Is Waitangi Day supposed to be a national day of celebration? Or has it just become entrenched as a day of protest opportunism? A symbol of grievance, not unity?
Does Waitangi Day fill you with patriotic pride?
Or do you roll your eys and wonder what protest popups will piss on it?
I hardly think it’s banal when what is supposed to be a national day of celebration is degraded by rent-a-mob.
I’d guess that most New Zealanders either don’t give a shit about Waitangi Day (except for enjoying a holiday some years) or get the shits about the inevitable shit stirring. That’s a sad state.
Pete, are you saying that Waitangi Day should be the day of the year that we all forget about what the treaty said and just pretend that it’s been honoured and everything’s peachy? that it should be the day when one partner in that treaty should STFU so that the rest of us can feel good about ourselves?
That’d be a pretty fucking ironic way to go about things.
No one’s stopping you having your big party platitude pete – go hard, crack a beer, tell a few jokes… meanwhile the people you slur will continue working towards equality and a fairer society for all.
how is saying that waitangi should be a day of celebration,
and implying that those who disagree aren’t getting into the spirit of it
or what the fuck ever it is you are saying,
not trying to start a slur fest?
No surprise that Mana want to talk up a hostile reception for Key.
It must be very frustrating for those trying to organise a “peaceful family-oriented celebration” at Waitangi to have all the media and protest addicts take all the attention.
My points are, should we accept that Waitangi Day is going to always be a focus of dissent and protest, and should we have an alternate day for all New Zealanders to enjoy? Or just not bother with some sort of collective celebration of our country?
Thing is Pete, Waitangi day could be the day you want it to be, but it can’t get there by pretending everything is peachy. Sort out the shit, and it won’t be shitty, and we’ll have aday that we can feel good about ouselves in a way that means something.
And can you honestly not see that complaining that Waitangi day isn’t treated as a celebratory love in congratulating pakeha on their awesomeness is actually pretty fucking offensive?
yes you are but you are not very good at it – judging others by how you see yourself methinks – all those lines about piss and shit – save it for your party when you’re reciting your tired jokes pete I’m sure you and your mate will have a big laugh at the expence of others
I suppose they could if they wanted to, but they probably wouldn’t try it here.
Why can’t all New Zealand celebrate a day in common?
Anzac Day comes closest but it is not so much a celebration, it is in Remembrance of past sacrifices, which is important.
Queens ‘Birthday’ is a bit farcical. Labour Day is just Holiday Day. I think it would be good if we could have something here like Independence Day or Australia Day.
Maybe we’re just not mature enough as a country for that yet.
I tend to agree with you Pete in terms of celebrating being a New Zealander.
Waitangi day is what it is and will remain that until Maori achieve equality with their treaty partners in law and in society.
I would do away with Queens Birthday and create Aotearoa Day. A day that we stop and celebrate being Kiwi. There are many things wrong with this country but they are far outweighed by all the things that are right. We never really reflect on that as a country. Surely for one day a year we can come together and forget about our differences and celebrate the one thing we all have in common. Living in a fucking great country.
Yes, it would be good if we could find something we can all come together and celebrate on. I’d be happy calling it Aotearoa Day but I suspect that wouldn’t be universally popular.
But realistically I’m not sure it could happen judging by the level of attacks here for daring suggest it.
Why don’t you take the 364 days that aren’t Waitangi day and use those to celebrate being wealthy and white and part of the power structure built on the very wrongs that the Waitangi protests are attempting to draw your dulled attention to?
I haven’t seen an attack on you for wanting an ‘Aotearoa’ Day. Just leave us Waitangi Day please. It may annoy you that there is protest there but there is nothing to stop tauiwi protesting there as far as I know.
Pay no attention to the concern troll. Waitangi Day is already awesome, there is gonna be a big party up North just like last year. But the only thing you will see on the news is protests and scary looking brown dudes
Oh yeah Pete Australia Day is a fantastic day for the Aborigines too. Yes its great to have a day where the colonialists celebrate all the damage past and present inflicted upon the indigenous people.
So what you are saying Pete is that no matter what the rich and powerful inflict upon you, steal from you etc. you should just forget it and join in with a fake celebration. Get real PG, I actually thought there was a few more brains in your head than you have shown us today.
Pompous Git until Maori hold high place in their homeland instead of being at the bottom of the heap protests will go on simple something you tiny brain should be able to figure out .Your so much like your leader stating the obvious reeling out boring old arguments that NZ will never move on until idiots like you read the real hisTory of new Zealand.
Why can’t the rich white straight men have just ONE day where they get to have THEIR say for a change?
I don’t go a bomb on what PG has to say, but the way you’re all ganging up on him is making me sicker than I already am (and according to the neurologist at Auckland City I am actually not all that crash hot)…
It reminds me of the gang beatings I have had in the past, and that made me despise this place. There are some people, in some groups that it just is not safe to offend or upset. Never has anonymity seemed so valuable! 🙁
I think pete likes offending and upsetting people – but not all people, just ‘some’ people.
Waitangi protestors, the target of pete today, also direct their actions to ‘some’ people, but the difference is that they are working to make our society better, fairer and more equal.
I’d guess that most New Zealanders either don’t give a shit about Waitangi Day …
I admit I don’t… (but then QoT has already labelled me a racist, and as we all know, there’s no defence against that accusation. *)
Years back, in the 1970s, protestors shouted “F*** the Treaty, it’s a fraud, we want nothing to do with it!”
Years later, in the 80s and beyond, the protestors said the exact opposite – “Honour the Treaty, we love it and we want it”.
I am just a stupid evil White bitch, (or so I’ve been told.) I know nothing.
* For his/her benefit – the evil-ex (Maori, but the point s/he missed it he’d have been evil regardless of race – he was an alcoholic) died about 7 weeks back.
Every country must have a starting point, and like it or not, I guess the signing of that Treaty was that starting point.
Though I am concerned about how we are in such a hurry to settle old greivances, we are creating new ones, with the systematic shifting of conservation land into iwi hands, for them to restrict access. And lets not forget Tuhoe’s desire to get their hands on Te Uruwera National Park, which will almost see New Zealanders having to pay big bucks to enjoy something that everyone should be able to enjoy.
Celebrating being a New Zealander is something I do every day but I don’t see Waitangi Day as a day on which one celebrates Te Tiriti but rather a day to commemorate and reflect on what might have been and what still may come to pass. Then again, that is just me
Speaking for myself, I commemorate, not celebrate.
Until The Crown (Her Majesty’s NZ Government) not only settle old grievances in a meaningful manner, then stick to the contracts that have been negotiated as part of those settlements as well as honouring the original Treaty, I have no reason to celebrate.
I seem to remember someone calculating that it took less than a week for the Crown to breach the Ngai Tahu Settlement
Most conservation land that is handed back to iwi comes with strict conditions around public access, however, iwi have known to wait for a few months and then block it off. The Port Nicholson Block Settlement is an example, where access to several lagoons have been restricted.
Is Pete George supposed to be raising a valid issue? Or has he just become entrenched as an attention-seeking linkwhore?
Does Pete George fill you with patriotic pride?
Or do you roll your eyes and wonder when he will actually say or do something that matters a damn?
Yes CV. We do have a limit to the length of the Election. And we nearly have transparency about funding. But it does appear that the few very rich control the direction of decision making.
Maybe the case is waiting to be made for a Public Funding, so that Government is not corrupted (any more.)
A long listen but some parallels with NZ. All for Root Hacking rather than Partisan arguments.
Do you think that in all this is a cause for Voter Apathy in NZ?
I think that there are a few factors leading to citizen apathy (voter apathy being only a symptom of citizen apathy).
Time and information poverty for the majority is an issue. Pervasive framing by the Right Wing that business is the solution and government is the problem is an issue. A lack of civics education is an issue. A distant complex self serving bureaucracy is an issue. The ideology of individualism and not understanding how broader societal and economic structures affect personal income and lifestyles is an issue. A set of politicians who seem to all sound and look the same is an issue.
EDIT a lack of perspective of 20th century NZ history, especially of social and worker struggles, is also an issue.
There aren’t any. We have the resources here to do whatever we want and the only thing that’s holding us back is a socio-economic system that accumulates the control of the wealth into the hands of the few. Money, a non-resource, from over seas won’t change that.
RIP another NZ business owing $11 million. In business since 1964, employing 180 people.
from stuff business – business and KordaMentha Receivers KordaMentha were called into Auckland-based Criterion Group and its New Zealand and Australian subsidiaries on Tuesday. About 180 staff are affected.
Their appointment followed a “serious decline in trading” for the group, the receivers said.
It exports around 70 per cent of its production to North America, South America, Europe, Singapore and the Pacific Islands.
I don’t think that the politicians and economic advisors and company directors understand about the business of making things, and how important it is. They quote the stats about the myriad of small businesses forming the important other sector with earnings not arising from the land.
The lawyers, financial advisors, even the managerial class are service providers only making a good living out of a thriving economy (except recently where a business gains ‘face’ by paying top cash to the top people, and then to avoid losing ‘face’ pay more cash when those top people lead the business into a decline.)
ha ha PG. I have a friend who’s worst insult is to call someone ‘banal’. Card carrying lefty too. I reckon we should keep Waitangi Day, get rid of the Queen’s Birthday and have a New Zealand day. Or have an extra public holiday.
Youre a pretty nasty person Monique. I have a feeling that you are of these women who sit in a cafe and run down all and sundry while being all nice to their faces.
You give me that vibe. Youre a nasty nasty bitchy woman. I can tell.
Hmmm, Monique has a contempt for the poor, and appears both socially conservative and politically naive. An ideal United Future candidate, perhaps? Maybe you could have a chat to The Hair, Pete. If he remembers who you are, that is.
A whole 2 people support UF. A guy who tends to do nothing else than sit on the internet all day, and a manicured slumlord who really really needs to get some – perhaps she needs to realise that slagging off those on benefits/her tenants is really a big turn off.
The only gaming I do is on blogs. I won’t try to describe my roles as I’d just be struck down by opposing Forces of Banality.
One of my games is wordplay. It was interesting that IB introduced the word ‘banal’ – that comes from Old French banel – ‘pertaining to a ban’.
Another definition is ‘ pertaining to compulsory feudal service ‘. While not compulsory one can get the impression of attempts at imposing serfdom here by the overlords. At least banal doesn’t seem to be banned.
my concise oxford has a good definition – ‘trite, feeble’ and interestingly it sits between ban and banana – nice universe humour in the context of this discussion
I can’t edit my previous comment, straight after I have put it up. The stats of the numbers of small businesses are quoted and we know they are so important, yet they are abandoned whenever the government chooses to make changes. One example of abandonment is after the Christchurch earthquake. There seemed little co-operation with the businesses affected, with explanation of the known and unknown risks in daily briefings in a venue large enough to cater for all and whiteboards where info could be presented even if there was no electricity.
And these are the wealth creators, that phrase which comes to the lips of politicians so often, spoken of but too small to be able to offer quid pro quo, or tit for tat, no doubt.
No, small businesses aren’t the “wealth creators” that the politicians speak of. The “wealth creators” that politicians speak of are the rich parasites and the name is pure misdirection.
SME’s better get it into their little heads that NAT is here to represent the corporates and the multimillionaires, and if you are a small enterprise they are quite happy to leave you twisting in the wind.
When I press Home to refresh my page it seems to take me back some time not bring me up to date. The index shows at the top lprent POAL sleeze each time I press Home – if that’s helpful to know.
Usually that is a problem with the local browser’s cache. For instance I get that type of issue when I use the back button on safari on my iPad (and bloody annoying it is as well). You could look at turning off the browser cache to test if it is just that. The site sends instructions about what should be cached and what should not. But some of the browsers ignore or misinterpret…
I just tried reproducing your diagnostic on linux with chrome and firefox and didn’t get it. Give me some more details – OS / Browser.
However we’re currently running on an apache2 mode that I have never used before after the outage on wednesday. I have no idea what effect it has on the cache modules that are also loaded at the server side. I will be testing my way back to my usual configuration this weekend.
What a train wreck flogging off power assets are proving to be and already there appears to be a blow out in the cost, (potential litigation of treaty rights and rightly so). I seem to recall the figure of 100 million to sell money earning power assets and what will they sell for?
2012 is going to be the year when all the figures do not add up. Bring on the budget I say.
When I click your link Draco, and when I click mine, they take me to exactly the same place – the beginning of the particular blog I’m mentioning.
Where does clicking my link take you?
Maybe this is a browser thing, you’ve made the same comment before, and I’ve clicked both links and ‘snap’. How do you go about linking to a blog or story from somewhere else? If there is a quick *F-key* shortcut I’d be glad to learn it.
Nope. Draco’s one takes you to the post – if you scroll down you’ll find you can add comments.
Your one takes to the front page – which just happens to look the same right now. However as soon as they put in a new post (tonight?), noone will have any idea what you were talking about when they click the link.
bernardchickey
Oh and by the way. Record net migration to Australia of 36,900 in 2011 (100/day) bit.ly/xYlWQd NZ economic policy not working
19 minutes ago
bernardchickey
Is this the path to greatness for NZ? Foreign debt funded property boom for the wealthiest? That pushes up NZ$? Just nuts.
24 minutes ago
bernardchickey
Govt borrows money from China, hands it to wealthiest via tax cuts, who then borrow more and buy bigger houses bit.ly/zDJRKw
25 minutes ago
Here’s the kicker though: “However, support for the full National-led Government has dipped to 49% (down 0.5%), trailing the Opposition Parties (51%, up 0.5%).”
How close was that election, eh? A couple of points would have done it. Still, the good news is the Tories and their support poodles are on the wrong side of the ledger for the first time in 4 years and David Shearer is looking good to be PM sooner rather than later.
Can we have a snap election, please John? Hawaii’s nice this time of year.
Tru ‘nuf, Chris. But Labour does have experience running minority Gov’ts and Winston isn’t going to forget that National condemned him to 3 years in the wilderness. He’d be odds on for a C&S agreement of some kind just to be able to stick it to the Nats, but if he is going to make good on his election promises, realistically, he has to come to an arrangement with Labour and the Greens.
Or he might just stick two fingers up again and offer to take over from the Maori Party as John’s new BFF. He’s got form in that area already, so who knows?
Who the hell thinks trotter is a paragon of the left wing anymore? He might have a slightly leftist emplyment policy, but his blogs on “identity politics” and how women and anyone else with an issue should toe the line and not endanger the Labour vote put him squarely in the camp of social conservatives.
I see that Farrer in Dominion today the polls give the balance of power to Winston Peters.
Nats dropped and Labour up and with other lefties are only one seat behind Nat/Coalition, giving Winston the baubles if an election were held today. How big will his baubles be I wonder – huge, remember he is very selfish, so perhaps Finance, although Norman has bagged that, Foreign Affairs, and he has a few of those.
Makes you wonder – with continued great shit stirring out of Waitangi, Christchurch in revolt, seems a good time to let Key know he’s on his way out.
A cat is purchased, and trained, the trainer is not the owner
and the trainer becomes an attraction in their own right, and
becomes wealthy. The cats need to be trained extensively and
can not be easily replaced, yet are also an attraction in their
own right. The act performed is highly dangerous and has already
caused the death of one keeper, and there is some doubt over
whether the entry into the enclosure should even be allowed.
Due to family bonds some dispute over ownership of the cats
have arisen. Are the cats family pets? Are they trained animals? Or
are they as it looks like an attraction of a zoo primarily?
Should the cats be split up, those that have not be strongly
trained remain at the park as a going concern, and the trainer
take some of the cats and passes onwership of the land back over
as a consideration for past financial investment?
Or should government step in and appoint an independant manager,
ban any member of this disfunctional family from ever having
any access to these wild animals? For if they are an asset of
the businesses of either party then surely the businesses can
fire the employees and hire new staff who can carry out their
function.
Maybe government could even speak to the highly dangerous
‘circus act’ of entering the cage? Since at the core its
the personal affections of the protagonists to the cats
that ellicts all the destruction of value in the brands.
The Lion park and the Lion Man.
But on a personal note, who owns the family pet? The
unpaided person who attends to its needs, or the business
owner who sells tickets to see both do a dangerous
circus act? If I buy a Bear, get someone to train it to
wear a dress and shit on command, and the trainer makes
a name for themselves, does the Bear become their property,
even where it clearly states at the entrance to the ‘Bear’ Park.
I’m having a bit of trouble deciding if Bowalley Road should be included in the Leftwing Blog… because old trots seems decidedly right wing these days… Slater keeps quoting him for one thing. Trotter used to be leftist when he wrote for the Listener back in the day, but he has soured over the years. So should he stay or should he go?
At the risk of being branded a “traitor”, I’m declaring my support for the Crafar farms sale. Not because I like seeing productive New Zealand farmland pass into the hands of foreigners, I don’t.
The reason I’m in favour is because I believe New Zealanders should keep their promises and fulfil their undertakings.
Nah, it happened a good couple of years ago now. When he started arguing that the “left” should bend over and be more cooperative with tories, and on no account should women, homosexuals, or Maori put that relationship at risk by being all activisty and uppity.
He’s been the tories’ token “lefty” for ages, getting wheeled out for a nice unchallenging “left perspective”.
You have to love Chris Trotters comments on the Crafar farm sales .How it reeks of hypocrisy for David Shearer to now be crticising it. Prediction as soon as Shearer starts debating in the house he is going to get eaten alive by the National front bench comments from trotter below
In 2008, this country ratified a free-trade agreement with the People’s Republic of China. It was hailed as the most important foreign policy and trade achievement of the 1999-2008 Helen Clark-led government. Not only was it the first such agreement to be signed between China and a Western-style democracy, but it also offered New Zealand businesses immense economic opportunities. …
It was all the more perplexing, then, to hear Opposition leader David Shearer declaring his and the Labour Party’s opposition to the sale. It’s simply inconceivable that Mr Shearer is unaware of the MFN prohibition against denying China the same right to buy land as the nations that bought upwards of 650,000 hectares of our national patrimony exercised when Helen Clark was Prime Minister, and Mr Shearer’s friend (and former boss) Phil Goff was the Minister of Trade.
The Chinese under the FTA must be treated equally with all others and not disadvantaged in a deal compared with others. But this means if all land sales to foreigners were banned then Chinese would not be treated any differently. Ban all sales to nonresidents above a certain size.
At some point we must say “Enough! No more land sales.”
Hope it is by then not too late?
They do have the same right and we have the same right to tell them to stuff off. Just because the OIO has been pretty much a rubber stamp process for the last few years doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way.
Fisi and James111, if either of you had the reading and comprehension ability of a preschooler and the wit to understand what Trotter wrote, you would come very quickly to the conclusion that he is calling a spade a spade. He is a leftist accusing his side of playing on the right for to long. Labour and its supporters don’t need RWNJs like yourselves to point out in some faux triumphalist bullshit way that the wounds are self inflicted.
Trotter by comparison is pointing out that for Labour it is too late to cry wolf when they signed the deals, and that we as a collective electorate allowed this to happen so we too have no right to complain. What I think he is driving at is that without repudiating their prior stance before the electorate Labour should shut up.
Question bollocks, Shearer is Johnny Come Lately and as such bears no personal responsibility. Unlike that fuckwit Key who allows his mates onshore and offshore to have their snouts in NZs trough on a permanent basis.
It’s kind of halarious the way the right are trotting out the xenophobic line against the left. Truth is, they are insulting the 80% of Kiwis who didnt want those farms sold for good reason – there still hasnt been a single argument as to why selling a chunk of the golden goose to the biggest consumer of golden eggs is a good idea . I mean unless you accept Steven Joyces laughingly lame attempt today suggesting Chinese investment will help local communties and create jobs. Okay Stephen, OIO found only two jobs will be created from the Crafar Sale, but PGG Wrightsons may sell more farm supplies. Of course we also know also they are now majority Chinese owned. Abysmally, there no analysis on the impact of competition against our own dairy industry.
What’s also ironic, is that the claims of xenophobia are sprouting either from resource sucking baby boomers such as the analytic devoid business commentator Fran O’Sullivan, or the politically senile Chris Trotter. But perhaps what is most interesting, is that this accusation has originated from a goverment who have just referrred to our Treaty as largely Symbolic , whose Muldoon supporting leader was pro-springbok , and who sees no issue public making racist and discrimatory jokes about Maori
james 111 is just waleshit in another incarnation.
he got multiple multiple personality disorder but he like a friendly idiot.
every now and then you have to give him a booot.
Despite the introduction of Future Focus, whereby beneficiaries have to adhere to strict conditions or loose their entitlements, people on the unemployment benefit grew by 2158 last month. In a press release today, Bene bashing Bennett does her best to spin the numbers so they don’t look bad, but information attained through the Official Information Act shows the truth of the matter…
Clearly John Key is trying to provoke a spectacle on Waitangi day that will take the focus off National’s plans to privatise state owned assets. National can then claim that the Maori’s are all radicals and therefore not give their concerns the attention they deserve…
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A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
[Opening comments, welcome and thank you to Auckland University etc] It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon to celebrate such an historic occasion - the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This is a moment many feared would never come, but ...
The Government is providing $3 million in one-off seed funding to help disabled people around New Zealand stay connected and access support in their communities, Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni announced today. The funding will allow disability service providers to develop digital and community-based solutions over the next two ...
Border workers in quarantine facilities will be offered voluntary daily COVID-19 saliva tests in addition to their regular weekly testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. This additional option will be rolled out at the Jet Park Quarantine facility in Auckland starting on Monday 25 January, and then to ...
The next steps in the Government’s ambitious firearms reform programme to include a three-month buy-back have been announced by Police Minister Poto Williams today. “The last buy-back and amnesty was unprecedented for New Zealand and was successful in collecting 60,297 firearms, modifying a further 5,630 firearms, and collecting 299,837 prohibited ...
Upscaling work already underway to restore two iconic ecosystems will deliver jobs and a lasting legacy, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The Jobs for Nature programme provides $1.25 billion over four years to offer employment opportunities for people whose livelihoods have been impacted by the COVID-19 recession. “Two new projects ...
The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go. “The Government is committed to continuing its public house build programme at pace and scale. The extra 8,000 homes – 6000 public ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America. “I look forward to building a close relationship with President Biden and working with him on issues that matter to both our countries,” Jacinda Ardern said. “New Zealand ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
A recent returnee has tested positive for Covid-19 after testing negative twice during her 14 days in managed isolation, Marc Daalder reports There is little information available about a new community case of Covid-19 identified by testing today - other than she is in Whangarei and used the Covid app ...
by Andi Cockroft Chairman Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ An Otago Daily Times report (23 January) that nearly two-thirds of Dunedin residents think public consultation is lacking at the Dunedin City Council, according to the latest ...
“If today’s probable case of Covid-19 in Northland turns out to be community transmission the Government’s overarching objective must be avoiding another lockdown,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The best news would be that this is a false alarm, ...
E tū Lifewise homecare members have been taking strike and picket action since December 2020 for basic improvements in their working conditions. Members are asking for increased sick and bereavement leave, a collective agreement, and more guaranteed ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 24. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz1.15pm: Suspected community case in NorthlandHealth officials are investigating a suspected community case of Covid-19 in Northland, related to someone who was recently released from managed isolation and quarantine, the NZ Herald is reporting.A spokesperson for Covid-19 response ...
We’re only a few weeks into the year, and already there are two new seasons of Drag Race. Are we in danger of reaching peak Drag Race? In the first month of this year, there’s been more RuPaul’s Drag Race than ever. The 13th season of the flagship US version debuted ...
In her first years of adulthood, Jai Breitnauer found herself living in a bold and hopeful nation. More than two decades on, she laments on how the Britain we know now came to be.Apparently, fish off the coast of the United Kingdom are happier because they’re British. This is what ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot resumes his weekly odes to New Zealanders in the news. This week: the blogging firm of Michael Bassett, Don Brash and Rodney HideThree Men in a BoatIt sounds like a conveyancing firm in Levin.It sounds like TV funny guys who’ll ...
Under a thick layer of concrete at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramentin Christchurch is a metal box likely containing hundreds of holy relics – a historical treasure trove set to be uncovered after 50 years of near total obscurity.As the earth shook and buildings crumbled, a statue of ...
Bananas are unequivocally the best fruit in the world, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind, writes Alice Webb-Liddall.I was about 15 when I realised that halftime banana cake wasn’t a tradition outside of my family. On the day of an All Blacks game a banana cake ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as On the Rag looks at how the world around us has been built by men, for men. First published December 7, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members ...
At an antagonistic hearing yesterday, the internet giant laid out the ‘worst case scenario’. And Facebook is also considering an ‘amputation’. Hal Crawford was watching.Google is poised to hit self-destruct in Australia according to a fractious Senate hearing into an unprecedented law that will force digital giants to pay money ...
It’s great to hear Phil Twyford celebrating a success. Not a personal ministerial success, it’s fair to say, but a success nevertheless related to arms control. The arms on which Twyford is focused, it should be noted, will make quite a mess if they are triggered. They tend to be ...
Duncan Greive and Leonie Hayden were young hip hop heads and music journalists during the era captured in a new documentary about the rise and fall of South Auckland hip hop label Dawn Raid. Here they discuss the film and their memories (what’s left of them) of that time. Warning: contains ...
Houses might be the most popular and inflated purchases in New Zealand, but there are plenty of other products that are seeing soaring demand and prices over the past few months. Here’s a list of what New Zealanders are spending their money on with international travel out of the picture.Used ...
"The young boy leaps, the muscles in his thighs tensing and twisting as he lifts from the handrail": the noble art of bombing, by Pātea writer Airana Ngarewa A beautifully muscled boy is posted on the side of a pool, his feet fixed to the top of a pair of ...
How Waiwera Hot Pools went from New Zealand’s most visited water park to dereliction and decay. Many who grew up in Auckland likely have fond memories of Waiwera Hot Pools. Like me, they remember summer days spent racing down the slides and playing in the naturally hot pools. But how did ...
A government contract for a P rehab programme was canned after half a million dollars of taxpayer money was given out. Aaron Smale investigates. The Ministry of Health spent over half a million dollars on a P Rehab contract before pulling the pin because there were no results or progress reports. ...
Kia Koropp and her husband John Daubeny have been cruising the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean over the past decade with their two children onboard their 50ft yacht, Atea. Starting in 2011 from Auckland, New Zealand, they have sailed more than 64,000 kilometres and just completed their longest ...
We are drowning out the natural world with synthetic sounds, and it’s getting worse, writes Michelle Langstone.It used to be quiet once. Remember that? Remember the hush that settled over the cities like the silence that comes down in a snowstorm? It’s less than a year since Aotearoa first locked ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden in the latest episode of On the Rag as they examine the topic of boobs from every possible angle. First published November 16, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its ...
Seventy-five years after the US detonated the first nuclear tests in the Pacific, New Zealand pledges its support to Joe Biden's first tentative step towards disarmament. Today, the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons comes into effect, making it illegal for New Zealand and the 50 other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Terry, Professor of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland The challenge of bringing the world’s best tennis players and support staff, about 1,200 people in all, from COVID-ravaged parts of the world to our almost pandemic-free shores was always going to be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoffrey Browne, Research Fellow in International Urban Development, University of Melbourne The Victorian government has committed to removing 75 road/rail level crossings across Melbourne by 2025. That’s the fastest rate of removal in the city’s history. The scale of the investment — ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW In an age of hyperpartisan politics, the Biden presidency offers a welcome centrism that might help bridge the divides. But it is also Biden’s economic centrism that offers a chance to cut through what has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Stevens, Lecturer in History, University of Waikato In a year of surprises, one of the more pleasant was the recent runaway viral popularity of 19th century sea shanties on TikTok. A collaborative global response to pandemic isolation, it saw singers and ...
The sudden departure of Graine Moss from her Chief Executive role at Oranga Tamariki is a vital first step in a sequence of changes that must take place at the Ministry according to a group of wahine Māori leaders. Dame Naida Glavish, Dame Tariana Turia, ...
A new poem from Dunedin poet Jenny Powell.Her uncle’s eyeShe introduced us to her uncle’s eye floating in a jar.Lost in an accident, he hadn’t wanted to lose it again. He left it to her in his will.We must have looked shocked. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I turn him to ...
The chief executive of Oranga Tamariki is quitting, leaving behind an agency she’s admitted suffers from structural racism. Justin Giovannetti looks at the future of Oranga Tamariki.Grainne Moss’s tenure as head of Oranga Tamariki has been untenable since November when the government’s senior Māori minister wouldn’t express any confidence in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Sainsbury, Senior Lecturer Composition, Australian National University Despite having different cultural backgrounds and experiences — Indigenous composers with an Indigenous mentor, and a pianist descended from Anglo-colonial history — it is nevertheless possible to create a project that can serve as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Plank, Professor in Applied Mathematics, University of Canterbury With new, more infectious variants of COVID-19 detected around the world, and at New Zealand’s border, the risk of further level 3 or 4 lockdowns is increased if those viruses get into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Hogg, Lecturer in Psychology, Charles Sturt University Horse racing is an ethical hotbed in Australia. The Melbourne Cup alone has seen seven horses die after racing since 2013, and animal cruelty protesters have become a common feature at carnivals. The latest ...
Right now, our most fiery national debate is over whether New Zealanders were nice to the singer Amanda Palmer in a café. Desperate to restore peace in our nation, Hayden Donnell went in search of the truth.Joe Biden had barely finished calling for unity when Amanda Palmer posted a tweet ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut (Pushkin Press, $37)Maths, cyanide, suicide, gardening; ye ...
Wellington artist Estère isn’t just breaking boundaries, she’s dissecting them. Maddi Rowe spoke to her about her new album, Archetypes.“That’s the story of pelicans, they’ll stab themselves in the heart to feed their young.”Despite the somewhat dark subject matter, Estère Dalton’s eyes sparkle with fascination. We’ve met to discuss Archetypes, ...
Cycling advocates are welcoming new advice from the Transport Agency on safe cycling. "Cyclists hate it when drivers pass too close. That's scary and dangerous," said Patrick Morgan from Cycling Action Network. "So it's encouraging to see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tilman Ruff, Honorary Principal Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne Today, many around the world will celebrate the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty to enter into force in 50 years. The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear ...
The Public Service Association welcomes the creation of a Chief Executive role to lead the public service’s pay equity work, and the appointment of Grainne Moss to this position. "Unions and public service employers are currently working ...
The Council of Trade Unions is warning that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures out today illustrate that the cost of living is increasing disproportionately for those on lower incomes; resulting in the poor getting poorer. CTU Economist Craig ...
Why are there so many offensive comments on the New Zealand Police Facebook page and are they breaking the law? Janaye Henry investigates. New Zealand Police Facebook pages – there are a number of them, for different regional police districts around the country – are an interesting place to spend ...
Our guide to stopping procrastinating and actually (finally) getting on top of investing. Because there’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you don’t know a single thing about it.In part one, we covered some of the basic things you need to know about investing – why do it? ...
Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft acknowledges the huge effort and commitment of departing Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive Grainne Moss and says her decision to resign today was principled. “The issues facing Oranga Tamariki are beyond individual ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Two Large Waves versus One Tsunami. Chart by Keith Rankin. Two Large Waves versus One Tsunami. Chart by Keith Rankin. With Covid19, Italy shows the classic European pattern, with its early outbreak, substantial recovery thanks to lockdowns and other public health measures, and resurgence thanks to complacency ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor, UNSW Law School, UNSW This year has already seen significant progress in the government’s commitment to establish a body – a “Voice” – that would allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say when the government ...
Northland farmer Derek Robinson was sentenced earlier today by the District Court in Whangarei for two offences of ill-treating animals at rodeo events. Mr Robinson was found guilty in November last year, following a defended hearing. The charges ...
Under fire Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss has announced she will resign, effective February 28, Marc Daalder reports After four and a half years at the helm of child protection agency Oranga Tamariki, chief executive Grainne Moss has announced she will be leaving the position at the end of ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and New Zealand Police acknowledge the sentencing of 36-year-old Aaron Joseph Hutton on charges relating to the possession of child sexual exploitation material, and entering into a dealing involving the sexual exploitation ...
Ngā Tāngata Microfinance (NTM) is calling for tougher penalties for those caught promoting pyramid schemes. Such business models are illegal under the Fair Trading Act 1986. This call comes after the Commerce Commission issued a ‘stop now’ notice ...
British High Commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke is calling on young women aged 17 to 25 to apply for the annual ‘Be British High Commissioner for the Day’ competition. The winner will have the opportunity to become an ‘honorary High Commissioner’, ...
The Māori Party is welcoming the resignation of Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss after sustained pressure from leading figures within the Māori Party. This resignation is the result of the continued strong pressure of the Māori Party ...
In a historic corner of Dunedin, startup culture is thriving. Catherine McGregor visited the city’s Warehouse Precinct to meet the people driving the movement. When Jason and Kate Lindsey bought the four storey building now known as Petridish, it was an absolute wreck. Once home to a thriving hat and textiles ...
Summer reissue: The Fold’s very first guest is back to tell Duncan Greive how she pulled off the media deal of the year.The chaotic couple of weeks which finally saw the end of the Stuff-NZME saga were riveting and strange, replete with stock exchange announcements, legal challenges and finally the ...
Chris Liddell has dropped his candidacy to become director-general of the Paris-based OECD. Without support from the Ardern government and vilified in the media as somehow being involved in the encouragement by Donald Trump of the Washington riots, he plainly saw he had little chance of crowning his stellar career ...
Tara Ward hands out her first impression roses as she dives deep into the sea of single men vying to win The Bachelorette NZ’s heart. While the world burns in a searing fireball of unpredictability, we can take comfort in the fact that some things never change. The heart still yearns, ...
People from all around New Zealand will be converging on the super-secret Waihopai satellite interception spybase, in Marlborough, on Saturday January 30th. ...
In its Thursday editorial the NZ Herald speaks an important truth: “Investment important to stay on track”. This won’t have startled its more literate readers but in its text it notes the strong result in the latest Global Dairy Trade auction, which prompted Westpac to raise its forecast for dairy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Mark, Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Kyoritsu Women’s University With the spread of COVID-19 steadily worsening in Japan since the onset of winter — daily records for infections and deaths continue to be broken — the fate of the Tokyo Summer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Taylor, Early Career Research Leader, Emerging Viruses, Inflammation and Therapeutics Group, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University All eyes are on COVID-19 vaccines, with Australia’s first expected to be approved for use shortly. But their development in record time, without compromising ...
Yesterday’s government announcement on new state housing is a pathetic response to the biggest housing crisis in New Zealand since the 1940s. At a time when the country needs an industrial-scale state house building programme, the government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Obadiah Mulder, PhD Candidate in Computational Biology, University of Southern California Australia is in the midst of tropical cyclone season. As we write, a cyclone is forming off Western Australia’s Pilbara coast, and earlier in the week Queenslanders were bracing for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Vernon, School of Education – VC Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University When the holidays end, barring a fresh outbreak of COVID-19, teenagers across Australia will head back to school. Some will bounce out of bed well before the alarm goes off, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW In an age of hyperpartisan politics, the Biden presidency offers a welcome centrism that might help bridge the divides. But it is also Biden’s economic centrism that offers a chance to cut through what has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Twenty years ago, on January 25 2001, a virtually unknown German supermarket chain quietly opened its first stores in Australia. The two stores – one in Sydney’s inner-west suburb of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Bluey is easily the most successful Australian television show of the last decade. A record-breaking success for its local broadcaster the ABC, as well as production partners BBC Studios and Screen Australia, ...
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permissionIt will take $3 million to clean up 1 million litres of abandoned toxic waste from a property in Ruakaka - three times more than the last big chemical clean-up undertaken by government agencies A two-year mission to clean up 1 million ...
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. The action Biden took on just his first afternoon in office demonstrates a radical shift in priority for the US when it comes to its efforts to combat the climate crisis. It could put more pressure on New Zealand to step up. ...
Ban Bomb Day event at the New Brighton Pier, 9am, on January 22nd, 2021 January 22nd, 2021, marks the first day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) Enters into Force and becomes international law. Aotearoa NZ is one of the ...
New Zealand triple-code star, Anna Harrison, can't stop returning to the courts - whether it's netball or beach volleyball. She tells Ashley Stanley what keeps drawing her back. The day before Anna Harrison leaps back into netball, she will have one more hit-out at another of her favourite old sports ...
The lights are burning into the night at the New York Yacht Club's America's Cup base as they race to fix their damaged boat. And Suzanne McFadden discovers something surprising may emerge. Out of American Magic’s calamity may come opportunity - for even more speed. While the lights burn bright ...
Is Waitangi Day supposed to be a national day of celebration? Or has it just become entrenched as a day of protest opportunism? A symbol of grievance, not unity?
Does Waitangi Day fill you with patriotic pride?
Or do you roll your eys and wonder what protest popups will piss on it?
My god you’re banal.
Banal is an odd accusation.
I hardly think it’s banal when what is supposed to be a national day of celebration is degraded by rent-a-mob.
I’d guess that most New Zealanders either don’t give a shit about Waitangi Day (except for enjoying a holiday some years) or get the shits about the inevitable shit stirring. That’s a sad state.
PG, your banal claims of degradation is what is banal.
Pete, are you saying that Waitangi Day should be the day of the year that we all forget about what the treaty said and just pretend that it’s been honoured and everything’s peachy? that it should be the day when one partner in that treaty should STFU so that the rest of us can feel good about ourselves?
That’d be a pretty fucking ironic way to go about things.
Waitangi Day should be a day of commemoration of the Treaty and what it now means. That will mean debate and greivance in the forseeable future.
It would be good to also have a national day of celebration and pride. Maybe we need to create a day for that. Like a New Zealand Day?
Racist.
Vicious creep! Who gave you the right to decide he’s a racist? QoT?
No one’s stopping you having your big party platitude pete – go hard, crack a beer, tell a few jokes… meanwhile the people you slur will continue working towards equality and a fairer society for all.
I’m not the one trying to turn Waitangi Day at Waitangi into a slurfest.
Daveo – yes, some of those seeking media attention at Waitangi could be seen as rascist.
how is saying that waitangi should be a day of celebration,
and implying that those who disagree aren’t getting into the spirit of it
or what the fuck ever it is you are saying,
not trying to start a slur fest?
And check out the comments on this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6359946/Mana-Key-set-for-hostile-Waitangi-reception?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Lovely.
No surprise that Mana want to talk up a hostile reception for Key.
It must be very frustrating for those trying to organise a “peaceful family-oriented celebration” at Waitangi to have all the media and protest addicts take all the attention.
My points are, should we accept that Waitangi Day is going to always be a focus of dissent and protest, and should we have an alternate day for all New Zealanders to enjoy? Or just not bother with some sort of collective celebration of our country?
Thing is Pete, Waitangi day could be the day you want it to be, but it can’t get there by pretending everything is peachy. Sort out the shit, and it won’t be shitty, and we’ll have aday that we can feel good about ouselves in a way that means something.
And can you honestly not see that complaining that Waitangi day isn’t treated as a celebratory love in congratulating pakeha on their awesomeness is actually pretty fucking offensive?
Does the blindness in that somehow slip past you?
I’m not trying to pretend anything. I’m pointing out that many people are fed up with the attention seeking protests at Waitangi each year.
“a celebratory love in congratulating pakeha on their awesomeness ”
Does the making stuff up in that somehow slip past you?
yes you are but you are not very good at it – judging others by how you see yourself methinks – all those lines about piss and shit – save it for your party when you’re reciting your tired jokes pete I’m sure you and your mate will have a big laugh at the expence of others
Why can’t the rich white straight men have just ONE day where they get to have THEIR say for a change?
I suppose they could if they wanted to, but they probably wouldn’t try it here.
Why can’t all New Zealand celebrate a day in common?
Anzac Day comes closest but it is not so much a celebration, it is in Remembrance of past sacrifices, which is important.
Queens ‘Birthday’ is a bit farcical. Labour Day is just Holiday Day. I think it would be good if we could have something here like Independence Day or Australia Day.
Maybe we’re just not mature enough as a country for that yet.
What’s mature about a rah rah meaningless pat yourself on the back?
I guess Pete uses “mature” in the same sense as he uses “sensible” and “centrist”.
I tend to agree with you Pete in terms of celebrating being a New Zealander.
Waitangi day is what it is and will remain that until Maori achieve equality with their treaty partners in law and in society.
I would do away with Queens Birthday and create Aotearoa Day. A day that we stop and celebrate being Kiwi. There are many things wrong with this country but they are far outweighed by all the things that are right. We never really reflect on that as a country. Surely for one day a year we can come together and forget about our differences and celebrate the one thing we all have in common. Living in a fucking great country.
Yes, it would be good if we could find something we can all come together and celebrate on. I’d be happy calling it Aotearoa Day but I suspect that wouldn’t be universally popular.
But realistically I’m not sure it could happen judging by the level of attacks here for daring suggest it.
Why don’t you take the 364 days that aren’t Waitangi day and use those to celebrate being wealthy and white and part of the power structure built on the very wrongs that the Waitangi protests are attempting to draw your dulled attention to?
“I’d be happy calling it Aotearoa Day but I suspect that wouldn’t be universally popular.”
why wouldnt it be popular? Is it because its a maori word?
I haven’t seen an attack on you for wanting an ‘Aotearoa’ Day. Just leave us Waitangi Day please. It may annoy you that there is protest there but there is nothing to stop tauiwi protesting there as far as I know.
Pay no attention to the concern troll. Waitangi Day is already awesome, there is gonna be a big party up North just like last year. But the only thing you will see on the news is protests and scary looking brown dudes
Oh yeah Pete Australia Day is a fantastic day for the Aborigines too. Yes its great to have a day where the colonialists celebrate all the damage past and present inflicted upon the indigenous people.
So what you are saying Pete is that no matter what the rich and powerful inflict upon you, steal from you etc. you should just forget it and join in with a fake celebration. Get real PG, I actually thought there was a few more brains in your head than you have shown us today.
Pompous Git until Maori hold high place in their homeland instead of being at the bottom of the heap protests will go on simple something you tiny brain should be able to figure out .Your so much like your leader stating the obvious reeling out boring old arguments that NZ will never move on until idiots like you read the real hisTory of new Zealand.
I don’t go a bomb on what PG has to say, but the way you’re all ganging up on him is making me sicker than I already am (and according to the neurologist at Auckland City I am actually not all that crash hot)…
It reminds me of the gang beatings I have had in the past, and that made me despise this place. There are some people, in some groups that it just is not safe to offend or upset. Never has anonymity seemed so valuable! 🙁
I agree it’s unfair.
When are the rich white straight men going to catch a break in this world?
You tell me, when will you? Wailing on here won’t do it for you.
I think pete likes offending and upsetting people – but not all people, just ‘some’ people.
Waitangi protestors, the target of pete today, also direct their actions to ‘some’ people, but the difference is that they are working to make our society better, fairer and more equal.
BTW I hope your health improves.
I admit I don’t… (but then QoT has already labelled me a racist, and as we all know, there’s no defence against that accusation. *)
Years back, in the 1970s, protestors shouted “F*** the Treaty, it’s a fraud, we want nothing to do with it!”
Years later, in the 80s and beyond, the protestors said the exact opposite – “Honour the Treaty, we love it and we want it”.
I am just a stupid evil White bitch, (or so I’ve been told.) I know nothing.
* For his/her benefit – the evil-ex (Maori, but the point s/he missed it he’d have been evil regardless of race – he was an alcoholic) died about 7 weeks back.
I remember the catchcry “the treaty is a fraud” too. What do you think was meant by that?
Pompous Git for an odd person
Every country must have a starting point, and like it or not, I guess the signing of that Treaty was that starting point.
Though I am concerned about how we are in such a hurry to settle old greivances, we are creating new ones, with the systematic shifting of conservation land into iwi hands, for them to restrict access. And lets not forget Tuhoe’s desire to get their hands on Te Uruwera National Park, which will almost see New Zealanders having to pay big bucks to enjoy something that everyone should be able to enjoy.
Old age kicking in Pete – Or are you just being deliberately fucken idiotic!
I for one applaud the protestors, and given the past weeks actions by government, would expect this year to be heated.
What have we really got to celebrate Pete, the rape of the country by ancestors of dick heads like you!
There is nothing to celebrate about being a New Zealander? Nothing?
Celebrating being a New Zealander is something I do every day but I don’t see Waitangi Day as a day on which one celebrates Te Tiriti but rather a day to commemorate and reflect on what might have been and what still may come to pass. Then again, that is just me
Classic , now Muzza is accusing Pete of rape and tortue, you can’t make this shit up.
Speaking for myself, I commemorate, not celebrate.
Until The Crown (Her Majesty’s NZ Government) not only settle old grievances in a meaningful manner, then stick to the contracts that have been negotiated as part of those settlements as well as honouring the original Treaty, I have no reason to celebrate.
I seem to remember someone calculating that it took less than a week for the Crown to breach the Ngai Tahu Settlement
Iwi are just as bad at breaking settlement terms.
Most conservation land that is handed back to iwi comes with strict conditions around public access, however, iwi have known to wait for a few months and then block it off. The Port Nicholson Block Settlement is an example, where access to several lagoons have been restricted.
Go away – please PG and never come back!
Is Pete George supposed to be raising a valid issue? Or has he just become entrenched as an attention-seeking linkwhore?
Does Pete George fill you with patriotic pride?
Or do you roll your eyes and wonder when he will actually say or do something that matters a damn?
The second one.
No
Yes, all the time
How money corrupts the US Congress
Scary, scary, stuff. And these very established practices and globalised methods are coming here.
http://fora.tv/2012/01/17/How_Money_Corrupts_Congress_and_a_Plan_to_Stop_It
Yes CV. We do have a limit to the length of the Election. And we nearly have transparency about funding. But it does appear that the few very rich control the direction of decision making.
Maybe the case is waiting to be made for a Public Funding, so that Government is not corrupted (any more.)
A long listen but some parallels with NZ. All for Root Hacking rather than Partisan arguments.
Do you think that in all this is a cause for Voter Apathy in NZ?
I think that there are a few factors leading to citizen apathy (voter apathy being only a symptom of citizen apathy).
Time and information poverty for the majority is an issue. Pervasive framing by the Right Wing that business is the solution and government is the problem is an issue. A lack of civics education is an issue. A distant complex self serving bureaucracy is an issue. The ideology of individualism and not understanding how broader societal and economic structures affect personal income and lifestyles is an issue. A set of politicians who seem to all sound and look the same is an issue.
EDIT a lack of perspective of 20th century NZ history, especially of social and worker struggles, is also an issue.
Joyce is trying to lead a debate to gain greater acceptance of foreign investmen
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10783089
Perhaps they feel stung by public reaction? By the way how will the Crafar sale be an investment in NZ rather than a payment to Wespac?
There aren’t any. We have the resources here to do whatever we want and the only thing that’s holding us back is a socio-economic system that accumulates the control of the wealth into the hands of the few. Money, a non-resource, from over seas won’t change that.
By having a non-policy policy? And at every opportunity show how sniviling and cowtowing Keys govt is?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/6358098/New-IRD-system-costs-1b
Lets see, tax cuts for rich people or spend a small fraction of that money on ensuring we can properly collect taxes in the future?
Fuck me:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/6358791/Stolen-frozen-foetus-sparks-gang-brawl
Only in NZ….
BTW, on the links on the side was this little gem that the Greens may want to note.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/6358786/Hydraulic-fracturing-is-safe-energy-boss
sorry but you are already f*cked.
get over it.
Still not found the reply button, I see, randal.
RIP another NZ business owing $11 million. In business since 1964, employing 180 people.
from stuff business – business and KordaMentha
Receivers KordaMentha were called into Auckland-based Criterion Group and its New Zealand and Australian subsidiaries on Tuesday. About 180 staff are affected.
Their appointment followed a “serious decline in trading” for the group, the receivers said.
It exports around 70 per cent of its production to North America, South America, Europe, Singapore and the Pacific Islands.
I don’t think that the politicians and economic advisors and company directors understand about the business of making things, and how important it is. They quote the stats about the myriad of small businesses forming the important other sector with earnings not arising from the land.
The lawyers, financial advisors, even the managerial class are service providers only making a good living out of a thriving economy (except recently where a business gains ‘face’ by paying top cash to the top people, and then to avoid losing ‘face’ pay more cash when those top people lead the business into a decline.)
ha ha PG. I have a friend who’s worst insult is to call someone ‘banal’. Card carrying lefty too. I reckon we should keep Waitangi Day, get rid of the Queen’s Birthday and have a New Zealand day. Or have an extra public holiday.
You’s guys gonna take the fight to Hekia?
http://nowoccupy.blogspot.com/2012/02/good-luck-luv-youll-be-needing-it.html
You a gamer PG? Check out my profile.
Youre a pretty nasty person Monique. I have a feeling that you are of these women who sit in a cafe and run down all and sundry while being all nice to their faces.
You give me that vibe. Youre a nasty nasty bitchy woman. I can tell.
Pot. Kettle. I can tell.
Who yanked your chain?
Hmmm, Monique has a contempt for the poor, and appears both socially conservative and politically naive. An ideal United Future candidate, perhaps? Maybe you could have a chat to The Hair, Pete. If he remembers who you are, that is.
She’s already a big United Future fan, according to her twitter profile pic: http://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/1559047278/302395_10150396943355522_671390521_10080692_2092190889_n.jpg
Figures.
A whole 2 people support UF. A guy who tends to do nothing else than sit on the internet all day, and a manicured slumlord who really really needs to get some – perhaps she needs to realise that slagging off those on benefits/her tenants is really a big turn off.
Well, that explains the lawful-evil types she works with.
Millsy: Advocating the hanging of people who disagree with you (http://thestandard.org.nz/treachery/comment-page-1/#comment-429671) tends to undermine your position as the arbiter of nastiness.
Come on mate, if you’re going to attribute some nastiness to Millsy do try and get it right.
So you’d agree that he has been nasty in the past then felix?
Is this a new game? How do we play?
Nice [No speculation in identity please – r0b], big words for such a little man.
Hey mods, that seems to be speculation on a poster’s identity.
Hope that doesn’t make me a comment Nazi.
[actioned, thanks – r0b]
The only gaming I do is on blogs. I won’t try to describe my roles as I’d just be struck down by opposing Forces of Banality.
One of my games is wordplay. It was interesting that IB introduced the word ‘banal’ – that comes from Old French banel – ‘pertaining to a ban’.
Another definition is ‘ pertaining to compulsory feudal service ‘. While not compulsory one can get the impression of attempts at imposing serfdom here by the overlords. At least banal doesn’t seem to be banned.
Or a definition more relevant to you: fucking pointless, boring, unimaginative and insubstantive.
my concise oxford has a good definition – ‘trite, feeble’ and interestingly it sits between ban and banana – nice universe humour in the context of this discussion
Should that be:
You a lamer PG? Check out my profile ?
I can’t edit my previous comment, straight after I have put it up. The stats of the numbers of small businesses are quoted and we know they are so important, yet they are abandoned whenever the government chooses to make changes. One example of abandonment is after the Christchurch earthquake. There seemed little co-operation with the businesses affected, with explanation of the known and unknown risks in daily briefings in a venue large enough to cater for all and whiteboards where info could be presented even if there was no electricity.
And these are the wealth creators, that phrase which comes to the lips of politicians so often, spoken of but too small to be able to offer quid pro quo, or tit for tat, no doubt.
No, small businesses aren’t the “wealth creators” that the politicians speak of. The “wealth creators” that politicians speak of are the rich parasites and the name is pure misdirection.
SME’s better get it into their little heads that NAT is here to represent the corporates and the multimillionaires, and if you are a small enterprise they are quite happy to leave you twisting in the wind.
Happy hunting for Zionist fundamentalists or why I will keep on speaking up against the “apartheid” state of Israel
If this doesn’t get you seriously pissed off I don’t know what will!
When I press Home to refresh my page it seems to take me back some time not bring me up to date. The index shows at the top lprent POAL sleeze each time I press Home – if that’s helpful to know.
Usually that is a problem with the local browser’s cache. For instance I get that type of issue when I use the back button on safari on my iPad (and bloody annoying it is as well). You could look at turning off the browser cache to test if it is just that. The site sends instructions about what should be cached and what should not. But some of the browsers ignore or misinterpret…
I just tried reproducing your diagnostic on linux with chrome and firefox and didn’t get it. Give me some more details – OS / Browser.
However we’re currently running on an apache2 mode that I have never used before after the outage on wednesday. I have no idea what effect it has on the cache modules that are also loaded at the server side. I will be testing my way back to my usual configuration this weekend.
it’s bouncing around like gossy trying not to answer a question
Thanks lprent I will get my technical expert – son – to look at that.
I had the same problem as Prism this morning but it seems to have sorted itself.
http://www.thepoliticalscientist.org/
Key losing control.
Well worth reading – puddleglum’s latest (above)
Raises interesting questions…
What a train wreck flogging off power assets are proving to be and already there appears to be a blow out in the cost, (potential litigation of treaty rights and rightly so). I seem to recall the figure of 100 million to sell money earning power assets and what will they sell for?
2012 is going to be the year when all the figures do not add up. Bring on the budget I say.
You mean this one? Just linking to the blog home page fails to indicate which article you’re talking about.
When I click your link Draco, and when I click mine, they take me to exactly the same place – the beginning of the particular blog I’m mentioning.
Where does clicking my link take you?
Maybe this is a browser thing, you’ve made the same comment before, and I’ve clicked both links and ‘snap’. How do you go about linking to a blog or story from somewhere else? If there is a quick *F-key* shortcut I’d be glad to learn it.
Nope. Draco’s one takes you to the post – if you scroll down you’ll find you can add comments.
Your one takes to the front page – which just happens to look the same right now. However as soon as they put in a new post (tonight?), noone will have any idea what you were talking about when they click the link.
So Blinglish refused to front on breakfast TV to talk about the latest treasury report. Normal service has resumed.
Funny that!
Ahem!
http://tiny.cc/v83a0
And this from a right wing rag.
Trust them, they know what they are doing…yeah right!
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/more-tui-announcements-for-education.html
Bernard Hickey recent tweets
bernardchickey
Oh and by the way. Record net migration to Australia of 36,900 in 2011 (100/day) bit.ly/xYlWQd NZ economic policy not working
19 minutes ago
bernardchickey
Is this the path to greatness for NZ? Foreign debt funded property boom for the wealthiest? That pushes up NZ$? Just nuts.
24 minutes ago
bernardchickey
Govt borrows money from China, hands it to wealthiest via tax cuts, who then borrow more and buy bigger houses bit.ly/zDJRKw
25 minutes ago
Labour cracks 30% despite doing nothing except losing Goff.
Two months too late that one.
Here’s the kicker though: “However, support for the full National-led Government has dipped to 49% (down 0.5%), trailing the Opposition Parties (51%, up 0.5%).”
How close was that election, eh? A couple of points would have done it. Still, the good news is the Tories and their support poodles are on the wrong side of the ledger for the first time in 4 years and David Shearer is looking good to be PM sooner rather than later.
Can we have a snap election, please John? Hawaii’s nice this time of year.
Couple of points assuming Peters would’ve gone with Labour which is a big assumption.
Being in opposition doesn’t automatically mean that they would’ve formed a government
Tru ‘nuf, Chris. But Labour does have experience running minority Gov’ts and Winston isn’t going to forget that National condemned him to 3 years in the wilderness. He’d be odds on for a C&S agreement of some kind just to be able to stick it to the Nats, but if he is going to make good on his election promises, realistically, he has to come to an arrangement with Labour and the Greens.
Or he might just stick two fingers up again and offer to take over from the Maori Party as John’s new BFF. He’s got form in that area already, so who knows?
Either way, seems the tide is going out on Key.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/chris-trotter/6356378/Our-hands-were-tied-over-the-Crafar-farms-sale
So roll up and call Trotter a traitor for speaking the truth just like Fran o’Sullivan.
Who the hell thinks trotter is a paragon of the left wing anymore? He might have a slightly leftist emplyment policy, but his blogs on “identity politics” and how women and anyone else with an issue should toe the line and not endanger the Labour vote put him squarely in the camp of social conservatives.
Yeah he’s probably got more in common with your lot these days Fisi.
call you an idiot for mangling the oranges and the apples.
I see that Farrer in Dominion today the polls give the balance of power to Winston Peters.
Nats dropped and Labour up and with other lefties are only one seat behind Nat/Coalition, giving Winston the baubles if an election were held today. How big will his baubles be I wonder – huge, remember he is very selfish, so perhaps Finance, although Norman has bagged that, Foreign Affairs, and he has a few of those.
Makes you wonder – with continued great shit stirring out of Waitangi, Christchurch in revolt, seems a good time to let Key know he’s on his way out.
A cat is purchased, and trained, the trainer is not the owner
and the trainer becomes an attraction in their own right, and
becomes wealthy. The cats need to be trained extensively and
can not be easily replaced, yet are also an attraction in their
own right. The act performed is highly dangerous and has already
caused the death of one keeper, and there is some doubt over
whether the entry into the enclosure should even be allowed.
Due to family bonds some dispute over ownership of the cats
have arisen. Are the cats family pets? Are they trained animals? Or
are they as it looks like an attraction of a zoo primarily?
Should the cats be split up, those that have not be strongly
trained remain at the park as a going concern, and the trainer
take some of the cats and passes onwership of the land back over
as a consideration for past financial investment?
Or should government step in and appoint an independant manager,
ban any member of this disfunctional family from ever having
any access to these wild animals? For if they are an asset of
the businesses of either party then surely the businesses can
fire the employees and hire new staff who can carry out their
function.
Maybe government could even speak to the highly dangerous
‘circus act’ of entering the cage? Since at the core its
the personal affections of the protagonists to the cats
that ellicts all the destruction of value in the brands.
The Lion park and the Lion Man.
But on a personal note, who owns the family pet? The
unpaided person who attends to its needs, or the business
owner who sells tickets to see both do a dangerous
circus act? If I buy a Bear, get someone to train it to
wear a dress and shit on command, and the trainer makes
a name for themselves, does the Bear become their property,
even where it clearly states at the entrance to the ‘Bear’ Park.
I’m having a bit of trouble deciding if Bowalley Road should be included in the Leftwing Blog… because old trots seems decidedly right wing these days… Slater keeps quoting him for one thing. Trotter used to be leftist when he wrote for the Listener back in the day, but he has soured over the years. So should he stay or should he go?
Stay – if you think any common sense fits in on the left.
Considering your track record there Pete George, I think I ‘d better count that as a vote against old Trots.
So, I see that Trotter has joined the hate list… why?
Because…
And even worse, Whale oil agreed with him, so that makes him another enemy of the day.
Nah, it happened a good couple of years ago now. When he started arguing that the “left” should bend over and be more cooperative with tories, and on no account should women, homosexuals, or Maori put that relationship at risk by being all activisty and uppity.
He’s been the tories’ token “lefty” for ages, getting wheeled out for a nice unchallenging “left perspective”.
Just another thing you know fuck-all about,pete.
You have to love Chris Trotters comments on the Crafar farm sales .How it reeks of hypocrisy for David Shearer to now be crticising it. Prediction as soon as Shearer starts debating in the house he is going to get eaten alive by the National front bench comments from trotter below
In 2008, this country ratified a free-trade agreement with the People’s Republic of China. It was hailed as the most important foreign policy and trade achievement of the 1999-2008 Helen Clark-led government. Not only was it the first such agreement to be signed between China and a Western-style democracy, but it also offered New Zealand businesses immense economic opportunities. …
It was all the more perplexing, then, to hear Opposition leader David Shearer declaring his and the Labour Party’s opposition to the sale. It’s simply inconceivable that Mr Shearer is unaware of the MFN prohibition against denying China the same right to buy land as the nations that bought upwards of 650,000 hectares of our national patrimony exercised when Helen Clark was Prime Minister, and Mr Shearer’s friend (and former boss) Phil Goff was the Minister of Trade.
The Chinese under the FTA must be treated equally with all others and not disadvantaged in a deal compared with others. But this means if all land sales to foreigners were banned then Chinese would not be treated any differently. Ban all sales to nonresidents above a certain size.
At some point we must say “Enough! No more land sales.”
Hope it is by then not too late?
They do have the same right and we have the same right to tell them to stuff off. Just because the OIO has been pretty much a rubber stamp process for the last few years doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way.
so what clause is it that contains the free trade in land?
Fisi and James111, if either of you had the reading and comprehension ability of a preschooler and the wit to understand what Trotter wrote, you would come very quickly to the conclusion that he is calling a spade a spade. He is a leftist accusing his side of playing on the right for to long. Labour and its supporters don’t need RWNJs like yourselves to point out in some faux triumphalist bullshit way that the wounds are self inflicted.
Trotter by comparison is pointing out that for Labour it is too late to cry wolf when they signed the deals, and that we as a collective electorate allowed this to happen so we too have no right to complain. What I think he is driving at is that without repudiating their prior stance before the electorate Labour should shut up.
Bored I totally agree with you and Trotter but you have to question Shearers naievity in even talking about it
Question bollocks, Shearer is Johnny Come Lately and as such bears no personal responsibility. Unlike that fuckwit Key who allows his mates onshore and offshore to have their snouts in NZs trough on a permanent basis.
I find it amusing how you james 111 drop in, spout shit and then disappear when you are presented with a rational response (see http://thestandard.org.nz/wanted-more-news-like-this/ as an example)
You must be part of this mob…..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095549/Right-wingers-intelligent-left-wingers-says-controversial-study–conservative-politics-lead-people-racist.html
Not exactly rocket surgery, innit?
It’s kind of halarious the way the right are trotting out the xenophobic line against the left. Truth is, they are insulting the 80% of Kiwis who didnt want those farms sold for good reason – there still hasnt been a single argument as to why selling a chunk of the golden goose to the biggest consumer of golden eggs is a good idea . I mean unless you accept Steven Joyces laughingly lame attempt today suggesting Chinese investment will help local communties and create jobs. Okay Stephen, OIO found only two jobs will be created from the Crafar Sale, but PGG Wrightsons may sell more farm supplies. Of course we also know also they are now majority Chinese owned. Abysmally, there no analysis on the impact of competition against our own dairy industry.
What’s also ironic, is that the claims of xenophobia are sprouting either from resource sucking baby boomers such as the analytic devoid business commentator Fran O’Sullivan, or the politically senile Chris Trotter. But perhaps what is most interesting, is that this accusation has originated from a goverment who have just referrred to our Treaty as largely Symbolic , whose Muldoon supporting leader was pro-springbok , and who sees no issue public making racist and discrimatory jokes about Maori
But what’s partuclarly telling, is John Key’s supposedly unambigous announcement today regarding Chinese investment in New Zealand, has been now been quickly palmed off to Stephen Joyce . Anyone listening to the interview on RNZ this evening will understand why.
Ian thanks for that wonderful story believe it was written by a left winger in drag. So I guess you have all bases covered then LMFAO
james 111 is just waleshit in another incarnation.
he got multiple multiple personality disorder but he like a friendly idiot.
every now and then you have to give him a booot.
But with Jturd you don’t want to give him a boot cause you end up covered in his excrement.
Bennett’s bungled numbers
Despite the introduction of Future Focus, whereby beneficiaries have to adhere to strict conditions or loose their entitlements, people on the unemployment benefit grew by 2158 last month. In a press release today, Bene bashing Bennett does her best to spin the numbers so they don’t look bad, but information attained through the Official Information Act shows the truth of the matter…
John Key – Asshole of the Week
Clearly John Key is trying to provoke a spectacle on Waitangi day that will take the focus off National’s plans to privatise state owned assets. National can then claim that the Maori’s are all radicals and therefore not give their concerns the attention they deserve…
Seen on facebook recently:
A special message for the Tea Party : http://is.gd/7A0Imi
You might be a Socialist!! : http://is.gd/pYNapA
🙂