Open Mike 04/01/2018
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6:00 am, January 4th, 2018 - 99 comments
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- Backing for Bay of Islands predator free effortThe Government is throwing its support behind an ambitious project to restore native biodiversity and build long-term conservation careers, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Predator Free Bay of Islands aims to eradicate predators from the three main peninsulas in the region, and significantly reduce their impact throughout the wider 80,000-plus ...1 week ago
- Government commits $600,000 to flood recoveryThe Government is contributing $600,000 to help residents affected by the weekend’s violent weather with recovery efforts. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have been in the Buller district this afternoon to assess flood damage and support the local response effort. They have announced ...1 week ago
- Government assisting local responses to heavy rainfall and high windActing Minister of Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says Central Government is monitoring the severe weather across the country, and is ready to provide further support to those affected if necessary. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this latest event, particularly communities on the West Coast and ...1 week ago
- PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight. “For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic ...2 weeks ago
- Health Minister welcomes progress on nurses’ payThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s decision to take the Government’s improved pay offer to members and to lift strike notices is a positive move towards settling district health board nurses’ pay claims, Health Minister Andrew Little said. “It’s encouraging that the discussions between NZNO and DHBs over the nurses’ employment ...2 weeks ago
- Boost for Pacific regional businessPacific businesses will get a much-needed financial boost as they recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the new Pacific Aotearoa Regional Enterprise Fund, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The new $2 million fund will co-invest in Pacific business projects and initiatives to create ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern call with President BidenPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke with US President Biden this morning, ahead of the APEC Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19. “President Biden and I discussed the forthcoming APEC leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jacinda Ardern said. ...2 weeks ago
- Renewed partnership creates jobs for New Zealand youthThe Government has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, strengthening the partnership to get more young people into work. The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide network of all Mayors in New Zealand, who are committed to making sure all young ...2 weeks ago
- South Island areas prioritised in tourism fundFive South Island areas are prioritised in the latest round of decisions from a tourism fund that is supporting infrastructure projects from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island and the Chathams. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has announced details of 57 nationwide projects to receive support from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF). ...2 weeks ago
- New code sets clear expectations for learner safety and wellbeing in tertiary educationA new code of practice for the pastoral care of domestic tertiary and international students will be in place from January next year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The code, which makes clear that creating an environment that supports learning and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between tertiary providers, ...2 weeks ago
- First TAB New Zealand Board appointments announcedThe members of the first TAB NZ Board come with experience in racing and sport administration, business and governance, the betting industry, broadcasting and gambling harm minimisation. “This Board will progress from the excellent work done by the interim board, put in place in August 2020,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...2 weeks ago
- Northland Maori Pathways initiative introducedThe Government has today launched Māori Pathways at Northland Region Corrections Facility, a ground-breaking series of initiatives designed in partnership with Māori to reduce re-offending and improve outcomes for whānau. A key part of the Hōkai Rangi strategy, Māori Pathways looks to achieve long-term change and involves a number of ...2 weeks ago
- Extended Essential Skills visas being rolled outTwo year Essential Skills visa to provide certainty to at least 18,000 visa holders Streamlined application process to benefit at least 57,000 visa holders The Government is increasing the duration of some Essential Skills visas and streamlining the application process to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders while ...2 weeks ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New Zealand will be paused from 1.59am (NZT) Friday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. The decision follows updated public health advice from New Zealand officials and a growing number of cases and locations of interest. The pause will run for at least ...2 weeks ago
- Hydrogen arrangement signed with SingaporeThe signing of an Arrangement of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore heralds the start of greater collaboration between it and New Zealand as both countries transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods. The cooperation arrangement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ...2 weeks ago
- Hydrogen agreement signed with SingaporeThe signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore signals the start of greater collaboration between the two countries as they transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods. The cooperation agreement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to LGNZ ConferenceKia ora koutou katoa and thank-you for the invitation to speak to you all today. I would like to acknowledge Local Government New Zealand President Stuart Crosby, and Chief Executive, Susan Freeman-Greene, Te Maruata Chair, Bonita Bigham, and our host, Mayor John Leggett. I also acknowledge all the elected members ...2 weeks ago
- Government to provide support for water reforms, jobs and growthThe Government today announced a $2.5 billion package to support local government transition through the reforms to New Zealand’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. The package will also stimulate local economies while creating jobs and unlocking infrastructure for housing. “New Zealand’s water systems are facing a significant crisis and ...2 weeks ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 4
Was there something in Tokyo's water for Kiwi sportswomen as they struggled on the big stage on Day 4? LockerRoom's daily look at the fortunes of our female athletes continues. Performances of the day Luuka Jones lay her head on her paddle after her run in the canoe slalom final, devastated. ...2 hours ago - Flush Housing Agency Needs To Be Reined In
Responding to NBR’s report that Kainga Ora made an offer on a property $8 million above its eventual sale price, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Our housing agency is acting like it’s overfunded. First it bought a motel ...6 hours ago - New Zealand trapped on the moral high ground with Suhayra Aden
Power Play - New Zealand may now be claiming the moral high ground as it grudgingly accepts Suhayra Aden and her two children, but its hands are tied, Jane Patterson writes. ...7 hours ago - Whipping cream canisters have many uses beyond ‘nangs’. Banning them isn’t necessary
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bright, Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been considering whether whipping cream canisters containing nitrous oxide should be placed in Schedule 10 of the Poisons Standard. Schedule 10 is the ...7 hours ago - What’s in the CPI and what does it actually measure?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Nils Versemann/Shutterstock So you don’t believe the official inflation figures. Why would you? They show prices climbing at an annual rate of 1.1% On Wednesday the update for June ...7 hours ago
- Why calling ordinary NZ cyclists ‘elitist’ makes little sense
It’s one of the most common criticisms of those fighting for better bike infrastructure in our cities. But the ‘elitist’ jibe has little basis in reality, argues Timothy Welch.Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a ...8 hours ago - Public protest or selfish ratbaggery? Why free speech doesn’t give you the right to endanger other...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major Australian cities at the weekend, to protest ...8 hours ago
- Police Association Acknowledges Guilty VerdictThe Police Association thanks the jury in the Eli Epiha trial for carrying out their difficult duty and finding the defendant guilty of attempting to murder Constable David Goldfinch. Epiha, who had already admitted to the murder of Constable Matthew ...8 hours ago
- Little says Chinese hacking claims were corroborated, rebuke was 'tame'State-sponsored hacking by China was confirmed and corroborated by spy agencies and the embassy's rebuke after New Zealand called it out was "fairly tame", Minister Andrew Little says. ...8 hours ago
- Christchurch City Council’s Bollard Blowout Is BizarreResponding to Christchurch City Council’s $1.1 million spend on a set of 14 bollards , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “The plan should have been abandoned as soon as Councillors learned of the $769,000 price tag. Instead, ...8 hours ago
- Science Organisations Pledge Openness In Animal Research And Teaching In New Zealand21 universities, institutes of technology, non-profits, Crown Research Institutes, government organisations, umbrella bodies, research funding organisations and learned societies commit to communicate openly about animal use. New Zealand will be the ...9 hours ago
- Hard Questions Remain For Openness Conference For AnimalsHow open should researchers be with what they do to animals in experiments? That’s the question being discussed at a conference on openness in animal research. The conference is being hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care ...9 hours ago
- Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-speech laws
******** The Minister of Justice appears to have gone into hiding. GRAHAM ADAMS, writing for The Democracy Project, provides an update on how the public debate on hate speech regulation is going, especially in terms of whether political opinion should or shouldn’t receive an exemption from new laws. ******** It ...9 hours ago - Yarns from the heart: the role of Aboriginal English in Indigenous health communicationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, Discipline of Linguistics, The University of Western Australia Indigenous Australians experience poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. They are sick more often, die younger and are at higher risk of serious health complications, ...9 hours ago
- It’s all about reducing inequities -and so Maori wellbeing is a big consideration in research fund...
The Government has dished out public money on two fronts in its mission to reduce inequitable outcomes in health statistics. On one front, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay ...9 hours ago - If I cry when I get my vaccination, it will be for MumIt was one of Mum’s great joys that she lived to see polio virtually eradicated worldwide in her lifetime, writes Tim Cadogan, mayor of Central Otago.I got the text message last week advising me that I could go online and book my Covid-19 vaccinations. Despite how I sometimes look, I ...10 hours ago
- How a South Auckland deep tech company grew 440% in a yearA ‘sleepy R&D startup’ has been transformed into a world-leading tech manufacturer in the space of a year, thanks to its groundbreaking nanofibre products.Any company that was in the business of making masks at the beginning of 2020 was poised to do a roaring trade. Covid-19 hit, and, despite the ...11 hours ago
- Suhayra Aden repatriation: Gerry Brownlee suggests following Australian laws on revoking citizenship...National Party's foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee's comments about whether New Zealand should follow Australia's law on revoking citizenships - in light of a terror suspect's repatriation - is stirring up debate. ...12 hours ago
- Ancient brains: a look inside the extraordinary preservation of a 310-million-year-old nervous syste...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Paterson, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of New England Javier Ortega-Hernández, Author provided Charles Darwin famously discussed the “imperfections” of the geological record in his book On The Origin of Species. He correctly pointed out that unless conditions are ...13 hours ago
- Fiji opposition MPs pledge not to be silenced, despite arrests over criticismRNZ Pacific Fiji’s opposition MPs who were arrested after their criticism of a government land bill say they will not be intimidated or silenced. Police have since released several leaders of the opposition who were arrested late Sunday. One of those arrested, the National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad, ...13 hours ago
- Local Government Business Forum Annual Newsletter ReleasedThe Local Government Business Forum has released its annual newsletter. "2021 is proving to be a pivotal year for local government and a challenging one for the people who pay the bills," said Michael Barnett, Chair of the Forum. "Major ...13 hours ago
- How do we bridge an impossible divide?Despairing in the wake of large anti-lockdown protests in Australia, Emily Writes searches for ways to fight the monster of ignorance and selfishness.This post was first published on Emily Writes Weekly.Many of us here safe and secure in Aotearoa were horrified by the anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protests in Sydney and Melbourne ...13 hours ago
- Quarterly Inflation Rising Steadily Across The BoardHigher prices for transport and food have driven up inflation for the all households group in the June 2021 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The ‘all households group’ represents all private New Zealand-resident households. Inflation for the all households ...13 hours ago
- Government announces health research funding grantsHealth equity, vaccine hesitancy, and the difficulties of battling both cancer and diabetes are among projects benefiting from the latest round of government health research funding. ...13 hours ago
- The Spinoff Book Report #2Books editor Catherine Woulfe introduces a tranche of new books that comprehensively rule. Welcome back to the Spinoff Book Report. To reiterate the deal here: if a book’s on this list you know it’s genuinely great. No qualms. What happens is I eye up the cubic metre of books stacked on ...15 hours ago
- Live updates, July 27: Auckland mass vaccination event struggles to attract bookingsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 27, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.05am: Auckland mass vaccination event struggles to attract bookingsA three-day vaccination event in Auckland did not get the attention health officials expected it would. New figures have revealed ...16 hours ago
- How the Groundhog Day grind of lockdown scrambles your memory and sense of timeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Osth, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne YouTube With roughly half of Australia in lockdown at the moment, a common experience is a warped sense of time and poor memory. What day is it? What week is it? Did ...16 hours ago
- How Australia’s fickleness on COVID vaccines is perpetuating global vaccine inequitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Joseph, Professor of Human Rights Law, Griffith University Despite assurances from Prime Minister Scott Morrison that Australia was at “the front of the queue” for COVID-19 vaccines, Australia’s rate of vaccination ranks last in the OECD. Nevertheless, Australia is still ...16 hours ago
- When will we reach herd immunity? Here are 3 reasons that’s a hard question to answerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, University of Sydney As we try to control COVID-19, many people are keen to know what proportion of the population will need to be vaccinated in order to reach “herd immunity”. It’s a reasonable question. People are asking because ...16 hours ago
- A wet winter, a soggy spring: what is the negative Indian Ocean Dipole, and why is it so important?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicky Wright, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Shutterstock This month we’ve seen some crazy, devastating weather. Perth recorded its wettest July in decades, with 18 straight days of relentless rain. Overseas, parts of Europe and China have endured extensive flooding, ...16 hours ago
- Yes adult literacy should be improved. But governments can make their messages easier to read right ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cath Ferguson, Senior research fellow, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock A parliamentary inquiry is looking into how to improve adult literacy in Australia. Having a low level of literacy is not the same thing as being illiterate. The definition of “illiterate” ...16 hours ago
- How a new trade deal could make it harder to improve life for Australians in aged careSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia Ranald, Honorary research associate, University of Sydney Prime Minister Morrison and Trade Minister Birmingham sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement in November 2020, Canberra. Lukas Coch/AAP The 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement signed in November 2020 between Australia and ...16 hours ago
- If I could go anywhere: Greek cake shops, the Athenian countryside and the sanctuary of Artemis at B...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland Konstantinos Livadas/Shutterstock In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted. In ...16 hours ago
- Big water decisions influence futures of small communities
The PM vows to settle the contested boundaries of the four big new regional water authorities – a decision awaited nervously in some of NZ's smaller communities ...16 hours ago - The Bulletin: ‘Government neglect’ blamed for poverty increaseGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: ‘Government neglect’ blamed for poverty increase, suspected ISIS supporter to be repatriated, and Sāmoa’s former PM formally concedes.The country’s leading anti-poverty lobby group has put the blame squarely on the government for an increase in hardship. In a report out this morning, ...16 hours ago
- Ombudsman pans council foot-dragging
Christchurch’s council gets a slap on the wrist over delays relating to a $100,000 report. David Williams reports. Delays and transparency at Christchurch’s council remain under scrutiny by Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier. Two years ago, Boshier excoriated the council for its treatment of public information requests, saying reports reflecting negatively ...18 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 27 July
...18 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 27 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...18 hours ago - Menopause, MHT and meA full 50% of the population will experience menopause, but confusion about its symptoms – and the options for treating them – remains widespread. Determined to address menopause’s debilitating effects, Anna Sophia embarked on an ‘experiential trial’ to discover whether hormone therapy could help.So here it is and here I ...19 hours ago
- What’s it like reporting from ‘an Olympics like no other’?New Zealand journalists based in Tokyo say covering this year’s extraordinary Olympics is ‘fun, strange, uncertain and exciting’. There’s also a lot of gloves. Kimberlee Downs remembers her time spent covering the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan as a “very social” occasion. Journalists from all over the world met, ...19 hours ago
- We’ve got enough food – it’s the political will that’s missingYes, the vast majority of food produced in New Zealand goes overseas, but blaming food insecurity on exporting serves only to obscure the real issue, writes Katharine Cresswell Riol.In light of ongoing food insecurity in Aotearoa, a situation that was drastically exacerbated by coronavirus-induced lockdown conditions, the recent call to ...19 hours ago
- Why we should care about air pollution
It’s time to consider how reducing emissions for the benefit of the climate could bring added health benefits to our population, argues Dr Dennis Wesselbaum. The report by He Pou a Rangi, the Climate Change Commission, has received much positive and negative attention since its publication. It suggests making dramatic changes ...19 hours ago - The opposite of punitive school measures
'Restorative practice' in education reduces reliance on punitive measures such as suspensions and expulsions, creating safer environments. So do why NZ schools tend to drop it just years after bringing it in? COMMENT: Every day schools remove students from their classrooms and schools in frustration with their inability to adhere to school ...19 hours ago - Liberté, égalité – and Covid
France is getting tough on mandating a health passport for vaccination status, and the French aren't taking it lying down, writes Oliver Hartwich ...19 hours ago - Beware the 'forgotten' war
Stephen Hoadley cautions New Zealanders to take into account the security risks - and the economic opportunities - presented by the fragile inter-Korean armistice, and to be aware of the shifting power balances of the East Asian region The guns are stilled … for now. But seven decades ago one of the ...19 hours ago - The cut-throat world of kombucha
Craft kombucha maker Batchwell launches a $1 million capital raise on the Snowball Effect platform this week. But the kombucha market is more complicated than you might think. ...19 hours ago - A scary and overlooked milestone
'Earth Overshoot Day' is the day in the year humanity begins to exceed its annual consumption of the earth’s replenishable resources - and it's not cause for celebration, writes Jack Santa Barbara COMMENT: One of the most significant milestones we pass each year generally goes completely unnoticed, and unacknowledged. This year ...19 hours ago - Planned retreat from flood-prone Westport and its stoic history
As the PM visits Westport, the town faces a touch call on whether to rebuild or withdraw after the recent devastating floods ...19 hours ago - One week at the border: 60 Covid cases caught
We're keeping Covid out at the border - for now - but just last week our defences kept out 60 positive cases. Almost inevitably, that protection shield will fail. It seems to be coming at us from all angles. Covid, and its more dangerous variant Delta is knocking at the ...19 hours ago - Essay: My grandmother glitches the machine
A personal essay about machines, Mandarin, and grandma by Tan Tuck Ming A few years ago, I took part in a research study at an institute of parapsychology, an underground subfield of psychology that deals with psychic abilities. I was in my second year of university and did not ...19 hours ago - Accused spy active on encrypted chat app
A soldier charged with espionage has recently been active on the encrypted chat app Telegram, Marc Daalder reports A soldier facing four charges of espionage along with 13 other counts still has access to encrypted messaging apps on his mobile phone. The soldier, who has interim name suppression ahead of a ...19 hours ago - The liquor store plague
New Zealanders have very easy access to alcohol, and the choices are growing. But communities worried about the harm it's causing face big hurdles to stop liquor stores proliferating. How many alcohol outlets does a suburban town centre need? Well, in South Auckland’s Māngere, there are seven - all ...19 hours ago - Samoa’s FAST party gets quickly down to work after court rulingRNZ Pacific Samoa’s new FAST Party government has got down to work this morning, meeting with the heads of government departments, more than 100 days after it had won the election. FAST MPs were forced to swear themselves in because the Head of State had barred them from entering Parliament. ...23 hours ago
- John Minto: Ben & Jerry does right thing – will Mahuta agree to UN call?COMMENT: By John Minto US ice cream manufacturer Ben and Jerry has announced it will no longer sell icecream in the occupied Palestinian Territories. This is a welcome development while Israel is continuing to flout international law with their new government approving the building of 31 more illegal Jewish-only settlements ...23 hours ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 3
On a day when NZ celebrated its first medal in Tokyo, our Kiwi sportswomen had a mixed bag of results - but it was an unforgettable day for the baby of the team. LockerRoom's daily update on our women athletes continues. Performances of the day It's been one heck of a ...1 day ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: “Year of the vaccine” at riskAnalysis by Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. A consensus is emerging that the Government has generally managed the Covid crisis very well over the last 18 months, but they have dropped the ball when it comes to the crucial vaccine rollout. This was nicely encapsulated in opinion polling ...1 day ago
- Yes, there’s confusion about ATAGI’s AstraZeneca advice. But it’s in an extremely difficult po...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe University Daniel Pockett/AAP One can totally understand the frustration around where the AstraZeneca vaccine fits in our vaccine rollout in Australia. At a time when we’re grappling with so much uncertainty, we need unambiguous ...1 day ago
- View from The Hill: Labor wouldn’t disturb tax cuts, negative gearing in ‘small target’ strate...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra After making itself a mega target in 2019, Labor has confirmed it will be a small one in 2022 by promising an Albanese government would keep the 2024 income tax cuts and not disturb negative ...1 day ago
- How do Olympic athletes stack up against invertebrates? Not very wellSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlyn Forster, PhD Candidate, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Andreas Karyadi / Shutterstock Olympians spend years training to be the best of the best. Scientists and sportspeople have spent decades researching the mechanics of the human ...1 day ago
- Kiwis face anxious wait for extra flights out of New South WalesNew Zealanders stuck in New South Wales are anxiously waiting on the government to organise extra return flights. ...1 day ago
- Curious Kids: are sugar rushes real?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Associate Professor/ Principal Research Fellow, Griffith University Shutterstock When I’m happy after eating something sweet mummy and daddy say I am having a “sugar rush”. But I think I’m just happy! Is a sugar rush a real ...1 day ago
- To ensure supply of the top 3 drugs used to treat COVID-19, it’s time to boost domestic medicine m...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney We now know enough about how COVID works for health authorities to have issued clear guidance on which drugs doctors should use on hospitalised patients. The recommended drugs are dexamethasone, ...1 day ago
- What is ‘ROC’ and why are they winning so many Olympic medals in Tokyo?A mysterious team called ROC is currently in the top 10 on the Olympic medal table. Meanwhile, Russia hasn’t won any medals in Japan yet. Could these two facts be connected? We’ll give the game away on this one straight away – ROC stands for Russian Olympic Committee, and is, in ...1 day ago
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- Oh, look – we can’t find any mention of “ISIS” in PM’s press statement on bringing woman a...The Turks don’t want her, after she crossed the border into that country from Syria. The Aussies don’t want her, even though her family moved to Australia when she was six and she grew up there before departing for Syria in 2014 on an Australian passport. They cancelled her citizenship. ...1 day ago
- For too long, research was done on First Nations peoples, not with them. Universities can change thi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Rawlings, Lecturer, University of Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney Warlpiri person showing a honey ant after hunting. shutterstock For too long, “research” was an activity done to or on Indigenous people; it was something imposed from ...1 day ago
- FIANZ Request Media To Exercise Responsibility And Respect Privacy...1 day ago
- The forgotten Australian veterans who opposed National Service and the Vietnam WarSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Piccini, Lecturer, Australian Catholic University On July 26 1971, a top secret cabinet meeting ended what was then Australia’s longest conflict. The public would hear about it for the first time in August, when Prime Minister William McMahon announced the withdrawal ...1 day ago
- Australia badly needs earth science skills, but universities are cutting the supplySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Selway, Senior Research Fellow, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia Earth science is vital to Australia’s economic and environmental future but we are dramatically decreasing our earth science capability. Earth scientists work not only in mining and mineral exploration (which ...1 day ago
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- Barnaby Joyce scores dismal ratings in Resolve poll, while Berejiklian government easily in front de...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Mick Tsikas/AAP In the latest Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, the Coalition had 38% of the primary vote (down two since June), Labor 35% (down one), the ...1 day ago
- NZ dairy industry’s biggest challenge is meeting methane gas emission targets
New Zealand dairy farmers are some of the most efficient producers of dairy milk in the world, and while the past year has been tough for many industries, the overall picture for dairy has been overwhelmingly positive. Returns to farmers have been at record levels,. along with the economic contribution ...1 day ago - New Zealand to bring in terror suspect Suhayra Aden and her childrenNew Zealand has agreed to repatriate Suhayra Aden and her two young children, who crossed from Syria into Turkey in February. ...1 day ago
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- Returning Children Must Be Protected And EmbracedChildren’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft is urging the public and media to respect the privacy and wellbeing of the children returning with their mother from Turkey, following the Governments’ announcement today. “I am proud that New Zealand has ...1 day ago
Russia and the PEEOTUS: follow the money trail. It goes back a long long way.
https://www.vox.com/2017/7/18/15983910/donald-trump-russia-putin-fbi-collusion-fusion-gps
The orange one always had a very shady past with a German bank, which gave him loans to avoid his bankruptcies, was fined for money laundering via Russia.
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/12/29/donald-trump-russia-secret-deutsche-bank-753780.html
He’ll get away with it.
The US government is tilting from military +intelligence+business frame to business+military frame with business interests dominant, and will stay there for the remainder of this century.
They’ve always had that frame. It’s where the phrase Military-industrial-complex comes from.
I’m aware of the origin.
It is being rapidly reshaped.
You said that business was becoming dominant while I contend that business has been dominant in the US since the Robber Barons at the minimum.
Our own sir John Key has closer ties to the dodgy and corrupt german Deutshe bank than any other New Zealander or politician that I am aware of ….
According to our New Zealand companies register he was involved in 7 Deutsche bank fronts ….. https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/individual/search?q=John+Key&start=25&limit=25&entitySearch=&addressKeyword=&postalCode=&country=&addressType=&advancedPanel=false&mode=standard&roleType=ALL&indEntityTypes=ALL&indEntityStatusGroups=ALL&indDirStatus=ALL&sf=&sd=
On Jan 9th a book is coming out claiming that Donald Trump himself met with the Russians following meetings with his son and the Russians. Bannon may well have a axe to grind, but you can hardly fault him as an insider source on Trump:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-bannon-trump-tower_us_5a4cde0be4b0b0e5a7a9fe93?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Adolf Twitler’s response doesn’t disappoint…
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-steve-bannon_us_5a4d200ce4b0b0e5a7aa6f15?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
If former naval officer Bannon said that to a journalist, imagine what he’s said to Mueller.
Bannon is burning Kushner – and there is every reason for him to do it real slow.
I haven’t seen anything that says Mueller has interviewed Bannon yet, and a quick google turned up nothing. You seen anything?
Maybe it’s happened, but been successfully kept quiet …
Haven’t seen anything myself but I reckon he’s conspicuous because of his absence from any coverage about potential interviewees.
Oh boy.
Most presidential candidates spend their entire careers, if not their lives from adolescence, preparing for the role. They rise up the ladder of elected offices, perfect a public face, and prepare themselves to win and to govern. The Trump calculation, quite a conscious one, was different. The candidate and his top lieutenants believed they could get all the benefits of almost becoming president without having to change their behavior or their worldview one whit. Almost everybody on the Trump team, in fact, came with the kind of messy conflicts bound to bite a president once he was in office. Michael Flynn, the retired general who served as Trump’s opening act at campaign rallies, had been told by his friends that it had not been a good idea to take $45,000 from the Russians for a speech. “Well, it would only be a problem if we won,” Flynn assured them.
Not only did Trump disregard the potential conflicts of his own business deals and real-estate holdings, he audaciously refused to release his tax returns. Why should he? Once he lost, Trump would be both insanely famous and a martyr to Crooked Hillary. His daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared would be international celebrities. Steve Bannon would become the de facto head of the tea-party movement. Kellyanne Conway would be a cable-news star. Melania Trump, who had been assured by her husband that he wouldn’t become president, could return to inconspicuously lunching. Losing would work out for everybody. Losing was winning.
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Election Night, when the unexpected trend — Trump might actually win — seemed confirmed, Don Jr. told a friend that his father, or DJT, as he calls him, looked as if he had seen a ghost. Melania was in tears—and not of joy.
There was, in the space of little more than an hour, in Steve Bannon’s not unamused observation, a befuddled Trump morphing into a disbelieving Trump and then into a horrified Trump. But still to come was the final transformation: Suddenly, Donald Trump became a man who believed that he deserved to be, and was wholly capable of being, the president of the United States.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/01/michael-wolff-fire-and-fury-book-donald-trump.html
If anything in this is remotely true the entire party should be gone for a generation.
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/12/15/putins-proxies-helped-funnel-millions-gop-campaigns
But probably won’t even if it is true.
Many of those sounding the loudest alarm bells over Russian influence in U.S. politics were curiously silent when far greater concerns were raised about the Clintons.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/03/03/peter-schweizer-trump-vs-clintons-russia-ties-guess-who-always-got-free-pass.html
“She did it too” isn’t going to get the serial rapist off the hook.
Had Hillary become prez, no doubt the likes of Trey Gowdy and Chuck Grassley would have spent all their time with serial investigations of Hillary. Indeed, there are active Congressional investigations into Hillary going on right now.
But she’s not prez, and it’s very unlikely she will ever be in a position of authority in the future. The person with decision-making power right now is by far the more important one to be interested in.
That’s long before you even get to considering the merits of the cases against each person. But to address your citation, the opinions published by Schweizer and Fox News against Clinton over the uranium deal have already been thoroughly debunked.
https://www.factcheck.org/2017/10/facts-uranium-one/
What, they denied it and have all the facts on their side?
Lock her up! 🙄
I don’t know why they bother trying to hokey up some reason that sounds plausible for locking her up. They should just be honest and say they want to lock her up coz it will make them feel good. Just because.
I think it more likely that they are gullible fuckwits who believe the last thing they were told.
They should lock her up over Libya ….. or better yet make her go and live there with Obama .,…..
They should enjoy the fruits of their creation …
Removing Te Mata Peak track ‘not a cheap thing to do’
Well Craggy Range you should have consulted first.
Pay up.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/347432/removing-te-mata-peak-track-not-a-cheap-thing-to-do
The Hawke’s Bay tribe that sought to have a track on Te Mata Peak removed is disappointed the path is proving popular with locals.
Ngāti Kahungunu Trust chair Ngahiwi Tomoana
“ Just because it is popular does not make it right.”
Wise words.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/347134/iwi-frustrated-as-locals-take-to-te-mata-peak-track
Would have been a whole bunch better to dedicate a cycle lane on the existing road up to the peak. – which Council could have done as the road controlling authority without too much fuss.
Was it arrogance or ignorance that meant Craggy Range did not consult with iwi?
I’m not familiar enough with the landowner or the Council on iwi relationships (although it generally doesn’t stop me 😉 )
There was and is no requirement to do so. It’s their land.
And the Christchurch Cathedral is owned by the church, so Cantabrians can piss off too because they don’t own that either?
Indeed.
Don’t be too hard on Craggy Range. As a local I understand they did what they were told they had to do. I believe the Hastings District Council staff judged the application was non-notifiable and if the finger gets pointed at anyone it should be at them.
After the initial blowback Craggy Range’s reponse was to say they would remove the track and remediate it (good luck with that).
Since then a counter “keep the track” petition has soundly passed the initial “the desecration of Te Mata Peak must be removed” petition.
Latest word is that there will be talks involving the local iwi organisation and possibly the track will stay. I hope it will.
Yes the process was flawed. No it wasn’t Craggy Range’s fault. The initial reaction was knee-jerk. And hopefully we retain a community asset.
That’s why I asked was it ignorance.
New Zealandees should be aware of Maori values.
Pay up why?
It’s on private land. And they obtained resource consent:
“The Hastings District Council approved resource consent for the track in October, pointing out that the track would not include any cuts with overall vertical extent more than 1m, and adding that all cuts would be battered back and regrassed.
The council also pointed out that no trees or significant vegetation would be removed, and there were no known archaeological sites. Nor did the area of work contain a District Plan-mapped waahi tapu site.”
[if you are going to cut and paste, please link to your source. – weka]
The resource consent checklist must have missed:
Does your work involve vandalising (or hey let’s just say.. any modification) of the most significant regional landmark that is extremely important to local Maori and for local tourism?
James has no concern for Maori values.
I wouldn’t waste your time with him.
Like Trump, he continues to hit new lows.
I love the way you project.
The owners did everything right. Its their land. They sought and obtained permission.
But little the green eyed monster comes out looking for them to “pay up” – based on, well nothing as per usual.
No they didn’t (They should have consulted iwi) and no it’s not (it’s lease-simple and not ownership).
“The owners did everything right.”
Like offend local iwi? Deface the local landmark? Upset many locals? Cause a national controversy?
If it was their land and could do what they liked then why would they need resource consent?
As I’ve said Maori don’t count in James’s world.
Nor do women. ( see Rhythm and Vines thread)
Nor do animals.
Only James counts in James’s world.
He is an Ayn Rand devotee.
This may come as a shock in your tiny mind – but just because you say something it does not make it so.
Thats a 7 on the Ed scale this morning.
Right there Ed,
Doesn’t care about climate change, or future of our rail, community public environmental health, we have seen either Ed.
It is best to always ignore the nonsense he writes
and many locals are very happy with it – seems very popular.
There are multiple failings in a system created haphazardly to deal with connections of local iwi to land.
Case in point. Auckland Council has inherited the existing waahi tapu sites all former district councils. Our local one, Franklin District Council, had no comprehensive list of sites. Local iwi were given a short window of opportunity – but no resources – to submit new sites before the amalgamation.
Given the vast area of land that had been confiscated, this burden fell to a few to try and cover the historical aspects of land that had been out of iwi ownership for many years.
I attended a resource consent hearing regarding a local landmark that was taken from local iwi in the 1860s, and has since been subdivided a few times. We were not there in the capacity of local tangata whenua, but did have with us an archived map of the site that showed the land in question was part of a Native Reserve, including urupa. While interest from the panel was shown, the fact that this had not been recorded on the waahi tapu register meant that this consideration was not going to be taken into account.
The original tribe and iwi had scattered and their history – over a century later after their land – is thus removed.
Neighbouring local iwi are burdened with the task of uncovering evidence such as these archives, and even those are not considered evidence enough.
You have a confidence in the system working, but it does not do so. Honest consultation with iwi – whether or not it is required – is at least a step in acknowledging those systematic failures in a genuine way.
moderation note for you to attend to.
done – thanks.,
Thanks James
Sorry – please find link following: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11957991
There is an economic storm coming in 2018.
Here are some of the first drops.
‘The most notable change was in Auckland, where for the first time since February 2011 it was now a “buyer’s market”, realestate.co.nz spokeswoman Vanessa Taylor said.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11969056
Just ‘conditioning’ ,because sellers expectations are too high.Propert ponzi is the real bitcoin.
Crash coming this year.
That will be good for labour. In government for a year and then allowing a housing crash to happen.
Lots of unhappy voters come next election time.
I don’t think the electorate are all as stupid as you.
Oh Im sure that the many many many homeowners will be ecstatic that Labour oversaw their house values and equity slashed.
Thats bound to be a vote winner.
Its not being stupid – its that it impacts people and their lives for the worse – might be good for people who are envious, but in the real world it will cost votes.
In the real world it’s a Ponzi Scheme that National engineered to make a few people richer and everybody else worse off.
Yes Draco,
Tory tactics again there we see with the usual ‘property price slump scare’ from them again eh?
Our home price has ‘slumped after all those increased trucks National Party have ‘encouraged’ to carry freight through our residential communities ruining our health & wellbeing as property values have slumped now.
Because who wants 24/7 hour truck noise vibration & pollution in their lives as living near these horrible “truck roads now”?
Whereas normal political analysis has the electorate perfectly capable of realising that it takes more than one term to repair the things the National Party does.
So while I sympathise somewhat with your need to believe you’re going be returned to government at the next election, in the end, derision wins.
why is it Labours fault when people buy things on credit they actually can’t afford, especially if you were to have another global financial crisis like we had in 2007/8?
Oh because Phil – Housing Allowance Fraud – English would said so?
Question: Leading up to the overheating of the market, what has National done to prevent the market from crashing in the future during their reign of power?
What about all the people who would then be able to buy a house (or upgrade to a more suitable one)? Surely the 10-15% of people who lose out big (because they weren’t smart enough to catch on to the trend early enough) will be overshadowed by the 50-60% who then benefit?
Or do you think everyone has 5 houses, a boat and 5 luxury cars all based on the increasing value of their home they brought in 1960?
50-60% wont benefit – because when the values drop too much they will either hold on to them – or rent them out to cover the cost.
So the current land owners don’t lose out then… you can’t have it both ways you know
If it happens then it was a crash engineered by National.
perhaps – but overseen by Labour. And guess who the owners will blame come election time ?
You may be right. Depends upon how well it’s framed and the fact that many on the left have been calling property a bubble for a long time.
They won’t let a housing crash happen in Auckland. They’ll buy every house coming on the market for HousingNZ which would see the demand (and so prices) stay high.
So before that happens James, what should they do to prevent a housing crash in Auckland? What should they do not have it a “buyers market” or are those things mutually exclusive?
> They won’t let a housing crash happen in Auckland. They’ll buy every house coming on the market for HousingNZ which would see the demand (and so prices) stay high.
TBH that sounds like a long shot.
A.
The crash is a global crash.
And they’ll have that as Ms Ardern’s fault too!
Hey guys, before we all get too excited, let’s think this through… We all know that a huge problem in recent times has been rising house prices (esp in Auckland). If there was a drop in prices that would actually be a good thing for buyers, especially those who are struggling to cover the extremely inflated costs. (And, btw, buyers vote, too, as do parents and others who care about people trying to buy.)
As it happens, your report of a “buyers’ market” is actually just based on a slight increase in stock and longer time on the market – prices are still up 2.7% in Auckland, with many sellers seemingly having waited for new council valuations before putting their properties on the market. Read past the headline…🙄
Hardly an economic meltdown! And we have to accept that if we want a more equitable, accessible housing market, some people are going to see their houses drop in value. That may be a problem for those people, especially if they’ve been using their property as a proxy superannuation plan, but it’s not armageddon. Plus, the government is trying to be careful about this stuff. Increasing the stock of reasonably priced housing will slow down growth in value, but the market won’t tank because of it.
I do hope we are shielded from the worst of the 2018 economic meltdown. Our dependence on China could cause businesses to fail.
The World Bank are pretty damn confident about China’s prospects for 2018. Do you know something they don’t?
Ken RingMax Keiser predicted it so it must be true.The symptoms have been present for 12-18 months, Horncastle Homes closing up
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/rodney-times/97089754/horncastle-homes-wraps-up-after-40-years
I have had to implement the winding up of 3 builders for failure to pay debts for building supplies, and there are many others that are on limited supplies as they are on agreements to reduce debt.
Building material inflation well above CPI and pay rate increases. This building inflation excludes land
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11789263
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=11683028
The timing of when this happens has alot to do with what economic conditions from the recent past.
Very interesting.
I have a sense the banks are doing everything they can to reduce their exposure to bad debt before the oncoming storm.
‘Iran – Early U.S. Support For Rioters Hints At A Larger Plan
In Iran – Regime Change Agents Hijack Economic Protests we looked at the developing U.S.-Israeli operation to instigate a revolt in Iran. What follows are a few more background points and a view on the developments since. A color revolution or revolt in Iran have only little chances of success. But even as the fail they can be used as pretext for additional sanctions and other anti-Iranian measures. The current incidents are thus only one part of a much larger plan.
The “western” democracies are used to distinguish political parties as left or right with fixed combinations of economic and cultural policies. The “left” is seen as preferring a social economy that benefits the larger population and as cultural liberal or progressive. The right is seen as cultural conservative with a preference for a free market economy that favors the richer segments of a nation.
The political camps in Iran are different.
The simplified version: The conservatives, or “principalists”, are cultural conservative but favor economic programs that benefit the poor. Their support base are the rural people as well as the poorer segments of the city dwellers. The last Iranian president near to them was Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. One of his major policies was the implementation of cash payments to the needy as replacement of general and expensive subsidies on oil products and foodstuff. The current Iranian president Hassan Rouhani is a member of the “reformist” camp. His support base are the merchants and the richer parts of the society. He is culturally (relative) progressive but his economic polices are neoliberal. The new budget he introduced for the next year cuts back on the subsidies for the poor Ahmedinejad had introduced. It will increase prices for fuel and basic food stuff up to 30-40%.
The protests on December 28 and 29 were about these and other economic issues. Such protests have regularly occurred in Iran throughout the decades. But the current ones were soon hijacked by small groups which chanted slogans against the Iranian system and against the strong Iranian engagement in Syria and Palestine. These are not majority positions of the 80 million inhabitants of Iran:
According to the poll, 67.9% say Iran should increase backing for anti-IS groups, up from 59.8% a year ago. Meanwhile, a majority of 64.9% backs the deployment of Iranian military personnel to Syria to help the regime of Bashar al-Assad, up slightly from 62.7% a year ago.
The small groups that hijacked the protests against Rouhani’s economic polices were heavily promoted by the usual suspects of U.S. influence operations. Avaaz, the RAND cooperation, Human Rights Watch and others immediately jumped onto the bandwagon…..
Read more here.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/12/iran-early-us-support-for-rioters-hints-at-a-larger-plan.html
Is that a whole cut ‘n’ paste job from the linked article with no original content from you, and no formatting for clarity? Again?
Fucking rude.
Cannot remember the selfish posters name on here who happily states to driving on the wrong side of the road in a major gorge “in case a rock falls”.
Thiught of them this morning when I read this
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/100316172/driver-caught-on-camera-in-coromandel-on-wrong-side-of-road
Eco likes Prince Philip he has been around for a while and he knows the big picture I know he is laughing at the charade that is going on in OUR WORLD.Many thanks to the Prince.
Ka pai
Prince Philip is not a nice person.
http://www.aljazeera.com/amp/indepth/opinion/2017/08/priceless-racism-duke-edinburgh-170810082226234.html
http://mashable.com/2017/05/04/prince-philip-gaffes-list.amp
“This is who he is – and the long panoply of his racist, sexist, elitist, misogynistic, class-privileged and unhinged prejudices is a mobile museum of European bigotry on display.”
Sums the matter well.
They show him up to be a cruel father and an unfaithful husband on the Crown as well.
Phil the Greek is a great bloke, funniest great grandad on the planet.
Where to begin!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/israel-offers-to-pay-african-migrants-to-leave-threatens-jail/9302960
Aren’t the Royal Family such lovely ordinary people?
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/03/windsor-council-calls-removal-homeless-people-before-royal-wedding
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/670975/prince-harry-meghan-markle-monaco-new-year-celebration-party-france-royal/amp
LOL – you quote the Daily star.
that’s hilarious. But then again – its more reliable that some of the other links he proves.
and just to help you with your comprehension – the first link is somebody else requesting it – The royal family have nothing to do with it at all.
Ed
Sour cream goes with baked potatoes and chives nicely.
This is what you get after 35 years of neoliberalism.
Selfish people.
ME people, not WE people.
People who don’t care about society.
People who don’t care about Maori values.
‘A request from local iwi for visitors to stay away from Auckland’s Waitākere Ranges to stop the spread of kauri dieback appears to be falling on deaf ears.
Hundreds of people are continuing to walk in the ranges, despite Te Kawerau-ā-Maki placing a rāhui over them to try and stop visitors flocking there in the summer months.
At least 500 people are estimated to be walking the popular Kitekite Falls track near Piha every day.’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/347455/they-re-just-making-their-job-more-difficult-and-more-expensive
Often these people claim to care about their families – but even then they show by their actions they don’t care about their children and grandchildren, as they refuse to make any sacrifices to their lifestyles to mitigate climate change.
In extreme case, they deny climate change.
Burn the witches !
https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/religion-clergy-popes-bishop-stake-burning-bron2676_low.jpg
In your opinion obviously. Just because you don’t like or agree with their actions does not mean that they do not care about their children.
For example – I think if you imposed your ideological eating disorder (vegan) on kids – does that make you uncaring not giving them a full healthy diet ?
Or do you let them grow and make their own mind up (or is that uncaring also)?
“Selfish people.
ME people, not WE people.
People who don’t care about society.
People who don’t care about Maori values.”
That’s the perception I have of you. Nice to see you come out and admit it.
NZ Is a country being destroyed by the food industry.
The solution is the way we are dealing with big tobacco.
This article shows how we can deal with this disgraceful and disgusting industry and its pimps like Katherine Rich.
Ban advertising
Tax unhealthy food for its externalities
Limit its sale points
‘Dan Parker, who was a successful advertising executive earning his living promoting Coca Cola and McDonalds, told the Guardian in his first interview that the food industry is behaving like Big Tobacco. “I think what the food industry does now will define where it lands. If it behaves like tobacco it will end up being treated like tobacco. And I think it is behaving like tobacco,” said the former industry insider.
“There are an awful lot of people not very interested in seeing the size of the packaged food industry drop by those kind of figures. The amount of money involved is billions of pounds.” That includes the food industry, the supermarkets, the exchequer and also the media. “Parts are almost entirely propped up by advertising for those unhealthy products. Early Saturday night TV, for example, would struggle without pizzas and fishfingers.”‘
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/02/former-advertising-executive-reveals-big-foods-junk-food-pushing-tactics
“NZ Is a country being destroyed by the food industry”
You have anything to back that up? No thought not.
And no – the daily star or vegan news blogs are not reputable links.
You’re doing well hitting the mental ignore button Ed, keep it up. I just wish more would do the same. He brings a sour note to The Standard.
4 days.
And it’s great just scrolling past 😎
How is your chocolate fast going?
No chocolate fast for me. You must be confusing me with another poster.
I am enjoying a James-free fast though. So far I feel so cleansed. And being a BM-free zone helps as well.
Speaking of cleansing after much humid foreboding the forecast rain had arrived. It will be interesting to see how it pans out. I have a saying about HB weather – it is normally better than predicted and very rarely worse.
Grey for short but not for long. We both get Grey but I am greywarshark. And the chocolate fast is biting me the more that I’m not biting. This is a good test on my eating habits. It won’t last but each New Year it might be a good move.
And good to limit the James-mosquito. The whining is annoying and subverts the blog.
Good on you for keeping off the chocolate!
Agreed
4 days and no mosquito shall bother me..
Scrolling past.