I especially like the quote abiut digitalisation creating 4 milluon jobs in the broadcasting sector. That reminds me of Draco’s brilliant ideas of where new jobs in NZ could come from.
“Having reviewed all the evidence, our primary concerns remain that this merger would be likely to reduce both the quality of news produced and the diversity of voices (plurality) available for New Zealanders to consume. Competition between NZME and Fairfax leads them to produce higher quality content than would otherwise exist with the merger. This competition incentivises investment in editorial resources, motivates journalists and editors in their day-to-day work and acts as a safeguard to plurality.
“In our view, the merged entity’s competitors would not be able to constrain it in any real way from making cost-cutting decisions that reduce quality and plurality. The extent of internal plurality is also discretionary on the part of the media owner and we do not regard promises to maintain current levels as a sufficient safeguard on future editorial decisions.
“While we cannot weigh in dollar terms the net benefits against the detrimental societal impacts we expect to see, in our assessment this is not a finely balanced decision. We decline to grant authorisation.”
And there needs to be changes to the Commerce Act, still. Media is not just about commerce, it’s about the public interest and the media’s role in democratic processes, access to information important for society, etc.
Newspapers may be just fish and chip wrappers of a sort, but, only after they have been read, after they have revealed whatever, and what’s more after the option of the item being torn or cut out and kept for easy archiving and hands-on reference.
Carolyn-nth And there needs to be changes to the Commerce Act, still. Media is not just about commerce, it’s about the public interest and the media’s role in democratic processes, access to information important for society, etc.
Sadly, hardly ever these days. I used to view reading the paper around the grease spots as a bonus to the enclosed culinary delights.
The demise of the newspaper chip wrapper is probably as much to do with some wonky food safety rule as it is the lower sales of newspapers…although most going tabloid size may be also a factor.
The last takeaways we got wrapped in the news was a a Chinese language publication….
LPrent I would be interested to hear you view as to whether this decision will seriously weaken the viability of the NZ MSM, or whether overall it will encourage smaller ventures like Scoop and indeed this website to increase their impact?
Also, do you see the decline of the public need for news being siphoned off onto Twitter commentary – particularly with the rise of it as a dominant commentary platform for the US President?
public broadcasting enshirned into legislation is the only way to ensure quality objective material.
These are 2 private entities attempting to maintain returns by slashing jobs and costs rather than invest in their output quality. Voda/sky is the same situation.
There are more of us over 40! If we can hold onto what is important in the society, it gives the youngsters a chance to grow up and become wiser citizens, who are always in a minority, hopefully a large one.
Maintaining returns? Fairfax bought TradeMe and I thought was getting good returns from its advertising revenue but then sold it.
This example of irrational and erratic behaviour by oligarchs like Gina R and her cohorts is why we should have newspapers owned by the irrational citizenry, probably a a Trust, and at least we balance each other out in our own country!
Gosman are you on a full time wage with either National or the ACT Party ?
Your comments appear to be deliberate attempts to divert rational discussion on the TDB I suggest you look up Kiwiblog or Whaleoil Websites you would be far better suited to making valuable contributions to those websites/blogsites rather than bothering people on the TDB especially this early in the day.
So long, in fact, iprent honoured him by creating this rule.
The Gosman (hypocrisy) ruling.
People using a pseudonym to comment who then claim that other people commenting/posting anonymously (or any words construed to mean that) will have their own comments treated as being anonymous. Since this site does not allow anonymous comments, they will receive an immediate long ban.
As Brian Easton says, “There is a well-established research finding of ³group polarisation²: when like-minded people get together, and speak and listen only to one another,…”
We have to be aware that this could apply to us. So I quite like the “different” viewpoint offered by some commentators here. Know what our enemies are thinking.
Very easy to end up getting tunnel visioned if you only surround yourself with similar people who share similar views.
Know what our enemies are thinking
I’m not a great fan of that sort of baby boomer thinking, I don’t consider anyone here as my enemy, maybe some a bit extreme and fruitcakey but certainly not an enemy.
Enemy in the sense that if you vote for the other side you are the enemy. Does the National Party see Andrew Little as an enemy? Think so or they would not send in their proxies to “bring him down”.
I think that I am too old to be a Baby Boomer.
Yep, helps me clarify my own thoughts through more reading and research.
Or, as Douglas Adams put it:
“There really wasn’t a lot this machine could do that you couldn’t do yourself in half the time with a lot less trouble,” said Richard, “but it was, on the other hand, very good at being a slow and dim — witted pupil.”
Reg looked at him quizzically.
“I had no idea they were supposed to be in short supply,” he said. “I could hit a dozen with a bread roll from where I’m sitting.”
“I’m sure. But look at it this way. What really is the point of trying to teach anything to anybody?”
This question seemed to provoke a murmur of sympathetic approval from up and down the table.
Richard continued, “What I mean is that if you really want to understand something, the best way is to try and explain it to someone else. That forces you to sort it out in your own mind. And the more slow and dim-witted your pupil, the more you have to break things down into more and more simple ideas. And that’s really the essence of programming. By the time you’ve sorted out a complicated idea into little steps that even a stupid machine can deal with, you’ve certainly learned something about it yourself. The teacher usually learns more than the pupil. Isn’t that true?”
They’re still wrong but you can’t have everything.
When you say ‘they’re’ you aren’t meaning Richard et al DTB? I guess you mean all the festering, feisty, fulminating RWs with their slabs of intellect that they keep chucking at us. Sort of like schoolkids with defensive positions on the playground throwing things at each other and TS is our playground!
When programmers (and allied trades) get into a shit-loop, there’s a procedure called the “rubber duckie step” to kick yourself out of the fixation before bothering anyone else with it:
You have a rubber duckie on your desk.
You explain to the rubber duckie how to do what you’re doing.
The act of explanation often identifies exactly where your shit-loop begins.
You continue on your way.
“NZME and Fairfax merger declined by Commerce Commission today.”
Our very good provincial paper is owned by Fairfax. From 1st May the paper is printing local news and only publishing on Mon. Wed. Friday. For 2 weeks we are getting the Press for Tue. Thursday. Fairfax has upped the online/email delivery of its news.
Interesting to see how that pans out especially when the new subs for the Express/Press are published? Pay more for less?
Fun fact of the day: The SWIFT system that banks use to transfer money runs on Windows Vista. This from Simon Black who discovered just how archaic the banking system is when he started his own bank.
“When my bank received its SWIFT code, we were told that we had to have a computer running Vista in the office in order to connect to SWIFT.
It was such an absurd exercise to find an obsolete computer running an obsolete operating system to connect to the supposedly most advanced and important international payment network in the world.
Unsurprisingly, SWIFT has been hacked numerous times, both by the NSA as well as private hackers who have stolen a great deal of money from their victims.
Last year a bunch of hackers famously penetrated the SWIFT network and stole over $100 million from the Bangladesh central bank.
And that was nowhere near an isolated incident.
This is the big hidden secret of banking: despite the shiny veneer of online banking, the institutions that literally control your money are run on outdated, inefficient, obsolete technology.”
What does RealMe run on? Personally I’ve never trusted having all my info in one place. For a fuddy duddy like myself it just seems to borrow trouble so I’ve avoided it thus far.
+1 – not just banks, insurance and a lot of big companies. Apparently one ginormous insurance company was shopping around to upgrade it’s legacy but it was so old and risky that nobody would take it on. It was such a joke someone just put on a cartoon with ‘you’re fucked’.
Behind the glossy real estate of most big firms, the actual transaction sides which is run by IT, is often in a dire state. Or it’s still on paper records like old man Hubbard who bought down South Canterbury Finance.
The Greens have sold out their members/followers by supporting Nick Smith & his Pt England Development Enabling Bill where any public park, reserve, National Parkland & DoC managed land is up for sale to the highest bidder!
Marama & Metira have traded-in their Environmental & Conservation Credibility to chase the Maori vote by supporting a treaty settlement thats not a Treaty Settlement with a private entity called the Ngati Paoa iwi Trust Board.
Chris Finlayson has bank rolled this trust with only 2 board members for the past 6 years, with $33m of tax payers money.
When I’ve questioned him about the probity of the cuzzies negotiating & these kinds of deals masquerading as a “Settlement”, he just ignores the issue and says he is comfortable with “it”?
Its great Labour (Phil T. & Peeni Henare, Priyanca ) came out and changed their position & opposed the bill as well as NZF. But the biggest WTF moment was with the Greens? A No Brainer?! WTF!
Anyway, I meet with Marama a few times and gave her an insight of the shenanigans the cuzzies are up too. Not interested! So I told her, when this turns to custard as it is about too because there are 3 boards, two negotiators, 4 mandates & 3 deeds in play … an implosion is inevitable. The NPiTB has keep no minutes and record of major transactions & have not presented Audited Financial Accounts for 6 years! All of this (risk) is on the taxpayer(s).
I did say that I’d make sure that there will be plenty of shit going around after the implosion and any party on the wrong side of this Bill, I’ll be sending plenty of it their way! This was all before RM’s polling came out last week. Greens -1.5%. Not claiming all of it but for the last 4 months of campaigning, I’ll take 0.5%! Haha!
So I’d appreciate it if you good folks get this out there into the public area … am doing it too myself at local meetings in GI/Pt England, twitter, social media, marae too.
It is a National issue when your local park & reserves can be confiscated by the Crown. Sound familiar?
The Bill needs killing & the Greens as well as anymore progress with the Ngati Paoa iwi Trust Boards negotiations. They’ve gone rogue, off the reservation and not listening to the iwi.
scary stuff. What the fuck is happening to the Greens??? At a time when everyone wants to vote Green too.
Firstly public parks, reserves, National Parkland & DoC land should not be for sale. Secondary, if it was it should be for the community interest NOT for the highest price.
A lot of residential land is being sold to residents offshore. My neighbour although probably the nicest neighbour we had, is a permanent resident of China and the house is sitting empty for months, my aunt was saying that their neighbour’s from Japan bought their house next door, went back to Japan and they haven’t seen them since.
There is a moral issue about keeping land and housing available for those living and working in this country, first. surely??? This highest bidder debate has consequences for the local community. Meanwhile we keep making more houses to be sold offshore and everyones rights have been taken away at a local council level to keep up with the monopoly board real estate sell offs.
The idea of greater taxes, isn’t popular when you are competing with off shore middle class who don’t earn or pay any income taxes in NZ but as a local you are expected to pay more taxes and have higher mortgages and higher interest rates to stem the gap of offshore land ownerships – oh and expect lower services, longer for retirement, longer health waiting lists, more ‘donations’ to support schools. Mow your own berms…
Just because our governments signed our rights to control land away in free trade agreements for magic beans, does not make it right. And the government needs to reverse it. It’s gone too far.
Something those of you not listening to RNZ may have missed-
Yesterday Peters laid down on Checkpoint a bottom line that he won’t go into coalition with any party that doesn’t allow re-entry into the Pike River mine. Given that National are opposed but Labour and the Greens are onboard with re-entry, this is a pretty clear declaration that Peters is leaning towards dealing with Labour and the Greens, but is keeping his options slightly open in case he manages to force the government into a u-turn on this issue.
Basically, if all three parties can hold onto or increase their vote share, we have ourselves a change of government.
If there is a threat of another National Government been put back into Office … it’ll be the Green’s that’ll do that! Selling out their Environment & Conservation credibility by supporting Nick Smiths Pt England Bill for the Crown to be able to confiscate any land, council, private & be able to revoke the Reservation Status too … smells of desperation by the Greens(already) to get into “Government!”
They’ve also picked up the habit of backing corruption too. Enabling a rogue iwi trust to pretend they’re negotiating a genuine Treaty Settlement when its not & Finlayson especially get the taxpayer to underwrite more than $38m+ on “tick” without any Audited Financial Accounts for 6 years!
So, this is why I’m confident that if the Greens are in a position to cut NZF’s lunch & Labours too, they return a national led Government!
…the Greens are explicitly against another National government, but they are pragmatic in which bills they support, and sometimes that means voting for things you don’t entirely like to meet a greater goal, like with Labour’s ETS. I’d have to look more into their reasons for supporting the Point England bill to comment about whether they make sense to me, but I am a member of the Greens and the only real ideological concern I have as one is the small faction of the party that has pseudoscientific beliefs about health, and the larger faction that comes to the correct conclusion about the inadvisability of genetic engineering but for the wrong reason. (it’s largely a marketing problem for NZ to engage in GE farming, as GE techniques are likely only marginally more dangerous than selective breeding, which isn’t to say there’s no danger, but it’s likely of things like the forthcoming extinction of bananas rather than of sudden ecological imbalance)
The Greens have already committed to changing the government, and I don’t see the membership ever supporting National except in extraordinary circumstances, like say, National had a legitimate plan to do dramatically more on climate change than Labour, which I don’t think will practically ever happen. I suppose you could argue that support of this particular bill could somehow increase support for National, but I doubt if it’s as flawed as you say, really the practical effect is that it will shift a few votes to any parties that don’t vote for it, or if it passes unanimously, it’ll discourage voters who really cared about the bill.
I’ll look into the Point England Bill though, seeing as your comments do suggest it would violate Green values to support it, and have a word with the relevant MP if it concerns me. You should definitely send off an email (I think it would be best sent to Catherine Delahunty as Te Tiriti spokesperson) to let her know of your reasons for opposing the bill, as the Greens are very concerned with honouring the principle of treaty partnership in good faith.
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It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
The White Lotus star reflects on her life in TV, including the local ad reference that doesn’t work in Australia, and her bananas co-star on Neighbours.Morgana O’Reilly was scrolling her phone next to her sleeping son on an idle Saturday morning when she got the call confirming that she ...
Claire Mabey explores the pros and cons of puff quotes on book covers.In January, Publishers Weekly put out an article by Sean Manning – publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship US imprint – in which he said he’d “no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books”.The ...
New Zealand’s Entomological Society is hosting its annual bug of the year contest. Here are some of the insects in the running. For some reason – perhaps humans’ inherent competitiveness, the idealisation of democracy, the need to demarcate winners and losers – one of the best ways to get people ...
A journey along the border, with words and illustrations by Bob Kerr.The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.The Sunset Limited leaves Union Station New Orleans on time at nine in the morning. We ...
Neville Peat is the 2024 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in nonfiction. He’s written 56 books, mostly on natural history; this excerpt is from The Falcon and the Lark: A New Zealand High Country Journal, first published in 1992. The falcon wintering on the Rock and ...
It was a light-hearted gesture Greta Pilkington will be forever grateful for – thanks to an Aussie rival who jumped in when the Olympic sailor couldn’t be at her own graduation.Pilkington, then 20, had been leading a double life – while qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the ILCA ...
I was born in the back of my grandfather’s ute, by an overgrown windbreak in a remote place called Wahi-Rakauyou can’t find on a map. I was born a girl but given the man’s name Harvey, as my dad always wanted a violent-minded boy to one day help him ...
“We’re not here to interfere in people’s property rights,” Ngāi Tahu’s Te Maire Tau has told the High Court.Tau, a historian, Upoko (traditional leader) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and a university professor of history, is the lead witness in a case designed to force the Crown to recognise the tribe’s rangatiratanga ...
Pacific Media Watch Trump administration officials barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from covering White House events this week because the US-based independent news agency did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda. The AP is being punished for using the term “Gulf of Mexico,” ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which ...
By bringing these global voices to the fight for free expression in New Zealand, we’ll continue to protect and expand our culture of free speech, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech Union's Events Manager. ...
The issue is no longer a hypothetical one. US President Donald Trump will not explicitly suggest death camps, but he has already consented to Israel’s continuing a war that is not a war but rather a barbaric assault on a desolate stretch of land. From there, the road to annihilation is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cecelia Cmielewski, Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University To be selected as the artist and curator team to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale is considered the ultimate exhibition for an artistic team. To have your selection rescinded, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia and is likely to make landfall early Friday evening. It’s a monster storm of great concern to Western Australia. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor, ANU National Security College, Australian National University A Victorian government decision to allow dingo culling in the state’s east until 2028 has reignited debate over what has been dubbed Australia’s most controversial animal. Animals Australia, an animal welfare ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Overnight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was confirmed as the secretary of the US Health and Human Services Department. Put simply, this makes him the most influential figure in overseeing the health and wellbeing of more ...
Everything you missed from day five of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard eight hours of submissions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.It was another work from home day for the Justice Committee, the only people in Room 3 being security guards, committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Juris Teivans/Shutterstock In Australia, fatal road crashes are climbing again, especially since the pandemic, and despite years of attempts to reduce road trauma, the numbers ...
In its eagerness to appease supporters of Israel, the media is happy to ride roughshod over due process and basic rights. It’s damaging Australia’s (and New Zealand’s?) democracy.COMMENTARY:By Bernard Keane Two moments stand out so far from the Federal Court hearings relating to Antoinette Lattouf’s sacking by the ...
“The reality is we’re getting poorer. The government this year is leaning heavy on chasing economic growth, which is absolutely the right thing to do.” ...
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 The Vegetarian by Han Kang (Granta, $28) Han Kang’s astounding novel was based on an ...
This new docuseries about two single comedians looking for love is also a joyful celebration of female friendship. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. “How many people do you think are boning right now?” Kura Forrester asks Brynley Stent as the bright ...
A new poem by Freya Turnbull. Hunger Song – After Kaveh Akbar (Untitled With Hunger And Matcheads) I hold my age in ripped fishnet hold an empty vessel oldyoung body cracks like gunshot like killa i was a father ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominik Koll, Honorary Lecturer, Australian National University View of the Pacific Ocean from the International Space Station.NASA Earth must have experienced something exceptional 10 million years ago. Our study of rock samples from the floor of the Pacific Ocean has found ...
Troy Rawhiti-Connell reviews Kia Tupu Te Ara, a documentary chronicling the meteoric rise of Aotearoa’s groundbreaking metal band. “Two brothers attempt to storm the world of thrash metal with the Māori language, despite the fact they’re both still teenagers,” reads the synopsis of Kent Belcher’s documentary, Kia Tupu Te Ara. ...
Three freelance writers have been awarded grants to work on their ambitious journalism projects. In January, The Spinoff announced the Vince Geddes In-Depth Journalism Fund, supported by the Auckland Radio Trust (ART). The fund was established to provide much-needed financial and editorial support to talented freelance journalists, empowering them to ...
Real journalists are too professional to respond when the Chump throws schoolboy insults in their face. Stephen Colbert is not a journalist…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stephen-colbert-donald-trump_us_5907f22fe4b05c397681d231?section=us_comedy
The sort of leftist thinking I see here every day from the likes of Draco and others.
http://www.herald.co.zw/si-64-boosts-job-creation-bimha/
I especially like the quote abiut digitalisation creating 4 milluon jobs in the broadcasting sector. That reminds me of Draco’s brilliant ideas of where new jobs in NZ could come from.
Gosman is it too early for you to post something sensible or is the above comment typical of all your comments?
What problem do you have with my post?
I’ll just leave this here….
Scroll down to comment by “Winston_Key”
https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/2ua3zh/land_of_the_wrong_white_clowns_anger_apathy_and/
So you are saying that the NSA are leaking like a sieve… to prove to us all that they are really out there saving the whales?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/04/new-zealand-spied-on-japan-at-whaling-forum.html
Such lovely blokes.
Breaking from various MSM twitter accounts: Fairfax-NZME merger declined. Thank goodness.
Edit: Commerce Commission press release:
And there needs to be changes to the Commerce Act, still. Media is not just about commerce, it’s about the public interest and the media’s role in democratic processes, access to information important for society, etc.
Excellent news.
It was surprising it got this far.
The Commerce Commission is part of the NZ Old Boys Network and basically rubber stamps everything ?
Newspapers may be just fish and chip wrappers of a sort, but, only after they have been read, after they have revealed whatever, and what’s more after the option of the item being torn or cut out and kept for easy archiving and hands-on reference.
Carolyn-nth
And there needs to be changes to the Commerce Act, still. Media is not just about commerce, it’s about the public interest and the media’s role in democratic processes, access to information important for society, etc.
I agree wholeheartedly
“Newspapers may be just fish and chip wrappers…”
Sadly, hardly ever these days. I used to view reading the paper around the grease spots as a bonus to the enclosed culinary delights.
The demise of the newspaper chip wrapper is probably as much to do with some wonky food safety rule as it is the lower sales of newspapers…although most going tabloid size may be also a factor.
The last takeaways we got wrapped in the news was a a Chinese language publication….
+100
LPrent I would be interested to hear you view as to whether this decision will seriously weaken the viability of the NZ MSM, or whether overall it will encourage smaller ventures like Scoop and indeed this website to increase their impact?
Also, do you see the decline of the public need for news being siphoned off onto Twitter commentary – particularly with the rise of it as a dominant commentary platform for the US President?
public broadcasting enshirned into legislation is the only way to ensure quality objective material.
These are 2 private entities attempting to maintain returns by slashing jobs and costs rather than invest in their output quality. Voda/sky is the same situation.
A small part of the problem.
Major problem is cohorts under 40 don’t engage with the news.
And those remaining that do, do so not by reading but via clips of less than 2 mins.
There are more of us over 40! If we can hold onto what is important in the society, it gives the youngsters a chance to grow up and become wiser citizens, who are always in a minority, hopefully a large one.
Maintaining returns? Fairfax bought TradeMe and I thought was getting good returns from its advertising revenue but then sold it.
This example of irrational and erratic behaviour by oligarchs like Gina R and her cohorts is why we should have newspapers owned by the irrational citizenry, probably a a Trust, and at least we balance each other out in our own country!
Gosman are you on a full time wage with either National or the ACT Party ?
Your comments appear to be deliberate attempts to divert rational discussion on the TDB I suggest you look up Kiwiblog or Whaleoil Websites you would be far better suited to making valuable contributions to those websites/blogsites rather than bothering people on the TDB especially this early in the day.
Gosman has been posting here for a very long time
So long, in fact, iprent honoured him by creating this rule.
The Gosman (hypocrisy) ruling.
People using a pseudonym to comment who then claim that other people commenting/posting anonymously (or any words construed to mean that) will have their own comments treated as being anonymous. Since this site does not allow anonymous comments, they will receive an immediate long ban.
https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/
As Brian Easton says, “There is a well-established research finding of ³group polarisation²: when like-minded people get together, and speak and listen only to one another,…”
We have to be aware that this could apply to us. So I quite like the “different” viewpoint offered by some commentators here. Know what our enemies are thinking.
It’s why I like to read different views.
Very easy to end up getting tunnel visioned if you only surround yourself with similar people who share similar views.
Know what our enemies are thinking
I’m not a great fan of that sort of baby boomer thinking, I don’t consider anyone here as my enemy, maybe some a bit extreme and fruitcakey but certainly not an enemy.
BM, what is ‘baby boomer thinking’? How is “know what our enemies are thinking” an example of this, whatever it is?
Enemy in the sense that if you vote for the other side you are the enemy. Does the National Party see Andrew Little as an enemy? Think so or they would not send in their proxies to “bring him down”.
I think that I am too old to be a Baby Boomer.
@BM
Every now and then you post something I agree with 100%.
Quite agree. Right wingers are a valuable resource!
Yep, helps me clarify my own thoughts through more reading and research.
Or, as Douglas Adams put it:
They’re still wrong but you can’t have everything.
When you say ‘they’re’ you aren’t meaning Richard et al DTB? I guess you mean all the festering, feisty, fulminating RWs with their slabs of intellect that they keep chucking at us. Sort of like schoolkids with defensive positions on the playground throwing things at each other and TS is our playground!
When programmers (and allied trades) get into a shit-loop, there’s a procedure called the “rubber duckie step” to kick yourself out of the fixation before bothering anyone else with it:
You have a rubber duckie on your desk.
You explain to the rubber duckie how to do what you’re doing.
The act of explanation often identifies exactly where your shit-loop begins.
You continue on your way.
Ummm… this is The Standard not TDB.
Stick with it Gosman you stop the echo chamber.
Yes Gosman you perform a useful purpose so that Ad can measure himself against you and know when he is leaning too far right and might fall over!
Technical error but shows you are on the ball this morning.
“NZME and Fairfax merger declined by Commerce Commission today.”
Our very good provincial paper is owned by Fairfax. From 1st May the paper is printing local news and only publishing on Mon. Wed. Friday. For 2 weeks we are getting the Press for Tue. Thursday. Fairfax has upped the online/email delivery of its news.
Interesting to see how that pans out especially when the new subs for the Express/Press are published? Pay more for less?
Post on this shortly.
Housing bubble (Canadian version) is popping.
A prelude of what is to come to NZ.
http://www.caseyresearch.com/articles/the-cancer-thats-spreading-across-canada
Fun fact of the day: The SWIFT system that banks use to transfer money runs on Windows Vista. This from Simon Black who discovered just how archaic the banking system is when he started his own bank.
“When my bank received its SWIFT code, we were told that we had to have a computer running Vista in the office in order to connect to SWIFT.
It was such an absurd exercise to find an obsolete computer running an obsolete operating system to connect to the supposedly most advanced and important international payment network in the world.
Unsurprisingly, SWIFT has been hacked numerous times, both by the NSA as well as private hackers who have stolen a great deal of money from their victims.
Last year a bunch of hackers famously penetrated the SWIFT network and stole over $100 million from the Bangladesh central bank.
And that was nowhere near an isolated incident.
This is the big hidden secret of banking: despite the shiny veneer of online banking, the institutions that literally control your money are run on outdated, inefficient, obsolete technology.”
https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/i-never-knew-how-screwed-up-global-banking-was-until-i-started-my-own-bank-21494/
What does RealMe run on? Personally I’ve never trusted having all my info in one place. For a fuddy duddy like myself it just seems to borrow trouble so I’ve avoided it thus far.
Apache server linked to .a bunch of Windows machines that haven’t been patched in yonks.
“…an obsolete computer running an obsolete operating system…”
Hey! The laptop I am using runs (very well) on Vista.
However, for the right number of $$$, I may be willing to put sentiment aside and help this guy out.
+1 – not just banks, insurance and a lot of big companies. Apparently one ginormous insurance company was shopping around to upgrade it’s legacy but it was so old and risky that nobody would take it on. It was such a joke someone just put on a cartoon with ‘you’re fucked’.
Behind the glossy real estate of most big firms, the actual transaction sides which is run by IT, is often in a dire state. Or it’s still on paper records like old man Hubbard who bought down South Canterbury Finance.
Australians commitments of cordiality and co-operation are not worth the sand they are written on.
The Greens have sold out their members/followers by supporting Nick Smith & his Pt England Development Enabling Bill where any public park, reserve, National Parkland & DoC managed land is up for sale to the highest bidder!
Marama & Metira have traded-in their Environmental & Conservation Credibility to chase the Maori vote by supporting a treaty settlement thats not a Treaty Settlement with a private entity called the Ngati Paoa iwi Trust Board.
Chris Finlayson has bank rolled this trust with only 2 board members for the past 6 years, with $33m of tax payers money.
When I’ve questioned him about the probity of the cuzzies negotiating & these kinds of deals masquerading as a “Settlement”, he just ignores the issue and says he is comfortable with “it”?
Its great Labour (Phil T. & Peeni Henare, Priyanca ) came out and changed their position & opposed the bill as well as NZF. But the biggest WTF moment was with the Greens? A No Brainer?! WTF!
Anyway, I meet with Marama a few times and gave her an insight of the shenanigans the cuzzies are up too. Not interested! So I told her, when this turns to custard as it is about too because there are 3 boards, two negotiators, 4 mandates & 3 deeds in play … an implosion is inevitable. The NPiTB has keep no minutes and record of major transactions & have not presented Audited Financial Accounts for 6 years! All of this (risk) is on the taxpayer(s).
I did say that I’d make sure that there will be plenty of shit going around after the implosion and any party on the wrong side of this Bill, I’ll be sending plenty of it their way! This was all before RM’s polling came out last week. Greens -1.5%. Not claiming all of it but for the last 4 months of campaigning, I’ll take 0.5%! Haha!
So I’d appreciate it if you good folks get this out there into the public area … am doing it too myself at local meetings in GI/Pt England, twitter, social media, marae too.
It is a National issue when your local park & reserves can be confiscated by the Crown. Sound familiar?
The Bill needs killing & the Greens as well as anymore progress with the Ngati Paoa iwi Trust Boards negotiations. They’ve gone rogue, off the reservation and not listening to the iwi.
scary stuff. What the fuck is happening to the Greens??? At a time when everyone wants to vote Green too.
Firstly public parks, reserves, National Parkland & DoC land should not be for sale. Secondary, if it was it should be for the community interest NOT for the highest price.
A lot of residential land is being sold to residents offshore. My neighbour although probably the nicest neighbour we had, is a permanent resident of China and the house is sitting empty for months, my aunt was saying that their neighbour’s from Japan bought their house next door, went back to Japan and they haven’t seen them since.
There is a moral issue about keeping land and housing available for those living and working in this country, first. surely??? This highest bidder debate has consequences for the local community. Meanwhile we keep making more houses to be sold offshore and everyones rights have been taken away at a local council level to keep up with the monopoly board real estate sell offs.
The idea of greater taxes, isn’t popular when you are competing with off shore middle class who don’t earn or pay any income taxes in NZ but as a local you are expected to pay more taxes and have higher mortgages and higher interest rates to stem the gap of offshore land ownerships – oh and expect lower services, longer for retirement, longer health waiting lists, more ‘donations’ to support schools. Mow your own berms…
Just because our governments signed our rights to control land away in free trade agreements for magic beans, does not make it right. And the government needs to reverse it. It’s gone too far.
Something those of you not listening to RNZ may have missed-
Yesterday Peters laid down on Checkpoint a bottom line that he won’t go into coalition with any party that doesn’t allow re-entry into the Pike River mine. Given that National are opposed but Labour and the Greens are onboard with re-entry, this is a pretty clear declaration that Peters is leaning towards dealing with Labour and the Greens, but is keeping his options slightly open in case he manages to force the government into a u-turn on this issue.
Basically, if all three parties can hold onto or increase their vote share, we have ourselves a change of government.
If there is a threat of another National Government been put back into Office … it’ll be the Green’s that’ll do that! Selling out their Environment & Conservation credibility by supporting Nick Smiths Pt England Bill for the Crown to be able to confiscate any land, council, private & be able to revoke the Reservation Status too … smells of desperation by the Greens(already) to get into “Government!”
They’ve also picked up the habit of backing corruption too. Enabling a rogue iwi trust to pretend they’re negotiating a genuine Treaty Settlement when its not & Finlayson especially get the taxpayer to underwrite more than $38m+ on “tick” without any Audited Financial Accounts for 6 years!
So, this is why I’m confident that if the Greens are in a position to cut NZF’s lunch & Labours too, they return a national led Government!
Don’t let this happen.
…the Greens are explicitly against another National government, but they are pragmatic in which bills they support, and sometimes that means voting for things you don’t entirely like to meet a greater goal, like with Labour’s ETS. I’d have to look more into their reasons for supporting the Point England bill to comment about whether they make sense to me, but I am a member of the Greens and the only real ideological concern I have as one is the small faction of the party that has pseudoscientific beliefs about health, and the larger faction that comes to the correct conclusion about the inadvisability of genetic engineering but for the wrong reason. (it’s largely a marketing problem for NZ to engage in GE farming, as GE techniques are likely only marginally more dangerous than selective breeding, which isn’t to say there’s no danger, but it’s likely of things like the forthcoming extinction of bananas rather than of sudden ecological imbalance)
The Greens have already committed to changing the government, and I don’t see the membership ever supporting National except in extraordinary circumstances, like say, National had a legitimate plan to do dramatically more on climate change than Labour, which I don’t think will practically ever happen. I suppose you could argue that support of this particular bill could somehow increase support for National, but I doubt if it’s as flawed as you say, really the practical effect is that it will shift a few votes to any parties that don’t vote for it, or if it passes unanimously, it’ll discourage voters who really cared about the bill.
I’ll look into the Point England Bill though, seeing as your comments do suggest it would violate Green values to support it, and have a word with the relevant MP if it concerns me. You should definitely send off an email (I think it would be best sent to Catherine Delahunty as Te Tiriti spokesperson) to let her know of your reasons for opposing the bill, as the Greens are very concerned with honouring the principle of treaty partnership in good faith.
Welld did you have a look at the pt eng bill? Be interested to hear what you think of it. tks
Huuuge….
This is about the UK (sorry), but it’s very worrying…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/03/true-conservatives-fake-ones-destroying-britian-theresa-may-real-patriots?CMP=soc_3156