The NZ Defence Force has been called on to defend New Zealanders, by using some of their resources to help Te Puea Marae deal with the homeless emergency.
Will the army step up to the plate in defending poorer New Zealanders?
Is are our armed forces only purpose, to serve the geo-political interests of the rich and powerful, here and overseas?
Or to defend all New Zealanders?
The New Zealand Defence force has received a “big jump” in their funding in this budget, they are well able to spare some resources to help Te Puea Marae cope with emergency housing efforts.
Or is our army only at the beck and call of the rich and privileged who have no interest in defending New Zealand, only their own selfish geo political partnerships and interests, with our soldiers lives if necessary.
National will allocate $100.3 million in next month’s Budget and a total of $535 million over the next four years….
Jenny the armed forces, in NZ, follow the orders of the NZ government. This is as it should be.
It sounds nice and good to say why doesn’t the military act when someone deserving asks for help but that would be a very bad thing.
It would be a very bad thing because, as an example, if a government is elected that the military thinks is bad for the country then the military might decide that a coup is in order to protect the people from themselves.
Now I would have no problem with the military being called in to help, it would probably even be good training, but only if the government gives the good ahead.
Basically I feel that the slippery slope argument is why the military should always take direction from the government of the day
And if the Government tells you to escort all the South Aucklanders living in cars to an internment camp on the Desert Rd.. you would be just following orders right?
You are required to follow any order from a superior officer that will not result in a breach of the law. If you are given an order that would result in an illegal action you are required to not follow that order. If you do not agree with an order or feel that it is not a lawful order (does not meet certain criteria, nothing to do with illegal) you are required to follow that order and then file a formal complaint in regards to the order.
Failure to follow lawful orders can include detention in Burnham military camp or a sever fine. In times of war it can result in execution (yes New Zealand does still have the death penalty).
Military personnel do contribute to the community every day in ways you don’t see. The number of times you will be approached to help out with charitable endeavours is impressive. It is also in policy that if you are carrying out certain types of training and team building you are required to organise time to do community service.
If you want more information on how the NZDF contributes to the communities in which they are located feel free to go to your local base and have a chat to them. I am sure they will be happy to answer any queries you have.
Bought to you by your friendly local member of the NZDF.
I couldn’t give you numbers. Formal complaints are common and often upheld. There is a very rigorous system that allows any member to push a complaint as high as the Chief of Defence Force if they feel it has not be fairly addressed.
IIRC complaints could also progress to the Governor General, if CDS does not satisfy the complaint. That was still one of the main reasons IMHO for the retention of the Monarchy. I held my commission as an officer of the RNZN from the Queen – not the PM.
Whilst serving on Naval Staff I dealt with a number of complaints of a variety of different reasons. (but that was back in the late ’70’s early ’80’s)
I can’t think of any that did go on to the GG however.
The NZDF, fearing that these restrictions will place the country in an immediate threat of invasion, have decided to mount a coup to protect NZ
They do this because, instead of waiting for parliament to agree, they just decide its the right thing to do because they want to protect the people of NZ.
My question is: would you be ok with that?
Because that’s the other side of the coin. IMHO the system we have now where the NZDF responds to requests is the better option, it isn’t perfect but the alternative may well lead to outcomes you weren’t expecting
That’s not really the question though is it, a hypothetical question was asked supporting one side of the argument, I posed a hypothetical for the other.
I don’t expect the NZDF to stage a coup at any time but then I don’t expect the homeless to be shipped off to an internment camp on the Desert road either
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Unaffordable housing.
‘John Key suggested we Google Trade Me for homes under $500,000. So we did, and here they are The prime minister told reporters yesterday there are plenty of (relatively) affordable Auckland homes on Trade Me. Madeleine Chapman searched the site to see if he was right.
Asked yesterday about Auckland’s average house price nearing the $1 million mark, John Key was as upbeat as ever: “If you go on Trade Me this afternoon and Google property $500,000 or less in Auckland, you will find there are quite a few.”
Leaving to one side the curious instruction to Google something on Trade Me, this isn’t the first time the PM has directed us to this online real estate nirvana.
Almost exactly two years ago he talked down concerns about the housing crisis with an even stronger endorsement of Trade Me’s budget catalogue.
“If you go on Trade Me to look for Auckland housing under $400,000 there are over 2,000 properties listed.”
The journey from 2,000 under-$400k to “quite a few” under-$5ook is troubling enough. But what are these “quite a few”? I Googled up my Trade Me to find out.’
Key carries on under the assumption his media shills will keep swallowing the spin and not bother doing any digging or analysis on his BS. His recent rants being examples.
This site has many examples yet look at the msm and it’s a wasteland of celebrity, sport and human interest pieces in between careful messaging on behalf of national.
Mr and mrs soper appear to be very busy along with the usual sycophants like trevitt and the suck up brothers Henry/Hoskins.
This was a particularly stupid comment even by Key’s standards. Very odd-there is a consistent pattern now that he just can’t be bothered; that the media “will swallow anything I say”. So he tells the media there are still lots of cheap houses in Auckland, where on Planet Key this is under $500k, and it’s not really true anyway. He just can’t come to terms with the housing crisis that National has created.
If Little had said this the MSM would have hit him with a tonne of bricks.
I notice in the Herald today 14.2% of sales in Auckland last month were below $500k. Assuming almost all of these were in the $400-500k bracket that means there are sod-all affordable houses around. Is a house at $350k really affordable to a wide range of society? Not in my book.
‘Shoeless and limping to school.’
But that’s ok…..John Key and Mike Hosking says there isn’t a housing or homeless crisis in New Zealand. We should just pull up our tinted windows in our SUVs and pay them money to disappear.
Godzone has morphed into Randistan and narcissist psychopaths are shredding this country.
@ Paul, While I like the theme of how bad John Key has made this country – I have to say that I am optimistic that people are still kind and caring and generous. Not Hoskings obviously, but have a look at the Te Puea Marae and people have donated over $7000 already, when Campbell Live was on people always gave generously.
There is a lot of hope and worldwide things are changing. Just caring by posting is changing the discourses….
Paul I do like your constant repetition of the line “cruel and selfish” in its various guises.
It does describe our society to a considerable extent, brought on and/or cemented in place by the arrival of the neoliberal paradigm in the 1980’s which had as its base premise “self-interest”.
It is a very sad indictment.
But it is true.
People today are outwardly more selfish, cruel, nasty, greedy and less caring..
But inwardly people will be the same – with the other characteristics of humanity that are more caring and sharing, more social (we are the most social of creatures and absolutely not a bunch of individuals – what a stupid idea), more with a view to what we leave for our mokopuna… those characteristics are there for sure …..
….. they are just hidden under the ugly morass of greedy neoliberalism, but they will sprout and flower again..
Maybe you should try staying in bed. Every morning is the same, try seeing the glass half full for a change. Who cares what Mike Hosking thinks? He makes a living out of people like you giving him oxygen. Lighten up a bit, it’s a lovely day.
Hosking says 800 under $500k in Auckland.
Spinoff says 65. (Of which some are a long way out of Auckland and some are on lease land.)
Who should I believe? Key/Hoskings or Spinoff?
Key knows that he can toss off his remarks with immunity. How many voters would go and actually look? And why quibble about the exact number of houses?
A cunning plan Baldrick!
Take out the leases. Remember the woman who had her lease in Cornwall park go up to $40,000 per year or something. She then had to go to court about it when she couldn’t pay and had to abandon the property etc etc.
Also take out the apartments with Body Corps as the same thing can happen. They decide you need a big long term fund, replace the roof, new swimming pool or what have you and low and behold, legally you have to make the extra payments.
I’m constantly bemused by the inability of the media at large to use a search engine, especially the Trademe one. Some of these people who quote Trademe are really too stupid for words.
All Hoskings had to do was sort his search results in order of highest price to lowest and he would have discovered that the Trademe search engine is a little less than truthful. But no, he instead makes a dick of himself.
Will the conservative Democratic Super-Delegates hand the presidency to Donald Trump by nominating second runner (to Sanders) Clinton as their nominee?
Will the Democratic Convention of 2016 be a repeat of the Democratic Convention of 1968?
Where the convention handed the US presidency to Nixon by choosing an unpopular pro-Vietnam war candidate Hubert Humphrey, over and anti-Vietnam war candidate Eugene McCarthy?
The horse race itself is swinging toward the billionaire businessman, who according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll has picked up 11 points since March, giving him a narrow 46%-44% lead. But the sum result in both surveys is a statistical dead heat. Clinton leads by 3 points, 46%-43%, in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Both results are within the margin of error.
Trump’s recent bump coincides with a growing sense of acceptance among Republican establishment figures. From former primary opponents to elected officials on Capitol Hill, the GOP is broadly warming to its likely standard-bearer.
Efforts by the #NeverTrump movement to draft a conservative challenger have been all but abandoned. Perhaps the most popular figure in the GOP, House Speaker Paul Ryan, has signaled a desire for détente with Trump.
On the Democratic side, Clinton remains the front-runner but has yet to actually clinch the number of delegates necessary to defeat rival Bernie Sanders. But the Vermont senator is not going quietly, and the left is now seemingly at odds with itself as Democrats squabble over the allocation of delegates.
Indeed, both polls show the most popular candidate in either party is Sanders, who to his benefit has largely avoided any especially negative attacks during the primary. The Washington Post-ABC News poll shows the Vermont independent with a net positive favorability rating (49% to 41%), which essentially matched the NBC News/Wall Street Journal findings.
I read this op-ed by Thomas Friedman this morning (02/06/2016) in the Tampa Bay Times (I’m stuck in Florida for the next several months, ugh)
All lying in politics is not created equal. I think the ideology Sanders is selling is fanciful, but underlying it is a moral critique of modern capitalism that has merit and deserves to be heard. But Sanders is not being truthful about the costs. What is grating about Clinton is that her prevarications seem so unnecessary and often insult our intelligence. But they are not about existential issues. As for Trump, his lies are industrial size and often contradict each other. But there is no theory behind his lies, except what will advance him, which is why Trump is only scary if he wins. Otherwise, his candidacy will leave no ideas behind. It will be just a reality TV show that got cancelled.
This is serious. We’re about to elect all three branches of our government. I wish we had better choices, but given the options, I’d vote for the candidate most likely to be a practical unifier and get some things done — and who only tells whoppers about herself, not about my country’s future.
Friedman has given Clinton one of the greatest weak tea endorsements I’ve seen in ages. lol
So Frieddman says “But there is no theory behind his lies, except what will advance him,…”
In my eyes this is what Key does. No particular philosophy, say what the audience want to hear, and respond to problems with pragmatic non solutions to buy time. Key has a smoother delivery though.
This, I think, is the crux of the matter. There are things you can lie about with impunity but there are some things you can’t and they don’t always make, logical, sense
You are right, Trump and Key are very similar. Key is dangerous because he has a team behind him, working the numbers and pushing obstacles out of his way (Campbell Live) and appears pretty ordinary in other ways so you don’t realise what he is capable of (being the IDU chairman seems to mean he is VERY capable), Trump is dangerous because if he gets elected he is likely to have a bad hair day and release all the missiles, maybe just for fun if Merkel doesn’t put lipstick on. He wants people to fear him. It’s kinda like an American Kim Jong Un – in fact Kim Jong Un is one of the few foreign PM’s who have endorsed Trump and called him ‘wise’ while John Key has had a secret meeting with Trump (another endorsement).
The liar is concerned with that the truth of the statement is believed. Key cares neither what people think nor about the real state of affairs – he says what makes him look good.
The gorilla is a good example – we are supposed to believe that the gorilla engaged Key’s sympathy – but it’s a counterfactual – Key never had to cope with the gorilla, and given the enthusiasm with which he has DOC poisoning kiwi this new ‘animal lover’ identity is empirically unlikely.
Clinton needs Trump for now, i just dont believe that Trump can win, too many republicians will not vote, as trump will set the image of Republicianism. Why are so many prominent party politicians unavailable to back their parties candidate, its obvious they or who they want to run in the future would be worse off with Trump.
But in many ways they have their selves to blame, they thought they could go right against Clinton, and they’d win, till Trump beat off weak spineless out of touch wanabees.
Despite pressure from party establishment on Sanders to drop out of the race, most Democratic voters want the senator to keep running.
The findings contradict the pressure from prominent Democratic politicians and centrist pundits on Sanders to drop out of the presidential race—some of whom even argue that he’s already lost—despite the fact that several states (including delegate-rich California) and U.S. territories have yet to hold their primaries. (Polls also show Sanders and Clinton in a dead heat in California, which votes on June 7.)
Despite pressure from party establishment on Sanders to drop out of the race, most Democratic voters want the senator to keep running.
The findings contradict the pressure from prominent Democratic politicians and centrist pundits on Sanders to drop out of the presidential race—some of whom even argue that he’s already lost—despite the fact that several states (including delegate-rich California) and U.S. territories have yet to hold their primaries. (Polls also show Sanders and Clinton in a dead heat in California, which votes on June 7.)
Last week I queried the Meth Contamination thresholds in houses. Turns out that this could be this year’s biggest scam and there is shitloads of candidates for that title.
The “testing ” is being done by real estate agents, and to top it off there is no official threshold, that is being establish by, you quested it, the people doing the testing.
Who would have thought that real estate agents could be dishonest.
What I want 3’s Story to follow up on is how many ” contaminated” houses have been bought by agents or their proxies for a huge discount.
My understanding is that that there is no legislation, there are no ‘standards’, regulations, policies, procedures or protocols covering the testing for alleged “P” contamination of houses, owned by either the private sector or the State.
So – how exactly is it being decided that houses ARE ‘contaminated’ with “P”?
Who decides that – based on what?
Next question – WHO contaminated the house with “P”?
How convenient for the impression to be created that there are empty State houses because State tenants contaminated them with “P”?
I have a comprehensive OIA request on the issue of “P” contamination of State houses currently lodged with Housing Minister Nick Smith and am awaiting with interest the official response to my questions.
I think the question you should be asking is not who conducts tests, but looking at the tests themselves, how many, how good is each product, are the testers trained, are they aware of cross contamination, rental property managers could be cross contaminating tons of places just inspecting renters.
Due to this their will be a regulation, tests will eventually become compulsory on all sales and the few agencies with certification to do it will be owned by tories and raking in truckloads off kiwis in testing costs.
P. I like the Indonesian laws on this, a bullets cheaper.
Good point Adrian!!! Now there is some cottage industry of people going around finding everything is P contaminated and the property is unliveable. Another reason to sell off the state houses and to blame the tenants.
Not to mention the windfalls for real estate agents and property investors.
From what I have read, both here and on Public Address, the meth-testing business should send a shiver down everyone’s spine. For one thing, if there is no threshold, those accused are left with no grounds for defending themselves – you cannot challenge a false positive if there is no standard determining the positive in the first place. For another, according to Russell Brown, scientists have said that meth manufacture poses a serious health risk, but meth having been smoked in a house generally does not. http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/this-is-crazy/ Moreover, minor contamination could just as easily come from a tradesman who fixed the toilet, or a relative sneaking off to the laundry at an after-wedding party, etc – there could even be a cooking ingredient that registers a blip on whatever it is they use for “testing”. If what I have read about it is even half true, it shows a frighteningly cavalier attitude to human rights, rule of law, and sober-minded governance.
There is a guideline actually. Ministry of Health say that it is .5mg per 100mg.
However, this guideline relies on a “per room” method of testing in which up to 8 swabs are taken in a different area of each room. So for a 3 bedroom house, you’re looking at around 50 swabs.
This is a fairly expensive method.
What the meth tests companies do instead, is use ONE swab, and rub it over 8 different locations throughout the house and come up with a ‘composite test’
This is incredibly misleading as some of the ingredients in P are also found in common household brands of flyspray.
Housing NZ have a policy that any meth contamination is too much contamination.
A lot of their houses have been found to only have .05mg or less, per 100mg of contamination.
That apparently, is enough to prove P use. Despite the fact it likely isn’t.
So to summarise.
MoH say .5mg per 100mg is a level at which a house is safe to live in. Anything above it is likely to have been a p lab.
However,the guidelines recommend 8 swabs per room.
P testing companies routinely report contamination levels of .05mg/100mg and under. That is, 10 times less contamination than the MOH recommends.
This is often arrived at by using one swab across 8 areas of the house.
Likely that the ‘composite’ test inflates the true figure of potential contamination, and could easily be picking up flyspray residue.
If any level whatsoever counts against the tenant, and the testing method is open to producing a positive from fly spray, then the ‘guideline’ functions as little more than a fig leaf for expedience. And of course, the zero tolerance stance allows for an “honest mistake” claim to be made should a serious challenge arise. Hardly a recipe for political or social trust.
Toluene which is used in meth production is also in nail varnish and particularily in remover and in all sorts of cleaner including carpets etc”
I,m sure this is a scam using bad science and fear mongering to scam the house trading industry.
“The Ministry of Health currently recommends that surface wipes for methamphetamine not exceed a concentration of 0.5 μg/100 cm2 as the acceptable post-remediation re-occupancy level for a dwelling that has been used as a clan meth lab”. Based on US guidelines (suggestions). Ok. Note that 0.5 micrograms (μg or ug) means 0.0005 mg.
This does not differentiate from potential residue left by end-users, who can be quite different to the ‘cooks’ or producers (in my ignorant opinion, I don’t believe that that every P user makes their own?)
They also make no mention of the type of meth molecule being tested for. Illicit methamphetamine is characterised by its stereochemistry, dictated by the choice of precursor used. All manufacturing methods starting from l-ephedrine or d-pseudoephedrine produce (d) (+)-(S)-methamphetamine as the single optical isomer. Methods using P2P (phenyl-2-nitropropene to phenylacetone) results in a racemic mixture (both l- and d- isomers) of methamphetamine.
A well-used example: L-methamphetamine (“l” form/isomer) is available over-the-counter as the active ingredient of decongestant inhalers like the popular Vick’s brand. It is a metabolite of certain prescription medications. Both “d” and “l” test positive by both immunoassay and most GC/MS assays.1
Meth is meth but I would expect a positive result to be further investigated to determine if the meth COULD have originated from a completely legit source. https://www.hitpages.com/doc/5766999321870336/2#pageTop is one link.
Not much indication that testing for other chemicals involved in illicit manufacture is actually REQUIRED, which one might expect? Seems the Guidelines (suggestions) only suggest that these other chemicals be tested for. To my small brain this would go some way in determining the source of the detected ‘meth’ (i.e. clan lab vs. end user)
I’d like to see some basic NZ-based research. I’d like to at least see a random selection of houses/dwellings ‘tested for meth’. Or even just the McMansions, that would be entertaining.
How do they prove that the current tenant/occupier/owner was ACTUALLY involved in cooking? Or even an end-user? Some of this is really not right. To say the least.
Here in Papakura a corner block of state houses in Rosehill were demolished on grounds of P contamination.
And P Contamination is one of the reasons given why another 25-50 State Houses in this suburb of high housing need are kept empty.
It is distressing to read that such grounds for demolition and removal of State Housing stock from the rental market on grounds of P Contamination is a subjective matter.
Especially when our local Bruce Pulman Park has been in the news for the large number of homeless who camp here.
(Bruce Pulman Park even featured in the news of John Key’s latest lies)
John Key says his comments that some of the homeless sleeping in cars in Bruce Pulman Park didn’t want to be housed, were made on the information supplied to him by his officials.
If the government at the highest level can blatantly lie about fictional visits to the homeless in Bruce Pulman Park, – With no proper sound scientific basis for making such decisions, who can trust that these same zealous officials are not exaggerating the nature and the extent of the P contamination of State Houses in Papakura to help carry out the government’s stated privatisation program of the State Housing asset?
Following the 2014 election the National government embarked on what it intends will be the largest privatisation of State assets in New Zealand history – dwarfing any of the sales successive Labour and National governments have posted in the last 30 years. National is beginning the sale of New Zealand’s estimated $15 billion in State housing stock. No less than three National government ministers are now directly involved – Housing Minister Nick Smith, State Housing Minister Bill English and Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett.
The first stage of privatisation involves the sale of 6,000 to 8,000 houses over the next few years with up to 2,000 being sold in the first year. It’s clear that if unchecked National will sell every last State home. The latest proposal for mass privatisation of State housing comes close on the heels of National Party attacks on Housing New Zealand (HNZ) and its tenants from its first two terms. Early in its first term National forced HNZ to slash State house waiting lists, close most local offices and strip tenure (the right to stay in your home) from existing tenants. It drove staff morale to rock-bottom and HNZ has been stripped of its role in assessing tenants for housing needs. Work and Income NZ (WINZ) has taken over this function and will allocate eligible tenants and families to HNZ or private “social housing providers”. John Minto
Newstalk ZB has revealed anywhere between 20 and 50 cars are parked every night at Bruce Pulman Park in Takanini as their homeless occupants make use of a toilet facility.
The Ministry of Social Development has said it has become aware of the group and is now working hard to get them the help they need.
Base on the evidence, let me correct the above statement;
The MSD has said it has become aware of the group and is now lying hard to prevent them getting the help they need.
Housing New Zealand has said it has 52 vacant houses in Papakura, with 25 of those not presently fit to rent
of the 27 Housing New Zealand homes ready to let, a family is either about to move in, or the property is in the process of being matched to a family while minor maintenance work is carried out.
The remaining 25 have significant issues such as fire damage, methamphetamine contamination or may be about to be demolished to make way for new homes.
What the ZB report blatantly leaves out or doesn’t make clear is what kind of homes are being built to replace the demolished State Houses.
On past experience, most of them (or even just the land) will be sold privately with a few sold/given to private charities to run as so called “Social Housing”.
The National Government’s “Social Housing” program, with it’s stated concentration on providing affordable houses for private sale, as well as to private charities, has had very mixed results. While it can be argued that the Social Housing program has provided relief for those on middle incomes unable to buy in an overpriced housing market. (and some relief for those at the very bottom reliant on private charities). Overall it has seen a decline in the number of rentals for people unable to afford to buy, at the so called affordable level ($300,000)
“Following the release, earlier this week, of testimony filed in a federal lawsuit against Trump University, the United States is facing a high-stakes social-science experiment.
Will one of the world’s leading democracies elect as its President a businessman who founded and operated a for-profit learning annex that some of its own employees regarded as a giant rip-off, and that the highest legal officer in New York State has described as a classic bait-and-switch scheme? …”
___________________________
Of all of my loathing of Paul Henry being a Tory Scum, he made me famous this morning. Still hate your guts Henry and yes you lost to Georgina Beyer.
Now I would like to make it clear I do not have any issues with transgender people at all. I said it that way, because I imagine to a TORY SCUMBAG like Paul Henry, the dent in his TORY pride from losing to an LBGT of all opposition to him, must really irritate him hence he attacks the left every opportunity to exact his pathetic revenge and dislike..
Since I cannot battle his Tory point of view, to make my sad little life better, I thought i’d make his day in Keys paradise a reminder of what a loser National prospect he was.
So to Any TG people reading, no offence meant and thank you for allowing/hopefully not crucifying me to use Georgina B to rub salt in Henrys wounds.
Cracked up when he said Richard, I don’t think he’s a fan.. Never thought he’d actually read it out.
I just woke up, turned on to see Henry spouting all homeless don’t want help and painting the National line.
I remembered someone posting here yesterday that Henry lost to GB, I didn’t know that till yesterday, I didn’t know Henry had stood for National and I was shocked he’s now on TV3 with full access in the morning to spout his tory beliefs.
I’m Bi-polar and even on meds find things coming out that I realize I should have thought of first before I spoke.
I was wrong, But at the same time I got everyone who watches Paul Henry and didn’t know he’d been a National candidate to know go hold on? is that true?
They may research and now know for a fact what they hear from him has a political purpose!
If in any way one person changes knowing they are being manipulated by the media, i’m sure the LBGT members who support our political point of view will let it slide.
I apologise to anyone who loves to point fingers and pick fault in others, in the belief no one makes mistakes and if they do they should be thoroughly rounded upon. 🙂
no problems richard – this position of mine is consistent with me and honed over a long time – not a personal thing against you or even what you said or did – it is my limits, my lines in the sand – not other people’s whose lines may be and often are in different places. My only point in posting was to say out loud the above so that others see different views and opinions.
The issue is more about how in a more even contest Paul Henry loses hands down.
Yep Weldon, Chrisite and John Key have put him on this pedestal and got him on TV to push their poison – but ultimately he is deeply unpopular no matter what they do and that is why TV3 ratings have plummeted.
Thats because TV ratings are as relevant as winning lotto statistically… something like 600 over 4.5 million people. You do the math. Then moderated by the TV companies.
With all due respect I’m pretty sure most people would know that Paul Henry’s an unpleasant person and so his political leanings are on the right, its not really a big surprise
Why do you watch the show if Henry is Tory scum, he loves the hate mail it builds his ratings. I can’t really understand why you hate him, most of what he does and says is hilarious with no malice and for effect, people with thin skins simply choose to be offended
So if it is true, and the labour party has only about 5k members – give or take.
Then has the time come to announce their death? With those numbers they look like the Bolsheviks, representing just over 0.1% of the population. National are not much better at something like 0.6% of the population as members – but they at least do politics in the interests of the 0.6%
Is it not well past time that people on the left did what was best for the people rather than let a tired old bunch of professionals and technocrats telling them what is best for them. Because if the third way taught us anything, it was that the professional left is a nasty vicious piece of work.
A whole lot of electorates are up for grabs – take your pick from lazy, to the down right awful Labour MP’s. Mix in those neo-con muppets who have sold working people down the river in the first place.
“So if it is true”. There’s a lot of prognosticating going on here and with Chris Trotter based on an “if”.
What if Trotter were wrong? His guess of 2000 ordinary members spread over 67 electorates means about 30 members per electorate. My electorate is a ‘safe’ National rural provincial seat, yet this number attended this years electorate committee AGM.
So you are saying the future of the Labour party is more falling membership?
My point, is in a MMP environment, why should the left bow down to any party? Why should labour be uncontested in electorates when it puts forward non-left candidates.
I’d also point out the vaunted labour war chest no longer exists. So left wing people should stand in electorates, because labour does not have the money. Labour still gets list MP’s with it’s party vote.
Adam, I’m saying nothing about what you think I’m saying. I have merely pointed out that Trotter, and therefore you, may (have allowed your feelings for Labour to colour your figures and thinking and ) have constructed an argument based on a premise that has not been substantiated- i.e. Labour has only 2000 members or 6000 if you count affiliates.
I point out your conditional argument. You want now to accord me even more thinking than I have put forward. There is no “so” for you to fly with.
I say Trotter is wrong, in my experience. “So”, it is up to you to justify that figure to allow all the rest of your argument any validity.
BTW, I have been a member for forty plus years. The branch I joined in1974 had 1500 members! Of course, the membership is dropping. It is a phenomenon with many causes, all but one have to do with your major gripe-that Labour is no longer a party of the Left. It’s also no longer 1975. It’s a different world with different working patterns, life styles, media, upbringing, literature, songs, history, education, union membership, TV, films, family structures, social pressures; all of these have impacted, and there are more than I can conjure up quickly and without research, upon why people join political parties in the numbers that they do.
If people fell away from Labour because of their perceptions of how left is Left, then why did the more recent leftish parties- the Alliance, Mana et al.- not grow to bigger percentages? There are more reasons than you allow for.
My point is quite simple really, labour is a political party. It has a small membership, it can’t speak for the left, like I can’t speak for the left. It is not all powerful, and people should make decisions based on what they think is right, not what is good for the labour party. In this case, the myth of labours war chest, and membership base is just that – mythology.
It is beyond time good people stood in electorates against labour. If the party is not connecting, well that’s their issue, not one of the left, and people should get over it. No doubt some people will get upset with that assessment. Or label me loony lefty or what was Ads remark, ‘hard left’ what ever that means – personally I like Christian anarchist.
I know recent, but not the most up to date, figures for both Dunedin South and Dunedin North electorates. I also know the Clutha Southland numbers from when I was candidate there, but those numbers have grown.
Judging from that the true figure of FINANCIAL members is probably under 5,000, but 2,000 is definitely too low an estimate. I would have picked between 4000 and 5000.
If you include non-financial members the number will be over 5,000.
Having said that I am fairly certain that membership numbers have fallen by thousands from when David Cunliffe was Leader, when the financial membership was at least 10K.
Even better, act in a good comedy or tragedy. Drama is a good way to investigate political/social concerns. The last role I had, my character started as a gung ho King and Country soldier and ended by saying, “I went down to the river and threw all my medals into the water.” All sorts of political leanings saw that show- all were affected in some way. Living in the provinces does not necessarily mean we are ‘provincial’!
I recall a trip from Napier to Gisborne where I was following/chasing a Crown Limo. I figured Parekura Horomia was in the back seat so we had double immunity on the Coast.
In defence of the driver, neither s/he nor I exceeded 150kmh on the run up the East Coast.
I do think that its the Limo drivers who love to speed knowing they are above the law, rather than any Poli’s pulling their ears and screaming “faster, Faster”
Liar! It had nothing to do with Helen Clark and you know it. The police laid the charges because the driver was one of their own and this has always been the course of action when a police officer is involved in an alleged law breaking incident. The Judge threw the case out and Helen Clark was then able to respond to the case by saying:
” She believed that the judge made the right decision”. Or words to the same effect.
I liked Kevin Locke’s analysis this morning on Morning Report, especially where he said now the media should report the block vote for polls i.e. Lab/Gr 42% Gnats 46%.
I watched Glucina’s ‘scout’ trash twice. The second time because I couldn’t believe it the first time.
I’m sure TV3 people were proud to be associated with it.(sarc).
How awful can TV get.
Dunno..ask Paddy Gower how low journalism can get? He is incredible . (i.e That is-not credible)
Sample quote:
“If the convention centre was being led by a private company, then the CEO of that company would have been fired a long time ago for failing to deliver on the project.
April 2019 has now been set as the latest operational completion date. That’s frankly disgusting, and Gerry Brownlee needs to front up and stop acting like a 12 year old whenever criticism comes his way.
The report also shows the government initially wanted all negotiations around the convention centre to be finalised before CERA was disestablished. Well that hasn’t happened? So who’s going to take responsibility? Who’s protecting who? And who needs to be fired for failing Christchurch and its business community?”
Not sure when in New Zealand I’ve anything more excoriating of a government Minister, without them being held to account by a Prime Minister.
Of this government, only Key is smart enough about Auckland not to take on responsibility for the entire Council’s functions. Ordinarily I’d expect all his jaw-jawing is simply focusing Auckland Council’s mind in preparation for August.
But is he still so smart? He’s been so cack-handed lately it’s hard to really trust him to manage a proper conversation between Smith and Brownlee on the perils of trying to run/command-and-control/plan/influence either Christchurch or Auckland.
There just doesn’t appear to be a real “lessons learned” from Christchurch being applied to Auckland at all. Other than in Treasury.
Which – given these cities’ dominance of New Zealand into the future – strikes me as somewhat fatal for them, and not too good for the rest of us either.
His accountability standards have lowered substantially since the good of days when Craig Heatley stood down for something pretty minor. Pretty hard to raise them back up again in a different government.
“Those in default and living in Australia will come under more scrutiny from next month, when a transtasman information-sharing agreement begins. It will cover contact details of student loan borrowers living in Australia.”
One overseas womans $6000 student loan has ballooned over $30,000. “Will I be arrested at the airport?…how will I pay my mortgage if I’m detained in New Zealand, what will happen to my children in Australia if I’m detained?”
Cue responses from all those who never fucked up in their lives …3-2-1-
Even if I agreed that student loans should be paid back or even exist, that’s still a completely different argument to whether people should be arrested because of them.
No no McFlock, the full strength of the state MUST be used for naughty loan defaulters, “respect my athoritah!” & all that, like the poor children of poor familes they should just “jump back up your mother”, which came first the horse or the cart etc…
“that’s still a completely different argument to whether people should be arrested because of them” – thank you, more succinct than mine.
We’ll pay it off quickly and don’t incur penalty or interest, by far the majority of non payers are just taking the piss of people who paid thier loans and tax payers who fund the loans who both are in exactly the same financial circumstances as the free loaders
When someone loans someone money that person is taking the risk that they’re not going to get it back. We even have laws allowing for this to happen through bankruptcy (And a student, once they get through their course, is essentially bankrupt) and No Asset Procedure. Of course, the government has excused itself from those laws.
So, we have rich people defaulting willy nilly on loans and other responsibilities while poor people get the boot put into them by the government in its persona of Loan Shark.
This is just the very end of the tip of this type of horrendous exploitation and offending – the great mass of it is hidden – behind respectable facades and benign exteriors…
A Christchurch activist and union organiser has admitted child abuse imagery charges.
Joseph (Joe) Robert Davies, 60, pleaded guilty on Thursday to five charges brought by the Customs Department of possessing, distributing, and exporting objectionable material.
The charges involve 44 videos and nine images, some involving bondage, and many involving penetrative sex between adults and children.
Christchurch District Court Judge Tom Gilbert remanded Davies on bail for sentencing on August 31, and asked for a pre-sentence report to consider his suitability for home detention.
And you know what? I don’t give a flying fuck if institutions are hurt by this, if movements are hurt – I deal with people who are the children grown from this shit and they are struggling to find reasons to exist and live. Fuck you exploiter.
Pot-Smokers Harm Gums; Other Physical Effects Slight
Long-term study finds no differences in metabolism, lung function, inflammation
Durham, NC – A long-term study of nearly 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 38 has found that people who smoked marijuana for up to 20 years have more gum disease, but otherwise do not show worse physical health than non-smokers.
The international research team assessed a dozen measures of physical health, including lung function, systemic inflammation and several measures of metabolic syndrome, including waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glucose control and body mass index.
Tobacco users in the study, which appears online the week of June 1 in JAMA Psychiatry, were found to have gum disease as well as reduced lung function, systemic inflammation and indicators of poorer metabolic health.
“We can see the physical health effects of tobacco smoking in this study, but we don’t see similar effects for cannabis smoking,” said Madeline Meier, an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University who conducted the study with colleagues at Duke University, King’s College in the UK and the University of Otago in New Zealand.
I’m not too surprised. I think most social service agencies would not be too keen on the Prime Minister or any state official so grossly misrepresenting what they do to the public. Or lying about it.
That article is great.
Director Salvation Army social policy and parliamentary unit director Ian Hutson said it was important the “miscommunication” between his organisation and MSD was corrected in the public eye.
The Prime Minister and the Minister for Social Housing Paula Bennett have been contacted for comment.
MSD said addressed any queries on the incorrect statements to the Minister.
It was continuing to “offer a community presence” in Auckland so people without a place to stay could get their help.
Sallies calling the PM a liar.
The MSD passing the buck to the Minister.
The MSD admitting that it basically either doesn’t know what to do or isn’t allowed to do it’s job. And that people don’t trust them any more.
Interesting position from the SA about not approaching people in cars too. FFS can you imagine having someone from the MSD knock on your window.
It shouldn’t Bill, the relationship between the government and The Salvation Army has be deteriorating for sometime. The Salvation Army are rightly upset they are being left to carry the load – time after time after time.
Well! It seems that the Clinton campaign has deliberately been mis-leading us all about the Super-delegates. They are NOT to be counted until the Convention in July. They change their minds. All is not yet lost for Bernie!
“Not on a hot mic or during a commercial break, but live on the air, Luis Miranda, (communications director for the Democratic National Committee) in no uncertain terms, told Jake Tapper that the media should not be including them. Miranda said, “One of the problems is the way the media reports them. Any night that you have a primary or caucus, and the media lumps the Superdelegates in, that they basically polled by calling them up and saying who are you supporting, they don’t vote until the convention, and so they shouldn’t be included in any count.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election/king-clinton-media-counting-superdelegates-dnc-pleas-article-1.2655752?cid=bitly
Drivers in Tunbridge Wells have been left outraged after (…) foxes apparently chewed through the brake cables of several cars. Kent police have now warned drivers to check their brakes before setting off on journeys.
Another day has passed in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring ,nasty and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It’s predicted to be 5 degrees in Auckland tonight.
3 degrees in Christchurch.
Cold if you’re in a car.
Cold if you’re in a garage.
Cold if you’re on the street.
About one in every 100 New Zealanders don’t have a home to call their own, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Otago found that in 2013, more than 41,000 people were staying in severely crowded houses with family or friends, or in boarding houses, camping grounds, in cars or on the street.
Less than 1 pc of pop, of that most will be random, ie there will a percentage as such no matter what you do, you can’t ignore it but don’t pimp it either or extrapolate to Paul’s and little angry andy absurdity that the county going to hell in a hand cart, which it is plainly not, cheer up son
Just watched some of Duncan Garner’s whateverit’scalled show with shriekers shouting about the Labout-Greens memorandum of understanding and Garner desperately trying to sound like Hosking while his guests try equally desperately, but unsuccessfully to sound important. No idea who they are or why they are on TV…Awful bias TV much like the insincere fools on ‘Fox News’ attacking Obama and democrats at any cost.
Oh for some real panel discussions on the issues of the day with someone of intellect.
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a women’s problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/ShutterstockPlans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland.Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floorA mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...
NZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...
The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, 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. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
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Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The NZ Defence Force has been called on to defend New Zealanders, by using some of their resources to help Te Puea Marae deal with the homeless emergency.
Will the army step up to the plate in defending poorer New Zealanders?
Is are our armed forces only purpose, to serve the geo-political interests of the rich and powerful, here and overseas?
Or to defend all New Zealanders?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11648844
The New Zealand Defence force has received a “big jump” in their funding in this budget, they are well able to spare some resources to help Te Puea Marae cope with emergency housing efforts.
Will they do it?
“Big Jump In Defence Spending”
Or is our army only at the beck and call of the rich and privileged who have no interest in defending New Zealand, only their own selfish geo political partnerships and interests, with our soldiers lives if necessary.
Jenny the armed forces, in NZ, follow the orders of the NZ government. This is as it should be.
It sounds nice and good to say why doesn’t the military act when someone deserving asks for help but that would be a very bad thing.
It would be a very bad thing because, as an example, if a government is elected that the military thinks is bad for the country then the military might decide that a coup is in order to protect the people from themselves.
Now I would have no problem with the military being called in to help, it would probably even be good training, but only if the government gives the good ahead.
Basically I feel that the slippery slope argument is why the military should always take direction from the government of the day
And if the Government tells you to escort all the South Aucklanders living in cars to an internment camp on the Desert Rd.. you would be just following orders right?
the shultz defence would kick in then – at the peoples trials held after I mean…
You are required to follow any order from a superior officer that will not result in a breach of the law. If you are given an order that would result in an illegal action you are required to not follow that order. If you do not agree with an order or feel that it is not a lawful order (does not meet certain criteria, nothing to do with illegal) you are required to follow that order and then file a formal complaint in regards to the order.
Failure to follow lawful orders can include detention in Burnham military camp or a sever fine. In times of war it can result in execution (yes New Zealand does still have the death penalty).
Military personnel do contribute to the community every day in ways you don’t see. The number of times you will be approached to help out with charitable endeavours is impressive. It is also in policy that if you are carrying out certain types of training and team building you are required to organise time to do community service.
If you want more information on how the NZDF contributes to the communities in which they are located feel free to go to your local base and have a chat to them. I am sure they will be happy to answer any queries you have.
Bought to you by your friendly local member of the NZDF.
“a formal complaint in regards to the order”
has this happened very much?
I couldn’t give you numbers. Formal complaints are common and often upheld. There is a very rigorous system that allows any member to push a complaint as high as the Chief of Defence Force if they feel it has not be fairly addressed.
IIRC complaints could also progress to the Governor General, if CDS does not satisfy the complaint. That was still one of the main reasons IMHO for the retention of the Monarchy. I held my commission as an officer of the RNZN from the Queen – not the PM.
Whilst serving on Naval Staff I dealt with a number of complaints of a variety of different reasons. (but that was back in the late ’70’s early ’80’s)
I can’t think of any that did go on to the GG however.
I also see that in the UK they have now introduced a Service Complaints Ombudsman.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/armed-forces-service-complaints-process
Something we could perhaps introduce here.
Since you’ve asked me a question I’ll ask one of you in response:
Its 2020 and Labour/Greens have claimed power. As part of the deal the Greens have insisted on implementing their policy on defence: https://home.greens.org.nz/policy/summary/defence
The NZDF, fearing that these restrictions will place the country in an immediate threat of invasion, have decided to mount a coup to protect NZ
They do this because, instead of waiting for parliament to agree, they just decide its the right thing to do because they want to protect the people of NZ.
My question is: would you be ok with that?
Because that’s the other side of the coin. IMHO the system we have now where the NZDF responds to requests is the better option, it isn’t perfect but the alternative may well lead to outcomes you weren’t expecting
What exactly would the NZDF mount a coup with?
That’s not really the question though is it, a hypothetical question was asked supporting one side of the argument, I posed a hypothetical for the other.
I don’t expect the NZDF to stage a coup at any time but then I don’t expect the homeless to be shipped off to an internment camp on the Desert road either
Better shit than the Fijian military has.
All the shit they get from the UN
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, ugly and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Unaffordable housing.
‘John Key suggested we Google Trade Me for homes under $500,000. So we did, and here they are The prime minister told reporters yesterday there are plenty of (relatively) affordable Auckland homes on Trade Me. Madeleine Chapman searched the site to see if he was right.
Asked yesterday about Auckland’s average house price nearing the $1 million mark, John Key was as upbeat as ever: “If you go on Trade Me this afternoon and Google property $500,000 or less in Auckland, you will find there are quite a few.”
Leaving to one side the curious instruction to Google something on Trade Me, this isn’t the first time the PM has directed us to this online real estate nirvana.
Almost exactly two years ago he talked down concerns about the housing crisis with an even stronger endorsement of Trade Me’s budget catalogue.
“If you go on Trade Me to look for Auckland housing under $400,000 there are over 2,000 properties listed.”
The journey from 2,000 under-$400k to “quite a few” under-$5ook is troubling enough. But what are these “quite a few”? I Googled up my Trade Me to find out.’
http://thespinoff.co.nz/politics-media/02-06-2016/john-key-suggested-we-google-trademe-for-homes-under-500000-so-we-did-and-here-they-are/
Key carries on under the assumption his media shills will keep swallowing the spin and not bother doing any digging or analysis on his BS. His recent rants being examples.
This site has many examples yet look at the msm and it’s a wasteland of celebrity, sport and human interest pieces in between careful messaging on behalf of national.
Mr and mrs soper appear to be very busy along with the usual sycophants like trevitt and the suck up brothers Henry/Hoskins.
This was a particularly stupid comment even by Key’s standards. Very odd-there is a consistent pattern now that he just can’t be bothered; that the media “will swallow anything I say”. So he tells the media there are still lots of cheap houses in Auckland, where on Planet Key this is under $500k, and it’s not really true anyway. He just can’t come to terms with the housing crisis that National has created.
If Little had said this the MSM would have hit him with a tonne of bricks.
I notice in the Herald today 14.2% of sales in Auckland last month were below $500k. Assuming almost all of these were in the $400-500k bracket that means there are sod-all affordable houses around. Is a house at $350k really affordable to a wide range of society? Not in my book.
A cruel and selfish nation.
Mike Hosking.
A narcissist, who comments on a housing crisis while driving around the leafy suburbs in a Maserati.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/housing-crisis-driven-more-emotion-than-fact
‘Shoeless and limping to school.’
But that’s ok…..John Key and Mike Hosking says there isn’t a housing or homeless crisis in New Zealand. We should just pull up our tinted windows in our SUVs and pay them money to disappear.
Godzone has morphed into Randistan and narcissist psychopaths are shredding this country.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/80649213/Nelson-boy-came-to-school-shoeless-and-limping-Child-Poverty-Action-Group-told
@ Paul, While I like the theme of how bad John Key has made this country – I have to say that I am optimistic that people are still kind and caring and generous. Not Hoskings obviously, but have a look at the Te Puea Marae and people have donated over $7000 already, when Campbell Live was on people always gave generously.
There is a lot of hope and worldwide things are changing. Just caring by posting is changing the discourses….
Paul I do like your constant repetition of the line “cruel and selfish” in its various guises.
It does describe our society to a considerable extent, brought on and/or cemented in place by the arrival of the neoliberal paradigm in the 1980’s which had as its base premise “self-interest”.
It is a very sad indictment.
But it is true.
People today are outwardly more selfish, cruel, nasty, greedy and less caring..
But inwardly people will be the same – with the other characteristics of humanity that are more caring and sharing, more social (we are the most social of creatures and absolutely not a bunch of individuals – what a stupid idea), more with a view to what we leave for our mokopuna… those characteristics are there for sure …..
….. they are just hidden under the ugly morass of greedy neoliberalism, but they will sprout and flower again..
Maybe you should try staying in bed. Every morning is the same, try seeing the glass half full for a change. Who cares what Mike Hosking thinks? He makes a living out of people like you giving him oxygen. Lighten up a bit, it’s a lovely day.
Hosking says 800 under $500k in Auckland.
Spinoff says 65. (Of which some are a long way out of Auckland and some are on lease land.)
Who should I believe? Key/Hoskings or Spinoff?
Key knows that he can toss off his remarks with immunity. How many voters would go and actually look? And why quibble about the exact number of houses?
A cunning plan Baldrick!
Take out the leases. Remember the woman who had her lease in Cornwall park go up to $40,000 per year or something. She then had to go to court about it when she couldn’t pay and had to abandon the property etc etc.
Also take out the apartments with Body Corps as the same thing can happen. They decide you need a big long term fund, replace the roof, new swimming pool or what have you and low and behold, legally you have to make the extra payments.
I’m constantly bemused by the inability of the media at large to use a search engine, especially the Trademe one. Some of these people who quote Trademe are really too stupid for words.
All Hoskings had to do was sort his search results in order of highest price to lowest and he would have discovered that the Trademe search engine is a little less than truthful. But no, he instead makes a dick of himself.
“A narcissist, who comments on a housing crisis while driving around the leafy suburbs in a Maserati”
Paul your idol Mike sold his Maserati in 2014. Do try to keep up old boy.
well. that changes things no end
On TradeMe no doubt.
Shame though because I’ve been told that a Maserati makes for excellent night accommodation for homeless people.
Severely tortured Guantánamo detainee makes case for freedom at board hearing
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/02/guantanamo-bay-hearing-mohamedou-slahi-diary
Clinton and Trump “Neck and Neck in the polls”
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/22/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-polls/
How could this disaster happen?
Will the conservative Democratic Super-Delegates hand the presidency to Donald Trump by nominating second runner (to Sanders) Clinton as their nominee?
Will the Democratic Convention of 2016 be a repeat of the Democratic Convention of 1968?
Where the convention handed the US presidency to Nixon by choosing an unpopular pro-Vietnam war candidate Hubert Humphrey, over and anti-Vietnam war candidate Eugene McCarthy?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention
President trump will save us all by killing everyone.
If I was a democrat I’d be ditching Clinton
I read this op-ed by Thomas Friedman this morning (02/06/2016) in the Tampa Bay Times (I’m stuck in Florida for the next several months, ugh)
Friedman has given Clinton one of the greatest weak tea endorsements I’ve seen in ages. lol
So Frieddman says “But there is no theory behind his lies, except what will advance him,…”
In my eyes this is what Key does. No particular philosophy, say what the audience want to hear, and respond to problems with pragmatic non solutions to buy time. Key has a smoother delivery though.
“All lying in politics is not created equal”
This, I think, is the crux of the matter. There are things you can lie about with impunity but there are some things you can’t and they don’t always make, logical, sense
Lying never makes logical sense. Believing that it does is probably a sign of psychopathy.
You are right, Trump and Key are very similar. Key is dangerous because he has a team behind him, working the numbers and pushing obstacles out of his way (Campbell Live) and appears pretty ordinary in other ways so you don’t realise what he is capable of (being the IDU chairman seems to mean he is VERY capable), Trump is dangerous because if he gets elected he is likely to have a bad hair day and release all the missiles, maybe just for fun if Merkel doesn’t put lipstick on. He wants people to fear him. It’s kinda like an American Kim Jong Un – in fact Kim Jong Un is one of the few foreign PM’s who have endorsed Trump and called him ‘wise’ while John Key has had a secret meeting with Trump (another endorsement).
Key is not a liar, he’s a bullshitter.
The liar is concerned with that the truth of the statement is believed. Key cares neither what people think nor about the real state of affairs – he says what makes him look good.
https://jdc325.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/why-are-lies-worse-than-bullshit/
The gorilla is a good example – we are supposed to believe that the gorilla engaged Key’s sympathy – but it’s a counterfactual – Key never had to cope with the gorilla, and given the enthusiasm with which he has DOC poisoning kiwi this new ‘animal lover’ identity is empirically unlikely.
Clinton needs Trump for now, i just dont believe that Trump can win, too many republicians will not vote, as trump will set the image of Republicianism. Why are so many prominent party politicians unavailable to back their parties candidate, its obvious they or who they want to run in the future would be worse off with Trump.
But in many ways they have their selves to blame, they thought they could go right against Clinton, and they’d win, till Trump beat off weak spineless out of touch wanabees.
Last week I queried the Meth Contamination thresholds in houses. Turns out that this could be this year’s biggest scam and there is shitloads of candidates for that title.
The “testing ” is being done by real estate agents, and to top it off there is no official threshold, that is being establish by, you quested it, the people doing the testing.
Who would have thought that real estate agents could be dishonest.
What I want 3’s Story to follow up on is how many ” contaminated” houses have been bought by agents or their proxies for a huge discount.
My understanding is that that there is no legislation, there are no ‘standards’, regulations, policies, procedures or protocols covering the testing for alleged “P” contamination of houses, owned by either the private sector or the State.
So – how exactly is it being decided that houses ARE ‘contaminated’ with “P”?
Who decides that – based on what?
Next question – WHO contaminated the house with “P”?
How convenient for the impression to be created that there are empty State houses because State tenants contaminated them with “P”?
I have a comprehensive OIA request on the issue of “P” contamination of State houses currently lodged with Housing Minister Nick Smith and am awaiting with interest the official response to my questions.
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
I think the question you should be asking is not who conducts tests, but looking at the tests themselves, how many, how good is each product, are the testers trained, are they aware of cross contamination, rental property managers could be cross contaminating tons of places just inspecting renters.
Due to this their will be a regulation, tests will eventually become compulsory on all sales and the few agencies with certification to do it will be owned by tories and raking in truckloads off kiwis in testing costs.
P. I like the Indonesian laws on this, a bullets cheaper.
Good point Adrian!!! Now there is some cottage industry of people going around finding everything is P contaminated and the property is unliveable. Another reason to sell off the state houses and to blame the tenants.
Not to mention the windfalls for real estate agents and property investors.
From what I have read, both here and on Public Address, the meth-testing business should send a shiver down everyone’s spine. For one thing, if there is no threshold, those accused are left with no grounds for defending themselves – you cannot challenge a false positive if there is no standard determining the positive in the first place. For another, according to Russell Brown, scientists have said that meth manufacture poses a serious health risk, but meth having been smoked in a house generally does not. http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/this-is-crazy/ Moreover, minor contamination could just as easily come from a tradesman who fixed the toilet, or a relative sneaking off to the laundry at an after-wedding party, etc – there could even be a cooking ingredient that registers a blip on whatever it is they use for “testing”. If what I have read about it is even half true, it shows a frighteningly cavalier attitude to human rights, rule of law, and sober-minded governance.
There is a guideline actually. Ministry of Health say that it is .5mg per 100mg.
However, this guideline relies on a “per room” method of testing in which up to 8 swabs are taken in a different area of each room. So for a 3 bedroom house, you’re looking at around 50 swabs.
This is a fairly expensive method.
What the meth tests companies do instead, is use ONE swab, and rub it over 8 different locations throughout the house and come up with a ‘composite test’
This is incredibly misleading as some of the ingredients in P are also found in common household brands of flyspray.
Housing NZ have a policy that any meth contamination is too much contamination.
A lot of their houses have been found to only have .05mg or less, per 100mg of contamination.
That apparently, is enough to prove P use. Despite the fact it likely isn’t.
So to summarise.
MoH say .5mg per 100mg is a level at which a house is safe to live in. Anything above it is likely to have been a p lab.
However,the guidelines recommend 8 swabs per room.
P testing companies routinely report contamination levels of .05mg/100mg and under. That is, 10 times less contamination than the MOH recommends.
This is often arrived at by using one swab across 8 areas of the house.
Likely that the ‘composite’ test inflates the true figure of potential contamination, and could easily be picking up flyspray residue.
If any level whatsoever counts against the tenant, and the testing method is open to producing a positive from fly spray, then the ‘guideline’ functions as little more than a fig leaf for expedience. And of course, the zero tolerance stance allows for an “honest mistake” claim to be made should a serious challenge arise. Hardly a recipe for political or social trust.
“There is a guideline actually. Ministry of Health say that it is .5mg per 100mg.”
thats for lab contamination – which has a different set of chemicals and residues
(as far as im aware)
this is where much of the problem arises – guidelines for one set of chemicals being used for a different situation than they cover
Toluene which is used in meth production is also in nail varnish and particularily in remover and in all sorts of cleaner including carpets etc”
I,m sure this is a scam using bad science and fear mongering to scam the house trading industry.
Hi adrian, I agree, a scam run by the sorts of people who do workplace ‘drug testing’.
Very interesting point. It’s hard to get ANY reliable information on the subject of testing, reliability, acceptable levels of meth, who gets to decide that suspicion is permitted to be cast onto whatever property. Finally found a little something, sorry if you all have already seen it: http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2016/03/24/meth-contaminated-homes-whats-the-risk-expert-reaction/
“The Ministry of Health currently recommends that surface wipes for methamphetamine not exceed a concentration of 0.5 μg/100 cm2 as the acceptable post-remediation re-occupancy level for a dwelling that has been used as a clan meth lab”. Based on US guidelines (suggestions). Ok. Note that 0.5 micrograms (μg or ug) means 0.0005 mg.
This does not differentiate from potential residue left by end-users, who can be quite different to the ‘cooks’ or producers (in my ignorant opinion, I don’t believe that that every P user makes their own?)
They also make no mention of the type of meth molecule being tested for. Illicit methamphetamine is characterised by its stereochemistry, dictated by the choice of precursor used. All manufacturing methods starting from l-ephedrine or d-pseudoephedrine produce (d) (+)-(S)-methamphetamine as the single optical isomer. Methods using P2P (phenyl-2-nitropropene to phenylacetone) results in a racemic mixture (both l- and d- isomers) of methamphetamine.
A well-used example: L-methamphetamine (“l” form/isomer) is available over-the-counter as the active ingredient of decongestant inhalers like the popular Vick’s brand. It is a metabolite of certain prescription medications. Both “d” and “l” test positive by both immunoassay and most GC/MS assays.1
Meth is meth but I would expect a positive result to be further investigated to determine if the meth COULD have originated from a completely legit source.
https://www.hitpages.com/doc/5766999321870336/2#pageTop is one link.
Not much indication that testing for other chemicals involved in illicit manufacture is actually REQUIRED, which one might expect? Seems the Guidelines (suggestions) only suggest that these other chemicals be tested for. To my small brain this would go some way in determining the source of the detected ‘meth’ (i.e. clan lab vs. end user)
I’d like to see some basic NZ-based research. I’d like to at least see a random selection of houses/dwellings ‘tested for meth’. Or even just the McMansions, that would be entertaining.
How do they prove that the current tenant/occupier/owner was ACTUALLY involved in cooking? Or even an end-user? Some of this is really not right. To say the least.
Meanwhile the privatisation of the State Housing stock proceeds at pace.
http://www.converge.org.nz/watchdog/39/07.html
Here in Papakura a corner block of state houses in Rosehill were demolished on grounds of P contamination.
And P Contamination is one of the reasons given why another 25-50 State Houses in this suburb of high housing need are kept empty.
It is distressing to read that such grounds for demolition and removal of State Housing stock from the rental market on grounds of P Contamination is a subjective matter.
Especially when our local Bruce Pulman Park has been in the news for the large number of homeless who camp here.
(Bruce Pulman Park even featured in the news of John Key’s latest lies)
PM’s remarks, “untrue” say Salvation Army
John Key says his comments that some of the homeless sleeping in cars in Bruce Pulman Park didn’t want to be housed, were made on the information supplied to him by his officials.
If the government at the highest level can blatantly lie about fictional visits to the homeless in Bruce Pulman Park, – With no proper sound scientific basis for making such decisions, who can trust that these same zealous officials are not exaggerating the nature and the extent of the P contamination of State Houses in Papakura to help carry out the government’s stated privatisation program of the State Housing asset?
Base on the evidence, let me correct the above statement;
The MSD has said it has become aware of the group and is now lying hard to prevent them getting the help they need.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/half-the-homes-vacant-in-papakura-are-not-fit-to-rent-to-families-sleeping-in-cars/
What the ZB report blatantly leaves out or doesn’t make clear is what kind of homes are being built to replace the demolished State Houses.
On past experience, most of them (or even just the land) will be sold privately with a few sold/given to private charities to run as so called “Social Housing”.
The National Government’s “Social Housing” program, with it’s stated concentration on providing affordable houses for private sale, as well as to private charities, has had very mixed results. While it can be argued that the Social Housing program has provided relief for those on middle incomes unable to buy in an overpriced housing market. (and some relief for those at the very bottom reliant on private charities). Overall it has seen a decline in the number of rentals for people unable to afford to buy, at the so called affordable level ($300,000)
http://www.socialhousing.govt.nz/
Wth, This is actual depressing. Think I need to watch me some Batchelor reruns to get my mind off it…
“Quested”?, should be quessed , is predictive spelling just another pain in the arse?
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump – ‘Presidential’?
SCARY stuff !
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-university-its-worse-than-you-think?mbid=nl_Copy%20of%20060216%20Cassidy%20Post%20Newsletter%20(1)&CNDID=41877260&spMailingID=9006421&spUserID=MTMyMDA4OTYwNzQzS0&spJobID=940207458&spReportId=OTQwMjA3NDU4S0
“Following the release, earlier this week, of testimony filed in a federal lawsuit against Trump University, the United States is facing a high-stakes social-science experiment.
Will one of the world’s leading democracies elect as its President a businessman who founded and operated a for-profit learning annex that some of its own employees regarded as a giant rip-off, and that the highest legal officer in New York State has described as a classic bait-and-switch scheme? …”
___________________________
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Penny Bright – mayoral candidate….scary stuff !
+1,000.
Luckily the chances of that happening are nil.
Just hope Penny gets more votes than Cameron’s Palino.
Of all of my loathing of Paul Henry being a Tory Scum, he made me famous this morning. Still hate your guts Henry and yes you lost to Georgina Beyer.
Now I would like to make it clear I do not have any issues with transgender people at all. I said it that way, because I imagine to a TORY SCUMBAG like Paul Henry, the dent in his TORY pride from losing to an LBGT of all opposition to him, must really irritate him hence he attacks the left every opportunity to exact his pathetic revenge and dislike..
Since I cannot battle his Tory point of view, to make my sad little life better, I thought i’d make his day in Keys paradise a reminder of what a loser National prospect he was.
So to Any TG people reading, no offence meant and thank you for allowing/hopefully not crucifying me to use Georgina B to rub salt in Henrys wounds.
Cracked up when he said Richard, I don’t think he’s a fan.. Never thought he’d actually read it out.
I don’t agree with using a group, that has suffered so much in society, as a weapon against a dickhead. No one wins, everyone loses.
I just woke up, turned on to see Henry spouting all homeless don’t want help and painting the National line.
I remembered someone posting here yesterday that Henry lost to GB, I didn’t know that till yesterday, I didn’t know Henry had stood for National and I was shocked he’s now on TV3 with full access in the morning to spout his tory beliefs.
I’m Bi-polar and even on meds find things coming out that I realize I should have thought of first before I spoke.
I was wrong, But at the same time I got everyone who watches Paul Henry and didn’t know he’d been a National candidate to know go hold on? is that true?
They may research and now know for a fact what they hear from him has a political purpose!
If in any way one person changes knowing they are being manipulated by the media, i’m sure the LBGT members who support our political point of view will let it slide.
I apologise to anyone who loves to point fingers and pick fault in others, in the belief no one makes mistakes and if they do they should be thoroughly rounded upon. 🙂
no problems richard – this position of mine is consistent with me and honed over a long time – not a personal thing against you or even what you said or did – it is my limits, my lines in the sand – not other people’s whose lines may be and often are in different places. My only point in posting was to say out loud the above so that others see different views and opinions.
With all due respect I’m pretty sure most people would know that Paul Henrys political leanings are on the right, its not really a big surprise
The issue is more about how in a more even contest Paul Henry loses hands down.
Yep Weldon, Chrisite and John Key have put him on this pedestal and got him on TV to push their poison – but ultimately he is deeply unpopular no matter what they do and that is why TV3 ratings have plummeted.
Hes not a good politician that’s for sure but to label him deeply unpopular isn’t quite correct because the ratings for his show have increased:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11496016
http://www.throng.co.nz/2015/09/ratings-paul-henrys-numbers-up/
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1604/S00338/paul-henry-hits-2016-ratings-high-tv3-wins-friday-night.htm
Tried to do it by monthly but its not always easy to find the viewing stats
Thats because TV ratings are as relevant as winning lotto statistically… something like 600 over 4.5 million people. You do the math. Then moderated by the TV companies.
“leanings”?
Nice, gentle, forgiving word, “leanings”.
Bullshit.
With all due respect I’m pretty sure most people would know that Paul Henry’s an unpleasant person and so his political leanings are on the right, its not really a big surprise
Why do you watch the show if Henry is Tory scum, he loves the hate mail it builds his ratings. I can’t really understand why you hate him, most of what he does and says is hilarious with no malice and for effect, people with thin skins simply choose to be offended
So if it is true, and the labour party has only about 5k members – give or take.
Then has the time come to announce their death? With those numbers they look like the Bolsheviks, representing just over 0.1% of the population. National are not much better at something like 0.6% of the population as members – but they at least do politics in the interests of the 0.6%
Is it not well past time that people on the left did what was best for the people rather than let a tired old bunch of professionals and technocrats telling them what is best for them. Because if the third way taught us anything, it was that the professional left is a nasty vicious piece of work.
A whole lot of electorates are up for grabs – take your pick from lazy, to the down right awful Labour MP’s. Mix in those neo-con muppets who have sold working people down the river in the first place.
And a left wing government looks viable.
“So if it is true”. There’s a lot of prognosticating going on here and with Chris Trotter based on an “if”.
What if Trotter were wrong? His guess of 2000 ordinary members spread over 67 electorates means about 30 members per electorate. My electorate is a ‘safe’ National rural provincial seat, yet this number attended this years electorate committee AGM.
Go figure as to the accuracy of Trotter’s claim.
+1
So you are saying the future of the Labour party is more falling membership?
My point, is in a MMP environment, why should the left bow down to any party? Why should labour be uncontested in electorates when it puts forward non-left candidates.
I’d also point out the vaunted labour war chest no longer exists. So left wing people should stand in electorates, because labour does not have the money. Labour still gets list MP’s with it’s party vote.
The hard left could keep voting Mana, and all the best to them, bowing and all.
Missed my point, but OK. Love the irony with Kelvin Davies though.
Adam, I’m saying nothing about what you think I’m saying. I have merely pointed out that Trotter, and therefore you, may (have allowed your feelings for Labour to colour your figures and thinking and ) have constructed an argument based on a premise that has not been substantiated- i.e. Labour has only 2000 members or 6000 if you count affiliates.
I point out your conditional argument. You want now to accord me even more thinking than I have put forward. There is no “so” for you to fly with.
I say Trotter is wrong, in my experience. “So”, it is up to you to justify that figure to allow all the rest of your argument any validity.
BTW, I have been a member for forty plus years. The branch I joined in1974 had 1500 members! Of course, the membership is dropping. It is a phenomenon with many causes, all but one have to do with your major gripe-that Labour is no longer a party of the Left. It’s also no longer 1975. It’s a different world with different working patterns, life styles, media, upbringing, literature, songs, history, education, union membership, TV, films, family structures, social pressures; all of these have impacted, and there are more than I can conjure up quickly and without research, upon why people join political parties in the numbers that they do.
If people fell away from Labour because of their perceptions of how left is Left, then why did the more recent leftish parties- the Alliance, Mana et al.- not grow to bigger percentages? There are more reasons than you allow for.
My point is quite simple really, labour is a political party. It has a small membership, it can’t speak for the left, like I can’t speak for the left. It is not all powerful, and people should make decisions based on what they think is right, not what is good for the labour party. In this case, the myth of labours war chest, and membership base is just that – mythology.
It is beyond time good people stood in electorates against labour. If the party is not connecting, well that’s their issue, not one of the left, and people should get over it. No doubt some people will get upset with that assessment. Or label me loony lefty or what was Ads remark, ‘hard left’ what ever that means – personally I like Christian anarchist.
I know recent, but not the most up to date, figures for both Dunedin South and Dunedin North electorates. I also know the Clutha Southland numbers from when I was candidate there, but those numbers have grown.
Judging from that the true figure of FINANCIAL members is probably under 5,000, but 2,000 is definitely too low an estimate. I would have picked between 4000 and 5000.
If you include non-financial members the number will be over 5,000.
Having said that I am fairly certain that membership numbers have fallen by thousands from when David Cunliffe was Leader, when the financial membership was at least 10K.
That is still substantially less than national party membership.
Also much lower than the historical membership numbers.
But my point is, that labourights no longer have to be tolerated.
Just being a smart arse, but thought something might be said about labour rights and labourites…;-)
Teehee, auto correct I love you…
Obviuosly not much else on in the provinces, why not go watch a good comedy or Greek tragedy, irrespective of your political leanings 😀
Even better, act in a good comedy or tragedy. Drama is a good way to investigate political/social concerns. The last role I had, my character started as a gung ho King and Country soldier and ended by saying, “I went down to the river and threw all my medals into the water.” All sorts of political leanings saw that show- all were affected in some way. Living in the provinces does not necessarily mean we are ‘provincial’!
Good point, love the provinces, 😀
Oh dear, remember the tremendous fuss over Helen Clark’s speeding motorcade?
Well, apparently it happens on almost a daily basis:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11649911
+1 Anne-my thoughts exactly when I read that.
Oh yeah, the good old days are still with us.
I recall a trip from Napier to Gisborne where I was following/chasing a Crown Limo. I figured Parekura Horomia was in the back seat so we had double immunity on the Coast.
In defence of the driver, neither s/he nor I exceeded 150kmh on the run up the East Coast.
I do think that its the Limo drivers who love to speed knowing they are above the law, rather than any Poli’s pulling their ears and screaming “faster, Faster”
Ah yes but Helen was quite happy to throw the driver in front of the bullets even though she was well aware and approving of the speeding
Liar! It had nothing to do with Helen Clark and you know it. The police laid the charges because the driver was one of their own and this has always been the course of action when a police officer is involved in an alleged law breaking incident. The Judge threw the case out and Helen Clark was then able to respond to the case by saying:
” She believed that the judge made the right decision”. Or words to the same effect.
Tell the truth for a change.
Toby Manhire gets it right (as usual) on the Labour/Green pact.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11649618
I liked Kevin Locke’s analysis this morning on Morning Report, especially where he said now the media should report the block vote for polls i.e. Lab/Gr 42% Gnats 46%.
Gnats and nzf 58pc then
Oh dear, with the loss of their great visionary leader who managed to tank tv3, Scout and Rachel Glucina are now on their way out.
A blow for journalism in NZ. 😉
What’s her “new opportunity”? Punching babies in the face and then laughing?
Oh dear!
How sad!
Never mind.
I watched Glucina’s ‘scout’ trash twice. The second time because I couldn’t believe it the first time.
I’m sure TV3 people were proud to be associated with it.(sarc).
How awful can TV get.
Dunno..ask Paddy Gower how low journalism can get? He is incredible . (i.e That is-not credible)
Crikey.
The NZHerald and ZB Radio absolutely laying waste to Gerry Brownlee about failure of progress on the Christchurch rebuild:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11650090
Sample quote:
“If the convention centre was being led by a private company, then the CEO of that company would have been fired a long time ago for failing to deliver on the project.
April 2019 has now been set as the latest operational completion date. That’s frankly disgusting, and Gerry Brownlee needs to front up and stop acting like a 12 year old whenever criticism comes his way.
The report also shows the government initially wanted all negotiations around the convention centre to be finalised before CERA was disestablished. Well that hasn’t happened? So who’s going to take responsibility? Who’s protecting who? And who needs to be fired for failing Christchurch and its business community?”
Not sure when in New Zealand I’ve anything more excoriating of a government Minister, without them being held to account by a Prime Minister.
When the top quintile start getting antsy, that’s when Governments fall.
Bodes well for when national anexs the super city council!!
Of this government, only Key is smart enough about Auckland not to take on responsibility for the entire Council’s functions. Ordinarily I’d expect all his jaw-jawing is simply focusing Auckland Council’s mind in preparation for August.
But is he still so smart? He’s been so cack-handed lately it’s hard to really trust him to manage a proper conversation between Smith and Brownlee on the perils of trying to run/command-and-control/plan/influence either Christchurch or Auckland.
There just doesn’t appear to be a real “lessons learned” from Christchurch being applied to Auckland at all. Other than in Treasury.
Which – given these cities’ dominance of New Zealand into the future – strikes me as somewhat fatal for them, and not too good for the rest of us either.
When I think of failed Crown Ministers – Gerry Brownlee, is quite close to the top of my list.
Is Key unable to now to control any ministers? Or hold any to account?
His accountability standards have lowered substantially since the good of days when Craig Heatley stood down for something pretty minor. Pretty hard to raise them back up again in a different government.
Do kiwis really believe that Pharmac is safe from the TPPA? A similar agreement between the US and the EU will put an end to the NHS in the UK according to leaked papers from the EU!!
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/666454/NHS-EU-killed-off-Brexit-Remain-Leave-referendum-Brussels-European-Union
cough – f*scist state – cough
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11649957
“Those in default and living in Australia will come under more scrutiny from next month, when a transtasman information-sharing agreement begins. It will cover contact details of student loan borrowers living in Australia.”
One overseas womans $6000 student loan has ballooned over $30,000. “Will I be arrested at the airport?…how will I pay my mortgage if I’m detained in New Zealand, what will happen to my children in Australia if I’m detained?”
Cue responses from all those who never fucked up in their lives …3-2-1-
What I did do was pay what I owed.
They should.
Even if I agreed that student loans should be paid back or even exist, that’s still a completely different argument to whether people should be arrested because of them.
No no McFlock, the full strength of the state MUST be used for naughty loan defaulters, “respect my athoritah!” & all that, like the poor children of poor familes they should just “jump back up your mother”, which came first the horse or the cart etc…
“that’s still a completely different argument to whether people should be arrested because of them” – thank you, more succinct than mine.
BUT the killer is the penalty and interest.
We’ll pay it off quickly and don’t incur penalty or interest, by far the majority of non payers are just taking the piss of people who paid thier loans and tax payers who fund the loans who both are in exactly the same financial circumstances as the free loaders
We’ll pay it off quickly and don’t incur penalty or interest
Jeez why didn’t I think of that.
No taking the piss is getting a free education that takes you to top jobs ,then fucking over the kids of your peers
Why?
When someone loans someone money that person is taking the risk that they’re not going to get it back. We even have laws allowing for this to happen through bankruptcy (And a student, once they get through their course, is essentially bankrupt) and No Asset Procedure. Of course, the government has excused itself from those laws.
So, we have rich people defaulting willy nilly on loans and other responsibilities while poor people get the boot put into them by the government in its persona of Loan Shark.
the scary thing?
This is just the very end of the tip of this type of horrendous exploitation and offending – the great mass of it is hidden – behind respectable facades and benign exteriors…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/80691436/christchurch-union-organiser-pleads-guilty-to-child-porn-charges
And you know what? I don’t give a flying fuck if institutions are hurt by this, if movements are hurt – I deal with people who are the children grown from this shit and they are struggling to find reasons to exist and live. Fuck you exploiter.
Which union?
What difference?
The National Distribution Union
Remember kids, floss before bong!
Pot-Smokers Harm Gums; Other Physical Effects Slight
Long-term study finds no differences in metabolism, lung function, inflammation
Durham, NC – A long-term study of nearly 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 38 has found that people who smoked marijuana for up to 20 years have more gum disease, but otherwise do not show worse physical health than non-smokers.
The international research team assessed a dozen measures of physical health, including lung function, systemic inflammation and several measures of metabolic syndrome, including waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glucose control and body mass index.
Tobacco users in the study, which appears online the week of June 1 in JAMA Psychiatry, were found to have gum disease as well as reduced lung function, systemic inflammation and indicators of poorer metabolic health.
“We can see the physical health effects of tobacco smoking in this study, but we don’t see similar effects for cannabis smoking,” said Madeline Meier, an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University who conducted the study with colleagues at Duke University, King’s College in the UK and the University of Otago in New Zealand.
https://today.duke.edu/2016/05/cannhealth
The Sallies call out Key.
Key makes a claim, the Sallies say, that’s a lie, John.
Goodness!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80725620/salvation-army-msd-homeless-visits-didnt-happen-and-the-pms-wrong
Why am I not surprised?
Mind you, that the Salvation Army so publicly flat stick contradicts and criticises the PM’s public pronouncements – maybe that surprises me a little.
I’m not too surprised. I think most social service agencies would not be too keen on the Prime Minister or any state official so grossly misrepresenting what they do to the public. Or lying about it.
That article is great.
Director Salvation Army social policy and parliamentary unit director Ian Hutson said it was important the “miscommunication” between his organisation and MSD was corrected in the public eye.
The Prime Minister and the Minister for Social Housing Paula Bennett have been contacted for comment.
MSD said addressed any queries on the incorrect statements to the Minister.
It was continuing to “offer a community presence” in Auckland so people without a place to stay could get their help.
Sallies calling the PM a liar.
The MSD passing the buck to the Minister.
The MSD admitting that it basically either doesn’t know what to do or isn’t allowed to do it’s job. And that people don’t trust them any more.
Interesting position from the SA about not approaching people in cars too. FFS can you imagine having someone from the MSD knock on your window.
It shouldn’t Bill, the relationship between the government and The Salvation Army has be deteriorating for sometime. The Salvation Army are rightly upset they are being left to carry the load – time after time after time.
Maybe the latest John Key-ism was one step too far for them.
Well! It seems that the Clinton campaign has deliberately been mis-leading us all about the Super-delegates. They are NOT to be counted until the Convention in July. They change their minds. All is not yet lost for Bernie!
“Not on a hot mic or during a commercial break, but live on the air, Luis Miranda, (communications director for the Democratic National Committee) in no uncertain terms, told Jake Tapper that the media should not be including them. Miranda said, “One of the problems is the way the media reports them. Any night that you have a primary or caucus, and the media lumps the Superdelegates in, that they basically polled by calling them up and saying who are you supporting, they don’t vote until the convention, and so they shouldn’t be included in any count.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election/king-clinton-media-counting-superdelegates-dnc-pleas-article-1.2655752?cid=bitly
Clever foxes get climate change…Do you? 😈
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/02/foxes-blamed-chewing-motorists-brake-cables
WINZ tells man with cancer to get a job.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/80593373/cancer-sufferer-pleas-for-benefit-break
Stay classy, National.
FFS!
Another day has passed in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring ,nasty and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It’s predicted to be 5 degrees in Auckland tonight.
3 degrees in Christchurch.
Cold if you’re in a car.
Cold if you’re in a garage.
Cold if you’re on the street.
Thanks Paul you should be a weather girl 😀, I was going to say metrologist but to much of a stretch
Laughing at other peoples misery, classy Red, you are all class.
We all laugh at Pauls misery. He wallows in negativity.
Not the only one naki- that is a very negative statement!!!!
Exactly
Pull up the tinted window.
If you open the Curtians and let reality in its a deal
Your comment only reinforces the point I made about NZ becoming cruel, nasty and uncaring.
About one in every 100 New Zealanders don’t have a home to call their own, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Otago found that in 2013, more than 41,000 people were staying in severely crowded houses with family or friends, or in boarding houses, camping grounds, in cars or on the street.
Less than 1 pc of pop, of that most will be random, ie there will a percentage as such no matter what you do, you can’t ignore it but don’t pimp it either or extrapolate to Paul’s and little angry andy absurdity that the county going to hell in a hand cart, which it is plainly not, cheer up son
I think Paul’s one of those hair shirt wearing Christians.
Never happy unless they’re miserable.
coreection BM every one else has to be miserable as well,for the Paul to achieve peak happiness, hence socialism
A mean spirited point made by a citizen of Randistan.
Yes Paul, keep on parroting your manic moronic lines if it helps with the therapy
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring ,nasty and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
You have proved my point.
Just watched some of Duncan Garner’s whateverit’scalled show with shriekers shouting about the Labout-Greens memorandum of understanding and Garner desperately trying to sound like Hosking while his guests try equally desperately, but unsuccessfully to sound important. No idea who they are or why they are on TV…Awful bias TV much like the insincere fools on ‘Fox News’ attacking Obama and democrats at any cost.
Oh for some real panel discussions on the issues of the day with someone of intellect.