. Yesterday, I had a look at a Katipo Open Mike comment on here. He had a video link to David Cunliffe’s launch of the last Election.
How the hell did we lose Cunliffe ? Why did we punish him ? Why did we disgrace him?
The Labour Party was alive with Cunliffe. National hated him.
As to Left and Right – its a stupid way of approaching elections – in my view. The approach should always be POLICY. For policy contains solutions.
National rides high because it has a policy of giving increasing wealth to the wealthy. Labour should have a Policy of giving wealth to everybody. Especially to young emerging Kiwis – who are being slaughtered by National.
Unaffordable Housing; unaffordable Rents; unaffordable tertiary degrees; unaffordable Heating; unafforable Food; mismanaged Crime; mismanaged Health; shocking Education stuff ups. The National disaster is endless.
Lets get a few politicians who can speak with non fake belief and clarity. Let them talk as if they meant it. Let them shock the Nation with good policy. Roar like Lions; don’t squeak like mice.
Follow the Cunliffe model. Which was, as far as I can see, the Model of the great Labour Politicians of the past. Great men – with great solutions. With a caucus of giants.
I am not laughing Observer Tokoroa – I think your comment is spot-on. The existence of the Alliance played a big part in Helen Clark’s being elected – it showed supporters that she would not be able to cave to the right the minute she got in, even if she had wanted to. The loss of Cunliffe means the loss of that kind of assurance, and the Greens cannot make up the difference. It was not Cunliffe’s fault that Labour lost in 2014, it was the whole parliamentary party’s fault. The voters being seriously harmed by the things on your list can only be reassured by having the confidence to believe that Labour is on their side. The sidelining of Cunliffe dents that confidence.
It was not just the Alliance that helped Helen in 1999 but the effects of nine years of hard right , clinical National government and who can forget the lovely Jenny who was promising more of the same.
It was a hard road back after near annihilation in 1990 and as now an electorate that bought into tax cuts and a illusion of a privately run public service where making a profit was the goal and still had the peoples welfare as its concern which turned out to be false after the much vaunted “Mother of all budgets”
And MMP changed the whole political landscape and the all important party vote became the focus and minority government.
And Winstons famous” vote for me to change the government” and then gave it a third term.
Helen stood firm with poor polling numbers and went on to win three elections.
After giving us 6 years of Neo-Liberal mayhem, dont forget!
Those that think the voters liked the Neo-liberal prescription, should remember what it did to the Labour vote, in 1990.
Which is why National now are very good at keeping the more obvious parts of our former democratic socialist State, while, like rats, they gnaw away at the underpinnings.
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To whom thanks is due
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Olwyn – Half Crown – Paul – Mary A.
. 2017 is only a few days away. To attract people to good Policy we need an Authoritative Leader. One who uses few words. Words which carry and do not steal away shamefully or shyly into the ether.
She or He does not need to debate with whatever person has been declared to be an interviewer. Tell them. Don’t debate them. Short pin-point words. For example: “We will establish realistic rentals which New Zealanders can afford from their low wages.”
We will NOT subdise Land Lords in any way shape of form.
We will make Landlords pay interest on their loans – so that they can be like the rest of New Zealand borrowers.
We will thoroughly check out what each Landlord claims on their tax- so that they will be honourable and not commit fraud.
He or She – must say it with authority. And invite Herself / Himself back for another nice interview in the near future.
Underlying Philosophy: LandLords can only charge a reasonable rent based primarily on the minimum wage. However high earning renters would be expected to pay a higher percentage. Realism.
Someone else who has a wider view of what ‘dirty politics’ can be:
Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox’s only path back into Parliament may be through winning Ikaroa Rāwhiti, but says she will have to overcome “dirty politics” to do so.
Ms Fox said the biggest challenge in the Ikaroa Rāwhiti electorate, which covers the southeast coast of the North Island, would be overcoming the “misinformation and dirty politics that gets played out up there”.
Asked whether she was referring to current Ikaroa Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri or her supporters, she responded by suggesting journalists look at the local paper.
he must mean something surely, otherwise why put it up – I suspect he’s trying to have a go at labour or the left or one of his many many many opponents – just trying to work out which way the peanut is falling.
The beige badger has long been a useful ally for the rightie meme-merchants like Slater and Farrar who immediately pulled the ‘everyone does it’ line in the wake of Hager’s book. At least they knew what they were doing.
That’s nonsense. I haven’t said everyone does it like they were doing it.
But I have said that because they were crap anyone else less bad should not be criticised. It’s like if someone commits murder then any form of lesser assault doesn’t deserve criticism – which is stupid.
Which is not what either the sewerbloggers said or what I wrote just up there a few pixels. False equivalence relied on them just saying the first part and relying on half-arsed reading to supply the rest. You truly are a man of the people.
“But I have said that because they were crap anyone else less bad should not be criticised. It’s like if someone commits murder then any form of lesser assault doesn’t deserve criticism – which is stupid.”
Go back and read Nicky Hager’s book Pete.
Go back and read it.
Seriously. Comparing minor parish handbags to be the same as Ede+Lusk+Whaleoil’s large-scale black ops shows you have a poor understanding of actual politics.
I’ve read the book well enough, I got a copy as soon as it was available (I had one on order).
The scale of Ede+Lusk+Whaleoil’s black ops were unprecedented (as far as is publicly known). And I have often condemned that – Slater reacted to the extent that he tried to help others set me up and imprison me, or at least that was their threat.
But it’s pathetic to say that black ops have to be as bad as they were to qualify as dirty.
Some people have gone to some lengths to claim that ‘dirty politics’ should only apply to their narrow definition.
I expect you do think of it in those terms. My memory of it is of people schooling you multiple times (to no avail, natch) in how “dirty politics” is about deceitful, intimidating or corrupt practice, not about somebody calling you a rude name on a comments thread. You proved as impervious to insight as usual.
so a politician mentioning dirty politics in politics is not related to a book that describes techniques and facts around dirty politics in politics. riiight
Some people havePete George has gone to some lengths to claim that ‘dirty politics’ should only apply to their narrow definitionbe defined so broadly it’s completely meaningless.
Why are you linking to that disgustingly dirty lusk?
Your whole comment is a Trojan horse – a fake comment (in that the purpose of putting the comment in is actually not related to the content of the comment but rather relates to a pet peeve of yours) and you double down (and try to be knowledgeable) by linking to lusk. How many fails within one comment pete – really? go home and rethink your infantile strategy mate.
by your lack of discussion with the points I raised, it shows I am correct – funny how you use dirty tricks like distraction and dead cat throwing to change the discussion so that you never have to front up to anything – rethink your infantile strategy – you are a known idiot here bub.
Great Moments in Broadcasting. NOT is an occasional series highlighting some of the worst moments in our pretty shameful history of broadcasting mediocrity and downright failure.
Kim Hill spouts braindead neocon ideology yet again
RNZ National, Saturday 3 December 2016
Kim Hill interviewed an interesting guest at 8:25 a.m. this morning….
Olivier Weber has been a war correspondent for 25 years,covering conflict in Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Iraq. He was an assistant professor at the Institut d’études politiques de Paris, President of the Prize Joseph Kessel and former Ambassador of France at large. Olivier Weber has won several national and international awards for literature and journalism, in particular for his stories on Afghanistan and for his books on war. His writing has been translated into a dozen languages. He is touring New Zealand as a guest of Alliance Francaise and will speak in Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North, Nelson and Christchurch.
Sadly, though, Kim Hill doesn’t seem capable of getting through a political interview without indulging in ritual obeisances to prevailing government messaging. This morning she pretended to be astonished when her guest said that the U.S./U.K. aggression against Iraq had been nothing less than a disaster.
I sent her the following email….
Your politically loaded question to Olivier Weber
Dear Kim,
You asked Olivier Weber, in apparent high seriousness: “So no matter how bad the leader—Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Bashar al-Assad—you shouldn’t go in and get rid of him?” You forgot to mention another convenient focus of Western wrath: Robert Mugabe.
It’s interesting that you chose a triumvirate of officially ordained enemies. Surely it would be equally valid to “go in and get rid of” the likes of Barack Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu and King Salman. Why would you not choose one of those names?
Yours in astonishment at the political bias of our media,
Off base Morrissey. Kim Hill is the best interviewer in NZ. She asks tough questions of both sides, that’s why FJK won’t go on her programme but he will go on softcock Veitchy on Sport
I share your high opinion of Kim Hill, ropata. As you say, she does ask tough questions, and dullards like John Key are rightly frightened of her. Key no doubt heard, or was informed of, her evisceration of John Howard a few years ago.
But, as this morning’s failure shows only too starkly, she has some flaws. One of the worst of those flaws is a tendency to thoughtlessly reiterate official lies and, as shown by her careful selection of three official enemies to illustrate “bad leaders”, a crucial failure of moral courage. in 2003 John Pilger memorably keelhauled her for exactly that behaviour. “You waste my time because you have not prepared for this interview,” he angrily told her. “This interview frankly is a disgrace.”….
Gosh that article is simply jaw-dropping. I am reminded of what happens to animal colonies in Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene when the selfish come to dominate a previously altruistic colony.
You are so right! If there were ever a textbook example why meritocracy may sound appealing but clearly has unintended consequences it is ‘god-like’ Richard Dawkins. On top of that, he gives scientists and intellectuals a bad name.
completely unjustifiable…but not news. Douglas and co instituted this grand con back in the day and it has been gleefully expanded ever since (and as we know “wages are sticky’)…..it will be one hell of a shit fight to bring these back to realistic (and a true reflection of their capabilities) level.
Thanks Stever – def worth reading. North and South have been doing some decent commentary of late about real issues not just sucking up and sending out propaganda drivel like many of their peer publications.
Might I also suggest a people’s (that’s us) performance assessment regularly of active politicians (representatives from the whole political spectrum), to hold them to account. It’s done in the private sector by employers to employees (which the above are), so why not at both central and local body government level?
If our elected representatives knew they were being assessed on a regular basis by a changing panel of independent assessors made up of Kiwis from all walks of life, economic and social structures, selected along the lines similar to that of a jury, it might make them a tad more honest, respectful of their positions and responsibilities, giving them a whole new work ethic, concentrating on delivering the goods, or else!
Of course individual assessment level rate results would reflect in their pay and perks!
Keeping an eye on Gareth Morgan’s Opportunity Party. Interesting ideas. A Policy due out on Wednesday.
Current topics include:
Money isn’t everything – unless you don’t have any.
Kim Hill grills Andrew Little on Tax Loopholes.
Government must stop subsidising Agriculture.
This on Noted, reprinted from North &South earlier in November, is just jaw droppingly damning about the state of bloated wealthy elites in NZ. That compares badly with the poverty, homelessness and low wages in the country. Our wealthiest top earners, earn way more than people in equivalent jobs in the UK, and in comparison with higher general wages in the UK.
… British PM’s. Theresa May, who heads a nuclear-armed world power of 64 million people, with GDP of $US2.6 trillion, is paid £143,462 – the equivalent of $NZ244,432. Our PM is paid $459,739 for governing a nation of 4.5 million, with GDP of $US235 billion and a skeletal air force and navy.
Our Deputy PM is also paid substantially more than his British counterpart. And according to a State Services Commission breakdown in late 2015, there are 11 state sector and public service chief executives in New Zealand earning more than $600,000 a year – including Accident Compensation Corporation chief executive Scott Pickering, who earns $760,000 to $769,999; University of Auckland vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon, $680,000 to $689,999; New Zealand Transport Agency chief executive Geoff Dangerfield $660,000 to $669,000; and Police Commissioner Mike Bush $680,000 to $689,999.
<All these outlandish salaries are paid, of course, by a nation with a relatively low average wage and per capita GDP. If news about our overpaid public servants and politicians gets out to the world following stories of families living in cars, the demolition of our reputation for being egalitarian will be complete.
The appalling living conditions of some of our poorest citizens has been extensively documented by Al Jazeera, the Guardian and others. They haven’t gone unnoticed by the UN either. In May, it blasted the government for allowing children to live in cars, as a breach of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which we are a signatory. It requires, strangely enough, that children should be able to live in houses.
In October, UNICEF said it was deeply concerned about New Zealand’s persistently high rates of child poverty.
To add to this slew of poor publicity, Auckland’s grotesquely overvalued real estate has repeatedly made the international news, which is another blow to our image as egalitarian.
And then there is the reporting of our high suicide rates and the disproportionate representation of Maori in our prisons.
A clean, green, family-friendly, hard-working, incorruptible, egalitarian Godzone?… We’re taking a beating out there, folks.
Geoff Dangerfield hasn’t been the Chief Executive of NZTA for quite a while.
I don’t think most public servants in New Zealand are overpaid.
I do think 85% of New Zealanders in the private sector are underpaid. That’s more of the problem.
And of course, no-one gets to critique the private sector anywhere near a much as the public sector, because only public sector salary bands are published.
Also the council CEO structures and pay is ridiculous for the terrible job they are doing. The Wellington CEO giving 8 million dollar payments behind everyone’s back to Singapore Airlines, the Auckland CEO has led a horrendous public rating against the council as well as being oblivious to the billion dollar IT disaster and burgeoning rates of private lawyers defending the councils ridiculous position on things such as stealing the harbour for Ports of Auckland.
” The Wellington CEO giving 8 million dollar payments behind everyone’s back to Singapore Airlines”.
It wasn’t behind EVERYONES back apparently. All the ratepayers of course and most of the Council but it seems that the then Mayor, Green Party member Wade-Brown, Current Mayor, Labour Party member Lester, and then Councillor Jo Coughlan were in the act.
I certainly got Helene Ritchie justifiably upset. http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=92988
“Statement from Cr Ritchie
“I am calling on Councillor Lester to resign forthwith over his role in the Singapore Airlines negotiation and money promised.”
One person commenting on the matter said https://croakingcassandra.com/2016/09/29/subsidy-city-and-the-counc/
“But in fact the real responsibility here surely rests with the Council itself, and even more so on this particular occasion with the leading cabal – the outgoing Greens mayor Celia Wade-Brown, the Labour Party Deputy Mayor Justin Lester, and councillor Jo Coughlan. Lester was apparently a key figure in the discussion over this new subsidy, and Coughlan has chaired the Economic Growth and Arts Committee which seems to deal with such matters.”
I doubt we are ever going to get the full details of the affair but it really wasn’t Lavery’s exclusive work.
Organise with communities across the country to put forward Labour’s ambitious plan for Britain and secure a Labour Government that:
Redistributes wealth and power from the few to the many;
Puts people and planet before profit and narrow corporate interests;
Builds a society free from all types of discrimination;
Invests to create high-quality jobs and infrastructure;
Reverses the privatisation of railways, the energy sector and public services;
Provides protection at work and strong collective bargaining to end workplace injustices;
Provides decent homes for all in both the public and private sector.
Transform Labour into a more open, member-led party capable of winning elections.
Bring together individuals and groups in our workplaces and communities to campaign and organise on the issues that matter to us…”
New Zealand left desperately needs an organisation to re-energise Labour, act as a public space for left wing intellectual thought and be a vehicle that can again turn Labour into a vigorous change agent.
New Zealand left desperately needs an organisation to re-energise Labour, act as a public space for left wing intellectual thought and be a vehicle that can again turn Labour into a vigorous change agent.
Sanctuary, if I believed I could trigger such a movement I would be doing it now. And if someone else gets one going, I will sign up in a flash.
Olwyn, and Sanctuary et al – I sometimes think that maybe people just don’t know what goes on inside at a Labour Conference like the one held recently in Auckland. It was – mostly (except for confidential business) – held in the public eye, with the media there.
But of course the opinionated media just doesn’t report on what could be done, it just grizzles at what it perceives Labour not doing.
At the conference there were a number of participatory workshops which discussed such diverse subjects as Lifelong Learning, Child Well-Being in NZ, changing the way we measure economic success, facing the choice between two futures – inequality or invest in the future, building a rich ecosystem in NZ, and so on – along with organising the left into action.
These topics – different wording, but similar ideas and concepts and discussion to those generated at the ESRA meeting, and mentioned in the Momentum Movement policy – are just the same sorts of ideas which Labour Party people discuss – and then act upon later on.
So I have to ask – why don’t all of you who are looking around for that “new” “left” political organisation – join up with Labour, and help us with that very activity ?
Too many people criticise Labour, without making any effort to help. Something a kaumatua said the other day rings bells with me “Too much hui, not enough doey”.
To get rid of the neo-liberals and ShonKey – people need to get active, not just talk about it.
“…So I have to ask – why don’t all of you who are looking around for that “new” “left” political organisation – join up with Labour, and help us with that very activity …?”
Because I can’t be bothered anymore at being being treated as unpaid help in election year and otherwise ignored?
An extra-parliamentary left-wing group along the lines of Momentum is not necessarily a competitor against the Labour Party – it instead presents a way in which a left leaning momentum can be built outside of the current structures, and exert some level of political force.
I think NZ under MMP,is a different context from the UK electoral system. Momentum is a great initiative in the UK, aligned with Corbyn’s Labour. But I think in NZ, a popular people’s movement could incorporate people who vote Green, Labour, Mana, etc, or who want a better alternative to vote for.
…a popular people’s movement could incorporate people who vote Green, Labour, Mana, etc, or who want a better alternative to vote for
That would be fine by me. Strengthening the broader left and offering a competing voice, with numbers behind it, to that of an often hostile media would be a good thing. Such a movement would not be in competition with any of the parties, but would allow all of them to know what people are thinking and wanting. Something like an expansion of and extension on the biggest TPP march.
Olwyn
Could we get one going with GiveaLittle? Or like most organisations do they think that politics is not a worthy charity? Would going with Gareth Morgan do as a stand in till something like Momentum could be set up? He is open to new ideas and if he fails eventually could invite people to join in what would be a ginger group. Or do it through Scoop which would encourage people to be interested in them and their sterling efforts, and carry an advertisement for Momentum or similar?
Thanks for the suggestion grey. I think you’d have to have something more or less off the ground before give-a-little campaigns would work. It is something I have thought about a number of times, but to be honest I am flummoxed as to where to begin.
Do you or can you reject the orgy of consumerism that has just started? Really? You sure?
Good article by George Monbiot from 2012!!!
“So effectively have governments, the media and advertisers associated consumption with prosperity and happiness that to say these things is to expose yourself to opprobrium and ridicule. Witness last week’s Moral Maze programme, in which most of the panel lined up to decry the idea of consuming less, and to associate it, somehow, with authoritarianism(8). When the world goes mad, those who resist are denounced as lunatics.
Bake them a cake, write them a poem, give them a kiss, tell them a joke, but for god’s sake stop trashing the planet to tell someone you care. All it shows is that you don’t.”
Trump’s campaign made a bet that enough voters didn’t (or couldn’t) tell the difference in a deluge of information, and that bet paid off. Trump won the most important election in decades. His surrogate Scott Nell Hughes explicitly confirmed that whole strategy yesterday.
[…]
Around the 14-minute mark, Hughes illustrated a defining principle of Trumpism: There’s no longer such thing as fact, because anything is true if enough people believe it.
“Well, I think it’s also an idea of an opinion. And that’s—on one hand, I hear half the media saying that these are lies. But on the other half, there are many people that go, ‘No, it’s true.’ And so one thing that has been interesting this entire campaign season to watch, is that people that say facts are facts—they’re not really facts. Everybody has a way—it’s kind of like looking at ratings, or looking at a glass of half-full water. Everybody has a way of interpreting them to be the truth, or not truth. There’s no such thing, unfortunately, anymore as facts.
[…]
“And so Mr. Trump’s tweet, amongst a certain crowd—a large part of the population—are truth. When he says that millions of people illegally voted, he has some—amongst him and his supporters, and people believe they have facts to back that up. Those that do not like Mr. Trump, they say that those are lies and that there are no facts to back it up.
This story is of no merit whatsoever in NZ. It occurred far away, has no link to our country and isn’t even that interesting. Why do they publish them?
imo some people like war porn, crime porn, natural disaster porn, unnatural disaster porn, someone else suffering porn, those poor fuckers porn, where porn is not necessarily a sexual gratification rather a general gratification that may have sexual overtones. Media sell advertising so whatever brings the eyes and clicks in is good and anything (like news or positive stuff) that doesn’t is bad. Good = more money. Good = more ‘porn’, Good = less news and less actual positive stuff (unless it is a cat or puppy or dolphin – then they are all over that shit. I’m pretty sure you are well aware of this so not sure what the point of your question was really.
The young Macedonians who run these sites say they don’t care about Donald Trump. They are responding to straightforward economic incentives: As Facebook regularly reveals in earnings reports, a US Facebook user is worth about four times a user outside the US. The fraction-of-a-penny-per-click of US display advertising — a declining market for American publishers — goes a long way in Veles. Several teens and young men who run these sites told BuzzFeed News that they learned the best way to generate traffic is to get their politics stories to spread on Facebook — and the best way to generate shares on Facebook is to publish sensationalist and often false content that caters to Trump supporters.
1. It’s clickbait and adds advertising funds for the corporate media.
2. Crime scares people. Scared people want governments ‘tough on crime.’
3. Crime stories distract from the big stories. If you’re focused on Maddie McCann, JonBenét Ramsey and other terrible murders, then you’re not so focused on climate change and rising inequality.
Most of the MPs don’t care about Treaty Bills or restoration of mana – and they are so blinkered they don’t see that the remedy for many issues in this country is respect and treating tangata whenua as ACTUAL Treaty partners. They are too busy feathering their own nests and egos. Disgraceful – these bills should require COMPULSORY attendance and all MP’s should be there to hear the bills being read – even the racist pricks who are so prevalent.
“The wairua of the house changes with those types of bills and with the iwi and the hapu and the whanau showing up to support kaupapa like that and we should be embracing that, we should be happy those kinds of things happen and it is very disappointing to see a lack of bums on seats. We have another chance coming up next week with the Rangitaane bills and the Ngati Kahu bill so I challenge all of the MPs, as many as possible to get in for those hearings, because I know I’ll be there,” he says.”
If you want to make a little on the side selling bridges and national monuments, these idiots are your market. They only know that they’ve been screwed when they’re holding the baby.
Just a question to anyone who knows the answer?
when the land is lifted in earthquake,who owns the land ie: if a farm boarders the ocean and the property gains 1-100 acres or hectares is it iwi,govt,or the private land owner and if land owner?do rates increase? And what if the land is deminished? is it the reverse.
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Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
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. The Betrayal of Cunliffe
. Yesterday, I had a look at a Katipo Open Mike comment on here. He had a video link to David Cunliffe’s launch of the last Election.
How the hell did we lose Cunliffe ? Why did we punish him ? Why did we disgrace him?
The Labour Party was alive with Cunliffe. National hated him.
As to Left and Right – its a stupid way of approaching elections – in my view. The approach should always be POLICY. For policy contains solutions.
National rides high because it has a policy of giving increasing wealth to the wealthy. Labour should have a Policy of giving wealth to everybody. Especially to young emerging Kiwis – who are being slaughtered by National.
Unaffordable Housing; unaffordable Rents; unaffordable tertiary degrees; unaffordable Heating; unafforable Food; mismanaged Crime; mismanaged Health; shocking Education stuff ups. The National disaster is endless.
Lets get a few politicians who can speak with non fake belief and clarity. Let them talk as if they meant it. Let them shock the Nation with good policy. Roar like Lions; don’t squeak like mice.
Follow the Cunliffe model. Which was, as far as I can see, the Model of the great Labour Politicians of the past. Great men – with great solutions. With a caucus of giants.
Comedy gold.
. Comedy Gold
. You are so right Mullet.
John Key is an actor; a hoax; but he is good at rounding up small minds with small outlooks.
I am not laughing Observer Tokoroa – I think your comment is spot-on. The existence of the Alliance played a big part in Helen Clark’s being elected – it showed supporters that she would not be able to cave to the right the minute she got in, even if she had wanted to. The loss of Cunliffe means the loss of that kind of assurance, and the Greens cannot make up the difference. It was not Cunliffe’s fault that Labour lost in 2014, it was the whole parliamentary party’s fault. The voters being seriously harmed by the things on your list can only be reassured by having the confidence to believe that Labour is on their side. The sidelining of Cunliffe dents that confidence.
It was not just the Alliance that helped Helen in 1999 but the effects of nine years of hard right , clinical National government and who can forget the lovely Jenny who was promising more of the same.
It was a hard road back after near annihilation in 1990 and as now an electorate that bought into tax cuts and a illusion of a privately run public service where making a profit was the goal and still had the peoples welfare as its concern which turned out to be false after the much vaunted “Mother of all budgets”
And MMP changed the whole political landscape and the all important party vote became the focus and minority government.
And Winstons famous” vote for me to change the government” and then gave it a third term.
Helen stood firm with poor polling numbers and went on to win three elections.
“after near annihilation in 1990”.
After giving us 6 years of Neo-Liberal mayhem, dont forget!
Those that think the voters liked the Neo-liberal prescription, should remember what it did to the Labour vote, in 1990.
Which is why National now are very good at keeping the more obvious parts of our former democratic socialist State, while, like rats, they gnaw away at the underpinnings.
100% Tok
He was gunned down by the mum.
Armstrong’s lowest moment.
@ Observer Tokoroa (1) … 1000% with you there.
Right with you too OT.
.
To whom thanks is due
.
Olwyn – Half Crown – Paul – Mary A.
. 2017 is only a few days away. To attract people to good Policy we need an Authoritative Leader. One who uses few words. Words which carry and do not steal away shamefully or shyly into the ether.
She or He does not need to debate with whatever person has been declared to be an interviewer. Tell them. Don’t debate them. Short pin-point words. For example: “We will establish realistic rentals which New Zealanders can afford from their low wages.”
We will NOT subdise Land Lords in any way shape of form.
We will make Landlords pay interest on their loans – so that they can be like the rest of New Zealand borrowers.
We will thoroughly check out what each Landlord claims on their tax- so that they will be honourable and not commit fraud.
He or She – must say it with authority. And invite Herself / Himself back for another nice interview in the near future.
Underlying Philosophy: LandLords can only charge a reasonable rent based primarily on the minimum wage. However high earning renters would be expected to pay a higher percentage. Realism.
.
Someone else who has a wider view of what ‘dirty politics’ can be:
But hey, there could be a ‘Dirty Politics’ connection – Simon Lusk: Assessment on Meka Whaitiri is wrong
I think Marama Fox is one of the more impressive MPs, especially as a rookie, who is prepared to represent her constituents strongly and passionately.
a wider view? what do you mean?
He doesn’t actually know, marty.
he must mean something surely, otherwise why put it up – I suspect he’s trying to have a go at labour or the left or one of his many many many opponents – just trying to work out which way the peanut is falling.
Actually, on reflection, I think you’re right. Pete is probably a bit more cynical than I give him credit for.
The beige badger has long been a useful ally for the rightie meme-merchants like Slater and Farrar who immediately pulled the ‘everyone does it’ line in the wake of Hager’s book. At least they knew what they were doing.
That’s nonsense. I haven’t said everyone does it like they were doing it.
But I have said that because they were crap anyone else less bad should not be criticised. It’s like if someone commits murder then any form of lesser assault doesn’t deserve criticism – which is stupid.
“everyone does it *like they were doing it*”
Which is not what either the sewerbloggers said or what I wrote just up there a few pixels. False equivalence relied on them just saying the first part and relying on half-arsed reading to supply the rest. You truly are a man of the people.
“But I have said that because they were crap anyone else less bad should not be criticised. It’s like if someone commits murder then any form of lesser assault doesn’t deserve criticism – which is stupid.”
I don’t understand what that means.
the 2 sentences you wrote are contradictory
Some people have gone to some lengths to claim that ‘dirty politics’ should only apply to their narrow definition.
Playing dirty in politics has been around for a long time in many forms, and trying to limit it’s scope to one person’s book meme makes no sense.
Marama Fox obviously sees dp outside of that,
Go back and read Nicky Hager’s book Pete.
Go back and read it.
Seriously. Comparing minor parish handbags to be the same as Ede+Lusk+Whaleoil’s large-scale black ops shows you have a poor understanding of actual politics.
He hasn’t read it.
Pete’s being a silly-billy.
I’ve read the book well enough, I got a copy as soon as it was available (I had one on order).
The scale of Ede+Lusk+Whaleoil’s black ops were unprecedented (as far as is publicly known). And I have often condemned that – Slater reacted to the extent that he tried to help others set me up and imprison me, or at least that was their threat.
But it’s pathetic to say that black ops have to be as bad as they were to qualify as dirty.
Comparing that scale of dirty politics to what you are citing in the media is itself dirty politics: false equivalence is the low art of the smear.
You talk nonsense.
But then I think that you know this.
You’re just a better mannered troll.
Some people have gone to some lengths to claim that ‘dirty politics’ should only apply to their narrow definition.
I expect you do think of it in those terms. My memory of it is of people schooling you multiple times (to no avail, natch) in how “dirty politics” is about deceitful, intimidating or corrupt practice, not about somebody calling you a rude name on a comments thread. You proved as impervious to insight as usual.
so a politician mentioning dirty politics in politics is not related to a book that describes techniques and facts around dirty politics in politics. riiight
Some people havePete George has gone to some lengths to claim that ‘dirty politics’ shouldonly apply to their narrow definitionbe defined so broadly it’s completely meaningless.That’s beautiful, Stephanie. Sign of the times. Smear it so wide it looks like background.
It’s quite stupid.
Anyone should be free to call dirty behaviour in politics as they see it. And wee mobs are also free to play petty games.
Playing dirty in politics has been around for a long time in many forms.
Indeed it has.
https://www.amazon.com/48-Laws-Power-Robert-Greene/dp/0140280197
Why are you linking to that disgustingly dirty lusk?
Your whole comment is a Trojan horse – a fake comment (in that the purpose of putting the comment in is actually not related to the content of the comment but rather relates to a pet peeve of yours) and you double down (and try to be knowledgeable) by linking to lusk. How many fails within one comment pete – really? go home and rethink your infantile strategy mate.
“your infantile strategy”
You do irony very well, but I’m not sure that you’re aware of it.
by your lack of discussion with the points I raised, it shows I am correct – funny how you use dirty tricks like distraction and dead cat throwing to change the discussion so that you never have to front up to anything – rethink your infantile strategy – you are a known idiot here bub.
Marama’s great if you think selling out by supporting the Natz for 8 years is ok for Maori. BTW – truth is not dirty politics.
Great Moments in Broadcasting. NOT.
No. 2: Noelle McCarthy’s patsy interview with Mark Bowden
“Summer Noelle”, National Radio, Tuesday 8 January 2013, 9:09 a.m.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08012013/#comment-570645
Great Moments in Broadcasting. NOT is an occasional series highlighting some of the worst moments in our pretty shameful history of broadcasting mediocrity and downright failure.
Kim Hill spouts braindead neocon ideology yet again
RNZ National, Saturday 3 December 2016
Kim Hill interviewed an interesting guest at 8:25 a.m. this morning….
Sadly, though, Kim Hill doesn’t seem capable of getting through a political interview without indulging in ritual obeisances to prevailing government messaging. This morning she pretended to be astonished when her guest said that the U.S./U.K. aggression against Iraq had been nothing less than a disaster.
I sent her the following email….
Your politically loaded question to Olivier Weber
Dear Kim,
You asked Olivier Weber, in apparent high seriousness: “So no matter how bad the leader—Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Bashar al-Assad—you shouldn’t go in and get rid of him?” You forgot to mention another convenient focus of Western wrath: Robert Mugabe.
It’s interesting that you chose a triumvirate of officially ordained enemies. Surely it would be equally valid to “go in and get rid of” the likes of Barack Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu and King Salman. Why would you not choose one of those names?
Yours in astonishment at the political bias of our media,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Off base Morrissey. Kim Hill is the best interviewer in NZ. She asks tough questions of both sides, that’s why FJK won’t go on her programme but he will go on softcock Veitchy on Sport
I share your high opinion of Kim Hill, ropata. As you say, she does ask tough questions, and dullards like John Key are rightly frightened of her. Key no doubt heard, or was informed of, her evisceration of John Howard a few years ago.
But, as this morning’s failure shows only too starkly, she has some flaws. One of the worst of those flaws is a tendency to thoughtlessly reiterate official lies and, as shown by her careful selection of three official enemies to illustrate “bad leaders”, a crucial failure of moral courage. in 2003 John Pilger memorably keelhauled her for exactly that behaviour. “You waste my time because you have not prepared for this interview,” he angrily told her. “This interview frankly is a disgrace.”….
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/face-to-face-with-kim-hill-john-pilger-2003
god that’s the worst case of false equivalence i’ve ever seen.
Grow a brain, and some judgement while you’re at it.
Idiot.
Why do we pay the PM, judges etc. twice what they get in the UK, for example?
http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/social-issues/a-year-of-living-shamefully-new-zealands-dirty-secrets/
Ah. Snap.
Gosh that article is simply jaw-dropping. I am reminded of what happens to animal colonies in Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene when the selfish come to dominate a previously altruistic colony.
You are so right! If there were ever a textbook example why meritocracy may sound appealing but clearly has unintended consequences it is ‘god-like’ Richard Dawkins. On top of that, he gives scientists and intellectuals a bad name.
completely unjustifiable…but not news. Douglas and co instituted this grand con back in the day and it has been gleefully expanded ever since (and as we know “wages are sticky’)…..it will be one hell of a shit fight to bring these back to realistic (and a true reflection of their capabilities) level.
+1 Brilliant, thanks for sharing
Thanks Stever – def worth reading. North and South have been doing some decent commentary of late about real issues not just sucking up and sending out propaganda drivel like many of their peer publications.
Still say we should have the people of NZ define how much public servants are paid. They are, after all, the employers.
Simple referendum every three years should do it.
@ DTB (5.6) … Agree.
Might I also suggest a people’s (that’s us) performance assessment regularly of active politicians (representatives from the whole political spectrum), to hold them to account. It’s done in the private sector by employers to employees (which the above are), so why not at both central and local body government level?
If our elected representatives knew they were being assessed on a regular basis by a changing panel of independent assessors made up of Kiwis from all walks of life, economic and social structures, selected along the lines similar to that of a jury, it might make them a tad more honest, respectful of their positions and responsibilities, giving them a whole new work ethic, concentrating on delivering the goods, or else!
Of course individual assessment level rate results would reflect in their pay and perks!
Keeping an eye on Gareth Morgan’s Opportunity Party. Interesting ideas. A Policy due out on Wednesday.
Current topics include:
Money isn’t everything – unless you don’t have any.
Kim Hill grills Andrew Little on Tax Loopholes.
Government must stop subsidising Agriculture.
This on Noted, reprinted from North &South earlier in November, is just jaw droppingly damning about the state of bloated wealthy elites in NZ. That compares badly with the poverty, homelessness and low wages in the country. Our wealthiest top earners, earn way more than people in equivalent jobs in the UK, and in comparison with higher general wages in the UK.
by Graham Adams
<All these outlandish salaries are paid, of course, by a nation with a relatively low average wage and per capita GDP. If news about our overpaid public servants and politicians gets out to the world following stories of families living in cars, the demolition of our reputation for being egalitarian will be complete.
The appalling living conditions of some of our poorest citizens has been extensively documented by Al Jazeera, the Guardian and others. They haven’t gone unnoticed by the UN either. In May, it blasted the government for allowing children to live in cars, as a breach of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which we are a signatory. It requires, strangely enough, that children should be able to live in houses.
In October, UNICEF said it was deeply concerned about New Zealand’s persistently high rates of child poverty.
To add to this slew of poor publicity, Auckland’s grotesquely overvalued real estate has repeatedly made the international news, which is another blow to our image as egalitarian.
And then there is the reporting of our high suicide rates and the disproportionate representation of Maori in our prisons.
A clean, green, family-friendly, hard-working, incorruptible, egalitarian Godzone?… We’re taking a beating out there, folks.
Geoff Dangerfield hasn’t been the Chief Executive of NZTA for quite a while.
I don’t think most public servants in New Zealand are overpaid.
I do think 85% of New Zealanders in the private sector are underpaid. That’s more of the problem.
And of course, no-one gets to critique the private sector anywhere near a much as the public sector, because only public sector salary bands are published.
Wrong target.
But the article was focusing on the top echelon of people on the public service/sector payroll, beginning with PMs – and comparing with the UK.
And comparing average pay for people in UK with NZ – so a fair target.
Most aren’t. In fact, most of them will be underpaid so that the few at the top can get massive salaries.
Again, the ones at the bottom are underpaid while the ones at the top are over paid.
In my youth secondary teachers and police were paid the same as MP’s and nurses just behind.Half that now.
I think that teachers should be the highest paid of our public servants as they’re so damn important.
As a public servant who is not a manager, I agree public servants are underpaid at the bottom.
Also the council CEO structures and pay is ridiculous for the terrible job they are doing. The Wellington CEO giving 8 million dollar payments behind everyone’s back to Singapore Airlines, the Auckland CEO has led a horrendous public rating against the council as well as being oblivious to the billion dollar IT disaster and burgeoning rates of private lawyers defending the councils ridiculous position on things such as stealing the harbour for Ports of Auckland.
” The Wellington CEO giving 8 million dollar payments behind everyone’s back to Singapore Airlines”.
It wasn’t behind EVERYONES back apparently. All the ratepayers of course and most of the Council but it seems that the then Mayor, Green Party member Wade-Brown, Current Mayor, Labour Party member Lester, and then Councillor Jo Coughlan were in the act.
I certainly got Helene Ritchie justifiably upset.
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=92988
“Statement from Cr Ritchie
“I am calling on Councillor Lester to resign forthwith over his role in the Singapore Airlines negotiation and money promised.”
Lester in particular seems to have been very deep in the deal
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/84679670/wellingtons-multimillion-dollar-singapore-airlines-subsidy-creates-almost-no-paper-trail
“Justin Lester, who as deputy mayor was involved in the negotiations to bring Singapore Airlines to Wellington, defended the process, saying the spending was within Lavery’s authority.”
One person commenting on the matter said
https://croakingcassandra.com/2016/09/29/subsidy-city-and-the-counc/
“But in fact the real responsibility here surely rests with the Council itself, and even more so on this particular occasion with the leading cabal – the outgoing Greens mayor Celia Wade-Brown, the Labour Party Deputy Mayor Justin Lester, and councillor Jo Coughlan. Lester was apparently a key figure in the discussion over this new subsidy, and Coughlan has chaired the Economic Growth and Arts Committee which seems to deal with such matters.”
I doubt we are ever going to get the full details of the affair but it really wasn’t Lavery’s exclusive work.
How do you think the NZ parliamentary Labour party would react to the NZ branch of Momentum being set up?
http://www.peoplesmomentum.com/about
“…What does Momentum want to do?
Organise with communities across the country to put forward Labour’s ambitious plan for Britain and secure a Labour Government that:
Redistributes wealth and power from the few to the many;
Puts people and planet before profit and narrow corporate interests;
Builds a society free from all types of discrimination;
Invests to create high-quality jobs and infrastructure;
Reverses the privatisation of railways, the energy sector and public services;
Provides protection at work and strong collective bargaining to end workplace injustices;
Provides decent homes for all in both the public and private sector.
Transform Labour into a more open, member-led party capable of winning elections.
Bring together individuals and groups in our workplaces and communities to campaign and organise on the issues that matter to us…”
New Zealand left desperately needs an organisation to re-energise Labour, act as a public space for left wing intellectual thought and be a vehicle that can again turn Labour into a vigorous change agent.
.
New Zealand left desperately needs an organisation to re-energise Labour, act as a public space for left wing intellectual thought and be a vehicle that can again turn Labour into a vigorous change agent.
Sanctuary, if I believed I could trigger such a movement I would be doing it now. And if someone else gets one going, I will sign up in a flash.
Why can’t you do it, what’s holding you back.?
Olwyn, and Sanctuary et al – I sometimes think that maybe people just don’t know what goes on inside at a Labour Conference like the one held recently in Auckland. It was – mostly (except for confidential business) – held in the public eye, with the media there.
But of course the opinionated media just doesn’t report on what could be done, it just grizzles at what it perceives Labour not doing.
At the conference there were a number of participatory workshops which discussed such diverse subjects as Lifelong Learning, Child Well-Being in NZ, changing the way we measure economic success, facing the choice between two futures – inequality or invest in the future, building a rich ecosystem in NZ, and so on – along with organising the left into action.
These topics – different wording, but similar ideas and concepts and discussion to those generated at the ESRA meeting, and mentioned in the Momentum Movement policy – are just the same sorts of ideas which Labour Party people discuss – and then act upon later on.
So I have to ask – why don’t all of you who are looking around for that “new” “left” political organisation – join up with Labour, and help us with that very activity ?
Too many people criticise Labour, without making any effort to help. Something a kaumatua said the other day rings bells with me “Too much hui, not enough doey”.
To get rid of the neo-liberals and ShonKey – people need to get active, not just talk about it.
That’s certainly one view of the conference.
“…So I have to ask – why don’t all of you who are looking around for that “new” “left” political organisation – join up with Labour, and help us with that very activity …?”
Because I can’t be bothered anymore at being being treated as unpaid help in election year and otherwise ignored?
An extra-parliamentary left-wing group along the lines of Momentum is not necessarily a competitor against the Labour Party – it instead presents a way in which a left leaning momentum can be built outside of the current structures, and exert some level of political force.
I think NZ under MMP,is a different context from the UK electoral system. Momentum is a great initiative in the UK, aligned with Corbyn’s Labour. But I think in NZ, a popular people’s movement could incorporate people who vote Green, Labour, Mana, etc, or who want a better alternative to vote for.
…a popular people’s movement could incorporate people who vote Green, Labour, Mana, etc, or who want a better alternative to vote for
That would be fine by me. Strengthening the broader left and offering a competing voice, with numbers behind it, to that of an often hostile media would be a good thing. Such a movement would not be in competition with any of the parties, but would allow all of them to know what people are thinking and wanting. Something like an expansion of and extension on the biggest TPP march.
Because there is already a democratic left wing social and environmental sustainability, party.
The Greens.
Olwyn
Could we get one going with GiveaLittle? Or like most organisations do they think that politics is not a worthy charity? Would going with Gareth Morgan do as a stand in till something like Momentum could be set up? He is open to new ideas and if he fails eventually could invite people to join in what would be a ginger group. Or do it through Scoop which would encourage people to be interested in them and their sterling efforts, and carry an advertisement for Momentum or similar?
Thanks for the suggestion grey. I think you’d have to have something more or less off the ground before give-a-little campaigns would work. It is something I have thought about a number of times, but to be honest I am flummoxed as to where to begin.
Hi Olwyn
I am thinking too, will pass it on if I come up with anything and run it past you.
Thanks – I will do the same 🙂
Go ahead and give it a go.
Go on.
Do you or can you reject the orgy of consumerism that has just started? Really? You sure?
Good article by George Monbiot from 2012!!!
“So effectively have governments, the media and advertisers associated consumption with prosperity and happiness that to say these things is to expose yourself to opprobrium and ridicule. Witness last week’s Moral Maze programme, in which most of the panel lined up to decry the idea of consuming less, and to associate it, somehow, with authoritarianism(8). When the world goes mad, those who resist are denounced as lunatics.
Bake them a cake, write them a poem, give them a kiss, tell them a joke, but for god’s sake stop trashing the planet to tell someone you care. All it shows is that you don’t.”
http://www.monbiot.com/2012/12/10/the-gift-of-death/
From post truth to post fact.
Trump’s campaign made a bet that enough voters didn’t (or couldn’t) tell the difference in a deluge of information, and that bet paid off. Trump won the most important election in decades. His surrogate Scott Nell Hughes explicitly confirmed that whole strategy yesterday.
[…]
Around the 14-minute mark, Hughes illustrated a defining principle of Trumpism: There’s no longer such thing as fact, because anything is true if enough people believe it.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/videos/a51152/trump-surrogate-no-such-thing-as-facts/
Trevor Mallard figting the rigthies on Kb. He has been identified as ztev.
Thats been an open secret for quite a while
Bruce Wayne is Batman, too.
Genuine, serious question to people who have worked in the media:
Why does the Herald keep publishing (5 or so a week) awful crime stories like this one?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11759808
This story is of no merit whatsoever in NZ. It occurred far away, has no link to our country and isn’t even that interesting. Why do they publish them?
imo some people like war porn, crime porn, natural disaster porn, unnatural disaster porn, someone else suffering porn, those poor fuckers porn, where porn is not necessarily a sexual gratification rather a general gratification that may have sexual overtones. Media sell advertising so whatever brings the eyes and clicks in is good and anything (like news or positive stuff) that doesn’t is bad. Good = more money. Good = more ‘porn’, Good = less news and less actual positive stuff (unless it is a cat or puppy or dolphin – then they are all over that shit. I’m pretty sure you are well aware of this so not sure what the point of your question was really.
NZME or Macedonian chan kiddies, it pays.
The young Macedonians who run these sites say they don’t care about Donald Trump. They are responding to straightforward economic incentives: As Facebook regularly reveals in earnings reports, a US Facebook user is worth about four times a user outside the US. The fraction-of-a-penny-per-click of US display advertising — a declining market for American publishers — goes a long way in Veles. Several teens and young men who run these sites told BuzzFeed News that they learned the best way to generate traffic is to get their politics stories to spread on Facebook — and the best way to generate shares on Facebook is to publish sensationalist and often false content that caters to Trump supporters.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/how-macedonia-became-a-global-hub-for-pro-trump-misinfo?utm_term=.nfQGGGVlNY#.dmLXXXGbo1
1. It’s clickbait and adds advertising funds for the corporate media.
2. Crime scares people. Scared people want governments ‘tough on crime.’
3. Crime stories distract from the big stories. If you’re focused on Maddie McCann, JonBenét Ramsey and other terrible murders, then you’re not so focused on climate change and rising inequality.
heh
https://trumpgrets.tumblr.com/
Yep regrets I’ve had a few and might I say not in a shy way voting for dickhead trump wasn’t one because he is a turkey that won’t fly away…
https://youtu.be/lf3mgmEdfwg
and this is why he’ll always disappoint people
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/us-election-2016/news/article.cfm?c_id=631&objectid=11756694
Yep – institutionalised racism
Most of the MPs don’t care about Treaty Bills or restoration of mana – and they are so blinkered they don’t see that the remedy for many issues in this country is respect and treating tangata whenua as ACTUAL Treaty partners. They are too busy feathering their own nests and egos. Disgraceful – these bills should require COMPULSORY attendance and all MP’s should be there to hear the bills being read – even the racist pricks who are so prevalent.
“The wairua of the house changes with those types of bills and with the iwi and the hapu and the whanau showing up to support kaupapa like that and we should be embracing that, we should be happy those kinds of things happen and it is very disappointing to see a lack of bums on seats. We have another chance coming up next week with the Rangitaane bills and the Ngati Kahu bill so I challenge all of the MPs, as many as possible to get in for those hearings, because I know I’ll be there,” he says.”
http://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_story_id/MTUyNzE=?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Mauri ora Labour’s Tamaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare
Could mod please get my two posts, one for here and one for Pike River out of the closet please? I put them in between 4 and 4.18 pm. Thanks so much.
[Done not sure why you keep going into moderation … MS]
I have taken to logging in to avoid going into moderation. You could give that a try.
Buyer’s remorse from some Trumpites it seems:
http://www.gopocalypse.org/trump-supporters-are-already-starting-to-tweet-their-regrets/
“I thought you said you really loved me!”
If you want to make a little on the side selling bridges and national monuments, these idiots are your market. They only know that they’ve been screwed when they’re holding the baby.
Just a question to anyone who knows the answer?
when the land is lifted in earthquake,who owns the land ie: if a farm boarders the ocean and the property gains 1-100 acres or hectares is it iwi,govt,or the private land owner and if land owner?do rates increase? And what if the land is deminished? is it the reverse.
Is National in talks with other Labour MPs?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/front-page-top-stories/news/article.cfm?c_id=698&objectid=11757918