation of journalists means they are much more inclined to treat dirty politics as a useful source of reliably controversial copy that relieves their aging brains of the need to think or investigate, and they can rationalise their complicity with a world weary cynicism that masquerades as sophistication for so many of our not half as clever as they think they are aging senior journalists.
I’ve thought recently that one of the more interesting pieces of meta data of a “youth-adjacent” Jacinda’s elevation to power is the sudden revelation of the creeping atmosphere of defeatism and nihilism that comes with a population that is losing it’s virility as it ages. I remember a particular conversation in the media when the previous government was asked if we could take the Manus Island refugees. The boomer minister responded with a bewildering list of reasons for why it was all just so hard and complex. Next up on the radio was Golriz Ghahraman, who immediately launched into a back of the envelope planning session on how you could squeeze the refugees into the various centres around the country. For her, the question wasn’t if we could take them, it was how we could manage them when they got here.
The difference between age and youth has seldom been so starkly illustrated. Much the same issue infests our establishment media. Far, far to many journalists are out of place and out of another time yet cling to senior jobs like shipwrecked sailors to a mast in a storm tossed sea whose movements they no longer understand or anticipate.
The real trick to getting old gracefully is knowing when to hand the reins over to the youngsters, and be relaxed and confident that the future is in safe hands when you do so.
Clearly none of our ancient brigade of senior journalists possess this skill.
Great piece Sanctuary… add in Armstrong and Roughan, the increased use of former politicians and former party hacks to write pieces. I see Hooten described a trained journalist at the herald as his colleague. Not really Sir.
The Nats are enacting their 2005 template. DP has started. Leader is saying he doesnt approve. We are on a John Key loop
By thunder Sanctuary – you really spell it out well when you get going – as here.
The defining characteristics about the aging dinosaur media like Soper, Young, and O’Sullivan is chronological decrepitude, intellectual morbidity and a resulting torpid professional lassitude.
The real crime (to me) was installing a President by fraudulent means. The fix should at least start with all involved going to court.
Shutting down the company seems necessary but impotent. There are people involved in every bit of corporate shenanigans, somehow the ‘company’ gets told off, scapegoats are fired, but no one responsible really seems culpable? The social damage (wealth shift now to the corporate/wealthy via a fraudulently elected leader = massive theft) will be enormous, let alone the psychological damage of undermining the safety and rights of women and minorities, and encouragement of various dictatorial styled leaders…
Zuckerberg’s still a billionaire with obscene power. Three steps removed mate. Corporate trickery again.
Cambridge Analytica is shutting down. Shine a light into a dark place and the rats gathered there scatter. I hope people are tracking where they’re scuttling off to.
“According to current police data analysed by the Herald, as of 2016 up to 80 per cent of reported aggravated sexual assaults go unresolved. For the crime “male rapes female 16 and over”, that number is even higher, at 85 per cent. Rape cases are four times less likely to go to court in comparison with other types of physical assault, where only 24 per cent of offences are unresolved.”
This is a feature article and deserves more than a passing acknowledgement of the headlines.
“According to current police data analysed by the Herald, as of 2016 up to 80 per cent of reported aggravated sexual assaults go unresolved. For the crime “male rapes female 16 and over”, that number is even higher, at 85 per cent. Rape cases are four times less likely to go to court in comparison with other types of physical assault, where only 24 per cent of offences are unresolved.”
This is a feature article and deserves more than a passing acknowledgement of the headline.
The know-all Hosking is now pontificating on how Jacinta and Clarke wrongly handled the distressing rumour mill situation yesterday. It is astounding that he thinks he is so fabulously smart and right on every aspect of life and every other mere mortal simply has no idea. What are his qualifications to have these opinions, apart from giant sized ego and arrogance. Ugh.
The police made it clear they issued their statement without the knowledge of Ardern or Clarke. Typical of the Hosking twat… blame them even when it had nothing to do with them.
He might as well add that it’s all their fault for existing.
Fair point – no – you are correct I have nothing to back it up or any proof.
It would be strange if they did it off their own backs and never mention it to anybody or sought any approval – but you are correct they very well may have done just that.
“The police made it clear they issued their statement without the knowledge of Ardern or Clarke”.
Do you, or anyone else have a link to the Police Commissioner’s statement?
I can’t seem to find the actual statement anywhere.
I’d like to see exactly what he did say.
@ Alwyn,
I can’t find it anywhere now but it was definitely on one of the online news sites late yesterday. I don’t recollect it being in the actual statement, but from memory Commissioner Bush was responding to a journalist’s question and he said something to the effect:
No, I did not seek permission from the PM or her partner, Clarke Gayford about issuing the statement.
I took that to mean the police made the decision to issue the statement independently of anyone outside of the Force.
Thank you.
That is what I thought I had heard on the radio yesterday or the day before. I would be surprised if the PMs office wasn’t given a heads-up at the minimum, even if they hadn’t asked for the statement.
I think they would have a no surprises policy in place.
media are milking it flat out for clicks/views/listeners, dirty old whale blubber is about to be on radiolive, spinning his own brand of shite on said subject.
Dirty politics enabling media revenue what a freaking surprise.
James, Hosking is a radio ranter and former tv tugger of cuffs. That is all., which does not qualify him as a respected and wise person to look up to, or on a par with the the role of Prime Minister.
What are everyone’s thoughts about the pamphlets given to high school seniors containing info about drugs etc?
Personally, I think it’s brilliant.
I often reflect if part of the drinking culture is due to a lack of information being given to teens, my generation was never schooled on responsible drinking, my parents didn’t talk about it, so as a teen when I tried alcohol I had no idea and ended up in some awful situations as a result.
Not informing and educating people especially youth on drugs and alcohol hasn’t been working, this approach is fantastic, well done to Massey High and any other high schools involved.
I am mostly in favour with a little bit of niggling reservation (but still trying to figure out why specifically).
Did you hear the interview this morning on Morning Report with the Executive Director of the Drug Foundation Ross Bell? Well worth the five minutes imo. Here is the article with the link to the recording.
There’s probably going to be a fair bit of pearl clutching going on, but so far I’m in agreement with Mr Bell.
I’m also pretty bloody sure most people don’t actually understand the extent of the problem.
“…my generation was never schooled on responsible drinking, my parents didn’t talk about it, so as a teen when I tried alcohol I had no idea and ended up in some awful situations as a result.”
Hard to discuss when its not clear which generation you’re from.
I’m edging fast towards 60 and my oldest child is in their 30s.
I learned about the potentially devastating effects of drug and alcohol use first hand from parents who blighted their children’s lives with their substance abuse.
Although we almost never talked about it.
Without the drug and alcohol abuse, at least one of my parents would have made a better fist of keeping us safe.
Even today, discussions around child protection issues fail to put the substance abuse of the parents at the top of the list of risk factors leading to child abuse, neglect and parental failure.
And it seems to me that ‘information’ such as the one in question fails as it seems to imply that there is a ‘safe’ and ‘responsible’ way of using meth.
From the people I have met whose lives,and more importantly those of their children, have been devastated by this singularly hideous drug there is no ‘safe’ way of using. Odds are it will get you (and your loved ones) sooner or later.
And it seems to me that ‘information’ such as the one in question fails as it seems to imply that there is a ‘safe’ and ‘responsible’ way of using meth.
The article isn’t reporting the full context that the material is used in which is a health course about how to take care of yourself which includes all the negative effects of drug use.
Exactly. Read some comments of students doing the clurse. They also learn how destructive drug use is. To the user their friends and families. The pamphlet has a context. By taking it out of context the “no sex ed in schools brigade” can shut this discourse too and leave our kids to the woolves
I’m in my mid forties Rosemary 🙂 sorry should have added that,
Generation X.
Adults always drunk at bbq’s and family gatherings, never any violence or abuse (that I saw), a few ‘pearler’ moments when the adults were extra silly.
So alcohol to me equated to fun and good times was never told or shown the contrary.
If there’s article on the news about drunk teens, with footage of drunk chicks in skimpy clothing vomiting, falling over etc; I now make a point of showing the girls, so they begin to understand what ‘drunk’ looks like.
Oh God! Some of my best friends (etc etc) dreaded that ‘cops on the beat’ reality tv program in case it was their offspring featured sprawled vomiting in the gutter.
Fortunately the kids made it to their mid twenties relatively un famous. 😉 🙂
I think it is the product of getting access to resources to use in this situation without putting it into context.
The pamphlet is very appropriate for working with heavy users trying to manage the damage their drug use is causing in their lives, with a intent to reduce or eliminate drug use.
As an information source for non-users it is both inefficient and ineffective at providing the information they need in order to make good choices when the situations they will face offers them the opportunity to indulge.
Because the pamphlet was intended for drug users, the reasonable assumption was that those reading are already users – and gives information on how to accommodate that use into their lives. The damage of using, by those we would expect would participate in rehabilitation programmes would already have been experienced by those participants, and would in all their varied forms and effects would not have to be described. Their lived experience and involvement in rehab means the “conversation” about drugs, is picked up way down the line – at the management stage.
For high-school students not familiar with drugs, or users – this pamphlet drops them into the drugs conversation without context or preamble, and seemingly gives legitimacy to experimentation and drug use. Not every student will have the maturity to discuss this academically, and not every student will have the environment around them to understand the difference.
Having had a brief look at the website, I think the pamphlet was inappropriate for use for information sessions about drugs, a result of not aligning information with audience.
In terms of working with heavy drug users and addiction problems, the information and advice provided is required to reduce and minimise further harm, and is appropriate for that use.
Would be good if students had a variety of speakers who are recovering substance abusers to talk to the kids as well as handing out reading material, to add more weight and context to it all.
They used to be an alcohol-free 3 day dance party, annually I would go to in my 20’s, along with your ticket there was a plethora of safe drug taking information etc etc included.
Personally, I thought it was brilliant because it included much info about what could go wrong,
I suspect it could have put some off about taking substances.
It also allowed others to know what to do if something went wrong for themselves or another person.
Loved going to that event, attended it for 5 yrs running, no sexual abuse or getting hit on by drunk guys, no booze, no worries, it was magic.
Discussion about drugs at this time is important, and as you mention, the involvement of former addicts would add personal impact to the message they share.
However, if the discussion is around the use of the pamphlet, I think it was a resource fail in terms of not providing the right information for the right audience. Not a big deal, but a failure that should be recognised and acknowledged so that it is not replicated.
My first job while at school was in the hospitality industry, and the dry academic language used at the time regarding drug use, had absolutely no relevance to me when I was in an environment where drugs (including alcohol) was readily available. There has been much improvement since then at secondary school level.
Mike Hosking was busy explaining on that funny ZB station how he had rumours spread about him. Because he was a great celebrity. And how a marriage went pear shaped – yuk.
Unusual for him he only made two mistakes. He appears to think he has the status of the PM and her Partner.
Secondly he thinks the Police Stink. Because they had no negative information whatever on Clarke Gayford.
What a pretty little citizen he is. If I were Mike, I would walk carefully because the thinking public have had enough of political maleficence. And ZB might find itself in a dispute with ordinary people who do not have the status of one named Michael Hosking. The same people who do not think the Police stink.
@ Mike H darling. I don’t think it was because of rumours spread that a marriage went pear shaped – do you?
Maybe it was that perm? No? Darling, I do understand though your need to clutch at anything that will portray you as the perfect specimen. Maybe darling, just be thankful you now have such a loyal and dedicated family support mechanism
Mike H. Is a voice in the wilderness. He’s old. He’s old hat. He doesn’t need to write his little missives anymore. Any of us could do that for him. He is THE most predictable hack there is. Oh. I forgot to say boring. So he’s out in the wilderness. If he utters a word in the wilderness does he make a sound?
the digital info gave it away – 750k users, 3millon hours a month. Looks impressive.
So a few thousand regular users nationally and a pile of barely-actives, otherwise every “listener” is dialing up for only a few hours every month. Maybe once a week if that, lol. And how many of them really want to hear hosking as opposed to background noise? 3 million listers hanging on his every word, my arse.
I recall years ago an advertiser telling me that the half page ads in a student magazine were more expensive than a full page ad in a nationally-distributed publication. And worth it, because an outlet where you can be something to a few thousand is better than an outlet where you can be irrelevent to ten or twenty times that number.
“..with listeners now hitting 3.39 million,..”
Doesn’t make sense to me especially since National Radio has the biggest audience around 500,000 I seem to remember. But the Herald has to boost their ratings with a disregard for reality in a Donald Trump sort of way.
That’s across all their radio stations. And if it’s picked by a survey going “which stations have you listened to in the past month?”, someone who owns half a dozen stations in the list is going to do well out of name rec alone lol.
Northland’s sand dune lakes and peaty wetlands are a rare and special habitat. But valuable wetlands are being destroyed by swamp kauri mining, leading to polluted waterways and habitats laid to waste.
Timber millers are currently exploiting a loophole by claiming wet slabs of wood are finished table tops. Miners are plundering native wetland ecosystems to make quick and dirty money.
Northland Environmental Protection Society is going to the Supreme Court over the level of protection provided to swamp kauri. They are standing up for nature. It’s amazing what they are doing to fight for nature in Northland.
90% of our wetlands have already been destroyed in New Zealand. Our nature has been up for grabs for too long. Northland Environmental Protection Society is working to protect their wetlands.
(P.S. wasn’t swamp Kauri mining what caused one of the big outages of power leading up to the election… when a digger cut through the cable, not really talked about of course, because people like Judith Collins are all for profiting from this loophole of Kauri mining.)
But….but….iwi interests, AND Shane Jones….who also happens to be from that iwi…. AND Minister for Getting the Nephews in the Regions off their arses and into work…
There are two, maybe three distinct things going on here….
Firstly, the extraction of swamp kauri logs which Fiona and team have been battling not only the damage done in the digging and extracting to the environment and the waterways, but also the illegal selling of unprocessed timber overseas.
And thirdly, the rather alarming expansion of the avocado industry in the Far Far North. I was privileged to sit in on the consent hearing in Kaiatia weeks ago…some extraordinarily knowledgeable and dedicated locals committed to finding out the truth, the facts and educating those with poor understanding of the issues.
Linking all three of these things is the Kaimaumau Wetland….the second most significant remaining wetland in the country. DOC put up good arguments against the water extraction based on their studies and concerns about the Kaimaumau Wetland…but appeared to be backing away after a break in proceedings.
Strongest impression of the hearings was how awfully less than honest, open and transparent were the applicants. Thought the locals were all thick hillbillies and wouldn’t see through their BS. Much less investigate, gather their local experts and shout it from the rooftops…(or the street corner, as the case may be.)
Years ago my father was involved with a hapu business in Northland digging clay. They wanted to utilise it, and used the profits for personal objectives like having an overseas trip, not a bad thing, but did not service their trucks and keep things in working order, thus running down the business. In the end I think they leased the business to someone else.
It is easy for an iwi leader to say that they want business and to create jobs because that is what all developers say. How many jobs, for how long, what skills will be learned and is the business entity going to be a Maori trust with everyone taught business and development principles so the people understand the short and long term plans and can make informed opinions?
Mike has been used to snugging up against the behind of John Key – a truly magic man – sent down on earth to please and appease ZB inhabitants. Hosking, Soper et al.
Yes, John Key – The magic man – also a fetish man – and a money man – and cafe maid bully man – and a Golf man – and an Obama man – with a fondness for very young blonde pigtails – is difficult to keep up with John Key. Poor Hosking.
Especially with the mighty Farrar out the back of Kiwi Blog raving on about “Dykes” with a capital “D”.
Our National Brethren are so fortunate to have many twisted – I almost said “bent” – personnel guiding the greedy of Aotearoa – and at the same time young Simon. Simon has to achieve only but one thing. Namely: Line his pockets. Like his beloved Colleagues.
Even if he does have to take humiliating lessons from ChinaDoll Collins.
It will be a Century before National ever appoints a straight “non pocket lining” MP.
Hosking. The king of ZB blue radio. Where closed minded old farts love to moan and closed minded listeners believe everything they hear, because they struggle to think for themselves.
I’ve met Hosking on many occasions through bussiness. He’s the most arrogant, self absorbed rude prick I’ve ever met.
James must be of similar character, otherwise he wouldn’t have bothered linking to the story. James loves to shit stir, just because he can. He probably has nothing more constuctive to do with his time.
If he gets really good he’ll get closer to RNZ’s listening audience!
He’s king of talkback? How many in an average morning are on his show in a ‘talkback’ situation? I don’t listen to him but he used to be on air from 6-8.30 am. There was a spell of about 10-11 minutes around the hour with ads and news there used to be quite a few other ads. Somewhere along the line he does some sort of monologue. Just wondering.
Middlemore problems highlighted in 2010 report
Radio New Zealand Thursday, 3 May 2018, 3:47 pm
Article: RNZ
The Counties Manukau DHB has said it was first alerted to leaking buildings in 2012 but, in fact, it was warned in early 2010.
“The cladding system to the lower levels of the building appears to be failing,” the February 2010 report by surveyors Dalton said, after it took off cladding at five spots on the south wall of the Scott building, which also houses cardiac care.
It photographed advanced brown rot and light rot in wood frames it rated as “un-sound” and described “widespread incipient decay” caused by leaking.
“The use of untreated timber and established decay at corners and sheet edges demonstrates that the [three] lower level storeys are at risk of real future failure.”
Counties Manukau DHB acting chief executive Dr Gloria Johnson said that when she told the public in March this year that they were first alerted to the leaks in 2012, she was not aware of the 2010 report.
The Dalton report includes a photo of a fece-stained first-floor sewage pipe, where leaking caused “serious damage” to framing. Board’s chair Rabin Rabindran, a board member Mark Darrow and the DHB itself have all said media reports of sewage leaks were overplayed. It’s now known there were at least four such leaks of raw sewage.
(Labour introduced dodgy spray on protection for interior timbers and continued after leaky homes.) http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00239.htm
Labour fails homeowners in timber treatment scam
Monday, 11 July 2005, 5:13 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10328966
Battle over blame in leaky homes
4 Jun, 2005 12:56pm
…National MPs Nick Smith and Richard Worth are barking at the Government’s indifference in the absence of incoming Building Minister Chris Carter. It’s the first meeting of the Leaky Homes Action Group and a chance to score pre-election points – but everyone knows the rot started under National’s watch.
Is this one of those cases when it’s a low-regulation neo-liberal government cock-up and Labour has fallen for it on this occasion though it could have happened to National if they had been in power at this period? And is Middlemore the putrid off-colour meat in the sandwich?
Look I hate to tell James and sad sack Hosking – and tongue tied Simon – that Capitalism has failed.
The tag along Audreys and money chasers – Capitalism has failed.
You lot have dredged the money from the ordinary honest people, and stuffed it into your own piles – often in hidden accounts. You have condoned every dirty thing Key and English did.
The ordinary citizen has no hope of owning a house . Nor much hope of paying your exorbitant Rents. You are theives. That’s what you Capitalists are.
Your jacked up Panels; Your Corins; Your so called “Professionals”; Your Hootons are just shallow shaggers. Your Fletchers. Your Fonterras.
Capitalism is Crime in action. The Banks you support are based in Australia. Criminals in Action. Yet you attack the ordinary struggling man and his family.
It was a late milking drying cows off so I missed my morning Am show post it a beautiful day in Putaruru bit of a frost I will put up more post later today Ka kite ano P.S. its taken 7 years to get bee killing pesticides banned from use in Europe thanks to the Avaazers movement
Good evening Newshub I’m a bit late tonight we were watching the Mokopunas playing netball. That’s a shame that the people of Vanuatu have to leave their Island ECO MAORI gives all the best wishes for there move to another Island.
Many thanks to our Labour lead coalition Government for helping all the homeless people. This is a problem cause by the previous Government.
Many thanks to France and all there good people for there monument that houners the young men who fought for OUR freedom. Ka pai I have seen some of the French cultures and the way they run there society ECO MAORI is quite impressed Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild good evening Makere weres WAI.?
The Chief playing the Jaguar in Rotorua I’m on the farm at the minute is that were WAI is a watching the game it will be a good game I wish I was there ECO MAORI mite steal all the lime light lol yea right.
Josh the wave breaks in Raglan are world renowned to a lot of surfers there is a awesome wave breaks At WAI piro Bay Te tairawhiti.
Ka kite ano
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
This episode of A View From Afar was recorded LIVE on May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, May 5, 2024 at 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Taylor, Assistant Professor, Bond University Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures At the crux of the critical response to Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Challengers is one word: “sexy”. The film charts a love triangle between three up-and-coming tennis players: Tashi (Zendaya), ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Stewart, Professor of Public Policy, ADFA Canberra, UNSW Sydney For years, First Nations people have been telling governments they want to be listened to. In particular, they want more ownership of the programs and services that are supposed to help them. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Why do trees have bark? Julien, age 6, Melbourne. This is a great question, Julien. We are so familiar with bark on trees, that most of us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Nasser, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of Technology Sydney PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important ligament in the knee. It runs from the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia) and helps stabilise ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne I covered the May 2 United Kingdom local government elections for The Poll Bludger. The Blackpool South parliamentary byelection was also held, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
How worried should we be about the cloud? This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. I currently have a few thousand unread emails languishing in my inbox, mostly old marketing newsletters and piles of unread science journal press releases. I have a similar number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nuurrianti Jalli, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies College of Arts and Sciences Department of Languages, Literature, and Communication Studies, Northern State University Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian governments not only have to deal with the virus but also with the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Murakami Wood, Professor of Critical Surveillance and Securities Studies, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa The skyline of Riyadh, the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.(Shutterstock) There is a long history of planned city building by both governments ...
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm May 6, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:30pm (USEST). In an analytical essay titled ‘A moment of friction’ political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan wrote how we are living within a decisive moment of ...
The Boil Up’s Lucinda Bennett considers the oyster – from freshness to pearls to the joy of shucking your own. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In Carmen Maria Machado’s short story ‘Eight Bites’, a woman begins her last supper before bariatric surgery with “a cavalcade ...
Asia Pacific Report A group of 65 Auckland University academics have written an open letter to vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater criticising the institution’s stance over students protesting in solidarity with Palestine. They have called on her administration to “support” the students who were denied permission to establish an “overnight encampment” by ...
The Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...
Keeping up with online communication can be exhausting, so Fran Barclay enlisted the help of Meta’s new ‘intelligent assistant’ to respond to all her messages. Could her mates tell the difference? For centuries, technology has ruled the ways in which we communicate. From the dawn of written language, to the ...
Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Deller, Casual Academic, Creative Writing and English Literature, Flinders University NetflixComedy is opening up spaces for silences to be broken and trauma stories to be told. In 2018, Hannah Gadsby started a revolution with Nanette, asking audiences to rethink ...
The workplace can be a minefield of bad comms and passive aggression. Kinksters can help you navigate it. A friend and colleague recently gave me a compliment I loved. They told me I’d always been good at emotional communication and making people feel comfortable. “But I feel like it’s really ...
Even if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
Late one afternoon in March 1860 a man in a thin green velveteen jacket and a wide-awake hat arrived on foot at a sheep station named Glenmark, about 65 kilometres north of Christchurch. The man was in his mid-fifties but he looked older. Several people who met him that day ...
If building one of Auckland’s possible waterfront stadiums was funded privately, it would need to hold a sold-out Ed Sherran concert every weekday for 25 years. That’s Rob Hamlin’s finding – he’s a senior marketing lecturer at the University of Otago. “It’s not going to happen; forget about it,” he ...
Comment: The debate over the future relationship between news and social media is bringing us closer to a long-overdue reckoning. Social media isn’t trying to kill journalism, because social media has never really cared about journalism. Social media is resolutely in the attention business. News propels some attention — perhaps ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
For the past 12 years, Georgia-Rose Brown has balanced on the brink of making an Olympic Games – but always landed gracefully on the wrong side. Reaching the Olympics is a dream the gymnast has harboured since she was a six-year-old; a dream that would dwindle every four years, yet ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A new Commonwealth Prac Payment will provide students with $319.50 a week when they are on clinical and professional placements. The payment will be means tested and start from July 1 next year, which ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
Well, well. Ignored 2010 DHB report includes photo of shit leaking inside hospital building: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/356501/middlemore-problems-highlighted-in-2010-report
Which is odd when the recently dismissed board member said the feces was one incident in 2014…
Someone tell Matthew Hooton. He thinks it is all a big political beat up
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12031349
It irks me that Hooten’s sign off says PR and Excelcium not former National Party staffer etc etc.
He may be miffed that this latest revelation makes him look a little foolish.
To sugest that Clark and Wall not knowing equates to every Nat Health Minister and DHB Chair not knowing since 2010 is disingenous at best.
Of course the hospital is still operating. How could it not? It serves the largest population catchment in Auckland and that catchment contains many over representated in illness stats.
Were they supposed to close and send the patients to Colemans new employers private hospitals? At private rates paid for by the taxpayer?
Does the cost to fix include the cost of relocating the services within the building being repaired?
“Were they supposed to close and send the patients to Colemans new employers private hospitals? At private rates paid for by the taxpayer?”
Of course.
(Although they might be a tad on the busy side with the potential of thousands of Ngati Whatua privately funded patients joining the queue…https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/ngati-whatua-orakei-announces-free-private-health-insurance-hapu-members )
Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?
GREAT initiative indeed
Speaking of former NActs, the greatest skill of Tony Ryall (Simpson Grierson’s head of pubic policy, Minister of Health 2008-2014) was putting in place health the targets and budget stretching that bedevil the public health services today, and walking away before the sh-ortages hit the fan.
Tony Ryall – I remember a political commentator saying that he had been adept at keeping health on low profile while he was Minister. Managing down, austerity reigns, that will get you a good outcome when you step down as a pollie.
This illustrates the awful moral hazard that faces the citizens with business reigning over us. There is no desire for government to see that anything is done well or goes well for the mass of the citizens, because there is a private company that can profit from undertaking the remedial work. It’s a factory chain of robotic ‘wealth creators’ (euphemism), and we are being passed from one work station to another.
But the work done for and on us does not have to conform to any excellence except what shows on the surface. There are no solid regulations that are practical and have teeth and are monitored and activated.
Every breath you take I’ll be watching you.
Every move you make ” ” ” ”
Oh can’t you see
You belong to me…………
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs
No, or few regulations on business, but yes for citizens. Every step and breath that citizens take is being regulated by business through their servant entity, government. So sneer at the promise of a brave new world of neoliberalism, freemarketing and freebooting (now add freebotting).
The rights and opportunities we had achieved for us all have been given away and we are left with nothing positive just being exploited! We have swopped our magic beans for a cow! Go climb that beanstalk Jacky and steal back our golden future from the giant, and good luck to you pilgrim.
QFT
I’ll add this bit from Why we can’t afford the rich:
The majority of us are slaves to keeping the rich wealthy. That’s how capitalism is designed.
No wonder Bridges skipped ANZAC Day… they have eroded so many things those folks died for
I love a good rant grey, especially when it’s so much better than I could have done. An excellent point on our regulatory environment and the differences in it for businesses and citizens.
And some people still think politics doesn’t affect them. Only when enough citizens pay attention, will the politicians change that neo-liberal regulatory environment instead of just stitching up the fraying edges.
miravox
There was some point before one of the elections that Key denied the seriousness of some criticism saying that the naysayers were making politics out of it whatever it was. We are so green that we are like spirulina if we don’t understand that everything done and said is political and has effects on all the citizens – Politics’R US!
Wikipedia
political
adjective: political
1.
relating to the government or public affairs of a country.
“a period of political and economic stability”
Way to go – Participatory democracy – Everyone start studying politics as it is taught, so you are knowledgable when the time for making good future decisions comes.
Hooten is probably right. DHB heads might be compelled by the Nat Govt to hide that sort of information from the media but they can’t keep it out of the books. Building depreciation and deferred maintenance is financial information with an absolute requirement it be reported in the annual accounts.
The Audit Office signed off the annual report of CMDHB, if anything was deliberately missed out I’d expect to see the Audit Office descend on that DHB like a plague of locusts. Politicians might get away with bullshitting about financial matters but accountants and senior managers sure can’t (not when they’re discovered anyway).
It still surprises me that so many people can report on an issue like this without any of them even bothering to take the time to read the annual reports of the party in question. It should be the first thing interested people do, the annual accounts of all Govt departments are a free download for anyone to peruse.
Did Hooten say the Nats forced the DHB Heads to hide stuff?
No that was what I saw as the initial brouha tracey; that the Nat Govt was (allegedly) pressuring DHB heads to defer maintenance and keep quiet about it in order to make their own books look better.
The claims that have been made about costs should be in the annual report. I scanned through a few of them and saw few surprises there. The possible existence of asbestos in old buildings, for example, has been acknowledged for years in their books. They just state they’ won’t make provision for it as a liability until if/when it’s discovered and needs addressing. That’s fair enough.
The annual reports are worth reading IMO. They can contain a lot of fluff in the intro but the financial statements contained within the reports are a serious business, they make a statutory declaration on the truthfulness of those.
All of these issues result from one aspect of our society: Our desire to do everything on the cheap.
It’s why we have shoddy infrastructure, why our economic development has slowed and why farming is still a major industry.
Things is, it will cost us far more in the long run. More environmental damage by the farms and more for repairs on substandard houses and infrastructure.
But it does allow the RWNJs to cut taxes for the rich.
Audrey Young showed her true blue colours yesterday when she attacked those using the term Dirty Politics to describe the behaviour of right wing scum trolls who have attacked Clarke Gayford.
She is either an incompetent journalist or a dishonest one.
Audrey’s an enabler like the hosk etc. Shes attacking the rhetoric rather then the issue of deliberately placed malicious content for political advantage, who and why ?
That’s not even journalism of any sort that’s pushing an agenda…..removal of the term from the narrative that’s interwoven in many minds with the national party.
They really don’t like the truth or it being played out in public as that’s going to hurt further at the polls.
Didn’t take you long to fall off the wagon.
Ed doesn’t need your snarkiness, thanks very much.
Really, I thought he was running a bit low ?
Thanks Maui.
Is dirty politics Dirty Politics or not?
Stunned
I did not read the Herald.
I heard about Young’s comments on this site.
You will notice I have not linked .
By the way, as a right wing troll, were you part of the rumour mill about Clarke?
I thought you were ignoring my comments Ed – that’s a double fall off the wagon. What are the rumors about Gayford ?
At Ed.Yep! Incompetent and dishonest.
She reminds me of the MSM’s stern old Ward Matron of yesteryear who is always right and has her pet patient.
DP operates at two levels. At the sinister level it aims to drag all politics down to gutter politics with associated gutter ‘journalism’ and similar (and worse) shit in MSM and social media, respectively. You cannot fight it easily without falling in this trap, which is why DP is so insidious and effective! Lefties have particular difficulty with tackling DP and are very prone to becoming victims of it because they like to take and come (down) from the ‘moral high ground’. Of course, this makes the Left the ideal target of DP, in fact the only one; the Left cannot turn the tables despite RWNJs arguing otherwise.
… and money. Arms length Nat elves seem to have more money to help keep sources protected
You’re spinning it Ed.
Young suggested that when Ardern used the phrase ‘dirty politics’, Ardern was deliberately sending a dog whistle to conspiracy theorists on the left (like you) to assume it was the Nats who were responsible for the Gayford rumours and to put the boot in.
It worked a treat; just about every man and his dog (after being whistled) on this site yesterday did just that.
You were played Ed. You ended up no better than the original rumour mongers. But you served Jacinda’s purpose.
“no better than the original rumour mongers”
Nice false equivalence you have there. Where did you read it?
It has been a meme being pushed. Probably the most notable proponent (and probable originator – it has his style) was Hooten.
But it has been interesting watching the attempts to push the “reverse black ops” meme all over the place. Entirely done in those hushed “I have a little secret” tone that the alt-ridiculous seem to love.
Oh well I guess it makes them feel like they are in the know. And makes the suckers feel bigger than they really are
And allows them to excuse their part in sharing the rumour with friends and family
Riiiiiight grantoc, better she said nothing and just let the rumour die… oh wait is wasnt dying it was spreading, like all the dirty little rumours that swirled during Clark’s leadership.
Past behaviour is a good predictor of future etc etc
Nats and their arms lengthers have form. You are the one spinning.
Paracetamol for grantoc please.
Scum is dehumanising word that adds nothing to a discussion or arguenrnt left or right, using it simply lowers you to level of Clarke attackers
What do you mean Clarke attackers? Who are you talking about?
Actual ” take the moral high ground” is something of the same strategy of these DP ers… first they swirl the rumour and watch it grow, then when someone responds, they join the chorus of vouces saying “turn the other cheek”, cos they know they win twice cos the rumour keeps swirling into more and more ears.
Accurately describing people helps understanding.
Failing to do so doesn’t.
Scum is something that floats to the top, is mostly unpleasant in nature and if not removed spoils the flavour of the wholesome stuff underneath. As a metaphor I’m not sure it’s so badly chosen. It is somewhat inflammatory though…
Is ‘lying sacks of shit’ more or less dehumanising than ‘scum’ beewee?
Tracy Watkins opines on the dirty politics claim. She notes Clark was subject the relentless rumours while in office and Key to rumours when he left. Ardern subject in office… via her partner. Despite the pattern being
Labour rumours in office
National rumours post resignation
She concludes it isnt a strategy by a political party…
She tried to write a balanced article but that last sentence or so…
We know Nats rarely dish the dirt themselves and have a history of using arms length folk to do it. And yes it is proven james
She knows the pattern.
But it’s her job to speak do the bidding of international finance.’
Must be hard to sleep at night.
The defining characteristics about the aging dinosaur media like Soper, Young, and O’Sullivan is chronological decrepitude, intellectual morbidity and a resulting torpid professional lassitude.
The chronological and intellectual decadence of that generation of journalists means they are much more inclined to treat dirty politics as a useful source of reliably controversial copy that relieves their aging brains of the need to think or investigate, and they can rationalise their complicity with a world weary cynicism that masquerades as sophistication for so many of our not half as clever as they think they are aging senior journalists.
I’ve thought recently that one of the more interesting pieces of meta data of a “youth-adjacent” Jacinda’s elevation to power is the sudden revelation of the creeping atmosphere of defeatism and nihilism that comes with a population that is losing it’s virility as it ages. I remember a particular conversation in the media when the previous government was asked if we could take the Manus Island refugees. The boomer minister responded with a bewildering list of reasons for why it was all just so hard and complex. Next up on the radio was Golriz Ghahraman, who immediately launched into a back of the envelope planning session on how you could squeeze the refugees into the various centres around the country. For her, the question wasn’t if we could take them, it was how we could manage them when they got here.
The difference between age and youth has seldom been so starkly illustrated. Much the same issue infests our establishment media. Far, far to many journalists are out of place and out of another time yet cling to senior jobs like shipwrecked sailors to a mast in a storm tossed sea whose movements they no longer understand or anticipate.
The real trick to getting old gracefully is knowing when to hand the reins over to the youngsters, and be relaxed and confident that the future is in safe hands when you do so.
Clearly none of our ancient brigade of senior journalists possess this skill.
Great piece Sanctuary… add in Armstrong and Roughan, the increased use of former politicians and former party hacks to write pieces. I see Hooten described a trained journalist at the herald as his colleague. Not really Sir.
The Nats are enacting their 2005 template. DP has started. Leader is saying he doesnt approve. We are on a John Key loop
By thunder Sanctuary – you really spell it out well when you get going – as here.
The defeatism is just a mask for antipathy sanky. It wouldn’t do to come out and say we don’t want them here.
Wonderful piece, and so true – thank you, Sanctuary.
Exactery! Some of the old hacks would be funny if they weren’t so bloody dull
OnceWasTim, “Would be funny if they weren’t so dull….. no no .. dangerous.!!”
They confirm memes and attitudes. Soper and Duplicity Allan particularly.
Audrey is nasty and her body language when she “interviewed’ Jacinda ahead of the election was “disbelief she could be PM.”
When anyone on the Left queries their writings, they are accused of “over reacting,”
I have said several times that “memes were being repeated and the writing was unbalanced”. Micky proved that!!
I also felt the appearance of key phrases showed collusion of some type, or an echo chamber follow the leader team tag.
They are dangerous because they poison discussions and create traps.
Cambridge Analytica to shut down.
Not sure if I’ve got this?
The real crime (to me) was installing a President by fraudulent means. The fix should at least start with all involved going to court.
Shutting down the company seems necessary but impotent. There are people involved in every bit of corporate shenanigans, somehow the ‘company’ gets told off, scapegoats are fired, but no one responsible really seems culpable? The social damage (wealth shift now to the corporate/wealthy via a fraudulently elected leader = massive theft) will be enormous, let alone the psychological damage of undermining the safety and rights of women and minorities, and encouragement of various dictatorial styled leaders…
Zuckerberg’s still a billionaire with obscene power. Three steps removed mate. Corporate trickery again.
And… Facebook is a dating agency now:
Obscenity, meet shame.
That is how capitalism is designed. It protects the guilty from the consequences of their immoral actions – if they’re rich.
DTB
You could add that capitalism finds ways to make profit from all popular movements of whatever kind. Politics, religion and so it goes.
Cambridge Analytica is shutting down. Shine a light into a dark place and the rats gathered there scatter. I hope people are tracking where they’re scuttling off to.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/02/politics/cambridge-analytica-closure/index.html
I think you mean closing the company, rebranding, renaming and starting a new company 😉
Yes. And possibly also a way to avoid the cost of legal action.
That too
True AB, after all, builders in Auckland and elsewhere have been doing that for years.
+1
They’ll be at it again in a couple of months at most just with a different brand.
Exactly that
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12044361
As noted above by prickles, you called it exactly right. Your award is…
https://uncexchanges.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/chocolate-fish.jpg
Israel is ramping up its involvement in the Syrian conflict
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f52uTFkWDwU&feature=share
Netanyahu is given the power start conflicts without the okay from the Israeli parliamement
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/netanyahu-granted-greater-war-powers-israeli-parliament-1557931233
Another worthy effort from Kirsty Johnston and Chris Knox in the Herald this morning. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12042963
“According to current police data analysed by the Herald, as of 2016 up to 80 per cent of reported aggravated sexual assaults go unresolved. For the crime “male rapes female 16 and over”, that number is even higher, at 85 per cent. Rape cases are four times less likely to go to court in comparison with other types of physical assault, where only 24 per cent of offences are unresolved.”
This is a feature article and deserves more than a passing acknowledgement of the headlines.
Another worthy effort from Kirsty Johnston and Chris Knox in the Herald this morning. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12042963
“According to current police data analysed by the Herald, as of 2016 up to 80 per cent of reported aggravated sexual assaults go unresolved. For the crime “male rapes female 16 and over”, that number is even higher, at 85 per cent. Rape cases are four times less likely to go to court in comparison with other types of physical assault, where only 24 per cent of offences are unresolved.”
This is a feature article and deserves more than a passing acknowledgement of the headline.
Sigh
This is an article that tells it how it is. The system must change.
Cambridge analytical word for word used exactly the same rebuttal as Trump.
Link?
The know-all Hosking is now pontificating on how Jacinta and Clarke wrongly handled the distressing rumour mill situation yesterday. It is astounding that he thinks he is so fabulously smart and right on every aspect of life and every other mere mortal simply has no idea. What are his qualifications to have these opinions, apart from giant sized ego and arrogance. Ugh.
When God handed those tablets down to Moses did anyone ask “Who the hell are you? What’re your bloody qualifications?”
Hosking just Is.
What the Prime Minister’s name is, her partner’s, and good underwater image.
JACINDA ARDERN AND CLARKE GAYFORD
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/102115903/jacinda-arderns-partner-clarke-gayford-pinned-against-boat-by-shark
The police made it clear they issued their statement without the knowledge of Ardern or Clarke. Typical of the Hosking twat… blame them even when it had nothing to do with them.
He might as well add that it’s all their fault for existing.
Someone, somewhere must have given an ok – else the police would. E breaking all sorts of rules – privacy for one.
Hold on there james! Got proof to back that statement? Didnt think so.
Did you miss the last 9 years? Privacy is so overrated and passe.
Fair point – no – you are correct I have nothing to back it up or any proof.
It would be strange if they did it off their own backs and never mention it to anybody or sought any approval – but you are correct they very well may have done just that.
Such a backlog of privacy complaints about police actions. Maybe intentional?
Wasn’t it authorised by the commissioner?
that gets around most of the rules. I’m sure the people involved can complain about the privacy breach is he wants, lol
Can’t see there is any privacy breach in saying that they are not nor have they investigated the guy.
Well, if he was a rapper they might have ruined his street cred when they said he hadn’t been charged with anything, ever lol
edit: his handle was MC Newspaper… because he’s a fish rapper 👿
“The police made it clear they issued their statement without the knowledge of Ardern or Clarke”.
Do you, or anyone else have a link to the Police Commissioner’s statement?
I can’t seem to find the actual statement anywhere.
I’d like to see exactly what he did say.
@ Alwyn,
I can’t find it anywhere now but it was definitely on one of the online news sites late yesterday. I don’t recollect it being in the actual statement, but from memory Commissioner Bush was responding to a journalist’s question and he said something to the effect:
No, I did not seek permission from the PM or her partner, Clarke Gayford about issuing the statement.
I took that to mean the police made the decision to issue the statement independently of anyone outside of the Force.
I’ve found this Alwyn but it only mentions Gayford not Ardern. Don’t know if its the same one I saw yesterday.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/05/police-did-not-ask-clarke-gayford-s-permission-to-quash-rumour.html
Thank you.
That is what I thought I had heard on the radio yesterday or the day before. I would be surprised if the PMs office wasn’t given a heads-up at the minimum, even if they hadn’t asked for the statement.
I think they would have a no surprises policy in place.
Agreed.
media are milking it flat out for clicks/views/listeners, dirty old whale blubber is about to be on radiolive, spinning his own brand of shite on said subject.
Dirty politics enabling media revenue what a freaking surprise.
If CS is being asked for comment, nothing has changed since DP was published
For sures.
“ What are his qualifications to have these opinions, apart from giant sized ego and arrogance.“
If you listened to the comment you would know. He was very clear about it and his personal experience being on the receiving end.
You need a tshirt
“Still loving Mike
Since Forever”
and you need one that says
“Ideologically blinded by hatred of mike”
Why are you so determined to protect Dirty Politics?
James, Hosking is a radio ranter and former tv tugger of cuffs. That is all., which does not qualify him as a respected and wise person to look up to, or on a par with the the role of Prime Minister.
never said he was wise or on a par with the job – but the point he made is completely valid.
What are everyone’s thoughts about the pamphlets given to high school seniors containing info about drugs etc?
Personally, I think it’s brilliant.
I often reflect if part of the drinking culture is due to a lack of information being given to teens, my generation was never schooled on responsible drinking, my parents didn’t talk about it, so as a teen when I tried alcohol I had no idea and ended up in some awful situations as a result.
Not informing and educating people especially youth on drugs and alcohol hasn’t been working, this approach is fantastic, well done to Massey High and any other high schools involved.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/103554805/parent-outraged-after-methuse-guide-distributed-to-school-students?rm=m
I am mostly in favour with a little bit of niggling reservation (but still trying to figure out why specifically).
Did you hear the interview this morning on Morning Report with the Executive Director of the Drug Foundation Ross Bell? Well worth the five minutes imo. Here is the article with the link to the recording.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018643262/meth-use-advice-at-massey-school-drug-foundation-responds
PS – thanks for your support re the loss of my little troublemaker with a big T. He’s left a big hole but lots of wonderful memories.
There’s probably going to be a fair bit of pearl clutching going on, but so far I’m in agreement with Mr Bell.
I’m also pretty bloody sure most people don’t actually understand the extent of the problem.
Me too…
“…my generation was never schooled on responsible drinking, my parents didn’t talk about it, so as a teen when I tried alcohol I had no idea and ended up in some awful situations as a result.”
Hard to discuss when its not clear which generation you’re from.
I’m edging fast towards 60 and my oldest child is in their 30s.
I learned about the potentially devastating effects of drug and alcohol use first hand from parents who blighted their children’s lives with their substance abuse.
Although we almost never talked about it.
Without the drug and alcohol abuse, at least one of my parents would have made a better fist of keeping us safe.
Even today, discussions around child protection issues fail to put the substance abuse of the parents at the top of the list of risk factors leading to child abuse, neglect and parental failure.
And it seems to me that ‘information’ such as the one in question fails as it seems to imply that there is a ‘safe’ and ‘responsible’ way of using meth.
From the people I have met whose lives,and more importantly those of their children, have been devastated by this singularly hideous drug there is no ‘safe’ way of using. Odds are it will get you (and your loved ones) sooner or later.
So, no. The pamphlet, as it stands, is a fail.
The article isn’t reporting the full context that the material is used in which is a health course about how to take care of yourself which includes all the negative effects of drug use.
Exactly. Read some comments of students doing the clurse. They also learn how destructive drug use is. To the user their friends and families. The pamphlet has a context. By taking it out of context the “no sex ed in schools brigade” can shut this discourse too and leave our kids to the woolves
I’m in my mid forties Rosemary 🙂 sorry should have added that,
Generation X.
Adults always drunk at bbq’s and family gatherings, never any violence or abuse (that I saw), a few ‘pearler’ moments when the adults were extra silly.
So alcohol to me equated to fun and good times was never told or shown the contrary.
If there’s article on the news about drunk teens, with footage of drunk chicks in skimpy clothing vomiting, falling over etc; I now make a point of showing the girls, so they begin to understand what ‘drunk’ looks like.
Oh God! Some of my best friends (etc etc) dreaded that ‘cops on the beat’ reality tv program in case it was their offspring featured sprawled vomiting in the gutter.
Fortunately the kids made it to their mid twenties relatively un famous. 😉 🙂
Lmao !!! 🙂 I say to them…. “no one wants to be ‘that’ girl”
I think it is the product of getting access to resources to use in this situation without putting it into context.
The pamphlet is very appropriate for working with heavy users trying to manage the damage their drug use is causing in their lives, with a intent to reduce or eliminate drug use.
As an information source for non-users it is both inefficient and ineffective at providing the information they need in order to make good choices when the situations they will face offers them the opportunity to indulge.
Because the pamphlet was intended for drug users, the reasonable assumption was that those reading are already users – and gives information on how to accommodate that use into their lives. The damage of using, by those we would expect would participate in rehabilitation programmes would already have been experienced by those participants, and would in all their varied forms and effects would not have to be described. Their lived experience and involvement in rehab means the “conversation” about drugs, is picked up way down the line – at the management stage.
For high-school students not familiar with drugs, or users – this pamphlet drops them into the drugs conversation without context or preamble, and seemingly gives legitimacy to experimentation and drug use. Not every student will have the maturity to discuss this academically, and not every student will have the environment around them to understand the difference.
Having had a brief look at the website, I think the pamphlet was inappropriate for use for information sessions about drugs, a result of not aligning information with audience.
In terms of working with heavy drug users and addiction problems, the information and advice provided is required to reduce and minimise further harm, and is appropriate for that use.
Would be good if students had a variety of speakers who are recovering substance abusers to talk to the kids as well as handing out reading material, to add more weight and context to it all.
They used to be an alcohol-free 3 day dance party, annually I would go to in my 20’s, along with your ticket there was a plethora of safe drug taking information etc etc included.
Personally, I thought it was brilliant because it included much info about what could go wrong,
I suspect it could have put some off about taking substances.
It also allowed others to know what to do if something went wrong for themselves or another person.
Loved going to that event, attended it for 5 yrs running, no sexual abuse or getting hit on by drunk guys, no booze, no worries, it was magic.
Discussion about drugs at this time is important, and as you mention, the involvement of former addicts would add personal impact to the message they share.
However, if the discussion is around the use of the pamphlet, I think it was a resource fail in terms of not providing the right information for the right audience. Not a big deal, but a failure that should be recognised and acknowledged so that it is not replicated.
My first job while at school was in the hospitality industry, and the dry academic language used at the time regarding drug use, had absolutely no relevance to me when I was in an environment where drugs (including alcohol) was readily available. There has been much improvement since then at secondary school level.
NZ’s forgotten boy
Mike Hosking was busy explaining on that funny ZB station how he had rumours spread about him. Because he was a great celebrity. And how a marriage went pear shaped – yuk.
Unusual for him he only made two mistakes. He appears to think he has the status of the PM and her Partner.
Secondly he thinks the Police Stink. Because they had no negative information whatever on Clarke Gayford.
What a pretty little citizen he is. If I were Mike, I would walk carefully because the thinking public have had enough of political maleficence. And ZB might find itself in a dispute with ordinary people who do not have the status of one named Michael Hosking. The same people who do not think the Police stink.
@ Mike H darling. I don’t think it was because of rumours spread that a marriage went pear shaped – do you?
Maybe it was that perm? No? Darling, I do understand though your need to clutch at anything that will portray you as the perfect specimen. Maybe darling, just be thankful you now have such a loyal and dedicated family support mechanism
I dont recall his vitriol at the police over their illegal handling of the Hager raid
^^^ THIS ^^^
@ tracey (13.2) … or the Dotcom raid either.
And I bet the small minded Hosking would have certainly supported police intervention over the ridiculous tea pot tapes BS!
Hosking is a first class no nothing, full of pissing importance twit of the highest order.
Mike H. Is a voice in the wilderness. He’s old. He’s old hat. He doesn’t need to write his little missives anymore. Any of us could do that for him. He is THE most predictable hack there is. Oh. I forgot to say boring. So he’s out in the wilderness. If he utters a word in the wilderness does he make a sound?
LOL
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12044263
Facts would prove you wrong.
lol
the digital info gave it away – 750k users, 3millon hours a month. Looks impressive.
So a few thousand regular users nationally and a pile of barely-actives, otherwise every “listener” is dialing up for only a few hours every month. Maybe once a week if that, lol. And how many of them really want to hear hosking as opposed to background noise? 3 million listers hanging on his every word, my arse.
I recall years ago an advertiser telling me that the half page ads in a student magazine were more expensive than a full page ad in a nationally-distributed publication. And worth it, because an outlet where you can be something to a few thousand is better than an outlet where you can be irrelevent to ten or twenty times that number.
“..with listeners now hitting 3.39 million,..”
Doesn’t make sense to me especially since National Radio has the biggest audience around 500,000 I seem to remember. But the Herald has to boost their ratings with a disregard for reality in a Donald Trump sort of way.
That’s across all their radio stations. And if it’s picked by a survey going “which stations have you listened to in the past month?”, someone who owns half a dozen stations in the list is going to do well out of name rec alone lol.
Facts in the hiddle jimbo? Novel.
Lmao… James, that should never ever happen, but it just did. Crack up.
From Forest and Bird
Northland’s sand dune lakes and peaty wetlands are a rare and special habitat. But valuable wetlands are being destroyed by swamp kauri mining, leading to polluted waterways and habitats laid to waste.
Timber millers are currently exploiting a loophole by claiming wet slabs of wood are finished table tops. Miners are plundering native wetland ecosystems to make quick and dirty money.
Northland Environmental Protection Society is going to the Supreme Court over the level of protection provided to swamp kauri. They are standing up for nature. It’s amazing what they are doing to fight for nature in Northland.
90% of our wetlands have already been destroyed in New Zealand. Our nature has been up for grabs for too long. Northland Environmental Protection Society is working to protect their wetlands.
https://www.facebook.com/NorthlandEPS/?fref=mentions
(P.S. wasn’t swamp Kauri mining what caused one of the big outages of power leading up to the election… when a digger cut through the cable, not really talked about of course, because people like Judith Collins are all for profiting from this loophole of Kauri mining.)
But… but… but MONEY
But….but….iwi interests, AND Shane Jones….who also happens to be from that iwi…. AND Minister for Getting the Nephews in the Regions off their arses and into work…
Activists will be pushing it uphill on this.
There are two, maybe three distinct things going on here….
Firstly, the extraction of swamp kauri logs which Fiona and team have been battling not only the damage done in the digging and extracting to the environment and the waterways, but also the illegal selling of unprocessed timber overseas.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/325665/bid-to-stop-swamp-kauri-exports-fails
Secondly, they are reviving the kauri gum mining industry….which according to locals left the land unusable for years…..
http://www2.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12038405
And thirdly, the rather alarming expansion of the avocado industry in the Far Far North. I was privileged to sit in on the consent hearing in Kaiatia weeks ago…some extraordinarily knowledgeable and dedicated locals committed to finding out the truth, the facts and educating those with poor understanding of the issues.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/353022/avocado-growers-water-take-divides-northland-communities
Linking all three of these things is the Kaimaumau Wetland….the second most significant remaining wetland in the country. DOC put up good arguments against the water extraction based on their studies and concerns about the Kaimaumau Wetland…but appeared to be backing away after a break in proceedings.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/355644/iwi-in-peat-mining-venture-says-wetland-is-a-wasteland
Strongest impression of the hearings was how awfully less than honest, open and transparent were the applicants. Thought the locals were all thick hillbillies and wouldn’t see through their BS. Much less investigate, gather their local experts and shout it from the rooftops…(or the street corner, as the case may be.)
Long history of kauri in the far Far North…best told here…https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/swamp-kauri/
Years ago my father was involved with a hapu business in Northland digging clay. They wanted to utilise it, and used the profits for personal objectives like having an overseas trip, not a bad thing, but did not service their trucks and keep things in working order, thus running down the business. In the end I think they leased the business to someone else.
It is easy for an iwi leader to say that they want business and to create jobs because that is what all developers say. How many jobs, for how long, what skills will be learned and is the business entity going to be a Maori trust with everyone taught business and development principles so the people understand the short and long term plans and can make informed opinions?
Marriage problems at Kellogs Time
Mike has been used to snugging up against the behind of John Key – a truly magic man – sent down on earth to please and appease ZB inhabitants. Hosking, Soper et al.
Yes, John Key – The magic man – also a fetish man – and a money man – and cafe maid bully man – and a Golf man – and an Obama man – with a fondness for very young blonde pigtails – is difficult to keep up with John Key. Poor Hosking.
Especially with the mighty Farrar out the back of Kiwi Blog raving on about “Dykes” with a capital “D”.
Our National Brethren are so fortunate to have many twisted – I almost said “bent” – personnel guiding the greedy of Aotearoa – and at the same time young Simon. Simon has to achieve only but one thing. Namely: Line his pockets. Like his beloved Colleagues.
Even if he does have to take humiliating lessons from ChinaDoll Collins.
It will be a Century before National ever appoints a straight “non pocket lining” MP.
What is the elderly Soper waffling on about now? Labour has orchestrated the last 24 hours he says. Want to know but can’t bring myself to click on.
Don’t do it. You’ll likely suffer a rage induced aneurysm and hurl your laptop out of the window.
Been there almost done that.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12044263
Despite what some on here might think of him – Hoskings retains talkback crown for ninth straight year.
and why would that change what we think of him?
Just tells me there are other people worthy of derision. Mike is the king though of course.
And he’s rich, drives fancy cars and hates poor people – I am sure you are a fan James.
Hosking. The king of ZB blue radio. Where closed minded old farts love to moan and closed minded listeners believe everything they hear, because they struggle to think for themselves.
I’ve met Hosking on many occasions through bussiness. He’s the most arrogant, self absorbed rude prick I’ve ever met.
James must be of similar character, otherwise he wouldn’t have bothered linking to the story. James loves to shit stir, just because he can. He probably has nothing more constuctive to do with his time.
If he gets really good he’ll get closer to RNZ’s listening audience!
He’s king of talkback? How many in an average morning are on his show in a ‘talkback’ situation? I don’t listen to him but he used to be on air from 6-8.30 am. There was a spell of about 10-11 minutes around the hour with ads and news there used to be quite a few other ads. Somewhere along the line he does some sort of monologue. Just wondering.
Arhh talkback that doyenne of critical thought and intellectual pursuit.
Alternatively mike and talk back listeners….like attracting like. Being the king of talk back hardly anything to crow about
When does Simonmania begin ? I can’t wait.
It’s classified more as a Bridgephilia
Slimeon has yet to climb that mountain.
Middlemore problems highlighted in 2010 report
Radio New Zealand Thursday, 3 May 2018, 3:47 pm
Article: RNZ
The Counties Manukau DHB has said it was first alerted to leaking buildings in 2012 but, in fact, it was warned in early 2010.
“The cladding system to the lower levels of the building appears to be failing,” the February 2010 report by surveyors Dalton said, after it took off cladding at five spots on the south wall of the Scott building, which also houses cardiac care.
It photographed advanced brown rot and light rot in wood frames it rated as “un-sound” and described “widespread incipient decay” caused by leaking.
“The use of untreated timber and established decay at corners and sheet edges demonstrates that the [three] lower level storeys are at risk of real future failure.”
Counties Manukau DHB acting chief executive Dr Gloria Johnson said that when she told the public in March this year that they were first alerted to the leaks in 2012, she was not aware of the 2010 report.
The Dalton report includes a photo of a fece-stained first-floor sewage pipe, where leaking caused “serious damage” to framing. Board’s chair Rabin Rabindran, a board member Mark Darrow and the DHB itself have all said media reports of sewage leaks were overplayed. It’s now known there were at least four such leaks of raw sewage.
(Labour introduced dodgy spray on protection for interior timbers and continued after leaky homes.)
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00239.htm
Labour fails homeowners in timber treatment scam
Monday, 11 July 2005, 5:13 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10328966
Battle over blame in leaky homes
4 Jun, 2005 12:56pm
…National MPs Nick Smith and Richard Worth are barking at the Government’s indifference in the absence of incoming Building Minister Chris Carter. It’s the first meeting of the Leaky Homes Action Group and a chance to score pre-election points – but everyone knows the rot started under National’s watch.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/48HansS_20060905_00001352/smith-nick-standards-and-conformance-bill-second-reading
5 September 2006 –
(Nick Smith lays out his argument and concern about the dangerously light treatment of framing timber, amounting to shoddy and dishonest.
Is this one of those cases when it’s a low-regulation neo-liberal government cock-up and Labour has fallen for it on this occasion though it could have happened to National if they had been in power at this period? And is Middlemore the putrid off-colour meat in the sandwich?
OnceWasTim, Somehow this has not attached as an answer… sorry.
“Would be funny if they weren’t so dull….. no no .. dangerous.!!”
They confirm memes and attitudes. Soper and Duplicity Allan particularly.
Audrey is nasty and her body language when she “interviewed’ Jacinda ahead of the election was “disbelief she could be PM.”
When anyone on the Left queries their writings, they are accused of “over reacting,”
I have said several times that “memes were being repeated and the writing was unbalanced”. Micky proved that!!
I also felt the appearance of key phrases showed collusion of some type, or an echo chamber follow the leader team tag.
They are dangerous because they poison discussions and create traps.
‘
A public talk by acclaimed US/Palestinian author Ramzy Baroud
Dr Ramzy Baroud’s NZ speaking tour itinerary – 18 to 24 May 2018. Hosted by the NZ Palestine Solidarity Network
https://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2018/05/01/ramzy-barouds-new-zealand-speaking-tour/
Out they Go
Look I hate to tell James and sad sack Hosking – and tongue tied Simon – that Capitalism has failed.
The tag along Audreys and money chasers – Capitalism has failed.
You lot have dredged the money from the ordinary honest people, and stuffed it into your own piles – often in hidden accounts. You have condoned every dirty thing Key and English did.
The ordinary citizen has no hope of owning a house . Nor much hope of paying your exorbitant Rents. You are theives. That’s what you Capitalists are.
Your jacked up Panels; Your Corins; Your so called “Professionals”; Your Hootons are just shallow shaggers. Your Fletchers. Your Fonterras.
Capitalism is Crime in action. The Banks you support are based in Australia. Criminals in Action. Yet you attack the ordinary struggling man and his family.
You Capitalist Bastards.
It was a late milking drying cows off so I missed my morning Am show post it a beautiful day in Putaruru bit of a frost I will put up more post later today Ka kite ano P.S. its taken 7 years to get bee killing pesticides banned from use in Europe thanks to the Avaazers movement
This is how men abuse the power they have bestowed on them using it to abuse people here’s the link.
Four brave women
OPINION: Allegations a trusted GP initiated sexual relationships with vulnerable patients bear all the hallmarks of a #metoo case.
Ka kite ano P.S image how much stuff is hidden at the sandflys lair
Here is another.
‘His DNA on toilet cam’
51 min ago
DNA found on an SD card links one of NZ’s former top naval officers to a camera in a bathroom, prosecution says.
This is the future of cargo ships Ka pai Ka kite ano
What will ships look like in 30 years? Yea
Good evening Newshub I’m a bit late tonight we were watching the Mokopunas playing netball. That’s a shame that the people of Vanuatu have to leave their Island ECO MAORI gives all the best wishes for there move to another Island.
Many thanks to our Labour lead coalition Government for helping all the homeless people. This is a problem cause by the previous Government.
Many thanks to France and all there good people for there monument that houners the young men who fought for OUR freedom. Ka pai I have seen some of the French cultures and the way they run there society ECO MAORI is quite impressed Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild good evening Makere weres WAI.?
The Chief playing the Jaguar in Rotorua I’m on the farm at the minute is that were WAI is a watching the game it will be a good game I wish I was there ECO MAORI mite steal all the lime light lol yea right.
Josh the wave breaks in Raglan are world renowned to a lot of surfers there is a awesome wave breaks At WAI piro Bay Te tairawhiti.
Ka kite ano