Open mike 03/08/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 3rd, 2019 - 64 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

64 comments on “Open mike 03/08/2019 ”

  1. johnm 1

    Capitalists have claimed responsibility for America’s past economic success. Let’s begin by setting the record straight. American success had little to do with capitalism. This is not to say that the US would have had more success with something like Soviet central planning.

    Prior to 1900 when the frontier was closed, America’s success was a multi-century long success based on the plunder of a pristine environment and abundant natural resources. Individuals and companies were capitalized simply by occupying the land and using the resources present.

    As the population grew and resources were depleted, the per capita resource endowment declined.

    America got a second wind from World War I, which devastated European powers and permitted the emergence of the US as a budding world power. World War II finished off Europe and put economic and financial supremacy in Washington’s hands. The US dollar seized the world reserve currency role from the British pound, enabling the US to pay its bills by printing money. The world currency role of the dollar, more than nuclear weapons, has been the source of American power. Russia has equal or greater nuclear weapons power, but it is the dollar not the ruble that is the currency in which international payments are settled.

    https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/08/01/americas-collapse-2-in-a-series/

    [Added quote marks. When quoting text verbatim you must include quote marks and a link and preferably an acknowledgment too. Similarly, when posting video clips you must include a reason and/or explanation what it is about and why they should watch it. You have warned before, e.g. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-06-2019/#comment-1632321, and this is your final warning before you go the same way as another commenter here who used to do similar things and who continued to do so after repeated warnings. To spell it out for you: you are inching closer to a permanent ban – Incognito]

    • Dennis Frank 1.1

      American success had little to do with capitalism. Then you contradict yourself: "World War II finished off Europe and put economic and financial supremacy in Washington’s hands. The US dollar seized the world reserve currency role from the British pound, enabling the US to pay its bills by printing money. The world currency role of the dollar, more than nuclear weapons, has been the source of American power."

      Arguable that the nuclear threat empowers the superpower less than their capitalist system. I think the success of the USA post-WWII is due to both equally. Why did the rest of the world choose the US dollar as world currency? Tacit psychology. Trust that it works better as a medium of exchange than any other contender…

    • The Al1en 1.2

      Why no quote marks? The text is a straight rip from the link.

    • Incognito 1.3

      See my Moderation note @ 7:10 AM.

    • JO 1.4

      This interesting book review from yesterday; standing further back from history can widen the field of vision. Of course the guy in the white house wants to go to Mars:
      https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/31/the-end-of-the-myth-by-greg-grandin-review

      'For the men who would later be mythologised as the “Founding Fathers”, conquest – the right of white settlers to seize whatever land they wanted – was from the start inseparable from liberty. Freedom, in the American sense of the word, was unimaginable without the frontier, limitless land for the taking just beyond the boundaries of the known.'

  2. johnm 2

    Climate Scientist Jason Box: “Our Economic System Is Crashing With Reality”

  3. Dennis Frank 3

    The Greens annual conference and AGM is being held this weekend. A Stuff reporter gets the gist from our co-leaders:

    "The sinking of the Government's flagship KiwiBuild policy may also hold a silver lining for the Greens and its housing goal. The agreement lists a rent to own scheme or similar progressive ownership model to be developed and now KiwiBuild is being "reset" this could be a good opportunity. It is understood the Greens and Housing Minister Megan Woods are currently talking about this." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114721355/green-party-coleaders-set-to-tell-members-we-want-to-do-more-with-housing-inequality-and-climate-change

    Intriguing and good to see they are taking the initiative with the coalition. I'm hoping we'll get more than navel-gazing out of the conference. They failed to give me any reason to attend, so I figured I've got plenty of better things to do. Wish them well tho..

    • solkta 3.1

      I'm fairly sure the failure is on your part.

      • Dennis Frank 3.1.1

        Could be. Expecting more from them than I'm getting. If you're going, how about giving us a report of your impressions, when you get back.

    • Gabby 3.2

      The whole ownership thing is dumb. Focus on decent rentals priced to undercut private landlords.

  4. johnm 4

    Four Horsemen – Feature Documentary – Official Version

    • Incognito 4.1

      That’s 1:38:53 long; what is it about and why is it worth watching?

      Four Horsemen – Feature Documentary – Official Version

      That is a meaningless non-self-explanatory caption.

        • greywarshark 4.1.1.1

          HR? Some people might not know.

          • Dennis Frank 4.1.1.1.1

            In corporate-speak, Human Resources. Struck me as a clever joke (unless it means something else). I was obliged to interact with one or two of the TVNZ HR drones in the '90s due to my somewhat-stroppy attitude. One needs to be able to finesse their attempts to file people into typical categories…

      • Dennis Frank 4.1.2

        He's an Ed. But at least Ed did serve up some reason to post his links – this guy has so much contempt for readers of TS that he is incapable of conceiving such courtesy. I see it as a combination of Jungian projection with a variant of virtue-signalling. He assumes readers share his desire to promote whatever virtue he perceives in the links. Classic narcissism: the subject's interior world totally displaces the world we share…

        • Incognito 4.1.2.1

          You might be interested to see my Moderation note I just left under the comment @ 1.

          I am pleased to see that you didn’t bring up the sockpoppet allegation because my antibody titres against that are sky-high 😉

    • gsays 4.2

      Great documentary movie.

      Puts the banks, fractional reserve banking and politics under the microscope.

      I thoroughly recommend it.

      • Dennis Frank 4.2.1

        Ah, thought it rang a bell in the back of my mind. I did watch that years ago & agree it was worth the time spent (even though I had long been familiar with the back story).

    • Dennis Frank 5.1

      Google finds 22.3 million web pages if you search health effects of 5g. Bit of a groundswell, but ignore the rabble. You'll be ok.

      “The radio wave band – used for mobile phone networks – is non-ionising, “which means it lacks sufficient energy to break apart DNA and cause cellular damage,” says David Robert Grimes, physicist and cancer researcher. Higher up the electromagnetic spectrum, well beyond those frequencies used by mobile phones, there are clear health risks from extended exposure.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48616174

      The report does suggest a serious risk to male rats, so some of the more rabid kiwibloggers may get eliminated…

      • alwyn 5.1.1

        "Google finds 22.3 million web pages if you search health effects of 5g"

        Is that all? I tried "Trump is an alien" and got 328 million. Nearly 15 times as many. Surely that must be interpreted as meaning there aren't any health effects from 5g if hardly anyone seems to care?

        • Dukeofurl 5.1.1.1

          ""Trump is an alien"

          So little you know about Google searches Alwrong.

          You can see from the first page of those 328 mill things like :

          Alien hunters at Area 51

          Vanity Fair 'Please let it be Aliens and not Trumps Space Force'

          learn how to use google, when you search for exact phrase "trump is an Alien" you only get 112,000 results.

          • alwyn 5.1.1.1.1

            But I was using the exact method that Dennis Frank used. Why do you not tell him that he should have enclosed his phrase in quotation marks?

            After all, if I search for "health effects of 5g" I only get 34,300 hits. That is of course much less than the 20+ million that he quoted.

            I was using exactly the same method that he was. What is wrong with that?

        • Incognito 5.1.1.2

          How to use Google 101: if you include the quotation marks you’ll get about 113,000 results. This is because you search for this exact word or phrase. Have you ever used the Advanced Search settings? Very handy!

          • alwyn 5.1.1.2.1

            Note my reply to Dukeofurl just above.

            • Incognito 5.1.1.2.1.1

              Sure. I read comments in the back-end and they are in reverse order without the context of the discussion thread. In fact, I read the all comments of all posts lumped together in reverse chronological order. In between, I write the odd comment myself, occasionally, but mostly I keep an eye on things as moderator – the two are almost mutually exclusive, to me at least.

              • alwyn

                Jesus! I am amazed that you can make any sense of anything. I certainly don't think I would be able to do it.

                I now see, on the other hand, how you can respond to comments so quickly. I found it a real pain when I couldn't find, easily, my own recent comments so that I could see if a response should be given. Getting that back is wonderful. I only have to find my own comments though.

                • Incognito

                  You put the finger on the pain point, which is that I cannot make much sense of anything unless I concentrate really hard and pay much attention – very tiring if not exhausting to combine with a demanding life outside or alongside TS. The back-end works well for moderation but not for commenting (the editor is different too). I find myself spending a lot of time and energy here and not nearly enjoying it as much as I used to when I was merely commenting and joining in the conversations. The technical aspect is only one factor; the other issue that it is almost impossible to disentangle oneself from being a ‘player’ in a ‘game’ to become the ‘referee/umpire’ and make fair and neutral decisions to protect the ‘game’. Maybe I’m taking it all too seriously; it wouldn’t be the first time. One thing that helps though is that I am anonymous and that lowers the personal involvement; I can turn off the device and walk away from it without a lingering emotional connection, which is much harder to do in real life, for me at least.

                  You have to thank Lynn, of course, for the search function and the smooth running of the site. You know that you can click on Replies on the RH side to see whether anybody has replied to one of your comments, don’t you? It does not work when threads get too long because the nesting of comments only goes so deep before the reply button disappears.

      • Dukeofurl 5.1.2

        A lot of starnge stuff around about 5G . Because the spectrum they will use in US is high frequency it wont provide much performance away from cell sites.
        this part of the Niwa incorrect claim as the bands will be FR2. Im surprised they failed to check even wikipedia over this

        I understand other countries will be using lower frequencies including this 2.5Ghz band in NZ. ( known in the jargon as FR1)

        Im not sure of this but one of the reasons for 5G faster downloads is the 'broader bands' used for reception

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G_NR_frequency_bands

  5. joe90 6

    .Perhaps it's time for the left to start investing in this strategy, too. Or we kill facebook.

    The lobbying firm run by Boris Johnson’s close ally Sir Lynton Crosby has secretly built a network of unbranded “news” pages on Facebook for dozens of clients ranging from the Saudi government to major polluters, a Guardian investigation has found.

    In the most complete account yet of CTF Partners’ outlook and strategy, current and former employees of the campaign consultancy have painted a picture of a business that appears to have professionalised online disinformation, taken on a series of controversial clients and faced incidents of misogynistic bullying in its headquarters.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/01/revealed-johnson-allys-firm-secretly-ran-facebook-propaganda-network

    Facebook said it shut down 265 fake accounts run by an Israeli social media company on Thursday for engaging in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” as it sought to affect politics in African, Latin American and Southeast Asian nations.

    The move, while underscoring the increasingly global nature of social media disinformation campaigns, was unusual for singling out a company that appeared to profit from its publicized work to spread falsehoods online. Archimedes Group, the Israeli company, claims the ability to “use every tool and take every advantage available in order to change reality according to our client’s wishes.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/05/16/facebook-shuts-down-israel-based-disinformation-campaigns-election-manipulation-increasingly-goes-global/

    A pair of Toronto city councillors hired a scrappy political strategist to wage a multi-front PR campaign after CBC News ran stories examining their ties to local developers, with one of the councillors privately making threatening comments about a CBC reporter and compiling a "research" dossier on him and political foes, according to allegations in a lawsuit.

    […]

    The PR campaign was to include complaints to CBC about its reporting, slipping "pertinent information" to competing media, arranging for letters to the editor to be signed by the councillors' friends and relatives, and the creation of "myriad" websites and social media accounts promoting the politicians and their message and attacking a past electoral rival.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/di-ciano-grimes-kinsella-lawsuit-allegations-1.5183813

  6. Stuart Munro. 7

    A healthy contrast to the pussyfooting so common in contemporary politics:

    'Is working with National after the election next year off the table?'

    James Shaw: "Yes, absolutely. I would never empower someone with as little personal integrity as Simon Bridges to become Prime Minister."

    • Sacha 7.1

      Delivered without the slightest hesitation, too. I guess it does not rule out working with a party head who has more integrity than Bridges.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 7.1.1

        Collins? Bennett? Mitchell? Luxton? Is the intersection of 'Bridges and his potential replacements' with 'people having a high level of personal integrity' an empty set?

  7. greywarshark 8

    This morning on Radionz (great piece on new discovery about treatment of one type of cancer) that the Malaghan Institute was founded by the owner of Tip Top (died 1967 of Hodgkin's disease).

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018707063/breakthrough-cancer-treatment-coming-to-new-zealand

    Malaghan Institute: https://www.malaghan.org.nz/our-history/

    The concept of a Wellington-based, independent medical research institute was first proposed in the early 1960s. At that time, relatively little medical research was carried out in New Zealand due to a lack of facilities and support by hospital boards.

    Using funds from a trust established by the Wellington Medical Research Foundation and the Wellington Division of the Cancer Society, the Wellington Cancer and Medical Research Institute was opened on 26 July 1979, in rented premises in the Wellington School of Medicine.

    In 1986, the name of the Institute was changed to the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in recognition of the generous support by Len and Ann Malaghan. Two decades later, the Institute relocated to a purpose-built facility at Victoria University of Wellington.

    The philanthropy of the Malaghan family has continued to benefit others over the years. https://www.malaghan.org.nz/news/celebrating-three-generations-of-philanthropy/

    And the connection with cancer and the Malaghan Institute is Tip-Top Icecream. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_Top_(ice_cream)

    History. In 1936 Albert Hayman and Len Malaghan opened their first ice cream parlour in Manners Street, Wellington, New Zealand followed in the same year by a second milk bar in Wellington, and one in Dunedin. Tip Top Ice Cream Company was registered as a manufacturing company in 1936…

    In November 1962, Hayman and Malaghan opened the biggest and most technically advanced ice cream factory in the Southern Hemisphere, built at Mount Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand. The Tip Top factory included staff houses and 20 acres (81,000 m2) of farm land overlooking the Southern Motorway and cost NZ$700,000. Prime Minister Keith Holyoake attended the opening ceremony.

    By 1964 the Company had expanded to such an extent that a parent company was formed, General Foods Corporation (NZ) Limited. It was rated as one of the soundest investments on the stock exchange and other companies were quick to note its potential.

    https://www.nzicecream.org.nz/history-nz-trans-tasman.htm

    In this link it shows how Tip Top changed hands six times from 1968 when Watties acquired control to the 2001 'mega-merger'.

    June 2001 – The 'mega-merger' of Kiwi, NZ Co-op Dairy Co. and the NZ Dairy Board formed a huge new dairy company, Fonterra. Fonterra inherited the ice cream businesses and brands; Tip Top, New American and Peters (WA and NZ).

    2019 Fonterra sold Tip Top to Froneri (the pureplay ice cream company.. I just love these terms that business invent.)

    FRONERI is a global pureplay ice cream company. Froneri is widely diversified across the world, operating in 20 countries. Froneri offers the full suite of ice cream products, from dairy ice cream to water ice, sorbet and organic ice cream, and from tubs to sticks to cones to name a few.

    We need to develop a co-operative system as they have in Spain – the Mondragon group. We are concentrating on making things for export and we have to pay world prices for things made or grown here. To strengthn the country we have to have a domestic market that prices for the domestic market and it seems to me the only way we will get that is starting a NZ co-operative belonging to NZs who look to buy product from the organisation, and possibly work in it. If we don't divorce ourselves from the wealthy and self-interested, we will continue to see our living standards decline – we will be forced to live simply because of a desire by the wealthy to refuse equality to the population inparticipating in the country's economy, and its jobs and wages, and distribution of the proceeds of trading and taxation in a fair manner.

    Business has no long-term commitment to this country and growing our own strengths at all. The present system has enabled this white-anting of our enterprise and resources. Yet look at who are in the top wealth bracket in the world, the people who have worked as family, and kept hold of their stuff.

    This morning Luxon of AirNZ commented on how costly it has been to get a presence in Argentina, an awareness of the country and the company. He mentioned being confused with shoe polish and some other product.

    This is the result of a lack of prowess by NZ business leaders and politicians. When we lost our Kiwi name to the Kiwi polish we should have then bought it back and patented it, but no too timid and short-sighted. Perhaps we could wait for the crash and then leap out and buy our name for peanuts. Those who play the share market know you can get great leverage then.

    From local Tip Top Ice Cream we have a valuable research institute looking into cancer, the Malaghan Institute. What of lasting benefit to the country's social infrastructure do we get from the baby boomers?

    • Ad 8.1

      "What of lasting benefit to the country's social infrastructure do we get from the baby boomers?"

      – Air New Zealand

      – Kiwisaver

      – Kiwibank

      – Massive motorway system

      – ACC, Pharmac

      – Most electricity generators

      – Fibre optic cable to most houses

      – Modern health system

      – Corruption-free government

      – MMP

      – Some earthquake rebuilds over 60 years

      – Most national parks

      – Well regulated and functioning society

      Ask the same question about millenials, and you're getting to Robertson and Ardern and Shaw: different answer.

      • Stuart Munro. 8.1.1

        Corruption free government? Try that line with the householders ripped off by EQC and its subsidiaries. Look closely at any privatization of public assets and you'll find corruption, not service improvement is the driver. Prior to Rogergnomics we had low corruption, now the Panama Papers is the operating norm.

        • Ad 8.1.1.1

          Us and Denmark: most corruption-free countries in the world, and have been for a while.

          Boomers formed all the structures, and they broke some of them. We're still a well regulated and functioning society anyway.

          • Stuart Munro. 8.1.1.1.1

            It's a spurious statistic with no objective backing, hence the title CPI. https://www.transparency.org.nz/corruption-perceptions-index/

            Yet you'd go to prison for many of the commonplaces of NZ corruption in some administrations – the insider trading Key performed with NZRail shares, the misappropriation of Hubbard's wealth, the theft of public assets like the electricity infrastructure and private ones like the fisheries quota management system. The revolving doors between former ministers and well paid sinecures, gross instances of graft like the appointment of unqualified directors like Jenny Shipley to the NZ funded Asian Infrastructure Bank, and the systematic and deliberate non-enforcement of immigration rules on unskilled labour and so forth.

            NZ really has no cause to boast of its corruption status anymore, in fact it's due for a clean out.

      • greywarshark 8.1.2

        Every one of your list is cracked Ad. They have been attempts to meet the standards of a modern first world society, yes. But there are huge numbers of people who are in poverty, no decent housing, no reliable jobs to look forward to with two days off in the weekend if they want them to be with family, join in community; this means that the benefits above arise from having reduced the benefits to those who have been designated unworthy. That is what the baby boomers have passed on to the young ones today, the degraded society that the early colonials sailed here to rise above, and the treatment that was meted out in the early 30's in Germany to those designated as unsuitable citizens.

      • Anne 8.1.3

        Corruption-free government? You have to be joking. Ok, not as bad as many other countries but to say we are corruption free is ludicrous. I witnessed a few things during my many years in the Public Service and others will have too. For obvious reasons I cannot elaborate.

        Well regulated and functioning society? It might have started off that way but in the past 30 years it has gone downhill.

        Robertson and Ardern and company have yet to make their mark. Eighteen months in power is not long enough to produce anything concrete and permanent.

        For pity’s sake give them time!

        • Ad 8.1.3.1

          Corruption free compared to any other country on earth. Us and Denmark.

          Boomers formed a well regulated society.

          There's no pity in politics. Ardern and Robertson have got 8 more months before it all goes on the line again, and everyone can see they're dodging most of the hard stuff.

          • Anne 8.1.3.1.1

            I vividly recall the Winebox years. By dint of a former association with a person who was close to the main culprits, I picked up on the nature of the dirty practices before it became generally known. I think I read every book and article written about the era and the level of corruption was mind boggling – at least for a country which had previously been free from such practices.

            That the culprits (all filthy rich and powerful) were never prosecuted is an indictment on the establishment (including the police) of this country. Given the perpetrators stole millions of NZ taxpayers’ money that response in itself was worthy of an investigation.

            And the huge irony… some of those involved were instrumental in setting up the "Association of Consumers and Tax Payers" – the ACT Party.

            I consider that period set the scene for the introduction of the often corrupt practices that exist today (look at some of the antics of the previous Key government) and which are now accepted by many as normal.

            As far as Ardern and Robertson are concerned… I agree they must have something solid to present to the public by the end of next year, but I'm optimistic it will happen even if their efforts are still in the process of being fully realised.

      • marty mars 8.1.4

        yeah the National Parks just fell out of the air fully formed with no one in them yay thanks baby boomers lol

        • Ad 8.1.4.1

          Ain't no new national parks generated by millennials. You can check thee years they were legislated.

          • weka 8.1.4.1.1

            I suspect marty is referring to people who predate the Boomers by quite a long time.

            • marty mars 8.1.4.1.1.1

              ad is just being his annoyingly ignorant self – part of his poke with a stick game – I'm sure he isn't as thick as he portrays but you never know

      • Sacha 8.1.5

        Some of those things were built by the previous generation, not the boomers who inherited them.

  8. aj 9

    Rainy day, but a well spent hour watching The Great Hack on Netflix. Highly recommended.

    It's quite clear from this outstanding doco that the deluge of anti-Hillary and pro-Brexit content sent out to groups of voters, based on the data mining (conducted primarily from Facebook) by Cambridge Analytica was the prime reason for the Trump and Brexit result. Not to mention the practise runs in a large number of other minor countries in the lead up.

    Noam Chomksy et al would be correct in saying that any Russian 'meddling' would be inconsequential compared to that.

    • weka 9.1

      I've only watched the first 20 or so minutes. Did the Trump team hire in Google and FB staff to help them with that? There was a bit about where the Google/FB people sat in the room, but it wasn't explained in depth in that part.

      • I feel love 9.1.1

        The "Black lives matter" stuff was amazing, a way to divide the country. It made me think of the ChCh terror attack and how his intention was to divide and stir shit, it made me think Adern really did an amazing job of shutting that down compared to what went on in the U.S.

      • aj 9.1.2

        I don't think there was direct collusion between political candidates/parties but there was between parties and Cambridge Analytica (and it's parent company SCL*). It's well worth watching the full doco.

        *SCL’s involvement in the political world has been primarily in the developing world where it has been used by the military and politicians to study and manipulate public opinion and political will. It uses what have been called “psy ops” to provide insight into the thinking of the target audience. SCL claimed to be able to help foment coups. According to its website, SCL has influenced elections in Italy, Latvia, Ukraine, Albania, Romania, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius, India, Indonesia, The Philippines,Thailand, Taiwan, Colombia, Antigua, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Trinidad & Tobago.vWhile the company initially got involved in elections in the United Kingdom, it ceased to do so after 1997 because staff members did not exhibit the same "aloof sensibility" as with projects abroad.SCL claims that its methodology has been approved or endorsed by agencies of the Government of the United Kingdom and the Federal government of the United States, among others.

        The ‘black lives’ comments were interesting, but not really election related. The targeting of derogatory Clinton adverts to certain Facebook groups as a consequence of the data mining would rate as very directly affecting the election.

  9. Eco maori 10

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Condolences to Sir Brian Lachore whanau he was a awesome ambassador for Rugby and Aotearoa he was A True Kiwi humble but hard .

    Its good for Wahine who want a abortion to get one without breaking the law that is stupid that being a criminal offense. Its Its their BODY Thanks to our Coalition Governments for putting up the new law to be voted on by our MPs .

    A big heavy Snow Storm in the South Island of Aotearoa Te wai pounamu the tamariki and skiers will be happy the farmers not so happy .

    12 new Radiation machines to help detect cancer earlier its good to detect cancer quickly to cure it and keep cancer at bay.

    Jamie Shaw is a awesome Green Party Co leader like Marama .Ka kite ano

  10. Eco maori 11

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    There is a reason Im not commenting on Ihumatao WHY because the police will try and blame some of the issues with the larger numbers of Tangata whenua being there on Eco Maori. What are they touting guns there for its a peaceful protest are they trying to stir up tangata whenua emotion.

    More Ports on Waihike Island we need to protect our sea shore and sea environments.

    Ka pai to our tangata whenua contemporary Artist the theme is the effects of colonialism I agree about it being oppressive and bad for the native people. I our tamariki mana will get the changes needed for JUSTICE.

    I ,,, Eco Maori will go to Anglican Church for prayer I love it that the Church includes tangata whenua cultural as part of its Cultural ka pai.

    Herds Eco Maori tau toko Herbs Im just to distract to have time to scan good Aotearoa Music and Musicians it will be a awesome Movie I will definitely watch it

    Ka kite ano

    P.S they thought I was bluffing yesterday Yea right

  11. Eco maori 12

    Kia ora The Am Show

    Wellington has the fittest people in Aotearoa that's cool.

    What did national do to improve the treatment of cancer not very much actually .Not a problem for them they would all get private treatment if they had signs of cancer of cancer or any other ailment.

    I agree with Doctor Jackson strong central leadership like you say the DHB act as individuals and not a collective they worry about their budgets so they put off buying expensive equipment.

    Duncan David doesn't have a magical tool to make changes to OUR Health system happen over night Papatuanuku was not built in a day.

    Snow on the beach in down South Island it is cooler in Hawksbay to .This extreme shifting in the weather dosen't go against Global Warming these events confirme Our Scientists predictions of the effects of Human Caused Climate Change.

    Lydia rise in the Golfing Papatuanuku helped lift the profile of Wahine golf Papatuanuku wide she lifted a lot of young Wahine golfers as well Kia kaha lydia.
    The Greens should not team up with national became they would just stuff them up like they did to the Maori Party

  12. Eco maori 13

    Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.

    https://youtu.be/7wPLW7G1J_w

    The Movie is being released soon for Herbs the Band in Aotearoa

  13. Eco maori 14

    Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.

    https://youtu.be/h4DFXUndvbw

  14. Eco maori 15

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Its quite cold here in Eskmount we had a light dusting of Snow this morning.

    Its good making that statement about abortion but it will be better when the law is changed.

    People are using the Christchurch disaster as a excuses for people in power playing the racist CARD to bolster their public RATINGS with out no though about the people WHO are affected by their BULLSHIT words

    Its was not good behavior of a middle aged man who rammed the young guys cars .

    Ka kite ano

  15. Eco maori 16

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Everyone knows my opinion on Ihumatao.

    I agree with Tama Iti kia kaha .

    Don't worry Jacinda will find a solution to Ihumatao Whanau.

    Abortion should be treated as a health issue it would be a very hard situation to deal with for Wahine when they could have other issues around their pregnancy its their BODYs.

    Tama Iti is correct heaps of there whenua was taken by the crown the art work will become very valuable ma te wa.

    The largest tukutuku panel in Papatuanuku is being conducted they are Tangata whenua O Aotearoa Tai taiwhiti ka pai

    Ka kite ano

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    52 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 hours ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:18:50+00:00