Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 2 degrees in Auckland last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The mainstream media may think that Novak Djokovic being knocked out of Wimbledon is a news items, but is not.
The majority of the media are doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
So damn annoyed by how cruel life has become in New Zealand. We came across this man today at the back of an Inner City Hotel in Auckland. It was cold this morning, so cold. This guy who has obviously come across hard times is one of thousands in the new New Zealand under John Key’s dishonest, Corrupt, and Incompetent Government. I can’t take much more of those who still support this Crook, I really can’t! We watched as an obviously ‘high income’ ‘upper class’ Woman walked past him, rolled her eyes, and kept going, as if to say ‘What an inconvenience having to walk past peasants in the Street, oh Johnny dear, when you finish fondling that girls hair – get them removed!’ I could have slapped her!
Just two minutes later a young Maori guy walked up to him, bags of Mcdonalds in his hands – and placed it beside him. He didn’t appear to know who he was, he didn’t appear to have a lot of money himself from what he was wearing – but he cared enough to give a guy a break, giving him food. It nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Those with the least often seem to be the most caring and generous. Until recently in McDonalds in Kaikohe there was a framed certificate on the wall recording that in about 2010 over the whole nation the very poor town of Kaikohe made the second highest contribution to the Ronald McDonald House donations box. After Takanini I think. Kaikohe, one of the poorest towns in New Zealand.
DTB I have to tell you this……20 years ago went to a garage sale in Sarsfield Street, Herne Bay. Even then 3 mill’ weren’t unusual in that street.
Jeezuz……fucking jam jars without lids they wanted 90 cents for. The entitlement of them ?
Another world. Another fucking world !
But I suppose for them too……like when when my long time hoa wahine lustily burst out – ” Kia Ora Kia Ora Kia Ora !!! ” – OMG the startled faces……..hilarious ! Just wanted to get outa there after that and we took off, laughing our heads off. “Fucking jam jar ninety cents…… get orrrfff !”
Those with the least always give the most !
There will be a day of reckoning and a lot of questions and investigations launched and appearances in court once this country is liberated from the darkness i have no doubt.
Thanks again Paul (2). Your posts are much appreciated.
My staunch Socialist grandmother (often reviled for her political and social beliefs), used to take homeless people into her home (in the UK), give them a good meal to share with her and granddad, a hot bath and a warm comfy bed for the night. Before they left, she would in some instances take their ragged torn clothes and repair them to the best she possibly could. Apart from that she would volunteer to help out at shelters, soup kitchens and the like. When asked why she did this, she said because she “considered herself privileged for having shared some time with such good decent people.”
Through her, I learned the value of compassion, love, respect and treating society’s less fortunate as an equal. She always said to do so is a sign of strength of character, as well as generosity of spirit.
Obviously in NZ that charitable spirit still exists through the ordinary Kiwi, as you have indicated in your post. Apart from that, many similar instances being marae which have given shelter and fed NZ’s homeless families. A generosity of spirit which needs to grow more.
+100 mary_a…the values we are brought up with are pretty important…NZ has been corrupted by jonkey Nact….National voters should be ashamed of themselves
“”At some point, the governing elites of mature and globalised economies like ours will have to come up with a new deal to redistribute some of the bounties of globalisation.””
New Zealand – A Ticking Timebomb of Mass Social Unrest
As we drove home tonight, my Wife and I talked about how the New Zealand we live in today is one we honestly never thought we would see.
We have a Prime Minister who blatantly lies almost every single week about one thing or another. A Prime Minister who has been caught on camera many times, fondling or pulling the hair of little girls – a behaviour which would have seen others possibly jailed!
We have a Minister by the name of Paula Bennett, an ex-Beneficiary/Solo Mother who is hateful, nasty, uncaring, and judging by how she talks to the media and members of the Public – a Bully. (More about her later).
Then there is Nick Smith, a horrible little man with more skeletons in his closet than a Halloween Wholesaler, who, along with Key, continually states “There is no housing Crisis”, despite the statistics showing NZ now has thousands upon thousands of decent NZ citizens homeless, living in cars, garages, packed into houses with a dozen or even two dozen others, parents with newborn babies sleeping rough, and so on. What really gets me angry is seeing this pitiful man say this with a smirk on his face, just like his morbidly obese mate Paula Bennett.
The thing that gets me about Nick Smith is that he formed a relationship with a constituent, a woman he was helping in his role as an MP.An act that would have forced him from any other profession.Think Dr- Patient,Teacher-Student.A power in-balance.
Coming along next, watch the Oz Labor Party begin to head down the road of division, leadership challenge and implosion, y’know like NZ and UK have experienced.
Kiwiri
I think that Labor have already eaten their fill of that particular meal; after the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd sandwich they were forced to choke down. It seems unlikely I know, but perhaps even career politicians can learn something from experience?
Also CV – isn’t the Oz Senate proportional?
[edit] I see it is proportional, though not proportionately proportional to overall population, but by state; if that makes sense…
One of my relatives is a staffer and said that it is mega toxic within the senior ranks. It would not be surprising that Shorten will be challenged within seconds, once it is clear that Labor will not be in government. He will be fine if ALP squeeks through. Of course, those who are in the know will be aware that Shorten has been triple dealing over the years and played a Machiavellian role in the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd changeovers. No doubt, he has many daggers out for him.
Saw a headline about Caroline Aherne but the name didn’t ring a bell. Loved the Royales but especially the fast show.
To this day in our house we still use “El Skorchio!” to describe hot weather. Eg, this last stinking hot summer and weirdo warm autumn we’ve had was “El Skorchio”!
And one to the other during summer “What’s the weather forecast for tomorrow?” Reply “El skorchio!”.
Typical of men in high office, especially politics.
It is also said another man of that crowd should be pushing a pram of one of his former high ranking staffer’s who recently resigned. Quite the scandal of the slippery one, let us hope finally it brings his undoing!
You media shills in Wellington know it so let’s have it!
“You media shills in Wellington know it so let’s have it!” – but that’s the problem, those same ‘media shills’ are all in bed with them & eachother, take that as you will. & also, once the dirty stories start coming out, who will be left standing, the manager classes like the money & power but not the responsibility.
“House prices til now have been static for the last 8 years” Connor English.
Good interview with Key by Gower (!) & investigation on the Saudi sheep thing (HPA!). Hooton too, Boag was so unconvincing it was funny, she & McCully got scammed by a scammer it seems.
Williams & Johansson were warning about the consequences of elites not taking any responsibility (Brexit & Trump, working poor & generation rent getting restless) & Connor English told a nice fairy tale that if he got caught signing off on live sheep exports he would be out of business for the rest of his life. Pfft, as if.
…”Iceland remains one of the only nations to put their money where their mouth is and place the financial “fat cats” responsible for their country’s economic demise behind bars.
As in other countries, the Icelandic taxpayer has had to pay a high price for the failure of the banks. But where financial bosses got off with barely a slap on the wrist in some nations, Iceland set up a special investigative commission to probe crime within the banking sector…
‘Iceland’s jailed bankers ‘a model’ for dealing with ‘financial terrorists’ ‘
“By jailing four top officers of Iceland’s failed Kaupthing Bank, the country showed the world the right way to deal with the people largely responsible for the 2008 financial crisis, said Charlie McGrath, founder of news website, Wide Awake News.
The US and other nations must take it as a model for the next time the too-big- to-fail corporations screw things up and ask for a bailout with taxpayers’ money, he added…
‘Brexit: Iceland president says UK can join ‘triangle’ of non-EU countries’
For some obscure reason, despite what’s done to them, Kiwis just don’t have the self respect and challenging spirit as demonstrated by the Icelandic people. At present that is. But who knows. Once things begin to deteriorate more than they are doing now, we just might see more Kiwis than not stand up as a strong collective demanding …”ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, we are going to reclaim what’s been stolen from us.”
…i am waiting for youth to start organising politically …but thus far they are too much embroiled in their social media and tech gadgets…and living on debt ( student loans set a very bad precedent)
…also they blame the baby boomers without having any sophisticated sense of class warfare
…they don’t seem to realise yet that they are the underclass
a. they know they are fucked
b. they also know that what is given to them by their elders is not worth the paper its printed on.
c. they know they never will buy a house
d. they know that they will never have over job security
e. they know that the society of the 50 – 70 will never come back, most of their elders have either voted it away in the eighties and every time since then, and have sold it away, one acre a time to fund lifestyle and such
f. they all have a student loan, irrespective of wanting it or not, again it was their elders that voted away free studies and apprenticeship programmes via the various elections for various parties.
g. and yet they still try to learn a trade, pay of their loans, find a partner and marry, have children, find an affordable house, pay taxes so that society can function and the like.
I think that maybe the young ones simply don’t have any more appetite for revolution then their parents and grandparents.
I think that we – the elders effectively – should not blame the children of today for the short comings of our generations. The kids are alright, its just that we leave them nothing. And that, as sad as it is, is the truth, we leave them nothing but pollution, overfished seas, overgrazed plains, rivers/lakes that are on wadeable in full body armour, crap jobs with no future nor good pay, frankenstein food cause our pollution is everywhere and so on and so on.
We really should not blame the kids or for that matter anyone born 1980 and after. They are truly the screwed over generations.
Privacy.
Mate we had a bit of privacy an laws that made sense.
Today they have a fair chance of being charged with domestic terrorism or something like that, their life for ever fucked.
As i said above, the Young ones know that the 50 – 70 will never come back, neither the privilege that the people had at the time, the privilege to not be surveilled, the privilege to not have to take of their shoes and bras before boarding a plane etc etc.
And, please lets remember that there was terrorism during these times too, the first antifada comes to mind, Mogadishu etc etc etc.
And you still have the young ones going to demos and the likes. Have a good look at the pictures from NZ in regards to the TPPA demo’s, a lot of the people there are young.
Maybe us old ones need to take our blinkers of and see what is there and stop whinging and crying about the perceived shortcomings of a generation or two that really was screwed over and is given nothing bur scorched earth.
…radicalism and demonstrations still seems to be alive and kicking in France ( where they have banned fracking) and are fighting for a good std of living
btw i am not old …and also I dont think it is helpful to blame the ‘oldies’…it is this sort of lack of political education and focus that creates confusion and lack of action, lack of voting and organisation among the young
…the problem is not the older generation, many of whom are struggling themselves and have never supported neoliberalism ( this is an argument that lets the right wing off the hook…they would be very pleased with the blame being placed on the older generation)
…the problem is actually right wing neoliberalism…the politics of the elite 10% who own 60% and who control the media and have a formidable PR machine…as well as their buying off ‘left wing’ politicians (in parties like Labour ) here and overseas,which are supposedly on the left and for the people , but actually support neoliberalism and are afraid to take real socialist action for change and equality of opportunity.
The corruption of the Left is what disillusions young people and stops them from voting and taking action…(btw I am not talking about violent action, I am talking about peaceful mass demonstrations, organisation and voting amongst the young to create a real lobby group for change)
…in other words the real problem is not older people… but the ruling elite of laissez faire capitalism, in its last days …eating up and privatising into their own pockets the assets of countries and hopes and dreams of ordinary people for a good standard of living in their own countries…theft by the few of the many
I hope it doesn’t happen in New Zealand. But growing economic inequality may lead it that way. Some sense of democratic renewal is needed to avoid alienation, there is a sickness in western democracies.
And that sickness is the rich as they buy up our politicians and plunder our wealth.
+100 DTB …violation of the social contract ( Thomas Hobbs) usually leads to social chaos and revolution…people will take so much inequality and impoverishment and then no more..it amazes me that the ruling classes never seem to learn this lesson from history..are they stupid or has their greed affected their reason?
… these also are interesting discussions on implications of Brexit ( better than most NZ media , especially nz tv ) :
National’s answer to people living in cars? Build more roads:
The councils currently eligible to access the fund for such things as water and roading development are Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Christchurch… The Government has not yet decided how the fund will be structured but it will require an extra $1 billion in borrowing., The fund will own or finance the infrastructure until the councils receive rates revenue from the new houses.
Mr Key made his announcement in a speech to the National Party conference in Christchurch…
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the $1 billion fund “won’t even remotely cope” with the houses needed for new immigrants, let alone the country’s natural population increase… “Here after, this government will seek to blame local government for the housing crisis on the pretence that they, and not central government, is responsible for the massive demand that now exists.”
Being an Audrey Young piece, I imagine this is a reprint from the NZH. It would be good if; Labour, and the GP, were to have some response to this, and not let Peters always be the most visible face of opposition to this scheming government. But then again, they may simply not have been asked by Young. Which would be poor journalism, though hardly surprising from the sister of a sitting National MP.
I’d suggest a joint op-ed from Little and Turei targeting the issues. About time there is a follow-up from the MOU that was announced about two calendar months ago to keep the momentum going.
It wont prevent more homeless men dying this cold winter.
Or ex prisoners being released into saturated accommodation markets.
Or any relief or a amnesty from policy that makes people homeless, like affordable rentals, amnesty from paying three weeks rent in advance and a weeks rent to rental company.
Employers have no reason to lift wages, even when on the back of higher productivity and profits. Working for Families is an employer benefit.
Changes to kiwisaver see workers get gypped on paying for their employer deductions which National then tax.
I have yet to see any evidence of primary producers increasing their employment costs on the back of higher export volumes. Trade now wont lift wages or raise our living standards. It certainly doesnt make our primary produce cheaper to buy.
The Reserve Bank increased interest rates every time Fonterra had a huge payout,
so how did that improve kiwi’s standard of living.
Tax cuts are meaningless, whats needed is some major reform of raising tax thresholds.
Remember when GST was promoted as something to reduce PAYE take?
Wouldn’t it be loverly if something like this was operating in NZ before the next election. Maybe it would slow down the Key Lie-machine or the propagation of dirty tricks for Paddy to churn out. “Social media verification tools are now being developed.
Insider: ‘Corbyn will not quit until Chilcot verdict so he can brand Blair war criminal’
JEREMY Corbyn may be clinging on to power because he wants to brand Tony Blair a “war criminal” after the release of the Chilcot Inquiry report next week, Labour insiders have claimed.
Just a month and a half ago, another Holocaust survivor died. Unlike Elie Wiesel, she did not consort with crooks and murderers and she had the courage to speak out against evil no matter who the perpetrators were….
[Corrected the spelling of concentration camp survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Weisel’s name. If I thought for a moment the misspelling was deliberate, you’d be gone for a long time, Moz. TRP]
Wiesel Name Meaning German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Wiesel ‘weasel’, Middle High German wisele. As a German name this is a nickname; as a Jewish name it is generally an ornamental name.German: from Middle High German wisel ‘leader’. JXE.
there is more to a name than many think.
Especially Jewish and Ashkenazic names have different meanings. And many of the names go back to Old German and are a thousand years old.
So while Wiesel means Weasel directly translated it has got nothing to do with the Last Name Wiesel.
Checking up a coupla things seems to me like Eli Weisel has a background that limits respect from me. Once again Morrissey gets the serious morality right !
[Ok, that’s clearly over the line and dullwitted to boot. Feel free to come back in August. Do some some study on the difference between anti-zionism and anti-semitism while you’re away so you don’t make the same mistake again. TRP]
Have been watching The Nation (taped) this evening and I was sickened by the state of the treatment of the sheep once they arrived in Saudi Arabia. This country should not be shipping livestock away for any reason, breeding or otherwise. No Trade Deal is worth the disgusting treatment of livestock. Do they think this country’s citizens are so gullible as to accept the the Government’s assurance that they do not ship any livestock for slaughter – what were the lambs from the pregnant ewes going to be used for, if not for disgusting slaughter for food. As it happened most of the lambs died of ill treatment. Apparently they ship livestock to China (but supposedly not for slaughter) – what happens to the stock that is bred from them once they are there. The entire affair is disgraceful.
We will sell our souls to the devil for the almighty dollar. Its bad enough with our own slaughter houses and the stress the stock goes through but at least they are stunned before being butchered, cool comfort but at least the animals are not in pain. The more I see of this disgraceful Government the less I want to be a New Zealander. The PM was a bumbling excuse for a PM and full of shit as usual, the sooner they make it compulsory for our citizens to vote the better, we may then be able to rid ourselves of this incompetent corrupt lot of troughers . Its got beyond anything that I can ever remember in my lifetime for evil, lying incompetent stewardship of this country, they are now as bad as the pig farmer back in the 80’s. We deserve much better than this. its shameful.
Thank you North, I admit I was pretty worked up with rage after I had watched it, I still am this morning Monday, have just watched the PM on Breakfast and had to turn the TV off. What is it about the man that is so dodgy and creepy? Its the dead eyes for me, does it every time.
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Hi,Today is the day sexual assaulter and alleged rapist Donald Trump officially became president (again).I was in a meeting for three hours this morning, so I am going to summarise what happened by sharing my friend’s text messages:So there you go.Welcome to American hell — which includes all of America’s ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkI have a new paper out today in the journal Dialogues on Climate Change exploring both the range of end-of-century climate outcomes in the literature under current policies and the broader move away from high-end emissions scenarios. Current policies are defined broadly as policies in ...
Long story short: I chatted last night with ’s on the substack app about the appointment of Chris Bishop to replace Simeon Brown as Transport Minister. We talked through their different approaches and whether there’s much room for Bishop to reverse many of the anti-cycling measures Brown adopted.Our chat ...
Last night I chatted with Northland emergency doctor on the substack app for subscribers about whether the appointment of Simeon Brown to replace Shane Reti as Health Minister. We discussed whether the new minister can turn around decades of under-funding in real and per-capita terms. Our chat followed his ...
Christopher Luxon is every dismal boss who ever made you wince, or roll your eyes, or think to yourself I have absolutely got to get the hell out of this place.Get a load of what he shared with us at his cabinet reshuffle, trying to be all sensitive and gracious.Dr ...
The text of my submission to the Ministry of Health's unnecessary and politicised review of the use of puberty blockers for young trans and nonbinary people in Aotearoa. ...
Hi,Last night one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, TikTok, became inaccessible in the United States.Then, today, it came back online.Why should we care about a social network that deals in dance trends and cute babies? Well — TikTok represents a lot more than that.And its ban and subsequent ...
Sometimes I wake in the middle of the nightAnd rub my achin' old eyesIs that a voice from inside-a my headOr does it come down from the skies?"There's a time to laugh butThere's a time to weepAnd a time to make a big change"Wake-up you-bum-the-time has-comeTo arrange and re-arrange and ...
Former Health Minister Shane Reti was the main target of Luxon’s reshuffle. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short to start the year in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate: Christopher Luxon fired Shane Reti as Health Minister and replaced him with Simeon Brown, who Luxon sees ...
Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which saw Simeon Brown picking up the Health portfolio as it’s been taken off Dr Shane Reti, and Transport has been given to Chris Bishop. Additionally, Simeon’s energy and local government portfolios now sit with Simon Watts. This is very good ...
The sacking of Health Minister Shane Reti yesterday had an air of panic about it. A media advisory inviting journalists to a Sunday afternoon press conference at Premier House went out on Saturday night. Caucus members did not learn that even that was happening until yesterday morning. Reti’s fate was ...
Yesterday’s demotion of Shane Reti was inevitable. Reti’s attempt at a re-assuring bedside manner always did have a limited shelf life, and he would have been a poor and apologetic salesman on the campaign trail next year. As a trained doctor, he had every reason to be looking embarrassed about ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 12, 2025 thru Sat, January 18, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
After another substantial hiatus from online Chess, I’ve been taking it up again. I am genuinely terrible at five-minute Blitz, what with the tight time constraints, though I periodically con myself into thinking that I have been improving. But seeing as my past foray into Chess led to me having ...
Rise up o children wont you dance with meRise up little children come and set me freeRise little ones riseNo shame no fearDon't you know who I amSongwriter: Rebecca Laurel FountainI’m sure you know the go with this format. Some memories, some questions, letsss go…2015A decade ago, I made the ...
In 2017, when Ghahraman was elected to Parliament as a Green MP, she recounted both the highlights and challenges of her role -There was love, support, and encouragement.And on the flipside, there was intense, visceral and unchecked hate.That came with violent threats - many of them. More on that later.People ...
It gives me the biggest kick to learn that something I’ve enthused about has been enough to make you say Go on then, I'm going to do it. The e-bikes, the hearing aids, the prostate health, the cheese puffs. And now the solar power. Yes! Happy to share the details.We ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Can CO2 be ...
The old bastard left his ties and his suitA brown box, mothballs and bowling shoesAnd his opinion so you'd never have to choosePretty soon, you'll be an old bastard tooYou get smaller as the world gets bigThe more you know you know you don't know shit"The whiz man" will never ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Numbers2024 could easily have been National’s “Annus Horribilis” and 2025 shows no signs of a reprieve for our Landlord PM Chris Luxon and his inept Finance Minister Nikki “Noboats” Willis.Several polls last year ...
This Friday afternoon, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal.The government has effectively cleared house - appointing 8 new members - and combined with October’s appointment of former ACT leader Richard Prebble, that’s 9 appointees.[I am not certain, but can only presume, Prebble went in ...
The state of the current economy may be similar to when National left office in 2017.In December, a couple of days after the Treasury released its 2024 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HEYFU24), Statistics New Zealand reported its estimate for volume GDP for the previous September 24 quarter. Instead ...
So what becomes of you, my love?When they have finally stripped you ofThe handbags and the gladragsThat your poor old granddadHad to sweat to buy you, babySongwriter: Mike D'aboIn yesterday’s newsletter, I expressed sadness at seeing Golriz Ghahraman back on the front pages for shoplifting. As someone who is no ...
It’s Friday and time for another roundup of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If you’d like to support our work, you can join ...
Note: This Webworm discusses sexual assault and rape. Please read with care.Hi,A few weeks ago I reported on how one of New Zealand’s richest men, Nick Mowbray (he and his brother own Zuru and are worth an estimated $20 billion), had taken to sharing posts by a British man called ...
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has delivered a refreshed team focused on unleashing economic growth to make people better off, create more opportunities for business and help us afford the world-class health and education Kiwis deserve. “Last year, we made solid progress on the economy. Inflation has fallen significantly and now ...
Veterans’ Affairs and a pan-iwi charitable trust have teamed up to extend the reach and range of support available to veterans in the Bay of Plenty, Veterans Minister Chris Penk says. “A major issue we face is identifying veterans who are eligible for support,” Mr Penk says. “Incredibly, we do ...
A host of new appointments will strengthen the Waitangi Tribunal and help ensure it remains fit for purpose, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. “As the Tribunal nears its fiftieth anniversary, the appointments coming on board will give it the right balance of skills to continue its important mahi hearing ...
Almost 22,000 FamilyBoost claims have been paid in the first 15 days of the year, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The ability to claim for FamilyBoost’s second quarter opened on January 1, and since then 21,936 claims have been paid. “I’m delighted people have made claiming FamilyBoost a priority on ...
The Government has delivered a funding boost to upgrade critical communication networks for Maritime New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand, ensuring frontline search and rescue services can save lives and keep Kiwis safe on the water, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand has ...
Mahi has begun that will see dozens of affordable rental homes developed in Gisborne - a sign the Government’s partnership with Iwi is enabling more homes where they’re needed most, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. Mr Potaka attended a sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of earthworks for 48 ...
New Zealand welcomes the ceasefire deal to end hostilities in Gaza, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Over the past 15 months, this conflict has caused incomprehensible human suffering. We acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in the negotiations to bring an end to the misery, particularly the US, Qatar ...
The Associate Minster of Transport has this week told the community that work is progressing to ensure they have a secure and suitable shipping solution in place to give the Island certainty for its future. “I was pleased with the level of engagement the Request for Information process the Ministry ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he is proud of the Government’s commitment to increasing medicines access for New Zealanders, resulting in a big uptick in the number of medicines being funded. “The Government is putting patients first. In the first half of the current financial year there were more ...
New Zealand's first-class free trade deal and investment treaty with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been signed. In Abu Dhabi, together with UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, New Zealand Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and accompanying investment treaty ...
The latest NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion, which shows the highest level of general business confidence since 2021, is a sign the economy is moving in the right direction, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “When businesses have the confidence to invest and grow, it means more jobs and higher ...
Events over the last few weeks have highlighted the importance of strong biosecurity to New Zealand. Our staff at the border are increasingly vigilant after German authorities confirmed the country's first outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in nearly 40 years on Friday in a herd of water buffalo ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee reminds the public that they now have an opportunity to have their say on the rewrite of the Arms Act 1983. “As flagged prior to Christmas, the consultation period for the Arms Act rewrite has opened today and will run through until 28 February 2025,” ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Opinion: Architecture has the power to shape our lives, not only in our homes and workplaces but in the public spaces that we all share. Civic architecture – our public libraries, train stations, swimming pools, schools, and other community facilities – is more than just functional infrastructure.These buildings are the ...
Asia Pacific Report A co-founder of a national Palestinian solidarity network in Aotearoa New Zealand today praised the “heroic” resilience and sacrifice of the people of Gaza in the face of Israel’s ruthless attempt to destroy the besieged enclave of more than 2 million people. Speaking at the first solidarity ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Neale Daniher, a campaigner in the fight against motor neurone disease and a former champion Essendon footballer, is the 2025 Australian of the Year, Himself a sufferer from the deadly disease Daniher, 63, who ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton has chosen a dark horse in naming David Coleman for the key shadow foreign affairs portfolio, in a reshuffle that also seeks to boost the opposition’s credentials with women. Coleman has been ...
By Harry Pearl of BenarNews Vanuatu’s top lawyer has called out the United States for “bad behavior” after newly inaugurated President Donald Trump withdrew the world’s biggest historic emitter of greenhouse gasses from the Paris Agreement for a second time. The Pacific nation’s Attorney-General Arnold Loughman, who led Vanuatu’s landmark ...
ACT leader David Seymour is being slammed for his "extreme right-wing policies" after saying Aotearoa needs to get past its "squeamishness" about privatisation. ...
By Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor, RNZ Pacific manager RNZ International (RNZI) began broadcasting to the Pacific region 35 years ago — on 24 January 1990, the same day the Auckland Commonwealth Games opened. Its news bulletins and programmes were carried by a brand new 100kW transmitter. The service was rebranded as RNZ ...
If you believe Prime Minister Chris Luxon economic growth will solve our problems and, if this is not just around the corner, it is at least on the horizon. It won’t be too long before things are “awesome” again. If you believe David Seymour the country is beset by much greater ...
Opinion: New Zealand’s universities are failing to prepare students for the entrepreneurial realities of the modern economy. That is a key finding of the Science System Advisory Group report released Thursday as part of the Government’s major science sector overhaul.The report highlights major gaps in entrepreneurship and industry-focused training. PhD ...
I first met Neve at a house party in Mount Maunganui. She was tall, blonde and tanned. An influencer typecast. She wore a string of pearls and a shell necklace that sat around her collarbones, and a silk dress that barely passed her crotch. Her hair was in tight curls—I ...
The Angry LeftSummer in New Zealand, and what does Christopher Luxon do about it? He goes fishing. Unbelievable.And worse, he does it in a boat. How tone-deaf is that? There he is, fishing, at sea, in a boat that would be better put to some practical use, like housing. How ...
A Complete Unknown may be fictionalised but it gets the key parts right. What is biography for? Especially the biopic, in which years and people and facts must be compressed into a mass-audience-friendly, sub-three-hour format. And what does biography do with an artist as immortal, inimitable and unwilling as Bob ...
The pool is a summery delight for swimmers and a smart move from the mayor. Last week I walked through Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, commando and braless. After smugly setting off that morning for my second swim at the Karanga Plaza pool, dubbed Browny’s Pool by mayor Wayne Brown, I realised ...
Following his headline act in the Christchurch Buskers Festival, Alex Casey chats to Sam Wills about spending two decades as the elusive Tape Face. It’s a Thursday night at The Isaac Theatre Royal in Ōtautahi, and the fly swats, rubbish bags, and coat hangers littered across the stage make it ...
In my late 50s, I discovered long-distance hiking – and woke up to a new life infused with the rhythms of nature. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.It began innocuously, just before my ...
The comedian and actor takes us through his life in television, including the British sitcom that changed his life and the trauma of 80s Telethons. You may know him best as Murray from Flight of the Conchords, or Stede Bonnet from Our Flag Means Death, but Rhys Darby is taking ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Nearly every piece of advice or social trend can be boiled down to encouraging people to say “yes” more or “no” more. Dating advice has a foundation of saying yes, putting yourself out there, being open to new people and possibilities. The ...
Asia Pacific Report The Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network (FPSN) and its allies have called for “justice and accountability” over Israel’s 15 months of genocide and war crimes. The Pacific-based network met in a solidarity gathering last night in the capital Suva hosted by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and ...
Analysis - There needs to be recognition of the significant risks associated with focusing on mining and tourism, Glenn Banks and Regina Scheyvens write. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Andriana Syvanych/Shutterstock Most of us are fortunate that, when we turn on the tap, clean, safe and high-quality water comes out. But a senate inquiry ...
Analysis: Try as they might, Christopher Luxon and his partners in NZ First have been unable to distance themselves from the division caused by the Treaty Principles Bill, hampering the potential for further progress in areas where the Prime Minister believes the Crown and tangata whenua can collaborate.While the celebration ...
The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dog the National Party despite Luxon's repeated efforts to communicate the legislation will not go beyond second reading. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Richardson, Professor of Human Resource Management, Head of School of Management, Curtin University Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock US President Donald Trump has called time on working from home. An executive order signed on the first day of his presidency this week requires all ...
The prime minister says he can mend the relationship with Māori after the bill is voted down, and he would refuse a future referendum in the next election's coalition negotiations. ...
Forest & Bird will continue to support New Zealanders to oppose these destructive activities and reminds the Prime Minister that in 2010, 40,000 people marched down Queen Street, demanding that high-value conservation land be protected from mining. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s state-of-the-nation address yesterday focused on growth above all else. We shouldn’t rush to judgement, but at least ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Minister for Health and Medical Services has declared an HIV outbreak. Dr Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu announced 1093 new HIV cases from the period of January to September 2024. “This declaration reflects the alarming reality that HIV is evolving faster than our current services can cater for,” ...
Acting PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the ACT proposals would take money from public services and funnel it towards private providers. Privatisation will inevitably mean syphoning money off from providing services for all to pay profits ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudio Bozzi, Lecturer in Law, Deakin University Shutterstock On his way to the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to officially open a new US$3.6 billion (A$5.8 billion) deepwater ...
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was 2 degrees in Auckland last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The mainstream media may think that Novak Djokovic being knocked out of Wimbledon is a news items, but is not.
The majority of the media are doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
Read the whole article here.
http://www.averagekiwi.com/?p=112
Those with the least often seem to be the most caring and generous. Until recently in McDonalds in Kaikohe there was a framed certificate on the wall recording that in about 2010 over the whole nation the very poor town of Kaikohe made the second highest contribution to the Ronald McDonald House donations box. After Takanini I think. Kaikohe, one of the poorest towns in New Zealand.
Studies back that up.
And that is why we can’t rely upon charity to fix poverty. The rich never give enough and the poor, although willing, simply can’t.
DTB I have to tell you this……20 years ago went to a garage sale in Sarsfield Street, Herne Bay. Even then 3 mill’ weren’t unusual in that street.
Jeezuz……fucking jam jars without lids they wanted 90 cents for. The entitlement of them ?
Another world. Another fucking world !
But I suppose for them too……like when when my long time hoa wahine lustily burst out – ” Kia Ora Kia Ora Kia Ora !!! ” – OMG the startled faces……..hilarious ! Just wanted to get outa there after that and we took off, laughing our heads off. “Fucking jam jar ninety cents…… get orrrfff !”
Yeah…….the rich…….and the eye of a needle.
Those with the least always give the most !
There will be a day of reckoning and a lot of questions and investigations launched and appearances in court once this country is liberated from the darkness i have no doubt.
Thanks again Paul (2). Your posts are much appreciated.
My staunch Socialist grandmother (often reviled for her political and social beliefs), used to take homeless people into her home (in the UK), give them a good meal to share with her and granddad, a hot bath and a warm comfy bed for the night. Before they left, she would in some instances take their ragged torn clothes and repair them to the best she possibly could. Apart from that she would volunteer to help out at shelters, soup kitchens and the like. When asked why she did this, she said because she “considered herself privileged for having shared some time with such good decent people.”
Through her, I learned the value of compassion, love, respect and treating society’s less fortunate as an equal. She always said to do so is a sign of strength of character, as well as generosity of spirit.
Obviously in NZ that charitable spirit still exists through the ordinary Kiwi, as you have indicated in your post. Apart from that, many similar instances being marae which have given shelter and fed NZ’s homeless families. A generosity of spirit which needs to grow more.
+100 mary_a…the values we are brought up with are pretty important…NZ has been corrupted by jonkey Nact….National voters should be ashamed of themselves
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11667728
Mr Hickey at his best.
“”At some point, the governing elites of mature and globalised economies like ours will have to come up with a new deal to redistribute some of the bounties of globalisation.””
Sounds like a ubi is in his thinking.
Economics meets science. Guess who wins?
http://www.salon.com/2016/07/02/watch_bill_maher_rubs_californias_success_in_the_face_of_republicans/
Swallow your coffee and put the cup down before watching!
New Zealand – A Ticking Timebomb of Mass Social Unrest
Read the whole article here.
http://www.averagekiwi.com/?p=94
+100 Paul
Dr Nick Smith he knows everything about everything just like John Key is the master of business and moneymaking.
The thing that gets me about Nick Smith is that he formed a relationship with a constituent, a woman he was helping in his role as an MP.An act that would have forced him from any other profession.Think Dr- Patient,Teacher-Student.A power in-balance.
I hope someone is watching those Aussie ballot boxes – an interrupted count is one of the first signs of a stolen election.
It’s a cliffhanger!!
These are the 12 seats in doubt, with Lab 67 Coalition 66 Greens 1 (but polled very respectable 10%) and others 4. It’s 76 to rule.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/results/list/?selector=indoubt&sort=az
They desperately need proportional representation over there.
Coming along next, watch the Oz Labor Party begin to head down the road of division, leadership challenge and implosion, y’know like NZ and UK have experienced.
Kiwiri
I think that Labor have already eaten their fill of that particular meal; after the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd sandwich they were forced to choke down. It seems unlikely I know, but perhaps even career politicians can learn something from experience?
Also CV – isn’t the Oz Senate proportional?
[edit] I see it is proportional, though not proportionately proportional to overall population, but by state; if that makes sense…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Senate
One of my relatives is a staffer and said that it is mega toxic within the senior ranks. It would not be surprising that Shorten will be challenged within seconds, once it is clear that Labor will not be in government. He will be fine if ALP squeeks through. Of course, those who are in the know will be aware that Shorten has been triple dealing over the years and played a Machiavellian role in the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd changeovers. No doubt, he has many daggers out for him.
Bafta award-winning writer of The Royale Family (one of the greatest sitcoms of the last 30 years) and key member of The Fast Show cast, Caroline Aherne, dies.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/02/caroline-aherne-actor-comedian-dies-52-royle-family?CMP=share_btn_tw
Very Sad, an incredibly funny & talented woman, loved Royle Family.
Haha, was just going to post that! Looking back theres not a lot of politically correct Fast Show material either.
Saw a headline about Caroline Aherne but the name didn’t ring a bell. Loved the Royales but especially the fast show.
To this day in our house we still use “El Skorchio!” to describe hot weather. Eg, this last stinking hot summer and weirdo warm autumn we’ve had was “El Skorchio”!
And one to the other during summer “What’s the weather forecast for tomorrow?” Reply “El skorchio!”.
And so it goes.
RIP Caroline lol lady. You were grand.
Typical of men in high office, especially politics.
It is also said another man of that crowd should be pushing a pram of one of his former high ranking staffer’s who recently resigned. Quite the scandal of the slippery one, let us hope finally it brings his undoing!
You media shills in Wellington know it so let’s have it!
“You media shills in Wellington know it so let’s have it!” – but that’s the problem, those same ‘media shills’ are all in bed with them & eachother, take that as you will. & also, once the dirty stories start coming out, who will be left standing, the manager classes like the money & power but not the responsibility.
The Nation.
“House prices til now have been static for the last 8 years” Connor English.
Good interview with Key by Gower (!) & investigation on the Saudi sheep thing (HPA!). Hooton too, Boag was so unconvincing it was funny, she & McCully got scammed by a scammer it seems.
Williams & Johansson were warning about the consequences of elites not taking any responsibility (Brexit & Trump, working poor & generation rent getting restless) & Connor English told a nice fairy tale that if he got caught signing off on live sheep exports he would be out of business for the rest of his life. Pfft, as if.
MORON WATCH No. 1:
Jesse Hughes (Eagles of Death Metal)
Believe it or not, there ARE some thoughtful and intelligent pop stars.
But there are also a lot of pop morons, like Ted Nugent, and this fool….
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/16/eagles-of-death-metal-frontman
The Yes Men have a idea for Jesse:
Lets follow Iceland’s model…yus
‘Jailed bankers, gender equality & majestic fjords: Reasons to love Iceland’
https://www.rt.com/viral/349321-iceland-love-landscape-music/
…”Iceland remains one of the only nations to put their money where their mouth is and place the financial “fat cats” responsible for their country’s economic demise behind bars.
As in other countries, the Icelandic taxpayer has had to pay a high price for the failure of the banks. But where financial bosses got off with barely a slap on the wrist in some nations, Iceland set up a special investigative commission to probe crime within the banking sector…
‘Iceland’s jailed bankers ‘a model’ for dealing with ‘financial terrorists’ ‘
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/iceland-bank-sentence-model-246/
“By jailing four top officers of Iceland’s failed Kaupthing Bank, the country showed the world the right way to deal with the people largely responsible for the 2008 financial crisis, said Charlie McGrath, founder of news website, Wide Awake News.
The US and other nations must take it as a model for the next time the too-big- to-fail corporations screw things up and ask for a bailout with taxpayers’ money, he added…
‘Brexit: Iceland president says UK can join ‘triangle’ of non-EU countries’
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-uk-eu-referendum-latest-iceland-norway-greenland-faroe-islands-a7105641.html
Agree with everything in your post Chooky (13).
For some obscure reason, despite what’s done to them, Kiwis just don’t have the self respect and challenging spirit as demonstrated by the Icelandic people. At present that is. But who knows. Once things begin to deteriorate more than they are doing now, we just might see more Kiwis than not stand up as a strong collective demanding …”ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, we are going to reclaim what’s been stolen from us.”
Bring on that day. Can’t come soon enough for me.
+100 mary_a
…i am waiting for youth to start organising politically …but thus far they are too much embroiled in their social media and tech gadgets…and living on debt ( student loans set a very bad precedent)
…also they blame the baby boomers without having any sophisticated sense of class warfare
…they don’t seem to realise yet that they are the underclass
i work with a few young people
a. they know they are fucked
b. they also know that what is given to them by their elders is not worth the paper its printed on.
c. they know they never will buy a house
d. they know that they will never have over job security
e. they know that the society of the 50 – 70 will never come back, most of their elders have either voted it away in the eighties and every time since then, and have sold it away, one acre a time to fund lifestyle and such
f. they all have a student loan, irrespective of wanting it or not, again it was their elders that voted away free studies and apprenticeship programmes via the various elections for various parties.
g. and yet they still try to learn a trade, pay of their loans, find a partner and marry, have children, find an affordable house, pay taxes so that society can function and the like.
I think that maybe the young ones simply don’t have any more appetite for revolution then their parents and grandparents.
I think that we – the elders effectively – should not blame the children of today for the short comings of our generations. The kids are alright, its just that we leave them nothing. And that, as sad as it is, is the truth, we leave them nothing but pollution, overfished seas, overgrazed plains, rivers/lakes that are on wadeable in full body armour, crap jobs with no future nor good pay, frankenstein food cause our pollution is everywhere and so on and so on.
We really should not blame the kids or for that matter anyone born 1980 and after. They are truly the screwed over generations.
yes agree…but whatever happened to youth radicalism, socialism, marxism?…maybe it is yet to come?
….maybe many are still being cushioned by their baby boomer parents?
…maybe they know the global warming end is nigh and they just want to enjoy life as much as possible
…maybe the alternate reality of cyberspace has taken over?
Privacy.
Mate we had a bit of privacy an laws that made sense.
Today they have a fair chance of being charged with domestic terrorism or something like that, their life for ever fucked.
As i said above, the Young ones know that the 50 – 70 will never come back, neither the privilege that the people had at the time, the privilege to not be surveilled, the privilege to not have to take of their shoes and bras before boarding a plane etc etc.
And, please lets remember that there was terrorism during these times too, the first antifada comes to mind, Mogadishu etc etc etc.
And you still have the young ones going to demos and the likes. Have a good look at the pictures from NZ in regards to the TPPA demo’s, a lot of the people there are young.
Maybe us old ones need to take our blinkers of and see what is there and stop whinging and crying about the perceived shortcomings of a generation or two that really was screwed over and is given nothing bur scorched earth.
…radicalism and demonstrations still seems to be alive and kicking in France ( where they have banned fracking) and are fighting for a good std of living
btw i am not old …and also I dont think it is helpful to blame the ‘oldies’…it is this sort of lack of political education and focus that creates confusion and lack of action, lack of voting and organisation among the young
…the problem is not the older generation, many of whom are struggling themselves and have never supported neoliberalism ( this is an argument that lets the right wing off the hook…they would be very pleased with the blame being placed on the older generation)
…the problem is actually right wing neoliberalism…the politics of the elite 10% who own 60% and who control the media and have a formidable PR machine…as well as their buying off ‘left wing’ politicians (in parties like Labour ) here and overseas,which are supposedly on the left and for the people , but actually support neoliberalism and are afraid to take real socialist action for change and equality of opportunity.
The corruption of the Left is what disillusions young people and stops them from voting and taking action…(btw I am not talking about violent action, I am talking about peaceful mass demonstrations, organisation and voting amongst the young to create a real lobby group for change)
…in other words the real problem is not older people… but the ruling elite of laissez faire capitalism, in its last days …eating up and privatising into their own pockets the assets of countries and hopes and dreams of ordinary people for a good standard of living in their own countries…theft by the few of the many
The political elites foisted a new system on ordinary Brits. Little wonder they’re grabbing it back
By Geoffrey Palmer
No, it wasn’t a new system – it was the same old one that failed in the 19th century and brought WWI.
And that sickness is the rich as they buy up our politicians and plunder our wealth.
+100 DTB …violation of the social contract ( Thomas Hobbs) usually leads to social chaos and revolution…people will take so much inequality and impoverishment and then no more..it amazes me that the ruling classes never seem to learn this lesson from history..are they stupid or has their greed affected their reason?
… these also are interesting discussions on implications of Brexit ( better than most NZ media , especially nz tv ) :
‘Russia’s Brexit’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/349095-russia-brexit-democracy-security/
‘EU implosion?’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/348831-eu-reform-democracy-brexit/
‘Brexit: Goal!’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/348295-brexit-goal-uk-eu/
National’s answer to people living in cars? Build more roads:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/389037/1b-fund-address-housing-crisis
Being an Audrey Young piece, I imagine this is a reprint from the NZH. It would be good if; Labour, and the GP, were to have some response to this, and not let Peters always be the most visible face of opposition to this scheming government. But then again, they may simply not have been asked by Young. Which would be poor journalism, though hardly surprising from the sister of a sitting National MP.
I’d suggest a joint op-ed from Little and Turei targeting the issues. About time there is a follow-up from the MOU that was announced about two calendar months ago to keep the momentum going.
It wont prevent more homeless men dying this cold winter.
Or ex prisoners being released into saturated accommodation markets.
Or any relief or a amnesty from policy that makes people homeless, like affordable rentals, amnesty from paying three weeks rent in advance and a weeks rent to rental company.
Employers have no reason to lift wages, even when on the back of higher productivity and profits. Working for Families is an employer benefit.
Changes to kiwisaver see workers get gypped on paying for their employer deductions which National then tax.
I have yet to see any evidence of primary producers increasing their employment costs on the back of higher export volumes. Trade now wont lift wages or raise our living standards. It certainly doesnt make our primary produce cheaper to buy.
The Reserve Bank increased interest rates every time Fonterra had a huge payout,
so how did that improve kiwi’s standard of living.
Tax cuts are meaningless, whats needed is some major reform of raising tax thresholds.
Remember when GST was promoted as something to reduce PAYE take?
At the time of posting this, I see The Daily Blog has gone down again! What’s going on?
waghorns out there scenario on the brexit.
The new Tory leader will call a snap election while labour is in turmoil, and the torys will run on a stay in the EU if they win ticket, .
Here’s the plan.
http://thebrexitplan.com/
he he that’s what you get when you didn’t expect to lose.
The best laugh of the day. 😀
Wouldn’t it be loverly if something like this was operating in NZ before the next election. Maybe it would slow down the Key Lie-machine or the propagation of dirty tricks for Paddy to churn out.
“Social media verification tools are now being developed.
Pheme, named after the greek goddess of fame and renown, is an open-source online tool to help newsrooms detect, track and verify facts and claims the moment they start spreading on Twitter….”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/201806336/brexit-media-from-a-to-zz-top
Bernard Hickey – “Mr Key……..the people are revolting.”
Mr Key – “I know they are…….I’ve felt that way since I was 12”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11667728
Seen this?
Joined a few dots for me regarding the apparent Blairite campaign to remove Jeremy Corbett …..
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/685663/Jeremy-Corbyn-Tony-Blair-war-criminal-Chilcot-Inquiry-verdict-quit-Labour-leader
Insider: ‘Corbyn will not quit until Chilcot verdict so he can brand Blair war criminal’
JEREMY Corbyn may be clinging on to power because he wants to brand Tony Blair a “war criminal” after the release of the Chilcot Inquiry report next week, Labour insiders have claimed.
_________________
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
pfft. Was saying that last Wednesday 😉
(sorry, shameless self promotion)
http://thestandard.org.nz/chilcot-corbyn-and-the-uk-labour-party-caucus/
That old fraud Elie Wiesel is eulogized, but Hedy Epstein is largely ignored
Elie Wiesel, who has died aged 87, was neither brave nor moral….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05072015/#comment-1038877
Just a month and a half ago, another Holocaust survivor died. Unlike Elie Wiesel, she did not consort with crooks and murderers and she had the courage to speak out against evil no matter who the perpetrators were….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Epstein
[Corrected the spelling of concentration camp survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Weisel’s name. If I thought for a moment the misspelling was deliberate, you’d be gone for a long time, Moz. TRP]
Good judgement TRP
Just saw that Al Jazeera is broadcasting the name as Wiesel. (Subtitles across bottom of screen.)
Hmm Seems an unlikely German name, but if it is right, we owe Morrisey an apology.
Or Al Jazeera need a rev-up?
Errare humanum est
Yep – Google confirms that we owe Morrisey an apology – the guy’s surname really was German for ‘weasel’.
Great surname is all I can now say.
[The man was not German and his surname does not mean what you think it does. Don’t go down this track. TRP]
Wiesel Name Meaning German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Wiesel ‘weasel’, Middle High German wisele. As a German name this is a nickname; as a Jewish name it is generally an ornamental name.German: from Middle High German wisel ‘leader’. JXE.
there is more to a name than many think.
Especially Jewish and Ashkenazic names have different meanings. And many of the names go back to Old German and are a thousand years old.
So while Wiesel means Weasel directly translated it has got nothing to do with the Last Name Wiesel.
http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=wiesel&geo_a=r&geo_s=us&geo_t=us&geo_v=2.0.0&o_xid=62916&o_lid=62916&o_sch=Partners
and even if it did, I doubt Morrissey would have the brains to know it.
Romanian.
Checking up a coupla things seems to me like Eli Weisel has a background that limits respect from me. Once again Morrissey gets the serious morality right !
Elie Wiesel.
A life well lived, fully lived.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elie_Wiesel
Rest in Well Deserved Peace.
[Deleted].
[Ok, that’s clearly over the line and dullwitted to boot. Feel free to come back in August. Do some some study on the difference between anti-zionism and anti-semitism while you’re away so you don’t make the same mistake again. TRP]
Have been watching The Nation (taped) this evening and I was sickened by the state of the treatment of the sheep once they arrived in Saudi Arabia. This country should not be shipping livestock away for any reason, breeding or otherwise. No Trade Deal is worth the disgusting treatment of livestock. Do they think this country’s citizens are so gullible as to accept the the Government’s assurance that they do not ship any livestock for slaughter – what were the lambs from the pregnant ewes going to be used for, if not for disgusting slaughter for food. As it happened most of the lambs died of ill treatment. Apparently they ship livestock to China (but supposedly not for slaughter) – what happens to the stock that is bred from them once they are there. The entire affair is disgraceful.
We will sell our souls to the devil for the almighty dollar. Its bad enough with our own slaughter houses and the stress the stock goes through but at least they are stunned before being butchered, cool comfort but at least the animals are not in pain. The more I see of this disgraceful Government the less I want to be a New Zealander. The PM was a bumbling excuse for a PM and full of shit as usual, the sooner they make it compulsory for our citizens to vote the better, we may then be able to rid ourselves of this incompetent corrupt lot of troughers . Its got beyond anything that I can ever remember in my lifetime for evil, lying incompetent stewardship of this country, they are now as bad as the pig farmer back in the 80’s. We deserve much better than this. its shameful.
Whispering Kate……that was not a whisper…….it was an impassioned and magnificent cry. It will be answered. The moneylenders will be cast out……..!
Thank you North, I admit I was pretty worked up with rage after I had watched it, I still am this morning Monday, have just watched the PM on Breakfast and had to turn the TV off. What is it about the man that is so dodgy and creepy? Its the dead eyes for me, does it every time.