I still don't fully understand why – when ordinary, everyday people going about their ordinary, everyday lives can comprehend climate change and all that it means for the planet – the governing leadership continue to live in Cloud Cuckoo land.
If they are so s**t dumb why in God's name are they being elected to these positions?
It's because if the voters really woke up to how much of their lifestyle choice (referred to by them as necessity) would actually be taken away from them by politicians (as leaders) taking very affirmative action on such matters, they would probably learn to base their opinions on cold or hot hard FACT.
So really easy to use the various elected reps as whipping boys/girls to blame for all manner of ills (usually out of their control) to manage.
Convenient also to vote, as if serious about carbon issues, but hoping like anything that the politicians DON'T take too firm a stand which might burst the good folk's personal and community bubble, or restrict them in any way from doing what they are used to doing, which is mainly creating hot air of their own.
I liken Skippy Granny and her burnt offerings to Parliament House as similar to blaming the guy at the liquor store who sold me a six pack, for the noisiness of the dudes down the road throwing a party.
Powerful, not really. And about as symbolic as throwing old paint tins at them because someone imagined an "extra" hour of daylight brought about by the introduction of daylight saving had caused the paint on their house to crack and blister.
Last night's poll results should worry the government. Labour needs to stay above 40%, and it has failed to do so.
There are heaps of people who I know personally who would be screwed over by a National government, cut adrift by a toxic mixture of small state ideology, and the Calvinist culture of paying eternal penance for a small mistake made.
This government has been dissapointing and underwhelming, but a National government, backed up with ACT, and possible the New Conservatives, plus the Maori Party, would be a disaster for anyone who is poor, sick, in need of a home, a union member, etc.
" It's MMP. One party does not 'need' to stay over 40% if it has viable coalition partners "
Based on these last C.B polls they still have too reach 60 seats too govern or too be in serious contention of forming a government
Last nights numbers and it is trends that are more important would have the Labour party and its friends short of a majority but the numbers are excruciatingly close.
"Identifying statistically meaningful trends in New Zealand politics can be difficult, given the paucity of public polling, but after dramatically different results earlier this year both TV outlets are now consistent in showing an erosion of support for Labour and Ardern "
Hear hear, especially the party that used to speak for the working person. They need to get above 40% so as not to rely on unpleasant coalition partners.
Unless, of course, they are happy to not be transformational: e.g. CGT, reform of fishing industry, housing for the less well off, effective diminishing of child poverty.
Billions of surplus dollars and benefit rates still can't be returned to pre Ruthanasia levels.
The want of a mandate never troubles the loathsome reptiles of the Right – who imposed Rogergnomics on us without so much as a by-your-leave. There's a comeuppance due for that – a rebalancing towards a democratic rather instead of a plutocratic society.
a leader (or in contemporary politics, a party) should seek the support of the people rather than favouring his ‘great’ allies or partisans is that the ambitious ‘great’ regard themselves as his equals, and therefore wish to displace him. They will demand ever more offices and goods as the price of their continued support. Attempts to satisfy them will necessarily fail and, in failing, add to the leader’s enemies. A leader can satisfy his people, however, because ‘the end of the people is more decent (onesto) than that of the great, since the great want to oppress and the people want not to be oppressed’.
Sadly I think he'd be right at home. But I think he'd have liked the enlightenment and the European spring. He got tired of the self-appointed nobles screwing up his hard work.
That poll doesn't take the yesterdays announcement of a massive spend on infrastructure into account yet so this poll is premature to rely upon now.
Labour needs to get some lost transport services back in operation now and most glaring at us all is the low use of rail in all provinces, that generate our wealth like Gisborne/HB and others.
I agree – restoring a more sustainable transport network makes sense on so many levels. But it has to make it past the peripatetic malice of a neoliberal civil service – pragmatic good sense rarely gets a look in.
Yes Stuart, We have been fighting for the rail service from Napier to Gisborne now for 19yrs and three rail companies later, Tranzrail, Toll Rail, and finally Kiwi rail,
We are still there going gang busters to get the rail up and running again, and it is very challenging when the trucking lobbyists have such power and influence in Wellington but finally this government are showing promise.
If the trends had continued every time someone had said "if these trends continue" based on a few early data points, we'd all be dying from SARSebolaStrepMadCowDisease.
Politicians who want to keep their jobs look for mandates.
There is nothing radical about raising benefit rates. Employment Contracts Act and wine, lamb and dairy products from Aotearoa costing less overseas than here is radical.
Quite tricky boosting benefit rates when you're a party of the workers, let alone those who see themselves as the 'middle class'. If beneficiaries voted more then the calculations might be different.
But presentation of a policy can make all the difference. Raising benefit rates will offset health problems, disease etc. Bringing back educational opportunities and skills training boosts work-ready people etc. The positive advantages of a healthy happy working society are known, the people need support to get on their feet though; the government and country can't have the good society without showing the sensible planning and support for all the people to reach a place where they can be full participants in the enterprise economy.
By the time you have come out with all of that the wealthy's eyes glaze and they say with irritation – get on with it then.
"Raising benefit rates will offset health problems, disease etc. "
Do you have evidence that this is the case? I suspect you just presume this is the case or you will refer to some vague generalised study to support your argument.
Gosman it makes perfect sense that if 'raising benefit rates' means more money in citizens pockets which will allow better health of those citizens, because they have extra funds to buy medicines for early treatment of any medical problem they face.
Look up "Preventive medicine" to see the logic please.
I have a disability Gosman that occurred when I was exposed to chemicals and early intervention would have saved me from a now known long term chronic disability.
Do you see the logic there?
If I was able to fund early treatment my health would have been fine today but because at the time of my injury I had no funding to get early treatment so I suffered since with a long term chronic disability.
Oh sometimes "studies" are an unethical waste of time. Like the death rate from being forced off a plane in the south Atlantic without a parachute and rescue vessel.
Bridget thanks for the study it was not surprising to see that the Canadian model proved the worth of giving a sustainable income that saved hospital costs.
I was actually chemically poisoned inside the CBC 12 story building at the corner of Front street and John St at the foreshore of Lake Ontario in Toronto.
I was one of 40 communication and building contractors who suffered from chemical over-exposure because the building was not fitted with central ‘ventilation yet’ and the building had no opening windows to get air into the building so when we got sick most workers never had funds to get medical treatment only available in the US at that time.
My friends over in Toronto now have a clinic to treat workers with Chemical poisoning too at Womens college hospital bless them;
My Point being that if i was funded with a trip to a US clinic then my health would most certainly have been restored then and that was the power of funding people with what it would do to facilitate proper medical care.
Since being back home in Napier in 1998 I have been paying for my medical treatment from chronic chemical poisoning ever since.
The huge NZ Precariat consists of poorly-paid workers who live on both welfare and badly-paid work. Switching between the two as rubbish jobs run out, or working and still needing food grants and other assistance (I know plenty of people in this position).
The division between "working" and "welfare" is not that clear for many people these days.
That is the problem, they stopped being being a workers party with the tory reforms in the '80s. Firmly a middle class outfit despite the platitudes about dealing with children living in poverty.
"If beneficiaries voted more then the calculations might be different." That is as cold, heartless and cynical as I expect from the Laura Norder, 'Crusher' type.
This is both inspiring (that MSD has some level of innovation in it) and deeply offensive. I can see where they are coming from..but…the gamification of budgeting the unbudgetable… ffs!
Inspired by "free" cash giveaways by payday lenders, a government digital start-up is trialling paying people to complete money skills lessons.
The Ministry of Social Development's Spring digital start-up is designed to improve the money skills and wellbeing of "hard to reach" families who are struggling financially, but aren't seeking help from budgeting agencies.
In return for completing online learning tasks Spring users earn "SpringCoin" which they can swap for vouchers to spend at Countdown, Pak n' Save, Four Square, The Warehouse and Z Energy.
I can just imagine the dumbed down task completion process brought to you by the same organisation that paid tens of thousands for phamplets so devoid of intelligence they disclose nothing at all.
What really rips my nighty is that a businesses will make govt bank doing this when the money needs to go to the people who need it. Please excuse me for a few..I need to unclench my jaw.
Better jaw, jaw, than war, war! And if you look at the way people are being deliberately denied the basics of life they need, it is a sort of war.
For instance the care workers having a little strike over the swingeing conditions at the Masonic Fancy Name care facility in Lower Hutt? and are conducting it with Et Tu support. Some of the workers are being offered? an employment agreement where they get hours of work, some sort of basic roster, but also there's more…they have to be on call for whenever the facility has need of them.
In essence they can't live their human lives, they are at the behest of their employer and can't make plans to do anything with family, friends, appointments, rest and recovery as needed, high days and holidays, which can all have to be curtailed by a demand to work and be on call within a 24/7 basis. The managers don't work those hours for that money, no way.
Flexible, malleable, plasticine workforce is what the employers can demand under our callous neoliberal no-regulations political system set up to allow despots to take control of their workers lives. And large numbers of NZ people don't care, they are not affected. They are going on one of those cruises in fullpage advertisements of the papers, it's SEP.
It's not news, and other places have decided it's harmful to their democracy. By all means have public polls, just not funded by those with an interest in sensationalising them.
Who gets to decide which polls are okay or not? Will you stop political parties from carrying out polling to determine whether their political approach is working?
Publishing polls, not conducting them. The Electoral Commisison would be a logical body to do that on behalf of everyone in our context.
Media and parties would still have a go at spinning a narrative around the results, but the media outlets would be under less pressure to favour commercial imperatives over editorial standards.
It used to work here until the plutocrats decided to cheat everyone. In the old state broadcasting days the unprofessional bias that characterises muppets like Garner would have cost him his job – nowadays he probably has to be an empty-headed Tory sycophant just to keep his job.
Yeah that gave me a chuckle. Down 1% from the last CB poll is plummeting? They haven't noted that National has "plummeted" too – down 1% from the last poll.
Perhaps plummets is code for the way that Labour is allocating money for better services, infrastucture but not as much as some would like, ie they are distributing not full-sized 'plums' but 'plummets'! In our convoluted world, every word can have two meanings. Let's choose this one!
German software giant SAP has apologised to New Zealand after a massive data breach revealed the details of gun owners’ names, addresses and firearms.
“As part of new features intended for the platform, security profiles were to be updated to allow certain users to be able to create citizens records,” a spokesperson explained.
“A new security profile was incorrectly provisioned to a group of 66 dealer users due to human error by SAP… We unreservedly apologise to New Zealand Police and the citizens of New Zealand for this error.”
You've never worked in IT have you? If the NZ Police outsourced this to SAP they should have insisted on detailed security testing by SAP. On top of this they should also have performed User acceptance testing of the system changes by their own IT team which should have focused on areas like this. The NZ Police and by default this government) cannot get away from the ownership of this stuff up so easily.
Bah – sounds like it's you that's never worked in IT Gosman. Neither a statement in the non-functional specifications about security, nor User Acceptance Testing (UAT) are any guarantee that breaches won't occur. Normally UAT doesn't go anywhere near the sort of actions that can result in exploiting weaknesses. An even a well-designed system is still susceptible to human error on the developer or admin side – which SAP seem to be saying it was.
Your reflexive finger-pointing at the government is oh so childish and ideological. Perhaps instead the lesson is that the private sector is inherently wasteful, inefficient, lazy and sloppy because profit-taking rots their brains and makes them behave badly? Or maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration – though the evidence would seem to point that way at least in part.
This was a standard set up of a new security group. As part of testing this set up I would expect it to be checked that the people in the group did not have more rights than they should have. This should be looked at from both a Security testing point of view AND Acceptance testing. Acceptance testing should always be carried out by members of the organisation receiving the service (or at least ownership of the testing should be kept within the receiving organisation).
New things can start out clean and sharp, but as things seem to be going well and no-one is looking too hard, the organic things comes in and they age. As we age and our bodies renew themselves but not as they were Scotty, bits of our chromosomes? drop off and we end up looking well-used. The private sector has probably been assessed by some acute observer, who has found that within say five years anything is only 80% as good as within it's first six months. And with no regulations, or poorly enforced ones, private enterprise will sink to its lowest level of quality that enables the highest efficiency and profit.
…they should have insisted on detailed security testing by SAP. On top of this they should also have performed User acceptance testing of the system changes by their own IT team which should have focused on areas like this.
They should, and for all we know they did. Nobody's yet come up with a UAT plan that guarantees nothing can go wrong.
This is not some obscure edge case scenario. From all accounts this was the incorrect set up of a new security group which allowed members of that group to access data they shouldn't have been able to see. That is basic level stuff.
She's responsible for all those bald or #1 pates running NZ business?
I bet she's also responsible for the lack of ties, to show that subtle informality of expensive business suit with the hard-working lack of tie image. And the brown pointy shoes!
Where is Bob Jones when we need his dress sense code?
Ha, ha Wensleydale – great comment. My random reading of some Facebook media pages would somehow indicate that most of the hoi poloi who do comment certainly think along such lines. It often makes me want to throw my keyboard at the screen. So far I've resisted the urge.
The Minister of Police is responsible for ensuring the Police's IT systems are up to scratch and not vulnerable.
So, you believe Nash is to blame for not inspecting SAP's update code for this app before allowing them to install it? Or is he to blame for allowing the Police to outsource app development rather than requiring them to develop software in-house?
Many people of the Right, as well as of the Left, seem to think that the chain of command is a straight line to the top but they forget about or overlook management and institutional(ised) processes and procedures. No wonder so many ‘discussions’ here are anything but.
Nonetheless this was a very serious error; someone senior needs to take responsibility. I agree it doesn't warrant the resignation of the Minister, but clearly the oversight of this project has failed. A head needs to roll.
Data security around gun ownership is paramount if legal gun owners are to have any confidence in the system and this incident has been severely compromising.
I'm with Gosman on this. This kind of security breach was predicted months ago by a highly qualified friend. For legal gun owners this is of critical concern, it takes no imagination to see what would happen if gun ownership details were to ever get into the wrong hands.
This represents a serious hit on the credibility of the new gun ownership regime. A regime closely identified with Arden herself.
The list went out to gun retailers like Tipple – no surprise it leaked – nothing to do with the government though. Those anti-terrorist powers? People handing out lists of guns and addresses probably qualify.
To be fair it was the gun dealers themselves who were largely shocked at what they were seeing and reported it to the authorities immediately.
It is wholly unconvincing for the govt to minimise this incident. This was not some obscure bug or oversight, it was a flat out configuration error of the most basic kind. If this is the level of professionalism and testing going on in this project then some hard oversight questions need to be asked.
It's quite probable that the damage in this instance has been contained; but we cannot know for certain. Worse still we cannot have much confidence that another such mistake will not happen, and next time the consequences might be much worse.
I repeat … consider the consequences of a major leak of gun ownership details to fall into criminal hands.
I agree it shouldn't have happened, but it was a usergroup assignment error rather than an essential configuration error. SAP screwed up and ticked the wrong box. They didn't e.g. allow sql injection on the form. It's not a globally-accessible hole, it's overprivileging people who were meant to get more access anyway.
So yes it should have been picked up before release, but I'm not sure how high up that user group change would go. I would have thought the cops would have done some user poking before handing out access to the new group, but this isn't exactly a ministerial-level issue.
Yes someone ticked the wrong box. That should have been picked up before it went live, no if's no buts. I understand the nature of the error, remember I wrote software for large industrial processes most of my career … often on live, running machines. So I'm vividly aware of how easily mistakes happen and I'm not a judgmental person by nature.
BUT this is the equivalent of a simple software error that could cause an industrial accident, causing damage and death. The leadership on this project should have understood that making a simple config error should NOT lead to a major failure. There should have been multiple layers of protection in place to prevent this from happening. At the prices these guys charge it would the least I would expect.
But it's an error that applied to a tenth of a percent of users who had a higher privilege level anyway. It's like if I, in a lowly security hat, had accidentally dragged access to the finance office over to all upper-middle level managers, rather than just the finance manager. Sure, it's something to bollock me over, but one wouldn't expect them to go wandering in the dead of night. Unlike if I'd dragged it over to 20k students and they all got a notification of the change.
Not sure what to make of the disagreement over who and how many accessed it, though. If someone's telling lies about the degree of the problem, that's when the shit in this case should start trickling up.
jfc. Best case scenario there is that he and his team are clueless about the politics around both #metoo and the alt right/left conspiracy theories of paedophilia. Not to mention having a sexual predator as current president. Or they don't care. Which makes them incompetent. And creepy.
Brexit news – a really interesting video from Channel 4 News. The sight of the PM rolling plasticine with schoolchildren in an effort to show himself a man of the people, in touch with all levels of society is insulting to those concerned about his tragic lack of concern about the country. And he has been caught out making promises that are totally the opposite to what is the Tory declared policies. He is just a moving mouth being carried by a bulky body like a battering ram at the portals of reason and responsible UK policy.
Does Boris Johnson understand his own Brexit deal? and there is a look at Labour – what are they saying themselves and doing?
Channel 4 are having to run a video with some mute partial and some vocal – the mute filled in with explanatory text! Channel 4 faces yet another accusation of political bias https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwZ980ujkc
Why are NZ media now today having a blackout on the ‘COPS 25 Climate change conference’ going on today in Madrid Spain, – with 125 countries attending along with NZ diplomatic representation?
Today the National opposition are claiming our PM Jacinda Ardern spends to much time on the world stage; so is that why this media blackout is all about?
I came across this personal input from someone who has visited Assange regularly. Haven't read it all myself yet – am passing it on for information of those who care. (Published 27 Sept 2019)
Does this look dangerous to you? Is it those for the environment that is practical for its purpose v those who like uniform green deserts as the bees call grass (or would if they could translate buzz to language)?
However, Auckland Transport have sent Dee a letter outlining the legal requirements for berms, which include restrictions from planting anything edible or having vegetation more than 60cm tall, and must have shallow roots. Isn't that nice Auckland Transport organising everything for us as they picture how we should be. Do they seem ubiquitious?
But I thought a berm went between the road and the footpath, that's where mine is. And children have been chalking all over the footpath – surely there is a law against that!
So, if a 1% fall in Labour (and National) CB poll results is 'plummeting' then our banks' interest rates have plummeted, our unemployment rate has plummeted, crime victimisation has plummeted, use of plastic bags has plummeted, ownership of military style weapons has plummeted.
If a rise in 1% or more is 'rocketing', a fair antonym for 'plummeting', then Mana in Mahi numbers are rocketing, both business and consumer confidence (Q 6 answer in the House today) are rocketing, with 80,000 new jobs employment is rocketing, wages at 4% have sky-rocketed, primary produce revenue has rocketed, support for school maintenance is rocketing.
The Court name suppression thing is definitely due for an overhaul. Here is an example in a bizarre case. It is hard not to get paranoid these days – there seem to be so many who are trying to take people down in some way.
A victim of the former financial executive caught stealing rabbits says he spent thousands of dollars on alarms, flood lights and security cameras to protect his surviving animals.
"He stole six of my rabbits, most of which were pets, one of which was a mother with a litter that subsequently died," the man told the Herald.
"It broke my heart, and to have him get name suppression for so long … it made me sick."
The argument that this is an OK hand sign doesn't fit the context. I'd have said that a thumbs up signal would have been more appropriate to express approval. The signal connected to the wearing of a Trump support hat is a good reason why William Wood has been a wise enough 17 year old to drop this photo.
Bloody hell! The last thing we want here. OK those kids are still young and impressionable, but if that is what they are impressed by, then there is no way we want them anywhere near the seat of government. Palmerston North – do your duty.
Bridges said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made the same hand gestures as well: "I don't think there is a lot in it, it's not a biggie".
Bridges is a liar and he is sick to infer the prime-minister is sympathetic to white supremacist ideology because that is exactly what he is doing no matter how strenuously he tries to deny it.
That saying that you can never hit bottom when the stupidity of people is measured is a counter to the ideal of a democracy where everyone has an education and is capable of making reasoned decisions on behalf of themselves and/or the country. It is a conundrum.
This caught my eye. Baldwin Street in Dunedin has been in contention with a street in Wales for being the steepest in Guinness Book records. The use of Lime scooters in Dunedin's Baldwin St is already under scrutiny as the company and police try to curb reckless behaviour on the street. 11 January 2019 One person has already been filmed riding down the steepest street in the world since the scooters arrived a day ago.
Not sure the scooters are as dangerous as idiots who can't drive cars. Especially front wheel automatics – they never change down, and start wheelspinning near the top. Then the drivers shit themselves because they get psyched out and fail to simply reverse down a straight slope.
But then I have to bloody slalom between the tourists every day as they wander all over the road, oblivious to traffic on a steep hill. Even though it's advertised as a steep road. Vexes me greatly.
Police in Dunedin have found that some people find begging lucrative and the street a place to live and sleep and prefer it. How common is this in Dunedin?
Some were choosing the street, despite having accommodation options available, as they could make up to $200 a day from begging and the cruise ship season marked a notable increase in the practice, he said.
As a person now having had four separate diagnoses for cancer, all successfully treated, under successive governments, I welcome this move.
I hope that all parties will support this agency in its set up and work. Cancer, like any disease, has no respect for political affiliation, income or social views.
A woman was reported as missing in India by her family. She was being brutally raped, murdered and burned.
Three policemen have also been suspended for failing to act quickly when the woman’s disappearance was registered by her family on Wednesday, with the officers instead suggesting she had just gone off with a man and turning the family away from the police station. Before she was attacked, the woman had called her family at about 9pm to say her scooter was immobile and she was stranded by the road and scared.
Noticeable in the story is how quickly the men decided to pick off this woman on her own, tell her lies, pretend to be helpful and treat her with consideration when all the time they had decided to use her in a vile way, and protect themselves from justice or vengeneance. Also the way that the police wished to have nothing to do with this crime. Perhaps it is regarded as unclean, something that a decent man would not be involved with. It speaks volumes about the sexism and classism in India, and they may also be a shame-based society, as appears so often in the Middle East.
It is not the first time that a really horrific sexual attack on a woman in India has made the news; some men descended on a student travelling in a bus with her boyfriend which ended with her death. In a village some young girls were hanged from a tree, I think for having been raped which was felt to bring shame on the village.
A young and trusting NZ woman was murdered while visiting India some years ago. A taxi driver took her to a hotel with a similar name to the one she had booked so she was misled and disoriented. A little while afterwards she disappeared. Her father became alarmed and went to India to look for her. After some serious detective work her body was found. A group of men were involved in scams involving female tourists. Some of the women had had sex with them, and the men no doubt had found their roles lucrative and satisfying. This young woman would not have been available for sex. The father had a number of trips to India to first find her and bring her home, and then to have the men brought to justice.
With all the Indian men coming to this country there will be a percentage of the young men who have this awful blankness in their moral sense towards women. We should be aware of this, and also about unacceptable factors in some arranged marriages. An educated man may use himself as a lure for a family with funds seeking a good marriage for their daughter, who will pay a bride price or dowry. After the marriage she may suffer an unfortunate accident, leaving the man a widower. He can then look for another wife, and repeat the practice, and his family would secure a good boost to their wealth from such a practice.
Remember though greywarshark, that a lot of these Indian men end up as New Zealand Corrections ("prison") Officers and managers, employed or formerly employed by both the Dept of Corrections and SERCO.
Chatting with some of them in a "business end" environment, they will insist that both actions and in-actions bring consequences, and that women "ask for it" going out non-escorted at night, or by being too flirtatious.
Perhaps more laws could be introduced by the National Party (if they get in next year) to make it illegal in New Zealand to be a woman alone under such circumstances.
You see, there can be a law constructed and tailor made for just about any situation. It just takes the will power and the right amount of insistence.
Why challenge the viewpoint of so many Indians with a population which is now around 1.4 billion?
Probably most of them will tell you that there is both safety and legitimacy in numbers.
I recognise your cognition karol121. So many people can't be wrong eh. And India very religious, lots of parades and flowers. But what about the heart and meaning of the belief, can it be put aside when it suits?
Just musing. Women need to be aware of the enduring wish to take male 'privilege' over any social controls. And then too their own wish to be admired that shows up in choice of clothes etc. Add to that the inability to understand other's feelings and thoughts even when we speak the same language; communication classes teach how we misunderstand often.
I think I read somewhere that all great changes are brought about by a small group. So that makes it easy to control the pace of change and who by. Thank god for the young ones getting onto pressing for change. I don't think we are bigger conformists than many other cultures but it is stunning how we go on with rationalisations, lazy thinkers, self-centred, materialists out of balance.
Lazy thinking and out of balance for materially gainful purpose.
I've been guilty of that occasionally myself, greywarshark.
Most societies are preconditioned to reassertion and re-enforcement of belief and even perceived ideas, fueled with the concept of majority being the more right (whatever that "right" is at any one time).
Difficult to escape from it. Political democracy based on largest vote validates the notion that we at least (often begrudgingly) accept it as a pre-condition.
On challenges using younger generational ideas, I think that (when not used as a destructive weapon of choice) a clash of cultures is both natural and healthy.
Challenging the beliefs of others when what they assert leaves many questions unanswered, but not doing so deliberately to one's own detriment.
An alt choice to avoid one to one head banging, blamelessly deliberating on just y people do and y they don't.
Or lighten up except where absolutely necessary and remember how long traces stay in the body. We have had cases of airline staff still hung over in the early morning as they make their way to the airport for early starts.
More self-control and appreciation of what the body can stand, and what fitness the job requires would make people limit their drug taking.
Except that impairment tests also catch basic fatigue and generalised incompetence, which I suggest are more frequent and more serious dangers when people are operating heavy machinery.
They never run short of punitive bullshit. They'll demand your social media access or test clothing for P residues or introduce spurious psych questionnaires – none of it relevant to the work.
Females are dropping their standards of behaviour along with other things. Women will not be able to complain about being put upon in a sexual way as more and more stories of irresponsible and immoral behaviour from them comes out in the media.
There has been a female teacher in Marlborough who has brazenly assaulted boys there for a while until finally someone brought the story out; and she was/is married. This sports coach is married also. She sounds a nasty piece of work.
Water polo coach at prestigious South African school engaged in sexual misconduct with 'at least five pupils'
Married teacher and former model Fiona Viotti slept with her students and sent them explicit photos and videos, which were circulated on social media and even made their way to PornHub.
The 30-year-old resigned from the $15,730-a-year (R150,000) Bishops Diocesan School in Cape Town in October amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old student.
Ms Viotti, the niece of former Springboks coach Nick Mallett, reportedly sent threatening messages to the student via WhatsApp when he tried to break off the relationship.
Assertive and occasionally sexually aggressive woman are nothing new.
It is generally recognised that when push comes to shove, in relation to sexual harassment allegations over recent times (more especially in relation to the workplace) most complaints do usually get taken on face value, almost as if those reviewing such complaints are trying to indirectly lend support to the myriad of woman who've had a justifiable reason to make an allegation, but who either haven't come forward or haven't been able to come forward.
But complaints by males against females in this regard, are very often simply disregarded or treated as being silly.
Essentially, I guess we all need to ask ourselves just what if any real damage is caused by woman adopting an active (as opposed to passive role). To my mind, none. Simply a challenge to ideals or beliefs held by many, and a change of perspective perhaps.
That is in relation to sexual assertiveness, but in relation to predatory sexual behaviour, well that is entirely a different matter.
I recall reading of one case where a woman teacher deliberately conceived a child, apparently in an attempt to emotionally trap a young male student.
But I also recall reading where younger school boys were engaged in "upskirt" photo sessions of a relatively attractive teacher, and where she was really surprised by the behaviour revealed to her later. But boys will be boys, and I bet that many of them thought that Christmas had come early with such trove of pics, until they got caught pink handed.
In relation to minors, consider both the sexually transmitted diseases aspect and the conception aspect. Most girls aren't physically capable of any healthy form of child bearing during adolescence and are unlikely to be emotionally prepared, most boys aren't psychologically geared up to early fatherhood.
There are many other ramifications as well. Teacher crush yes, teacher promoting bed romp, no. Very naughty.
In relation to both male and female promiscuity and any "lowering" of a standard, perhaps simply a connected 21st century alteration is all it is.
For the record, I am male by the way.
What's important is putting things into perspective in relation to human physiology and especially comfort mechanisms born out of one of the most basic, inbuilt human drivers, which is that of procreation, or continuation of the species. Along with all of the ramifications, whether they be pleasurable or whether they arrive with undesired complications.
We do have to make big changes and accelerat the changes to a carbon neutral World. Not spend billion producing MORE CARBON.
We need export dollars to change our society to carbon neutral we can not kill the golden goose. The least disruptive move is to chase Green transport and green energy at the same time do things to minimise our farmers carbon footprint. Aotearoa is in the best location to make a society Carbon neutral in the World.
All the country's that have produced the least carbon are going to suffer the most from Global warming and Sea level rising. Hence they should be compensated for their losses. The cost will be a drop in the Ocean compared to the wealth Western nations have harvested from the World.
Small island countries in the Pacific are demanding greater commitments at this week's Madrid climate talks, saying what's been done so far is far from enough.
For example, the Pacific Island states have been facing higher numbers than the global average, which is of course very alarming for them because they're low-lying For example, the Pacific Island states have been facing higher numbers than the global average, which is of course very alarming for them because they're low-lying
The A growing economy is a waste off time if you can not breathe the Air. A clean and green environment. Keeping our clean seas and Awa is of the utmost importances to our mokopuna future.
Pursuing economic growth at the expense of the environment is no longer an option as Europe faces “unprecedented” challenges from climate chaos, pollution, biodiversity loss and the overconsumption of natural resources, according to a report from Europe’s environmental watchdog.
Europe was reaching the limits of what could be achieved by gradual means, by making efficiencies and small cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, with “transformational” change now necessary to stave off the impacts of global heating and environmental collapse, warned Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Environment Agency
Marginal efficiency gains are not enough – they are not working to bring down emissions,” he said. “There is also a higher cost to marginal efficiency gains, if we keep investing in that. If we focus on making current technologies more efficient, there are limits. If we stick to what we know, it may seem easy but it doesn’t work in the long term.”
The EEA scored 35 key measures of environmental health, from greenhouse gases and air pollution, waste management and climate change to soil condition and birds and butterfly species, and found only six in which Europe was performing adequately.
“Incremental changes have resulted in progress in some areas but not nearly enough to meet our long-term goals,” said Bruyninckx. Further marginal changes would grow only more expensive, he predicted, making large-scale change necessary. “We already have the knowledge, technologies and tools we need to make key production and consumption systems such as food, mobility and energy sustainable
Here is a fool who is trying to force other Nato countries to pour billions of dollars into weapons that kill poor people and thinks his achievement is great. This Orange Redneck should be kicked out of Office. I can see all the dirtiest tricks he is pulling to load his coffers up with hundreds of billions shorting the stock market ect. I know who is to blame for bad shit happening to me TRUMP. THE world need to spend billion to protect our mokopuna future fool
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cited increased spending commitments on defence by European allies and Canada, saying: "Nato is the most successful alliance in history because we've changed as the world has changed."
On Tuesday, he said those nations had added $130bn (£100bn) to defence budgets since 2016, and that this number would increase to $400bn by 2024. Mr Trump has frequently and forcefully criticised how much other allies spend on defence
Ya trump is going to get what he deserves kicked out of The White House the whole World is amazed at the way he is using the most powerful job in the world to line his hip pockets.
That's is cool Taramaki Makaru starting A new Aotearoa thing of collecting food waste.
There is a lot of things that mitigates the production of green house gases that has been used for 20 years around the world that Aotearoa could start doing.
Yes that is awful I bet he was brown.
Im busy getting my mokopuna ready for school and dropping them off mind my grammar.
Climate crisis is 'challenge of civilisation', says pope
Pontiff calls on COP 25 leaders to show political will to safeguard healthy
The climate emergency is a “challenge of civilisation” requiring sweeping changes to economic systems, but political leaders have not done enough, the pope has said in a message to governments meeting at the annual climate summit in Madrid.
“We must seriously ask ourselves if there is the political will to allocate with honesty, responsibility and courage, more human, financial and technological resources [to the climate crisis],” he said, in the pontifical message, which was welcomed by activists.
Climate crisis: what is COP and can it save the world?
Read more
“Numerous studies tell us it is still possible to limit global warming. To do this we need a clear, far-sighted and strong political will, set on pursuing a new course that aims at refocusing financial and economic investments toward those areas that truly safeguard the conditions of a life worthy of humanity on a healthy planet for today and tomorrow.
This is what Global Warming is doing to our environment burning it.
New Zealand's glaciers are turning red – and it's because of Australia's bushfires
By Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN
Glaciers in Mount Aspiring National Park on New Zealand's South Island have turned pinkish-red from dust and particles blown over from Australia's bush fires.
Travel photographer and blogger Liz Carlson snapped the pictures of the discolored snow-capped glaciers on November 28 while on a helicopter flight around Mount Aspiring National Park, in New Zealand's South Island.
"After we flew deep into the park around the Kitchener Glacier, I could really see how red it was, and it was shocking, I've never seen anything like it before," Carlson told CNN. Ka kite Ano link below.
Awsome a new engineering centre at a university in Taramaki Makaru I hope that heaps of Pacific people will get a great education from the $280 million facilities.
Te ohu I read that there was a problem with the Whare returning. Yes they play tangata whenua against each other I see it all the time. And yes the Rangatahi are not as respectful to Te kau matuta as when I was younger.????????????.
Looks like the winner of Matariki is making his views on the way Tangata Whenua are being treated .
That's awesome Maori business Ono pop up Shop is going Mana that gives me a sore face.
The world must cut polluting our futures environment we must cut the world’s carbon footprint in half within 10 years or our earth that is a miracle will turn in a hell hole.
Paris climate deal: world not on track to meet goal amid continuous emissions
Slowdown this year in rising greenhouse gases does not negate long-term trend, finds carbon budget analysis
Carbon dioxide emissions rose weakly this year as the use of coal declined but natural gas took up the slack, a comprehensive study of the global “carbon budget” has found.
The rise in emissions was much smaller than in the last two years, but the continued increase means the world is still far from being on track to meet the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change, which would require emissions to peak then fall rapidly to reach net-zero by mid-century.
Emissions for this year will be 4% higher than those in 2015, when the Paris agreement was signed. Governments are meeting this week and next in Madrid to hammer out some of the final details for implementing the Paris deal and start work on new commitments to cut emissions by 2030. But the new report shows the increasing difficulty of that task.
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 cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“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 to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
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 ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-02/bushfire-victim-nsw-nymboida-climate-change-protest/11757082
Simple, effective and powerful.
I still don't fully understand why – when ordinary, everyday people going about their ordinary, everyday lives can comprehend climate change and all that it means for the planet – the governing leadership continue to live in Cloud Cuckoo land.
If they are so s**t dumb why in God's name are they being elected to these positions?
Because they are bought and paid for by the mining, gas and coal industry – both Labour and Liberals.
Not Shit Dumb – more like corrupt and craven.
https://www.marketforces.org.au/politicaldonations2019/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-01/donations-australia-federal-politics-foreign/10768226
https://www.lockthegate.org.au/big_miners_dig_deep_for_political_parties_donations_registrar_shows
…etc…
It's because if the voters really woke up to how much of their lifestyle choice (referred to by them as necessity) would actually be taken away from them by politicians (as leaders) taking very affirmative action on such matters, they would probably learn to base their opinions on cold or hot hard FACT.
So really easy to use the various elected reps as whipping boys/girls to blame for all manner of ills (usually out of their control) to manage.
Convenient also to vote, as if serious about carbon issues, but hoping like anything that the politicians DON'T take too firm a stand which might burst the good folk's personal and community bubble, or restrict them in any way from doing what they are used to doing, which is mainly creating hot air of their own.
I liken Skippy Granny and her burnt offerings to Parliament House as similar to blaming the guy at the liquor store who sold me a six pack, for the noisiness of the dudes down the road throwing a party.
Powerful, not really. And about as symbolic as throwing old paint tins at them because someone imagined an "extra" hour of daylight brought about by the introduction of daylight saving had caused the paint on their house to crack and blister.
Granny Skippy and her burnt offerings
Last night's poll results should worry the government. Labour needs to stay above 40%, and it has failed to do so.
There are heaps of people who I know personally who would be screwed over by a National government, cut adrift by a toxic mixture of small state ideology, and the Calvinist culture of paying eternal penance for a small mistake made.
This government has been dissapointing and underwhelming, but a National government, backed up with ACT, and possible the New Conservatives, plus the Maori Party, would be a disaster for anyone who is poor, sick, in need of a home, a union member, etc.
It's MMP. One party does not 'need' to stay over 40% if it has viable coalition partners.
" It's MMP. One party does not 'need' to stay over 40% if it has viable coalition partners "
Based on these last C.B polls they still have too reach 60 seats too govern or too be in serious contention of forming a government
Last nights numbers and it is trends that are more important would have the Labour party and its friends short of a majority but the numbers are excruciatingly close.
Can you please link to an article discussing the trends. Haven't seen that yet.
"Identifying statistically meaningful trends in New Zealand politics can be difficult, given the paucity of public polling, but after dramatically different results earlier this year both TV outlets are now consistent in showing an erosion of support for Labour and Ardern "
This from Curwen Ares Rollinson commenting in 2017.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/03/22/on-recent-opinion-polling/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/116582920/ardern-still-standing-but-shaken-by-duo-of-poor-polls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2020_New_Zealand_general_election
Everything before the word "but" is accurate.
When polls get frequent as the election approaches, pay more attention. But at the moment it's more about creating a narrative than genuine reporting.
Hear hear, especially the party that used to speak for the working person. They need to get above 40% so as not to rely on unpleasant coalition partners.
Unless, of course, they are happy to not be transformational: e.g. CGT, reform of fishing industry, housing for the less well off, effective diminishing of child poverty.
Billions of surplus dollars and benefit rates still can't be returned to pre Ruthanasia levels.
Given the polls at the moment if they go down that route they won't have a mandate for that level of radical change.
The want of a mandate never troubles the loathsome reptiles of the Right – who imposed Rogergnomics on us without so much as a by-your-leave. There's a comeuppance due for that – a rebalancing towards a democratic rather instead of a plutocratic society.
a leader (or in contemporary politics, a party) should seek the support of the people rather than favouring his ‘great’ allies or partisans is that the ambitious ‘great’ regard themselves as his equals, and therefore wish to displace him. They will demand ever more offices and goods as the price of their continued support. Attempts to satisfy them will necessarily fail and, in failing, add to the leader’s enemies. A leader can satisfy his people, however, because ‘the end of the people is more decent (onesto) than that of the great, since the great want to oppress and the people want not to be oppressed’.
Macchiavelli
Be fascinating to see what Machiavelli would make of current politics.
Sadly I think he'd be right at home. But I think he'd have liked the enlightenment and the European spring. He got tired of the self-appointed nobles screwing up his hard work.
Well aid Stuart 100%.
That poll doesn't take the yesterdays announcement of a massive spend on infrastructure into account yet so this poll is premature to rely upon now.
Labour needs to get some lost transport services back in operation now and most glaring at us all is the low use of rail in all provinces, that generate our wealth like Gisborne/HB and others.
I agree – restoring a more sustainable transport network makes sense on so many levels. But it has to make it past the peripatetic malice of a neoliberal civil service – pragmatic good sense rarely gets a look in.
Yes Stuart, We have been fighting for the rail service from Napier to Gisborne now for 19yrs and three rail companies later, Tranzrail, Toll Rail, and finally Kiwi rail,
We are still there going gang busters to get the rail up and running again, and it is very challenging when the trucking lobbyists have such power and influence in Wellington but finally this government are showing promise.
Fingers crossed we hope.
If the trends had continued every time someone had said "if these trends continue" based on a few early data points, we'd all be dying from SARSebolaStrepMadCowDisease.
Leaders don't need mandates.
Politicians who want to keep their jobs look for mandates.
There is nothing radical about raising benefit rates. Employment Contracts Act and wine, lamb and dairy products from Aotearoa costing less overseas than here is radical.
Quite tricky boosting benefit rates when you're a party of the workers, let alone those who see themselves as the 'middle class'. If beneficiaries voted more then the calculations might be different.
But presentation of a policy can make all the difference. Raising benefit rates will offset health problems, disease etc. Bringing back educational opportunities and skills training boosts work-ready people etc. The positive advantages of a healthy happy working society are known, the people need support to get on their feet though; the government and country can't have the good society without showing the sensible planning and support for all the people to reach a place where they can be full participants in the enterprise economy.
By the time you have come out with all of that the wealthy's eyes glaze and they say with irritation – get on with it then.
"Raising benefit rates will offset health problems, disease etc. "
Do you have evidence that this is the case? I suspect you just presume this is the case or you will refer to some vague generalised study to support your argument.
It's nice to see you have such an open mind, Gossie.
It's how the talking points get in. 🙂
Yes Wensleydale – it is nice,
Gosman it makes perfect sense that if 'raising benefit rates' means more money in citizens pockets which will allow better health of those citizens, because they have extra funds to buy medicines for early treatment of any medical problem they face.
Look up "Preventive medicine" to see the logic please.
I have a disability Gosman that occurred when I was exposed to chemicals and early intervention would have saved me from a now known long term chronic disability.
Do you see the logic there?
If I was able to fund early treatment my health would have been fine today but because at the time of my injury I had no funding to get early treatment so I suffered since with a long term chronic disability.
Except I asked for any studies on the topic not anecdotal evidence.
Oh sometimes "studies" are an unethical waste of time. Like the death rate from being forced off a plane in the south Atlantic without a parachute and rescue vessel.
This research by Evelyn Forget "The Health Effects of a Canadian Guaranteed Annual Income Field Experiment"
https://utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/cpp.37.3.283
Now go away and shut the fuck upwops
trying not to react with abuse
Bridget thanks for the study it was not surprising to see that the Canadian model proved the worth of giving a sustainable income that saved hospital costs.
I was actually chemically poisoned inside the CBC 12 story building at the corner of Front street and John St at the foreshore of Lake Ontario in Toronto.
I was one of 40 communication and building contractors who suffered from chemical over-exposure because the building was not fitted with central ‘ventilation yet’ and the building had no opening windows to get air into the building so when we got sick most workers never had funds to get medical treatment only available in the US at that time.
My friends over in Toronto now have a clinic to treat workers with Chemical poisoning too at Womens college hospital bless them;
My Point being that if i was funded with a trip to a US clinic then my health would most certainly have been restored then and that was the power of funding people with what it would do to facilitate proper medical care.
Since being back home in Napier in 1998 I have been paying for my medical treatment from chronic chemical poisoning ever since.
The huge NZ Precariat consists of poorly-paid workers who live on both welfare and badly-paid work. Switching between the two as rubbish jobs run out, or working and still needing food grants and other assistance (I know plenty of people in this position).
The division between "working" and "welfare" is not that clear for many people these days.
Yet look at public sentiment. Our overlords continue to succeed at pitting the 99% against one another.
Absolutely – their master stroke.
And you are right that more beneficiaries voting would be a great move in the right direction.
That is the problem, they stopped being being a workers party with the tory reforms in the '80s. Firmly a middle class outfit despite the platitudes about dealing with children living in poverty.
"If beneficiaries voted more then the calculations might be different." That is as cold, heartless and cynical as I expect from the Laura Norder, 'Crusher' type.
Hey I'm not the one doing the arithmetic.
Labour needs to stay above 40%, and it has failed to do so.
It has? One poll known for underestimating Labour's support says so, which isn't much of a basis for you to boldly assert that as a fact.
This is both inspiring (that MSD has some level of innovation in it) and deeply offensive. I can see where they are coming from..but…the gamification of budgeting the unbudgetable… ffs!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/117867859/government-trial-to-use-tricks-of-payday-lenders-to-incentivise-money-education
I can just imagine the dumbed down task completion process brought to you by the same organisation that paid tens of thousands for phamplets so devoid of intelligence they disclose nothing at all.
What really rips my nighty is that a businesses will make govt bank doing this when the money needs to go to the people who need it. Please excuse me for a few..I need to unclench my jaw.
Better jaw, jaw, than war, war! And if you look at the way people are being deliberately denied the basics of life they need, it is a sort of war.
For instance the care workers having a little strike over the swingeing conditions at the Masonic Fancy Name care facility in Lower Hutt? and are conducting it with Et Tu support. Some of the workers are being offered? an employment agreement where they get hours of work, some sort of basic roster, but also there's more…they have to be on call for whenever the facility has need of them.
In essence they can't live their human lives, they are at the behest of their employer and can't make plans to do anything with family, friends, appointments, rest and recovery as needed, high days and holidays, which can all have to be curtailed by a demand to work and be on call within a 24/7 basis. The managers don't work those hours for that money, no way.
Flexible, malleable, plasticine workforce is what the employers can demand under our callous neoliberal no-regulations political system set up to allow despots to take control of their workers lives. And large numbers of NZ people don't care, they are not affected. They are going on one of those cruises in fullpage advertisements of the papers, it's SEP.
"Labour plummets"
Yet another great argument for the disestablishment of tvnz and the creation of public funded news service
An argument against allowing media companies to buy polls that they then feel a need to stir some drama from. Don't some countries ban them?
Yes, ban news that you don't like the look of. That works well in places like China (for the ruling party at least).
Working pretty well in the USA as well Gos.
How does it work in the USA?
Deliberate misrepresentation of facts is probably a good place to start.
Attributing quotes to one person when they came from another done purely to cast doubt over a candidates political campaign.
There are plenty. I can make you up a list when I get home tonight if required.
So no government imposed ban then.
It's not news, and other places have decided it's harmful to their democracy. By all means have public polls, just not funded by those with an interest in sensationalising them.
Who gets to decide which polls are okay or not? Will you stop political parties from carrying out polling to determine whether their political approach is working?
Publishing polls, not conducting them. The Electoral Commisison would be a logical body to do that on behalf of everyone in our context.
Media and parties would still have a go at spinning a narrative around the results, but the media outlets would be under less pressure to favour commercial imperatives over editorial standards.
Show me a country where that works
It used to work here until the plutocrats decided to cheat everyone. In the old state broadcasting days the unprofessional bias that characterises muppets like Garner would have cost him his job – nowadays he probably has to be an empty-headed Tory sycophant just to keep his job.
Stuart well said Garner is a plonker now.
"Labour plummets"
Yeah that gave me a chuckle. Down 1% from the last CB poll is plummeting? They haven't noted that National has "plummeted" too – down 1% from the last poll.
'Plummeted' by a fraction of the margin of error. #pffft
Perhaps plummets is code for the way that Labour is allocating money for better services, infrastucture but not as much as some would like, ie they are distributing not full-sized 'plums' but 'plummets'! In our convoluted world, every word can have two meanings. Let's choose this one!
xanthe Fully agree with you 100% at 4
'Time for creation of public funded news service'
Will someone in the Government take responsibility for this screw up?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/117596483/privacy-breach-has-police-shut-down-gun-buyback-website
Why would they?
You've never worked in IT have you? If the NZ Police outsourced this to SAP they should have insisted on detailed security testing by SAP. On top of this they should also have performed User acceptance testing of the system changes by their own IT team which should have focused on areas like this. The NZ Police and by default this government) cannot get away from the ownership of this stuff up so easily.
I don't care.
The user-error occurred at SAP, they apologised and acknowledged their mistake. Do you make a habit of assuming responsibility for others actions?
Do you think it is okay for government to outsource responsibility for data protection?
Do you make a habit of assuming responsibility for others actions?
Careful arkie, some of what was sprayed before gosman walked away, might leave a stain on yr clothes.
Bah – sounds like it's you that's never worked in IT Gosman. Neither a statement in the non-functional specifications about security, nor User Acceptance Testing (UAT) are any guarantee that breaches won't occur. Normally UAT doesn't go anywhere near the sort of actions that can result in exploiting weaknesses. An even a well-designed system is still susceptible to human error on the developer or admin side – which SAP seem to be saying it was.
Your reflexive finger-pointing at the government is oh so childish and ideological. Perhaps instead the lesson is that the private sector is inherently wasteful, inefficient, lazy and sloppy because profit-taking rots their brains and makes them behave badly? Or maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration – though the evidence would seem to point that way at least in part.
This was a standard set up of a new security group. As part of testing this set up I would expect it to be checked that the people in the group did not have more rights than they should have. This should be looked at from both a Security testing point of view AND Acceptance testing. Acceptance testing should always be carried out by members of the organisation receiving the service (or at least ownership of the testing should be kept within the receiving organisation).
New things can start out clean and sharp, but as things seem to be going well and no-one is looking too hard, the organic things comes in and they age. As we age and our bodies renew themselves but not as they were Scotty, bits of our chromosomes? drop off and we end up looking well-used. The private sector has probably been assessed by some acute observer, who has found that within say five years anything is only 80% as good as within it's first six months. And with no regulations, or poorly enforced ones, private enterprise will sink to its lowest level of quality that enables the highest efficiency and profit.
…they should have insisted on detailed security testing by SAP. On top of this they should also have performed User acceptance testing of the system changes by their own IT team which should have focused on areas like this.
They should, and for all we know they did. Nobody's yet come up with a UAT plan that guarantees nothing can go wrong.
This is not some obscure edge case scenario. From all accounts this was the incorrect set up of a new security group which allowed members of that group to access data they shouldn't have been able to see. That is basic level stuff.
Labour are also directly responsible for climate change, the unrest in the Middle-East, ebola, the Australian bushfires and male-pattern baldness.
That Jacinda. She's a menace.
She's responsible for all those bald or #1 pates running NZ business?
I bet she's also responsible for the lack of ties, to show that subtle informality of expensive business suit with the hard-working lack of tie image. And the brown pointy shoes!
Where is Bob Jones when we need his dress sense code?
Bob Jones only emerges from his crypt during a full moon.
Lol W-dale
Ha, ha Wensleydale – great comment. My random reading of some Facebook media pages would somehow indicate that most of the hoi poloi who do comment certainly think along such lines. It often makes me want to throw my keyboard at the screen. So far I've resisted the urge.
Will someone in the Government take responsibility for this screw up?
That depends. Was someone in the government responsible for it?
Ummm… yeah. The Minister of Police is responsible for ensuring the Police's IT systems are up to scratch and not vulnerable.
Bit more Ministerial/operational separation in that portfolio than others.
Police Managers not immune, however.
No. On matters like this the Minister is ultimately responsible.
No – The Minister relies on "advisers so he takes his responsibility from advisers not himself.
Or do you want less "informed consent” to be your National Party policy Mr Gosman?
I'm not a National party supporter so why would I want it to be National Party policy?
That didn’t really answer the question, did it?
The Minister of Police is responsible for ensuring the Police's IT systems are up to scratch and not vulnerable.
So, you believe Nash is to blame for not inspecting SAP's update code for this app before allowing them to install it? Or is he to blame for allowing the Police to outsource app development rather than requiring them to develop software in-house?
No, he's responsible for the fact the NZ Police DIDN'T do these checks properly (if at all).
Many people of the Right, as well as of the Left, seem to think that the chain of command is a straight line to the top but they forget about or overlook management and institutional(ised) processes and procedures. No wonder so many ‘discussions’ here are anything but.
Nonetheless this was a very serious error; someone senior needs to take responsibility. I agree it doesn't warrant the resignation of the Minister, but clearly the oversight of this project has failed. A head needs to roll.
Data security around gun ownership is paramount if legal gun owners are to have any confidence in the system and this incident has been severely compromising.
If only Nash hadn't allowed his coding skills to get so rusty. Let's not even get started on his weapons handling.
If it is SAP it is a config set up not a code change that caused this issue.
Gosh… gun dealers now have access to gun owners addresses, guns owned, etc. Goodness what next!!
Ambulance officers will probably soon have access to all their patient's medical information… This is an outrage!!
And bank details
You had better shut down every business in NZ then, because they have access to people's bank account no's too…
I'm with Gosman on this. This kind of security breach was predicted months ago by a highly qualified friend. For legal gun owners this is of critical concern, it takes no imagination to see what would happen if gun ownership details were to ever get into the wrong hands.
This represents a serious hit on the credibility of the new gun ownership regime. A regime closely identified with Arden herself.
The list went out to gun retailers like Tipple – no surprise it leaked – nothing to do with the government though. Those anti-terrorist powers? People handing out lists of guns and addresses probably qualify.
My friend advises me that far more than one person has seen this data.
Gosman is right, security had to be the primary concern here, and someone needs to be held accountable for this failure at a very senior level.
Seems to me that this indicates gun dealers shouldn't be trusted with higher privileges than other people.
To be fair it was the gun dealers themselves who were largely shocked at what they were seeing and reported it to the authorities immediately.
It is wholly unconvincing for the govt to minimise this incident. This was not some obscure bug or oversight, it was a flat out configuration error of the most basic kind. If this is the level of professionalism and testing going on in this project then some hard oversight questions need to be asked.
It's quite probable that the damage in this instance has been contained; but we cannot know for certain. Worse still we cannot have much confidence that another such mistake will not happen, and next time the consequences might be much worse.
I repeat … consider the consequences of a major leak of gun ownership details to fall into criminal hands.
I agree it shouldn't have happened, but it was a usergroup assignment error rather than an essential configuration error. SAP screwed up and ticked the wrong box. They didn't e.g. allow sql injection on the form. It's not a globally-accessible hole, it's overprivileging people who were meant to get more access anyway.
So yes it should have been picked up before release, but I'm not sure how high up that user group change would go. I would have thought the cops would have done some user poking before handing out access to the new group, but this isn't exactly a ministerial-level issue.
Yes someone ticked the wrong box. That should have been picked up before it went live, no if's no buts. I understand the nature of the error, remember I wrote software for large industrial processes most of my career … often on live, running machines. So I'm vividly aware of how easily mistakes happen and I'm not a judgmental person by nature.
BUT this is the equivalent of a simple software error that could cause an industrial accident, causing damage and death. The leadership on this project should have understood that making a simple config error should NOT lead to a major failure. There should have been multiple layers of protection in place to prevent this from happening. At the prices these guys charge it would the least I would expect.
Definitely would expect better from the vendor.
But it's an error that applied to a tenth of a percent of users who had a higher privilege level anyway. It's like if I, in a lowly security hat, had accidentally dragged access to the finance office over to all upper-middle level managers, rather than just the finance manager. Sure, it's something to bollock me over, but one wouldn't expect them to go wandering in the dead of night. Unlike if I'd dragged it over to 20k students and they all got a notification of the change.
Not sure what to make of the disagreement over who and how many accessed it, though. If someone's telling lies about the degree of the problem, that's when the shit in this case should start trickling up.
Ban overseas companies use for data collection should do this..
Does it really matter?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12290412
Wow…Colin Craig actually won something!
Yeah, but it's an apology from Jordan Williams. It's about as genuinely useful as a balsa wood chair. Sometimes, even when you win… you lose.
Creepy – Biden is just getting stranger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsNQ6v1Vxuk&feature=em-uploademail&ab_channel=SecularTalk
Biden will not drop out. He needs to be kicked out.
jfc. Best case scenario there is that he and his team are clueless about the politics around both #metoo and the alt right/left conspiracy theories of paedophilia. Not to mention having a sexual predator as current president. Or they don't care. Which makes them incompetent. And creepy.
Brexit news – a really interesting video from Channel 4 News. The sight of the PM rolling plasticine with schoolchildren in an effort to show himself a man of the people, in touch with all levels of society is insulting to those concerned about his tragic lack of concern about the country. And he has been caught out making promises that are totally the opposite to what is the Tory declared policies. He is just a moving mouth being carried by a bulky body like a battering ram at the portals of reason and responsible UK policy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chmB-Xk–qw
Does Boris Johnson understand his own Brexit deal? and there is a look at Labour – what are they saying themselves and doing?
Channel 4 are having to run a video with some mute partial and some vocal – the mute filled in with explanatory text!
Channel 4 faces yet another accusation of political bias
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwZ980ujkc
A hilarious interview CNN with Tom Walker who acts the Jonathan Pie character.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-MFQBwTNQQ
Why are NZ media now today having a blackout on the ‘COPS 25 Climate change conference’ going on today in Madrid Spain, – with 125 countries attending along with NZ diplomatic representation?
Today the National opposition are claiming our PM Jacinda Ardern spends to much time on the world stage; so is that why this media blackout is all about?
https://www.matconlist.com/2019/12/25th-un-climate-change-conference-cop-25-madrid.html
Not quite sure about the timezones but I think COP25 is only just starting. RNZ and TVNZ are both carrying pieces.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/-no-time-and-reason-delay-un-secretary-general-calls-climate-action
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/404689/world-leaders-urged-not-to-cop-out-of-climate-action-in-madrid
Yes Weka
I am shocked that the media never sent a pre-amble out to get us ready for watching the event opening.
But even switching the TV one to TV 3 at 6pm still nothing about it on the main news .
So they only put it up on the website page and not on the TV screen?
Then I feel that if they had screened it from morning time they could have fronted the PM to ask; “PM Ardern are you attending the COP25 Conference?
I came across this personal input from someone who has visited Assange regularly. Haven't read it all myself yet – am passing it on for information of those who care. (Published 27 Sept 2019)
https://arena.org.au/assange-behind-bars-by-felicity-ruby/
That is hard reading.
Even if he did what he is accused of doing in Switzerland, surely folk must realise enough is enough.
Or is it that folks round these parts have chosen a side, and cast a willing ignorance to this person's plight.
I also sincerely wonder whether I am not left enough to accept BIG government, and all the evil it does, that Assange helped to reveal?
Foreign donations to political parties to be banned under urgency.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/404707/government-to-ban-foreign-donations-to-political-parties-and-candidates
Excellent, now all we need to do is get rid of domestic donations and implement only state funding of political parties.
In the interests of democracy.
Does this look dangerous to you? Is it those for the environment that is practical for its purpose v those who like uniform green deserts as the bees call grass (or would if they could translate buzz to language)?
However, Auckland Transport have sent Dee a letter outlining the legal requirements for berms, which include restrictions from planting anything edible or having vegetation more than 60cm tall, and must have shallow roots. Isn't that nice Auckland Transport organising everything for us as they picture how we should be. Do they seem ubiquitious?
But I thought a berm went between the road and the footpath, that's where mine is. And children have been chalking all over the footpath – surely there is a law against that!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/first-up/audio/2018725109/neighbours-at-war-over-planted-garden-berm-in-manly-auckland
So, if a 1% fall in Labour (and National) CB poll results is 'plummeting' then our banks' interest rates have plummeted, our unemployment rate has plummeted, crime victimisation has plummeted, use of plastic bags has plummeted, ownership of military style weapons has plummeted.
If a rise in 1% or more is 'rocketing', a fair antonym for 'plummeting', then Mana in Mahi numbers are rocketing, both business and consumer confidence (Q 6 answer in the House today) are rocketing, with 80,000 new jobs employment is rocketing, wages at 4% have sky-rocketed, primary produce revenue has rocketed, support for school maintenance is rocketing.
Fuller figures for Labour's achievements can be found here. https://www.labour.org.nz/progress-2yrs-2019
The Court name suppression thing is definitely due for an overhaul. Here is an example in a bizarre case. It is hard not to get paranoid these days – there seem to be so many who are trying to take people down in some way.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12290404
A victim of the former financial executive caught stealing rabbits says he spent thousands of dollars on alarms, flood lights and security cameras to protect his surviving animals.
"He stole six of my rabbits, most of which were pets, one of which was a mother with a litter that subsequently died," the man told the Herald.
"It broke my heart, and to have him get name suppression for so long … it made me sick."
The National Party's bright young future https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12290162
Watch out, Simon.
The argument that this is an OK hand sign doesn't fit the context. I'd have said that a thumbs up signal would have been more appropriate to express approval. The signal connected to the wearing of a Trump support hat is a good reason why William Wood has been a wise enough 17 year old to drop this photo.
He'll also learn to watch his back………..
Bloody hell! The last thing we want here. OK those kids are still young and impressionable, but if that is what they are impressed by, then there is no way we want them anywhere near the seat of government. Palmerston North – do your duty.
C'mon cut the kid some slack, he is at least wearing a red tie…
Even if one of his mates is a redneck, surely that is better than the likes Jo Hayes.
You mean like this guy in a suit wearing a red tie?
Yeah Jo Hayes is pretty bad – but if he associates with low life – chances are his ideas are pretty similar. So no I don't cut him any slack.
From the link:
Bridges is a liar and he is sick to infer the prime-minister is sympathetic to white supremacist ideology because that is exactly what he is doing no matter how strenuously he tries to deny it.
How low can he go.
has anyone considered how abnormal it is for a 17 year old to wish to be an MP….at 17?
That saying that you can never hit bottom when the stupidity of people is measured is a counter to the ideal of a democracy where everyone has an education and is capable of making reasoned decisions on behalf of themselves and/or the country. It is a conundrum.
This caught my eye. Baldwin Street in Dunedin has been in contention with a street in Wales for being the steepest in Guinness Book records. The use of Lime scooters in Dunedin's Baldwin St is already under scrutiny as the company and police try to curb reckless behaviour on the street. 11 January 2019 One person has already been filmed riding down the steepest street in the world since the scooters arrived a day ago.
Not sure the scooters are as dangerous as idiots who can't drive cars. Especially front wheel automatics – they never change down, and start wheelspinning near the top. Then the drivers shit themselves because they get psyched out and fail to simply reverse down a straight slope.
But then I have to bloody slalom between the tourists every day as they wander all over the road, oblivious to traffic on a steep hill. Even though it's advertised as a steep road. Vexes me greatly.
Police in Dunedin have found that some people find begging lucrative and the street a place to live and sleep and prefer it. How common is this in Dunedin?
Some were choosing the street, despite having accommodation options available, as they could make up to $200 a day from begging and the cruise ship season marked a notable increase in the practice, he said.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/404723/housing-pressure-making-otago-residents-increasingly-vulnerable
probably no coincidence, as "cruise ship season" is the summer combined with the christmas period.
So yeah – more people on the streets in dunedin.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1912/S00015/cancer-control-agency-to-drive-improved-care.htm
As a person now having had four separate diagnoses for cancer, all successfully treated, under successive governments, I welcome this move.
I hope that all parties will support this agency in its set up and work. Cancer, like any disease, has no respect for political affiliation, income or social views.
A woman was reported as missing in India by her family. She was being brutally raped, murdered and burned.
Three policemen have also been suspended for failing to act quickly when the woman’s disappearance was registered by her family on Wednesday, with the officers instead suggesting she had just gone off with a man and turning the family away from the police station. Before she was attacked, the woman had called her family at about 9pm to say her scooter was immobile and she was stranded by the road and scared.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/01/protests-india-woman-gang-raped-burned-to-death-hyderabad
Noticeable in the story is how quickly the men decided to pick off this woman on her own, tell her lies, pretend to be helpful and treat her with consideration when all the time they had decided to use her in a vile way, and protect themselves from justice or vengeneance. Also the way that the police wished to have nothing to do with this crime. Perhaps it is regarded as unclean, something that a decent man would not be involved with. It speaks volumes about the sexism and classism in India, and they may also be a shame-based society, as appears so often in the Middle East.
It is not the first time that a really horrific sexual attack on a woman in India has made the news; some men descended on a student travelling in a bus with her boyfriend which ended with her death. In a village some young girls were hanged from a tree, I think for having been raped which was felt to bring shame on the village.
A young and trusting NZ woman was murdered while visiting India some years ago. A taxi driver took her to a hotel with a similar name to the one she had booked so she was misled and disoriented. A little while afterwards she disappeared. Her father became alarmed and went to India to look for her. After some serious detective work her body was found. A group of men were involved in scams involving female tourists. Some of the women had had sex with them, and the men no doubt had found their roles lucrative and satisfying. This young woman would not have been available for sex. The father had a number of trips to India to first find her and bring her home, and then to have the men brought to justice.
With all the Indian men coming to this country there will be a percentage of the young men who have this awful blankness in their moral sense towards women. We should be aware of this, and also about unacceptable factors in some arranged marriages. An educated man may use himself as a lure for a family with funds seeking a good marriage for their daughter, who will pay a bride price or dowry. After the marriage she may suffer an unfortunate accident, leaving the man a widower. He can then look for another wife, and repeat the practice, and his family would secure a good boost to their wealth from such a practice.
Remember though greywarshark, that a lot of these Indian men end up as New Zealand Corrections ("prison") Officers and managers, employed or formerly employed by both the Dept of Corrections and SERCO.
Chatting with some of them in a "business end" environment, they will insist that both actions and in-actions bring consequences, and that women "ask for it" going out non-escorted at night, or by being too flirtatious.
Perhaps more laws could be introduced by the National Party (if they get in next year) to make it illegal in New Zealand to be a woman alone under such circumstances.
You see, there can be a law constructed and tailor made for just about any situation. It just takes the will power and the right amount of insistence.
Why challenge the viewpoint of so many Indians with a population which is now around 1.4 billion?
Probably most of them will tell you that there is both safety and legitimacy in numbers.
I recognise your cognition karol121. So many people can't be wrong eh. And India very religious, lots of parades and flowers. But what about the heart and meaning of the belief, can it be put aside when it suits?
Just musing. Women need to be aware of the enduring wish to take male 'privilege' over any social controls. And then too their own wish to be admired that shows up in choice of clothes etc. Add to that the inability to understand other's feelings and thoughts even when we speak the same language; communication classes teach how we misunderstand often.
I think I read somewhere that all great changes are brought about by a small group. So that makes it easy to control the pace of change and who by. Thank god for the young ones getting onto pressing for change. I don't think we are bigger conformists than many other cultures but it is stunning how we go on with rationalisations, lazy thinkers, self-centred, materialists out of balance.
Lazy thinking and out of balance for materially gainful purpose.
I've been guilty of that occasionally myself, greywarshark.
Most societies are preconditioned to reassertion and re-enforcement of belief and even perceived ideas, fueled with the concept of majority being the more right (whatever that "right" is at any one time).
Difficult to escape from it. Political democracy based on largest vote validates the notion that we at least (often begrudgingly) accept it as a pre-condition.
On challenges using younger generational ideas, I think that (when not used as a destructive weapon of choice) a clash of cultures is both natural and healthy.
Challenging the beliefs of others when what they assert leaves many questions unanswered, but not doing so deliberately to one's own detriment.
An alt choice to avoid one to one head banging, blamelessly deliberating on just y people do and y they don't.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/117903936/how-will-you-vote-law-to-legalise-personal-cannabis-revealed
How is this going to affect work place pre employment testing ?
nice point. They might actually have to start introducing impairment tests.
Or lighten up except where absolutely necessary and remember how long traces stay in the body. We have had cases of airline staff still hung over in the early morning as they make their way to the airport for early starts.
More self-control and appreciation of what the body can stand, and what fitness the job requires would make people limit their drug taking.
Except that impairment tests also catch basic fatigue and generalised incompetence, which I suggest are more frequent and more serious dangers when people are operating heavy machinery.
I bit of hear say I got the other day is affco (talleys)are importing Asian freezing workers .
One of the excuses is that a lot of applicants fail or refuse pre employment tests.
They never run short of punitive bullshit. They'll demand your social media access or test clothing for P residues or introduce spurious psych questionnaires – none of it relevant to the work.
Fess up if it was one of you, or at least enlighten me with your knowledge.
C'mon you guys (and gals),
Tell me. Who REALLY shot JFK?
Females are dropping their standards of behaviour along with other things. Women will not be able to complain about being put upon in a sexual way as more and more stories of irresponsible and immoral behaviour from them comes out in the media.
There has been a female teacher in Marlborough who has brazenly assaulted boys there for a while until finally someone brought the story out; and she was/is married. This sports coach is married also. She sounds a nasty piece of work.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12290564&ref=clavis
Water polo coach at prestigious South African school engaged in sexual misconduct with 'at least five pupils'
Married teacher and former model Fiona Viotti slept with her students and sent them explicit photos and videos, which were circulated on social media and even made their way to PornHub.
The 30-year-old resigned from the $15,730-a-year (R150,000) Bishops Diocesan School in Cape Town in October amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old student.
Ms Viotti, the niece of former Springboks coach Nick Mallett, reportedly sent threatening messages to the student via WhatsApp when he tried to break off the relationship.
Assertive and occasionally sexually aggressive woman are nothing new.
It is generally recognised that when push comes to shove, in relation to sexual harassment allegations over recent times (more especially in relation to the workplace) most complaints do usually get taken on face value, almost as if those reviewing such complaints are trying to indirectly lend support to the myriad of woman who've had a justifiable reason to make an allegation, but who either haven't come forward or haven't been able to come forward.
But complaints by males against females in this regard, are very often simply disregarded or treated as being silly.
Essentially, I guess we all need to ask ourselves just what if any real damage is caused by woman adopting an active (as opposed to passive role). To my mind, none. Simply a challenge to ideals or beliefs held by many, and a change of perspective perhaps.
That is in relation to sexual assertiveness, but in relation to predatory sexual behaviour, well that is entirely a different matter.
I recall reading of one case where a woman teacher deliberately conceived a child, apparently in an attempt to emotionally trap a young male student.
But I also recall reading where younger school boys were engaged in "upskirt" photo sessions of a relatively attractive teacher, and where she was really surprised by the behaviour revealed to her later. But boys will be boys, and I bet that many of them thought that Christmas had come early with such trove of pics, until they got caught pink handed.
In relation to minors, consider both the sexually transmitted diseases aspect and the conception aspect. Most girls aren't physically capable of any healthy form of child bearing during adolescence and are unlikely to be emotionally prepared, most boys aren't psychologically geared up to early fatherhood.
There are many other ramifications as well. Teacher crush yes, teacher promoting bed romp, no. Very naughty.
In relation to both male and female promiscuity and any "lowering" of a standard, perhaps simply a connected 21st century alteration is all it is.
For the record, I am male by the way.
What's important is putting things into perspective in relation to human physiology and especially comfort mechanisms born out of one of the most basic, inbuilt human drivers, which is that of procreation, or continuation of the species. Along with all of the ramifications, whether they be pleasurable or whether they arrive with undesired complications.
Kia Ora Breakfast.
We do have to make big changes and accelerat the changes to a carbon neutral World. Not spend billion producing MORE CARBON.
We need export dollars to change our society to carbon neutral we can not kill the golden goose. The least disruptive move is to chase Green transport and green energy at the same time do things to minimise our farmers carbon footprint. Aotearoa is in the best location to make a society Carbon neutral in the World.
Ka kite Ano
I have a hunch the SIS sandflys are going to try and set me up on fulse charges today very soon
All the country's that have produced the least carbon are going to suffer the most from Global warming and Sea level rising. Hence they should be compensated for their losses. The cost will be a drop in the Ocean compared to the wealth Western nations have harvested from the World.
Small island countries in the Pacific are demanding greater commitments at this week's Madrid climate talks, saying what's been done so far is far from enough.
For example, the Pacific Island states have been facing higher numbers than the global average, which is of course very alarming for them because they're low-lying For example, the Pacific Island states have been facing higher numbers than the global average, which is of course very alarming for them because they're low-lying
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/117952697/pacific-nations-demand-greater-climate-commitments-from-the-world
The A growing economy is a waste off time if you can not breathe the Air. A clean and green environment. Keeping our clean seas and Awa is of the utmost importances to our mokopuna future.
Pursuing economic growth at the expense of the environment is no longer an option as Europe faces “unprecedented” challenges from climate chaos, pollution, biodiversity loss and the overconsumption of natural resources, according to a report from Europe’s environmental watchdog.
Europe was reaching the limits of what could be achieved by gradual means, by making efficiencies and small cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, with “transformational” change now necessary to stave off the impacts of global heating and environmental collapse, warned Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Environment Agency
Marginal efficiency gains are not enough – they are not working to bring down emissions,” he said. “There is also a higher cost to marginal efficiency gains, if we keep investing in that. If we focus on making current technologies more efficient, there are limits. If we stick to what we know, it may seem easy but it doesn’t work in the long term.”
The EEA scored 35 key measures of environmental health, from greenhouse gases and air pollution, waste management and climate change to soil condition and birds and butterfly species, and found only six in which Europe was performing adequately.
“Incremental changes have resulted in progress in some areas but not nearly enough to meet our long-term goals,” said Bruyninckx. Further marginal changes would grow only more expensive, he predicted, making large-scale change necessary. “We already have the knowledge, technologies and tools we need to make key production and consumption systems such as food, mobility and energy sustainable
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/04/dont-pursue-economic-growth-at-expense-of-environment-report
Here is a fool who is trying to force other Nato countries to pour billions of dollars into weapons that kill poor people and thinks his achievement is great. This Orange Redneck should be kicked out of Office. I can see all the dirtiest tricks he is pulling to load his coffers up with hundreds of billions shorting the stock market ect. I know who is to blame for bad shit happening to me TRUMP. THE world need to spend billion to protect our mokopuna future fool
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cited increased spending commitments on defence by European allies and Canada, saying: "Nato is the most successful alliance in history because we've changed as the world has changed."
On Tuesday, he said those nations had added $130bn (£100bn) to defence budgets since 2016, and that this number would increase to $400bn by 2024. Mr Trump has frequently and forcefully criticised how much other allies spend on defence
Ka kite Ano link below
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50653597
Kia Ora 1 News.
I don't think Pharmac should change drug brands on people that's playing with people's lives.
I not impressed with Trumps actions either.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Tauranga Whenua the gold Kiwi fruit looks great from here the gold Kiwifruit is a great export product in big demand.
Its awesome that heaps of people want to learn Te reo Maori in Taramaki Makaru.
The government discriminated against Tangata Whenua and other cultures is crap. Some are still doing it right this minute.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Breakfast.
Ya trump is going to get what he deserves kicked out of The White House the whole World is amazed at the way he is using the most powerful job in the world to line his hip pockets.
That's is cool Taramaki Makaru starting A new Aotearoa thing of collecting food waste.
There is a lot of things that mitigates the production of green house gases that has been used for 20 years around the world that Aotearoa could start doing.
Yes that is awful I bet he was brown.
Im busy getting my mokopuna ready for school and dropping them off mind my grammar.
Ka kite Ano
COP 25: UN climate change conference
Climate crisis is 'challenge of civilisation', says pope
Pontiff calls on COP 25 leaders to show political will to safeguard healthy
The climate emergency is a “challenge of civilisation” requiring sweeping changes to economic systems, but political leaders have not done enough, the pope has said in a message to governments meeting at the annual climate summit in Madrid.
“We must seriously ask ourselves if there is the political will to allocate with honesty, responsibility and courage, more human, financial and technological resources [to the climate crisis],” he said, in the pontifical message, which was welcomed by activists.
Climate crisis: what is COP and can it save the world?
Read more
“Numerous studies tell us it is still possible to limit global warming. To do this we need a clear, far-sighted and strong political will, set on pursuing a new course that aims at refocusing financial and economic investments toward those areas that truly safeguard the conditions of a life worthy of humanity on a healthy planet for today and tomorrow.
Ka kite Ano
Link for above post my devices is being stuffed with I thank the Pope for protecting our mokopuna future.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/05/climate-crisis-is-challenge-of-civilisation-says-pope
This is what Global Warming is doing to our environment burning it.
New Zealand's glaciers are turning red – and it's because of Australia's bushfires
By Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN
Glaciers in Mount Aspiring National Park on New Zealand's South Island have turned pinkish-red from dust and particles blown over from Australia's bush fires.
(CNN)One of the most startling consequences of the bushfires that are still raging across Australia, is that they have turned some of New Zealand's famed glaciers red and pink.
Travel photographer and blogger Liz Carlson snapped the pictures of the discolored snow-capped glaciers on November 28 while on a helicopter flight around Mount Aspiring National Park, in New Zealand's South Island.
"After we flew deep into the park around the Kitchener Glacier, I could really see how red it was, and it was shocking, I've never seen anything like it before," Carlson told CNN. Ka kite Ano link below.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/05/australia/australia-bushfires-new-zealand-glaciers-scn-scli-intl/index.html
Kia Ora 1 News.
There are not many people who can not be turned rotten Kris.
Mana Wahine.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Awsome a new engineering centre at a university in Taramaki Makaru I hope that heaps of Pacific people will get a great education from the $280 million facilities.
Te ohu I read that there was a problem with the Whare returning. Yes they play tangata whenua against each other I see it all the time. And yes the Rangatahi are not as respectful to Te kau matuta as when I was younger.????????????.
Looks like the winner of Matariki is making his views on the way Tangata Whenua are being treated .
That's awesome Maori business Ono pop up Shop is going Mana that gives me a sore face.
Ka kite Ano
The world must cut polluting our futures environment we must cut the world’s carbon footprint in half within 10 years or our earth that is a miracle will turn in a hell hole.
Paris climate deal: world not on track to meet goal amid continuous emissions
Slowdown this year in rising greenhouse gases does not negate long-term trend, finds carbon budget analysis
Carbon dioxide emissions rose weakly this year as the use of coal declined but natural gas took up the slack, a comprehensive study of the global “carbon budget” has found.
The rise in emissions was much smaller than in the last two years, but the continued increase means the world is still far from being on track to meet the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change, which would require emissions to peak then fall rapidly to reach net-zero by mid-century.
Emissions for this year will be 4% higher than those in 2015, when the Paris agreement was signed. Governments are meeting this week and next in Madrid to hammer out some of the final details for implementing the Paris deal and start work on new commitments to cut emissions by 2030. But the new report shows the increasing difficulty of that task.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/04/paris-climate-deal-world-not-on-track-to-meet-goal-amid-continuous-emissions