Open mike 03/06/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 3rd, 2019 - 237 comments
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237 comments on “Open mike 03/06/2019 ”

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  1. Pete George 1
    3 June 2019 at 7:40 am

    A statement from Matt Blomfield:

    On Tuesday last week we had the launch for the book Whale Oil by Margie Thomson. It was an incredible and humbling experience. About three hundred people turned up. My wife and kids attended and afterwards they talked about what an amazing night they had with other friends and family.

    This weekend with the dust starting to settle I looked back at the week that followed the launch and I felt uncomfortable. It was a busy week with media appearances and messages of support, and naturally there was a big focus on the details of my protracted battle against Cameron Slater. What got me thinking, though, was a book review on Newsroom by Finlay Macdonald – not his words but the image at the top of the page: Cameron Slater knocked out in the first round of his boxing match with Jesse Rider. He looks broken. I needed to beat Cameron in court in order to win back my reputation. It was never my intention to break the man.

    Cameron Slater has had his struggles in life. He’s had business failures. He struggled with mental illness; he lost his home. More recently he has had health issues. It follows that my mind takes me to a place of sympathy for Slater. He has a wife and kids just like me; he has tried to succeed, just like me. I feel increasingly concerned at the tone of some of the comments about him that are appearing online. I know what it’s like first hand to be ridiculed online, to be bullied and it affects more than just the individual. It flows through to that person’s friends and family.
    Slater is not well. His attacks against me are not the actions of a right thinking individual. He needs help.
    I’m concerned that some of the coverage given to the publication of Margie’s book gives the impression this book is a tit-for-tat exercise. It’s not, and that’s clear to anyone reading it. Yes, it’s the story of my long struggle to rescue my reputation and get justice, but
    it’s about much more than a fight between two individuals. It is about our changing world and a system that needs to change so that our children are protected. It introduces readers to some incredible individuals and shows that even during the hardest of times good people will stand up and be counted. It’s about never giving up, and that sometimes the decision to fight can come from a place of love, compassion and family. Finally, it’s about people as a whole and how we choose to live not only on the internet but as a society.

    The people who have read the book have all had the same reaction; a feeling of surprise. It follows that those same people have expressed to me what an important book this is and how much it impacted them as individuals.

    I am now going to focus on my family, my health, my education and hopefully move past this. My story has been told.

    I hope that people will move past attacking what can be only be described as a damaged individual. Let’s put him where he belongs, in the footnote of history, and move on to talking about the important issues he only symbolizes.

    • Peter Christchurh nz 1.1
      3 June 2019 at 8:29 am

      It's great that Blomfield can be so objective and magnanimous, but the evil of Slater is not just confined to him.

      That p.o.s. Slater has destroyed so many lives with his obsessive hatred, revelling in the hurt and suffering he inflicted on grieving families and systematic attempts to destroy public servants and the undermining of our justice system.

      Yes, sociopaths, for clearly that is what he is, can be smart. His blog did a great job with political commentary but sadly now has morphed into conspiracy theories and Islamophobia under the direction of his wife. I detest the childish nonsense of Karma, but his current suffering is well deserved.

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    3 June 2019 at 7:47 am

    This story; read and weep, fellow humans; this is the way we roll.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/112898870/the-aotearoa-chainsaw-massacre

    • Rosemary McDonald 2.1
      3 June 2019 at 8:15 am

    • marty mars 2.2
      3 June 2019 at 8:52 am

      "22 trees were cut down along Palmerston North's main street because of complaints about bird poo."

      Thus the utter depravity of our feelings of divorce from nature, from OUR nature, leads us to destruction.

      • greywarshark 2.2.1
        3 June 2019 at 12:12 pm

        Not depravity – it may be that people just don't like sitting in bird poo. Perhaps the seats should have been shifted free of trees.
        .
        The streets and pavements would still have lots of white spots. But hey in other civilised countries there is a night-time water spray over city streets (they also clean their buildings too), so perhaps some NZ cities could start taking more pride in the civic appearance, Palmerston North leading the way!

        Cars receiving droppings could accept it as one-of-life's problems during the day.

        At night near twilight when the birds are gathering en masse and letting it all hang out, twittering about the day's events, and people gathering at bars doing the same, cars might be hit then. It would be a good incentive to cut the cackle, down a few beers and go and get some food. There is a way of managing such things without abandoning lots of trees.

    • Psycho Milt 2.3
      3 June 2019 at 8:55 am

      In the Palmerston North example (trees along Broadway felled because people complained about birdshit on their cars), the result has been that, in the evenings, the few remaining trees (around the Square) now host all the birds in the central city and God help you if you park your car under one – you won't be able to see out the windows when you return to it. No doubt the city's councillors will apply their awesome problem-solving skills to the issue and cut down the remaining trees.

      • Jenny - How to Get there? 2.3.1
        3 June 2019 at 9:10 am

        https://www.ecowatch.com/adani-coal-mine-2638575797.html

        Australia's Controversial Adani Coal Mine Now One Approval Away From Construction

        ….."Assessment of this plan has been a rigorous process, informed by the best available science," a DES spokesperson said in a statement reported by The Guardian. "DES has met regularly with Adani to ensure that the plan is robust and is well-placed to deliver the best outcomes for the protection of the black-throated finch.

        ‘Rigorous’?

        Hardly.

        Not one mention of climate change as a reason to stop the Adani mega coal mine project

        In many ways this mirrors the approval process for coal mines in this country. – Make a big fuss about giant snails or weta but stay a million miles away from any mention of climate change.

        Actually, in New Zealand it is illegal for a consent tribunal to allow climate change evidence to be heard in any consent hearings for fossil fuel projects, including coal mines.

        I wonder why?

        Is it because, if climate change was allowed to raised as an objection, the evidence is so compelling that no new coal mine or oil well would ever win approval?

        Extinction: The species your are worrying about, may be your own.

        • johnm 2.3.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 10:34 am

          In 2009 250years above the 1750 baseline we were at .85c. Now a mere 10 years later in 2019 we've added another .9c to make 1.75c. We're now in exponential climate change. The Australian government is quite happy to destroy the liveability of the Planet to make more money. We're heading for hot house earth. The old white Oz morons running the show there, Australia is being impacted by climate change severely now, will be long dead when the sh*t really hits the fan. And that wonder of our planet: The great barrier reef is dying ,its beauty could be seen from space.

          • Jenny - How to Get there? 2.3.1.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 11:39 am

            As to the controversy over the Powelliphanta Snails and the Black Throated Finch prove,

            The first rule of climate change denial; Don't say anything about climate change denial.

            If the Green Party ever achieve anything meaningful in government about climate change, it would be to strive like hell to raise the issue of getting rid of the iniquitous legislation that makes it illegal for a planning consent tribunal to hear objections based on climate change evidence. And if the rest of the government don't agree, to make it an election issue.

            The real tragedy of the so called political consensus between all the political parties around Zero Carbon Act that the Green Party has tried so hard to achieve, and sacrificed real policy for, is that climate change will again not be debated in the elections.

            Why would it? They all agree. There is consensus.

            It is a consensus to say, (and do), nothing.

            The first rule of climate change denial; Don't say anything about climate change denial.

      • Sacha 2.3.2
        3 June 2019 at 11:03 am

        “in the evenings, the few remaining trees (around the Square) now host all the birds in the central city and God help you if you park your car under one”

        Fresh photographic evidence from Palmy: https://twitter.com/dairymanNZ/status/1135082969163419648

        • Robert Guyton 2.3.2.1
          3 June 2019 at 12:32 pm

          "God help you" – sounds like a real crisis and your link reveals just how appalling, nay existentially threatening, those birds are! Can they be annihilated, please, for the sake of the children?

      • Visubversa 2.3.3
        3 June 2019 at 1:46 pm

        In Vancouver, we walked past some trees near Stanley Park where the Blue Herons nest. There were a shedload of signs pointing out that there were nests above, and that herons (as fish eaters) have smelly and corrosive droppings and you should therefore not park your car underneath these trees. It seemed to work. Unfortunately, thanks to Rodney Hide and the NACT government of the time, the only trees that have any protection are those which are individually scheduled, or those on public land.

    • patricia 2.4
      3 June 2019 at 9:47 am

      Robert – I live near some of these desecrations and though we protested / tried to guard 24 hours daily the processes of law overwhelmed us.

      Now we have ticky tacky houses / apartments in the place of once beautiful trees. All they want in Auckand is as many houses on tiny sites as can be built ; the inhabitants live squashed in like lab rats and no lawns or trees nearby. Often no garages either so cars clutter up the roads.

      • Robert Guyton 2.4.1
        3 June 2019 at 10:36 am

        "A meme has gotten loose on this planet the socially equivalent of cancer (in my opinion), and what it is–is capitalism. Capitalism does not serve human beings. It serves itself, in the same way cancer does not serve a human being it serves itself. "

      • James 2.4.2
        3 June 2019 at 3:37 pm

        so you were protesting some one going about their perfectly legal activities on their own land?

        • WeTheBleeple 2.4.2.1
          3 June 2019 at 3:47 pm

          [Deleted. WTB, you may not think highly of James but please address the topic and don’t attack another commenter with pointless abuse – Incognito]

    • WeTheBleeple 2.5
      3 June 2019 at 11:20 am

      Yesterday I was examining well placed street trees vs random plantings that will be culled, trying to figure out what the formula is to plant a tree with some reasonable chance of its longevity. After my impromptu study I came home and read that article. I've seen so many trees vanish I've stopped mentioning it.

      Avoiding parking areas was one of the first things I thought of. Not because bird shit is a real issue, but preciousness certainly is. Plant away from car parks.

      Avoiding power lines. This is a no brainer but you'd be surprised how many fail to look up when they plant things that grow tall. Likewise guttering. I don't mind cleaning mine, and gutter guards work well, but be aware of the previously mentioned preciousness of people.

      What's under the ground? Avoiding electrical and plumbing infrastructure is wise, but requires some investigation. Your local council has the details.

      To recap – trees are an ever expanding three dimensional structure. They can be pruned but ideally they are left to do their own thing.

      Education. People have no idea of the ecosystem services trees provide, or perhaps they're national voters who want the benefits but no leaves on their driveways.

      Trees are free. I walk about and see a tree I like in seed I grab some seed and throw it in a pot or two and leave them be. This summer/autumn I've sprouted Coprosmas, Kowhai, Karo, Pohutakawa, Jacaranda, Albizia, Inga, Acacia…

      We need to reverse the laws favoring developers and people over nature, or we will also perish.

      Plant trees wisely, make them count.

      P.S. I grow very wary of going back to edit every post because the software insists on putting all sorts of shit formatting in plain view. The above has already been edited twice.

      • Robert Guyton 2.5.1
        3 June 2019 at 12:28 pm

        I've just come inside from planting the seeds of Himalayan Tree Strawberry; lots of them. Also, Sweet Chestnuts, about 200, straight into a sawdust/soil bed. My peach stones have been in for a couple of weeks now. This afternoon, I'll sow the seeds of the Chinese Hawthorn and Cornelian Cherry (really a dogwood). All these trees will go "somewhere", I know nor care not where, just out there, where they are needed. Great gifts, trees.

      • Sacha 2.5.2
        3 June 2019 at 12:38 pm

        One thing, WTB, if you accidentally hold down the Crtl/Cmd key while you are typing a space, it turns into a special non-breaking one which the editor then shows as "nbsp".

        • francesca 3.1.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 9:48 am

          Basically if the UK had any pretension to being a justice based democracy and upholder of the "rules based order" it would free Assange as per UN rulings, so as to allow him to have urgently needed medical attention , and to prepare his defence in the Swedish case. It would never have without any objection, parcelled up Assange's belongings and handed them over to the US

          I think we can see whose "rules" have priority here.

          Sweden could assure him that it would not extradite to the US, as per Amnesty International

          https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2012/09/sweden-should-issue-assurance-it-won-t-extradite-assange-usa/

          If the Swedes had done this back in 2012, the Swedish complainants and Assange would have had their day in court, and justice would have been done

          Why such intransigence? Didn't the Swedes feel that the most important issue was that the Swedish women have their complaints heard?

          Probably not, according to Amnesty International's recent report on sexual violence in the Nordic countries .The courts are notoriously slow to act, sexual violence is widespread, and there are very few convictions compared to complaints. Only 6% of cases resulted in prosecution in 2017!

          https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/04/rape-and-sexual-violence-in-nordic-countries-consent-laws/

          So it seems that the Assange case has been unusual, pursued with far more vigour than any other of similar degree

          Frankly , I think its time to give up on the stubborn diehards who assert Assange has brought this on himself.

          I'm going with the UN on this one

          • aj 3.1.1.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 10:35 am

            Some US soldiers murdered citizens and Reuters reporters in cold blood. Assange published it. Who should face justice?

          • johnm 3.1.1.1.2
            3 June 2019 at 10:42 am

            Thankyou for your intelligent and accurate observations which are 100% true, Francesca, 🙂 . The U$K has joined the war criminal enterprise of the U$. And also has committed crimes at home against its own poor people.

            130,000 preventable austerity deaths as banquet is laid for trump

        • johnm 3.1.1.2
          3 June 2019 at 9:54 am

    • johnm 3.2
      3 June 2019 at 9:22 am

      Julian Assange Is Being Murdered By The British Because Washington Wants Him Dead But Doesn’t Have A Case Against Him

      Caitlin sums it up: https://russia-insider.com/en/are-assanges-jailers-trying-kill-him-hes-so-ill-he-cant-speak-properly/ri27153

      “We have been watching the slow-motion assassination of Julian Assange. They have been choking him to death by tactical psyops, siege tactics, and wilful neglect as surely as if they placed a noose tied around his neck, not just in Belmarsh Prison but in the embassy as well. The only difference between his execution and someone on death row is the same as the difference between covert and overt warfare, which makes sense because the intelligence, judicial and military agencies who are carrying out his death sentence operate within the same power structure which carries out war. First came the smears (propaganda), then came the siege (sanctions), and they staged their coup (dragged him out of the embassy) and now they’ve got him in their clutches and they can do what they want behind closed doors. That’s how you kill a nation while still looking like a nice guy, and that’s how they’re killing Assange.”

      If the world stands for the US/UK/Swedish judicial murder of an innocent man, the world does not deserve to exist another second.

      https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/05/30/julian-assange-is-being-murdered-by-the-british-because-washington-wants-him-dead-but-doesnt-have-a-case-against-him/

      • marty mars 3.2.1
        3 June 2019 at 9:42 am

        Well I followed your links – self referencing and fevered speculation. Waste of my time thanks for nothing.

        • Morrissey 3.2.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 10:45 am

          Your ability to stoically ignore the crushing of democracy is impressive, Marty.

          But not in a good way. Mind you, I recall you springing to the defence of “Sir” Mark Solomon’s “leadership” a few years ago, so this latest expression of contempt for democracy, though far uglier and more extreme, is really not a surprise.

          https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/11/kai-tahu-should-demand-better-leaders.html

          • aj 3.2.1.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 10:53 am

            "Anyone who is pushing the provably fake rape charges as a reason to not support a man dying in prison is a piece of s**t and waste of oxygen" – Twitter comment, and quite correct.

          • marty mars 3.2.1.1.2
            3 June 2019 at 11:01 am

            Your ability to get it wrong so much is impressive though minor morrie in the scheme of things – your 3rd rate stenographer skills and outright fabrications as well as your abysmal understanding of our national game put you in a class of your own – sadly that class is no class and a shadow of class – classless I think it is.

            • Morrissey 3.2.1.1.2.1
              3 June 2019 at 11:03 am

              That was more than a little incoherent. Could you rephrase?

              Here's a bit of advice: Edit, edit, edit.

            • Sacha 3.2.1.1.2.2
              3 June 2019 at 11:06 am

              Any criticism is interpreted as 'incoherence'. Long-used survival mechanism, I guess.

              • Morrissey …
                3 June 2019 at 11:15 am

                "Criticism"? What "criticism"?

                You're probably the least appropriate person on this forum to talk about incoherence. Or gullibility.

                • Sacha …
                  3 June 2019 at 12:10 pm

                  "ability to get it wrong"

                  "3rd rate stenographer skills"

                  "outright fabrications"

                  "abysmal understanding of our national game"

                  .. sure seem like criticisms. Never mind, some long-forgotten soviet dude probably has a quote about it you could highlight for us plebs.

                • aj …
                  3 June 2019 at 9:43 pm

                  Marty. Should the war crimes exposed by Manning and Assange be pursued as ruthlessly as both these individuals are. It's clear they are not, why do you think this is? Do you think it is because they have better character than Assange and Manning?

            • Jenny - How to Get there? 3.2.1.1.2.3
              3 June 2019 at 11:58 am

              Related to Assange punitive detention and resulting suffering, at the hands of the vengeful US State Department, is the continued punitive detention and suffering of Chelsea Manning.

              https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/01/manning-renews-effort-be-released-virginia-jail.html

              Manning's lawyers filed court papers Friday asking a federal judge to reconsider his decision to send Manning to the Alexandria jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks…..

              …..

              Manning is suffering physically as a result of her incarceration and is in the midst of losing her home because of the financial effect it is having on her.

              Manning has been jailed for civil contempt since May 16. She could remain in jail for up to 18 months — the length of the grand-jury term. Judge Anthony Trenga also ordered fines of $500 a day to kick in after 30 days of confinement and $1,000 a day after 60 days.

              This follows a two-month jail term earlier this year for refusing to testify to a previous grand jury.

              …….Under federal law, a recalcitrant witness can only be jailed for civil contempt if there is a reasonable belief that incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying. If the jail time has no coercive effect and is purely punitive, the recalcitrant witness is supposed to be released….

              ……Manning, in response, penned a lengthy letter to the judge reiterating her rationale. She included a lengthy history on the use of grand juries around the world, and says that many Western countries have abandoned the system because it operates in secret and in a one-sided fashion to the benefit of prosecutors against those accused.

              ……Manning has said she believes grand juries in general are an abuse of power and that she would rather starve to death than testify.

              • Morrissey …
                3 June 2019 at 12:18 pm

                Do McFlock and the rest of the mob pour filthy abuse on Chelsea Manning as well? I remember they ridiculed Edward Snowden, deriving a great deal of lynch-mob hilarity from the fact his girlfriend had been a stripper. It was almost as good as Julian Assange's cat as a device to belittle him with unfunny quips.

                Not sure the Cardinal’s experience was too happy, either. Got there in the end, but after how long? He must have not had a cat.

                https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-06-2019/#comment-1623897

                • Adrian thornton …
                  3 June 2019 at 1:04 pm

                  Notice that most of the same people who buy into this establishment anti Assange at all costs narrative, are also the same people who pushed the Russia conspiracy, go along with intervention in Venezuela etc etc they probably believe Corbyn is anti semitic too…it's like they just can't help but get sucked into every establishment MSM narrative that gets spun to them, almost like they have no defense, broken internal bullshit detectors or something.

                  • Morrissey …
                    3 June 2019 at 4:14 pm

                    they probably believe Corbyn is anti semitic too…

                    I'm sure they no one actually believes that, Adrian, any more than they believe that concocted story about rape in Sweden.

                    It doesn't stop them repeating it, however.

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 7:24 pm

                      Moz, it's one thing to argue that we don't know he's guilty. But every time you call it a concocted story, I'll call you a rape apologist. Because you are.

                • McFlock …
                  3 June 2019 at 7:19 pm

                  Actually, Snowden did it right. And I have respect for Manning, too.

                  More morrissey nuttiness.

              • marty mars …
                3 June 2019 at 2:24 pm

                That is wrongful incarceration and an utter disgrace. I spit on everyone involved in that process.

    • Adrian thornton 3.3
      3 June 2019 at 11:44 am

      Here is British justice for you…they will protect Pinochet but give Assange to the wolves

      Margaret Thatcher "The chance of Senator Pinochet receiving anything resembling what Britain would recognise as justice in a Spanish court is minimal, not least because key witnesses for his defence run the risk of immediate arrest if they set foot on Spanish soil. What is planned then is a show trial with a preordained outcome. Lingering death in a foreign land."

      • greywarshark 3.3.1
        3 June 2019 at 11:57 am

        I think Pinochet was nice to Margaret Thatcher in some way; did he help her during the Falklands War? She knew which side her bread was buttered, with only the best butter of course, and knew who to butter up. On further consideration she could give butter a bad name, so forget I mentioned it.

        • Adrian thornton 3.3.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 12:06 pm

          Yeah probably beutiful imported New Zealand butter no doubt, not besmirching the name of our fine product I hope.

    • James 3.4
      3 June 2019 at 3:39 pm

      Perhaps he can try showing that in court.

  4. Graeme 4
    3 June 2019 at 8:59 am

    To follow on from the the sentiments expressed by Matt Blomfield (via Pete George, cheers Pete) and Peter Chch's comment.

    It's pleasing to see on one got a gong for being a sociopath (Services to Business) in this years Queen's Birthday Honours. But rather people who've selflessly worked to make our society a better place.

    Congratulations to them all.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/06/full-queen-s-birthday-2019-honours-list.html

    • gsays 4.1
      3 June 2019 at 9:57 am

      Well congrats to nearly all..

      The awarding of a gong to Fran Walsh reminded me of her teary performance (along with Phillipa Boyens) with Kathryn Ryan on Nine To Noon. it was related to the Hobbitt/Warners dispute. Misinformation, obfuscation and out and out lies were the tactics used.

      Reading this article, from the other side, bought up an unpleasant time and raises some still unanswered questions:http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1104/S00081/helen-kelly-the-hobbit-dispute.htm

      • Anne 4.1.1
        3 June 2019 at 10:42 am

        Re- Fran Walsh… my immediate thoughts too. Just another example of: it is not what you know, but who you know that counts.

        There are no doubt some very worthy recipients who deserve all the accolades they will receive but I can't help noticing the number of honours for… Services to Science. ONE.

        Apart from a Dr. Marie MCLintock for services to haemotology and obstretics, no other scientist has been honoured. Yet these are among our most intelligent and talented NZers whose research work is frequently internationally recognised, and they have the ability to change or save the lives of many thousands of people.

      • Morrissey 4.1.2
        3 June 2019 at 10:53 am

        Even worse was her and Boyens teaming up with John Barnett and Paul "I am a GOOD MAN" Holmes on Q&A to snarl at and belittle Sue Bradford. Peter Jackson was sitting there too, looking extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable. He was almost completely silent throughout.

        • Anne 4.1.2.1
          3 June 2019 at 11:08 am

          There was the infamous Q&A Holmes interview with John Barnett and Helen Kelly, but I don't recall Peter Jackson being present. I do remember him being interviewed on other occasions and being disgusted at his attitude. But nobody could see past his Lord of the Rings Hollywood success and were blind to his abysmal behaviour over the reasonable protests of the local artistic community – not the least Holmes himself.

          • Morrissey 4.1.2.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 11:14 am

            Those swine managed to get onto Q&A several times. Yes, Barnett tried to be extremely intimidating to Helen Kelly, and Holmes was harsh and derogatory towards her as well.

            On another episode, Boyens and Walsh and Peter Jackson opposed Sue Bradford. Boyens and Walsh were extremely unpleasant throughout the programme.

            That Walsh gets rewarded in spite of that repulsive display—and we can be sure she was even crueler and nastier away from the television cameras—is another reason to scrap these ridiculous "honours".

            • gsays 4.1.2.1.1.1
              3 June 2019 at 12:13 pm

              Brownlee is caught in a lie in the Scoop article.

            • greywarshark 4.1.2.1.1.2
              3 June 2019 at 12:22 pm

              Saint Sue should never be criticised. Jackson and Walsh who are hard-working entrepreneurs bringing NZ into the world 'stage' are downright cruel and nasty. Creatives like Robyn Malcolm are wonderful and deserve to exist on Cloud 9, where all self-made successful wonders get to be. Comment BAU.

            • Anne 4.1.2.1.1.3
              3 June 2019 at 1:46 pm

              Well, as I said @ 4.1.1:

              It is not what you know that counts, but who you know.

              To be fair there are some exceptions to that rule.

          • WeTheBleeple 4.1.2.1.2
            3 June 2019 at 12:09 pm

            Jackson can't decide if he's a common man or a rich prick.

            A friend visited him he juggled his Oscars to try give the illusion he cares not for such accolades. Then he got in bed with John Key.

      • aj 4.1.3
        3 June 2019 at 11:06 am

        The one person deserving an award was Helen Kelly. She might have refused it. She remains at the peak of my list of Great New Zealanders and her treatment during that dispute by Walsh and the director whose name I refuse to utter, and whose movies I refuse to watch, was quite disgusting

        • Morrissey 4.1.3.1
          3 June 2019 at 11:23 am

          Q+A: Barnett and Holmes meet their match in Helen Kelly

          TV1, Sunday Oct. 24, 2010

          Preliminary comment by JACK A. NAPES, for Daisycutter Sports Inc. ….
          This is billed as an "interview", but it's more of an attempted
          mugging. Unfortunately for Barnett and Holmes, Kelly is not
          intimidated by their antics. She remains polite and perfectly composed
          throughout, unlike her two opponents. Holmes interrupts Helen Kelly
          nearly every time she speaks, and Barnett interrupts her three times.
          But all this fails to upset her; she's an experienced union
          negotiator, and these two are lightweights compared to some business
          and union leaders she meets routinely. Barnett gets really angry when
          Kelly points out that he's a slack employer: "You yourself don't
          comply with the guidelines." Holmes calls her "clueless" twice and he
          swears angrily on two occasions. Note the way that Holmes won't let
          her speak even at the end, shouting: "No, Helen's had ENOUGH!"

          Q+A: Interview with Helen Kelly and John Barnett
          Published: 4:12PM Sunday October 24, 2010 Source: Q+A
          Related News
          Paul Holmes interviews Helen Kelly and John Barnett about the saga
          surrounding filming of The Hobbit.

          PAUL: We are joined by two folk at the heart of negotiations. Helen
          Kelly is president of the Combined Trade Unions, and John Barnett is
          the managing director of South Pacific Picture – very experienced film
          man. Of course, one of the most experienced film people in this
          country. So Helen Kelly, we'll start with you first of all. Good
          morning.
          HELEN KELLY: Good morning.
          PAUL: So, what we've got is the actors now in FULL RETREAT. What we've
          seen after last week with your handling of things is a complete
          failure for the union movement. That's so, isn't it?
          HELEN: Well, no, actually, Paul, this dispute wasn't settled last
          week. It was settled the week before with encouragement from Peter
          Jackson, who sent several emails to me saying, 'I'm encouraging SPADA
          to meet and to talk through all the issues and find a resolution.'
          That's what I did. I stepped into this dispute only at the end of
          September to help the parties find a way through. We've found a way
          through. It's completely settled…
          PAUL: I think… With the greatest respect, Ms Kelly, I think you
          might be fantasising. ….

          Read the whole thing….

          https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/01/qa-barnett-and-homes-meet-their-match.html

          • Wensleydale 4.1.3.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 1:12 pm

            Jesus. I'm not ordinarily one to speak ill of the dead, but Paul Holmes was just a massive partisan arsehole all the way through that 'interview'. Interrupting, badgering, condescension, mockery and accusations of lying. How Helen Kelly kept from lunging across the table and punching him in the gob I don't know. She was a class act, rest her soul.

        • gsays 4.1.3.2
          3 June 2019 at 12:25 pm

          @aj Hear hear on Helen Kelly.

          I feel compromised on the afore not mentioned director.

          I saw Bad Taste at the film festival at the Regent in Palmy.

          Still one of my favourites.

          I find myself politically disalinged from him on workers rights.

          • Adrian thornton 4.1.3.2.1
            3 June 2019 at 1:17 pm

            I to loved Jackson's earlier works, however IMO he hasn't made a good movie for a long long time.

        • Adrian thornton 4.1.3.3
          3 June 2019 at 1:11 pm

          @aj, +100….' The one person deserving an award was Helen Kelly'…lost our only chance of having a real and relevant Labour back at any time soon when we lost her.

  5. Rapunzel 5
    3 June 2019 at 9:10 am

    Knighthoods aye? What do you reckon you would need to have done to receive such a thing for "philanthropy" in particular?

    I see local Tauranga "businessman" Paul Adams now has one, and as someone from Tauranga I would have said the interests that led to it are far more personal than philanthropic. The Herald story attached says "As chairman of Accessible Properties, Sir Paul has helped to develop social housing in Tauranga, including negotiating to buy more than 1000 Housing New Zealand homes for the city." which reads well but in fact was the only single sale of NZ city or towns's entire – to my knowledge 1138 – Housing NZ stock. The only other one to come close was Invercargill which fell through.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12235832

    The houses were already here – The Government will transfer ownership and management of 1138 Housing New Zealand properties and tenancies in Tauranga to a new landlord, Accessible Properties from 1 April 2017.
    https://www.accessibleproperties.co.nz/tauranga-tenants/qas/

    So "it" and he "developed" nothing other than to work with the National govt to pusrchase all of Tauranga's Housing NZ stock for an undisclosed amount and with the agreement that the tax payer would continue to meet the bill to bring them up to standard and that incl the flawed "P" testing and any work attached to that.

    Having at the end of last year helped a young single working mum get decent accommodation in Tauranga we couldn't even work out if there a Housing NZ office in Tauranga or even who to approach so gave up even considering that – in the end we could fix it and there will be others in more need.

    But getting back to "Mr" Adams the majority of his "philanthropic" interest seem to have been in the main local sporting and hobby groups and nothing too "socially" demanding. One thing is for sure that his previous "business" interests were very deep in a lot of ring-fencing land in the area that has benefitted a few rather than the many hopeful homeowners here.

    As far and away the largest contributor to local MP Bridges election campaign funds how coincidental is this former award "It is not the first time he has been recognised in the Queen's Honours List after being awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for business and philanthropy in 2015." and I wonder who made this nomination?

    • Rosemary McDonald 5.1
      3 June 2019 at 9:14 am

      Thank you Rapunzel for shining a strong light into that particularly dark place.

      For some people, saying someone is involved with IHC is an automatic reputational boost.

      It ain't necessarily so.

      • Rapunzel 5.1.1
        3 June 2019 at 10:20 am

        At all happened here in Tauranga and scarcely a peep. Maybe, as we do have some good local advocates there is an "upside" in there that the general public don't see but for two or so years I have found the whole thing peculiar that it is painted in this light and comes with a "reward". More than a few "charities" look to me to be personal hobby horses and avenues for networking, and for some a salaried past-time, and are nothing more than that.

    • mauī 5.2
      3 June 2019 at 12:33 pm

      Thanks for the reality check and deconstructing the property developer cares more about people than profit BS.

      This guy has done handsomely profiting from land development while his community suffers from possibly it's worst housing crisis in history. Not only that, but seeking to profit from our most vulnerable's housing situation is the lowest of the low.

      He is no hero. The only heroes in this are people like all of those from Te Puea Marae who gave up their own meagre property/assets and time to house others in their hour of need.

    • Wensleydale 5.3
      3 June 2019 at 1:21 pm

      Many knighthoods are bought and paid for, perhaps not in an obvious fashion, but nevertheless. It also helps to be the 'right sort of person', know the 'right sorts of people', have passed through the 'right educational institutions', been employed by the 'right organisations' and have made considerable donations to the 'right political parties'. Quid pro quo and all that. Nothing is unforgivable if you've done right by the 'right people'. You could, for instance, repeatedly assault a waitress in a public place, and as long as you atone for your misdeeds with a weak apology and a couple of bottles of plonk, you're away laughing. Nothing to see here, move along.

      Alternatively, you could just be really good at throwing a ball about.

  6. marty mars 6
    3 June 2019 at 9:17 am

    Toxic attitudes – what sort of shit would we find under your bed mr priest.

    Diocese of Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin sparked a backlash beginning on Saturday when he tweeted: "A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ 'Pride Month' events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children."

    The posting spurred rebukes by thousands of people who replied on Twitter, including actresses Mia Farrow and Patricia Arquette.

    Many invoked the scandals of clergy sexual abuse of children in the church…

    …Tobin is a conservative bishop who has said that he was aware of incidents of sexual abuse reported to church officials while working in Pennsylvania, but that it wasn't his job to deal with them. He was auxiliary bishop of Pittsburgh from 1992 until 1996.

    A Pennsylvania grand jury report last year detailed decades of abuse and cover-up in six dioceses, including the Pittsburgh diocese.

    In July 2018, Tobin deleted his Twitter account, calling it a major distraction, an obstacle to his spiritual life and an "occasion of sin" for himself and others. But he resumed tweeting in January, according to his current Twitter account.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/113196398/us-bishop-faces-backlash-over-tweet-urging-catholics-not-to-support-pride-month

    an occasion of sin revisited – sure mate we believe you NOT

  7. marty mars 7
    3 June 2019 at 9:49 am

    How to lie for beginners

    1. lie

    2. Keep lying

    3. lie some more

    Donald Trump has said he did not call Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, “nasty” when giving an interview to the Sun, despite an audio recording released by the paper.

    Speaking to the tabloid before his visit to the UK, Trump was told that Meghan “wasn’t so nice” about him during the 2016 US presidential campaign, to which he replied: “I didn’t know that. What can I say? I didn’t know that she was nasty.”

    However, in a series of early morning tweets on Sunday, the US president said he “never called Meghan Markle nasty” and that the “Fake News Media” had invented his remarks.

    Royals to serve as extras in Donald Trump’s victory lap of UK

    He said it was “Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will CNN, NY Times and others apologize? Doubt it!”

    The Sun posted a recording of the original interview to prove that its reporting was accurate.

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/02/donal-trump-denies-calling-meghan-nasty-despite-audio-recording

    Don't worry his thick supporters will lap it up.

    • Morrissey 7.1
      3 June 2019 at 11:07 am

      What about the thick ones who voted for Clinton? Which are thicker, do you think?

      • Bewildered 7.1.1
        3 June 2019 at 6:53 pm

        Spot on Moz, Clinton who supported her rapist husband then jumps on me too movement, Hilary who vaporised her hard drive destroying 30000 emails, then burnt her phones, Hillary who lied about Libya God she even lied about how she got her first name, claiming our Ed. Give Trump his due over Hillary ; he doesn’t pretend to be somebody else than a narcissist bull shitter Likewise some of his policies are ok

    • Sacha 7.2
      3 June 2019 at 11:58 am

      Whataboutism is usually a bit more subtle.

    • Gabby 7.3
      3 June 2019 at 3:57 pm

      Are they going to sue him?

  8. esoteric pineapples 8
    3 June 2019 at 9:59 am

    "Coltan is Venezuela’s Oro Azul or ‘blue gold’. In 2009, President Hugo Chávezannounced the discovery of reserves worth $100 billion of “the blue gold of the 21st century” in the Amazon region of the country.

    The price of this blue gold follows an increasing demand for a high-grade metal known as tantalum, processed from refined coltan. Demand for coltan is so intense, it fetches a higher price on the international market than even gold or diamonds.

    Tantalum is the metal used in capacitors that store energy in modern electronics like smart phones and tablets. Tantalum capacitors are also essential in powering modern military weaponry because the metal resists corrosion and can withstand the extreme temperatures generated by the new military applications. Without it, weapons systems would overheat.

    The US relies on tantalum to build the basic circuitry in guidance control systems in smart bombs, the on-board navigational systems in drones, anti-tank systems, robots and most weapons systems.

    The metal is vital to US defense. Yet, it has no domestic source of coltan. Importing and stockpiling tantalum is its only recourse."

    https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11372

    • esoteric pineapples 8.1
      3 June 2019 at 10:11 am

      "The Rare Earth Threat

      The third tool is exports of certain goods that are critical to some important U.S. industries.

      One is rare earth metals, a group of minerals that are vital to advanced electronics and power systems, including smartphones, batteries for many applications including electric vehicles, and high-tech military weapons. China is the source of 80% of the world’s supply and there are signs the country has threatened a potential restriction of rare earth exports to U.S. firms, according to CNBC.

      Rare earths are a group of 17 minerals that have a wide variety of uses, including electronics, magnets, lasers, ceramics, batteries, medical equipment, and optics. The name can be misleading, as, in theory, the materials are plentiful. But they are thinly distributed. The rare part is having heavy enough concentrations to make mining economically possible. A complication is environmental impact because processing uses dangerous chemicals and high heat that can release pollutants."

      http://fortune.com/2019/05/29/rare-earths-bonds-and-permit-hell-three-weapons-china-can-use-to-escalate-the-trade-war/

      • greywarshark 8.1.1
        3 June 2019 at 12:39 pm

        We don't want to see two big powers going head to head – orange and black – too much colour contrast there. Red will be the next colour revealed, and grey, brown?

        If the citizens of the USA took their hand off their hearts, which is a required response for saluting the USA and as ubiquitous as an outstretched arm in 1930's Europe (which also excited certain groups in the USA), then they might get a better understanding of the country they live in, and they could go two-handed at making it better. At present the USA is beefing up its wish for dominance in the China seas, which is trying to have a ring of protection around it, just like the USA has had probably since WW1. The USA is perverting the financial system by running a huge deficit for attack weapons of advanced type, threatening everyone's security, because it can – so bugger off everybody who quails and complains.

        • joe90 8.1.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 12:49 pm

          a required response for saluting the USA and as ubiquitous as an outstretched arm

          The Bellamy salute preceded the hand over heart jobbie.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellamy_salute

          • greywarshark 8.1.1.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 1:01 pm

            Mine of info joe 90. Hadn't heard of that – Bellamy salute eh. I must pull myself away from this addictive screen and go take part in the physical world. I will read about Bellamy later. Perhaps this is the modern version of hell, to be able to read all that has happened from which we have never learned, and only be able to watch a new version of the old play – perhaps called Love's Labour Lost or Titus Andronicus with a new name that relates to modern ears.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Andronicus

            All the conventions conspire To make this fort assume The furniture of home; Lest we should see where we are, Lost in a haunted wood, Children afraid of the night Who have never been happy or good.

            1/9/1939 whauden

            Sorry to wax woebegone.

    • esoteric pineapples 8.2
      3 June 2019 at 10:22 am

      But there is another material from Venezuelan soil that could be extremely valuable. Its name is torio (Thorium), and it has the potential of becoming an ecological nuclear fuel. Professor Eduardo Greaves, an expert in nuclear physics and a professor at Simón Bolívar University, pointed out that Venezuela has “a huge deposit” of Thorium in the Cerro Impacto in the southern state of Amazonas, which is part of the Orinoco Mining Arc, of which China knows all about, having directed the development of the geological and mining map of the Venezuelan territory. Greaves said these reserves could be used in thorium nuclear reactors for at least 300 years.

      https://supchina.com/2019/01/14/venezuela-china-explained-2/

      • RedLogix 8.2.1
        3 June 2019 at 11:38 am

        Thorium is relatively abundant everywhere; there is no shortage of it.

        https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/thorium.aspx

        There is a genuine and exciting rennaisance in the nuclear power game at present, especially around the various forms of molten salt reactors. These designs are completely different from the first generation machines, are much safer in operation, have much less waste and can burn existing waste stockpiles.

        There are at least three companies who are within five years of an operating machine. Moltex and Thorcon are two that look very realistic, and this intro is less than five minutes:



  9. PaddockBoy 9
    3 June 2019 at 10:01 am

    A great read on why another Brexit Referendum in itself will not address the woes in England.

    “Another referendum may, conceivably, get us out of the worst practical consequences of the Brexit mess. But that will not win the culture war (what, anyway, does victory or defeat look like in a culture war?) and it is certainly fanciful to think that it would “cauterise the gaping national split and confront once and for all the many dark issue that lurk beneath the nativist Brexit idea,,” ”

    http://chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/

  10. The Chairman 10
    3 June 2019 at 10:16 am

    The People's Budget

    • francesca 10.1
      3 June 2019 at 10:21 am

      bloody hell Chair

      snap!

    • Rosemary McDonald 10.2
      3 June 2019 at 11:30 am

      Has Bryan Bruce received a gong? Ever?

      Probably too honourable.

      • The Chairman 10.2.1
        3 June 2019 at 12:12 pm

        TBH, I don't know, Rosemary. But I do like his effort.

        I sense he may be working on a doc that is going to hold Jacinda/Labour to account for their big talk and poor delivery.

    • gsays 10.3
      3 June 2019 at 12:40 pm

      Thanks chairman, I enjoyed that hour.

      Can't help wondering if the statement from the floor about our financial system and government issued sovereign currency lies at the heart of a meaningful answer.

      I fail to see the imagination let alone the courage for that to happen.

      Prof Kelsey and her words on preparing for the changes needed were encouraging.

      • The Chairman 10.3.1
        3 June 2019 at 2:05 pm

        Can't help wondering if the statement from the floor about our financial system and government issued sovereign currency lies at the heart of a meaningful answer

        Social Credit Party Leader, Chris Leitch, told the party’s Canterbury Regional conference Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s budget could have contained an additional $6 billion in spending without costing taxpayers a single cent more.

        Leitch said, the Finance Minister could save that amount every year on interest payments on the government’s borrowing.

        Finance Ministers in Japan and China access funding from their central bank at no interest and use the money saved on interest payments to benefit their citizens.

        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/05/21/robertsons-budget-6-billion-short-social-credit/

  11. francesca 11
    3 June 2019 at 10:21 am

    Bryan Bruce mced a great town hall type panel and discussion last night

    Trotter disappointing but probably to a degree correct.He says too many of us have done well(I'm talking baby boomers here)out of the property bonanza to feel urgency for those who haven't .His "grand old man of the left" routine was a bit too pretentious for my tastes, and I'm usually a fan of his historical offerings

    Wayne Hope was impressive, as was Russell Norman, god I miss him as co leader of the Greens.

    We could do with more of this stuff. Commentators from the coal face

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/

    • aj 11.1
      3 June 2019 at 10:43 am

      That discussion should replace the complete 6-7pm drivel on TV1 and the country would be better for it. No, it will never happen.

      • The Chairman 11.1.1
        3 June 2019 at 11:54 am

        That discussion should replace the complete 6-7pm drivel on TV1 and the country would be better for it.

        yes

    • The Chairman 11.2
      3 June 2019 at 11:46 am

      Yes, we could do with more of this stuff, francesca. Particularly in the mainstream.

      And yes, bring back Russell Norman. It was interesting to hear (on the above screening) that it was Shaw that pushed for and succeeded in securing the BRR. Largely aligning the fiscal oversight of the two main parties.

      I disagree with Trotter. Improvement doesn't require reducing the wealth of the majority. For example, a CGT wasn't going to apply to the family home. Kiwibuild (which was welcomed from across the political spectrum) objective was to slow the pace of increase, not reduce current values

      Annie Newman from the living wage made a good point. And if we take the regional spend that the Government has been dishing out to the private sector as an example, where are the strings attached ensuring jobs the Government is fiscally helping to create are decent jobs that pay a living wage?

      As the funding is already being given away, adding these strings wouldn't come at any extra cost to the Government.

      Overall, it's well worth a look. It was a good discussion with many good points made.

      Disappointing there weren't too many (if any) political faces (Greens, Labour, etc) seen in attendance.

    • greywarshark 11.3
      3 June 2019 at 12:46 pm

      Chris Trotter has to make a living and he has to be able to see the problems from both sides. I think he does well in being able to lift slightly and regularly the cloth of gold curtain of the comfortably off so they can receive peeks at life for the others, and so get some innoculation for the shock of the innovation of some disease-ridden policy that cuts down their supplies of goodies.

  12. Morrissey 12
    3 June 2019 at 10:38 am

    Fanatics, cynics, sadists and moral cowards
    Exhibit No. 1: The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 1 July 2014

    JIM MORA: Now, Julian Assange on the catwalk.
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: [highly amused] Yes!
    MORA: How’s he going to manage this?
    ZARA POTTS: Well, it hasn’t stopped him, his asylum claim hasn’t stopped him from doing all sorts of things. Even last week he opened rapper MIA’s New York concert with a ten minute Skype chat, so he’s pretty busy.
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: I thought he couldn’t leave though.
    ZARA POTTS: He does it all on his computer.
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Oh, right.
    ZARA POTTS: This is Vivienne Westwood’s son Ben, and as part of London Fashion Week, he is going to take the catwalk to Julian Assange in the Ecadorian embassy.
    GRAHAM BELL: [derisive snort] Ha!
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: [querulous tone] How-w-w-w-w?
    GRAHAM BELL: Some people will do ANYTHING to get publicity.
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Ha ha ha ha ha!
    ZARA POTTS: Ha ha ha ha ha! Yes, it’s not because he cuts a particularly dashing figure or wears clothes THAT well. The whole thing is a little bit more political than that. Ben Westwood is saying that he wants Julian Assange in his show so that Assange doesn’t slip into obscurity.
    MORA: There’s not much danger of that though, is there.
    ZARA POTTS: No. He’s wanting to highlight his plight.
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: So he’s going to be modeling the clothes.
    ZARA POTTS: Yes.
    GRAHAM BELL: It’ll be the look for the very OILY character. Hm hm hm hm hm.
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Yeowww!
    GRAHAM BELL: Hm hm hm hm hm.
    MORA: How do they put a runway into an embassy? It’s basically just a big HOUSE, isn’t it.
    ZARA POTTS: Maybe they’ve got a big hallway. The collection has been influenced by Clint Eastwood’s Western films and also Assange’s “combat beret look”.

    ….[General snickering, snorting and guffawing]….

    ZARA POTTS: And there is also a garment with Julian Assange’s image printed on it. He he he he he!
    DENISE L’ESTRANGE-CORBET: Ha ha ha ha ha!
    GRAHAM BELL: Ho ho ho ho ho! Can’t WAIT!
    MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha!
    ZARA POTTS: The soundtrack is from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, so that will be something to, uh, see….

    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/graham-bell-continues-to-run-amok-on.html

    "Abstaining from the witchhunt would have classed the dissenter as an enemy. Stalin was supported by fanatics, cynics, sadists and moral cowards."

    —-Donald Rayfield, Stalin and His Hangmen: An Authoritative Portrait of a Tyrant and Those Who Served Him (Viking, 2004)

  14. Morrissey 14
    3 June 2019 at 12:09 pm

    An assurance of goodwill from a member of the lynch mob

    Yesterday one of our resident fools, "The Al1en", interjected himself into a witchburning in order to offer the following assurance of future fair treatment for the bound and gagged victim: "@McFlock I'm sure he'll get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law." In the Deep South not so long ago, similar moral idiots turned to their neighbours and said: "@Travis I'm sure this ni*&er will get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law."

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-06-2019/#comment-1623641

    • Sacha 14.1
      3 June 2019 at 12:50 pm

      Get a hobby.

      • McFlock 14.1.1
        3 June 2019 at 8:07 pm

        Unfortunately, this is it.

        • Morrissey 14.1.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 8:14 pm

          Haven't you got some vitriol to pour over Assange? Why are you wasting your time making facetious little comments like that about me?

          Still, it's funnier than your cat joke.

          • McFlock 14.1.1.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 8:23 pm

            You mentioned me twice today. That caught my eye. Your continued attempts to make the world safe for Assange to commit rape (regardless of whether he actually did anything in 2010) hold my attention.

            Apparently one wikileaks is good for at least two abandoned rape investigations, according to your ethical model.

            • Morrissey 14.1.1.1.1.1
              3 June 2019 at 8:28 pm

              Doubling down on your wild, fantastic allegations doesn't make them one whit more credible. Even if they are officially sanctioned by four rogue states. You know as well as everyone else in the world knows: there is no credible case against Assange—other than the case that he is a dangerous truth-telling journalist.

              • solkta …
                3 June 2019 at 8:32 pm

                You know as well as everyone else in the world knows

                Fuck, does that include me? Thanks for that, i didn't know that i knew. Now i know what i didn't know that i knew.

                • Morrissey …
                  3 June 2019 at 8:55 pm

                  Sorry—maybe you're a flat earther and a flying saucer enthusiast. I was talking about people with an I.Q. above room temperature.

                  • solkta …
                    3 June 2019 at 9:10 pm

                    Wow, you managed to find two conspiracy theories that you don't believe in. Keep trying.

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:15 pm

                      Ah! A choosy conspiracy theorist. A selective and discerning one. You believe that Assange is a tool of those cunning Russian masterminds, do you?

                    • solkta …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:19 pm

                      I don't believe anything about Assange. I don't have enough information to come to any conclusions. Funny to watch you though.

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:26 pm

                      You should do some reading then, solkta. A lot of reading. And discriminate in your reading. Don't just swallow state media (The Grauniad, the Murdoch media empire, the BBC, MSNBC) wholesale.

                      See you back here when you've done your homework~

                    • solkta …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:33 pm

                      I've seen the kind of bullshit that you call homework.Remember that Skeletons in the Cupboard bollocks. Oh wait, you probably still believe in that. Keep trying.

              • McFlock …
                3 June 2019 at 8:33 pm

                In your case, the odds are more in favour that you're delusional rather than a liar.

                Either way, you're still a rape apologist.

                • Morrissey …
                  3 June 2019 at 8:40 pm

                  Just like those foolish lawyers in the Deep South who represented black men accused, with similar rigorous devotion to lawful process, of rape. They were accused of being "rape apologists" by people like you.

                  • McFlock …
                    3 June 2019 at 8:49 pm

                    You remember when dolt45 said he could shoot someone on 5th avenue and not lose any voters? Yeah, that's you're support for Assange: unquestioning, and oblivious to reality.

                    You're about one tab of acid away from joining a suicide cult.

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 8:51 pm

                      You can be as creative and ridiculous in your abuse as you want—comparing me to a Trump supporter, for pity's sake!—but it doesn't change the fact you've been caught out.

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 8:55 pm

                      damn, looks like you popped that tab already.

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 8:59 pm

                      Abuse away, my friend. You've been caught out, and abuse is all you have left.

                      Fire away: you haven't called me a Russian bot like one of your compadres did a while ago.

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:23 pm

                      But this is also a different topic. I understand that you have difficulty distinguishing between separate issues, but come on, even you should be able to figure that one out.

            • The Al1en 14.1.1.1.1.2
              3 June 2019 at 8:50 pm

              “Apparently one wikileaks is good for at least two abandoned rape investigations, according to your ethical model.”

              Just be thankful it wasn't Gary Glitter who ran wikileaks

        • Sam 14.1.1.2
          3 June 2019 at 8:22 pm

          You and the rest of the woke have been quite pathetic in your assault on Julian Assange and anyone who might defend Assange and the democratic processes that are being trampled on by the U.S. People like me, we hold no ill will against Assange or the alleged rape victims but you and the woke Trying to curse out anyone who understands that the U.S isn't playing ball is just pathetic.

          • McFlock 14.1.1.2.1
            3 June 2019 at 8:30 pm

            The simple fact you seem incapable of processing is that it is perfectly possible that Assange did wikileaks as well as committing sexual assault. People can be complicated. Do you think the Swedes invented an entire high-profile sexual assault investigation just to get Assange into their custody so they could extradite him to the USA? Because if they did not invent that investigation, he needs to go to Sweden and face it.

            • Morrissey 14.1.1.2.1.1
              3 June 2019 at 8:44 pm

              It wasn't "the Swedes" who concocted that fantastic allegation, it was some malignant strategist in the State Department. Instead of blaming "the Swedes", we need to be specific and narrow it down to the culprit: one very beleaguered and browbeaten State Persecutor, the Dishonorable Marianne Ny.

              • McFlock …
                3 June 2019 at 8:51 pm

                Is there any circumstance in which Assange could commit sexual assault and you wouldn't proclaim his innocence? I doubt it.

                • Morrissey …
                  3 June 2019 at 9:10 pm

                  Sure: if he did. But fantastical allegations concocted by some evil functionary/functionaries at the U.S. State Department is not a compelling or credible case whatsoever.

                  Still, you're invested in this as surely as Tony Blair was invested in another campaign of destruction; you're never going to resile from your comments and your allegations now.

                  Please fire some more "rape apologist" slurs at me; they're as convincing as the case against Assange.

                  • McFlock …
                    3 June 2019 at 9:16 pm

                    lol "if he did".

                    How would you know?

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:23 pm

                      The onus is on the persecutors—-i.e. the people he and Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning exposed as mass murderers—to prove the allegations. They have no evidence whatsoever, and you know that as well as the rest of us do.

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:34 pm

                      That wasn't the question.

                      My suggestion is that you would defend Assange even if he committed a crime because nothing would convince you that he had committed a crime.

                      So under what circumstances, as an internet denizen probably located in NZ, how would you know that some prosecutor's claims against Assange were true?

                      We literally have transcripts and records, and you're still adamant that he did nothing wrong. You refuse to countenance the possibility that they are accurate. So what would it actually take to convince you?

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:39 pm

                      Evidence. There is none.

                      The two women who engaged in consensual sex with Assange both wanted all the proceedings against him stopped. They—just like you—could see that the state prosecutor was trying to fit him up.

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 10:09 pm

                      Delusional right there.

            • The Al1en 14.1.1.2.1.2
              3 June 2019 at 9:01 pm

              I agree with that. Also…

              Should he be extradited to the usa for the leaks? – No, even though it's cowardly on his part after Manning served time.

              Should he go to Sweden, face up to the rape allegations and clear his name? – Yes.

              And if the Swedes don't bring charges and require him in court? – Once his 50 weeks are up, deport him to Australia.

            • Sam 14.1.1.2.1.3
              3 June 2019 at 9:04 pm

              It's a matter of public record that the U.S manufactured this whole situation. Could you even imagine how lonely the two alleged rape victims are right now knowing that the U.S is putting pressure on them and the Swedish state to produce results for the U.S. Are you even aware of your own ideology.

              • McFlock …
                3 June 2019 at 9:19 pm

                If that were the situation, he wouldn't have lost his extradition case.

                • Sam …
                  3 June 2019 at 9:31 pm

                  I don't know what you are talking about. It is still a matter of public record that America orchestrated the whole affair

                  • Morrissey …
                    3 June 2019 at 9:34 pm

                    Sam, you're wasting your energy—-four generations ago, you would have had similar satisfactioin trying to reason with a Soviet commissar during the Great Terror.

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:36 pm

                      I like it when you give sam encouragement.

                      Something sweet about a delusional encouraging a dunce.

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:43 pm

                      I'll leave Sam to comment on the "dunce" crack against him. Now, how am I "delusional" exactly?

                    • Sam …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:46 pm

                      dosnt help prove your theories McFlock

                    • McFlock …
                      3 June 2019 at 10:08 pm

                      Not my theories. I'm not the one claiming that he is innocent, or that he is guilty.

                      That's you guys claiming to know it's all a fabrication against poor, innocent Julian.

                    • Sam …
                      4 June 2019 at 7:21 am

                      All that comes off of your keyboard, McFlock (lol) is slow learner, bigot, nazi, transphob, apologist for Assad/Putin/Assange/Trump/Rape with some a's Ames and buts mixed in. Although these ideological utterances separates McFlock (lol) and I, he's still debating at a pretty high level. What does separate McFlock and I is McFlock debates with a bit more emotion. This is why McFlock will regularly spam 100 or 200 or 300 comments and regularly pops in some ad homing only to then fain outrage at being retaliated against. While being emotional like this is a weakness a bit like being raped, it is a weakness although probably due to a lack of discipline or experience. When people get overly emotional there IQ falls several points and are not able to think clearly especially in a rape crises where margins of error are basically non existent.

                      So there you have it guys, too very different debating styles let me know which one you'd prefer. So I'll just allow for the crowds to decide who won, the Pro Assange side (my side) or McFlock.

                    • Incognito []
                      4 June 2019 at 7:58 am

                      I prefer commenters who deal with the topic at hand and don’t go off reserve attacking other commenters. Sam, you’re at your best here when you genuinely debate the topic and leave out the personal insults. Just saying.

    • greywarshark 14.2
      3 June 2019 at 12:51 pm

      Calm down Morrissey – you are just spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria. We are up to our necks in it already. Please desist, take a deep breath, go out into the sun if you can find it, and dig the garden. Soothe yourself and don't exacerbate what we already have to put up with. We know what you know, we don't need to have it again brought up and shoved down our throats in large, violent gobstoppers.

      • Morrissey 14.2.1
        3 June 2019 at 3:57 pm

        … you are just spreading hate and vicious talk and hysteria.

        So it's ME that's shouting "rapist" at a political prisoner and laughing at his suffering?

        We know what you know, we don't need to have it again brought up and shoved down our throats in large, violent gobstoppers.

        Certainly I'll stop reminding people that these vicious people are moral cowards and flunkies—as soon as they stop posting their lies, smears, and their unfunny jokes about Assange's cat.

    • The Al1en 14.3
      3 June 2019 at 2:51 pm

      Only a fucked up single minded, played out, one trick pony would compare the Swedish judicial system to one lynching black people in the deep south of the fifties and sixties to push a support point for an alleged rapist who fled from justice because he dished shit on the yanks and in particular Hilary Clinton.

      Set the narrative however you want, but to borrow a phrase, rape enabling shitheel – Go fuck yourself yes

      • Adrian thornton 14.3.1
        3 June 2019 at 3:16 pm

        You mean this legal system… U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer on Assange…“In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time.”

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErW1taJEPrs

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErW1taJEPrs

        • The Al1en 14.3.1.1
          3 June 2019 at 3:26 pm

          The fuckup above compared the Jim Crow era with the modern day Swedish judiciary. If you want to agree with him on that point, and make excusing arguments for an alleged rapist who has done nothing to answer the allegations but fight extradition, lose, and run off to self imposed exile, so be it.

          • Sam 14.3.1.1.1
            3 June 2019 at 3:49 pm

            I think Morrissey has a point. Iv never heard of the U.S fighting so hard to have some one charged with rape since the Jim Crow days.

                • Morrissey …
                  3 June 2019 at 4:01 pm

                  And please tell us with a straight face: you would have supported those young black men and not backed the "authorities" and their army of media and society backers in calling for what they termed those "animals" to be executed.

                  • The Al1en …
                    3 June 2019 at 4:14 pm

                    Well some determined special little soldier is enjoying setting false narratives.

                    Me, I don't fall into traps, especially the pointedly obvious ones. I just like to state my point and if others twist it to whatever the see as their advantage, that's what free speech is all about.

                    You, in between being Mr Angry from Cheam and welded to your warrior keyboard spouting bullshit at those who don't agree with you can stay playing at chief R.E.S, but unlike the incarcerated alleged rapist and you, I'm off outside for a freedom walk in the sunshine.

                    • Morrissey …
                      3 June 2019 at 4:17 pm

                      Me, I don't fall into traps…

                      ?????

                      So what are you doing in a lynch mob?

              • Sam …
                3 June 2019 at 4:08 pm

                The ones that I was concerned about was the ones involving U.S military and bureaucrats raping and murdering female adults and minors on a systemic level. Here we have the hypocrisy of the u.s and its apologists going hard out for Julian Assange.

          • Adrian thornton 14.3.1.1.2
            3 June 2019 at 4:20 pm

            .What you are saying here?…that the UK govt spent millions of pounds watching and monitoring Assange for the sake of a couple of alleged rape cases?

            If you actually really believe this has anything whatsoever to do with those two woman in Sweden then (and I hate to be rude) you must be either extremely naive or extremely stupid

            • Morrissey 14.3.1.1.2.1
              3 June 2019 at 4:27 pm

              … you must be either extremely naive or extremely stupid

              He's neither of those, Adrian. He's simply chosen his gang, his mob, and is sticking with it. It's prideful and ornery behaviour, which we see from many others on this forum.

              He would indeed be stupid if he had been serious when he said to another member of that baying lynch-mob that he was sure that Assange will "get more support once he's faced and beaten the rape charges in a court of law."

              But I don't think he believed a word of that statement.

              • The Al1en …
                3 June 2019 at 5:55 pm

                Clearest case of projection you'll ever see on the internet from someone who, along with the same handful of regular Assange supporters/anti American/Clinton hating/Pro Putin bots, attempt to set their own narrative as default, shouting down any dissenting opinion with persistent insults, whataboutisms and an apparent mastery of the 'if you believe this' then 'you must believe that' trope.

                I personally don't give a fuck if you want to, by way of your habit, spend your lives trying to make your views the only line The Standard will tolerate airing. I think it's great that you have the ability to push shit uphill in public and long may that last, but you have to realise you're not the tone setter, nor the final word, and as long as you continue exhibiting your agenda, you're always gonna get push back, especially when you’re wrong and nutty as a fruit bar.

                As for starting topics with no other reasons apart from trolling, personal aggrandizing and the feel goods they obviously bring to someone like you, as you did here today, then they're just hit outs and no serious value can come from them. No points made, no minds changed, just internet fights for the bored of heart and simple of mind. Excellent to waste a few hours on, but ultimately pointless. Your success at it is also your biggest weakness, and you can’t even see it.

                • Morrissey …
                  3 June 2019 at 7:37 pm

                  Clearest case of projection you'll ever see on the internet…

                  "Projection"? Oh, I get it: you mean that the witness becomes the crime he's reporting on. Very hard to understand, I must confess, but I guess you're a philosopher, a thinker of some kind? Zen, is it?

                  from someone who, along with the same handful of regular Assange supporters/anti American/Clinton hating/Pro Putin bots, ….

                  Well, yes, I do support the right of journalists to report the crimes of governments. So you got the Assange supporter bit right. But "anti American"? You'll need to justify that charge, but I don't think you have the ability to do that. "Clinton hating"? I'm opposed to the Clintons, certainly—Bill, Hillary, and their foolish daughter; but I don't hate them. Hatred, the foulest vituperation and the most malignant defamation is what we see every day displayed here on this forum towards the world's most famous journalist and political dissident. Of all your allegations, the one that intrigued me the most was the one claiming that I'm a "Pro Putin bot." Боже, помоги мне! Я русский робот!

                • Adrian thornton …
                  3 June 2019 at 7:51 pm

                  @ The Al1en, You haven't answered my question… that the UK govt spent millions of pounds watching and monitoring Assange for the sake of a couple of alleged rape cases?

                  • The Al1en …
                    3 June 2019 at 8:49 pm

                    They would have done the same if it were David Beckham or Elton John who'd skipped bail and hid in an embassy.

                    • Adrian thornton …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:48 pm

                      Do you really think so?, you are saying that you actually believe that the UK govt would have spent seven years and millions of pounds watching David Beckham if he had skipped bail?…seriously.

                    • The Al1en …
                      3 June 2019 at 9:51 pm

                      Any high profile fugitive would have received similar observation.

                  • Morrissey …
                    3 June 2019 at 8:53 pm

                    Adrian, you're wasting your time with this fellow.

          • mauī 14.3.1.1.3
            3 June 2019 at 4:41 pm

            "…who has done nothing to answer the allegations but fight extradition…"

            Well that's not quite true, he was happy to be interviewed over the allegations and that only took 6 or 7 years for the authorities to get round to it even though they had the victim statements and the physical evidence. Once interviewed the case was quickly dropped thereafter.

            The alarm bells should be ring-a-ding-ling-a-ling that something is quite amiss here.

            • Adrian thornton 14.3.1.1.3.1
              3 June 2019 at 4:56 pm

              @maui, "The alarm bells should be ring-a-ding-ling-a-ling that something is quite amiss here"

              Yeah so you would think…..but strangely not for some.

        • Morrissey 14.3.1.2
          3 June 2019 at 3:36 pm

          He doesn't know what he means, Adrian.

        • RedLogix 14.3.1.3
          3 June 2019 at 5:04 pm

          And much closer to home in Australia we have another whistleblower being abused by the system. Note carefully his description of the debilitating stress of this:

          Mr Boyle said he lost his job, had a breakdown, suffered chronic insomnia and has had a series of stress-related heart issues.

          "I've had some dark moments," he said. "It's taken a huge toll on my mental health. I couldn't work. I couldn't sleep and my health spiralled into what I describe as a devastating situation."

          https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-03/ato-whistleblower-facing-prison-says-he-almost-died-from-stress/11167954

          And this for just one year.

          • Adrian thornton 14.3.1.3.1
            3 June 2019 at 5:38 pm

            Holy hell, that is one rough story, first time I have heard of it.

            " He alleged that some ATO staff were instructed to use an aggressive debt collection practice known as garnishee notices, which allows the ATO to seize funds from the bank accounts of Australian taxpayers without notice or consideration of their circumstances."

            I had business partner (long time ago) who had been audited by the IRD previous to out partnership, he told me it was the worst experience of his life, just under two years they took, said they looked into absolutely every facet of his life, and came up with SFA.

            The only thing good to come out of it was that his books where immaculate at the end of the ordeal (that was his joke)..more than can be said of mine!

            • RedLogix 14.3.1.3.1.1
              3 June 2019 at 5:54 pm

              In my modest experience the most corrosive aspect of this kind of stress is the constant threat, uncertainty and instability. Until you've been through something like it for an extended period, most people have no fucking clue what it's like.

              • Adrian thornton …
                3 June 2019 at 7:45 pm

                Yes that is true, although in no way as serious, I had a pretty serious burn out about fifteen years ago, brought on by small business stress, financial insecurity, young family, to way much work etc..what I learnt was, that when you step over that invisible line that many people are teetering on, you don't get to step back…it took me many years to fully recover, it was brutal.

                That burn out, although terrible has had one very positive effect on my life, it gave me a very real insight into mental health both though my experience and through the reading I did on the subject when I was going through it.

                Hence my utter disgust at the treatment of Assange, right out in the open, right in front of our eyes, and what makes it even worse is it is done with the total support of nearly all media, history won't judge this period well I think.

              • Anne …
                3 June 2019 at 8:44 pm

                Until you've been through something like it for an extended period, most people have no fucking clue what it's like.

                Tell me about it. It isn't a common experience so makes it even harder for people to understand the effects.

                And I agree with Adrian thornton. While I don't take sides on the Assange affair, I do have sympathy for his current predicament no matter if he was responsible (in part at least) for bringing it about. The stress of isolation, being surrounded by enemies and the fear for his life is not only hugely debilitating but it is inevitable paranoia will set in as well – something the authorities after his blood are only too well aware.

  16. mosa 16
    3 June 2019 at 1:04 pm

    As the funding has now run out for cleaning up the pollution disaster on the West coast and the volunteers have had to resort to a give a little page to beg for donations to help stem a situation that will take the the next few years and a lot more than $300.000 put up by the government to sort this mess out it points too a larger problem on our back door step the Pacific.

    Tipping point for Pacific waste problems – SPREP

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/391106/tipping-point-for-pacific-waste-problems-sprep

    • greywarshark 16.1
      3 June 2019 at 9:28 pm

      If government wasn't so busy fudging unecployment stats, in concert with OECD, they might make some Task Force Green action groups up from willing workers and give them a West Coast working holiday.

  17. greywarshark 17
    3 June 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Yesterday we were talking about bringing sexual cases to justice and murder being covered up. I talked about Betty in Canada,

    This morning on Radionz doco roundup the reviewer Sarah referred to ROLL RED ROLL is the true story of the Stubenville rape case – and how concerned journalists pulled the story together and pushed for prosecution.

    I thought this was an important documentation and a sterling job by journalists to assemble unassailable facts that honour the live taken and dishonour the awful amoral system in Stubenville. So keep an eye out for it.

    Sarah McMullan: Doc Edge Film Festival

    Film Reviewer Sarah McMullan has checked out Doc Edge 2019: a festival of documentaries and will be talking about her top picks, including THE MENS ROOM, an all male Norwegian choir that prides itself on its beer-drinking ability and beards, who is asked to open for Black Sabbath – but that's not the only surprise they get. A NZ film that picked up two festival awards for its tale of six strangers walking the 800km Camino de Santiago (Camino Skies) Is 2019 the year of the asshole? ASSHOLE: A THEORY attempts to answer that question, while HALF THE PICTURE asks why are there so few women directing film and TV? What's going on and how do we change it?

    And ROLL RED ROLL is the true story of the Stubenville rape case – and how concerned journalists pulled the story together and pushed for prosecution.

    Have to go.

  18. Sacha 18
    3 June 2019 at 1:26 pm

    Selling the UK’s National Health Service to US corporations would cap off the grand brexit plan..

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/02/us-wants-access-to-nhs-in-post-brexit-deal-ambassador-to-uk-says

    And how lucky are we that our last govt did not try the same here after the Australian insurance industry turned down the chance to own part of our ACC system.

  19. greywarshark 19
    3 June 2019 at 1:43 pm

    Morrissey

    My search isn't working and I can't find quickly where I said to you to ease up. Thinking about it I still feel the same, but recognise that I am in the same place so am going to follow my advice to you. If I can I will stay away from TS for a while and perhaps the news!

  20. Incognito 20
    3 June 2019 at 2:07 pm

    Children left too long on devices can build their own reality inside their head and trying to dissuade them from their beliefs instead of fact can be impossible. It is called Cognitive Dissonance.

    Not just children.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/opinion/113198575/children-need-to-learn-to-speak-well-to-function-in-society

    • greywarshark 20.1
      3 June 2019 at 11:06 pm

      Parents under stress, financially and time poor, don't have time to have lovely little conversations with their children. They have to be up early and dump their kids at school while they go to their poorly paid jobs and worry about explaining why their kids can't take part in things because their shoes, equipment are broken, stolen, or whatever.

      They aren't meant to enjoy life because if they are strugglers and not getting enough to live on, its probably because they don't try enough. If they are on a benefit, ditto, and the immoral filter is applied to the Welfare view of them and happiness would mean that they were enjoying life on the benefit and the point is for them to get unhappy to get the lazy buggers out in the workforce where it is a cliche' that employment will be the motivator for them to be happy and successful

      When I was at school what gave you 'class' was to be good at sport. Reading and expression and comprehension was second to that. So advice from the professionals needs to be more than exhortion – it could be how to initiate discussion on something at the meal table; what happened at school, what was new, how the kids' friends are getting on, whether their child is getting on, something that is coming to town and sounds interesting, ideas for their plot in the garden. My grandchildren often talk garbage at the table, turning it into some sort of game. Talking isn't the problem, they never stop or they sing. It's like being at a circus. Just some time together talking about something that interests them all and keeps them thinking about staying at the table and eating the meal would be good. They could vote for their favourite meal and plan meals for the weekend even.

  21. Morrissey 21
    3 June 2019 at 3:48 pm

    "We do trust the judiciary to be independent and impartial…. I do trust Lt General’s Mateparae and Jones."

    DR. WAYNE MAPP: I am pretty sure that most members of the current government also believe that the UK and Sweden have an independent judiciary. I would have thought it is axiomatic that one of the fundamental principles of our democratic system is that we do trust the judiciary to be independent and impartial, even if they do make mistakes from time to time. Since you mention Afghanistan, it will not have escaped your notice that I thought an independent Inquiry was necessary as soon as it was apparent there were credible allegations of civilian casualties (by Jon Stephenson in 2014 in his programme on Maori TV). But nevertheless, I do trust Lt General’s Mateparae and Jones.

    MORRISSEY BREEN: In the 1930s people like you counselled concerned Germans to trust jurists like Roland Freisler.

    DR. WAYNE MAPP: The Nazi comparison is offensive, as well you know. But not unsurprising from you.

    MORRISSEY BREEN: All right, then: people like you counselled concerned Soviet citizens to trust jurists like Andrey Vyshinsky, and to trust that jury in Florida in 2013.

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-02-06-2019/#comment-1623996

    Unfortunately, this kind of horrifying expression of faith in the "justice system" is not limited to former Ministers of "Defence"…. https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/chris-trotter-reckons-zimmerman-jury.html

  23. MickeyBoyle 23
    3 June 2019 at 7:15 pm

    The ALP has taken a turn right in Australia, they are now pro coal and anti Nauru asylum seekers. And all their climate policies are now under review. Albanese has said that the Australian public are clearly right of the current Labour position, so the ALP must go right to meet them. Not great news for progressives in Australia.

    • Morrissey 23.1
      3 June 2019 at 7:55 pm

      "In Canberra last week I met some Australian members of parliament. It gave me hope, because until I heard them speak I had always thought that Israel’s right wing politicians were the worst. —-(LAUGHTER)— I’ve never heard any Israeli politician speak about the Palestinian people the way that those Australian politicians did. But they are Australia’s problem, not mine. (LAUGHTER) I spoke with the Australian foreign minister; she talked and she was very nice but we could not agree on anything." (LAUGHTER)

      —- Gideon Levy, speaking in Auckland, Dec. 3, 2017

      https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/unbelievable-brutality-day-after-day.html

  24. Morrissey 24
    3 June 2019 at 8:05 pm

    "SCUM! Russian SCUM!!!" (Keith Olberman going nuts)

    "We are at war with Russia!" he rants, hilariously. (Apologies to The Al1en, Andre and all the other conspiracy theorists on this mostly excellent site.)

  25. Sacha 25
    3 June 2019 at 8:59 pm

    Can a moderator please take out the trash. It's stinking up the place.

  26. greywarshark 26
    3 June 2019 at 9:23 pm

    In Nelson we have had big paper advertisements for energyclub nz offering low this and that on electricity retail. I don't respond to cheapest, I don't trust big business and I haven't caught up with this company yet. Can someone who knows give me a quick low-down?

  27. greywarshark 27
    3 June 2019 at 10:50 pm

    Chris Trotter at Bryan Bruce's town hall meeting for The People's Budget.

    https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/100017/chris-trotter-says-left-can-detail-many-privations-too-many-our-citizens-they-cant

    Chris Trotter says the left can detail the many privations of too-many of our citizens. But they can't figure out why poverty, inequality, homelessness and environmental despoliation are happening, so their political message doesn't connect

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  • The teacher trainee challenge
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 hours ago

  • Words and (in)actions
    New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision   Michael Reddell writes –  When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago

  • What do you hope for/fear from the budget?
    Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on ACT’s charter schools experiment
    If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    9 hours ago

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 16
    Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago

  • Controversial proposal could threaten coalition
    The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    14 hours ago

  • Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
    As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    21 hours ago

  • The future of Nick's Kōrero.
    This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
    Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when  the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Fucking useless
    Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • Setting things straight.
    Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Far too light a sentence
    David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Unwinding Labour’s Agenda
    Muriel Newman writes –  Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”
    Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to Parliament
    Bryce Edwards writes –  The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day
    An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • NZUP RORS back to life
    The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • School Is Out.
    School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • How Are You Doing?
    Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
    I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Talking Reo with the PM
    “The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...
    Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.  The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Australia jails another whistleblower
    In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Some “scrutiny”!
    Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidated
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • The conflicted Covid Chair
    David Farrar writes –  Kata MacNamara reports:    Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
    Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer coming
    RNZ reports –  It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • The climate battleground heats up
    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14
    The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic
    To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive
    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Wayne Brown’s PT Plan
    Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • Potaka's Private Universe.
    And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Our slow regional councils
    The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law after all
    Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Change in Catalonia?
    or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a vote
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Perhaps house prices don’t always go up
    Don Brash writes –  There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?
    Mike Grimshaw writes –  At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Time for some perspective
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
    Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Popup Photos!
    Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • The Gods Must Be Woke.
    Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • More road
    We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Seeing the Aurora Australis
    There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago

  • Welcome to the current welfare mess
    Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • A shovel-ready autopsy
    Oliver Hartwich writes –  Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Why we almost blacked out and how to fix it
    TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
    Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and Gollum
    Back in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Do We Need a Population Census?
    ‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...
    Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • The Treasury and productivity
    Late last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • The Controller and Auditor-General’s role
    Peter Dunne writes –  I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • More harm than good
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos   Chris Trotter writes –  TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour
    And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction?   Gary Judd writes –  Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
    Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationship
    New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.  “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019.  “It is my pleasure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New Caledonia
    New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.  “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of State
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card funding
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Further sanctions against Russia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • One year on from Loafers Lodge
    A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaboration
    New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says.    “This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Penk travels to Peru for trade meetings
    Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Minister attends global education conferences
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA Chair
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
    New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.   This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Panel announced for review into disability services
    Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister welcomes Police gang unit
    Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners.  “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Chief of Defence Force appointed
    Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government puts children first by repealing 7AA
    Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, Italy
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