But even though the article starts by talking up the friendship, even Watkins can’t avoid mentioning that maybe being friends with Cameron isn’t so much of a winning ticket these days:
Old mates Key and Cameron catch up at Queen’s jubilee
One of them “chills” by playing Angry Birds – the other reckons he is too busy for computer games.
They are also separated by a few years and their taste in music.
But for all that, British Prime Minister David Cameron – the Angry Birds addict – and his Kiwi counterpart, John Key, call each other soul mates.
[…]
When Cameron was confronted with an MMP style result on election night 2009 it was Key who offered advice by phone and text.
Key, for his part, thinks of himself, Cameron and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who will be joining them for dinner, as a special breed of modernising, less ideological, right wingers – so much so, says Key, that US President Barack Obama sees them as having as much in common with him as they do with each other, despite coming from what is traditionally seen as the other side of the political spectrum.
“President Obama has said to me …some of the leaders around the world he would count as friends are fundamentally from centre right parties – Harper, me and Cameron,” says Key.
But moderate or not, the tide has been going out on the centre right internationally in the wake of a backlash to the global financial crisis.
While Watkins mentions some of the unpopular austerity measures in the UK and NZ, she fails to mention the stench coming from those close to Cameron (and hence Cameron too) in relation to the Murdoch news investigations.
So while Watkins foregrounds an international network of like-minded political leaders, the underlying implication is that this is a network of neoliberal righties (and I would count Obama as a right-winger). In this network, these leaders consult and co-ordinate their approaches, but it’s also a network with an unhealthily co-operative relationship with the manipulative, right-wing corporate media.
I am amazed that in the week that the budget melted down and the future career prospects of the Minister of Education evaporated a senior political journalist for one the largest newspaper chain in the country would print this pap.
It reads like the sort of propaganda piece the North Korean Government puts out.
I suspect that’s what it’s supposed to be. A piece trying to bring back the friendly and approachable PM that NACT went to such efforts to create prior to the 2k8 election.
After I tried to not vomit a little in my mouth I started laughing… I like your last paragraph Carol, it seems that if one has a problem the other gets on the phone or text with a couple of handy hints…
Hey John – we’ve a wee prob here on ministers being a bit too close to business. Old Jeremy has got in a spot of bother with the Leveson inquiry over texts to Murdoch’s man. The opposition are calling for his head.
Acshully Dave it’s no problem. Stand up and say he was unwise but didn’t break the Ministerial code of conduct… works a treat, the civilians out there fall for it every time…. oh and about that pasty tax, just u-turn mate and all’s good. Done it heaps myself, pretty relaxed about it really. Lol.
Don’t even get me started about the ‘austerity’ measures handy hints going in the other direction!
Crikey! Key’s favourite programs:”Key – Biggest Loser, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy”.
A psychologist would have lots of fun with those choices. Key/biggest Loser?
I wonder when Cameron , Key and the Canadian PM sit down to dinner whether their puppet master Ashcroft will be there too?
Tracy Watkins specializes in cutesy pap pieces for Nat scum e.g. the sickening two page spread on Judith Collins some time ago. Very impartial journalism from the DomPost.
It’s every bit as nausea-inducing as the headline suggests. Kevin Taylor should watch out, Tracy Watkins is after his job, and she’s making a very determined play for it, too.
Yep, just the standard Nat Party puff-piece from Our Tracy.
Inher brilliantly incisive ‘Key Relishes International Role’ (or, in the hard-copy version of the Dom Post, “Wearing the Role like a Favourite Suit’, Saturday June 2 2012), Our Tracy employs her searing critical skills to tell readers that “many wondered if (John Key’s) easy charm would travel well in the world of international diplomacy. As it happens, he took to it like a duck to water.”
She backs this critical insight up with the equally potent “It is certainly true that Mr Key’s engaging manner has won him admirers”. Political commentary at its incisive best.
Her 3 sources for the story ?: Such objective analysts as (1) US-apologist/ANZUS/Nuclear warship-boy Stephen Hoadley, (2) US Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell and (3) wait for it…..wait for it…..Mr John-Boy Key himself !!!!! In fact the vast majority of the latter half of this very long article consists of quotes from Key. He’s essentially written the 2nd half himself.
mickysavage and Draco T Bastard have hit the nail on the head motivation-wise. Very interesting timing.
Some deep questions there. Is it true that both of them put Smarmite as their favourite food?
Nice photo of Cameron after being told his BFF Johnny Sparkles was in town. Nah, just kidding, but have a look at that YouGov poll result. Pretty soon Key and Cameron are going to have something else in common. Public rejection.
The Watkins piece reads like a Fanzine piece; as if the three in question are branded in terms of a star-fan relationship with the public, in lieu of a leadership-trust relationship. Cameron seems aimed at the 30-40 something NME reader who now works in IT, Key at the North Shore/Howick barbecue attendee. Don’t know enough about the Canadian one to comment on him; but the theme seems to be, don’t look at my policies, look how cool/personable I am.
@ $158.00 NZ a barrel the pump price was 219.9 per litre
now it is $130. NZ = 215 a litre
@ a 17.5% reduction in the per barrel price ‘we’ should be paying something like $181.42 per litre
And about 16 – 18 cents of that is tax.
Just talking about the 33 cents we are being ‘over charged’ at the moment?
So how much is tax? I thought about 60%?
You don’t hear the AA going on about the govt ‘over taxing’ when the barrel to litre price is ‘out of whack’
While calling for the superannuation age of entitlement to gradually increase from 2020, Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan has commended the universal pension as an effective measure for preventing poverty among the elderly.
The OECD has put poverty among the elderly in New Zealand as among the lowest in the developed world, at about two per cent.
In a separate study, however, the OECD found that child poverty in New Zealand had increased from 10 to 15 per cent since 1985, which ranked “at the higher end” of OECD member nations.
“The super accord has worked for older people. They have had some of the best outcomes in the OECD, while our children have nearly the worst,” Turei said.
I’m not sure what you’re on about Pete George… have you gone bonkers?
The problem is that National aren’t interested in addressing the growing epidemic of childhood poverty that leads onto many social problems that cost New Zealand billions in lost productivity and human potential. It’s not their kids who are struggling after all.
A simple and easy solution for both problems – Universal Income. Eliminates poverty and all income is appropriately taxed no matter how old the recipient is.
DTB Before I vote you in as Finance Minister – will a pensioner with few assets and other income still get as much dosh as at present under Universal Income? Morgan talks about $10,000 as the base, I’m getting about twice that and have to watch the spending. Op-shop clothes, a second hand car with a great garage that helps with problems etc. keep me going.
My own thoughts would be that it would be set somewhere around 17k per individual. Higher than the present UB so that people can actually afford to do stuff but not so high that it bankrupts the country.
It should be the the same as present pension levels. At least.
10k is way too low. It should be enough so everyone can afford for to feed, house educate and obtain healthcare for themselves, as well as be a part of society.
I do not hold with the view that those who are suffering the most from the failings of our leaders should be punished by being asked to live at a level of asceticism the ruling classes would never accept for themselves.
However cutting super payments to pensioners who have more than sufficient income/ assets, anyway, is one way of ensuring we can afford a GMI for everyone..
Am reading An Interesting Idea over on Red Alert. I haven’t finished reading it yet as I’m reading this report(PDF) about some experiments in a Universal Income which has this bit in it:
We found:
1. Effects on Fertility:
a. Before MINCOME, women aged less than 25 years in Dauphin were more likely than the controls to have given birth. By the end of MINCOME, they were significantly less likely than the controls to have given birth.
b. Total number of births to women less than 25 in Dauphin was significantly higher before MINCOME and significantly lower by the end of MINCOME.
c. These patterns are also observed for women aged under 19, but the relatively small numbers of births make the results not significant.
2. Effects on hospitalization:
a. Subjects were more likely to be hospitalized, more likely to spend more days in hospital, and more likely to have longer stays than controls before MINCOME.
b. By the end of the period, the results were reversed.
3. Effects on hospitalization with mental health diagnoses:
a. The same patterns held for mental health hospitalizations.
4. Effects on hospitalization for “accidents and injuries”:
a. The same patterns held for accidents and injuries.
5. By 1985, seven years after the money stopped flowing, there were no significant differences between Dauphin and the controls on any measure.
So, on a social level, a Universal Income has some fairly serious positive effects.
What about Bashup Brian Tamaki eh? Exhorting followers to leave their jobs and their rohe and move to a city he has envisionaged. Like Jones from the USA. It’s like watching an avalanche gather weight – when will the edifice fall and how many will it take with it on the way and at the end?
The new Primary Industries Ministry has been accused of squandering taxpayers’ cash with a plan to spend $900,000 on its new brand.
That includes alterations to uniforms, new stationery and replacing hundreds of signs at its offices and at fishing spots and airports around the country.
Does anyone know the cost of canning prison officers’ uniforms coloured an army-like khaki-ish green, for the new blue police-like uniforms ? Would have to be significant one would think.
That’s without asking why there was a change in the first place. And who ticked it off, Colllins or the number they shuffled out of Education, Tolley – bet they wish they never had given the extraordinary train-wreck her successor’s created.
Anyone adept with the OIA process care to follow it up ?
I enjoyed Michelle Boag’s spin on the subject of David Shearer’s first six months as leader on Q&A this morning. Clever piece of PR work on her part. On the one hand she appeared to be supportive and approving of him, while at the same time giving him the ultimate put down by comparing his tenure thus far with Helen Clark… when it should of course be John Key.
She pointed out that Clark spent five years (I think it was six) as Labour’s opposition leader before being handed the reins of power, and she couldn’t quite understand why some people seem to think Shearer has a chance of winning in 2014 after only three years. That was the essence of her comment and nobody pulled her up on it.
How disingenuous can you be? Helen Clark took over from Mike Moore around Feb, 1994. In 1996 under our first MMP election Labour/Greens and National/ACT were virtually a dead heat, so the outcome was left to the whim of one man, Winston Peters. He chose to go with his former party, National. It had nothing to do with whether Helen Clark was ready to govern or not, which is what Michelle was insinuating.
On the other hand the similarities with John Key’s rise to power and David Shearer are easy to see. Both took over the leadership of their respective parties after humiliating defeats. Key spent three years as oppo. leader before taking over as PM in Nov. 2008. So why can’t Shearer do it three years later in 2014?
Yep I too watched that. It made me want to look for the hidden ‘Troll’ sign flashing. And her only claim to fame is the presidency of the National ripoff bullshit party.
And discovering when checking in at Auckland International Oz bound that she’d left her passport back in Waiheke which problem she met by having the Westpac Rescue helicopter zip her over there to get said passport. Reported cost, apparently met by her – $4,500.
That said, does sound high. Perhaps she should be remembered in that instance more as one with extraordinary pull. How come ?
Michael Joseph Savage became Labour leader in 1933 and won in 1935
David Lange became leader in 1982 and won in 1984
And on the other side…
Our great and glorious omnipotent leader become PM in 2008 after assuming the National leadership in late 2006
Muldoon was Opp. leader in 1974 before winning in 75 (though he was an MP since 1960 and cabinet minister between 1967 and 72)
In Aus:
Kevin Rudd, Labour leader in 06, and then onto victory the next year
Bob Hawke, Parliament in 1980, and then Labour leader in 83, the day that Fraser went to the Governor General to call the election that year.
My point being that Ms Boag is incorrect in her statement.
So…
Key’s apprentice-ship as oppo. leader was only two years not three. That makes Michelle’s attempt to patronise Shearer and at the same time muddy the waters even worse. I’m surprised Mike Williams let her get away with it.
WOW! NZ – ‘the least corrupt country in the world’! NOT.
The Tax Justice Network is worth checking out, in my opinion.
They too, are very critical of Transparency International, whose Corruption Perception Index, which in 2011 ranked NZ as ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ is arguably not worth the paper upon which it is written – given that this ‘perception’ is that based upon the subjective opinion of anonymous business people.
Tax Justice Network: More on New Zealand as a rogue financial state
taxjustice.blogspot.co.uk
The Tax Justice Network (TJN) is an international, non-aligned coalition of researchers and activists with a shared concern about the harmful impacts of tax avoidance, tax competition and tax havens. http://www.taxjustice.net
We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected the promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world-government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the National autodetermination practiced in past centuries.– David Rockefeller in an address to a Trilateral Commission meeting in June of 1991
Bilderberg discussed on BBC 1, 2, Washington post and the Guardian. Finally the Mainstream can no longer deny the existence of the Bilderberg group.
We have our own Bilderberger and globalist. His name is Mike Moore and he is the NZ Ambassador to the US.
Way to through your tinfoil hat into the ring, Ev. Yes, the Builderberg Group exists, no it isn’t the secret shadow world government – it’s just like Rotary for very very rich and powerful people. And Mike Moore isn’t a “Bilderberger”, he’s a Rosicrucian Illuminati Loyal Order of the Golden Brussels-sprout like me.
Not disputing the quote, just the authority of the Trilateral Committee, which is not even the same thing as the Bilderberg group – though they have similar goals of globalisation. Much, I would suggest, depends on your interpretation of “globalisaton”.
And I am finding it quite difficult to see Mike Moore as something sinister.
it’s just like Rotary for very very rich and powerful people.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
If that’s true, what are the big community minded projects that they’ve done near you lately? Or do they just run big projects for the benefit of their own interests?
Was your entire response intended to be sarcastic? Including the bit about the tin-foil hat?
Because you haven’t offered any alternative interpretation so presumably you accept that Mr Rockerfeller’s words can be taken at face value.
So why the “tin-foil hat” reference? We generally understand that to mean someone is being paranoid or irrationally concerned about people plotting one thing or another in secret. But here we have a clear statement that someone has been plotting and is specifically praising others for helping to maintain the secrecy.
So where’s the paranoia? Where’s the irrationality?
When people have to use terms such as “tin foil hat” in abusive derogatory ways, its because they are themselves scared. Not necessarily in an obvious way, but the scardness is generally a symptom, of the individuals root cause issues!
You have shown yourself on these boards to be scared in all manor of things, from germs, to freedom of choice, and prepared to make violent statements to express your desire to control things which scare you!
These are not the root cause of what scares you, they are only the external view into your internal thoughts, the true fear lies much deeper than that.
When groups spend decades denying they exist, yeah they are just like Rotary! I have some rather strange contacts in Rotary, perhaps you are one of them!
Ill spare you the free online assessment into your personality this time around, except to say the following..
Fear, agression and abuse, denial – Control freak traits, among other things!
Strangely, muzza, nonsense doesn’t scare me, nor does the sort of person who likes to make amateur psychological diagnoses about people they have never met.
POP, anyone who says things like “Ill happily hold the rifle while a nurse gives you the shots”…Followed up with “No, I’d quite happily say it to your face while holding the rifle” (Your words).
Is not in control of some serious personality defects, which are linked to potentially serious psychological defects!
Raoul Pal is a guy who retired a wealthy man at age 36. He is what you might call a finance insider and while he suggests at the end of his presentation you might want to don a tin head and hide out until it’s save to come out again, he is not your average “conspiracy theorist”.
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We add some of the CMIP6 models to the updateable MSU comparisons. After my annual update, I was pointed to some MSU-related diagnostics for many of the CMIP6 models (24 of them at least) from Po-Chedley et al. (2022) courtesy of Ben Santer. These are slightly different to what ...
In a memorable Pulp Fiction scene, Vincent inadvertently shoots their backseat passenger in the head. This leads our heroes Jules and Vincent to express alarm about their predicament.We're on a city street in broad daylight here!says Vincent. We gotta get this car off the roads. You know cops tend to ...
Primary, secondary and kindergarten teachers are all on strike today, demanding higher pay and an end to systematic understaffing. While the former is important - wages should at least keep up with inflation - its the latter which is the real issue. As with the health system, teachers have been ...
So the teachers are on strike, marching across Aotearoa today to press their demands for better pay and working conditions.Children remained in bed this brisk morning, many no doubt quite pleased about a day off school. Parents perhaps taking the day off to look after the kids, or working from ...
After the Cold War the consensus among Western military strategists was that the era of Big Wars, defined as peer conflict between large states with full spectrum military technologies, was at an end, at least for the foreseeable future. The … Continue reading → ...
Dairy giant Fonterra has posted a 50% lift in net profit to $546m, doubled its interim dividend, and is proposing a return of capital of 50c a share, injecting a note of optimism into the nation’s dairy industry. Fonterra’s strong performance is against a backdrop of market volatility. It ...
Buzz from the Beehive The bothersome economic news today is that New Zealand’s GDP fell by 0.6% in the December quarter, weaker than market forecasts of a fall of around 0.2% and much weaker than the Reserve Bank’s assumption of a 0.7% rise. This followed the even-more-bothersome news yesterday that ...
Ouch: Hipkins’ policy bonfire has resulted in an expensive self-administered removal of a Budgetary foot with an explosive device. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Bonfires can be dangerous things when they get out of control. They also create a lot of smoke and heat and burn the grass. ...
* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – I teach a first-year course at Victoria University of Wellington about government and the political process in New Zealand. In “Introduction to Government and Law”, students learn there are rules preventing senior public servants from getting involved in big political debates – as we ...
I teach a first year course at Victoria University of Wellington about government and the political process in New Zealand. In “Introduction to Government and Law”, students learn there are rules preventing senior public servants from getting involved in big political debates – as we have recently witnessed with Rob ...
An issue of integrity has claimed the first ministerial scalp in Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ premiership. Police Minister Stuart Nash lasted mere weeks in the role after admitting in a radio interview this morning that he had called Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to ask him if police were going to ...
For some time now we’ve known that the cost and completion timeframe for the City Rail Link would increase. Yesterday we finally learned by just how much. Costs City Rail Link Ltd (CRL Ltd) today confirms it has submitted a formal funding request to its Sponsors – the Crown and ...
The Government’s decision to back peddle on lowering speed limits is hitting potholes. At this stage, although it is part of the Government’s reprioritisation efforts to free up money to alleviate cost of living increases, the speed limit change looks unlikely to do that. And it appears that it ...
The University of Otago – the oldest university in New Zealand – towers over my home city of Dunedin. When classes are on, something like a fifth of Dunedin’s population are university students. It is also the largest employer in the South Island. To say that this is a ...
Last weekend brought the latest instalment in Stuff’s bravura satirical series Of course you can afford a house! Just dig deeper!I love how much their appreciation of humour has evolved in just a few short years since the days when I would get to produce, for a few meagre dollars, ...
Australia’s move to strengthen its defence capability with five nuclear-powered attack submarines underlines how relatively defenceless New Zealand is in the Pacific. Kiwis may gasp that the Labor government in Australia recognises it must outlay $400bn on the nuclear subs, but this ensures that Australia is not exposed ...
Ironically, a repurposed Auckland Ratepayers Alliance placard (with a demand for climate action on the front) featured at the recent climate march. Voting ratepayers don’t want ‘bureaucrats in cushy council jobs’ borrowing or increasing rates, even when the need for investment is becoming increasingly obvious. So is council cost-cutting a ...
The quarterly ETS auction was held today. In the past, these have seen collusion by big players to game the price and force a dump of extra credits from the cost-containment reserve (essentially, trying to pick stuff up cheap now in the belief that it will be more valuable later). ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
The Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council budget proposals. ...
With calls growing for inquiries and action on bank profits, the Greens say the Government has all the information it needs to act now and put a levy on banks. ...
As large parts of Aotearoa recover from two of the worst climate disasters we have ever experienced, it would be a huge mistake for the Government to deprioritise climate action from future transport investments, the Green Party says. ...
The Green Party is celebrating the signing of a historic United Nations Ocean Treaty, and calls on the new Oceans and Fisheries Minister to urgently step up protection for Aotearoa’s oceans. ...
This year has seen a series of extreme weather events, unparalleled in New Zealand’s recent history. From Cape Reinga in the far north down to the Tararua Ranges, families and businesses across the country have suffered enormous loss and hardship. While the severe weather hasn’t directly affected every part of ...
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
This morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...
The Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...
$25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...
80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...
The Government continues to invest in New Zealand’s burgeoning space industry, today announcing five scholarships for Kiwi Students to undertake internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash congratulated Michaela Dobson (University of Auckland), Leah Albrow (University of Canterbury) and Jack Naish, Celine Jane ...
The Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...
The health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...
Bikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...
The Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed. The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints ...
Approximately 1.4 million people will benefit from increases to rates and thresholds for social assistance to help with the cost of living Superannuation to increase by over $100 a pay for a couple Main benefits to increase by the rate of inflation, meaning a family on a benefit with children ...
$1 billion in savings which will be reallocated to support New Zealanders with the cost of living A range of transport programmes deferred so Waka Kotahi can focus on post Cyclone road recovery Speed limit reduction programme significantly narrowed to focus on the most dangerous one per cent of state ...
A Pacific elder and former secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum says Pacific leaders need to sit up and pay closer attention to AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific strategy and China’s response to them. Speaking from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Dame Meg Taylor said Pacific leaders were being sidelined ...
The government says it should have details on which weather-hit areas are high risk within three weeks, and can then make decisions about rebuilding. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carly Tozer, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Dean Lewins/AAPLa Niña and El Niño are well-known terms in Australia these days. Linked to them are certain expectations: we expect wet conditions in La Niña and dry conditions in El Niño. These ...
Counter-protests are planned for this weekend as a controversial anti-trans campaigner speaks in two New Zealand cities. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull will be allowed into the country after Immigration NZ said the threshold to stop her had not been reached. In a tweet, Rainbow Greens, the group that released an open letter ...
We asked workers at some of our favourite food establishments to show us what they eat when the rush is over.This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter The Boil Up. Last week was Work Week on The Spinoff, dedicated to unpacking our relationship with the world ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Who will drain Wellington’s lobbying swamp? Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in ...
65 percent of Kiwis surveyed admit they would have no idea what to do if their identity was stolen Norton, a leading consumer Cyber Safety brand of Gen, today announced the New Zealand launch of Norton™ 360 Platinum, which leverages the company's ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Breen, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Getty Images There might have been pragmatic political reasons behind the government throwing voting-age legislation onto its recent policy bonfire, but it remains a sadly wasted opportunity. The announcement reversed former ...
ANALYSIS:By Bevin Veale, Massey University The impending arrival of Kelly-Jean Keen-Minshull — aka Posie Parker — has put the spotlight on the tension between free speech and protecting vulnerable communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. In particular, it raises questions about Immigration New Zealand’s role in limiting who can visit ...
Wairoa has ready-to-go projects that could be accelerated to quickly get people back into homes following Cyclone Gabrielle, Minister Willie Jackson was told on a visit to Wairoa today. Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa is seeking a Government commitment ...
A new report published by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union exposes the bad decision-making that led to a 61% cost blowout in Auckland’s City Rail Link and shows that the costs of the project now significantly outweigh any benefits. ‘The City Rail Link: ...
Immigration NZ has today confirmed that the controversial anti-trans campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull will be allowed into New Zealand for her speaking events this week. You can read our report here – and the full statement from Immigration NZ’s Richard Owen to the media is below: “I can confirm that ...
Immigration NZ says it knows some people will be unhappy, but ultimately the threshold to bar Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull from New Zealand hasn’t been reached.The British anti-transgender campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, will be allowed into New Zealand this weekend, Immigration NZ has confirmed.Keen-Minshull’s ability to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Stevens, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Antarctica is an icy place today, but the ice extended even further during past ice ages. The question of how and where life survived on land in the icy continent, through the ages, has ...
Like a Tongan Cool Runnings, with trumpets instead of bobsleds, Red, White & Brass is a feel-good movie based on an incredible true story. First-time film producer Halaifonua Finau tells Sela Jane Hopgood how he got it made.In 2016, promising new Tongan producer Halaifonua Finau was sitting in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Thomas Gleeson, Doctoral Candidate, Australian National University Luz Rovira / Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND In the 19th century, Charles Darwin was one of the first to notice something interesting about domesticated animals: different species often developed similar changes when compared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney New research reveals serious privacy flaws in fertility apps used by Australian consumers – emphasising the need for urgent reform of the Privacy Act. Fertility apps provide a number ...
The Fiji Times “The University of the South Pacific (USP) has been and continues to be a bedrock for regionalism. A resource owned by the region; for the region and a precious institution that needs to be protected in line with the vision of our forebearers.” This was the message ...
By Claudia Tally in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinean family who have been renting a property from the National Housing Corporation for the past 46 years have been served with a 24-hour eviction notice by a different owner who had obtained an eviction notice from the Port Moresby District ...
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown’s plans to cut back on spending could see the council quit Local Government NZ, the group that represents councils across the country. Stuff’s Todd Niall has reported that $400,000 would be saved by the move, with mayor Brown reportedly wanting to direct that money into other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frederic Gachon, Associate Professor, Physiology of Circadian Rhythms, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Gregory Pappas/Unsplash Some of us love to be tucked up in bed by a particular time every night, ensuring a certain number of hours ...
The government has launched campaign to help young people navigate break-ups with the long-term aim of preventing family violence, believed to be the first of its kind. ...
Sports can be hugely beneficial for children but there are still many barriers for trans kids wanting to play, writes researcher Julia de Bres.There’s been a lot of talk recently about trans athletes in high performance sport, much of which derives from a broader anti-trans project rather than a ...
A new documentary follows Amber Clyde, skateboarder and founder of Girls Skate NZ, as she works to rebuild her confidence in the sport while juggling solo motherhood.Amber Clyde remembers being bullied as the only girl at the skate park in Birkenhead – but these days all the same bullies ...
After dedicating years to helping young women find their confidence in skateboarding, Amber Clyde must teach herself how to get back on the board after the birth of her second child. But balancing the realities of being a solo Mum with running her own business means that her time is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arthur Immanuel Crichton, PhD candidate, Flinders University Relative of _Chunia pledgei_ named _Ektopodon serratus_ (top left), with _Wakaleo oldfieldi_.Reconstruction of the early Miocene Kutjumarpu faunal assemblage by Peter Schouten, CC BY-SA Imagine a vast, lush forest dominated by giant flightless birds ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is urging its 27,000 members and subscribers to have a say on Auckland Council’s proposed 2022/23 annual budget. Last week, the Ratepayers’ Alliance launched a new website to encourage public feedback. Backtobasics.co.nz ...
New Zealand distance runner Zane Robertson has been banned from all sport for eight years due to doping. Robertson, who is the holder of six national distance running records and a Commonwealth Games bronze medal, was tested at the UK’s Great Manchester Run in May last year. His sample returned ...
Alex Casey asks a psychologist why she was too chicken shit to wear a mask during the flight that probably gave her Covid-19. In the live action replay in my head, I can basically see, frame by frame, the moment that one of those puny little Covid-19 Koosh balls did ...
Social services and health & disability provider Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN) has appointed Joe Waru as its new Kaitohu Matua (General Manager Māori). The appointment will provide PSN with strategic leadership and advice as it seeks to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Veale, Lecturer in Media Studies, part of the Digital Cultures Laboratory in the School of Humanities, Media, and Creative Communication, Massey University Getty Images The impending arrival of Kelly-Jean Keen-Minshull – aka Posie Parker – has put the spotlight ...
Deputy Public Service Commissioner Ms Heather Baggott has today announced the appointment of Mr Andrew Hampton to the position of Director-General of Security and Chief Executive, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS). The role of the NZSIS is to understand ...
Money isn’t everything. But for most of us, it’s easier to deal with anything else in our lives if we know the bills are getting paid. So when household budgets come under pressure from cost of living increases – especially when that includes the mortgage that keeps a roof over ...
The National Party will announce the first part of its new education policy tomorrow in the prime minister’s own stomping ground of the Hutt. Leader Christopher Luxon said the “Teaching the Basics Brilliantly” policy will see the curriculum totally overhauled, with a direct focus on reading, writing, maths and science. ...
In conjunction with Curia Market Research, the Free Speech Union has distributed a survey on academic freedom to academics across each of the eight universities in New Zealand. Respect for academic freedom is a statutory responsibility for universities, ...
Thirty years ago, after a marathon Parliamentary sitting, the Bolger National government passed the Maritime Transport Act which deregulated coastal shipping by abolishing cabotage. Cabotage was the practice which restricted the operation of sea, air, or ...
New reports out from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) this morning show that in the year to June 2022, 113,400 people came off a benefit, the highest number since electronic records began in 1996. From early 2020, at the start of the pandemic, there was a large increase in the ...
A recent court action by Australia’s financial regulator suggests ‘greenwashing’ claims can expect far greater scrutiny – a situation likely to happen here soon enough, writes Steven Moe.Coal mining can seem like yesterday’s fuel – a relic of the last century, in the coming age of wind farms and ...
Grammy-winning pop star Lizzo will return to New Zealand in July for her first solo show on our shores. The singer, rapper and flautist (yes) will play Spark Arena on July 26 as part of her Special Tour. The last time she was in New Zealand, Lizzo was a festival ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trevor Ireland, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland MASCOT / DLR / JAXA How did life come about? The answer to this question goes to the very heart of our existence on planet Earth. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Unsplash/Olga Guryanova, CC BY Disturbing reports about botched cosmetic surgeries and injuries in Australia – from breast augmentations causing chronic pain to liposuction leaving patients with lifelong injuries – have sparked concerns in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Zylstra, Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University, Research Associate at University of New South Wales, Curtin University Shutterstock Fire management in Australia is approaching crisis point. Seasons such as the Black Summer three years ago showed how our best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, PhD Student, Deakin University Once abundant, woylies – or brush-tailed bettongs – are now critically endangered. John Gould, CC BY-SA Conserving native wildlife is a challenging task and Australia’s unenviable extinction record shows us we urgently need more sophisticated ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University ThisIsEngineering/Pexels , CC BY-NC Australia continues to grapple with acute skills shortages. Businesses are struggling to find workers with the skills they need. Meanwhile, workers struggle to get jobs because ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin Eames, History PhD candidate, University of Sydney Portrait of De Lacy Evans and his wife (1870)State Library VictoriaThis article contains references to anti-trans, colonial and institutional violence, and includes information about an Aboriginal person who died in the early ...
The new police minister has defended the government’s approach to dealing with crime, as new figures show just 32% of charges laid against young people last year actually resulted in a sentence. Ginny Andersen was promoted into the police portfolio on Monday after Stuart Nash was sent falling to the ...
The final IPCC report was unequivocal in its call to reduce emissions immediately but the government has no further news on how agricultural emissions charging will work, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Greens say climate change will be integral to the big decision this year. Toby Manhire explores the data. Devastating, global-warming-exacerbatedstorms. A new IPCC report laying outthe calamitous fireball hurtling our way. And a prime minister jettisoninga host of climate-aligned policies. There is plenty of material for James ...
Medsafe has approved applications for Ozempic to be used in New Zealand. How does this new drug work and why is everyone talking about it? What just happened? Last Thursday, New Zealand’s medical regulatory body Medsafe gave consent for Ozempic to be prescribed in New Zealand. The approval is for ...
An author on the death of a baby and "a calm respectful grace" The normal world was out there. The clocks and the jobs and the traffic and the mortgages and the death. Especially the death. Death in suburbia means funerals with piped fake Celtic music despite the fact ...
One of New Zealand’s brightest young netball talents, Paris Lokotui has returned to the court 10 months after a knee reconstruction. Now she hopes her tough journey back paves a better way for other Māori and Pasifika players. Paris Lokotui remembers the moment time stood still. The 21-year-old was playing ...
A month on from Cyclone Gabrielle, many residents in Muriwai are still living in limbo, unable to return to their homes "I can't look back because it's too sad. I can't look forward because it is too daunting." Kat Corbett's Muriwai home remains out-of-bounds more than a month after ...
The Climate Change Commission's chair says the Government's decisions to ignore its advice could weaken the country's most important climate policy. ...
Coconut plantations are far from being ‘natural’ environments, coconut oil is high in saturated fats, and, despite the advertising, most of the global supply of coconut oil doesn’t come from the Pacific Islands eitherOpinion: Coconut oil has gained a halo as a natural health product, with claims it can ...
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What sort of tabloidish personality politics piece is this, written by Tracy Watkins?
Favourite phone game, TV programme and meal to cook?
But doing it by comparing close suck-buddies David Cameron & John Key?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7036921/Old-mates-Key-and-Cameron-catch-up-at-Queens-jubilee
But even though the article starts by talking up the friendship, even Watkins can’t avoid mentioning that maybe being friends with Cameron isn’t so much of a winning ticket these days:
While Watkins mentions some of the unpopular austerity measures in the UK and NZ, she fails to mention the stench coming from those close to Cameron (and hence Cameron too) in relation to the Murdoch news investigations.
So while Watkins foregrounds an international network of like-minded political leaders, the underlying implication is that this is a network of neoliberal righties (and I would count Obama as a right-winger). In this network, these leaders consult and co-ordinate their approaches, but it’s also a network with an unhealthily co-operative relationship with the manipulative, right-wing corporate media.
I am amazed that in the week that the budget melted down and the future career prospects of the Minister of Education evaporated a senior political journalist for one the largest newspaper chain in the country would print this pap.
It reads like the sort of propaganda piece the North Korean Government puts out.
I suspect that’s what it’s supposed to be. A piece trying to bring back the friendly and approachable PM that NACT went to such efforts to create prior to the 2k8 election.
After I tried to not vomit a little in my mouth I started laughing… I like your last paragraph Carol, it seems that if one has a problem the other gets on the phone or text with a couple of handy hints…
Hey John – we’ve a wee prob here on ministers being a bit too close to business. Old Jeremy has got in a spot of bother with the Leveson inquiry over texts to Murdoch’s man. The opposition are calling for his head.
Acshully Dave it’s no problem. Stand up and say he was unwise but didn’t break the Ministerial code of conduct… works a treat, the civilians out there fall for it every time…. oh and about that pasty tax, just u-turn mate and all’s good. Done it heaps myself, pretty relaxed about it really. Lol.
Don’t even get me started about the ‘austerity’ measures handy hints going in the other direction!
Crikey! Key’s favourite programs:”Key – Biggest Loser, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy”.
A psychologist would have lots of fun with those choices. Key/biggest Loser?
I wonder when Cameron , Key and the Canadian PM sit down to dinner whether their puppet master Ashcroft will be there too?
Tracy Watkins specializes in cutesy pap pieces for Nat scum e.g. the sickening two page spread on Judith Collins some time ago. Very impartial journalism from the DomPost.
Perhaps you missed her piece yesterday:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7034847/Key-relishes-international-role
It’s every bit as nausea-inducing as the headline suggests. Kevin Taylor should watch out, Tracy Watkins is after his job, and she’s making a very determined play for it, too.
Yep, just the standard Nat Party puff-piece from Our Tracy.
In her brilliantly incisive ‘Key Relishes International Role’ (or, in the hard-copy version of the Dom Post, “Wearing the Role like a Favourite Suit’, Saturday June 2 2012), Our Tracy employs her searing critical skills to tell readers that “many wondered if (John Key’s) easy charm would travel well in the world of international diplomacy. As it happens, he took to it like a duck to water.”
She backs this critical insight up with the equally potent “It is certainly true that Mr Key’s engaging manner has won him admirers”. Political commentary at its incisive best.
Her 3 sources for the story ?: Such objective analysts as (1) US-apologist/ANZUS/Nuclear warship-boy Stephen Hoadley, (2) US Assistant Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell and (3) wait for it…..wait for it…..Mr John-Boy Key himself !!!!! In fact the vast majority of the latter half of this very long article consists of quotes from Key. He’s essentially written the 2nd half himself.
mickysavage and Draco T Bastard have hit the nail on the head motivation-wise. Very interesting timing.
Some deep questions there. Is it true that both of them put Smarmite as their favourite food?
Nice photo of Cameron after being told his BFF Johnny Sparkles was in town. Nah, just kidding, but have a look at that YouGov poll result. Pretty soon Key and Cameron are going to have something else in common. Public rejection.
This might help to shed some light on “our Tracy”…
http://fearfactsexposed.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/jet-setting-key-accompanied-by-fairfax-political-editor-again/
The Watkins piece reads like a Fanzine piece; as if the three in question are branded in terms of a star-fan relationship with the public, in lieu of a leadership-trust relationship. Cameron seems aimed at the 30-40 something NME reader who now works in IT, Key at the North Shore/Howick barbecue attendee. Don’t know enough about the Canadian one to comment on him; but the theme seems to be, don’t look at my policies, look how cool/personable I am.
It seems Watkin’s response to the growing unpopularity of the government is to double down on the sycophancy in the hope of turning the tide!
900 mil for Wellington rail – benefiting Kapiti commuters among others – what’s the catch? Will Transmission Gully be put on hold? Has anyone asked?
Always good to support the Chinese train industry.
That’s an extra $900m nationally – not just for Wellington.
Pity they won’t do the job properly and run the line to Palmy North and stop at Otaki, Levin, on the way.
Oil price
@ $158.00 NZ a barrel the pump price was 219.9 per litre
now it is $130. NZ = 215 a litre
@ a 17.5% reduction in the per barrel price ‘we’ should be paying something like $181.42 per litre
And about 16 – 18 cents of that is tax.
Taxes have gone up quite a bit since then, Robert. Not only GST but fuel excise and carbon tax.
Just talking about the 33 cents we are being ‘over charged’ at the moment?
So how much is tax? I thought about 60%?
You don’t hear the AA going on about the govt ‘over taxing’ when the barrel to litre price is ‘out of whack’
Metiria Turei has call for a cross party approach on poverty, “like super” (which doesn’t have cross-party working on it).
It’s far more complex. Metiria: Cross-party poverty?
Here’s the link.
I’m not sure what you’re on about Pete George… have you gone bonkers?
The problem is that National aren’t interested in addressing the growing epidemic of childhood poverty that leads onto many social problems that cost New Zealand billions in lost productivity and human potential. It’s not their kids who are struggling after all.
A simple and easy solution for both problems – Universal Income. Eliminates poverty and all income is appropriately taxed no matter how old the recipient is.
DTB Before I vote you in as Finance Minister – will a pensioner with few assets and other income still get as much dosh as at present under Universal Income? Morgan talks about $10,000 as the base, I’m getting about twice that and have to watch the spending. Op-shop clothes, a second hand car with a great garage that helps with problems etc. keep me going.
Is that you alone or as a couple?
My own thoughts would be that it would be set somewhere around 17k per individual. Higher than the present UB so that people can actually afford to do stuff but not so high that it bankrupts the country.
It should be the the same as present pension levels. At least.
10k is way too low. It should be enough so everyone can afford for to feed, house educate and obtain healthcare for themselves, as well as be a part of society.
I do not hold with the view that those who are suffering the most from the failings of our leaders should be punished by being asked to live at a level of asceticism the ruling classes would never accept for themselves.
However cutting super payments to pensioners who have more than sufficient income/ assets, anyway, is one way of ensuring we can afford a GMI for everyone..
Am reading An Interesting Idea over on Red Alert. I haven’t finished reading it yet as I’m reading this report(PDF) about some experiments in a Universal Income which has this bit in it:
So, on a social level, a Universal Income has some fairly serious positive effects.
Pete, with a bit of research, I think you will find that Key rejected any idea of cross party collaboration on poverty some time ago.
Yes, I think so too. But there’s major budget implications with this, so it would be a problem.
It’s better to ignore National and do cross-willing-party in preparation for change of government.
Please tell your leader.
Or are you still busy distancing yourself from United Future?
No, same distance.
I’m referring to dealing with specific policies, not in general. Although “poverty” is a fairly general topic covering many things.
What about Bashup Brian Tamaki eh? Exhorting followers to leave their jobs and their rohe and move to a city he has envisionaged. Like Jones from the USA. It’s like watching an avalanche gather weight – when will the edifice fall and how many will it take with it on the way and at the end?
brian should invite bert potter. and the national party who have given destiny $880,000 in funding.easy votes their aye shonkey.
That’s exactly the thought I had! Let’s hope it won’t end the same way…
mik.e, didn’t Bert Potter die recently?
Bert may be dead but his malady lingers on.
Thanks National for cutting all those back-office bureaucrats. And thermometers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/7036222/Nurses-forced-to-supply-own-thermometers
Too busy spending on slick branding for the new primary industries Ministry.
Much more important than thermometers!!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/latest-edition/7036495/The-ministry-of-slick-branding
The new Primary Industries Ministry has been accused of squandering taxpayers’ cash with a plan to spend $900,000 on its new brand.
That includes alterations to uniforms, new stationery and replacing hundreds of signs at its offices and at fishing spots and airports around the country.
Does anyone know the cost of canning prison officers’ uniforms coloured an army-like khaki-ish green, for the new blue police-like uniforms ? Would have to be significant one would think.
That’s without asking why there was a change in the first place. And who ticked it off, Colllins or the number they shuffled out of Education, Tolley – bet they wish they never had given the extraordinary train-wreck her successor’s created.
Anyone adept with the OIA process care to follow it up ?
I enjoyed Michelle Boag’s spin on the subject of David Shearer’s first six months as leader on Q&A this morning. Clever piece of PR work on her part. On the one hand she appeared to be supportive and approving of him, while at the same time giving him the ultimate put down by comparing his tenure thus far with Helen Clark… when it should of course be John Key.
She pointed out that Clark spent five years (I think it was six) as Labour’s opposition leader before being handed the reins of power, and she couldn’t quite understand why some people seem to think Shearer has a chance of winning in 2014 after only three years. That was the essence of her comment and nobody pulled her up on it.
How disingenuous can you be? Helen Clark took over from Mike Moore around Feb, 1994. In 1996 under our first MMP election Labour/Greens and National/ACT were virtually a dead heat, so the outcome was left to the whim of one man, Winston Peters. He chose to go with his former party, National. It had nothing to do with whether Helen Clark was ready to govern or not, which is what Michelle was insinuating.
On the other hand the similarities with John Key’s rise to power and David Shearer are easy to see. Both took over the leadership of their respective parties after humiliating defeats. Key spent three years as oppo. leader before taking over as PM in Nov. 2008. So why can’t Shearer do it three years later in 2014?
Good try Michelle but not good enough!
Boag also said that students are only protesting to get onto TV… seriously! The right-wings psychosis seems to be getting worse.
What a patronising bitch.
Apologies to Jim Anderton. It was the Alliance Party who ran in 1996. The Greens were then part of that party.
Yep I too watched that. It made me want to look for the hidden ‘Troll’ sign flashing. And her only claim to fame is the presidency of the National ripoff bullshit party.
And discovering when checking in at Auckland International Oz bound that she’d left her passport back in Waiheke which problem she met by having the Westpac Rescue helicopter zip her over there to get said passport. Reported cost, apparently met by her – $4,500.
That said, does sound high. Perhaps she should be remembered in that instance more as one with extraordinary pull. How come ?
Michael Joseph Savage became Labour leader in 1933 and won in 1935
David Lange became leader in 1982 and won in 1984
And on the other side…
Our great and glorious omnipotent leader become PM in 2008 after assuming the National leadership in late 2006
Muldoon was Opp. leader in 1974 before winning in 75 (though he was an MP since 1960 and cabinet minister between 1967 and 72)
In Aus:
Kevin Rudd, Labour leader in 06, and then onto victory the next year
Bob Hawke, Parliament in 1980, and then Labour leader in 83, the day that Fraser went to the Governor General to call the election that year.
My point being that Ms Boag is incorrect in her statement.
So…
Key’s apprentice-ship as oppo. leader was only two years not three. That makes Michelle’s attempt to patronise Shearer and at the same time muddy the waters even worse. I’m surprised Mike Williams let her get away with it.
WOW! NZ – ‘the least corrupt country in the world’! NOT.
The Tax Justice Network is worth checking out, in my opinion.
They too, are very critical of Transparency International, whose Corruption Perception Index, which in 2011 ranked NZ as ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ is arguably not worth the paper upon which it is written – given that this ‘perception’ is that based upon the subjective opinion of anonymous business people.
http://taxjustice.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/more-on-new-zealand-as-rogue-financial.html
Tax Justice Network: More on New Zealand as a rogue financial state
taxjustice.blogspot.co.uk
The Tax Justice Network (TJN) is an international, non-aligned coalition of researchers and activists with a shared concern about the harmful impacts of tax avoidance, tax competition and tax havens. http://www.taxjustice.net
__________________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Bilderberg discussed on BBC 1, 2, Washington post and the Guardian. Finally the Mainstream can no longer deny the existence of the Bilderberg group.
We have our own Bilderberger and globalist. His name is Mike Moore and he is the NZ Ambassador to the US.
Way to through your tinfoil hat into the ring, Ev. Yes, the Builderberg Group exists, no it isn’t the secret shadow world government – it’s just like Rotary for very very rich and powerful people. And Mike Moore isn’t a “Bilderberger”, he’s a Rosicrucian Illuminati Loyal Order of the Golden Brussels-sprout like me.
Are you disputing the authenticity of the quote?
Or do you have an alternate interpretation of it that hasn’t been considered?
Not disputing the quote, just the authority of the Trilateral Committee, which is not even the same thing as the Bilderberg group – though they have similar goals of globalisation. Much, I would suggest, depends on your interpretation of “globalisaton”.
And I am finding it quite difficult to see Mike Moore as something sinister.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
If that’s true, what are the big community minded projects that they’ve done near you lately? Or do they just run big projects for the benefit of their own interests?
Oops, forgot </sarc>
For the sake of clarity, did you also intend tags here?
Pop, could you please be a little clearer?
Was your entire response intended to be sarcastic? Including the bit about the tin-foil hat?
Because you haven’t offered any alternative interpretation so presumably you accept that Mr Rockerfeller’s words can be taken at face value.
So why the “tin-foil hat” reference? We generally understand that to mean someone is being paranoid or irrationally concerned about people plotting one thing or another in secret. But here we have a clear statement that someone has been plotting and is specifically praising others for helping to maintain the secrecy.
So where’s the paranoia? Where’s the irrationality?
LOL – There you are pop..
When people have to use terms such as “tin foil hat” in abusive derogatory ways, its because they are themselves scared. Not necessarily in an obvious way, but the scardness is generally a symptom, of the individuals root cause issues!
You have shown yourself on these boards to be scared in all manor of things, from germs, to freedom of choice, and prepared to make violent statements to express your desire to control things which scare you!
These are not the root cause of what scares you, they are only the external view into your internal thoughts, the true fear lies much deeper than that.
When groups spend decades denying they exist, yeah they are just like Rotary! I have some rather strange contacts in Rotary, perhaps you are one of them!
Ill spare you the free online assessment into your personality this time around, except to say the following..
Fear, agression and abuse, denial – Control freak traits, among other things!
Strangely, muzza, nonsense doesn’t scare me, nor does the sort of person who likes to make amateur psychological diagnoses about people they have never met.
POP, anyone who says things like “Ill happily hold the rifle while a nurse gives you the shots”…Followed up with “No, I’d quite happily say it to your face while holding the rifle” (Your words).
Is not in control of some serious personality defects, which are linked to potentially serious psychological defects!
I believe that was in the context of you spreading smallpox, in which case I feel entirely justified.
Thanks for confirming what I said about the defects!
Mike Moore was always a self self self promoting pig – from the earliest days – and I mean from before his days as the young and engaging MP for Eden.
Raoul Pal is a guy who retired a wealthy man at age 36. He is what you might call a finance insider and while he suggests at the end of his presentation you might want to don a tin head and hide out until it’s save to come out again, he is not your average “conspiracy theorist”.
Here is what he has to say about the pending financial collapse
Step right up to the mike…I will mike, see you around.
Jerico at after tenancy cleaning reviews.