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Former MP Todd Barclay commits what’s considered to be a crime, not talk to the police, no charges laid, then swans off on a taxpayer funded European holiday with the girlfriend!
Seems crime does definitely pays if you are a disgraced Natz MP!
Much as I don”t usually recommend reading the Herald, how about actually reading the article before commenting?
This article actually gives the details of what Barclay has and still is receiving until 23 December – as are other now ex MPs who stood down or lost their seats at the general election.
It is actually worth reading in full but here are some bits
Disgraced MP Todd Barclay has just enjoyed a two-month sun-filled tour of Italy, Croatia and Greece all while receiving a $3000 a week taxpayer-funded pay packet.
The former National MP announced in June he would not stand again after the “phone tapping” scandal – but under Parliament’s rules he still receives his salary until December 23.
That means Barclay will have pocketed a total of $80,000 of taxpayer money, before tax, over six months.
It’s unclear what work he has done since June – Parliamentary Services, which administers politicians’ funding entitlements, was unable to say how many days he had been in Parliament or whether he had claimed any expenses.
…
This week it was reported that Barclay had taken a job with the Japanese owners of Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort, the Ishii family. His London-based role is as international business affairs secretary for the family’s Japanese design and software company, Too Corporation, Mountain Scene reported.
As an MP and deputy chair of a select committee Barclay earned about $160,000 a year as well as the added benefits of travel and accommodation expenses.
…
Under Parliamentary policy someone who retired would still be paid until three months after polling day – up to December 23.
All 34 MPs who resigned or lost their seats at the 2017 election still get paid for three months – about $40,000 in total, or $3300 a week, before tax.
Former MPs and party leaders Peter Dunne and Te Ururoa Flavell defended Barclay, saying departed MPs have an entitlement and how they use it is their business.
Grantoc (2.2) … I never said Barclay was convicted of a crime. The police didn’t bother to lay charges!
BTW what has Metiria Turei got to do with this issue? At least she had the good grace to admit what she did was wrong and prepared to pay what she took, back to social welfare.
Pity Metiria is no longer an MP. Parliament is a poorer place for her absence.
True – you never actually said the words “he was convicted of a crime”. But you strongly implied that he had committed a crime, which is as near as dammit to actually saying that he should have been convicted. The whole tenure of your comment was to buy into the Herald’s faux righteous indignation and to tut tuttingly condemn him.
What does Metiria have to do with it? Simply that she acknowledged defrauding tax payers and she has since continued to receive tax payer paid remuneration in the same way Barclay has and every other mp who did not return to parliament has. Given the circumstances maybe we should also know how she has used her tax paid remuneration, and allow ourselves to be similarly outraged.
The Herald was highly selective in drawing their readers attention to, shock horror, Barclay’s situation whilst completely ignoring other retiring mp’s who in th opinion of the righteously indignant could have also acted disgracefully (eg Metiria).
I guess i’m irritated by the cynical inconsistency demonstrated by the Herald concerning Barclay. And the gullibility of those it dog whistled to for responding as they have.
Barclay told the PM he did it. And Turei had the excuse that she was being subjected to a welfare regime that deliberately pays people an amount that is insufficient to live on. Barclay had the defense that the pm was telling porkies about a member of his own caucus.
Grantoc 2.2.2.1) … recording a private conversation without the permission of those involved is a crime.
As for Metiria, she was torn to shreds by a vicious media, out for blood. And they got it. At the she left Parliament, Metiria was on her own, unlike Todd Barclay. He had a lying, conniving, dirty politics playing leader such as Bill English to spin lies on his behalf!
You guys do realise you’re debating with someone who either can’t spell or is too lazy to bother (Turei instead of Turei) or failed
English (tenure when they mean tenor)?
Kim Hill enabling Don Brash to rise from the crypt (loved the image we had on our recent post) gave fertiliser to the destroyers of NZ bi-cultural values that are ready like old man’s beard to spread and smother our society. It was a mistake. I feel sad that there are so many white men who are steeped in ideas of superiority and sufficiency so they have nothing to learn, no regard to wider society, no reflection of their own limitations once they find their niche to their ‘standing in the community’; their pipeline of trickle-down emoluments delivered to them personally as belonging to the entitled circle. They rose from their crypts at the Constitution Conversation and tried to take over the discourse with the single-mindedness displayed in that zombie-walking-dead tv show. My advice, keep your distance, and don’t let them bite you.
I like these thoughts from Lew of Kiwipolitico 2/12/17 as they get to the heart of the matter, from someone who has a heart and is also rational.
Brash finally went one small step too far, with the claim that the Māori are not the indigenous people of Aotearoa, but merely its second-most-recent invaders. This notion has been debunked for almost a hundred years,…There was nowhere left for Kim Hill to go. Nobody can debunk arguments advanced with such disregard for reality.
So she shut it down. But better than shutting it down would have been not entertaining it in the first place — which is, by and large, what Māori seem to have wanted. The error of this interview was not merely giving Brash a platform, but its objectification of Māori, the idea that their right to existence on their own terms was a matter for debate….
I was in the crowd for this sacrifice. Loath as I am to continue focusing on Pākehā feelings, I have to say: my only remaining feeling is the horror of being responsible for all this. Not only for today’s sacrifice, but the small sliver of the past that is my contribution to what got us here. We Pākehā need to take care of our own embarrassments, it should not fall to Māori to do that. So we need to stop treating the right to Māori existence on their own terms as conditional on our goodwill, and start treating it as a fact of life.
[from now on, please include a link when you cut and paste from a website – weka]
It would not have been difficult for RNZ to agree: “Yes, we will do translations at the time for any full sentences in Maori, just like they do in Parliament.”That would have taken the wind out of his sails.
Instead she treated him with unnecessary disdain, and he in turn did fine.
Hill spent far too much time posturing about the RNZ Charter, and far too much time lobbing easy oppositional questions so that Brash could dig holes for himself about pre-contact Maori being in the stone age.
She also made no mention of the other RNZ Maori-specific programming which slips easily from Maori to English with no fuss.
I find having to actually listen to what they are saying in Maori and trying to work out what they are saying helps my understanding of the reo. Translating it doesn’t help one understand the sentence structure.
I agree that most of the NZ public can pick up specific words, and can scrape by with a few phrases.
Maori Language Week specializes in that, and I see that in many workplaces.
It’s not enough.
If we are going to help the language survive as more than a set of nouns we trot out to feel pc, we need to deal with it in whole sentences.
That’s where live translation comes in, and it’s why Maori TV is so successful.
RNZ needs to improve enabling people to speak te roe Maori, as sentences not as words, and translating the sentences at the beginning of the morning news show is a great way to start that.
It would not have been difficult for RNZ to agree: “Yes, we will do translations at the time for any full sentences in Maori, just like they do in Parliament.”That would have taken the wind out of his sails.
At the beginning of the interview, Kim Hill stated that the translations of the Maori greetings etc used by RNZ presenters are all set out on the RNZ website at http://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/kiaora
She subsequently repeated this several times during the i/v.
The RNZ website also includes a number of other articles, explanations etc setting out their objectives etc in relation to use of Te Reo (includinng directions from the former Minister of Maori Development under the previous National government).
For example this link which also includes links on pronunciation of various words, and links to other RNZ articles and external websites providing more help.
Yes I noted that about the website.
Five clicks in is not good communication, there’s simply no excuse for trying to use web communication with live translation. Doesn’t work in the U.N., doesn’t work in Parliament, certainly doesn’t work on radio.
RNZ should be held to the same standard as Maori TV, which regularly simulcasts its translation as subtext. As it should.
Brash on that point was right, and RNZ should simply acknowledge that it’s really easy to fix, and fix it.
Perhaps she saw Brash as an easy, risible target. But one should never underestimate the power of nostalgia for apparent past glories. In this case – of
European ascendancy and duplicity. Luckily Maori had a good line in duplicity too, so they couldn’t be taken to the cleaners for some blankets and beads.
She should have had that list you mentioned at hand. But I did like the jibe at unintelligible and uncertain business and economic-speak and all based on possible lies and unrelated stats making up a possible model that will be measured to see if it is working. And if not, then the report will not be released till after the Budget, the Election or some other high-water mark.
Between Kim Hill’s interview with the anachronism that is Brash and Wallace Chapman’s interview with Gideon Levy some of my faith in Natrad is restored.
‘Enabling’ ? Not really. Kim Hill gave him enough rope and sat back while he hanged himself. A delight to hear, and I could almost see that wide eyed look that so often appears on the faces of the blindly privileged when someone has the the temerity to suggest there may be opinions counter to his own.
One day these mostly white males will finally shuffle off their mortal coils and we might be free of their bigotry…until then, the younger folk need to hear that some of Grandpa’s wisdom is…. not.
Many thanks for you view greywarshark I agree totally. I seen a recent TV show were one has targets to reduce OUR prison population by 30% many thanks to Our coalition government for setting a. great goals. But I say that that goal will bite you on the ass when you don’t achieve it. Why do I no that won’t be achieved 1 points is most the people running our justice system are of the same era dum brash. They have the same ancient I dialogical view which has caused all the_____ups we have in our society this can be proven as fact. I no that most of these people vote national and the Maori party. I say it was a joke someone trying to blame Tamati Coffee for there lose of Mana.
So in my view OUR justice system is broken how do I no this well no one in the justice system is held accountable for there actions they control the media on articles about the justice system so that most that gets out is positive news about them they have no independent institutions to hold them accountable for there actions. There arguement will be the so called independent police conducted authority this is a farcical organisation that just protects there image O yea it works for the wealthy but not the other 95% of us.
To cut a long story short here is what has happened to me I filed a complaint to the IPCA it got accepted with help from a good kiwi.
They email me to say they were investigating my complaint of breach to my human rights and privacy rights. And one nite I get a random visit from this blonde police officer whom was supposubly look for a false person what was his motive well maybe to sight me or intimated me you will have to ask my neo liberal neighbour. A week also goes by and I get a email and the officer claims that he interviewed me and investigated my complaint and said that there was no case of breach to my rights YEA RIGHT. These people have been breaking into my house on a regular basis I asked the landlord to put dead lock on the front door but no you see he is m8 with my neo liberal neighbour so I payed $140 to get one installed. O and all those emails that I had from the IPCA they have been deleted from my computer but we all no that nothing is ever totally deleted from the Internet net I will get someone to recover this information when the time is right. We need to hold our justice system to account for there actions before we will be able to lower our prison population if we don’t do this these people will keep on doing what they are doing now an no one can touch them so they think they are right.
Here’s a story on all the time I have been discrimination against because of my Maori origins.
I was 17 fishing in Napier I brought my 3rd car HK 69 Holden I drove to work drove around a lot in Napier never got a fine.
I had a fallout with my mum went to Gisborne and met my wife and stayed at my auntie house which was the house that my great-grandmother brought me up in and every 2 days I got pulled up and fined so in 3 months I had racked up $1000 worth of fines I thought that there is just heaps of cops in Gisborne to explain why I had clocked so much fines in such a short time my auntie once commented to me that if the cops harassme me to write a letter of complaint to the police commissioner I did not take this information in at that time. 8 months later I sold my car to pay my fines and I find out later that my wife was pregnant with our first child at massey unerversity and I made a promise to my great grand mother that because I did not no I had a father that I will always put my wife and children first. And now when I look into my past I see that the cops targeted me because of my Whano which is a breach of my rights in the treaty of waitangi.
Because a lot of my whano are in the justice system they have used this against me and bribed them for false information IE whano gossip. I chose a different path to most of my whano which makes me different and can cause the eels in the bucket syndrome IE I climb out and they keep trying to pull me back in. They will try and use any tactics to get me as they do to other people it’s not hard to work this out. They use bait cars houses open gang members to try and intimidat me old associates parading Lady’s past me in my view they are putting these Lady’s in danger and this shows they have no respect for these Lady’s. I no everyone they have used to try an find shit on me they have stereotyped me into a farcical image based on some of my whano members. I would never do what they have tried to bait me into doing. 1 I’m not a idiot 2 it is not in my DNA to steal ect I never changed my name I never went bankrupt I payed most of my dept 3 I no that I will be held accountable for my actions unlike them. They use my children neighbours my neighbours and a lot of other people they have caused hardship to all my immediate Whano members. (And this behaviour by OUR justice system is OK by you well no and I will drag there ASSES over the hot coals of a court house and make them treat MAORI fair and humanly and equally ]. Kia Kaha
eco maori
You will be judged because of your whanau by the police and watched. And your whanau will be annoyed at you going off in your own direction. So maybe you need to think of a different location in the future. It’s hard to be an independent thinker. You might be right about everything but not be able to get redress, it is just the way the system works at present. Kia kaha.
Here’s a story on the hardship they have put on my daughter who lives in Pukeohe.
She meets her partner in Rotorua he has 2 children and my daughter looks after them when they visited she is a loving caring girl. They have a baby girl of there own the state takes the 2 children off the scorned ex and gives them to my Daughter these children have been through a lot of bad things she treats them like her own one day we all have Christmas together and the boy punches a window that my second eldest moko is poking tongues at him she get a shard of glass in her eye I saw it sticking out lucky she only had minor damage to her eye this shows anger problems that was stressful fast forward 3 years. My daughter had a fall out with her partner and comes to stay with us and leaves his children with him so he goes to see if the ex can look after there children while he works shes a addict and the scored ex accuses him of indecent assault WTF Anyone with a brain can see she is a woman scorned she has trolled my daughter on social media the cops charged my son-in-law with this farcical charge I advise them to fight this charge and it cost them thousands to defend the. Because of more false statements from the ex the state takes the 2 children off them they just as there behaviour was coming right and gives them to the scorned ex. The charges get dismissed but they make my son in law do 400 hours community service and slap a 5 months home detention on him to ice this farcical cake they are making my daughter and her partner eat and to top it all off they had the cheek to ask my daughter to take the children back because the ex gets done for drunk drivering
I advised them that the other 2 children have been ruined and they will teach my mokos bad behaviour and also to keep the Ex out of there lives and to do that they cannot take the children back
Because of this evil woman ways. This has place my moko and daughter and son in law in hardship. What sort of justice is that I no they have treated them like this because of me. Ana to kai
Wallace Chapman interviewed a very impressive Israeli guy Gideon Levy this morning who condemns the actions of the Israeli government illegally defying UN sanctions with the settlements and the prison that is Gaza . Well worth a listen.
interesting that Israelis are not allowed to visit Gaza. Hidden under the carpet even though it is 15 minutes drive from Israel. Levy says that Gaza has been assessed as being “unlivable” in 2020.
And he mentioned apartheid. He says the settlers live close to the Palestinians. The Israeli settlers are supplied with water and electricity and services. The Palestinians nearby have no water supply, no electricity, and can wake up in the night to armed Israelis in their bedroom. He says that Israelis are deep into a mindset from propaganda that Palestinians are low humans and don’t deserve caring human consideration because of some reason… that justifies this attitude.
On Dec. 29, a transition adviser to Mr. Trump, K. T. McFarland, wrote in an email to a colleague that sanctions announced hours before by the Obama administration in retaliation for Russian election meddling were aimed at discrediting Mr. Trump’s victory. The sanctions could also make it much harder for Mr. Trump to ease tensions with Russia, “which has just thrown the U.S.A. election to him,” she wrote in the emails obtained by The Times.
“Professor Philip Bagshaw, founder of the Canterbury Charity Hospital, says the country is stuck in an austerity model for health and it’s about time doctors spoke out about it moving to an investment model.:
He speaks of how neo liberalism has practically killed the NHS (as was intended) and what needs to be done to save our own publicly funded health system.
A better question would be:
Does Sky TV risk disappearing up its own arse?
It seems to have a management that is incapable of seeing the bleeding obvious when things cudda shudda wudda been oh so different.
You know, if I could be bothered, I could get all the channels I regularly watch (off satellite and FTA) with a little investment in things like C-Band LNB and associated equipment, AND have the ability to record and watch as and when desired.
I think the answer is, SKY will have to radically mutate, or it will disappear up its own arse – EVEN IF it wins its latest desperate attempt to control and plunder.
Seems to me they’re trying to morph into a streaming company (hence really wanting to jump in bed with vodafone), but they haven’t managed to bridge the gap.
The pisser is their court case where they want veto rights on internet access, lol.
The funny thing is, they’re almost there, with the skyplus boxes that have a hard disk function they expect people to pay an extra $15/mth for when they also stream the same content. What they could do is get from China some boxes that have everything as optional addons: broadband streaming (including subscriptions to different services that pay a royalty to be installed on the boxes), or takes satellite if you go for that subscription, and the hdd rental on top of that. And the box doubles as a wifi router if you need one of them, so it’s kit you have around even if you’re not paying sky anything at the moment – because it makes it easier to give them money if you change your mind.
Not sure that Sky want to go streaming, but if they do, they don’t want to seriously commit to it until they absolutely have to, by which time Vodafone and others will probably have left them behind.
The only reason people like me are still with sky is pure laziness. To be fair, they’ve made some effort with that loyalty app, but I have limited space on my phone so haven’t downloaded it, and you can’t use app from a desktop/website. So the only thing keeping me with them is a) I like paying for content I really like, and b) I don’t want to have to go through upteen steps to watch a program, with tv it’s turnontv-flickchannels-done. The ultimate sense-experience, not “what do I want to watch” but “this’ll do”. I’m hot, I’m tired, I’m cooking dinner, what to watch doesn’t need to be a menu goddamn choice. My food isn’t, the TV I watch needn’t be.
Sometimes I do want to watch/stream specfic things, but not after work..
“The only reason people like me are still with sky is pure laziness.”
Me too, although not necessarily laziness – more that I’ve got better things to do than go down to Sky and hand in my decoder, and invest in CBand LNBs, and associated electronics. Last time I did (just to tell them I was fucking off overseas for 3 months), I was confronted with desperate sales-speak and ‘press 1’ for fuck all, or press 2 for slightly better than fuck all options.
You know Sky could have prolonged the inevitable if they’d been more reasonable – except they chose to be smart arses. But then what do you expect with a CEO like that? Now they’re trying to push the limited even further in some ego-driven fight to the death plan.
It’s utter wankery – but it’s also to be expected
Labour better sort this out before they go chucking huge amounts of taxpayer money at the sector.
Almost 90 per cent of the forestry industry is breaching employment standards and that may not even be the full extent of it, according to a Government audit of the sector.
I’m pretty sure Labour are well aware of it, just as they are in other sectors. Hence their commitment to beef up the Labour Inspectorate – which is way, way, way overdue.
I’m also pretty sure they’re well aware of past ills (some still present) in MoBIE.
The only thing that surprises me is that they haven’t seen fit to do with MoBIE what they’re doing with MPI.
It hasn’t just been the Labour Inspectorate, but also other agencies under MoBIE (such as INZ)
Agreed!. Don’t get me started!
I have two long files of various LI and INZ failings and fuckups.
Immigration lawyers (the genuine ones), unions, NGOs and others have been trying to draw attention to the problems now for years.
And the new coalition government fairly quickly recognised the need for more LI inspectors given all the breaches and slave labour conditions that had been reported in media – announcing an increase in numbers in early November, YET the LI National Manager was spouting off that they had sufficient only a few weeks beforehand.
Restructuring can be difficult, but unless there are some forceful messages given to some Senior managers, it might be better to pull agencies out from under the aegis of MoBIE and operate them standalone in the interim.
“A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it took “the exploitation of workers very seriously” and was working hard to stop the practice.
Simmons said the New Zealand response to problems on fishing boats was poorly co-ordinated, with police, Department of Labour, Ministry for Primary Industries and Maritime NZ working to different briefs. “…
“A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it took “the exploitation of workers very seriously” and was working hard to stop the practice.”
Except that MoBIE has the wrong organisational culture and focus, and that’s become evident in the way it has resourced the Labour Inspectorate and INZ over the years. It has turned immigration into a business – in order to keep the necessary churn for PTEs, others requiring labour, and shoddy immigration consultancies.
Check out its organisational structure and the backgrounds of its gNat appointees. I’m now convinced it has been working as designed (by Steven Joyce – even though he may not have realised the problems that are now haunting us).
Then there’s this doozy from a Cabinet Paper at the time of its creation (Steven Joyce and Jonathan Coleman who have such spectacular records):
“If real or perceived conflicts of objective within the Ministry’s role (for example, social vs. economic objectives; employer vs. worker perspectives; producer vs. consumer interests) are not managed, there is a risk that the new Ministry will not fully realise its benefits and will not be sustainable over time. This risk will be managed through organisational design and diligent management”.
Well I think we all now know what their intended benefits were, (and they’re to do with business growth growth growth and exploitation), that organisation design is a complete bugger’s muddle, and there must be a new definition of diligent management
No doubt they are aware of it. And to be fair, the Minister has issued a warning. Moreover, as you say, they plan to beef up the inspectors.
However, will they get on top of it on time? The Minister is going to start announcing expenditure on new projects before Christmas. The last thing the Government needs is headlines reporting employers funded by the taxpayer are breaching employment standards, thus exploiting their employees.
So far @The Chairman, the Minister(s) APPEARS to have more confidence in MoBIE officials than I do (and probably you – even though I suspect our politics might be eons apart).
On the other hand, I’m pretty bloody sure (as ‘the Minister(s) responsible’ come(s) to realise who has been responsible for various impediments in progressing new policy [going forward, of course], …….. he/they may get his/their dander up).
The MPI problem was a little more obvious. Then of course Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there are fuckups galore to have to deal with.
MoBIE would hopefully be 2nd or 3rd on the list (that Munstry for Everything dressed up in drag). There’s MSD, Health, Education, Land Transport, some of the SOE’s, etc., etc.
Back in the day when we had the old NZ Forest Service, the department provided leadership and training to the industry, so dodgy practices weren’t allowed to flourish.
Hopefully the re-establishment of the department will reintroduce this role into the industry.
The old NZFS certainly needed reform, but in killing it totally we lost a lot of vital functions that we as a country and economy, and especially those working in the industry desperately need now.
Sovereignty, freedom & democracy is under threat here. A good article worth reading here. Its our freedoms going under threat. https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/12/02/trade-minister-david-parker-must-intervene-over-sudden-and-bizarre-de-registration-of-anti-tppa-ngos/#comment-409789
Says Professor Jane Kelsey.
The bizarre de-registration of anti-WTO NGOs
By Prof Jane Kelsey / December 2, 2017 /
Yesterday I wrote to Trade Minister David Parker asking him to intervene urgently over the sudden and bizarre de-registration of representatives of prominent NGOs who had been accredited to attend the World Trade Organization ministerial conference from 10 to 13 December in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Parker is one of four vice-chairs of the eleventh WTO ministerial conference (MC11). To his credit he moved immediately. Vitalis Vangelis, the deputy head of MFAT responsible for these issues emailed back that:
“The Minister has asked me to underline to you that we absolutely share your concern that this is a very troubling development. The Minister has also told me to formally and urgently instruct our WTO Mission in Geneva to take this up as a priority with the WTO Secretariat, including to clarify what has happened – and quickly. A Formal Message (ie an instruction to the Mission) is being sent tonight to that effect.”
Trickle Down Economics
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I read a article that Sir Peter gluckman put out and it was very promising for our science in NZ. The sad part is some people have a hard time working out the truth here’s how I figure that out. First Id check that there are no conflicts of interest buy the author. 2 I use logic to analyse the article if the claim is not logical well that’s a no 3 I use math to analyse the percentage of scientists are for and against the artcail 4 I use social media
To check what the people say I usually made up my mind before this Ka pai
Many thanks to the 90% of kiwi who no science is good for US I say that science is essential for US to survive this tragic future that the wealth could impose on us. I will not stop trying to steer us to a sustainable humane future for our mokos.
PS I think that Elon Mus idea about sending a Tesla car into space will promote sustainability and solar and electricik cars but I’m a bit biased in Mus favour lol Ka kite ano.
Anyone been on Stuff lately?, the comment sections are unbelievably one sided, and yes I do realise im saying this in this little echo chamber we call TS, but youd think a national media website like this would be a bit more discrete in their biases.
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
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Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
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GROPERS
No. 15: Matt Lauer
Like another highly controversial American, the anti-free speech zealot Peter Thiel, this creep was given special treatment by the (thankfully defunct) National government….
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/99395517/disgraced-us-tv-host-matt-lauer-irks-kiwis-who-cannot-pass-through-his-land-to-huge-park
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
Keep up with the Gropers….
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden; No. 8 Rolf Harris; No. 9 Harold Bloom; No. 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; No. 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; No.12 Prince Harry; No. 13 Bill Clinton; No.14 Judge Roy Moore
Brilliant /sarc …
Former MP Todd Barclay commits what’s considered to be a crime, not talk to the police, no charges laid, then swans off on a taxpayer funded European holiday with the girlfriend!
Seems crime does definitely pays if you are a disgraced Natz MP!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11951474
Be interesting to know who paid there fares?
Is there any way he could of got the fares paid by the taxpayer(other that from his salary)?
I think I heard he is still paid as an MP for a while (3 months?) after he leaves parliament.
Yes, i was wondering if he had a paid for junket trip.
Much as I don”t usually recommend reading the Herald, how about actually reading the article before commenting?
This article actually gives the details of what Barclay has and still is receiving until 23 December – as are other now ex MPs who stood down or lost their seats at the general election.
It is actually worth reading in full but here are some bits
Disgraced MP Todd Barclay has just enjoyed a two-month sun-filled tour of Italy, Croatia and Greece all while receiving a $3000 a week taxpayer-funded pay packet.
The former National MP announced in June he would not stand again after the “phone tapping” scandal – but under Parliament’s rules he still receives his salary until December 23.
That means Barclay will have pocketed a total of $80,000 of taxpayer money, before tax, over six months.
It’s unclear what work he has done since June – Parliamentary Services, which administers politicians’ funding entitlements, was unable to say how many days he had been in Parliament or whether he had claimed any expenses.
…
This week it was reported that Barclay had taken a job with the Japanese owners of Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort, the Ishii family. His London-based role is as international business affairs secretary for the family’s Japanese design and software company, Too Corporation, Mountain Scene reported.
As an MP and deputy chair of a select committee Barclay earned about $160,000 a year as well as the added benefits of travel and accommodation expenses.
…
Under Parliamentary policy someone who retired would still be paid until three months after polling day – up to December 23.
All 34 MPs who resigned or lost their seats at the 2017 election still get paid for three months – about $40,000 in total, or $3300 a week, before tax.
Former MPs and party leaders Peter Dunne and Te Ururoa Flavell defended Barclay, saying departed MPs have an entitlement and how they use it is their business.
mary_a
You are wrong. Barclay was never convicted of a crime.
Metiria Turie admitted committing fraud, which I believe is a crime.
In the interests of balance the Herald should have commented on her too and how she has spent her tax paid salary since she left parliament.
If mary_a had said Barclay was convicted you may have a point, but she didn’t so your comment just makes you look incapable of comprehension.
+1
Grantoc (2.2) … I never said Barclay was convicted of a crime. The police didn’t bother to lay charges!
BTW what has Metiria Turei got to do with this issue? At least she had the good grace to admit what she did was wrong and prepared to pay what she took, back to social welfare.
Pity Metiria is no longer an MP. Parliament is a poorer place for her absence.
Mary_a
True – you never actually said the words “he was convicted of a crime”. But you strongly implied that he had committed a crime, which is as near as dammit to actually saying that he should have been convicted. The whole tenure of your comment was to buy into the Herald’s faux righteous indignation and to tut tuttingly condemn him.
What does Metiria have to do with it? Simply that she acknowledged defrauding tax payers and she has since continued to receive tax payer paid remuneration in the same way Barclay has and every other mp who did not return to parliament has. Given the circumstances maybe we should also know how she has used her tax paid remuneration, and allow ourselves to be similarly outraged.
The Herald was highly selective in drawing their readers attention to, shock horror, Barclay’s situation whilst completely ignoring other retiring mp’s who in th opinion of the righteously indignant could have also acted disgracefully (eg Metiria).
I guess i’m irritated by the cynical inconsistency demonstrated by the Herald concerning Barclay. And the gullibility of those it dog whistled to for responding as they have.
Bill English also strongly implied Barclay had committed a crime, have you taken it up with him?
Wonder why that little shit ran off and refused to give a statement to the police?
Barclay told the PM he did it. And Turei had the excuse that she was being subjected to a welfare regime that deliberately pays people an amount that is insufficient to live on. Barclay had the defense that the pm was telling porkies about a member of his own caucus.
Grantoc 2.2.2.1) … recording a private conversation without the permission of those involved is a crime.
As for Metiria, she was torn to shreds by a vicious media, out for blood. And they got it. At the she left Parliament, Metiria was on her own, unlike Todd Barclay. He had a lying, conniving, dirty politics playing leader such as Bill English to spin lies on his behalf!
You guys do realise you’re debating with someone who either can’t spell or is too lazy to bother (Turei instead of Turei) or failed
English (tenure when they mean tenor)?
Sorry too rushed, Grantoc = Turie
Barclay was never convicted of a crime. The money out of our taxes to pay off someone from his office wasn’t for a crime, it was for ……………… um ……………
Kim Hill enabling Don Brash to rise from the crypt (loved the image we had on our recent post) gave fertiliser to the destroyers of NZ bi-cultural values that are ready like old man’s beard to spread and smother our society. It was a mistake. I feel sad that there are so many white men who are steeped in ideas of superiority and sufficiency so they have nothing to learn, no regard to wider society, no reflection of their own limitations once they find their niche to their ‘standing in the community’; their pipeline of trickle-down emoluments delivered to them personally as belonging to the entitled circle. They rose from their crypts at the Constitution Conversation and tried to take over the discourse with the single-mindedness displayed in that zombie-walking-dead tv show. My advice, keep your distance, and don’t let them bite you.
I like these thoughts from Lew of Kiwipolitico 2/12/17 as they get to the heart of the matter, from someone who has a heart and is also rational.
Brash finally went one small step too far, with the claim that the Māori are not the indigenous people of Aotearoa, but merely its second-most-recent invaders. This notion has been debunked for almost a hundred years,…There was nowhere left for Kim Hill to go. Nobody can debunk arguments advanced with such disregard for reality.
So she shut it down. But better than shutting it down would have been not entertaining it in the first place — which is, by and large, what Māori seem to have wanted. The error of this interview was not merely giving Brash a platform, but its objectification of Māori, the idea that their right to existence on their own terms was a matter for debate….
I was in the crowd for this sacrifice. Loath as I am to continue focusing on Pākehā feelings, I have to say: my only remaining feeling is the horror of being responsible for all this. Not only for today’s sacrifice, but the small sliver of the past that is my contribution to what got us here. We Pākehā need to take care of our own embarrassments, it should not fall to Māori to do that. So we need to stop treating the right to Māori existence on their own terms as conditional on our goodwill, and start treating it as a fact of life.
[from now on, please include a link when you cut and paste from a website – weka]
It would not have been difficult for RNZ to agree: “Yes, we will do translations at the time for any full sentences in Maori, just like they do in Parliament.”That would have taken the wind out of his sails.
Instead she treated him with unnecessary disdain, and he in turn did fine.
Hill spent far too much time posturing about the RNZ Charter, and far too much time lobbing easy oppositional questions so that Brash could dig holes for himself about pre-contact Maori being in the stone age.
She also made no mention of the other RNZ Maori-specific programming which slips easily from Maori to English with no fuss.
I find having to actually listen to what they are saying in Maori and trying to work out what they are saying helps my understanding of the reo. Translating it doesn’t help one understand the sentence structure.
I agree that most of the NZ public can pick up specific words, and can scrape by with a few phrases.
Maori Language Week specializes in that, and I see that in many workplaces.
It’s not enough.
If we are going to help the language survive as more than a set of nouns we trot out to feel pc, we need to deal with it in whole sentences.
That’s where live translation comes in, and it’s why Maori TV is so successful.
RNZ needs to improve enabling people to speak te roe Maori, as sentences not as words, and translating the sentences at the beginning of the morning news show is a great way to start that.
It would not have been difficult for RNZ to agree: “Yes, we will do translations at the time for any full sentences in Maori, just like they do in Parliament.”That would have taken the wind out of his sails.
At the beginning of the interview, Kim Hill stated that the translations of the Maori greetings etc used by RNZ presenters are all set out on the RNZ website at http://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/kiaora
She subsequently repeated this several times during the i/v.
The RNZ website also includes a number of other articles, explanations etc setting out their objectives etc in relation to use of Te Reo (includinng directions from the former Minister of Maori Development under the previous National government).
For example this link which also includes links on pronunciation of various words, and links to other RNZ articles and external websites providing more help.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/279645/new-kupu-for-maori-language-week
Yes I noted that about the website.
Five clicks in is not good communication, there’s simply no excuse for trying to use web communication with live translation. Doesn’t work in the U.N., doesn’t work in Parliament, certainly doesn’t work on radio.
RNZ should be held to the same standard as Maori TV, which regularly simulcasts its translation as subtext. As it should.
Brash on that point was right, and RNZ should simply acknowledge that it’s really easy to fix, and fix it.
True re the five clicks! LOL. I have it bookmarked so its only one click away.
Perhaps she saw Brash as an easy, risible target. But one should never underestimate the power of nostalgia for apparent past glories. In this case – of
European ascendancy and duplicity. Luckily Maori had a good line in duplicity too, so they couldn’t be taken to the cleaners for some blankets and beads.
She should have had that list you mentioned at hand. But I did like the jibe at unintelligible and uncertain business and economic-speak and all based on possible lies and unrelated stats making up a possible model that will be measured to see if it is working. And if not, then the report will not be released till after the Budget, the Election or some other high-water mark.
Between Kim Hill’s interview with the anachronism that is Brash and Wallace Chapman’s interview with Gideon Levy some of my faith in Natrad is restored.
‘Enabling’ ? Not really. Kim Hill gave him enough rope and sat back while he hanged himself. A delight to hear, and I could almost see that wide eyed look that so often appears on the faces of the blindly privileged when someone has the the temerity to suggest there may be opinions counter to his own.
One day these mostly white males will finally shuffle off their mortal coils and we might be free of their bigotry…until then, the younger folk need to hear that some of Grandpa’s wisdom is…. not.
Time for younger more tolerant (and kinder) leadership to shut these old white trumplike dinosaurs down.
greywarshark, please include the link to the story: http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2017/12/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-an-error/
+1, will add a moderator note.
sorry weka thought I had.
all good, thanks.
please see moderator note above.
Many thanks for you view greywarshark I agree totally. I seen a recent TV show were one has targets to reduce OUR prison population by 30% many thanks to Our coalition government for setting a. great goals. But I say that that goal will bite you on the ass when you don’t achieve it. Why do I no that won’t be achieved 1 points is most the people running our justice system are of the same era dum brash. They have the same ancient I dialogical view which has caused all the_____ups we have in our society this can be proven as fact. I no that most of these people vote national and the Maori party. I say it was a joke someone trying to blame Tamati Coffee for there lose of Mana.
So in my view OUR justice system is broken how do I no this well no one in the justice system is held accountable for there actions they control the media on articles about the justice system so that most that gets out is positive news about them they have no independent institutions to hold them accountable for there actions. There arguement will be the so called independent police conducted authority this is a farcical organisation that just protects there image O yea it works for the wealthy but not the other 95% of us.
To cut a long story short here is what has happened to me I filed a complaint to the IPCA it got accepted with help from a good kiwi.
They email me to say they were investigating my complaint of breach to my human rights and privacy rights. And one nite I get a random visit from this blonde police officer whom was supposubly look for a false person what was his motive well maybe to sight me or intimated me you will have to ask my neo liberal neighbour. A week also goes by and I get a email and the officer claims that he interviewed me and investigated my complaint and said that there was no case of breach to my rights YEA RIGHT. These people have been breaking into my house on a regular basis I asked the landlord to put dead lock on the front door but no you see he is m8 with my neo liberal neighbour so I payed $140 to get one installed. O and all those emails that I had from the IPCA they have been deleted from my computer but we all no that nothing is ever totally deleted from the Internet net I will get someone to recover this information when the time is right. We need to hold our justice system to account for there actions before we will be able to lower our prison population if we don’t do this these people will keep on doing what they are doing now an no one can touch them so they think they are right.
Here’s a story on all the time I have been discrimination against because of my Maori origins.
I was 17 fishing in Napier I brought my 3rd car HK 69 Holden I drove to work drove around a lot in Napier never got a fine.
I had a fallout with my mum went to Gisborne and met my wife and stayed at my auntie house which was the house that my great-grandmother brought me up in and every 2 days I got pulled up and fined so in 3 months I had racked up $1000 worth of fines I thought that there is just heaps of cops in Gisborne to explain why I had clocked so much fines in such a short time my auntie once commented to me that if the cops harassme me to write a letter of complaint to the police commissioner I did not take this information in at that time. 8 months later I sold my car to pay my fines and I find out later that my wife was pregnant with our first child at massey unerversity and I made a promise to my great grand mother that because I did not no I had a father that I will always put my wife and children first. And now when I look into my past I see that the cops targeted me because of my Whano which is a breach of my rights in the treaty of waitangi.
Because a lot of my whano are in the justice system they have used this against me and bribed them for false information IE whano gossip. I chose a different path to most of my whano which makes me different and can cause the eels in the bucket syndrome IE I climb out and they keep trying to pull me back in. They will try and use any tactics to get me as they do to other people it’s not hard to work this out. They use bait cars houses open gang members to try and intimidat me old associates parading Lady’s past me in my view they are putting these Lady’s in danger and this shows they have no respect for these Lady’s. I no everyone they have used to try an find shit on me they have stereotyped me into a farcical image based on some of my whano members. I would never do what they have tried to bait me into doing. 1 I’m not a idiot 2 it is not in my DNA to steal ect I never changed my name I never went bankrupt I payed most of my dept 3 I no that I will be held accountable for my actions unlike them. They use my children neighbours my neighbours and a lot of other people they have caused hardship to all my immediate Whano members. (And this behaviour by OUR justice system is OK by you well no and I will drag there ASSES over the hot coals of a court house and make them treat MAORI fair and humanly and equally ]. Kia Kaha
eco maori
You will be judged because of your whanau by the police and watched. And your whanau will be annoyed at you going off in your own direction. So maybe you need to think of a different location in the future. It’s hard to be an independent thinker. You might be right about everything but not be able to get redress, it is just the way the system works at present. Kia kaha.
I’m not running away from these dicks GWS I do not fall for power suggestions so go try it on someone else I will have my days in court Ana to kai
Here’s a story on the hardship they have put on my daughter who lives in Pukeohe.
She meets her partner in Rotorua he has 2 children and my daughter looks after them when they visited she is a loving caring girl. They have a baby girl of there own the state takes the 2 children off the scorned ex and gives them to my Daughter these children have been through a lot of bad things she treats them like her own one day we all have Christmas together and the boy punches a window that my second eldest moko is poking tongues at him she get a shard of glass in her eye I saw it sticking out lucky she only had minor damage to her eye this shows anger problems that was stressful fast forward 3 years. My daughter had a fall out with her partner and comes to stay with us and leaves his children with him so he goes to see if the ex can look after there children while he works shes a addict and the scored ex accuses him of indecent assault WTF Anyone with a brain can see she is a woman scorned she has trolled my daughter on social media the cops charged my son-in-law with this farcical charge I advise them to fight this charge and it cost them thousands to defend the. Because of more false statements from the ex the state takes the 2 children off them they just as there behaviour was coming right and gives them to the scorned ex. The charges get dismissed but they make my son in law do 400 hours community service and slap a 5 months home detention on him to ice this farcical cake they are making my daughter and her partner eat and to top it all off they had the cheek to ask my daughter to take the children back because the ex gets done for drunk drivering
I advised them that the other 2 children have been ruined and they will teach my mokos bad behaviour and also to keep the Ex out of there lives and to do that they cannot take the children back
Because of this evil woman ways. This has place my moko and daughter and son in law in hardship. What sort of justice is that I no they have treated them like this because of me. Ana to kai
Wallace Chapman interviewed a very impressive Israeli guy Gideon Levy this morning who condemns the actions of the Israeli government illegally defying UN sanctions with the settlements and the prison that is Gaza . Well worth a listen.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018623972/gideon-levy-israeli-journalist
interesting that Israelis are not allowed to visit Gaza. Hidden under the carpet even though it is 15 minutes drive from Israel. Levy says that Gaza has been assessed as being “unlivable” in 2020.
And he mentioned apartheid. He says the settlers live close to the Palestinians. The Israeli settlers are supplied with water and electricity and services. The Palestinians nearby have no water supply, no electricity, and can wake up in the night to armed Israelis in their bedroom. He says that Israelis are deep into a mindset from propaganda that Palestinians are low humans and don’t deserve caring human consideration because of some reason… that justifies this attitude.
But her emails.
On Dec. 29, a transition adviser to Mr. Trump, K. T. McFarland, wrote in an email to a colleague that sanctions announced hours before by the Obama administration in retaliation for Russian election meddling were aimed at discrediting Mr. Trump’s victory. The sanctions could also make it much harder for Mr. Trump to ease tensions with Russia, “which has just thrown the U.S.A. election to him,” she wrote in the emails obtained by The Times.
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/us/russia-mcfarland-flynn-trump-emails.html?referer=https://t.co/Rt9xh2iQjw?amp=1
Thank you Michael Flynn
Your transitional, timely and nuanced “collusion” resulted in this;
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-putin-president-invite-35-us-diplomats-kremlin-christmas-barack-obama-sanction-russian-a7509301.html
Shame that the children of Russian diplomats in Maryland did not have such happy prospects for Christmas;
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/28/obama-poised-to-hit-russia-with-further-sanctions-before-leaving-office
And, and, this… http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018623967/philip-bagshaw-why-doctors-needs-to-speak-out …from Wallace Chapman this morning.
“Professor Philip Bagshaw, founder of the Canterbury Charity Hospital, says the country is stuck in an austerity model for health and it’s about time doctors spoke out about it moving to an investment model.:
He speaks of how neo liberalism has practically killed the NHS (as was intended) and what needs to be done to save our own publicly funded health system.
Strong on advocacy is this one…:-)
Does Sky TV risk consumer backlash (such as a boycott) with its attempt to censor the internet?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/11/sky-tv-accused-of-trying-to-censor-the-internet.html
A better question would be:
Does Sky TV risk disappearing up its own arse?
It seems to have a management that is incapable of seeing the bleeding obvious when things cudda shudda wudda been oh so different.
You know, if I could be bothered, I could get all the channels I regularly watch (off satellite and FTA) with a little investment in things like C-Band LNB and associated equipment, AND have the ability to record and watch as and when desired.
I think the answer is, SKY will have to radically mutate, or it will disappear up its own arse – EVEN IF it wins its latest desperate attempt to control and plunder.
“Does Sky TV risk disappearing up its own arse?”
If they lose the rights to the rugby, most likely.
Seems to me they’re trying to morph into a streaming company (hence really wanting to jump in bed with vodafone), but they haven’t managed to bridge the gap.
The pisser is their court case where they want veto rights on internet access, lol.
The funny thing is, they’re almost there, with the skyplus boxes that have a hard disk function they expect people to pay an extra $15/mth for when they also stream the same content. What they could do is get from China some boxes that have everything as optional addons: broadband streaming (including subscriptions to different services that pay a royalty to be installed on the boxes), or takes satellite if you go for that subscription, and the hdd rental on top of that. And the box doubles as a wifi router if you need one of them, so it’s kit you have around even if you’re not paying sky anything at the moment – because it makes it easier to give them money if you change your mind.
Not sure that Sky want to go streaming, but if they do, they don’t want to seriously commit to it until they absolutely have to, by which time Vodafone and others will probably have left them behind.
Someone was looking for synergies with that merger plan.
The only reason people like me are still with sky is pure laziness. To be fair, they’ve made some effort with that loyalty app, but I have limited space on my phone so haven’t downloaded it, and you can’t use app from a desktop/website. So the only thing keeping me with them is a) I like paying for content I really like, and b) I don’t want to have to go through upteen steps to watch a program, with tv it’s turnontv-flickchannels-done. The ultimate sense-experience, not “what do I want to watch” but “this’ll do”. I’m hot, I’m tired, I’m cooking dinner, what to watch doesn’t need to be a menu goddamn choice. My food isn’t, the TV I watch needn’t be.
Sometimes I do want to watch/stream specfic things, but not after work..
“The only reason people like me are still with sky is pure laziness.”
Me too, although not necessarily laziness – more that I’ve got better things to do than go down to Sky and hand in my decoder, and invest in CBand LNBs, and associated electronics. Last time I did (just to tell them I was fucking off overseas for 3 months), I was confronted with desperate sales-speak and ‘press 1’ for fuck all, or press 2 for slightly better than fuck all options.
You know Sky could have prolonged the inevitable if they’d been more reasonable – except they chose to be smart arses. But then what do you expect with a CEO like that? Now they’re trying to push the limited even further in some ego-driven fight to the death plan.
It’s utter wankery – but it’s also to be expected
Important Notice:
“What does CPTPP mean for you? Come along Tuesday 5 Dec, Europe House @AUTuni to hear from Minister of Trade David Parker. Register here: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/nz-trade-policy/public-engagement-on-trade/ …”
Other venues/ dates here… From Dunners to the Tron all on this week
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/nz-trade-policy/public-engagement-on-trade/
Labour better sort this out before they go chucking huge amounts of taxpayer money at the sector.
Almost 90 per cent of the forestry industry is breaching employment standards and that may not even be the full extent of it, according to a Government audit of the sector.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99430664/forestry-audit-reveals-widespread-breaches-in-employment-standards
I’m pretty sure Labour are well aware of it, just as they are in other sectors. Hence their commitment to beef up the Labour Inspectorate – which is way, way, way overdue.
I’m also pretty sure they’re well aware of past ills (some still present) in MoBIE.
The only thing that surprises me is that they haven’t seen fit to do with MoBIE what they’re doing with MPI.
It hasn’t just been the Labour Inspectorate, but also other agencies under MoBIE (such as INZ)
INZ definately need a rocket!
https://twitter.com/MichaelFieldNZ/status/935392065789206528
https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/99397804/vietnamese-fishermen-to-be-repatriated-after-jumping-ship-in-bluff
Agreed!. Don’t get me started!
I have two long files of various LI and INZ failings and fuckups.
Immigration lawyers (the genuine ones), unions, NGOs and others have been trying to draw attention to the problems now for years.
And the new coalition government fairly quickly recognised the need for more LI inspectors given all the breaches and slave labour conditions that had been reported in media – announcing an increase in numbers in early November, YET the LI National Manager was spouting off that they had sufficient only a few weeks beforehand.
Restructuring can be difficult, but unless there are some forceful messages given to some Senior managers, it might be better to pull agencies out from under the aegis of MoBIE and operate them standalone in the interim.
It’s got me going Tim..
“A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it took “the exploitation of workers very seriously” and was working hard to stop the practice.
Simmons said the New Zealand response to problems on fishing boats was poorly co-ordinated, with police, Department of Labour, Ministry for Primary Industries and Maritime NZ working to different briefs. “…
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/344987/absconding-men-probably-desperate-to-leave-vessel
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/68739974/slavery-on-nz-seas-rape-bonded-labour-and-abuse-widespread-on-fishing-boats
The 3 Vietmanese were Captured Tuesday and deported by INZ on Thursday! No legal assistance even though offered pro bono.
“A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it took “the exploitation of workers very seriously” and was working hard to stop the practice.”
Except that MoBIE has the wrong organisational culture and focus, and that’s become evident in the way it has resourced the Labour Inspectorate and INZ over the years. It has turned immigration into a business – in order to keep the necessary churn for PTEs, others requiring labour, and shoddy immigration consultancies.
Check out its organisational structure and the backgrounds of its gNat appointees. I’m now convinced it has been working as designed (by Steven Joyce – even though he may not have realised the problems that are now haunting us).
Then there’s this doozy from a Cabinet Paper at the time of its creation (Steven Joyce and Jonathan Coleman who have such spectacular records):
“If real or perceived conflicts of objective within the Ministry’s role (for example, social vs. economic objectives; employer vs. worker perspectives; producer vs. consumer interests) are not managed, there is a risk that the new Ministry will not fully realise its benefits and will not be sustainable over time. This risk will be managed through organisational design and diligent management”.
Well I think we all now know what their intended benefits were, (and they’re to do with business growth growth growth and exploitation), that organisation design is a complete bugger’s muddle, and there must be a new definition of diligent management
@ OnceWasTim
No doubt they are aware of it. And to be fair, the Minister has issued a warning. Moreover, as you say, they plan to beef up the inspectors.
However, will they get on top of it on time? The Minister is going to start announcing expenditure on new projects before Christmas. The last thing the Government needs is headlines reporting employers funded by the taxpayer are breaching employment standards, thus exploiting their employees.
So far @The Chairman, the Minister(s) APPEARS to have more confidence in MoBIE officials than I do (and probably you – even though I suspect our politics might be eons apart).
On the other hand, I’m pretty bloody sure (as ‘the Minister(s) responsible’ come(s) to realise who has been responsible for various impediments in progressing new policy [going forward, of course], …….. he/they may get his/their dander up).
The MPI problem was a little more obvious. Then of course Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there are fuckups galore to have to deal with.
MoBIE would hopefully be 2nd or 3rd on the list (that Munstry for Everything dressed up in drag). There’s MSD, Health, Education, Land Transport, some of the SOE’s, etc., etc.
Back in the day when we had the old NZ Forest Service, the department provided leadership and training to the industry, so dodgy practices weren’t allowed to flourish.
Hopefully the re-establishment of the department will reintroduce this role into the industry.
The old NZFS certainly needed reform, but in killing it totally we lost a lot of vital functions that we as a country and economy, and especially those working in the industry desperately need now.
Sovereignty, freedom & democracy is under threat here. A good article worth reading here. Its our freedoms going under threat.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/12/02/trade-minister-david-parker-must-intervene-over-sudden-and-bizarre-de-registration-of-anti-tppa-ngos/#comment-409789
Says Professor Jane Kelsey.
The bizarre de-registration of anti-WTO NGOs
By Prof Jane Kelsey / December 2, 2017 /
Yesterday I wrote to Trade Minister David Parker asking him to intervene urgently over the sudden and bizarre de-registration of representatives of prominent NGOs who had been accredited to attend the World Trade Organization ministerial conference from 10 to 13 December in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Parker is one of four vice-chairs of the eleventh WTO ministerial conference (MC11). To his credit he moved immediately. Vitalis Vangelis, the deputy head of MFAT responsible for these issues emailed back that:
“The Minister has asked me to underline to you that we absolutely share your concern that this is a very troubling development. The Minister has also told me to formally and urgently instruct our WTO Mission in Geneva to take this up as a priority with the WTO Secretariat, including to clarify what has happened – and quickly. A Formal Message (ie an instruction to the Mission) is being sent tonight to that effect.”
Keeper
very good.
Nice!!
You missed
Trickle Down
And there goes the base.
LOL gotta love those stupid republicans.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax/senate-approves-major-tax-cuts-in-victory-for-trump-idUSKBN1DV4K2
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/senate-tax-cuts-donald-trump-rich-us-vote-republican-vote-result-latest-a8088196.html
Shane Jones blaming the poor and getting wide spread coverage.
And note above the forestry work stuff.
FFS
Did I just c Shane Jones throwing a hospital pass to Grant Robertson on National tv…ffs prepare better man
Dam I need to drink more 🙁
I read a article that Sir Peter gluckman put out and it was very promising for our science in NZ. The sad part is some people have a hard time working out the truth here’s how I figure that out. First Id check that there are no conflicts of interest buy the author. 2 I use logic to analyse the article if the claim is not logical well that’s a no 3 I use math to analyse the percentage of scientists are for and against the artcail 4 I use social media
To check what the people say I usually made up my mind before this Ka pai
Many thanks to the 90% of kiwi who no science is good for US I say that science is essential for US to survive this tragic future that the wealth could impose on us. I will not stop trying to steer us to a sustainable humane future for our mokos.
PS I think that Elon Mus idea about sending a Tesla car into space will promote sustainability and solar and electricik cars but I’m a bit biased in Mus favour lol Ka kite ano.
Anyone been on Stuff lately?, the comment sections are unbelievably one sided, and yes I do realise im saying this in this little echo chamber we call TS, but youd think a national media website like this would be a bit more discrete in their biases.