Jim Mora reckons Europe might be suffering “compassion overload”;
Is he an appropriate person to make such a remark? The Panel, Radio NZ National, Wednesday 2 September 2015, 4:45 p.m.
Jim Mora, Susan Hornsby-Geluk, Max Ritchie
humbugn.1. the quality of falseness or deception; 2. a person who is not what he or she claims or pretends to be; impostor; 3. a boiled lolly.
All this strife in the Middle East and Africa means that the refugee situation is getting worse. Is the problem that we Europeans and Kiwis are just too darned compassionate? In fact, so compassionate that we are suffering from “compassion overload”?
Well, that’s what Jim Mora thinks might be the trouble…..
MAX RITCHIE: New Zealanders are compassionate, caring people. Ahh, we’ve got, y’know, I was talking earlier on about the nature of New Zealanders, we DO care. But let’s do it properly.
JIM MORA:[deep intake of breath to indicate moral seriousness] I take your point about the, um, humanitarian crises that are ignored, that aren’t to do with Europe. But, ahh, the current flow is surely a humanitarian crisis for all those poor people trying to hop across the razor wire and—
MAX RITCHIE: Of course it is. Of course it is. But we had exactly the same size, ahhhh, last year, the year before, the year before that and the year before that.
JIM MORA: Did we?
MAX RITCHIE: Oooh yeah. This isn’t new, people affected by war, there were people flooding out of countries in Africa ten and twenty years ago, it was just as great as this, but they weren’t going to Europe, that’s the difference.
JIM MORA: I’ll get Professor Al Gillespie’s take on your opinion too, but before I do, Susan what do YOU think?
SUSAN HORNSBY-GELUK: Oh it seems that, um, seven hundred and fifty refugees a year for New Zealand is way too few. I mean, we’ve had that number apparently for so many years that it was, you know, the same when we had, y’know, two million people, so it does need to increase. Whether it needs to increase immediately, well yes, I think there is more a symbolic relevance there than a practical one because I don’t think the people from Europe will make it this far, but I think symbolically everyone needs to be doing their bit.
JIM MORA: Okay. Professor Al Gillespie, an expert on international law from the University of Waikato and pro-vice chancellor of research. Al, good afternoon.
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Good afternoon, Jim.
JIM MORA: A few things to ask you. First of all, I mean, the point of that texter, how do we line up against other countries? I mean, because China actually does take refugees of a sort, doesn’t it, North Koreans for example.
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: It takes a few North Koreans and it took a few in the Vietnamese war as well. But both China and India, which are the two big powerhouses in the region, are now playing a very political game and not taking many more because they don’t want to upset their neighbors. The difference with China and India is that China signed the 1951 refugee convention but India hasn’t. But with regards to the Middle East, China very much sees this as a problem that the West’s caused and therefore one the West should solve.
JIM MORA: Do you buy that or would, um, [weary exhalation of breath] do you consider it morally reprehensible?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I think we need to see it from the point of human suffering. We’ve all got a responsibility here because these people have got no options, no alternative. And there’s a difference here between refugees and migrants. The migrants are just people who are looking for a better economic lifestyle, and there’s no debate that these people should be pushed back to the countries that they came from. But for refugees, they are applying because ultimately someone’s trying to kill them, or because their human rights have been severely degraded.
JIM MORA: I used the word “migrants” on air yesterday—it’s been used a lot by media coverage—and was told off by listeners who said, you know, the people in Hungary are refugees. So what ARE they, in your view?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Some are refugees, some are migrants. But it’s not just the ones coming across from the Middle East at the moment. There are also people coming up from North Africa where there IS no conflict in certain parts, or also they’re coming from Kosovo or certain parts of the Balkans, and again these are migrants, not people fleeing for fear of their life.
JIM MORA:[long, deep intake of breath] Is Europe—because Max’s argument is “it was always thus, or it’s been thus for a while”—is Europe suffering compassion overload now? What do you reckon?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I think there is a limit to our empathy. He’s partly correct on one point….
I could keep transcribing this, but I just cannot bear it any longer. I am sure that I am not the only listener who was appalled to hear Jim Mora, of all people, chuntering on about “compassion overload”. Over the last ten years, Mora has showed precious little hint of any compassion at all, leave alone “compassion overload”. Just over a year ago he and a couple of sneering National Party pricks, Chris Wikaira and David Farrar, were chuckling at the fate of War Criminals’ Enemy No. 1….
Uh, Julian Assange. The press conference at the Ecuadorian Embassy. He’s leaving, weee-e-e-e-lll, n-n-n-not really, well not right now….And he’s very short of Vitamin D. You’d think there’d be a courtyard where he’d get some sun of an afternoon wouldn’t you. Cos he’s appeared on a balcony before, when he’s made his semi-papal appearances.”
David Farrar seemed to be tickled pink at Mora’s display of sparklingwit, and added his own twist of the knife:
Well he IS very blond! So, ha ha!, maybe he’s not one that can handle the sun too much!”
I’m appalled if this transcript is what passes for insightful commentary. Who is Max Ritchie and why should I pay any attention to what he, or Mr Mora thinks?
But yeah – NZ can ‘do it properly’, to a degree, by doubling the refugee quota – right now!
Compassion overload Pfft. – certainly doesn’t extend to the Prime Minister and his party faithful (I’d love to see someone break rank). Good on the government support parties for not brushing aside the idea of a quota increase.
Climate action tracker: “New Zealand’s proposed 2030 INDC target is not on a direct path towards its 2050 goal, which is, in itself, inadequate.”
See the graphs and full report: http://climateactiontracker.org/countries/newzealand
Yes I agree – Labour are out of line on this. Shows how serving two masters is just not doable. Funny even commenters like draco the bastard want us to keep drilling, keep digging and sucking – got to keep their endofdays lifestyle going I spose and it is so much easier to say “do as I say not as I do”.
you said “and” so don’t try and back out now – be proud of your wish to opencast mine our natural resources – fuck you might even get a knighthood buddy.
You could each say what you actually believe yourselves, might save some time and aggro. Just a thought.
Myself, I don’t think all mining is the same. With deep sea oil drilling, even if we can make a good case for using the oil ourselves for good purpose (eg to transition off FF), and we can justify the emissions of that, there is still the risk issue of where the mining is happening and the impact of ‘accidents’. Accidents which I think are inevitable now given the pressures coming on with Peak Oil.
Mining in National Parks should be completely off limits because those ecosystems are far more important than the finite resource we can extract from them.
Other mining I think is case by case. We should be getting to the point of not taking anything out of the earth except rarely, but all of us, including those very opposed to mining, still use and rely on metals and oil every single day. Some of that use is critical, but much of it is simply because of the lifestyles we are used to. So I don’t think mining is that simple.
“but all of us, including those very opposed to mining, still use and rely on metals and oil every single day. Some of that use is critical, but much of it is simply because of the lifestyles we are used to.”
Isn’t that line of thinking just a cop out for everything – we can’t say don’t do something because our society and us uses the product or by-product – so it is an always perpetuating business as usual.
Oh how can you be a vegetarian when you wear leather shoes type of argument
yeah, I didn’t look at the picture, and as a general rule I don’t listen to Key.
All I was saying was we activist types need to go a bit deeper with the solutions. No mining is a starting point, but I want to see how we are going to do that.
Well, I suggest you look to anywhere where I’ve supported open cast mining.
Also, deep sea drilling.
Then you should probably look for where I’ve said that BAU can continue.
Once you’ve failed to find any of that you should say sorry.
When war criminals Blair and Bush illegally invaded Iraq in 2003, they destroyed a country.
Kids washing up dead on beaches in Europe 12 years later are just another consequence of their actions.
Britain and the US are responsible for this humanitarian catastrophe. And they refuse to stop warmongering ( Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan) or look after the refugees they created.
NZ is new to the game, although had our bankster leader Key been PM in 2003, we would have been slavishly following US orders. That we have money to send soldiers to Iraq to cause more misery and destruction, yet have no money for more refugees, shows that we have sunk to the moral abyss of the US.
those war criminals are just the tip of course – behind them the graymen who organise and reap the profits.
This country is not new to the game imo, we are just good at pretending
I have read about the many people who are trying to help this crisis, ordinary people who realise that they could just as easily be on the other side of the razor wire – people do care and they are trying to help imo
meanwhile here in our I-so-late little island some rejoice at our distance from these events and no doubt they and their crony mates would wail tears if bodies of 3 year olds started washing up on our beaches – do you want the good news or the bad news?
I see that a couple of times a year here on flowering kowhai trees. It’s only started in recent times, and since the neighbouring reserve started getting proper pest control. Fantastic sight.
I used to live in Days Bay in Wellington and there were a great series of Kowhai around there. At this time all the Bellbirds in the ranges behind us would come down and have a grand old cacophonous time.
Mind you I’ve never seen 30 Tui anywhere, nice! Great time to feed them.
Haven’t even seen that many at once here in Titirangi.
I have got to agree there Marty, We have a favourite spot we go to regularly in the spring . One great big row of bloosom trees I don’t know what, and this time of year it is loaded with these birds. Can sit there all the afternoon watching and photographing.
I like the art work, magnificent.
Peach Parade in akl looks magnificent when the blossoms are out, enjoy it now before the racecourse gets its way and chucks 12-15 storey blocks on the steeplechase track.
Here this time Fed Farmers Southland president Allan Baird reckons this …………. “”The council has got to try and steer a middle ground between what farmers want, what iwi wants, what Fish & Game want and what other people who use the rivers want.””
Nothing could be further from the truth. Allan Baird has rocks in his head if he thinks whoever sticks their hand up and demands something is entitled to it…. what a frikkin’ loophead … His understanding of the regional council and its obligations is completely wrong and is woeful to the point of being harmful to Fed Farmers (they come across as idiots).
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Big Tobacco stopped the TPPA passing through the US Senate because it was excluded from having the rights to sue states under the ISDS system!
2. “As TPP Grinds To A Halt, Asian Countries Start Focusing On Rival Trade Agreement RCEP – See more at: http://www.theasianews.net/index.php/sid/236343969#sthash.z44FnNEK.dpuf
Australia has focussed more on the US-led TPP in recent months on the basis that it would set important new principles for 21st century commerce in areas including services and regulation but the government now appears to be less confident of any swift conclusion to the TPP.
A participant in the meeting said China appeared to be seizing the opportunity to bring the RCEP to a conclusion after it had been seen to be languishing. [Australia’s trade minister] Robb supported the Chinese objective of pushing for a conclusion.
The article also notes that RCEP has a big advantage in that it is not trying to define an ambitious set of new trading rules, as TPP is, but instead is merely attempting to harmonize existing trade agreements among RCEP’s 16 nations, which also include another major economy absent from TPP — India. The Financial Review column concludes with another small but telling indicator that Asian interest may be shifting away from TPP and towards RCEP:” http://www.infowars.com/as-tpp-grinds-to-a-halt-asian-countries-start-focusing-on-rival-trade-agreement-rcep/
3.”Could the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Be Dead?”
“Canada’s elections are only a month away which gives the Trans Pacific Partnership a whole 30 days to be wrapped up and signed. Many countries have come to the conclusion that the TPP will not be wrapped up by then and have already lost interest in the TPP.” http://economyincrisis.org/content/could-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-be-dead-2
1. The global economy is turning down.
2. When the economy turns to custard, people become angry and isolationist.
Why am I opposed to TPPA? Its creators are the sleaziest, money grubbing bastards on the planet. I don’t trust them to do anything good for anyone except themselves. . . almost always at our expense.
In advance of the international climate negotiations at the end of the year, the Government has set a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 11% below 1990 levels. Climate Tracker, and others, have pointed out this target is low compared to the commitment by other countries, and also comes without a plan of how to achieve it.
The Green Party has put together a plan that sets out a pathway to meet a more ambitious emissions reduction target. This plan can bring us into line with the rest of the world, while also transitioning New Zealand towards a smarter, greener, more prosperous future.
Co-leader James Shaw will launch the emissions reduction plan, and introduce a roadmap for building political consensus around a more ambitious target that New Zealanders can be proud of.
Me too. The GP have this reputation as being the best on social media and connecting, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I’m trying to pull together various links re the presentation, but it’s not easy. Would have been good to have had the slide show online by the time the presentation started too, I found it a bit hard to follow.
no worries, it was pretty short notice. I’m hoping to have a proper look through today. A post would be good, there’s some interesting bits in there. They’ve produced an actual plan that will work within the economy and meet our international obligations which should be accessible to the mainstream even if it’s not enough for the likes of us 😉
I’m hoping this will help the people feeling like they can’t do anything to realise there are things we can actually to. A detailed plan of action is exactly what we need. So not the ultimate solution by any means, but a good start to get us moving.
Maybe this botanic error should be thoroughly checked out as it will have profound implications, our silver fern is unique and it is shabby and ill thought out in design if Kyle Lockwood hasn’t done his homework correctly – like everything else about this Govt when they organise anything they are all hair oil and no socks.
everywhere we turn this is a farce. That’s a good article and yet again shows how far along the path of NZ Inc we are. Wake up sleepy hobbits, not much time left now.
The Black & Silver flag has the leaves opposite each other and the leaf tips are rounded. Both those things are different to what a real silver fern looks like.
At least Lockwood’s designs do have the leaves alternating running up the frond, and the tips are all pointed, which all says to me they more closely represent the real thing.
good point. I tried looking for the original AB silver fern but can’t find it. I’ve got this image in the back of my mind of an actual silver fern shape, who used that?
The sums are paltry. It comes down to replacing all existing flags and defence uniforms and reflagging NZ Government ships and replacing the flag on drivers’ licences.
The last time the NZDF changed their uniforms was all the way back in 2013, for a cost of $13.6 million. Hopefully Fran meant it is only the flag patches that need replacing, not the entire uniform. The cost should only be a few thousand dollars for the new patches. I assume the soldiers will remove the old flag patch and sew on the new flag patch themselves ….. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/2013/20130620nanail.htm
But that is small potatoes and pales into insignificance when we consider another item listed in Fran O’Sullivan’s statement – drivers’ licences.
There are approximately 3,280,603 class 1-6 car licences issued.
There are 486,722 motorcycle licences issued.
As some motorists hold both classes and some motorcyclists don’t hold a car licence lets call it 3,500,000 licences.
The current renewal of a class 1-6 licence costs $43.60
That totals $152,600,000 to replace the licences.
This $152 million is a sum Fran O’Sullivan calls paltry.
So who is going to pay the renewal costs?
Has anyone asked the government?
Personally, having very recently renewed my ten year driver licence, I am not in favour of being asked to pay another $43 for another new licence so a 2cm x 1cm bit of printed plastic conforms with a change the public did not ask for. The fact my car is off the road anyway as I can’t afford to get it roadworthy (or run it) doesn’t help either. So I’m off for a walk into town to once again wander the supermarket aisles, stupefied by the ever increasing prices, as my brain does its best to stretch as far as possible what actually is a paltry sum.
I remember noting the division between me and my weekly income and that of John Hawkesby and the wine fans he was talking to, when he quoted a wine as being very affordable at $30. The viewpoint about what is paltry depends on how high up the income level you are, and of course whether it is a cost that affects others more or those who are lesser mortals on lesser money.
seems an obvious solution doesn’t it weka, especially from an economics point of view – but raises all sorts of issues with fakes etc.
‘Experts’ are well paid to plan these things. I haven’t seen a single publicly disclosed time-line for the re-branding of any government items that require inclusion of the New Zealand flag, if a new flag is adopted, let alone the costings.
ok, mild exaggeration, maybe not “all sorts of issues” but having two different flag images in circulation when fake ID’s and fake driver’s licenses are already a very real problem, surely compounds that problem?
interesting. They need to give that 18year old something better to do with his talents.
I’m not sure that two versions of the licence would make that any worse tbh. If they can already produce fakes that people can’t tell are fakes, would it matter?
was only thinking It adds another layer of uncertainty to the task of spotting them.
Nefarious teens with devious plans aside, another thing crossed my mind about the renewal of licences.
If they do go ahead and demand they all change enmasse, rather than as the expiration dates come up, there will be an enormous demand on the services that renew the licences.
I had an unscientific observational survey of the local AA staff to estimate the time it takes to renew a licence and put against previous personal experience I would surmise it takes 8-12 minutes per licence – this includes paperwork, photo & transaction fee processing.
The government might allow the digital photo on file to be used to speed up the process but we can’t count on that, so let’s use 10 minutes as the ballpark figure. I tried to find out on-line what the current average annual renewal volume is, to no avail. When I made enquiries to NZTA I was told I needed to apply in writing and there would probably be a fee.
User-pays data or food? End result, I have no current NZTA figures on annual volumes of driver licence renewals to gauge against the herculean task of renewing 3.5 million licences.
What there is, is the data we know
3.5 million licences at approximately 10minutes per licence is 583,333 hours or 24,305 days
There are 69 authorised driver licence agents across the country. AA has 38 centres, VTNZ has 27 and VINZ has 4.
This conundrum presents those offices with 352 days of 24/7 activity to renew the approximately 3.5 million private car and motorcycle licences currently in circulation.
My guess would be they are going to be compelled to have people update their licences as they come up for renewal.
note: None of the above includes truck/special vehicle/passenger licences or endorsements
They were actually very friendly and very prompt in answering. More so than my current telco anyway.
but an OIA? yeah nah, I’m gonna foolishly assume the bean-counters in the back office will be onto that already because sooner or later the MSM will need to present such information, when enough people start to ask the question.
If someone in his position is that stupid that he thinks that ,that shit is appropriate any where then they are not fit for office ,its the same with key pulling ponytails . I would prefer my “leaders ” to be a bit more aware.
I don’t have a lot of time for Trotter – but he is correct on this one
In other words, it’s a flag that speaks directly to this country’s past, present and future. For that reason, alone, it makes the strongest case for being chosen as the present flag’s replacement. That it is also a superb design merely strengthens its claim.
I rather like that flag too marty. Recognizable. Colour. Balanced. Symmetrical. If that was up for choosing alongside the Morgan one I would get really interested. As it is I will vote for the Koru as least best. (Not the spoiled ballot paper as that still leaves the vote for one of the others which will “win” and a spoiled paper will not change the outcome.
MADE FROM NEW ZEALAND
Red Peak was designed to reflect distinctly powerful and fundamental visual elements from New Zealand culture. The challenge was to break down multicultural elements into the most simple shared forms.
The flag design uses a primary shape of triangle/chevron which is drawn from Taniko weaving patterns. The shapes and colour positioning suggest a landscape of alpine ranges, red earth, and black sky, which refers to the Maori mythology of Rangi & Papa. The red triangle with white stripe is an iteration of elements of our existing flags (tip of our existing Stars, Union Jack detail, Commonwealth Games 74 logo).
This is the beginning of the end of the EU as we have known it, for sure, and more fractures will come soon, as this refugee disaster, totally mismanaged by a “union” that has not got its act together, is causing stress levels so far unknown to Europe.
It is every one to their own, Greece was just barely “rescued” from bankcruptcy weeks ago, and to get that managed, the Eurozone, a large part of the EU member states, was already stressed to the limits, as they struggled to agree on a “rescue package”, which some rather considered a dictate of harsh terms.
Now the refugee crisis is finishing off Europe, as Hungary goes its way, tells Germany and other states to get stuffed, and simply sends trains to the Austrian border, so the thousands on them can move on. In the meantime they will build more fences and walls, pass draconian “anti migrant” laws, ban refugees from entering and more. Before that Slovakia and some other new member states expressed similar concerns as the Hungarian government.
The cobbled together, expanded EU has reached its limits, and is facing at least partial collapse.
Merckel and others stand there unable to do much, as they themselves face a dilemma. While many in their populations in Germany, Austria, perhaps Sweden and a few other countries may show solidarity, and offer support for Syrian and other refugees, there is also strong opposition brewing among the “silent majority”, who oppose further intake of refugees.
The strategy of Islamic State (ISIS) is working, bringing Europe to its knees, I fear.
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Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
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 ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a women’s problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/ShutterstockPlans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...
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Jim Mora reckons Europe might be suffering “compassion overload”;
Is he an appropriate person to make such a remark?
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Wednesday 2 September 2015, 4:45 p.m.
Jim Mora, Susan Hornsby-Geluk, Max Ritchie
humbug n. 1. the quality of falseness or deception; 2. a person who is not what he or she claims or pretends to be; impostor; 3. a boiled lolly.
All this strife in the Middle East and Africa means that the refugee situation is getting worse. Is the problem that we Europeans and Kiwis are just too darned compassionate? In fact, so compassionate that we are suffering from “compassion overload”?
Well, that’s what Jim Mora thinks might be the trouble…..
MAX RITCHIE: New Zealanders are compassionate, caring people. Ahh, we’ve got, y’know, I was talking earlier on about the nature of New Zealanders, we DO care. But let’s do it properly.
JIM MORA: [deep intake of breath to indicate moral seriousness] I take your point about the, um, humanitarian crises that are ignored, that aren’t to do with Europe. But, ahh, the current flow is surely a humanitarian crisis for all those poor people trying to hop across the razor wire and—
MAX RITCHIE: Of course it is. Of course it is. But we had exactly the same size, ahhhh, last year, the year before, the year before that and the year before that.
JIM MORA: Did we?
MAX RITCHIE: Oooh yeah. This isn’t new, people affected by war, there were people flooding out of countries in Africa ten and twenty years ago, it was just as great as this, but they weren’t going to Europe, that’s the difference.
JIM MORA: I’ll get Professor Al Gillespie’s take on your opinion too, but before I do, Susan what do YOU think?
SUSAN HORNSBY-GELUK: Oh it seems that, um, seven hundred and fifty refugees a year for New Zealand is way too few. I mean, we’ve had that number apparently for so many years that it was, you know, the same when we had, y’know, two million people, so it does need to increase. Whether it needs to increase immediately, well yes, I think there is more a symbolic relevance there than a practical one because I don’t think the people from Europe will make it this far, but I think symbolically everyone needs to be doing their bit.
JIM MORA: Okay. Professor Al Gillespie, an expert on international law from the University of Waikato and pro-vice chancellor of research. Al, good afternoon.
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Good afternoon, Jim.
JIM MORA: A few things to ask you. First of all, I mean, the point of that texter, how do we line up against other countries? I mean, because China actually does take refugees of a sort, doesn’t it, North Koreans for example.
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: It takes a few North Koreans and it took a few in the Vietnamese war as well. But both China and India, which are the two big powerhouses in the region, are now playing a very political game and not taking many more because they don’t want to upset their neighbors. The difference with China and India is that China signed the 1951 refugee convention but India hasn’t. But with regards to the Middle East, China very much sees this as a problem that the West’s caused and therefore one the West should solve.
JIM MORA: Do you buy that or would, um, [weary exhalation of breath] do you consider it morally reprehensible?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I think we need to see it from the point of human suffering. We’ve all got a responsibility here because these people have got no options, no alternative. And there’s a difference here between refugees and migrants. The migrants are just people who are looking for a better economic lifestyle, and there’s no debate that these people should be pushed back to the countries that they came from. But for refugees, they are applying because ultimately someone’s trying to kill them, or because their human rights have been severely degraded.
JIM MORA: I used the word “migrants” on air yesterday—it’s been used a lot by media coverage—and was told off by listeners who said, you know, the people in Hungary are refugees. So what ARE they, in your view?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Some are refugees, some are migrants. But it’s not just the ones coming across from the Middle East at the moment. There are also people coming up from North Africa where there IS no conflict in certain parts, or also they’re coming from Kosovo or certain parts of the Balkans, and again these are migrants, not people fleeing for fear of their life.
JIM MORA: [long, deep intake of breath] Is Europe—because Max’s argument is “it was always thus, or it’s been thus for a while”—is Europe suffering compassion overload now? What do you reckon?
PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I think there is a limit to our empathy. He’s partly correct on one point….
I could keep transcribing this, but I just cannot bear it any longer. I am sure that I am not the only listener who was appalled to hear Jim Mora, of all people, chuntering on about “compassion overload”. Over the last ten years, Mora has showed precious little hint of any compassion at all, leave alone “compassion overload”. Just over a year ago he and a couple of sneering National Party pricks, Chris Wikaira and David Farrar, were chuckling at the fate of War Criminals’ Enemy No. 1….
David Farrar seemed to be tickled pink at Mora’s display of sparklingwit, and added his own twist of the knife:
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20082014/#comment-869959
I’m appalled if this transcript is what passes for insightful commentary. Who is Max Ritchie and why should I pay any attention to what he, or Mr Mora thinks?
But yeah – NZ can ‘do it properly’, to a degree, by doubling the refugee quota – right now!
Compassion overload Pfft. – certainly doesn’t extend to the Prime Minister and his party faithful (I’d love to see someone break rank). Good on the government support parties for not brushing aside the idea of a quota increase.
I stopped listening to Mora a while back.
His programme is an utter disgrace.
Mora’s panel is another vehicle in the Dirty Politics fleet and a good example of the depths RNZ has sunk to under Griffins stewardship.
Boring why not just a link with a brief preamble?
Boring why not just a link with a brief preamble?
And what is wrong with the occasional magnum opus, may we ask?
Climate action tracker: “New Zealand’s proposed 2030 INDC target is not on a direct path towards its 2050 goal, which is, in itself, inadequate.”
See the graphs and full report:
http://climateactiontracker.org/countries/newzealand
SHAME!!!!
How can the Labour Party support deep sea oil drilling in the light of the Climate Change information?
I challenge them to revisit their stance.
This support for further oil exploration plus not coming out directly with No to TPPA is turning off more support than it is gaining.
Yes I agree – Labour are out of line on this. Shows how serving two masters is just not doable. Funny even commenters like draco the bastard want us to keep drilling, keep digging and sucking – got to keep their endofdays lifestyle going I spose and it is so much easier to say “do as I say not as I do”.
And, as you well know but have ignored, I put very strict conditions on that mining and drilling.
yep you do and what I said is true too.
No, not even close.
you said “and” so don’t try and back out now – be proud of your wish to opencast mine our natural resources – fuck you might even get a knighthood buddy.
You could each say what you actually believe yourselves, might save some time and aggro. Just a thought.
Myself, I don’t think all mining is the same. With deep sea oil drilling, even if we can make a good case for using the oil ourselves for good purpose (eg to transition off FF), and we can justify the emissions of that, there is still the risk issue of where the mining is happening and the impact of ‘accidents’. Accidents which I think are inevitable now given the pressures coming on with Peak Oil.
Mining in National Parks should be completely off limits because those ecosystems are far more important than the finite resource we can extract from them.
Other mining I think is case by case. We should be getting to the point of not taking anything out of the earth except rarely, but all of us, including those very opposed to mining, still use and rely on metals and oil every single day. Some of that use is critical, but much of it is simply because of the lifestyles we are used to. So I don’t think mining is that simple.
“but all of us, including those very opposed to mining, still use and rely on metals and oil every single day. Some of that use is critical, but much of it is simply because of the lifestyles we are used to.”
Isn’t that line of thinking just a cop out for everything – we can’t say don’t do something because our society and us uses the product or by-product – so it is an always perpetuating business as usual.
Oh how can you be a vegetarian when you wear leather shoes type of argument
I didn’t say we can’t do anything 🙂 Why would you think that?
I don’t know – feeling a bit put out today – think I’ll sit the rest of the day out 🙂
I feel quite agitated – that image of the child dead on the beach, key fucking going on like he gives a shit about anyone other than himself – grrrr
yeah, I didn’t look at the picture, and as a general rule I don’t listen to Key.
All I was saying was we activist types need to go a bit deeper with the solutions. No mining is a starting point, but I want to see how we are going to do that.
Hope your afternoon is good to you 🙂
Nope, still not even close. In fact, I’d say that you’re seriously misrepresenting everything that I’ve said on the matter.
If I have I will concede and say sorry..
Well, I suggest you look to anywhere where I’ve supported open cast mining.
Also, deep sea drilling.
Then you should probably look for where I’ve said that BAU can continue.
Once you’ve failed to find any of that you should say sorry.
I haven’t looked but I’ll take you at your word – I am sorry.
Apology accepted.
When war criminals Blair and Bush illegally invaded Iraq in 2003, they destroyed a country.
Kids washing up dead on beaches in Europe 12 years later are just another consequence of their actions.
Britain and the US are responsible for this humanitarian catastrophe. And they refuse to stop warmongering ( Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan) or look after the refugees they created.
NZ is new to the game, although had our bankster leader Key been PM in 2003, we would have been slavishly following US orders. That we have money to send soldiers to Iraq to cause more misery and destruction, yet have no money for more refugees, shows that we have sunk to the moral abyss of the US.
Shame on Key and his US lackey government.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/shocking-image-of-drowned-syrian-boy-shows-tragic-plight-of-refugees
I agree with most of that, and
those war criminals are just the tip of course – behind them the graymen who organise and reap the profits.
This country is not new to the game imo, we are just good at pretending
I have read about the many people who are trying to help this crisis, ordinary people who realise that they could just as easily be on the other side of the razor wire – people do care and they are trying to help imo
meanwhile here in our I-so-late little island some rejoice at our distance from these events and no doubt they and their crony mates would wail tears if bodies of 3 year olds started washing up on our beaches – do you want the good news or the bad news?
Wicked – just watched 30, yes thirty, Tui hanging around in a flowering cherry tree – good start to the day.
They all looked as Robin interprets them – fierce, direct, beautiful.
http://redartgallery.com/collections/robin-slow/products/untitled
I see that a couple of times a year here on flowering kowhai trees. It’s only started in recent times, and since the neighbouring reserve started getting proper pest control. Fantastic sight.
I used to live in Days Bay in Wellington and there were a great series of Kowhai around there. At this time all the Bellbirds in the ranges behind us would come down and have a grand old cacophonous time.
Mind you I’ve never seen 30 Tui anywhere, nice! Great time to feed them.
Haven’t even seen that many at once here in Titirangi.
I have got to agree there Marty, We have a favourite spot we go to regularly in the spring . One great big row of bloosom trees I don’t know what, and this time of year it is loaded with these birds. Can sit there all the afternoon watching and photographing.
I like the art work, magnificent.
Peach Parade in akl looks magnificent when the blossoms are out, enjoy it now before the racecourse gets its way and chucks 12-15 storey blocks on the steeplechase track.
Federated Farmers really seriously genuinely need to deepen their thoughts and analysis as they simply get things wrong time and time and time again…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/71665796/environment-southland-airs-frustration-with-federated-farmers
Here this time Fed Farmers Southland president Allan Baird reckons this …………. “”The council has got to try and steer a middle ground between what farmers want, what iwi wants, what Fish & Game want and what other people who use the rivers want.””
Nothing could be further from the truth. Allan Baird has rocks in his head if he thinks whoever sticks their hand up and demands something is entitled to it…. what a frikkin’ loophead … His understanding of the regional council and its obligations is completely wrong and is woeful to the point of being harmful to Fed Farmers (they come across as idiots).
That does seem to be the default setting for a lot of people these days. Our economic system has divorced people from the reality of scarce resources.
Politically motivated SPAM?
The CEO of an iconic NZ Company supporting privatisation of our healthcare service.?
Apparently this email has been sent to all Southern Cross members by Peter Tynan the CEO of Southern Cross: http://tinyurl.com/prnhjv3
No surprise where his loyalties lie on this issue but using his organisations membership list to promote a political issue seems a little naive to me.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Big Tobacco stopped the TPPA passing through the US Senate because it was excluded from having the rights to sue states under the ISDS system!
http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/could-tobacco-carveout-kill-tpp/
The latest TPPA news sounds promising!
1 .”Canada scuttles Australia’s TPP bid”
….., it looks as if the TPP could finally be ‘dead and buried’ – a view confirmed today via The Australian Dairy Farmer, which claims that Canada’s refusal to give ground on dairy protection has helped scuttle the deal:”
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/09/canada-scuttles-australias-tpp-bid/
and
http://adf.farmonline.com.au/news/magazine/industry-news/general/canada-dairy-protection-hurts-tpp-bid/2742090.aspx
2. “As TPP Grinds To A Halt, Asian Countries Start Focusing On Rival Trade Agreement RCEP – See more at: http://www.theasianews.net/index.php/sid/236343969#sthash.z44FnNEK.dpuf
Australia has focussed more on the US-led TPP in recent months on the basis that it would set important new principles for 21st century commerce in areas including services and regulation but the government now appears to be less confident of any swift conclusion to the TPP.
A participant in the meeting said China appeared to be seizing the opportunity to bring the RCEP to a conclusion after it had been seen to be languishing. [Australia’s trade minister] Robb supported the Chinese objective of pushing for a conclusion.
The article also notes that RCEP has a big advantage in that it is not trying to define an ambitious set of new trading rules, as TPP is, but instead is merely attempting to harmonize existing trade agreements among RCEP’s 16 nations, which also include another major economy absent from TPP — India. The Financial Review column concludes with another small but telling indicator that Asian interest may be shifting away from TPP and towards RCEP:”
http://www.infowars.com/as-tpp-grinds-to-a-halt-asian-countries-start-focusing-on-rival-trade-agreement-rcep/
3.”Could the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Be Dead?”
“Canada’s elections are only a month away which gives the Trans Pacific Partnership a whole 30 days to be wrapped up and signed. Many countries have come to the conclusion that the TPP will not be wrapped up by then and have already lost interest in the TPP.”
http://economyincrisis.org/content/could-the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-be-dead-2
That’s all good news about TPPA.
My expectations are:
1. The global economy is turning down.
2. When the economy turns to custard, people become angry and isolationist.
Why am I opposed to TPPA? Its creators are the sleaziest, money grubbing bastards on the planet. I don’t trust them to do anything good for anyone except themselves. . . almost always at our expense.
any chance this could go up as a Notice?
YES WE CAN – a plan for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emisions.
Announcement and Livestream today, 12.30pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/865812643501395/
Thanks Weka
Here are the various links from the presentation. The first part was a speech, the second was a power point presentation about the actual plan.
Part 1: Speech transcript
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/speeches/yes-we-can-plan-significantly-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Part 2: PP summary,
https://www.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/YesWeCanOnePagerFINAL.pdf
Part 2: Slides,
https://www.greens.org.nz/sites/default/files/YesWeCanPresentation.pdf
Press release,
https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-releases/yes-we-can-green-climate-plan-shows-40-target-2030-achievable
There was much more detail in the power point, so I hope they get that up online soon.
I found this useful to look at while listening too. It has a pie chart of GHG sectors and emissions in NZ.
https://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/files/media/Climate%20Change/ghg-inventory-2014-snapshot.pdf
Video is here,
http://livestream.com/nzgreens/climate/videos/98017470
Full version of the plan plus appendices for
Electricity
Transport
Other combustion of fossil fuels
Industrial processes
Waste
Forestry
QELRO and emissions budget
https://www.greens.org.nz/file/yes-we-can-finalpdf
What will Labour say?
Will they back the Greens or sit on their hands?
That could well decide my party vote in 2017 and to whom my donations go.
Miffed – did not get to hear Q and A
Me too. The GP have this reputation as being the best on social media and connecting, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I’m trying to pull together various links re the presentation, but it’s not easy. Would have been good to have had the slide show online by the time the presentation started too, I found it a bit hard to follow.
Shit. Sorry Weka. Missed that, or I would have thrown it up. Been reading through the full policy with an eye to a post on it though?
no worries, it was pretty short notice. I’m hoping to have a proper look through today. A post would be good, there’s some interesting bits in there. They’ve produced an actual plan that will work within the economy and meet our international obligations which should be accessible to the mainstream even if it’s not enough for the likes of us 😉
I’m hoping this will help the people feeling like they can’t do anything to realise there are things we can actually to. A detailed plan of action is exactly what we need. So not the ultimate solution by any means, but a good start to get us moving.
Oops! “If we are to recognise our history and use national symbols, we ought to get them right. Kyle Lockwood’s silver fern is a generic, two-divisional plant fern that can be found on every continent.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11506892 – David Ellison
Maybe this botanic error should be thoroughly checked out as it will have profound implications, our silver fern is unique and it is shabby and ill thought out in design if Kyle Lockwood hasn’t done his homework correctly – like everything else about this Govt when they organise anything they are all hair oil and no socks.
everywhere we turn this is a farce. That’s a good article and yet again shows how far along the path of NZ Inc we are. Wake up sleepy hobbits, not much time left now.
I have a major problem with Ellison’s comment though, the flag that he is backing is the Black & Silver flag, a flag that is even more botanically incorrect. https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/gallery/design/15513
The Black & Silver flag has the leaves opposite each other and the leaf tips are rounded. Both those things are different to what a real silver fern looks like.
At least Lockwood’s designs do have the leaves alternating running up the frond, and the tips are all pointed, which all says to me they more closely represent the real thing.
good point. I tried looking for the original AB silver fern but can’t find it. I’ve got this image in the back of my mind of an actual silver fern shape, who used that?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11506379
The last time the NZDF changed their uniforms was all the way back in 2013, for a cost of $13.6 million. Hopefully Fran meant it is only the flag patches that need replacing, not the entire uniform. The cost should only be a few thousand dollars for the new patches. I assume the soldiers will remove the old flag patch and sew on the new flag patch themselves …..
http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/2013/20130620nanail.htm
But that is small potatoes and pales into insignificance when we consider another item listed in Fran O’Sullivan’s statement – drivers’ licences.
http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Research/Documents/Motor-Vehicle-Crashes-2013/Motor-vehicle-crashes-2013-Driver-licence-and-vehicle-fleet-statistics.pdf
There are approximately 3,280,603 class 1-6 car licences issued.
There are 486,722 motorcycle licences issued.
As some motorists hold both classes and some motorcyclists don’t hold a car licence lets call it 3,500,000 licences.
The current renewal of a class 1-6 licence costs $43.60
That totals $152,600,000 to replace the licences.
This $152 million is a sum Fran O’Sullivan calls paltry.
So who is going to pay the renewal costs?
Has anyone asked the government?
Personally, having very recently renewed my ten year driver licence, I am not in favour of being asked to pay another $43 for another new licence so a 2cm x 1cm bit of printed plastic conforms with a change the public did not ask for. The fact my car is off the road anyway as I can’t afford to get it roadworthy (or run it) doesn’t help either. So I’m off for a walk into town to once again wander the supermarket aisles, stupefied by the ever increasing prices, as my brain does its best to stretch as far as possible what actually is a paltry sum.
kia kaha freedom
A paltry fran as usual
I remember noting the division between me and my weekly income and that of John Hawkesby and the wine fans he was talking to, when he quoted a wine as being very affordable at $30. The viewpoint about what is paltry depends on how high up the income level you are, and of course whether it is a cost that affects others more or those who are lesser mortals on lesser money.
Why not wait until the 10 year change for each person?
why wait when you can extort the money because people have to have the new tea towel printed on their lisences……
How much money is the Government gonna make on the GST component alone?
We have a Grifter Government run by and for Grifters.
enough to pay for a flag referendum perhaps?
Weka, that would be the most logical and cost effective approach.
seems an obvious solution doesn’t it weka, especially from an economics point of view – but raises all sorts of issues with fakes etc.
‘Experts’ are well paid to plan these things. I haven’t seen a single publicly disclosed time-line for the re-branding of any government items that require inclusion of the New Zealand flag, if a new flag is adopted, let alone the costings.
“but raises all sorts of issues with fakes etc.”
how so?
ok, mild exaggeration, maybe not “all sorts of issues” but having two different flag images in circulation when fake ID’s and fake driver’s licenses are already a very real problem, surely compounds that problem?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/68803722/Wellington-police-fight-uphill-battle-against-fake-IDs
interesting. They need to give that 18year old something better to do with his talents.
I’m not sure that two versions of the licence would make that any worse tbh. If they can already produce fakes that people can’t tell are fakes, would it matter?
was only thinking It adds another layer of uncertainty to the task of spotting them.
Nefarious teens with devious plans aside, another thing crossed my mind about the renewal of licences.
If they do go ahead and demand they all change enmasse, rather than as the expiration dates come up, there will be an enormous demand on the services that renew the licences.
I had an unscientific observational survey of the local AA staff to estimate the time it takes to renew a licence and put against previous personal experience I would surmise it takes 8-12 minutes per licence – this includes paperwork, photo & transaction fee processing.
The government might allow the digital photo on file to be used to speed up the process but we can’t count on that, so let’s use 10 minutes as the ballpark figure. I tried to find out on-line what the current average annual renewal volume is, to no avail. When I made enquiries to NZTA I was told I needed to apply in writing and there would probably be a fee.
User-pays data or food? End result, I have no current NZTA figures on annual volumes of driver licence renewals to gauge against the herculean task of renewing 3.5 million licences.
What there is, is the data we know
3.5 million licences at approximately 10minutes per licence is 583,333 hours or 24,305 days
There are 69 authorised driver licence agents across the country. AA has 38 centres, VTNZ has 27 and VINZ has 4.
This conundrum presents those offices with 352 days of 24/7 activity to renew the approximately 3.5 million private car and motorcycle licences currently in circulation.
My guess would be they are going to be compelled to have people update their licences as they come up for renewal.
note: None of the above includes truck/special vehicle/passenger licences or endorsements
Nice accounting. I’m guessing they’ll do it at the ten year renewal too.
Not surprised by the NZTA, was that the call centre? For some reason they’re one of the more authoritarian govt depts. You could OIA them 😈
They were actually very friendly and very prompt in answering. More so than my current telco anyway.
but an OIA? yeah nah, I’m gonna foolishly assume the bean-counters in the back office will be onto that already because sooner or later the MSM will need to present such information, when enough people start to ask the question.
Steve Keen: Why Capitalism Needs a Debt Jubilee to Survive (Video)
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71698532/Maurice-Williamson-so-offensive-conference-attendees-walked-out
Surely they have to sack this fool this time!!
I hope so – he is a parody of a person now.
If someone in his position is that stupid that he thinks that ,that shit is appropriate any where then they are not fit for office ,its the same with key pulling ponytails . I would prefer my “leaders ” to be a bit more aware.
How odd is this – it’s almost 10 years since the Stern review.
Global capitalism – happy to watch us burn.
I don’t have a lot of time for Trotter – but he is correct on this one
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/71655482/why-the-tino-rangatiratanga-flag-should-be-our-national-choice
I rather like that flag too marty. Recognizable. Colour. Balanced. Symmetrical. If that was up for choosing alongside the Morgan one I would get really interested. As it is I will vote for the Koru as least best. (Not the spoiled ballot paper as that still leaves the vote for one of the others which will “win” and a spoiled paper will not change the outcome.
I’ve decided that I will vote for the flag that looks like the monkey butt in the playoff round of “Pimp My Flag NZ”.
Do we txt vote in this reality TV program, or is it down to facebook likes?
This is the first flag I’ve seen that’s made me think a new flag might be a good idea,
https://www.facebook.com/redpeakflag
Can everyone else see the smilies, or has something happened to them?
🙂 🙄 😈 😉
I can.
ok, prob at my end then.
With shock and disappointment, I conclude, the “European Idea” is nothing but DEAD:
http://www.dw.com/en/orban-refugee-crisis-is-a-german-problem/a-18691306
This is the beginning of the end of the EU as we have known it, for sure, and more fractures will come soon, as this refugee disaster, totally mismanaged by a “union” that has not got its act together, is causing stress levels so far unknown to Europe.
It is every one to their own, Greece was just barely “rescued” from bankcruptcy weeks ago, and to get that managed, the Eurozone, a large part of the EU member states, was already stressed to the limits, as they struggled to agree on a “rescue package”, which some rather considered a dictate of harsh terms.
Now the refugee crisis is finishing off Europe, as Hungary goes its way, tells Germany and other states to get stuffed, and simply sends trains to the Austrian border, so the thousands on them can move on. In the meantime they will build more fences and walls, pass draconian “anti migrant” laws, ban refugees from entering and more. Before that Slovakia and some other new member states expressed similar concerns as the Hungarian government.
The cobbled together, expanded EU has reached its limits, and is facing at least partial collapse.
Merckel and others stand there unable to do much, as they themselves face a dilemma. While many in their populations in Germany, Austria, perhaps Sweden and a few other countries may show solidarity, and offer support for Syrian and other refugees, there is also strong opposition brewing among the “silent majority”, who oppose further intake of refugees.
The strategy of Islamic State (ISIS) is working, bringing Europe to its knees, I fear.
Things get no better at the Herald when Trev’ tries to be funny, tries to whip up a howler.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11506974
Ya just ain’t got it Trev’. There’s a good spot I know writing mawkish greeting cards. Call me.