International employers group declare declare class war, by turning a blind eye to the murder, torture and arrest of trade unionists.
New Zealand employers join an international cabal of employers refusing to denounce, (or even let them be identified) human rights abusers, for murdering, torturing and arresting workers for organising. Instead, grizzling about “employer abuse” in countries like Venezuela.
What a bunch of scumbags
When the rich and powerful start posing as victims……
…..History shows, the vulnerable and downtrodden of the world need to be afraid.
This filthly behaviour needs to be openly condemned, combated and most importantly… DEFIED!.
Phil OReilly needs to learn that when working people are being abused and tortured and exploited that New Zealander trade unionists when called on, will not ignore it, no matter how much he would wish they would.
What they metaphorically do, is sharpen the knife and hold it to their own throats, then go round looking for things to bump into.
It amazes me how employers today hold fast to anachronistic patriarchial power plays and ignore the conflict they attract to themselves when they do; a conflict that will end their businesses as they know it. Imagine consciously entering into a battle of several fronts, outnumbered, with no communication pathways at all with the enemy; in an environment where your allies give you no practical support and have an active interest in you being wiped out. Even if you win, you’ll need new slaves and then your next battle will be with well armed competitors. The Old People would call it “death ground”, where there is no choice but to die or win, only this modern version has no chance of being won.
And while this is going on, employers also want to pontificate about “knowledge” and swapping ideas and value and progress and innovation. Spell it out as many times as you like, patriarchial tradition blinds them to the fact that being at war with the population, with your employees, isn’t good business sense. One man at the top, ruling them all, is neither good business sense or strategically viable once that end is reached. Yet that is what the fight is all about. As they once said in the old days, the old patriarchial days:“Courage, that spoils for a fight is immature”. It all falls on deaf ears.
And for NZ to be involved in it, saying the things they do from the comfort of our – compared to global events – relatively benign environment; does the cowardice have no end? Why think when you can kill. Why kill when you can support killers. It’s easier, but not very profitable or smart and it certainly doesn’t engender envy.
“The endorsement of the Government’s direction is perhaps the most remarkable since it reflects the state of the economy and the Government’s response”
-Either the polls are complete spin, or people are complete morons….I would suspect both!
With all the opportunities to drive the hammer down, where is the opposition, who is the opposition.
What we are seeing is the result of and owned political stage, where the actors simple play their role.
Who are these editors who love to fellate John Key…John is that you self fellating in your spare time!
And isn’t it funny how the focus has changed. Now for “The parents need to know how THEIR CHILD is doing” read “how THE SCHOOL is performing”
“Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch – “it’s extremely patchy and in different formats and that will make it very difficult to interpret – but over time the Government hopes it will be more consistent because the purpose of having information is to give parents a better sense of how their school is performing”.
Parents wanting to know how their children are doing – this is such a strange comment that they – pollies – come out with regularly. It reminds me of that knee-jerk phrase from the time of the Iraq war, always referred to with ‘weapons of mass destruction’.
About the reports from school, they were always there for me as a parent, and also time to speak to the teachers made available by the school, and apart from that the option of requesting a personal interview for discussion when felt necessary. All this other sh…t I
think is about the idea that teachers need harrassing to do a good job, which probably includes in the parents mind, instilling their child with some standards of behaviour and strength of character as well as high marks from deep motivated study that the school should oversee. So how the schools seem to be achieving that becomes the important issue. The concern and effort is all directed outward to the education servants not inward by the parents looking at adding value to their child raising.
And I notice a lack of self responsibility in other ways and wonder if many, not all, parents lay it on others at all ages. The thing I have noticed is how, too many, mothers and fathers with toddlers let them run far ahead of them on a street. Backing out, a driver would never see them, they would not show through the rear window, or if the child reaches a corner before the parent it might just run right into a car. The parent calls out trying to control it, but it seems ineffectual and slack parenting care to me. And as a driver, it would be terrible if I caused injury and I know who would be regarded at fault. It would be me and not the casual parent.
And I notice a lack of self responsibility in other ways and wonder if many, not all, parents lay it on others at all ages. The thing I have noticed is how, too many, mothers and fathers with toddlers let them run far ahead of them on a street
Yes, I have seen that! The ineffectual bleating of the child’s name, ignored, is as you say – worse!
Yes and smarmy weldon has also been swallowing rural publications that were hostile to listing Fonterra so they could ‘leverage’ their business to their own end.
The NZX is in poor shape because he hasn’t given it credibility and rigour as a transparent market in his time at the helm. He’s watched feltex, finance companies, sky city and other shaky affairs like Richmond meats being taken by PPCS and done nothing making the NZX an international joke.
Jokes on us with our power companies going onto it as his and keys banker mates line up for the spoils it has always been a plaything for the connected 1% not the everyday punter who will lose as they aren’t in the 1% club.
Conman Key says increasing the price of alcohol won’t solve the problem.
YEAH RIGHT
same argument as tobacco industry puts up!
ShonKey and Nactional are in the alcohols back pocket
The requirement is to be unimpaired by drugs or alcohol at work. But drug testing does not do this, it tests whether there is any residual thc in a persons system, NOT whether they are impaired by drugs or alcohol. The two things are completely different.
Why has this glaring and fundamental flaw not been raised?
Methinks a benficiary or disgruntled worker should take winz or their employer to court to test it and correct it.
VTO, If you were about to travel on an aircraft and another passenger told you that they had spent the previous night with the aircraft pilot, drinking large quantities if alchohol, would you be happy to travel?
Anyone in any service has a responsibility to those for
whom they are providing the service.
They are expected to be free of any self inflicted injury.
Using any drug, including alcohol, results in a self inflicted injury.
Self inflicted injuries have been a problem for 100’s of years. Why does this generation think that it is so clever and so knowledgeable?
All they are doing is demonstrating that only-children and children from small families are immature and self-centered. That is what modern birth control is doing for the world.
Obviously there is a lot more to the subject. If it could be described and solved on one page, there would not be a problem.
When people start using drugs, where does one “draw the line”? This has always been a problem.
If you have a solution, perhaps you could offer it.
Regards
John72, I think you missed my point, which is this …
Just because a person has smoked dope or drunk booze at some random earlier point, it does not mean they are under the influence.
Pot stays in the system long long long after there is any effect. All it does is measure whether somebody has smoked it some point over the previous three weeks. Alcohol disappears much quicker.
If you are right and anyone who has been smoking or drinking the previous three weeks was not allowed to provide a service, do you know what would happen????? All the buses, planes, cars, taxis, foresters, bankers, wankers, accountants, mummies, daddies, cleaners, builders, diggers, miners, politicians, … would stop. Stop.
Except for those teatotallers out there.
Over to you though – if that is what you want. Anyone who has smoked or drunk in the last whatever and irrelevant but immaterial time period is not allowed to provide a service then so be it. But it would be a world history first. Puritanical in the extreme.
I do have a solution. It is carry out an “under the influence” test, not a “have you indulged recently” test. The test must be whether a person is under the influence – that is it. Like a blood test for alcohol, which is pretty good. The drug test does nothing of the sort.
Makes sense to me. I would say though that alcohol testing does show current impairment (or at least current blood alcohol levels that are assumed to equate to impairment). That’s why police use it and it stands up in court. Cannabis is the tricky one because it is so widely used and as you say there is not test that shows current levels that equate to impairment.
I was interested to hear that legalise cannabis advocate from Timaru say on National Radio that she smoked while driving buses for a living, and considered that she had no impairment (which got The Panel twitching). I think it is likely that some people can in fact smoke small amounts of cannabis and not be impaired, but unfortunately someone else could smoke the same amount of the same cannabis and be impaired. It’s complex. I also think that some people are not affected over the long term by cannabis use and others are. I don’t know how one would test that.
btw, read this the other day…
As reported in my first installment of the Cannabis Chronicles on Sunday, I had been asked by Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich to help determine whether, and how, marijuana impairs driving. He recruited more than two dozen police officers from various Southern California agencies and the CHP to bear witness and study the differences between driving while high and driving while drunk.
Apparently … and this is fascinating … Back In The Day everything was fine and no one got high on the job because there weren’t as many only children, which I suppose is logical because then there was less disposable income to spend on booze for the kids?
Whatever the case, clearly it’s all feminism’s fault and if bitches got back in the kitchen society would be pure and wholesome again.
QoT, self-inflicted injury has been a problem for 100’s of years. We now have a generation that is less prepared to accept responsibility for it’s actions.
No one has ever been perfect. I am suggesting that standards are changing.
It is sanctimonious to suggest that they are only changing for the better.
So many of today’s youth are only concerned about self satisfaction.
There have always been people living in hardship and poverty and there still are people living under bridges or in cars.
Why do people on a Student Loan, Solo Mother Benefit, Old Age Benefit, etc., need money for drugs?
Why does anyone need drugs? They did not need it 100 years ago. Some might have used it but the world did not need them.
They do not need the drugs. The money spent on drugs goes to the rich?
If you think that you NEED drugs, you have a problem. Life is an adventure for so many people who never touch drugs. Grow up and move on.
Once you become trapped by drugs, you are locked into a habbit and it becomes difficult to go out and explore the world. Grow up and move on.
J72 a 100+ years a go good spin NZ women were fed up with their husbands coming home drunk (alcohol NZ’s Most dangerous Drug after tobacco)and beating them and their children up.
So they banned alcohol through temperance to try and deal with the problem.
No problems for 100’s of years YEAH RIGHT.
NZ has a problem with legal and illegal drugs and always has.
In your small dream world drugs are not addictive if that were the case there wouldn’t be a problem.
You are so right, John, these stoopid yoof just don’t understand how good they have it. They should just … stop being biologically addicted to things! And stop having such desperate existences that brain-chemistry-altering is a pretty attractive option!
Also, Socrates put it better than you. Which could be telling, if you wanted to actually get off that high horse.
Draco,You are quoting out of context. Are you illiterate or just baiting me?
The rest of your comment is personal criticism. Is the the monotor setting the standard of The Standard?
No I didn’t. You said something about small families and then went on about drug abuse being due to birth control. You failed to say what this had to do with drug testing.
Mind you, it’s a shame that the (mostly) good people at the Crown Law Office have been tarnished by a combination of this Government and their previous, incompetent, eager-to-please his masters, Leader (now a High Court Judge)
“Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch – “it’s extremely patchy and in different formats and that will make it very difficult to interpret – but over time the Government hopes it will be more consistent because the purpose of having information is to give parents a better sense of how their school is performing”.
Isn’t it funny how the focus has changed. Now for “The parents need to know how THEIR CHILD is doing” read “how THE SCHOOL is performing”
I have heard pollies say in a self-congratulatory way how easy it is for businesses to set up in NZ. This is a good thing and shows how smart people going forward behave in government by cutting pesky bureaucratic controls.
And just what standards are we prepared to drop to do business and made a buck. Note the background to the agent for buying the Crafar farms. Is this the sort of business person we want to be dealing with. Tongans were criticised for selling passports to raise capital, what are we up for in the drive by some to make squids (for themselves)?
I have waited in vain,of course!, for some comment by the loud mouth Garth McVicar regarding the road rage hit by the Parnell resident millionaire who twice ran over a man in a moment of road rage. Just imagine if this angry driver had been Brown or unemployed the Sensible Sentence Chairperson would have been uttering his vitriolic mouthing on all media channels . However let us not forget how he championed the white business man who knifed a young Maori tagger to death , McVicar thought that was ok.Its time this loudmouth was shut up completely .
I have waited in vain,of course!, for some comment by the loud mouth Garth McVicar regarding the road rage hit by the Parnell resident millionaire who twice ran over a man in a moment of road rage
Strange! Why would Key say he didn’t cry when he left Merrill Lynch? You don’t cry when you leave somewhere voluntarily. Was he given the boot? Is this another bit of “I forget” on the CV ?
NZ uses 149700 barrels per day and has a production of 1700000 which is %3 of 554640500 total barrels, not 43% of domestic oil demand.
The MED does have a fine print note on page 44 about how they didn’t count the oil consumption for non-energy use. So the 43% domestic oil demand is well off base. But is a great feel good figure.
So NZ is using 149700 barrels of oil a day, of which the MED day 1424657 are used in non energy related stuff. That seems a bit strange.
The verdict is in, Ewen McDonald has been found not guilty, and Scott’s father gets to make a 3 minute speech on the news.
Seriously!
Ever since the Scott Guy murder happened, the media have been completely obsessed (just as with the ‘Blenheim friends’ in 1998-9… Why? That’s what I don’t get. No other person on trial for murder has ever been treated so kindly and gently by the media, and whereas lower class people on trial are referred to by solely their surname, Ewen McDonald has always been referred to by his full name. The victim is ‘Mr McDonald. The media have been blatting on and on about the huge public interest, people elbowing each other aside at the door of the public gallery etc – I believe this is because the media were telling them it was a big deal! It was hardly fascinating in and of itself… 🙂
Is it a class thing? That’s the only thing I can think of… they must either be rich, or related to someone important.
Let’s hope we don’t have a week of post-mortems!
The huge public interest was indeed because the media was making such a big deal out of it. Every night on TV for the past 3 weeks (at least) it has been the No.1 item because they wanted to turn it into a sensational whodunnit melodrama. Why? Because they are an attractive looking white middle class family with close associations to the National Party – the born to rule party.
In other words it isa class thing. I have made a point of turning off the TV every night at 6pm until the trial was over. Unfortunately I think you are right. We will now have to put up with nightly post-mortems for the next week at least.
I sympathise deeply with the wife’s distress etc., but she made a statement this evening which left me staggered. She said something to the effect: “it is terrible to think something like this could happen in NZ.” What about the many hundreds – thousands – of NZers who have lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends as a result of murder or manslaughter. Don’t they count because many of them are poor or brown – or maybe because they support the wrong political side?
I’m reminded of the murder of the Trade Unionist back in the 1970s (I think) at a time when
the Cold War was pretty much at it’s zenith. The murderer(s) were never caught or so we were told. I would not be surprised if the police at the time were told or were gently nudged into… not conducting a full blown investigation.
Found this piece on Wikipedia. The Trade Union murder was 1984 – shortly before the 84′ snap election.
Wellington Trades Hall bombing
On 27 March 1984, a suitcase bomb was left in the foyer of the Trades Hall in Wellington. The Trades Hall was the headquarters of a number of trade unions, and it is most commonly assumed that they were the target of the bombing, although other theories have been put forward. Ernie Abbott, the building’s caretaker, was killed when he attempted to move the suitcase, which is believed to have contained three sticks of gelignite triggered by a mercury switch.[6] To this day, the perpetrator has never been identified. Those elements of the New Zealand Police responsible for preventing and investigating such crimes were headquartered in the building across the street.
Surprise, surprise. The police never arrested anybody. Don’t kid me ‘the establishment’ didn’t have a pretty good idea whodunnit.
“Because they are an attractive looking white middle class family with close associations to the National Party – the born to rule party.”
What associations, Anne?
I think the intense media interest was because of the nature of the case, which, as I’ve said before, is quite Shakespearean. Or possibly biblical, if you are that way inclined. A family divided, prodigal son, etc.
I understand they were a farming family associated with the National Party. Indeed one of the Guy siblings was recently a National Party candidate.
Do you honestly believe that : given commensurate circumstances the intense media interest would have been anything like as intense if the family had been either:
a) black or brown.
b) relatively underprivileged.
Ah it is such a long way down on that roller coaster and it’s time to fasten the seat belts for another downward screamer,
Manufacturing data from the US,Europe,and, China has all three of the big economic powerhouses showing a slow down,
In a quixotic turn New Zealand’s manufacturing figures have shown a 1% rise but joyful times it ain’t as weak prices for dairy showed that export earnings from that 1% rise in manufacturing fell 400 million dollars for the period,
Ah we all just have the love the global free trade played out upon the level playing field right…
Thanks Slippery for such wonderful words of knowledge and leadership, having our Prime Minister comment on anything of a factual nature is a fraught experience akin to opening an empty suitcase seeking enlightenment,
On 3 news there was a piece of how a number of nations are engaging in naval exercises with the US navy along with New Zealand and how our contribution Te Kaha has been forbidden docking rights at the Pearl Harbor naval facility and instead must dock elsewhere at a civilian wharf,
Attempting to throw off criticism that NZ and it’s navy are being deliberately snubbed by the US over our Nuclear ships ban Slippery dropped the clanger that naval exercises take place at sea,
Nah i don’t believe that, i was always of the opinion that naval exercises took part in sone really big bath-tubs with plastic model ships.
After listening again to the Prime Ministers voice inflections i can only add that the closet isn’t locked wee John, you can come out now if you want…
Are the USA Navy and associates actually refusing Te Kaha a place to dock alongside the others taking part in their war games? Probably they don’t have enough facilities for the team that they have drummed up. But the USA can hold onto vindictive attitudes for a long time. They have kept Cuba at the end of a bargepole for how many years – about fifty? There’s no fury like that of a hegemonic country scorned.
Lord Adair Turner, head of the Financial Services Authority (on whose watch the Libor rate-rigging took place), has just condemned the scandal – and admitted that the true scale of City wrongdoing is much greater.
Turner told the FSA’s public meeting this morning that the full investigation into what went wrong will take years.
Here’s the key quotes:
The LIBOR scandal has caused a huge blow to the reputation of the banking industry. The cynical greed of traders asking their colleagues to falsify their LIBOR submissions so that they could make bigger profits – has justifiably shocked and angered people, in particular when we are facing hard economic times provoked by the financial crisis.
But sadly it is clear that the behaviours evidenced in the LIBOR case were not, in the years before the crisis, confined to this specific area of financial activity.
My bolding. Rumour is the Barclay’s COO is next on resignation watch.
The piece on Compliance not for Banks yesterday plus Alex cartoon that hit the nail as usual – it started me wondering – if the financial people start mea culpa’ing where will it end and will the
financial people ever find their mojos again? Forbes comment on mojos –
What’s more, mojo is often tied to emotions like pride in a job done well, endurance at sticking with something, satisfaction or a feeling of contributing to something greater than ourselves.
Though along with the above, the adherence to rules of engagement with clients and seekers of financial advice would be an excellent thing.
For some reason it made me think of Lewis Caroll and the Walrus and the Carpenter and the way they encouraged tender naive oysters to walk with them and then enjoyed eating them with bread and butter.
In the meantime, the Walrus and the Carpenter wake from their gluttony sadly.
“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:
“I deeply sympathize.”
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,
“You’ve had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?’
But answer came there none–
And this was scarcely odd, because
They’d eaten every one.
Diamond is now free to speak without restraint at tomorrow’s Treasury committee hearing. He’ll be dropping the Bank of England in it, according to the Guardian. They suggest that Barclay’s were given the nod to go ahead with the LIBOR manipulation by senior staff at the B of E.
His Lordship can wring His pink little fingers in abject horror for as long as he likes, but, that will neither clean up or out the criminality of those in the City of London’s financial ‘Firms’,
Neither will such crocodile tears stop the International criminality of the Global Banking System, as is done to any conspiracy of cheap crooks whether they deal in mere 1000’s of dollars or mega-millions, billions, or, trillions, the Banks themselves should be seized lock stock and barrel as being the proceeds of criminal behaviour,
Until such time as the extent of such criminal offending is known in it’s totality and recompense, redress,restitution,and, suitable punishment meted out and served by both the individuals and institutions then we all are simply awaiting the next round of economic chaos caused by these people who are not a minority offending alone for personal gain but are institutional criminal organizations,
They may be masquerading behind the legitimate facade of ‘business’ but show us any such criminality in the history of the Western World that has brought the whole concept of Western civilization as we know it a hairsbreadth away from going back to the future of creating debt bonds a mere whisker away from the point where we re-trade these as debt bombs…
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Lol. NZ news sites are a bit slow on it… I’ve found out more about it sooner on here and Facebook from family in Wellington. Old media needs to get it’s act together.
The first I knew of it was Radio NZ this morning – after numerous items about Fielding and the Scott Guy soap opera…
What mad priorities! The public relations woman in Fielding spoke as if the trial had been something like the Christchurch earthquake. “We’ll get through it” she said bravely. I felt a bit sick when I heard that.
The latest review says that it was magnitude 7 depth of 230 km. Heard a boffin talk about the possible 8 expected within the next fifty years. One of a series about 300 years apart.
More news that Key was deeply embedded in banking scandal BBC world radio
Investment bankers that didn’t play the game were sacked given 5 mins notice to clean out office space.
Key smiling assassin was the enforcer so must have been in on it
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 ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
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. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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 ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. 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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
International employers group declare declare class war, by turning a blind eye to the murder, torture and arrest of trade unionists.
New Zealand employers join an international cabal of employers refusing to denounce, (or even let them be identified) human rights abusers, for murdering, torturing and arresting workers for organising. Instead, grizzling about “employer abuse” in countries like Venezuela.
What a bunch of scumbags
When the rich and powerful start posing as victims……
…..History shows, the vulnerable and downtrodden of the world need to be afraid.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/7208334/Employer-stance-at-ILO-forum-hypocritical
This filthly behaviour needs to be openly condemned, combated and most importantly… DEFIED!.
Phil OReilly needs to learn that when working people are being abused and tortured and exploited that New Zealander trade unionists when called on, will not ignore it, no matter how much he would wish they would.
What they metaphorically do, is sharpen the knife and hold it to their own throats, then go round looking for things to bump into.
It amazes me how employers today hold fast to anachronistic patriarchial power plays and ignore the conflict they attract to themselves when they do; a conflict that will end their businesses as they know it. Imagine consciously entering into a battle of several fronts, outnumbered, with no communication pathways at all with the enemy; in an environment where your allies give you no practical support and have an active interest in you being wiped out. Even if you win, you’ll need new slaves and then your next battle will be with well armed competitors. The Old People would call it “death ground”, where there is no choice but to die or win, only this modern version has no chance of being won.
And while this is going on, employers also want to pontificate about “knowledge” and swapping ideas and value and progress and innovation. Spell it out as many times as you like, patriarchial tradition blinds them to the fact that being at war with the population, with your employees, isn’t good business sense. One man at the top, ruling them all, is neither good business sense or strategically viable once that end is reached. Yet that is what the fight is all about. As they once said in the old days, the old patriarchial days:“Courage, that spoils for a fight is immature”. It all falls on deaf ears.
And for NZ to be involved in it, saying the things they do from the comfort of our – compared to global events – relatively benign environment; does the cowardice have no end? Why think when you can kill. Why kill when you can support killers. It’s easier, but not very profitable or smart and it certainly doesn’t engender envy.
Mark Ames: The Left’s Big Sellout.
If Helen Clark did nothing else, she restored the country’s trust in its government and John Key has been careful to maintain it. Long may it last.
“The endorsement of the Government’s direction is perhaps the most remarkable since it reflects the state of the economy and the Government’s response”
-Either the polls are complete spin, or people are complete morons….I would suspect both!
With all the opportunities to drive the hammer down, where is the opposition, who is the opposition.
What we are seeing is the result of and owned political stage, where the actors simple play their role.
Who are these editors who love to fellate John Key…John is that you self fellating in your spare time!
.
Heh! Tim Grosser was bleating on the other day about “enemies within” disrupting the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign . . . neck minit:
Tim, Tim, Tim . . . NO U !!!111!!!
So the National Standards data are ‘ropey’
Who would have expected that.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10816964
Is that door they open to let in national testing? Now that would cause a real shit fight.
And isn’t it funny how the focus has changed. Now for “The parents need to know how THEIR CHILD is doing” read “how THE SCHOOL is performing”
“Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch – “it’s extremely patchy and in different formats and that will make it very difficult to interpret – but over time the Government hopes it will be more consistent because the purpose of having information is to give parents a better sense of how their school is performing”.
“Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch
But he was told that last year.
I wonder if a trial would have helped?
Parents wanting to know how their children are doing – this is such a strange comment that they – pollies – come out with regularly. It reminds me of that knee-jerk phrase from the time of the Iraq war, always referred to with ‘weapons of mass destruction’.
About the reports from school, they were always there for me as a parent, and also time to speak to the teachers made available by the school, and apart from that the option of requesting a personal interview for discussion when felt necessary. All this other sh…t I
think is about the idea that teachers need harrassing to do a good job, which probably includes in the parents mind, instilling their child with some standards of behaviour and strength of character as well as high marks from deep motivated study that the school should oversee. So how the schools seem to be achieving that becomes the important issue. The concern and effort is all directed outward to the education servants not inward by the parents looking at adding value to their child raising.
And I notice a lack of self responsibility in other ways and wonder if many, not all, parents lay it on others at all ages. The thing I have noticed is how, too many, mothers and fathers with toddlers let them run far ahead of them on a street. Backing out, a driver would never see them, they would not show through the rear window, or if the child reaches a corner before the parent it might just run right into a car. The parent calls out trying to control it, but it seems ineffectual and slack parenting care to me. And as a driver, it would be terrible if I caused injury and I know who would be regarded at fault. It would be me and not the casual parent.
If the parents really want to know how their child is doing they’ll go down to the school and ask. Anything else is bollocks.
Yes, I have seen that! The ineffectual bleating of the child’s name, ignored, is as you say – worse!
Former Chief Executive Mark Weldon recently sold $12.5 million worth of shares in NZX, shares he had accumulated during his reign.
Of course the NZX is in that bad shape that we have to dump strategically vital publicly owned assets into it so that it works better.
A more effective metaphor for how the sale of power shares will enrich the already wealthy I cannot imagine.
Any one know how much Weldon raised from the rich Listers for Christchurch?
If I remember he took time off.
The scheme was announced with great fanfare, and then it disappeared and has not been heard of since.
The asset sales seem to be to be more about benefiting the NZX rather than anything else.
Oops appeared twice …
Yes and smarmy weldon has also been swallowing rural publications that were hostile to listing Fonterra so they could ‘leverage’ their business to their own end.
The NZX is in poor shape because he hasn’t given it credibility and rigour as a transparent market in his time at the helm. He’s watched feltex, finance companies, sky city and other shaky affairs like Richmond meats being taken by PPCS and done nothing making the NZX an international joke.
Jokes on us with our power companies going onto it as his and keys banker mates line up for the spoils it has always been a plaything for the connected 1% not the everyday punter who will lose as they aren’t in the 1% club.
Conman Key says increasing the price of alcohol won’t solve the problem.
YEAH RIGHT
same argument as tobacco industry puts up!
ShonKey and Nactional are in the alcohols back pocket
Drug testing is a pile of horse shit.
The requirement is to be unimpaired by drugs or alcohol at work. But drug testing does not do this, it tests whether there is any residual thc in a persons system, NOT whether they are impaired by drugs or alcohol. The two things are completely different.
Why has this glaring and fundamental flaw not been raised?
Methinks a benficiary or disgruntled worker should take winz or their employer to court to test it and correct it.
Here’s my take on it! What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
VTO, If you were about to travel on an aircraft and another passenger told you that they had spent the previous night with the aircraft pilot, drinking large quantities if alchohol, would you be happy to travel?
Anyone in any service has a responsibility to those for
whom they are providing the service.
They are expected to be free of any self inflicted injury.
Using any drug, including alcohol, results in a self inflicted injury.
Self inflicted injuries have been a problem for 100’s of years. Why does this generation think that it is so clever and so knowledgeable?
All they are doing is demonstrating that only-children and children from small families are immature and self-centered. That is what modern birth control is doing for the world.
Obviously there is a lot more to the subject. If it could be described and solved on one page, there would not be a problem.
When people start using drugs, where does one “draw the line”? This has always been a problem.
If you have a solution, perhaps you could offer it.
Regards
John72, I think you missed my point, which is this …
Just because a person has smoked dope or drunk booze at some random earlier point, it does not mean they are under the influence.
Pot stays in the system long long long after there is any effect. All it does is measure whether somebody has smoked it some point over the previous three weeks. Alcohol disappears much quicker.
If you are right and anyone who has been smoking or drinking the previous three weeks was not allowed to provide a service, do you know what would happen????? All the buses, planes, cars, taxis, foresters, bankers, wankers, accountants, mummies, daddies, cleaners, builders, diggers, miners, politicians, … would stop. Stop.
Except for those teatotallers out there.
Over to you though – if that is what you want. Anyone who has smoked or drunk in the last whatever and irrelevant but immaterial time period is not allowed to provide a service then so be it. But it would be a world history first. Puritanical in the extreme.
I do have a solution. It is carry out an “under the influence” test, not a “have you indulged recently” test. The test must be whether a person is under the influence – that is it. Like a blood test for alcohol, which is pretty good. The drug test does nothing of the sort.
Hopefully I have explained myself there…
Makes sense to me. I would say though that alcohol testing does show current impairment (or at least current blood alcohol levels that are assumed to equate to impairment). That’s why police use it and it stands up in court. Cannabis is the tricky one because it is so widely used and as you say there is not test that shows current levels that equate to impairment.
I was interested to hear that legalise cannabis advocate from Timaru say on National Radio that she smoked while driving buses for a living, and considered that she had no impairment (which got The Panel twitching). I think it is likely that some people can in fact smoke small amounts of cannabis and not be impaired, but unfortunately someone else could smoke the same amount of the same cannabis and be impaired. It’s complex. I also think that some people are not affected over the long term by cannabis use and others are. I don’t know how one would test that.
btw, read this the other day…
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/20/local/la-me-1020-lopezcolumn-20101018
vto, I have expanded my thoughts on the use of drugs in a reply to QoT.
John72, this thread is very specifically about drug or alcohol impairment in the workplace.
This thread is not about durg use in society.
But by engaging as if it is, you have fallen straight into the trap, as has pretty much everyone else.
one more time – drug testing does not test alcohol or drug impairment in the workplace.
What has birth control got to do with drug testing? Or, in fact, to do with any of the waffle that you just spouted?
Apparently … and this is fascinating … Back In The Day everything was fine and no one got high on the job because there weren’t as many only children, which I suppose is logical because then there was less disposable income to spend on booze for the kids?
Whatever the case, clearly it’s all feminism’s fault and if bitches got back in the kitchen society would be pure and wholesome again.
I’ll do the kitchen stuff QoT, pick me pick me.
QoT, self-inflicted injury has been a problem for 100’s of years. We now have a generation that is less prepared to accept responsibility for it’s actions.
No one has ever been perfect. I am suggesting that standards are changing.
It is sanctimonious to suggest that they are only changing for the better.
So many of today’s youth are only concerned about self satisfaction.
There have always been people living in hardship and poverty and there still are people living under bridges or in cars.
Why do people on a Student Loan, Solo Mother Benefit, Old Age Benefit, etc., need money for drugs?
Why does anyone need drugs? They did not need it 100 years ago. Some might have used it but the world did not need them.
They do not need the drugs. The money spent on drugs goes to the rich?
If you think that you NEED drugs, you have a problem. Life is an adventure for so many people who never touch drugs. Grow up and move on.
Once you become trapped by drugs, you are locked into a habbit and it becomes difficult to go out and explore the world. Grow up and move on.
Drugs weren’t needed a hundred years ago? No more than now, anyway.
J72 a 100+ years a go good spin NZ women were fed up with their husbands coming home drunk (alcohol NZ’s Most dangerous Drug after tobacco)and beating them and their children up.
So they banned alcohol through temperance to try and deal with the problem.
No problems for 100’s of years YEAH RIGHT.
NZ has a problem with legal and illegal drugs and always has.
In your small dream world drugs are not addictive if that were the case there wouldn’t be a problem.
You are so right, John, these stoopid yoof just don’t understand how good they have it. They should just … stop being biologically addicted to things! And stop having such desperate existences that brain-chemistry-altering is a pretty attractive option!
Also, Socrates put it better than you. Which could be telling, if you wanted to actually get off that high horse.
Draco,You are quoting out of context. Are you illiterate or just baiting me?
The rest of your comment is personal criticism. Is the the monotor setting the standard of The Standard?
I think we’re just intrigued that you seem to think birth control has something to do with drug abuse.
No I didn’t. You said something about small families and then went on about drug abuse being due to birth control. You failed to say what this had to do with drug testing.
Neither, I was pointing out that you’re an idiot.
Snort:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10816925
Mind you, it’s a shame that the (mostly) good people at the Crown Law Office have been tarnished by a combination of this Government and their previous, incompetent, eager-to-please his masters, Leader (now a High Court Judge)
LOL – and snort!
But I agree that not all at Crown Law are idiots; there are actually some exceptionally good people there as well.
However, I now see that Crown Law has contracted out the Kim Dotcom extradition legal work ….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10816989
NACTIONAL STANDARDS
“Mr Key said the Minister of Education told him data was not up to scratch – “it’s extremely patchy and in different formats and that will make it very difficult to interpret – but over time the Government hopes it will be more consistent because the purpose of having information is to give parents a better sense of how their school is performing”.
Isn’t it funny how the focus has changed. Now for “The parents need to know how THEIR CHILD is doing” read “how THE SCHOOL is performing”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10816964
( “delete” apparently didn’t work) sorry…
On Radionz http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/109799/nz-shell-companies-favoured-for-money-laundering we are revealed as becoming a haven for rotten criminals overseas doing their nasty money laundering through our compliant complacent naive stupid system of low or non regulation on this important matter of probity and control of business.
I have heard pollies say in a self-congratulatory way how easy it is for businesses to set up in NZ. This is a good thing and shows how smart people going forward behave in government by cutting pesky bureaucratic controls.
And just what standards are we prepared to drop to do business and made a buck. Note the background to the agent for buying the Crafar farms. Is this the sort of business person we want to be dealing with. Tongans were criticised for selling passports to raise capital, what are we up for in the drive by some to make squids (for themselves)?
Don’t cry for me …
Guess what John, not many here will shed a tear either when you have finally moved on
http://jtc.blogs.com/just_left/2008/10/smiling-assassi.html
I have waited in vain,of course!, for some comment by the loud mouth Garth McVicar regarding the road rage hit by the Parnell resident millionaire who twice ran over a man in a moment of road rage. Just imagine if this angry driver had been Brown or unemployed the Sensible Sentence Chairperson would have been uttering his vitriolic mouthing on all media channels . However let us not forget how he championed the white business man who knifed a young Maori tagger to death , McVicar thought that was ok.Its time this loudmouth was shut up completely .
Well said!
Strange! Why would Key say he didn’t cry when he left Merrill Lynch? You don’t cry when you leave somewhere voluntarily. Was he given the boot? Is this another bit of “I forget” on the CV ?
Interesting article on the bankruptcy of libertarianism.
Let It Bleed: Libertarianism and the Workplace.
Related: Fuck me or you’re fired!.
I was reading http://lancewiggs.com/2012/07/02/more-data-on-our-wonderful-energy-system/ and thought the numbers from the MED where off. http://t.co/KhiWFiY9 but that MED PDF is just number juggling.
NZ uses 149700 barrels per day and has a production of 1700000 which is %3 of 554640500 total barrels, not 43% of domestic oil demand.
The MED does have a fine print note on page 44 about how they didn’t count the oil consumption for non-energy use. So the 43% domestic oil demand is well off base. But is a great feel good figure.
So NZ is using 149700 barrels of oil a day, of which the MED day 1424657 are used in non energy related stuff. That seems a bit strange.
Oil use chart: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2174rank.html
The verdict is in, Ewen McDonald has been found not guilty, and Scott’s father gets to make a 3 minute speech on the news.
Seriously!
Ever since the Scott Guy murder happened, the media have been completely obsessed (just as with the ‘Blenheim friends’ in 1998-9… Why? That’s what I don’t get. No other person on trial for murder has ever been treated so kindly and gently by the media, and whereas lower class people on trial are referred to by solely their surname, Ewen McDonald has always been referred to by his full name. The victim is ‘Mr McDonald. The media have been blatting on and on about the huge public interest, people elbowing each other aside at the door of the public gallery etc – I believe this is because the media were telling them it was a big deal! It was hardly fascinating in and of itself… 🙂
Is it a class thing? That’s the only thing I can think of… they must either be rich, or related to someone important.
Let’s hope we don’t have a week of post-mortems!
Well said Vicky 32.
The huge public interest was indeed because the media was making such a big deal out of it. Every night on TV for the past 3 weeks (at least) it has been the No.1 item because they wanted to turn it into a sensational whodunnit melodrama. Why? Because they are an attractive looking white middle class family with close associations to the National Party – the born to rule party.
In other words it is a class thing. I have made a point of turning off the TV every night at 6pm until the trial was over. Unfortunately I think you are right. We will now have to put up with nightly post-mortems for the next week at least.
I sympathise deeply with the wife’s distress etc., but she made a statement this evening which left me staggered. She said something to the effect: “it is terrible to think something like this could happen in NZ.” What about the many hundreds – thousands – of NZers who have lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends as a result of murder or manslaughter. Don’t they count because many of them are poor or brown – or maybe because they support the wrong political side?
I’m reminded of the murder of the Trade Unionist back in the 1970s (I think) at a time when
the Cold War was pretty much at it’s zenith. The murderer(s) were never caught or so we were told. I would not be surprised if the police at the time were told or were gently nudged into… not conducting a full blown investigation.
Found this piece on Wikipedia. The Trade Union murder was 1984 – shortly before the 84′ snap election.
Wellington Trades Hall bombing
On 27 March 1984, a suitcase bomb was left in the foyer of the Trades Hall in Wellington. The Trades Hall was the headquarters of a number of trade unions, and it is most commonly assumed that they were the target of the bombing, although other theories have been put forward. Ernie Abbott, the building’s caretaker, was killed when he attempted to move the suitcase, which is believed to have contained three sticks of gelignite triggered by a mercury switch.[6] To this day, the perpetrator has never been identified. Those elements of the New Zealand Police responsible for preventing and investigating such crimes were headquartered in the building across the street.
Surprise, surprise. The police never arrested anybody. Don’t kid me ‘the establishment’ didn’t have a pretty good idea whodunnit.
I remember that… and I was not then, and am not now surprised that there has never been a proper investigation. I am very sad though!
“Because they are an attractive looking white middle class family with close associations to the National Party – the born to rule party.”
What associations, Anne?
I think the intense media interest was because of the nature of the case, which, as I’ve said before, is quite Shakespearean. Or possibly biblical, if you are that way inclined. A family divided, prodigal son, etc.
I understand they were a farming family associated with the National Party. Indeed one of the Guy siblings was recently a National Party candidate.
Do you honestly believe that : given commensurate circumstances the intense media interest would have been anything like as intense if the family had been either:
a) black or brown.
b) relatively underprivileged.
The answer is a very definite no.
The verdict was a surprise I have to admit. I almost certainly thought he would be convicted.
Mind you I cannot see him turning up to the Guy Family Christmas dinner this year…
Ah it is such a long way down on that roller coaster and it’s time to fasten the seat belts for another downward screamer,
Manufacturing data from the US,Europe,and, China has all three of the big economic powerhouses showing a slow down,
In a quixotic turn New Zealand’s manufacturing figures have shown a 1% rise but joyful times it ain’t as weak prices for dairy showed that export earnings from that 1% rise in manufacturing fell 400 million dollars for the period,
Ah we all just have the love the global free trade played out upon the level playing field right…
Thanks Slippery for such wonderful words of knowledge and leadership, having our Prime Minister comment on anything of a factual nature is a fraught experience akin to opening an empty suitcase seeking enlightenment,
On 3 news there was a piece of how a number of nations are engaging in naval exercises with the US navy along with New Zealand and how our contribution Te Kaha has been forbidden docking rights at the Pearl Harbor naval facility and instead must dock elsewhere at a civilian wharf,
Attempting to throw off criticism that NZ and it’s navy are being deliberately snubbed by the US over our Nuclear ships ban Slippery dropped the clanger that naval exercises take place at sea,
Nah i don’t believe that, i was always of the opinion that naval exercises took part in sone really big bath-tubs with plastic model ships.
After listening again to the Prime Ministers voice inflections i can only add that the closet isn’t locked wee John, you can come out now if you want…
Are the USA Navy and associates actually refusing Te Kaha a place to dock alongside the others taking part in their war games? Probably they don’t have enough facilities for the team that they have drummed up. But the USA can hold onto vindictive attitudes for a long time. They have kept Cuba at the end of a bargepole for how many years – about fifty? There’s no fury like that of a hegemonic country scorned.
Interesting…
My bolding. Rumour is the Barclay’s COO is next on resignation watch.
The piece on Compliance not for Banks yesterday plus Alex cartoon that hit the nail as usual – it started me wondering – if the financial people start mea culpa’ing where will it end and will the
financial people ever find their mojos again? Forbes comment on mojos –
Though along with the above, the adherence to rules of engagement with clients and seekers of financial advice would be an excellent thing.
For some reason it made me think of Lewis Caroll and the Walrus and the Carpenter and the way they encouraged tender naive oysters to walk with them and then enjoyed eating them with bread and butter.
In the meantime, the Walrus and the Carpenter wake from their gluttony sadly.
“I weep for you,” the Walrus said:
“I deeply sympathize.”
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter,
“You’ve had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?’
But answer came there none–
And this was scarcely odd, because
They’d eaten every one.
Diamond is now free to speak without restraint at tomorrow’s Treasury committee hearing. He’ll be dropping the Bank of England in it, according to the Guardian. They suggest that Barclay’s were given the nod to go ahead with the LIBOR manipulation by senior staff at the B of E.
His Lordship can wring His pink little fingers in abject horror for as long as he likes, but, that will neither clean up or out the criminality of those in the City of London’s financial ‘Firms’,
Neither will such crocodile tears stop the International criminality of the Global Banking System, as is done to any conspiracy of cheap crooks whether they deal in mere 1000’s of dollars or mega-millions, billions, or, trillions, the Banks themselves should be seized lock stock and barrel as being the proceeds of criminal behaviour,
Until such time as the extent of such criminal offending is known in it’s totality and recompense, redress,restitution,and, suitable punishment meted out and served by both the individuals and institutions then we all are simply awaiting the next round of economic chaos caused by these people who are not a minority offending alone for personal gain but are institutional criminal organizations,
They may be masquerading behind the legitimate facade of ‘business’ but show us any such criminality in the history of the Western World that has brought the whole concept of Western civilization as we know it a hairsbreadth away from going back to the future of creating debt bonds a mere whisker away from the point where we re-trade these as debt bombs…
Go Max and Stacey! Latest Keiser Report lands bullseye after bullseye on Barclays and their governmental and media mates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pywh-RkdK8&feature=g-all-f
Conmankey nothing more than a high flying insider trading bank robber
.
But conspiracies dont exist bad12
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Whoa — just had a bit of a shake here — still having it, things are swaying…
still going….
Wow, decent earthquake! Rocking and rolling for a minute, then a few seconds of swaying motion.
I hope that was all we got. The last thing we need is another Christchurch…
Wellington rocks!!, i fully expect once the big un has done it,s stuff on Te Upoko O Te Ika to be living on an island again…
According to GeoNet:
Magnitude 6.5, Tuesday, July 3 2012 at 10:36 PM (NZST), 60 km south of Opunake.
Well, that was impressive. Have to pick up all my CD’s off the floor; first time I’ve touched ’em in years, ha!
Lol. NZ news sites are a bit slow on it… I’ve found out more about it sooner on here and Facebook from family in Wellington. Old media needs to get it’s act together.
The first I knew of it was Radio NZ this morning – after numerous items about Fielding and the Scott Guy soap opera…
What mad priorities! The public relations woman in Fielding spoke as if the trial had been something like the Christchurch earthquake. “We’ll get through it” she said bravely. I felt a bit sick when I heard that.
The latest review says that it was magnitude 7 depth of 230 km. Heard a boffin talk about the possible 8 expected within the next fifty years. One of a series about 300 years apart.
Felt it here in Christchurch. A bit different then the usual shakers. This was more of a rolling sensation.
More news that Key was deeply embedded in banking scandal BBC world radio
Investment bankers that didn’t play the game were sacked given 5 mins notice to clean out office space.
Key smiling assassin was the enforcer so must have been in on it
Well, he wasn’t sacked anyway.